𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 | 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙤

²⁶; ᵈᵒⁿ'ᵗ ᶠᵒʳᵍᵉᵗ

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐒 more lively than they had ever been, rightfully so, any ninja in the world would be after witnessing such a battle.

That was what they had come for, to see the strength of an Uchiha, better yet, the siblings of Itachi and Shisui Uchiha.

It would be impossibly hard for the next matches to compete with the pure excitement and intensity that came with the two teammates who had fought.

That's what ran through Ronin's mind as he stood in the remains of the arena, facing his cousin.

He wasn't worried about the match, not in the slightest. She wasn't anything to worry himself about, not at all.

She looked at him with widened eyes, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, disbelief, even.

"I didn't wanna believe it... there's no way."

He heard her voice cut through the loud spectators, his eyes remaining locked onto hers.

"It's been so long....I-"

"We aren't here to be friends. I don't care for how you feel" He cut her off curtly, a cold tone to his words.

"I'm so sorry, Ronin. We- we're so sorry."

This is what he wanted to avoid, the few seconds before the match, the time he hoped she wouldn't recognize him.

It was the chunin exams, not therapy. He was here to showcase his ability, not to hear an apology from people he hated.

He directed his attention to the proctor, not responding to her, nodding his head to the man who looked over to Temari.

"Begin!"

This fight was most definetly personal.

"Earth Style!" Ronin started, "Mud Wall!"

A wall raises between the two, cutting off their vision of eachother.

Temari looked on in confusion, watching the wall carefully, paying as much attention as she could.

She didn't know exactly how strong he was, but she lnew two things, two inportant things.

One, he was the son of Tsunade Senju, and the great-grandchild of Hashirama Senju. As well as the son of the strongest Kazekage in the history of their village.

Two, his teammates were both monsters. So, he had to be a monster by association, it was only right...

right?

Which meant that she had to tread carefully.

The wall suddenly cracks, bringing her out of her quick thoughts as it explodes, the various rocks flying towards her following the loud boom that shattered the wall.

"Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

She unfolds her fan, unleashing a torrent of wind on the rocks, and the arena, destroying remnants of Ronin's jutsu and sending them away from her as saw into the ground and wall where she presumed Ronin to be.

She stands, proud of the destruction she caused, bringing some kind of excitement when she failed to see Ronin in the remains, hoping he was covered in the rubble. Or maybe it was her delusion.

She found out quickly, It was her delusion.

She sucked in a sharp breath as she turns quickly, closing her fan as she swings it down to her side, using it to block a punch aimed at her midsection.

She didn't know when he got there, how he got there, or how she didn't notice him, but she was quick enough to defend herself, she thought.

The impact booms through the arena, sending her flying to the side and crashing into the wall, adding another crater to the collection that had formed along the wall.