Viewfinder Ninja Warrior

Summary:

As the Viewfinder characters tackle Stage 3, more shenanigans unfold backstage. Will Akihito be able to overcome Asami's attempts to cheat?

Notes:

I wanted to make this read as similar as I could to listening to an American Ninja Warrior episode, so I used font effects to represent the three announcers. I wanted to use colors, but I don't know how to easily add them, so I'll stick to font shapes. Please let me know if there are any issues with readability.Matt Iseman: underlineAkbar Gbajabiamila: italicsKristine Leahy: bold(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Welcome back to our special Sasuke competition, White Collar vs. Blue Collar. I’m Matt Iseman.And I’m Akbar Gbajabiamila.So far, we’ve seen history be made as Takaba Akihito set a new course record on Stage 1 for the Blue Collar Team. Stage 2 was marred by the first allegations of cheating we’ve ever had in a Sasuke competition, when Asami Ryuichi from the White Collar Team placed an egg timer inside Takaba’s pocket, and it went off during his run, causing him to fall. Asami claimed it was an innocent prank that he thought Takaba would notice right away. Ultimately, it made no difference, because Liu Feilong from the Blue Collar Team won the stage by being the only athlete to make it to Roulette Row.The fans might have been disappointed to see no finishers for Stage 2, but while we were away, Takaba managed to sneak back onto the course and give it another try.That’s right, Akbar. Because it was an unofficial run, there is no official time, but our crews captured the entire run. Let’s watch.Takaba makes it through rope jungle a second faster than he did the first time. He didn’t look tired at all in the double salmon ladder, skipping a rung and skipping the last rung before the unstable bridge, just like he did in competition. Does this guy ever tire?It doesn’t appear that he does, Akbar. He completed the unstable bridge even more smoothly than the first time, this time avoiding hitting his head on the second board.Without that egg timer in his pocket, he breezed by the butterfly wall, going straight from the wall to the rope on the first pass.While his time was unofficial, his blazing pace and lack of any errors to this point set him on course to set an unofficial record for Stage 2, if only he could finish the course. But he was now facing Stage 2’s toughest obstacle, roulette row.That’s right, Matt. On roulette row, you only have one chance to transition from the first ring to the second. You can have no hesitation. But I don’t think Takaba knows the meaning of the word. He smoothly leapt from one ring to the next, and then immediately went for the landing.This was where he struggled for the first time on Stage 2. Takaba came in fast, and he nearly overshot the landing platform, but he held on with his legs and managed to pull himself the rest of the way onto the platform.I wonder where he gets that kind of grasping leg strength. After that, he just had the wall lift. At only 60kg, I wondered if these walls would slow Takaba down – that last wall weighs nearly as much as he does, at 50kg! But there apparently is no slowing Takaba down.Except by an egg timer.Ha. Yes, that will go down as one of the weirdest moments in Sasuke history. But Takaba finished Stage 2 in an unofficial time of 1:32. That would have blown the record out of the water, had it been official.Well, this crowd didn’t care that it was unofficial. They were on their feet, and they’re still chanting Takaba’s name.Takaba has a lot of energy, but even the toughest athletes get tired on Stage 3. I’m sure the Blue Collar Team will use him for Stage 3, so I hope he didn’t hurt his team with that stunt, though, Matt.I hope so, too, Akbar. But for so many of these athletes, they just want a chance to complete the course. I can understand the temptation to try again, especially after his first run ended in such an unfair way. Takaba is not the only athlete who’s tried to sneak onto a stage, but he is the first successful one.Anyway, tonight our teams will face Stage 3, which only a very few athletes have ever completed. Kristine Leahy is standing by to tell us about this insane stage, which is so difficult, it’s the only untimed stage in the finals.Hi, guys. First, our athletes will face the new psycho chainsaw, where they’ll have to pump their arms back and forth to generate forward momentum. Then they’ll have to transition directly to the doorknob grasper, navigating across 5 doorknobs that rotate a full 360 degrees. Next are the old standbys, the floating boards and the ultimate cliffhanger. But this year’s cliffhanger is even more challenging, because at the end, competitors will have to leap across a six-foot gap to catch another ledge before finishing. Next is a new version of the pole grasper, but these poles are only connected at the top. After the hang climb, competitors will face the new Area 51, where they will have to traverse these rotating discs using their hands and feet. Finally, competitors will have to complete the flying bar, which is like a horizontal salmon ladder, to finish the stage.That’s a tough course. Out of the 8 competitors who faced it this year, 2 finished it. And before that, we never had a finisher. I’m not sure we’ll have any finishers tonight.If we do have one, my money’s on Takaba Akihito. But I think Liu Feilong might have a shot, too. And who knows, both Sakazaki and Asami did decently on stage 2, too. I’ll be shocked if those aren’t our 4 competitors for this Stage 3.I think you might be right, Akbar. Because the Blue Collar Team is leading 3-0, the White Collar Team can only hope to tie, but they need to win Stage 3 to avoid a complete shutout. While Suoh had an impressive performance in Stage 1, he doesn’t really have the right build for Stage 3. I think Asami and Sakazaki are the White Collar Team’s best hope.And they’ll be going first. It looks like Sakazaki is going to be the first person to attempt Stage 3. He’s going through the psycho chainsaw at a decent pace, and now he’s reaching out for the first doorknob.He’s turning each doorknob before grabbing it. That should help him avoid falling off.But he’s taking a lot of time here, Matt. Remember, the athlete who gets the furthest on this stage will win it for his team, but if there’s a tie, it’s who gets to the last obstacle the fastest. And I have a feeling a lot of these competitors will go out on the same obstacle.He’s made it through the doorknob grasper! Now it’s on to the floating boards. Sakazaki is the only competitor who’s practiced on obstacles before. If he’s tried the boards, that might give him an advantage. When they were new, several athletes fell on them, but by the next season, everyone was able to get past them.Well, he certainly looks like he’s faced them before. Sakazaki is looking like a pro, really using his feet to lock in, but he’s looking a bit shaky on this last transition. This obstacle requires a lot of grip strength when you’re moving to the next board.But he’s made it, and now he just needs to dismount. He’s using two boards to generate the momentum… And wow, that was close! One foot almost landed in the water, but he managed to pull it back before it touched. And now it’s on to the ultimate cliffhanger.Sakazaki looks exhausted after the floating boards. And the ultimate cliffhanger is even more difficult than ever, with more gaps and that leap at the end. Sakazaki is really struggling to make it up the incline. And he’s at the big gap… And he’s fallen! Sakazaki is out on the ultimate cliffhanger!The ultimate cliffhanger took out half the field in this year’s finals. Reaching it might be enough to secure victory for one’s team tonight, but it might depend on speed.Well, Sakazaki’s set the bar reasonably high. There’s definitely room to beat it, but it will require a near-flawless run up to the ultimate cliffhanger.Sakazaki, you made it to the ultimate cliffhanger. Do you think that will be far enough to ensure your team victory?“I hope so. That obstacle is really hard, and I don’t think anyone here can beat it. I just hope I made it there fast enough.”You looked at home on the floating boards. Did you practice them before?“Yes, I did. It took me a little bit of time to figure out the rhythm, but once I realized it was like ****** * ***** ***, I realized any good seme could handle them easily.”Um, I’m sorry, my Japanese isn’t up to what you just said. Wait a moment… I’m sorry, apparently we can’t broadcast that. Anyway, congrats on a good run, Sakazaki.He really has a mouth on him, doesn’t he? Well, next up is Liu from the Blue Collar Team. So far, you’ve exactly called who our competitors would be, Akbar.Well, Liu did go the furthest on Stage 2, showing considerable upper body strength. He’s made it through the psycho chainsaw. That may not look tough, but it really works the arms, which just makes the rest of these stage 3 obstacles that much harder.And now it’s on to the doorknob grasper. And woah, where did that wind come from? Liu’s hair has blown across his face. And one of his hands slipped!I think his hair actually got caught under that hand, and he had to let go to swing. The wind has settled down, but now Liu has lost his momentum, and he can’t reach the next doorknob. He’ll have to swing.He’s reached up and grabbed the doorknob with both hands, and – Yes! he managed to grab the last doorknob, and it’s an easy swing to the platform. But that mistake ate up a lot of time and energy.Takaba is telling Liu to tie his hair back, but Liu is ignoring him. Liu has moved on to the floating boards, and he’s handling them with ease. He’s really trying to make up for that lost time, but it’s going to be close.And here’s that wind again! It’s so strange. It’s blown Liu’s hair across his face. He must not be able to see a thing, but he’s continuing by feel. And he’s being careful not to catch his hair this time.And he’s finished the floating boards. That was so close to Sakazaki’s time, I’m not sure who is in first place right now. But if Liu can finish the ultimate cliffhanger, he’ll definitely be in the lead. He’s made it across the new, small gaps… but this is where Sakazaki fell…He’s made it! Liu has made the transition across the big gap. But now he has to move down to the next section, and it can be hard to stop that downward momentum. But he’s made that, too! Now all he has left is the jump across the six foot gap.He’s got a good swing, and he’s made the leap! But Liu just can’t hold on. He’s fallen on the ultimate cliffhanger. And it looks like Liu has to be helped out of the water again. I guess that hair is blocking his vision in the water again.Our judges are still not sure who is currently in first place. They’re comparing Sakazaki’s and Liu’s videos frame by frame – they were that close in finishing the floating boards. While we’re figuring out this cliffhanger, let’s hear from Liu.Liu, your hair almost caused you to fall on the doorknob grasper. Do you wish you’d pulled it back before starting this stage?“It’s never really gotten in my way before tonight, and I only pull it back when I’m wearing western style clothing. Anyway, I managed. I had to give the other team a handicap, to give them a fighting chance…” Feilong finger-combs the tangles out of his hair while he speaks.It really is beautiful. May I touch it?Feilong gives Kristine a death-glare that simultaneously gives her the impression that she’s just asked the stupidest question in the world.Er, I was just joking. You got through the floating boards very quickly. Have you ever done that kind of thing before?“Not exactly, but I have done something similar, for my old job. And Sakazaki’s advice was very helpful.”Sakazaki gapes at him. “But you’re not a- I mean, surely, you can’t be…”“He’s not. I would know,” Asami snarks.“How would you know? Just ask Akihito; he knows,” Feilong taunts.Sakazaki pulls Asami away, while Kristine tries to resume her interview.What kind of training have you had? You’ve never seen these obstacles before, and yet you’ve done very well tonight.“I’ve been training ever since I was a child in martial arts.”Karate? Judo? Tae kwan do?“You mean those sports? I meant actual martial arts, not children’s games. My father wanted to make sure I could outperform any of my enemies,” Feilong says contemptuously, before flouncing off to dry his hair using the giant fan that Sudou and Suoh are nonchalantly standing next to.After careful review, the judges have declared that Sakazaki and Liu finished the floating boards at the exact same time. In the event of a tie, competitors will split the points, which means that the last competitor from the White Collar team must reach the ultimate cliffhanger faster – or complete it – in order to force a tiebreaker.It looks like that will be Asami. At 172 pounds, he’s the heaviest athlete to try Stage 3 tonight, but for his height, that’s really not that heavy.And his height will help his reach, which might help him in the doorknob grasper and the ultimate cliffhanger.Here he goes. He’s made it through the psycho chainsaw quickly, and it’s on to the doorknob grasper. He does seem to be having a slightly easier time with it, and he’s not wasting any time progressing to the floating boards. Asami knows he’s racing the clock right now.He’s ahead of Sakazaki’s and Liu’s pace up to this point. But let’s see how he handles these boards.Sakazaki’s advice seems to be helping Asami, too. He’s really flying through these floating boards… and he’s stuck the landing! And with that, Asami has beaten both Sakazaki’s and Liu’s time to reach this point.But he’s not taking any time to rest. He knows that Takaba is most likely following him, and Asami will have to move quickly to beat Takaba’s performance.He’s made it through the smaller gaps, but he seems to be tiring. He’s made it across the big gap. Can he hold on during this downhill leap?Wow, he barely made that. I don’t know how he managed to hang on. But now he faces the 6-foot gap that took out Liu.And he’s missed, just like Liu. But Asami has worked his way into first place, and now it’s up to the last member of the Blue Collar Team to outperform him and avoid going into the tiebreaker Stage 4.Asami, you managed to finish the first three obstacles faster than either Liu or Sakazaki. Were you just focused on beating their time?Asami coughs for a bit, then gasps, “Well, of course, but I also didn’t want to waste too much time and energy. Feilong was right; Sakazaki’s advice for the floating boards was very helpful.”The Blue Collar Team has one more run. Do you think you went far enough fast enough to beat them?“Well, it all depends on who runs the course, doesn’t it? I certainly hope I did enough,” Asami drawls, unconcerned.It looks like Takaba is approaching the start. But someone is coming out of the stands. Let’s go back to Kristine to find out what’s going on.Can you tell us who you are?“My name is Kirishima Kei, and I’m the coach for the White Collar Team. I believe that the Blue Collar Team is in violation of the rules by trying to have Takaba compete again.”The rules don’t limit how many times an individual can compete, as long as every team member goes at least once.“But that’s just it. Where is the Blue Collar Team’s fourth member? If they had one, they would not be able to run Takaba three times and Liu twice and still have every member compete. Therefore, Takaba should not be allowed to compete on Stage 3.”Our judges are coming down to discuss this with the representatives of both teams.“But I didn’t get to do Stage 2! Asami cheated and messed up my run, so just have the ghost’s run count for that one!” Akihito protests.“But you did attempt to do Stage 2. Therefore, you should be barred from Stage 3.”Wow, Akbar, we’ve got even more controversy in this competition. I can see both sides’ opinions on this one.Me too, Matt. Having only 3 members is a disadvantage, and having Takaba run Stage 3 tired would normally put him at a disadvantage over fresher competitors, but he’s just such an incredible athlete, I can see where the White Collar Team would think it’s unfair.Well, the crowd doesn’t like this. They want to see Takaba run. They’re chanting his name.I have to agree with them. I was really looking forward to seeing what Takaba can do on Stage 3. And it looks like he really wants to go, too.For him, I don’t think it’s about the competition at all. He just wants to test himself against the course. But it looks like the judges have made their decision, and they’re waving Mitarai to the start.The crowd is not happy. In another first, we’re hearing our first boos ever on this course. And Takaba is not taking this decision sitting down. He’s refusing to move.“Just let me go! You don’t even have to count it for the team; I just really want to try this course!” Akihito screams, refusing to step down from the start.“Let him run! Let him run!” the crowd chants.Asami picks Akihito up and throws him into the water. “There. Go ahead, Blue Collar Team. Run your last contestant.”Akihito emerges from the water spluttering. “Asaaaammmmmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!”Well, it looks like Mitarai is having to go for the Blue Collar Team. At least he’ll get a chance to redeem himself after his poor performance on Stage 1.Or not, Matt. Once again, that was one of the shortest runs we’ve ever seen on Sasuke. Mitarai just didn’t seem to have the strength to generate any momentum on the psycho chainsaw, and his grip gave out after just 4 seconds.And with that, the White Collar Team has won Stage 3. We are tied at 3-3, which means we’re going into the Stage 4 tiebreaker. Each team will have one contestant attempt to climb the 23 meter rope as quickly as possible. Whoever reaches the top in the shortest amount of time wins!The Blue Collar Team will be allowed to use whichever member they wish for this tiebreaker, and I have a feeling it will be Takaba. I think he’s the clear favorite, no matter who the White Collar Team puts forth.But he’s still mad about Stage 3, Akbar. It looks like he’s still trying to get on the Stage 3 course to run it. Can his teammates calm him down and get him to focus on Stage 4? Watch us next time to find out whether the White Collar or Blue Collar Team will emerge victorious!

Notes:

I've just about finished writing this (just need to revise the last two a bit), so I'll post a chapter a day.