Everyone listened closely to what Hayate had to say to all the candidates.

" Uh, we have to have a preliminary exam before we can move on to the real one," " Hayate revealed.

" Huh?" Naruto asked.

" A what?" Sakura asked.

" Preliminary?" Shikamaru exploded. " Just what do you mean by that?"

" I'm sorry," Sakura apologized. " Sensei, excuse me, but I really don't see the point. What's this preliminary all about? Why can't we just move on to the third exam?

" Well, you see, the first and second exams might have been too easy," Hayate suspected. " The fact is, we never expected so many of you to still be here." He looked over at Aceso. " Aceso, I am going to need you to stay for the preliminaries. We won't be taking you back to the hospital just yet."

" Understandable, sir," Aceso nodded as he looked back at the others.

" According to the rules of the Chunin Exams, a preliminary round can be held at any stage in order to reduce the number of candidates remaining," Hayate explained.

" But is that fair?" Sakura stammered.

" It's just that at this stage, we have to speed things up a bit," Hayate answered. " As Lord Hokage said, a lot of important guests will be watching. We can't afford to waste their time. They've come to see only the best. So if there any of you who feel you're not in top physical treatment condition, now's your chance to--" He started coughing. " Sorry about that. As I was saying, any of you who don't feel up to this now's the time for you to bow out. The preliminaries will be starting immediately."

" Come on, you mean right now?" Kiba shouted.

" We just finished barely surviving the last exam," Ino added. " Don't we get a break?"

" Man, what a drag," Shikamaru complained.

" When do we eat?" Choji asked.

" I got some treatment by Aceso, I am already!" Naruto shouted.

" Oh yeah, the winners will be determined by one-on-one combat, sudden death," Hataye recalled. " So like I said if there's anyone who doesn't feel up to it, now's the time to raise your hand."

" Not me!" Naruto laughed. " I still quite a lot of chakra left."

" We all do if we got helped by Aceso," Kida told him. " Doesn't mean all up us are to start combat right away."

" I am in!" Lee cheered. " I can show off my skill to the red rose! and Gai Sensei will be proud!"

" Red rose?" Anko asked leaning over to her.

" Not a clue," Aceso whispered. She then walked over to Lord Hokage, Aceso was now standing alone. Minutes later Kabuto raised his hand, just like he has been doing since Aceso first started with the Chunin Exams.

" What the?" Kiba asked.

" Ok, you got me, I'm out," Kabuto gave in.

" But Kabuto," Naruto began to protest.

" Kabuto Yakushi of the Leaf Village, right?" Hayate asked as he looked at his papers. " Ok. You can go on and step back."

" Gotcha," Kabuto understood, he turned and began to leave.

" Kabuto!" Naruto exclaimed. " Hold on a second! I don't get this. What's going on?" Everyone looked at Naruto and Kabuto as the two looked at each other.

" Oh, Naruto," Kabuto apologized. " I didn't go to Aceso to be treated...I'm sorry, but my body's just too beat up. I can't hack it. The fact is, ever since orientation and that dust-up with the sound village team, I've had no hearing at all in my left ear. And now to put my life on the line, to fight again right away without a break? I can't do it." Naruto looked down sadly.  Kabuto then walked away.

" Now, then does anybody else want to quit?" Hayate asked after a cough. Nobody pulled out. " Alright then, we will not begin the preliminary round. This round will consist of one-on-one individual combat at full battle intensity. This is not an exercise. There are 20 of you remaining, so that means we will need ten matches. The surviving candidates from these ten matches will advance to the third exam. As for the rules, there are none. You will fight until one dies or concedes defeat or is rendered physically incapable of continuing the contest. Naturally, those who are losing are urged to concede defeat promptly to avoid a fatal outcome. Furthermore, as proctor, I am given a certain amount of leeway in judging the matches. I might occasionally intervene if a match seems hopeless to save as many lives as possible. Now it's time to reveal what fate has been chosen for you." He looked back, Anko nodded, and she looked back.

" Open the panel," Anko instructed. A panel opened revealing a screen.

" The names of each pair of opponents are chosen completely at random," Hayate explained. " Before each match, these names will appear on the display behind me. As there's nothing more to say, let's begin. In a moment, the names of the first two opponents will appear." The screen rolled through many names before stopping at Sasuke and Yorodi Akado from the leaf village. " All right, now. Those whose names have been drawn, come forward." Sasuke and Yorodi walked forward. " You have been chosen for the first match, Yoroi Akado, and Sasuke Uchiha." The two-faced each other. " Are there any objections?"

" None here," Sasuke answered.

" No," Yorodi declined.

' I have faith that you will win Sasuke,' Asceo thought to herself. She normally doesn't have favorites, but for once she had friends, and they were candidates in the preliminaries to go to the third stage of the Chunin exams.

" All right then," Hayate breathed. " Let's begin the first match." He brought a fist to his mouth and coughed. " Okay. Everyone other than the two opposing candidates will now clear the area and move to the upper level." Everyone started to move up, going on two different sides. " Aceso stay close, healing treatment will be needed after each round.

" Yes, sir," Aceso nodded her head as she made her way to the stairs.

" Hey!" Naruto shouted she looked back to see Kakashi was right behind her. " Kakashi Sensei!" Naruto was jumping up and down. He stopped to talk to Sasuke as everyone else went up, Aceso went up on the side Kakashi went on. She stood between Guy's team and Kakashi's team, everyone anxiously watched for the first match to start.

"Then if you're ready, let the match begin," Hayate announced.

" Oh, I'm ready," Yorodi declared as he got into position.

" So am I" Sasuke fired as he got in position. Chakra formed insight on Yorodi's hand, his other hand reached into his back pocket. Sasuke reached for a knife Yorodi threw multiple throwing stars. He blocked them, then Sasuke yelped in pain. " Already?" Yorodi appeared in front of Sasuke and went to go punch but Sasuke rolled away. He lodged his knife in the ground, swing around, and knocked Yorodi on the ground, he caught Sasuke's other foot.

" Hey, he got him!" Naruto shouted happily.

" It's not over yet," Aceso declined as she watched intensely, Yorodi grabbed Sasuke's shirt, his hand lit up with chakra. He let go, then swung his arm onto Sasuke before jumping away, Sasuke was shaking.

" Sasuke, no!" Sakura cried out as Yorodi charged at him. Sasuke sat up, Yorodi grabbed his hair, Sasuke screamed out in pain and he was back on his back. Yorodi was laughing evilly. Sasuke's arm fell limp.

" Sasuke!" Naruto gasped.

" What the--my chakra, what are you doing?" Sasuke asked.

" You're just noticing it now?" Yorodi laughed.

" My chakra! You're stealing it from me!" Sasuke shouted.

" You finally caught on, huh?" Yorodi laughed." Your friend gives chakra, while I steal it." Sasuke's other arm fell to the side. Everyone watched as he screamed out in pain.

" Get off me!" Sasuke shouted kicking Yorodi off of him.

" So, you've still got some strength left, huh?" Yorodi asked as Sasuke struggled to get up. " Impressive -- for a guinea pig. " Sasuke was breathing heavily. " Don't worry, little man. I'll make it short and sweet." Chakra grew in his hand, and he charged. He threw his hand forward, Sasuke dodged it, this went on for a bit.

" What's the matter?" Yorodi asked as Sasuke staggered away. " Is that really the best you can do?" He jumped out of the way as Sasuke swung a leg.

" Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted out, he stood on the right of Aceso as Lee stood on the left. " Come on, man! What was that? And you call yourself an Uchiha? You're going to let this go on, walk all over you! Come on, stop messing around and get it in gear!"

" Aceso can't you go give Sasuke any chakra?" Sakura asked as she kept her eyes glued away.

" If I do that, then the match is over and Sasuke loses," Aceso explained. " I can only aid him once the match is officially over." Sasuke looked back at them, panting suddenly his eyes went wide. " Use your head Sakura."

" I'll teach you to turn your back on me," Yorodi said as he charged at him with chakra in his hands. Sasuke looked at him. " Big mistake, and your last! Sasuke dodged all the throws Yorodi was giving him. Suddenly he disappeared. " Huh? Where did he go?" And appeared under Yorodi, kicking him under in the belly and sending him flying.

" Since when could he do that?" Aceso asked with wide eyes as Lee gasped. Sasuke turned, jumped, and went straight to his opponent. Lee gripped the railing harder.

" Ok, I admit it," Sasuke gave in as he went under Yorodi. " I kind of borrowed that move. But from here on in, it's all original."

" A Dancing Leaf Shadow!" Yorodi gasped.

" Now take this!" Sasuke exclaimed, gaining more confidence.

" Borrowed?" Aceso asked. " From who?"

"Me," Lee said sharply, she looked at him, his eyes glued on Sasuke.

" Impressive," Aceso breathed as she looked back at Sasuke. She then saw the mark on his neck glow orange like fire, he spat out blood, hands trembled.

" No, not again!" Sasuke cried out as the mark grew up his neck and towards his face. Then the mark receded, Sasuke grabbed Yorodi, and swung his leg up, Yorodi blocked it with his arm.

" You're no match for me," Yorodi teased.

" Who's no match for who?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke spun around and pounded Yorodi in the face.

" Come back here!" Sasuke shouted as he delivered a couple of more blows. " I'm not done yet!" He swung his foot around, slammed it into Yorodi's stomach, and slammed him to the ground. " Lions Barrage!" He spat up blood and Sasuke went flying back and flopped onto his front side. Hayate walked over to Yorodi.

" Well, this one's had it," Hayate confirmed. Sasuke stood up shakingly and wiped the blood off his mouth. " I'm declaring this match over. As the winner of this preliminary round, Sasuke Uchiha advances to the finals. Sasuke Uchiha advances to the finals. Aceso." Aceso zipped onto the battlefield and over to Yorodi. She took out the ointment and put some along his face, she then put on her hands on his chest, the chakra was settling in.

" Way to go!" Naruto cheered.

" Yorodi shall be coming around in a day or sooner," Aceso informed as she started to patch him up, she looked up to Sasuke falling backward, Kakashi appeared with a book and caught Sasuke with his leg. More medical people came in with a stretcher and began to move Yorodi.

" We go let it here from," one of them said.

" I'll go check on Sasuke," Aceso as she went over to him. She knelt down, opening the tin.

" Hm, not bad," Kakashi complimented Sasuke as Aceso put ointment on him. Sasuke looked back and smirked, the strength was slowly returning. " Funny. Before the Lions Barrage, your technique was very reminiscent of Gai's Taijutsu. You must have used your Sharingan to copy it when you fought with Rock Lee that time." Aceso glanced up to see Rock Lee staring down at them, she then looked back to see Yorodi was starting to stir."

" Is he okay Aceso?" Naruto asked.

" Yeah," Aceso answered.

" Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto laughed." You won but in such an uncool way. You came out looking like you're the one who got beat up!"

" Idiot," Sasuke hissed. " Give me a break, you little--oh, well."

" When did you battle Rock Lee?" Aceso asked as used regular healing ointment.

" Right before the orientation," Sasuke answered as he was starting to pantless.

" Well, well, so that's how it's done," a sound ninja stated.

" I knew all the time he'd be ok," Ino laughed.

" Man, I'm hungry," Choji complained.

" Wow, " Hinata breathed. " He was amazing."

" He wasn't anything that special," Kiba disagreed. The medics then began to walk by, Yorodi looked to the side at Sasuke and Aceso as he passed.

" Sasuke Uchiha, maybe you should come along, to the infirmary, too, and let us treat the rest of your injuries," a medic advised as he walked over.

" I think you're out of your league with this one," Kakashi said.

" Huh?" He asked.

" Aceso took care of returning chakra, strength, and some injuries," Kakashi explained. " I'll look after him. Help him up." Aceso put Sasuke's arm around her, and then helped him stand up. " You're coming with me." Kakashi got real close to the two of them. " We've got to seal that curse mark."

" Before the preliminaries are over?" Sasuke asked.

" Forget it," Aceso declined.

" But," Sasuke began.

" And don't even think of arguing," Kakashi warned. " If we leave it any longer, who knows. It may be too late. I've already cut you enough slack as it is. Let's go." Aceso balanced Sasuke before removing herself from him, he was stable then he and Kakashi left the battle arena. Aceso made her way back up to where she was watching.