All she sees is someone else in the way, this one without a barrier-

She's faster than Elieyha's sand, and there's a knife at her throat before she can even blink, unnaturally keen edge pushing away the inner sand shield. Her eyes are crimson, and there's a pressure pushing at Elieyha's mind - directly at Shukaku's power.

"Look, little genin, it would be rather inconvenient if my sister had to get new teammates at this point. I suggest you run along, and I'll pretend I didn't see you breaking exam rules."

What.

Her eyes flicker, and she blinks, She stumbles back a step.

Then clenches her fists.

"They do not matter. You waste yourself to fight for them."

"They matter to my sister, and their existence strengthens this village."

She holds for a few seconds more, then backs off into the darkness.

"Well, that was exciting," she comments once Elieyha's out of sight and Mariko's confirmed she's leaving. "You two okay?"

They nod, and Sakura says, "Yeah, thanks for showing up. She just - appeared and said I owed her a fight..."

"You'll probably want to stick near a jounin until she leaves. Me, Sesshi, or that Jiraiya, most likely. I can walk you home after training, or you can stay with us, if you'd like."

Shudder. "I'd rather she not show up at my house, so if it wouldn't be an imposition, I'd like to stay over..."

"Alright. We'll go get your things, then." And, turning to Mariko, "You did well, defending your teammate, but you should have gotten someone higher ranked, rather than running off on your own."

"I - sensed that Elieyha approaching Sakura, and just... reacted. I'll try to grab someone if it happens again, though." And train like mad, so she doesn't lose the next fight.

"Good. ...Actually, why don't you stay with us, too. It'll be team bonding, or something." She knows most people consider than important, and 'left one team member out in the cold' is a bad look.

"...Sure. You're closer to the training ground anyways..."

And they go to get their stuff, then retreat to the Uchiha house for the night.

The strong fight and the weak die. That is the order of the world. To fight for others attaches weakness. There is no worth outside the self. She will kill the other Uchiha, and the lesson will be seen.

She's touchier than normal over the next few weeks, the hunger deferred panting inside. Her companions step lightly.

Team Seven steps up their training after the encounter with Elieyha.

Mariko runs into the Toad Sannin of all people, and man did she expect differently from him - she wants to bug him into teaching her more sealing, but his personality annoys the crap out of her, especially the way he refuses to just tell her anything. She does grit her teeth and put up with some of it, especially once he starts teaching her to summon the Nine Tails' chakra actually on purpose - which will be a major asset in battle, though she doesn't like the haze it settles over her mind. The Nine Tails himself is almost charming, in a very rude way, though he laughs when she snarls back at him. Figures she'd have an ass sealed in her head.

Rian's fairly open about the new technique she's learning with her sister, so, fine, whatever, Mariko tells her about the modifications she's been making to her chains. And the ridiculous number of explosive tags she wheedled Sakura into helping her make. (She can't safely close with the Hyuuga, and he'll probably be able to defend better against her chains than most, so clearly the solution is explosives. Not to mention, she'll either be facing Rian or Elieyha in the final round, and explosives are another great solution, though Rian's had the ridiculous idea of trying to choreograph their fight or something to show off.)

A month is both too long and too short. She wants more time to work on her jutsu, but if she almost trips over Elieyha one more time she is going to have a heart attack. Her brother is confident, but he was always good at keeping his shell up. They practice together some, and he has some advice about misdirection.

She makes sure her pouch is well-stocked before the day of the exam.

The day of, they're instructed to line up along the arena floor. It's grassy and large, with a few bushes and short trees dotting it. The proctor is a different person than before, oddly enough. 

The proctor rehashes the match ups, possibly for the benefit of the crowd watching, then the rules - fight until death or forfeit, unless he determines that the fight is over and steps in. 

"Now, the first match - Uzumaki Mariko, Hyuuga Neji. Those two stay here, while the rest of you go to the waiting room."

The Sand group goes upstairs with the others to observe.

Mariko stands to face Neji, and the proctor calls a start to the fight. 

"This will be fun, seeing you fall apart as you discover your reality..." Neji taunts, sliding into an open position. 

"Pounding your face into the dirt's what'll be fun," Mariko says, and idly throws a brace of shuriken towards him - all of which he easily knocks off course.

"With these eyes... I can easily tell that everything is decided at a person's birth. Talent especially. And losers like you have none."

She narrows her eyes, says, "If you really think that talent is everything, you're going to get a harsh wake-up call in the real world, pretty boy," then chains shoot from her back, arcing towards him. He knocks some off course, manages to dodge a few, and lunges for Mariko - and at least twenty chains burst from the ground surrounding him. His eyes narrow, and he twists, a visible sheen of chakra surrounding his body as he spins, destroying all the chains.

Before Mariko can summon more, he shifts into another ready position and charges her, striking at her chakra points. She stumbles back, coughs, then straightens.

"You shouldn't be standing," Neji says, then - "Ah. Clever. You shielded yourself with your chakra... But for someone like you, there's no point in fighting." 

She scowls, runs through possibilities in her head - she doesn't want to use the explosives early, doesn't think he'll fall for the same trick that Sound nin did, but... "Hey, asshole, guess what - I was saving this for my fight against Rian, but I you get a special treat..."

And she summons her chakra - and summons more, and more, until it's visible like fire around her, first blue then shading into red, and there's the feeling of a predator...

And her closed chakra points are blown wide open. 

Chains erupt from everywhere, more than can be quickly counted, slamming into Neji. He spins, destroying some, but there's more, and when he tries to attack Mariko she's summoned a shimmering golden barrier around herself (chakra intensive, but she has so much now). She continues the barrage, not seeming tired at all, until he's exhausted enough that the next chain catches him around the wrist - and that hand becomes incapable of channeling chakra. He struggles, she yanks at him, and binds him in yet more chains, nullifying his chakra entirely.

Mariko dismisses the barrier, draws a kunai, then walks up to place it against his neck. "I suggest you surrender," she says, coldly. Her chakra's still shaded red, and she wants to slit his throat, but also knows that thought isn't her, so. Intimidation it is.

He glares at her, struggles against his bonds, but finally surrenders.

And the match is called in her favor, to first stunned silence and then cheers from the crowd. 

Mariko pockets her kunai, releases her chains, and walks to the exam room.

Tsubasa and Lee are called down to fight. 

Elieyha twitches when the red chakra comes out.

Tsubasa goes down to the arena.

Lee jumps down, and when the proctor calls a start, says, "Yosh! I am excited for this match, but know I will win this!"

She jumps back for distance, and blasts a wide-angle Wind Scythe at him.

He vanishes, running behind her, then moving to attack her from behind.