Just in case anyone didn'tread the authors note at the ned of the previous chapter, this is a flashback.

Gen's POV

I was pushed through a series of underground tunnels to my next opponent. I wondered what the point of making a bunch of kids fight each other was. Shrugging mentally, I continued walking with two huge men on both sides of me. They were taking me to who they called my "final opponent." I guessed that meant that I was one of the two finalists of this competition. Everyone had been fairly easy to beat in these matches, so I wasn't worried.

There was light at the end of the next turn. They let go of my shoulders, leaving a slight ache because of how tight they had been grasping me.

"Good luck," one of them told me, "not that it'll do you much good against her." I grimaced inwardly. I was going to fight a girl?

"You'd better hope for a quick fight," the other said sternly.

The two men stood side by side, and they looked to be statues. I went the only way I could, towards the light. The tunnel led to a vast, open, wooded space. Looking around, I saw her at the top of a nearby tree, and I felt my eyes widen. What was she doing here? She wasn't even old enough to be in this test. Who stuck a five-year-old in this?

"Ju, what are you doing here?" I asked, as she leapt down from her perch. She stared me in the eyes, and I saw they were different. They were…evil.

"Don't worry, dear Gen. I never fight to kill, but accidents do tend to happen," he said through Ju's lips. I took a step back. So, he had her in possession. Right then and there, I almost envisioned my own bloody death. No one of my level would survive an encounter with him. "You taught my medium many great skills," Ryuu said. "I'll just return the favor by giving you a lesson of pain."

He threw a needle that had been concealed in Ju's sleeve. I was frozen in fear of this demon, and did not dodge. It hit me, and fire raced down my arm, and ice flooded my veins. It fell limp. Yelling in pain, I managed, "What is this?" The demon chuckled.

"It's a needle bathed in my own demon's blood. I prepared it after my transformation, during that last match with some poor girl. She's gone to the medics completely unconscious, but I guarantee that she'll be in a lot of pain upon awakening." Ryuu crossed Ju's arms and smirked. I swore that if I lived, I would kill the person responsible for putting Ju in this.

I grasped the senbon needle, and yanked it out. The tip that had not gone through me was dripping a green liquid. I dropped it to the ground when I felt my fingers burn. I shouted out again. Ryuu's blood was running through my veins. I felt the pain slowly running to my legs when they gave out beneath me. Could I really have been beat by one single needle? Everything hurt. Itami no Ryuu was his full name. Only now did I fully understand and accept that. He existed only to bring pain to others, to make those around him suffer. He was the master of pain.

"Does it hurt? I hope so, but you've only begun your lesson. I'll keep you on the cusp between life and death, and you will feel everything." I was sprawled on the ground, in pain and helpless to stop him, but I promised myself to try to save Ju. Little by little, I rose up. My body protested every movement I made.

"I'm surprised. You shouldn't be able to move. Humph, perhaps you're stronger than I thought; I guess that means I have to be more forceful on you than the rest." The skin of her hands began to peel like a snake. She stood silently as it happened, her transformation. Underneath the flesh that had been torn away was nothing but black. It was like looking at a starless night by the light of a new moon. Cracks crawled up her neck as the tissue was ripped from that, too.

I watched the dark consume her body, trying to believe the fact that the monster standing before me was Ju. It sprouted wings the color of carbon, with ragged splits and shredded edges. The dark shape bent down on all fours and spread its newly formed claws of obsidian. Through the black shone two twin red orbs, like hot coals in a fire. It stretched its neck up and roared a sound that resonated through the woods, making the ground tremble.

When the dust cleared, its slick scales and spiked tail were revealed, glistening as if covered in oil. Ryuu looked down at me, from his height of over ten feet, and spittle dripped from his mouth. There was only one thing going through my mind at that moment: I am going to die. I might have been able to battle him in Ju's form, but not like this. He was untouchable and immortal, and I was vulnerable to his power.

"I am going to make your death slow…and painful. When you wish you were dead, I'll be half done playing with you," Ryuu snarled, flinging saliva from his jaws. His mouth hung open, exposing his irregularly-shaped fangs.

Through the pain I already felt, I managed, "I guess you're halfway done." I meant that, too. I felt like I was on fire, but there were no burns. My bones were scorched at the core, while the flesh surrounding them stung as if salt had been poured on me. I hated that it was one mere needle that did this to me.

My screams were hoarse, now that my voice had been worn out. Only faintly did I see the beast stride towards me, as my eyelids drooped, but I felt very clearly the pain that the tail whipped at me caused. The spikes of ebony pierced my side, just before I was flung into a tree trunk. Did Toshihiro-sama know what was happening? Did he know that Ju had been entered in his contest? How could anyone allow her to be here? Why did no help come to my aid? Before I was taken here, those guards said this was my final opponent. Maybe they weren't talking about the test; maybe they knew I was going to die.

I glanced at my side. I could see the torn flesh, but not the blood. Why didn't I bleed?

Ryuu must've known what I was thinking, because he soon after explained, "I can't have my toys passing out from lack of blood. That wouldn't be any fun, now would it? You can't bleed because my own will stop it instantly. Not only that, but it'll keep you from fainting or dying before I've had my fun. I enjoy hearing you scream; you're much more exciting than those others." I grimaced. "Others" was plural, more than one. How many had he tormented, as he did me? Ryuu pounded forwards until he was just before me. "However, I do tire of hearing the same thing over and over. Why don't you yell louder for me?" With a swipe of his claws, I did just as he asked. He took a step back, and used a claw to prick his forearm. A single drop of green blood held to it.

"Hmm," he considered, "I wonder what happens if I do this." Looking at my large and many open wounds, I knew what he was going to do. Thinking back to the beginning of this fight, or rather the beginning of my torture, the first pain that dragon's blood gave me seemed a pleasure. My limbs were limp, and I could not move. I waited with closed eyes for the next surge of pain that would happen when that emerald drop hit my skin, but it never came. I opened then a crack to see Ryuu stagger back. I couldn't believe the words I heard leave his mouth. He still had his low growl, but the way they were said was unnatural in his body.

"You are evil! What has Gen ever done to deserve this?" Without losing the angry expression, Ryuu fought with Ju, turning his head the opposite way.

"You little brat, who do you think you are, huh? I'm teaching a lesson and you aren't about to stop me. You pathetic brother is as good as dead."

"It is my body you are controlling, but I found out in here how to control you back!" Suddenly, Ryuu roared, but it was different than the last. He was in pain. He shouted like a human in pain. What did Ju do? Slowly, after a few more shrieks of pain, Ryuu shrunk down to Ju's size. It was like watching the transformation backwards. The black scales shed off, revealing the pale skin beneath. In a puff of white smoke, a regular looking Ju stood before me.

"What did you do?" Ryuu demanded in Ju's small voice.

"I made you feel pain. It distracted you while I forced my chakra into you, because you blocked it before. This connection works both ways. You can control me if you have enough chakra to overwhelm mine, but I can do the same. You knew that, did you not?"

"It's not as simple as that, foolish human girl. I will always have more chakra than you. I am a demon."

"You can go inside me now." Ryuu gave one last growl of protest before I was sure Ju had control of herself. She took something out of her pocket. It looked like an inkwell.

I watched in horror as she dipped a needle in the substance, pulling it out to show a thick green liquid dripping from it. Once the cork was firmly in place, the tiny bottle was pocketed, and Ju strode close to me.

"What are you –" I began, but finished with a drawn out scream because of the pain that washed over me as from the needle dripped a single bead of blood. I didn't notice the strength in my arms and legs returning until I reached out and snatched the needle from Ryuu's hand. With what force I could muster, which was much more than I thought I was able, I drove it as close to the demon's heart as I could.

"You are enraged at Ryuu, so I understand that you wish to hurt him back through my bond," she said before kneeling next to me. I didn't understand. What's her bond, and if she was in control why did she put more of Ryuu's blood in me? Did she want to bring me pain?

"Who are you, Ju or Ryuu?" I asked. She rose to a standing position, and turned her back to me. I heard her pull the needle out, before I saw the slightest of glows.

"I am Ju. Will you allow me to heal you wounds, brother?" she asked quietly.

"And allow you to give me even more pain? No, thank you!"

"Then you will die from loss of blood. I have already taken Ryuu's blood from your body. You will bleed and die in minutes if not less time." I looked down; she was right. My sides and chest were draining more blood by the second. When was Ryuu's blood extracted? I started getting my strength back after she put more demon blood in me. Did Ju…cure me? When she tuned back, I saw through the small tear in her carbon shirt that there was no puncture wound. That glow must've been from her healing herself. Though she forced me to allow her to cure me, I never once saw her repair her own wounds.

"You have heard what will happen if you do not let me heal you. I will forcefully do it to keep you from further harm." It was the real Ju this time, of that I was certain. She always said that to me, even as my younger sister, while I was five years her elder. "You will soon feel the pain of your wounds. I must heal them before my serum wears off. I cannot have you in more pain than you must have already been in." She put her hand up. I didn't want here close to me, though. She could be won over in a split second. I was still lying on my back, with my head propped up by a broken stump, but my arms could move. I quickly snatched a kunai from the pouch that was miraculously still attached to my waist.

"Stay away!" I shouted, whipping the kunai from my fist. She didn't dodge, but my aim was off from the ground. The kunai nicked her arm, a thin streak of blood trailing behind it. She complied, stepping back.

"You want to die in pain, then?" Ju requested. I hated the innocent look she wore when asking that question, but slowly felt the pain return. When did it stop?

I was angry that she seemed to take this situation so lightly. The Ju I knew, or thought I knew, would at least pretend to care her older sibling was on his deathbed. Since she didn't insist on repairing my injuries like the real Ju would, I knew it was Ryuu. Pulling another kunai through the growing pain, I hurled another knife, and this time my aim was true. It hit Ryuu's heart, right where I wanted. If Ju couldn't control him, then she might have a better life in her afterlife. I would meet her soon anyway.

"You do not understand, do you?" she spoke. Lifting a hand, she pulled the knife from her chest, and dropped it to the ground. Moving a bloody hand in front of the stab wound, she brought the hand down in a swift swishing motion. The hole was gone. What just happened? Medics can't heal that fast. "I cannot die by means of small cuts like that. If you truly wish to kill me, you must cover every inch of my body in burns, cuts, bruises, scrapes and other such wounds, so that the blow that takes my heart will have nowhere to go. Until then, I will never be murdered by such a pathetic attempt to bring my death."

"What do you mean, 'Nowhere to go,'?" I asked. Speaking became hard, but I wanted answers before I died. I knew I surly would.

"Remember this?" she asked, pulling up a sleeve, revealing a large bruise. "I got this when you fell, while practicing walking up trees. Or this," she lifted her pant leg. There was a gory wrap that was filthy and tied terribly around her calf. "I took this gash when you came back from a mission injured. I have been trying to keep you away from the pain," she looked pitifully at me, slouched on the ground, "but I failed." Rolling up the opposite left sleeve, two bloody slashes were viewed on Ju's forearm. "And this is where your murder attempts have drifted."

I had choked up a lot of blood, but managed to say, "But if you heal me, then won't my injuries appear on you? Why would you do that? You would kill yourself!" she shook her head. My vision was failing. A haze of gray overcame my sight before it returned, if a bit fuzzy, after a few moments.

"I have blood. While I have Ryuu's blood coursing through my veins, I will never die." I realized how right she was about that, but feared what pain she would have to be in for me. What I pain I felt minutes before, would be constant for her until she healed or was brought to the medics, but I remembered that she never wanted to go there. She wouldn't allow anyone to help her. Why didn't she? She didn't deserve to suffer! I tried to recall all of the injuries she healed of me. How could she pretend so convincingly that she was fine? Numerous times we were spared expensive medical payments, because she healed me. Why did she have to suffer for my clumsiness?

I realized that I had to stop her. I didn't want her help. If only I hadn't been so blind to the obvious! Why would she even think of putting herself through that pain for me? I couldn't understand it. Why did you do this, Ju, my sister? What force pushed you to think you deserved so much pain? I knew she couldn't bring the dead back, so I decided that I would fight to my dying breath, knowing that if I didn't let her near me, she would be unable to take my pain and live in a bit less agony. I hoped she would understand why I accepted death instead of letting her take my pain. She wouldn't have to take care of me anymore, and she'd be free of me.

I muttered a jutsu beneath my breath and took as deep a lungful of air I could. A second later, flames erupted from my mouth, and I saw Ju dodge easily up to a near by branch. I heard her say something. I think she was yelling, but I didn't understand. Her words weren't making sense, so I flung more kunai knives. The chunks of metal hit something dark, or I thought it was dark. Everything was dark. I was having another one of those gray haze things on my eyes. When my sight returned, I noticed how close Ju was, but then she was gone again. I looked behind only to see bleeding eyes gaze back. They were red and upset. My own didn't sting. She had taken the blind effect to her own eyes. I didn't remember getting hit in the eyes, but I couldn't recall much of anything right now.

"Do not worry for my sight, brother. Please worry only about who you will go to. It is too late for me to do anything for you anymore." Something hard hit me, and after a second I realized it was the ground. I had collapsed, and in a few moments, I would find a new home, in another body. I would die.

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