The girl tripped and stumbled through the trees as she tried to run. She grabbed a tree branch on her way and abruptly swung left. She let go of the branch, scraping her hand as she did, and jumped onto a lower branch. Just as she began to hop to the next tree her foot that she had landed on slipped backwards and she landed on her ribs. She felt a painful snap and the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. No! Crap! I'm almost there too... they'll catch up with me! I don't want to die! Not now... She thought before losing consciousness.
"Man… do you think she's alright?" The girl heard a voice.
"I'm not positive, but I think she will be," a second voice said. The girl ached all over, and when she tried to move her legs it felt as if there were weights holding each one down. The same feeling happened in her arms. She opened her eyes. At least they didn't have that feeling.
"Hey! Hey! Sakura, she opened her eyes!" The first voice exclaimed. Her vision focused, and she was looking at two people; a girl with pink hair and green eyes and a boy with spiky blond hair with blue eyes and three thin lines on each cheek that looked like whiskers.
"W-where am I?" She asked, confused. She had thought she was dead. She shifted her position the best she could and felt a sharp pain through her side.
"Oh!" She gasped and despite the lack of feeling, besides the aching in her arms she wrapped them around her ribs.
"You alright?" The boy leaned forward with worry in his eyes. She looked up at them. His eyes weren't just blue; they were crystal like.
"I… I don't know," she admitted, her voice hoarse.
"Oh, I'm Haruno Sakura, I've been taking care of you," the pink haired girl said. "What's your name?'
"Doragon Gina," the girl said. With the feeling returning in her hands and arms she brushed away a strand of her light brown hair that had fallen out of the ribbon that held her right bangs in their braid.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto," the boy said smiling.
"Hello," Gina muttered. She had never had a way with words. "More importantly, where am I?"
"Konoha of course," Naruto said.
"Naruto! Don't be so rude!" Sakura said, hitting him on the head.
"Ouch! Geez!"
"Oh so I made it here?" Gina wondered. It took her a minute to realize she said it out loud.
"What do you mean, Gina?" Sakura asked with a confused look on her face. Gina hastily shook her head.
"It was nothing."
"You sure?" Naruto made sure, leaning forward.
"YES!" Gina snapped. He drew back with wide eyes.
"Er… sorry," he said awkwardly.
"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you," Gina apologized. She really had never been a people person so she would raise her voice when she didn't mean to or say things she didn't mean.
"So, why are you here?" Sakura asked, changing the subject.
"B-because I'm running away from-- someone," she said quietly.
"Who?" Naruto asked.
"I'm not sure if you have heard of them, but I know at least one of them is from here," then she motioned them to come closer and she said, "The Akatsuki." Naruto stiffened and Sakura put her hand over her mouth.
"The Akatsuki?" Sakura echoed.
"Yes, that's why I need to go as soon as possible. Like now," Gina informed them. She swung her legs over the right side of the bed so fast that she nearly kicked Sakura off by mistake.
"Er… sorry," Gina said. She was still in her clothes so she got up and looked over at Naruto. He was glaring at her. Crap! She flinched when she met his gaze. I didn't mean to make anyone mad at me for bringing the Akatsuki here! I just needed help. She thought. Looking away from Naruto she walked over toward the door.
"No," Naruto suddenly said, grabbing Gina's arm.
"Let me go!" She raised her voice. He tightened his grip on her arm and she pulled against him.
"I SAID: LET. ME. GO!" And she wrenched her arm out of his grasp and bolted toward the door. She got out and ran down the hallway despite the pains that traveled from her feet up her legs. Her lungs hurt because of her ribs also, but she needed to get out of the village before she got in trouble for being there.
"Um, Miss?" A nurse desperately tried to stop Gina from running out the door but to no avail. She got out the doors and jumped onto the rooftops. She hopped from roof to roof in the direction of the Village gates. Finally she got there and paused for a second to catch her breath; her ribs were killing her.
"Don't you know what 'no' means?" A voice scolded her from behind. She whipped around. Naruto walked up to her.
"You're coming back Gina," He said grabbing her left wrist and nearly dragging her in the direction she just came from (or at least trying to).
"No, I said that I'm leaving! SO, LET ME GO!" She pried at his fingers to try and release her wrist and she suddenly felt herself being lifted. Naruto was carrying her over his shoulder.
"Let me down!" She hissed at him, thrashing her arms and legs like a child, hitting his back with her fist.
"No!" He snapped back. "You aren't leaving."
"Why, may I ask, do you care?" Gina asked him rather rudely, continuing with the thrashing.
"Because we're the same. Now shut the hell up and STOP MOVING!" He yelled at her as she narrowly missed kicking his face with her heel. "Also, you are in no condition to be running around. I'm guessing that your ribs hurt when you ran, eh? And they probably hurt now with the way I'm carrying you," He added as if the first thing he said had slipped out. The same? What did he mean? Gina's head spun and she stopped kicking her legs. Her ribs were hurting her also.
"Fine, but I can walk."
"How do I know that you aren't going to run away again?"
"Because you'd catch me anyway. You're lucky that I'm not healed all the way or I would've kicked your ass!"
"I'd like to see you try!" He retorted letting her down.
"Alrighty then as soon as I recover and before I leave we'll have a match and I will beat you!" She sneered mockingly at him.
"You're on," he grinned in her face. The shook hands on it. Gina then tried to take a step but collapsed instead.
"Aw craaap!" She muttered under her breath. She tried to get up but she couldn't move her legs.
"Ha! Now I think I do have to carry you," Naruto said bending down and picking her up.
"I hate you," she said as he laughed at her, folding her arms. Well then GeoDragon this'll be fun now won't it? She yelled at herself through her thoughts. Great…
"Gina! Can I come in?" The Hokage knocked on her infirmary door. Sakura, who was her apprentice, was with her.
"Yes," Gina said. A blond woman who had the Hokage's robe on, and high-heeled sandals walked in. She looked around her middle thirties at most (although she was about fifty-three!) and had her blonde hair in two low ponytails.
"So, you're the girl who has brought the Akatsuki here again, hmm?" She said after closing the door. Sakura sat on the edge of Gina's bed and the Hokage pulled up a chair.
"I'm the fifth Hokage, Tsunade," she introduced herself to a confused Gina. "Now let me have a look at you're legs and ribs." It was the day after Gina had been brought into Konoha. Her legs were still not better, and she had begged Sakura to heal them for her after finding out from Naruto that she was a medical ninja. Sakura refused to let her leave because she was in danger, but had promised to bring her mentor to her. Gina didn't know Sakura's mentor was the Hokage, and especially didn't think she'd be the legendary Tsunade. Gina still couldn't move them besides an occasional stretch or a shift in position. She pulled off the sheets and Tsunade held her hands over Gina's thighs and then her shins to her calves, after she held her hands on the spot where Gina had broken her ribs.
"You're muscle's in your legs have been torn, bruised and basically fatigued, and your ribs are healing surprisingly fast. They will probably be alright by tomorrow. I'm going to keep you on bed rest so they can heal naturally instead of healing them now," she told Gina.
"What?! But I need to go now! I can't let them get into this village!" Gina yelled.
"You aren't going anywhere, young lady. Sakura and Naruto explained about the Akatsuki. You need to stay put so that you are safe."
"But-,"
"NO BUTS! What I said goes," and with that Tsunade walked out of the room. Gina sat there fuming. She hadn't ever wanted to bring danger to a village, especially Konoha.
That night, even though Gina's legs ached painfully, she crept as quietly as she could out of the hospital. Or she tried. As soon as she got out the window and down to the ground she felt something pick her up which caused her to gasp loudly.
"What don't you understand about 'stay put'?" A voice asked her. It was Naruto.
"The whole thing. Now let me go," Gina snarled. He shook his head and cradled her in his arms. He jumped back up to the window and stepped through it, setting her back down on the bed.
"Now, don't make me have to tie you up like they had to do to me two and a half years ago," he said, pushing her shoulders down onto the bed. He let go and she immediately shot back up into a sitting position. Her glare looked as if it would burn a hole in Naruto's eyes.
"What, are you spring loaded or something?" He exclaimed after trying to make her lay down again.
"Yes. Now let me go. I really don't want to bring the Akatsuki here to you people. You have been so kind, and you let me spend the night. My legs don't bother me enough to keep me from running, so if you would be so kind as to let me go…"
"Nope."
"Come on!"
"Nope."
"WHYYY??"
"You haven't told me why the Akatsuki are after you. So spill and, if it is a good enough reason, I'll let you go," he smirked in her face. Despite the white hot lava that was boiling up inside her, she blushed. His eyes were so pretty… Whoa, blush?! I don't blush… when was the last time I did anyway… she thought, confused by her emotions.
"Fine… I give up. I was chased here by two members of the Akatsuki. This is because they either want me to join them… or they want my… er… power," she paused after she had gotten herself together, hoping that was enough to satisfy him. He urged her to keep telling the story. When she didn't, Naruto glared at her.
"Well go on; what power?" He asked with a mocking tone. She bit her lip. Should I tell him? He'd think I was a freak… it's so complicated… nobody could understand… She debated with herself about telling him her secret. She eventually gave in.
"I'm a dragon," she barely whispered. He heard her though. His blue eyes grew wide and his mouth opened as if he wanted to say something.
"I don't get it," he finally said. Of course.
"I. Am. A. Dra-gon! Not human?? Get it now?!" She exclaimed, louder than she would have liked, while saying each word slowly and exaggerating 'dragon'.
"Then why do you look like a human?"
"I'll explain that if I ever see you again… if you even let me go."
"Fine. Continue," Naruto said. He sat crossed legged on the end of the bed and set his hands on top of his knees.
"ANYWAY, they have been chasing me for a while and I have traveled everywhere. But that bit of bad luck back there slowed me down, and now they are going to come into the village and look for me. So if you will excuse me," Gina said, swinging her legs off the bed and standing up. She winced and sat back down. Naruto gave her a funny look between shock, anger, laughter (from her not being able to stand up) and stubbornness.
"Great story. It's a good enough reason-,"
"So let me go!"
"But you aren't going anywhere."
"Why?!"
"Because we're the same! I've told you that before! The Akatsuki are after me too! I harbor the nine-tailed fox; Kyubi!" He nearly yelled.
"I have always been shunned by everybody, and had the Akatsuki on my trail since I had the stupid demon sealed inside me! I never knew my parents! I understand," he continued.
"What?" Gina was dazed. There was someone else out there like her? Someone who was shunned… who everybody hated…
"If you want, I can show you around the village… I bet it's alright for you to be out of bed if you're with me," he added. She felt a smile cross her face, but then immediately it turned back into a frown of shock.
"Er… sorry I didn't mean—"
"No, no, sorry. It's me. I don't remember the last time I smiled," she said sadly. Then she looked up at him. "I'd love to see the village."
"Cool! Do you want to go now or tomorrow?"
"I really don't care, but I think tomorrow would be nice because that's when everyone is around… but I want the fresh air now," she started to debate with herself again.
"I can show you the village now and again tomorrow, if you want," he offered. Once again she felt a smile on her face.
"That sounds good," she said. He helped her stand up, and then picked her up so he could jump out the window onto the roof.
"I just hope Granny Tsunade doesn't find us out here," he muttered, hopping off the roof and landing on the ground below. He set her carefully on her feet. She wobbled, and she found herself leaning on his shoulder to stand. Embarrassed (which was another emotion she hadn't felt since she was a child), she quickly stood straight, only to fall to her knees. He laughed.
"Shut up before I take your headband and shove it down your throat," she threatened. Naruto helped her up, still laughing. Her hands flew to the back of his head to take off the headband, but in the middle of untying it, he grabbed her wrists so she couldn't move them. She stared into his eyes. Her mouth went dry. They stood there like that for a few moments before Gina broke the silence.
"Let go," she sighed.
"Then you let go of my headband."
"I told you, I'm shoving it down your throat."
"That's violent."
"We're ninja." He opened his mouth to retort, but he couldn't think of anything.
"Good point," he reluctantly admitted. He held her up by one hand on her shoulder and the other lingering by her elbow in case her legs gave out again.
"So, tell me about you. I've told you- er- some about me," Gina awkwardly tried to start a conversation. This she rarely did. In fact, she rarely spoke unless it was dissing someone or yelling.
"Well, as I've said, I'm a Junchuuriki, and for a part of my life, I hated everyone. They all shunned me. But then, Iruka sensei acknowledged me and encouraged me. He was my teacher at the academy. It took me three years to pass the exams, but then it did and I was put in a three man cell…" he trailed off, lost in a memory that seemed to be painful.
"Naruto? Are you alright? C'mon, on of us has to be able to support me, and I can tell you; it's not me."
"Huh? Oh sorry. I was put in a squad with Sakura, Master Kakashi and… Sasuke," Naruto barely whispered the last name. Gina decided she wasn't going to ask about this Sasuke character, although curiosity was nagging at the back of her mind.
"And really that's it. I guess I either don't have the most exciting life, or I suck at summarizing things," he concluded. He wasn't telling her everything, and she knew it.
"What about you, Miss Dragon-lady?" He quickly changed the subject from him to her to stop awkward silences. Her face paled.
"I'm a dragon, I've told you. I've led a depressing life, you might call it, and I am really not in the mood to explain it at the moment," she said with a sharper tone than she meant. She sighed when an awkward silence crept over the pair. Then she realized that they had stopped walking.
"I'm going to take you back; you seem tired," Naruto broke the silence. And, before she could protest, he scooped her up, cradling her in his arms and ran back to her room. He set her on the bed, and this time she didn't complain. She was rather tired.
"'Night," he said, hopping out the window.
"'Night…" she whispered. And then she remembered that she had wanted to ask him why he was there. Anger burned up the nice feeling she had had in her when she realized that Tsunade had probably ordered him to watch her for that exact reason. She hopped out of bed, sending chakra to her legs to keep them up (she was told strictly not to do so) and flung open the door and looked straight ahead. A shocked Sakura was sitting guard against the wall in a chair.
"I KNEW IT!" She shouted, the white hot lava feeling seeping into her blood.
"G-G-Gina?!" Sakura stuttered with her hand over her heart. "W-what's wrong?"
"Stupid people! Thanks for not trusting me!" She slid the door shut so hard that the glass window in it trembled. Thoughts clouded her common sense. They probably told him to take me out to calm me down so that they could gain my trust! They all probably hate me for bringing the Akatsuki here, and they just want me to heal so I can get the hell out of their hair! She went on thought rampage. But then, as she calmed down (she was real sensitive about trusting people) her thoughts began to clear up. But, if they wanted me to leave sooner then they would have healed me the day I got here. And why do I care if they were just trying to calm me anyway? She blushed with embarrassment at her own thoughts. Why would she care if Naruto had just taken her out on orders, not because he was being nice? She shook the thoughts out of her head and, once again sending chakra to her legs she got out of bed and opened the door to apologize to Sakura. But when she opened the door it wasn't just Sakura.
"You're an idiot, Naruto!" She was hissing at him when Gina opened the door. "Whatever you did that blew our cover, you're a moron!" She was shaking his head back and forth.
"I- told- you- I- was- just- stopping- her- from- leaving!" He exclaimed in between shakes.
"Er… Sakura?" Gina interrupted. Sakura and Naruto both looked at her simultaneously. She abruptly dropped him and walked over to her.
"I'm sorry, we didn't mean to-."
"No, I'm sorry. I am tired and I was overreacting, letting my stupid, distrustful thoughts get the better of me. Naruto was just trying to calm me down, so it's alright," she explained. He got up from the floor and wobbled.
"Geez every time you do that it makes me dizzy…" he muttered. "Now, can I go?" He asked the pink-haired girl.
"Yup. Bye," she waved innocently.
"Sorry, again. I'm going to bed, and I'm not going to be able to leave because my legs still hurt," she assured Sakura.
"Then, how are you standing… oh you aren't using chakra are you?" Sakura sighed with an exasperated tone, putting her fingertips on her forehead as if she had a headache.
"Uh… why wasn't I supposed to again?"
"It's even worse for you're muscles that trying to walk on them without the chakra! You won't heal as fast!" And with the last sentence, Gina was in the bed without forced chakra in her legs.
"Let me check them just in case," she rolled her eyes. After a moment she looked Gina in the eye. "You, missy, will be staying here a little while longer."
"NO!" Gina yelled, flopping her head down on her pillow. Idiot! You are never going to get out of here!
"Gina! It's about time you woke up!"
Where am I now? Ayumu? Haru? She opened her eyes and, instead of her cozy room in her brother and sister's house, she was in the infirmary. She slid her legs out from under the white covers and stood up. Her legs didn't hurt. She took a few steps, and then walked around the room. She was fine. She let out a sigh of relief.
"Will you be leaving now?" Naruto's disappointed voice sounded from the window.
"GAH!" Gina yelled, turning around. She was only in a nightgown that the nurses were making her wear.
"Turn around, perv!" She yelled. His face went red.
"I'm not a pervert! You're in a nightgown, not like it's your underwear!"
"Yeah? Well the point is I'm not fully dressed and you are sitting in my window! What, were you watching me sleep?!" Her face was red too, from embarrassment. He snorted and stood up. Then he turned around and hopped off the roof. She immediately felt bad for yelling at him. She walked to the chair that was at the other end of the room and took off the nightgown. She slipped on her fishnet undershirt, and then her forest green t-shirt. Next she put on her brown Bermuda shorts and left her green zip up hooded sweatshirt on the chair. She didn't have a head band since she was no longer belonging to a village. She walked into the hallway and slipped on her sandals, and after that she walked down it to find Sakura. She found the orange and black ninja instead.
"You never answered my question," he said, blocking her from passing.
"You stormed off before I could."
"You yelled at me!"
"You peeped!"
"Did not!"
"Naruto, do you ever shut up?" A new voice entered the argument. An older man with long, spiky white hair and a sage's outfit walked up.
"Hey, just because you are sore that Granny Tsunade kicked your ass because you were flirting with her again doesn't mean you have to be mean to me," he turned and yelled at the man. But he was looking at Gina.
"Oh ho! What have we here?" He gave her a creepy smile.
"Oh no, you leave her alone, pervy sage!" Naruto stepped in front of Gina.
"I was only kidding with her. Who is she? Your new girlfriend?" Naruto made a choking noise.
"NO!" He finally spit out.
"You say it like it would be a bad thing even if I was," Gina muttered under her breath. He didn't hear her because he was now fighting with the man.
"YOU stay AWAY from her! Don't freak her out pervy sage!" Naruto was yelling at him.
"How many times have I told you not to call me that? My name is Jiraiya!" Soon, Gina couldn't take anymore.
"SHUT THE HECK UP BOTH OF YOU!" She screamed at them. "You are giving me a headache!" She exclaimed quieter.
"Well, I was just on my way out-,"
"-From being schooled," Naruto interrupted.
"-To find you, Naruto, to tell you that we were going to have a training session."
"Right on! Can Gina come?" Naruto aimed the question more at Gina than at Jiraiya.
"Sure! I'd love to have your pretty friend-,"
"I told you to leave her alone," Naruto interrupted, grabbing Gina's hand to tow her away from the 'pervy sage'.
"Meet you at the training field at noooon!" He called (more to Gina) in a sing-song voice. Naruto shook his head sadly. Once Gina knew they were out of earshot, she asked, "What's his deal?"
"As I've said, he's a pervert. He peeks on the girls at the baths. Oh, but you're leaving; aren't you," he added sadly, stopping and letting go of her hand.
"Why do you care if I leave anyway?" She asked and, once again, with a harsher tone than she meant. He looked her in the eye.
"Well, I like you. I think you're pretty cool," he said with a smile. She felt her heart skip a beat, but that wasn't the only thing for long. After a minute she felt a searing pain in her chest.
"Oh!" She gasped, collapsing.
"Er… sorry was it something I said?!" Naruto caught her awkwardly. "I meant as a friend!" But Gina couldn't hear him. She was unconscious.
"Say what??" Naruto yelled in Tsunade's face.
"Oh my God, Naruto! I told you; she has a curse seal on her!" The fifth yelled back with frustration.
"Well can you explain why that made her pass out?!" He argued back.
"From the beginning," Tsunade squeezed her eyes shut to try to calm down. "All we can tell right now is that it looks like a 'Seal of Hate', and if that is true, then it means that she can't receive love or 'sincere kindness' from anyone outside family or she will, at a ninety-five percent chance, die. I personally didn't believe in this curse seal, but now I'm not so sure anymore."
"But, I didn't do anything-."
"Did you say anything nice to her or about her?"
"Well I told her that I like her and basically I want to be her friend…" he trailed off, guilt traveling over his face. "I didn't know…"
"None of us did. This may be another reason that she wanted to leave so quickly; she didn't want to get close to anyone," Tsunade looked over her shoulder at the brown haired girl. Anger was flared up inside her. A curse seal, especially the Hatred one, was a cruel mark to put upon any person. It was received when one being despised and loathed another so much that they send chakra into the person's body so that nobody can love them.
"Some freak must really hate that poor girl," she muttered through gritted teeth. "Naruto," she added, "Be careful how you act around her. We don't want anything to happen, and we definitely don't want her to fall into the hands of the Akatsuki," she got up off the chair she was sitting in and, making last minute notes on her status clipboard, she walked out the door. Naruto looked over at Gina. She was pretty, especially when she had that calm look on her face… No, I'm not putting her through pain! This is dumb! He yelled at himself, rising from his chair and moving it to the side of her bed, and sat back down.
"Gina, dear? What happened? You don't like anybody do you?" Haru? Sis?
"No I don't think so. But I-I'm not sure; I just met him after all. And besides I can't love anyone or the seal will break…"
Gina opened her eyes to the infirmary… again. She had hoped that last night had been her last. After a moment or two of trying to fall back into that nice, deep sleep, she gave up and propped herself up on her elbows. Then she realized that she didn't remember going to bed last night. She didn't even remember what she did during the day. Completely confused, she looked around the room. Sakura was sitting in a chair next to her bed with a clipboard, fast asleep. Her hand looked like it could have been ready to write, but the pen was on the floor.
"Sakura?" Gina reached over and tapped one of her knees.
"I-I'm awake! I didn't fall asleep Lady Tsunade- Oh, Gina!" She realized it wasn't Tsunade about to scold her for dozing on the job.
"Are you alright?! How do you feel? Any pain? Oh I need to get Shizune or Tsunade-sama!" She got up quickly and let the clipboard fall to the ground with a clatter. She quickly and roughly slid open the door and didn't even bother to shut it. Gina heard her running feet go what she guessed to be about halfway down the hall before she heard voices. Echoing down the hallway she heard the Fifth asking Sakura questions that she couldn't quite understand from the distance.
"So, Gina, you're finally awake, huh?" Tsunade pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed.
"Er, finally?"
"You've been out for quite a while. But that's beside the point. Now, is that a Seal of Hate you have there?" The question took Gina by surprise. She thought hard to remember what had happened. Oh yeah, Naruto had said he… liked me she thought hesitantly, as if the memory would bring the pain that she remembered, back. It didn't, but she had the funniest feeling inside her.
"Is it?" Tsunade demanded. Gina looked slowly up at her from her balled up fists.
"Yes, it's a form of that you can say," she said in a monotone.
"Who put it on you?" The Fifth continued.
"Why? Why does it matter? Oh, yeah, it doesn't!" She snapped rather rudely. A vein began to twitch in Tsunade's temple.
"Listen, girl that is a horrendous curse you have on you, and we want to find a way to get it off!" She leaned towards Gina and pointed at her. "Nobody, dragon or human, deserves to live like that." Gina stiffened. Should she trust these people? She had trusted others just to be stabbed in the back (one time literally). I… I have nothing to lose… she admitted to herself before looking Tsunade in the eye. Sakura, who seemed to have been sitting in a quiet stupor, seemed to force herself out of it and asked, "Lady Tsunade, what do you mean? How come you never told me any-,"
"Because I wanted you and Naruto to keep watch. I planned on telling you, and now I am," she interrupted. "Anyway, are you going to tell us?"
"Fine. I have nothing to lose. But let me start at the beginning." She started.
"I am the Earth Dragon, or GeoDragon. There are more of the Dragons, but I'm not getting into that. I was born to a Dragon mother and a human father. Dragons, as you may know, have two physical states; a human figure and a dragon figure. Occasionally a dragon can be born with a third, such as an animal. Well, when a Dragon and human have children, those infants have a fifty-fifty to a seventy-five percent chance of being a certain dragon that is not on the Earth at the time. After two children turning out to be Dragons, my 'father' decided he wanted no more children, but he was going to stay with his wife anyway. But an accident came along, and he prayed and hoped that this accident child would be human. But no, she was a dragon; me. Unable to take it anymore after I was six, he began to drink excessive amounts of alcohol and began to treat me as an outcast; a freak, for four more years of her life. He was too proud of his oldest child, his daughter, and his second child, his son to shun them too much. But I was apparently a failure to him, and being an accident didn't help my matters. He finally began to hate me with such intensity at the fourth year, to put this freaking curse seal on me after I explained my emotions and feelings to him about how he treated me. After he did so, I realized that I had no 'happy' emotions unless I was with other Dragons." She paused, letting her huge talk sink in.
"So the Dragons have extreme power and chakra; a good amount more than the tailed beasts, so none other than the Akatsuki came to look for me, my older brother Ayumu, and my sister Haru, and my mother. My father, being a complete fag, helped my brother and sister away and wanted to help my mother, but not me. My mother wouldn't hear of it, though. She couldn't stand to see how he treated me but couldn't do anything about it. But this was going too far to her; leaving me behind to a power seeking organization. He killed her." Gina's voice became hesitant to continue with the story. But she did anyway.
"I've been on the run for five and a half years from them and some trackers from my home village. My father had helped the Akatsuki destroy the village, but he blamed me in front of the few remaining survivors, so when the Akatsuki said that they were going to capture me, they all helped. Anyway that's most of my story. But about the curse, it's different from most other Hatred seals. This one binds me in a human form so I can't transform, and if I receive love or sincere kindness (as in they go out of their way to help or something) from anyone it begins to force my body to change, and puts a huge amount of stress and pain on the heart and other organs. If someone actually admits that they love me or are in love with me (or something like that) I will be forced to fully change and I'll more than likely die." She finished, crossing her arms over her chest. Tsunade and Sakura were speechless.
"Hey, you asked-,"
"Have you ever been treated nicely?" Tsunade interrupted.
"Yeah, by the girl who is my best friend, named Yasha. I met her at a festival and we kicked off. It was years ago, though, so there wasn't as much pain. Oh, and I'm done talking for about a week. This is about more than all the words I've said within the five years I've been on the run," she sighed. Tsunade gave her a strange look and then got up, motioning Sakura to follow her, and walked out the door.
"Hey, do you know where Naruto is?" Gina called, but they made no sign of hearing. She laid her head back down and, becoming bored, began to drift back into sleep when…
"Hey, Gina, you awake?" Naruto's voice cut the silence. She snapped her head up off the pillow in surprise.
"Hey!" Her spirits lifted (oddly to her) when she saw him. She sat up and crossed her legs underneath the covers. She patted the bed to beckon him to sit next to her. He shook his head 'no' and stayed where he was, standing in the doorway.
"How are you feeling?" He asked her.
"Fine," she answered shortly. "In fact, I'm getting up and- Gah!" she had begun to get out of the bed, but then she realized that she was in the white nightdress that the hospital put you in.
"EEP!" she squealed, ducking under the covers again.
"Sorry!" he apologized.
"N-not you're fault," she said back, the only part visible now was her eyes up and her fingers, holding the blanket up. He sighed.
"Well, if you get dressed, Pervy Sage postponed my training session… if you're up to it," he said hesitantly.
"Heck I'm up to it! Let me get dressed!" He nodded and shut the door after he stepped back out into the hallway. Gina got up and threw on her clothes, and then she also put on her sweatshirt, even though it was warm. She braided her bangs on the right side of her face and wrapped her green ribbon around the braid.
"Hello there, Gina! So glad you could make it!" Jiraiya's voice met Gina as she walked to one of the training fields. Naruto and Kakashi (reading of course) were standing next to him.
"Just shut up," she heard Naruto's voice.
"Hey, Naruto, have you ever heard of respecting your elders?"
"Have you ever heard of respecting a woman?" Naruto countered. Gina found herself giggling. She stopped abruptly and shook her head. What is up with me?
"Hey Gina!" Naruto greeted when she reached him. "You ready to show us some of you're moves?"
"Sure. What are we working on?"
"Oh, nothing much. Just an old training that will require you and Naruto to take one bell from each of us. We both have two, which means that, you, Gina, have to take one from me, and one from Jiraiya. Same, Naruto," Kakashi finished. He put his book away, and raised his headband vertical on his forehead so that his right eye was uncovered. There was a scar down his eyelid and onto a bit of his cheek. He had a sharingan eye.
"That's not going to help you much," Gina informed him. She flicked a finger up, as in saying 'come here', and a plant wrapped itself around Kakashi's waist, bringing him into the air as it grew. A poof of smoke and it was a log. Substitution. She quickly glanced behind her, to her sides, in front, above. He wasn't there. She looked at the ground all around her.
"Bad move," she said, folding her arms. Naruto and Jiraiya heard a yelp and then the ground that was under Gina a second before, broke and Kakashi jumped out, followed by roots. One grabbed a bell, but it was a shadow clone. In another poof of smoke it was gone.
"Gina, I didn't say 'go' yet," Kakashi said from behind her with a kunai to her back.
"I know," her voice sounded but it wasn't from her. A little sprout that was rooted in the ground with other clumps of dirt grew until it was the form of Gina. She held an odd looking sword-like weapon in her hand. Naruto looked at it and it looked like ribbon. His eyes flashed up to her hair. Her ribbon was not in her hair.
"Hey, Naruto! Are you going to help me or what?" Gina called to him. He shook his head, and then got ready to fight with her. She motioned him to come closer as Kakashi retreated back to Jiraiya.
"So, what's our plan?" She asked as the bent closer together.
"I think that we should both team up on one, but have clones hiding so that if the other one comes from behind they can attack him," he said.
"Hm… that's a good plan."
"You sound surprised!"
"Maybe I am," she coughed. Standing up she made a hand sign and her ribbon turned into a huge sword that was as tall as she was.
"Well, ready Naruto?"
"Let's go for it!" He shouted.