Kiele smiled, then jumped over the railing. All she had to do was picture Gaara's - no, the Kazekage's face, the one who tore her away from her only friend, and drove her into insanity, on the white-eyed kid's face.

Hayate coughed.

"You may begin."

Kiele made several hand seals.

"I'm telling you," Neji spoke in a deadly calm voice, "If you fight me, your fate will an unplesant one. Give up now, or suffer."

"Give up!" Kiele scoffed. "I didn't come all this way to have some kid tell me to give up. I forgot the meaning of those words a long time ago."

Neji glared.

"Then suffer it is. Your fate was sealed when you were chosen to fight me."

He made a series of hand seals, then called out, "Byukagan!"

Kiele pulled a kunai from her pouch.

"Bring it on, fool!"

Neji ran at her, his hand out, aiming for her chest.

"He wants to end this quickly, does he?" Kiele mused. "In that case, I'll have to grant his wish."

Kiele dodged his hand, then quickly plunged the kunai into his abdomen. He tilted backwards, but was unable to completely avoid the blade, and was scathed. He grimaced, then aimed again for her heart. Kiele flipped back onto her hands, then rapidly kicked at the boy's face. He evaded every attack, then he pulled out a kunai and slashed her thigh. Kiele hung her head as Neji continued her assult with his kunai. Finally, he stepped back to admire his work, then frowned. His expression became that of shock as he looked at her cuts. She was not bleeding blood, but sand. Kiele lifted her head up, a smile crossing her face.

"What the hell are you?" Neji demanded, raising his fist again. He stood in his fighting posture.

"I'm a monster, can't you tell?" Kiele answered, raising her kunai. She stabbed it into her hand.

Everyone in the room gasped and murmured, all except for the sand siblings and thier sensei. More sand poured from her hand and cuts, and Kiele's smile widened.

"I used a jutsu when the fight started. It allows me to be temporarily immune to all wounds of jutsu, and that includes your toy there, as well as your pathetic Byukagan."

Neji growled.

"Fate is already sealed! I will win this match!"

"If you know all about fate, Neji... you should see that it is you who shall leave here in a stretcher."

"Enough!" Neji spat, running at Kiele.

"You may be powerful in your village... but against a demon, a monster, a numb tool who doesn't feel... your power is void."

Kiele jumped clear over Neji, then weilded six kunai, between her fingers, then lunged in Neji from above. On instict, he lashed out his hand, which ever so lightly brushed against her arm. She cringed in pain, and didn't feel any better when she felt Neji's blood on her hands.

"I don't want to kill..." Kiele whimpered in her head. "I don't want to be Gaara's monster, his tool..."

Neji didn't even cringe, but Kiele could see the pain in his eyes.

In a moment's weakness, she crawled off of Neji and stood up.

It was Temari and Kankurou's time to gasp. Baki's expression twisted into confusion. Even Gaara's eyes widened in shock.

Neji stood up and snickered.

"What was all that big talk about being, "a demon, a monster, and a numb tool"?"

Kiele remained silent.

"If you were a real monster, you would have finished me off just then. But you didn't. You pitied me, didn't you?"

"It wasn't pity. It was that."

Kiele pointed her kunai to the one in Neji's grasp.

"You would have stabbed me with that. Then, you probably would have gotten a clean shot at my heart with that Byukagan of yours. Then I'd be dead. Don't think that I don't know what that Byukagan of yours does. I know very well."

Neji smiled slightly.

"So you're not as dumb as I'd took you for in the beginning. It's a start."

"Such meaningless insults..."

Neji ran at Kiele yet again, and Kiele realized that he had gotten faster. She spent more of her time dodging than trying to counter-attack.

"And I thought he was serious before..." Kiele mused, being tapped by his hand in the same spot as earlier. She grimiaced in pain and jumped back, holding her shoulder.

"Takai... playtime's over..."

(Finally! My long awaited blood-lust will be filled at last...)

"Whatever. Shed as much blood as you want... just don't kill him."

(Grrrr... the Neji boy was right. You're no monster. You're just a child who can't let go of the past, and of her childhood friend. You want to save Gaara, but you don't realize that saving him is beyond anyone's power-)

"Shut up, Takai. Do you want out or what?"

"That's what I thought."

Kiele closed her eyes, and sand engulfed her body in a dome. The sand swirled around her figure and she began to transform. Her teeth and nails became more carnivorous, and her irises became pitch black with red pupils. Black marks were written across her body and face.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm your friend, Kiele! I'd never hurt you! I promise!"

"Will... will you betray me, too?"

"Monsters don't keep thier word!"

"I understand, Gaara. There's no longer anything between us. Except for hate."

"I- I'm sorry... I didn't mean to betray you... if I didn't ignore you, Kazekage would have killed you..."

"He'll kill me anyways, eventually. Unless he dies first. You should have stayed by my side."

"I'm sorry... can you find it in your mind to forgive me?"

"... No."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sand around Kiele fell, and she then collapsed in a heap on the floor. Sand twisted and spun, then fell to reveal her form of Takai.

Neji's eye's widened, as Takai lunged at him at top speed.

"Die, Hyuuga Neji! I'll feast on your flesh and bathe in your blood!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How do I prove that I'm sorry?"

"If you're desperate enough, I'm sure you'll find a way."

"What... what if I accompany you to the Chuunin Exams? And be your body guard?"

"I have my sand. That's guard enough."

"But... there's always the possibility that someone will be able to break through it. In that case, I'll be there to protect you. And, if need be, die for you. Will I be your friend then?"

"I could forgive you. But I said nothing about being your friend. That relationship is dead and gone."

"But, Gaara, you're my friend! I really care for you, I do-!"

"No. You cared for the old Gaara. He died with Yashamaru. This is now me. I have no friends. I'm alone. You know that."

"I know... but I am alone too. If you'd be there for me, you can have me."

"..."

"I promise, I won't leave you anymore! I'll kill your father if I have to prove myself to you, Gaara!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Takai pounced on Neji. He jabbed her with his palm, but even when she threw up blood, the only one that felt pain was Kiele, not Takai, so she pressed on.

"Fool! She warned you that demons don't feel!"

Takai plunged her clawed hand into Neji's vaulnerable abdomen.

"Die! Bleed! Perish! Now who's the one who will suffer, baka?"

Neji doubled over, and Takai removed her hand from his flesh. He threw up blood and grasped his wound. Takai grinned wickedly.

Neji glanced over at Kiele's body, then made a realization.

He struggled to his feet, then ran for Kiele's unconsious body. If he was able to destroy the source, then the demon would die as well.

Takai realized what Neji was attemping, then grabbed him by the back of neck. Her nails dug into his neck, and his warm liquid blood ran down her fingers.

"I don't think so, little man!" She screeched, flinging him against the wall behind her.

(A/N:That's actually kinda funny, her calling him little man, when she's somewhat of three inches shorter than him... -')

Neji groaned as his back slammed against the wall and his head lolled slightly to the side.

"That's what's wrong with Kiele," Takai hissed, licking Neji's blood from her fingers.

"She lacks what it takes to kill anyone. That's why she's lucky to have me. A demon to summon to do her dirty work and kill for her... She thinks that she can get through the world of the shinobi without killing anyone. But that's where she's wrong. That's why she counts me as a blessing, a gift, not a curse. She's soft, and it tears her apart just to land a punch on her enemies. She could be a great shinobi- but she lacks the will to kill. That is the only restraint left holding her back from reaching her full capibilities."

Neji wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, then stood up.

Takai glared at him, then vanished in a whirlwind of sand. Everything was silent for a moment, then Kiele stirred on the floor, getting to her feet. She panted, then stumbled forward. Having her spirit repidly drained from her, and then having it suddenly returned to her nearly knocked the wind out of her everytime.

"Neji... have you had enough?" Kiele asked. "Or... do I have to envoke more pain into you?"

Neji grinned, and Kiele frowned.

"That monster said that you... hated to kill. You won't finish me off. You can't."

"Just because I don't find it fun to murder, doesn't mean that I won't tear myself apart on the inside to get you off of the map, Neji."

Neji's smug smile wasn't wiped off.

"You sure talk a lot, but can you back it up?"

Kiele threw a shuriken aimed at Neji's face, but he only deflected it to the floor with a kunai.

"Finish me off now. That is, if you can. Without that demon, you're nothing. If you let it take over again, you'll be knocked out longer than just a few minutes, which will be just like forfeiting."

"Shut up! You have no idea who I am, so stop acting like you do!"

Neji smiled then lunged forward. He wasn't playing this time around. Kiele found it hand to dodge his hands at the speed he was going.

"I guess I recalled Takai too soon..."

Neji thrust his right hand forward. To Kiele's misfortune, he hit her in the heart. Though it was slightly off, it was enough to knock the the normal person out instantly. Kiele stumbled backward and doubled over, clutching her chest.

"I warned you. Your fate is sealed, and in a matter of minutes, you'll die."

Kiele dropped to her knees. She coughed blood on the floor, and Kankurou leaned on the railing.

"Kiele! No!"

Temari put her foot on the rail, then Kiele stood up.

"Don't come down here, Temari. It's not over yet."

Guy cringed on the top level, watching the fight.

"Who is this girl, to be able to withstand Neji's gentle fist technique? She can evenly match up to him..."

"What are you saying? This match was over before it even began. Just leave now, or shall I continue?" Neji inquired, lifting his palm.

"This move... will end it all now!" Kiele announced to him, bringing her hands up in the seal of the tiger.

She made a long sequence of hand seals, and Neji stared intently at her.

"No matter what jutsu this is, it won't be enough to bring me down."

Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows, staring at Kiele.

"This isn't good... I've heard of that move!"

"Kakashi-sensei, what jutsu is that?" Sakura asked, pointing at Kiele. "I don't think I've seen that one before..."

"It's no jutsu, Sakura," Kakashi replied. "This is a kekkei genkai. And a very rare one. I've only seen it once. No genin-level ninja could ever have mastered it. It's nothing like the sharingan."

"No way!" Naruto shouted, looking at Kakashi, then turning his attention to Kiele.

Kiele froze on her last seal, the seal of the snake.

"First Fang, emerge!"

"What the- it isn't a jutsu!" Neji yelled, stepping back.

Cuts appeared on Kiele's body. She no longer bled sand, but blood. Sand swirled around her body, forming the head of a dragon.

"First Fang won't put you down, so... Second and Third Fang, emerge!"

Kiele's cuts deepened, and she cringed in her self-inflicting pain. The sand dragon was no longer just a head, and from the sand it grew two front claws.

"Now... Sand seperpent, I summon thee!"

After calling this out, Kiele collapsed onto a heap on the ground. Not unconsious, but too weak to stand.

Neji realized this, and smiled.

"If I can just withstand this technique, then this match will be mine."

Soon, the dragon swirled and spun saround the room, and in no time a sandstorm had brewed in the room.

Temari clutched to the rails and screamed for Kiele to get up, but due to the sandstorm, her voice barely traveled past through her own ears.

Everyone was forced to guard their faces with thier arms as the sandstorm whipped about thier bodies.

Neji stared in shock as the sand dragon weaved its way to him. He put his hands up to his face, but the dragon plowed into him, and his defense easily penetrated. Neji was thrown back into the way.

The sandstorm disapeared as quickly as it had come, and everyone lowered thier arms. What they saw shocked them. Kiele was still lying on the floor motionless; Neji, however, was not just pinned to the wall, but embeaded in it. His arms and legs were inside of the wall, and Neji's head hung carelessly down.

Hayate stepped forward, placing his hand on Neji's neck.

"He's alive, but unconsious."

All eyes turned to Kiele's figure.

"I won... how graceful..."

Kiele slowly struggled to her feet, then stumbled forward, caught her balance, only to fall backwards.

"Kiele!"

"Don't wory, we'll get'cha!"

Kiele fell into two pair of arms and looked up to see Temari and Kankurou.

"That was great! That was some sandstorm!" Temari complimented.

"Heh... I've had more graceful victories than this..." Kiele muttered.

"But, you won, and that's all that matters, right?" Kankurou grinned.

Kiele nodded, then cringed. Her heart still hurt where Neji landed that hit.

Kankurou gathered Kiele in his arms, Temari right beside him.

(A/N: Keep in kind this is NO Kankurou based story, so don't think like that! He's just Kiele's friend!)

A medical-nin walked up to the sand siblings and tapped Kankurou on the shoulder.

"Kiele-chan. Please allow us to treat your wounds in the infirmary-"

"Naw, you don't have to. She'll be alright in an hour or two," Kankurou interjected. He grinned. "Besides, she doesn't want to miss the rest of the preliminaries, do you, Kiele?"

"Kankurou, I agree with him. We should let her go."

Kiele shook her head. She still wanted to see who it was that got to be torn apart by Gaara.

"But-!" The medic-nin protested.

"Just shut up. She doesn't need your treatment."

Kiele jerked her head around as she was taken out of Kankurou's arms by another. She saw Gaara.

"Uhh... if Gaara says no, you just better listen to him," Kankurou told the medic-nin.

"Wait!" Kiele yelled.

Gaara froze.

"What?" He demanded.

"Hey, you..." Kiele motioned to the medic-nin.

"How's Neji? He- I didn't kill him, did I?"

"No. He's unconsious, but he's still alive."

Kiele nodded, and Gaara walked up the steps, Kankurou and Temari follwing him. When they returned to their spot on the top floor, Gaara placed her down on the floor.

"Thanks," Kiele murmured.

Either Gaara hadn't heard her, or he was ignoring her.

"I guess the Sand Village is guarenteed a clean-sweep in the preliminaries," Kankurou mused aloud.

"Well, not entirely, er, clean," Kiele muttered, looking at the small pool of blood that had began to form around her.

"Ew. You might want to sit on something," Temari replied, eyeing the bllod and slowly steping away from it.

Kankurou snickered and picked Kiele up.

"Maybe we should have gave her over to those medic-nin-"

"Put her down, Kankurou," Gaara snapped.

"But, Gaara, she really should get medical attention-" Temari started.

"She's staying here."

Kankurou shut up, and placed her back down beside Gaara to sit in her own blood.

"I'm going to get a towel or something though... this is gross..." Temari added, heading towards the medic-nin.

She returned shortly with a black towel from the infirmary, and Kiele scooted over to sit on it after Temari laid it down.

"Oh, two sand in a row!" Kakurou laughed, looking at the board.

Kiele's head shot up, and she looked at the names as well. There were two new names displayed.

Gaara

vs.

Rock Lee