Ice cold hands wouldn't let go of her throat, holding it tight enough that she was stuggling to breathe and gasping desperately for air. Only just loose enough for her to breathe. Loose enough to keep her alive.

You- you killed her!

A knife was a hairs width away from her heart, she was so close to death but it was just out of reach. Mikano didn't deserve to-to die!

Mika was fine, actually. Her body wasn't harmed physically in any way, anymore. The curse mark was straining her sanity and chakra but other than that she was fine. In her sleep all she could see was herself being tortured. It felt too real.

"N-naruto!" She cries out sometimes, the moon shining against her sweat covered body. Sasuke was stuck in the room with her, as they both were in the same condition. The curse mark reacted oddly. When Kakashi tried to put it on Sasuke, Orochimaru had appeared and did something. It made Sasuke's natural chakra almost completely snuff out for about an hour. Until Mika was brought into the room.

Kakashi couldn't stop the Sanin. One second they were talking, no facing off. The next? Sasuke was screaming in pain and his chakra levels were slowly becoming nonexistent.

Orochimaru didn't even need to get to Mika, the girl triggered it with that murder. That blood lust.

Sasuke woke up first, staring at the shaking sleeping body in the bed a few metres away from him. Kakashi didn't let anyone else in the room without his supervision (not after Kabuto's attack), actually Sasuke could feel his sensei's chakra nearby. The Uchiha trembled slightly, remembering the words that were whispered into his ear before Orochimaru left. A message for Mika.

To drag her into this mess. A threat. A loose end. A pain. Sasuke drowsily grabs a glass of water that was left for him a few hours ago and takes a long sip of it. If he wasn't within a kilometre of the girl, he'd die. Why? Why him?! Why Mika?? Was it because she hated the gift? It didn't make sense!

Mika rolled over again and Sasuke glared at her darkly. She ruined everything. Always. How could he do anything if she always had to be around?

Kakashi burst into the room when he realised that Sasuke was awake, and when he was given the news on the kilometre rule from his student seconds later the Jonin went pale. The white haired male slowly turned away and forced a weak chuckle.

"You two will have to learn to get along, huh," The ex-anbu attempts softly, jaw clenched as guilt shook him. How could he let this happen? Sasuke scoffs softly and looks out the window, eyes hard and filled with uncertainty.

"No way."

Mika's pov

No fucking way, more like, one kilometre? I was right! Orochimaru wants Sasuke and I to go to him, so he can steal our gifts somehow! He must doubt the chance of me coming so he had to give me an extra push. Shit. He's not a sanin for nothing, huh?

I was listening to the two sharingan users, waking up when my awesome sensei slammed the door open. When they both went silent I took it as my time to make myself known.

"Are you two here for a reason orr?" I smirk when both of their heads snap in my direction, Kakashi sighs and ruffles my hair gently. I blush at the sudden gesture and look away.

"I heard about what Orochimaru did, and that totally sucks ass," I grunt, the Jonin pulls his hand away and nods slightly, the stress and tension in his body relaxing slightly. He must be worried that I'd try to test it out.

"I wanted to take Sasuke to teach him the chidori for his fig-"

"THE LAST EXAM, RIGHT! Who am I-"

"Naruto." It was Sasuke who spoke, Kakashi stepped back so that I could look at the worse for wear genin.

"No way, you're bullshittin' me." I mumble, knowing very well that he was not the type to bullshit.

"Well, actually, the fights are you and Naruto and then the winner fights Neji Hyuga. Sasuke is fighting Gaara." Kakashi explains, watching me for some sort of reaction. I lower my head and bite my lip softly.

"So you'll teach him electric moves, that should work against Gaara.." I finally respond, cracking my knuckles and looking up at Kakashi.

"I'll have to tag along, won't I?" I softly question, nodding slowly when Kakashi nods. Sasuke scoffs and tries to get up, after a short stumble he makes his way to the door. I start getting up but Kakashi pushes me back down.

"No way, you're in worse condition than him. Sasuke stay in a kilometre radius-"

"I know, I want some food." And he left.

"You killed her, why?" Those words made me go silent, I couldn't run either or else Sasuke would.. die. I bring my knees to my chest and sigh lowly, eyes filling with tears.

"S-she was going to hurt Naruto- a-and she was working with-with-"

"Orochimaru, yeah, he saved her from dying and planned to kidnap you from here. Her team had no idea, apparently." Kakashi explains softly, sitting at the end of my bed and sighing with exhaustion. So Orochimaru used her as a cover, a cover to whatever he is really planning. I blink slowly and put my hand on his shoulder, eyes widening at the pure muscle I felt. Damn. I wasn't surprised when he shrugged my hand off.

"Sensei, you should get some sleep." I suggest, shifting the blanket off of me and blushing when I notice Naruto's neon orange jumper over my hospital gown. The jonin glares at me with his cold coal coloured eye.

"Sleep? You do realise that this is my fault." The weary man grunts sarcastically and I bring my thumb to my lip. His fault? What? How?

"Sensei, if not for you then I'd surely be evil. I tried to kill two chunin, and I probably would have died on that hill to, if I lived I'd have gone crazy." I explain softly, looking at him and smiling kindly, reminding him of when he stopped me from killing my old sensei's. He looks away and shakes his head, hands clenched into fists.

"No, if not for me your friend would have lived." He wasn't looking at me, his back was to me. He didn't see my eyes widen. He was there.. could he have.. saved her?

"I was told to keep casualties to a minimum but you're a kaguya, I wanted to see if it was you who went awol.." I could barely hear his deep voice, all I could hear was Jay, screaming, begging and.. and dying. He could have saved her.. she would be alive, if- if not for him. He let her die.

The curse mark throbbed painfully on my neck, burning me from the inside out and making my hands tremble, it was feeding off of my rage and I didn't have enough chakra to subdue to thanks to the chakra blocking seal Orochimaru put on me. Kakashi stands up and starts walking towards the door, gloved hand gripping the metal handle as I started hyperventilating.

"I'm sorry, Mika."

"Why are you here?" Gaara's raspy voice was shaken with his pure blood lust and rage. Sasuke was in the hospital, asleep, so I was sure that he wasn't about to be a kilometre away. I had also got changed back into my normal attire, Naruto's jumper neatly folded on my hospital bed. I slide down next to the redhead and pulled my knees to my chest, tears in my eyes.

"G-Gaara, I know how it feels, now. To have people not trust you.. to feel like everyone already knows what you're going to do.. even if you're not going to do that. I.. I killed my only living relative, a-and.. my last name was the reason why my friend was left to die.." I could sense his sand moving towards me, wrapping around my throat tightly, it was an itchy sensation but my mind was too blurred to focus on it. Tears slid down my face as my breath is stolen from me.

"Your.. last name.. Kaguya.. that is what made you a monster back them.." Gaara ponders questioningly and I attempt to nod, the world felt like it was on hold as I started passing out. The sand suddenly loosened and I fell to my knees, panting slightly and holding my bruised throat.

"I don't understand, you have never been the monster.." Gaara was next to me, standing above me with the moon shining in his beautiful eyes. I rolled onto my back and stared at the star filled sky, tears continuing to spill as I threw my arm over my eyes to hide them. The salty water dripped down my cheeks and it only made me feel even more like I was drowning.

"Mika.." Gaara knelt down and watched me with wide, confused eyes. I shook my head and pushed my hand out towards him, palm facing the night sky.

"Kill me, watch my blood fall onto the ground and love it. If that is what you want, don't let me stop you. I love you." I flinch went I felt his hand grip my wrist tightly, his hand. I was so used to the sand, it had been so long since we last actually held hands as kids or done anything childish in general really. Nails dug tightly into my wrist and blood started dripping from my skin. It was different to my memories.

"You really would die for me," He concludes with fear and shock in his deep raspy voice, I wouldn't dare try to look at him. It would hurt me too much to see his pain and fear filled expression again.

"Why..? Why? I'm a monster," Gaara growls, slowly loosening his grip on my wrist and instead he took my hand in both of his, touching the scales that were around my arm. It felt.. nice. He had never seen the scales before, I had gotten them after I left the sand village.

"So am I, let's be monsters together," I let out a weak chuckle and take my arm off of my eyes, blushing when I saw the curiousity in those beautiful eyes of his. He let go of me and flinched away, eyes blank and cold as they stared at the moon.

"Like when we were younger? Even.. even if you live here now..?" He questions, flinching when I hum in approval and sit up too.

"Yeah, I live here now. I'll stay in touch, visit and maybe go on missions to the sand, if I can. If you want."

"I.. I do want.." Gaara lets himself say, his sand all returning into his gourd and eyes falling to his hands. I smile weakly and cross my arms tightly over my chest, I had to face Kakashi tomorrow.

"I won't be around tomorrow, probably not for the whole month break.. will you be ok?" I ask, Gaara slowly looks at me and nods stifly.

"I will wait..." He decides softly, shifting away a bit. A sound ninja makes his way up the roof and growls at the sight of me.

"You killed my team.." He glares darkly at me and I could sense his bloodlust, though it was unrivalled to the pulsing blood lust and hatred that came from right next to me. The curse mark on my nack stung softly as my own anger rose. He tried to kill my team.. but I killed his without hesitation. Did he hesitate? Did they deserve that?

"I'll leave him to you, Gaara," I sigh weakly, teleporting myself back into the hospital, closing my eyes when I hear a scream of pain and smell the blood in the air. Sasuke tensed up in his sleep and I slid into my own bed, I would only get like half of an hour before the sun rises Kakashi wheels us away. Kakashi.. the curse on my neck seemed to make itself known yet again as my anger rose.

I don't even remember falling asleep, until I was being woken up by a finger in my ear. I scream and Naruto starts howling with laughter. I roll my eyes and rub my ear affectionately, shoving the blondes jumper into his arms.

"Mika! Kashi-Sensei said that you'll be going on a secret training mission with him and Sasuke, it's no fair!" The blonde whines, throwing himself onto my lap, I look around the room, Kakashi and Sasuke were talking out of my earshot. Eyes cold and stern. Kakashi. My curse mark burns painfully and I gasp, putting my hand over it and grunting softly.

"I would much rather stay with you, I want to, honestly. But uh.. I have no ch-"

"Mika, change in plans. You're not training with us but you will need to be nearby. With both of you having that curse mark, friendly sparring could end up being much more dangerous." Kakashi couldn't even meet my eyes as he talked to me, he was watching Naruto roll around on my lap. I nod slowly and start gently rubbing the blondes soft spikey hair. It tickled my hands to touch. Naruto giggles and tries to push my hands away but I continue my evil hair rubbing. Sasuke groans and steps towards us.

"Oi, dobe, the person training you wanted you to hide, didn't he? This is hardl-"

"OH, RIGHT! THANKS BASTARD!" And with that Naruto was out of the window and Sasuke was fuming.

"He has the nerve to insult me after I reminded him of - nevermind. We can go now, right Kashi-sensei?" Sasuke broods against his bed, wearing black clothes instead of blue now for some reason. I roll my eyes and get up, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at my Jonin sensei.

"So what? You train Sasuke whilst I hunt for badgers? If I'm wasting a month I'm wasting it with Gaara," I growl and Sasuke tenses up, Kakashi sighs and turns away from me with annoyance.

"Do what you want, don't kill your teammate-"

"YOU'RE SAYING THAT LIKE IT IS MY FAULT!" I shout and both of the Sharingan users go dead silent, turning around and looking at me tensely. Sasuke bites lip and rolls his eyes, sitting on his bed. He didn't know that there was something else behind this argument and these tears.

"This will take a while," he mutters, laying down and staring at the roof.

"It isn't your fault but there is nothing we can do about it, so now it is your responsibility," Kakashi deadpans and I growl, glaring at him darkly.

"And what is your responsibility, I wonder? Bastard." I hiss, turning my back to him and rolling my eyes when he grabs Sasuke and quietly teleports the three of us onto a hill. Further teleporting he and Sasuke to one a few hundred metres away from me. I sit down and take some deep breaths, sensing Noir's chakra following Naruto around and smiling softly, she likes him, huh? I don't blame her.

I take my gloves off and tie them around my ankles, the weights already straining on my legs. My arms, however, felt weightless. I start off easy, bringing my knees to my chest and stretching them upwards like 50 times each. My muscles started burning when I finished the simple stretches (less simple when there is 50kg of chakra weight on each ankle) and I stood up, stretching my arms before running on the spot. That fricking sucked, too. My legs felt like they were made of jelly but also like they weighed a ton. Not fun. I did that for 2 hours, speeding up at every half hour.

I don't want to use my chakra, Orochimaru blocked a lot of it off and I'd have to test at just how much that was. Probably enough to make having two fights in a row a serious risk. After I finished running on the spot I tighten both of the weights on my legs and start chakra walking down the hill, almost falling many times, jesus christ my tutor was a dick. I just thought they were regular gloves and that I was incredibly weak my whole life. I'd been wearing them since I was three years old. I don't know how my arms didn't snap off, maybe he gradually made them heavier or something. I don't know.

I didn't know a lot about my childhood, really. Most of the memories that I didn't block out were either about Gaara or they were nightmares that haunted my mind. As I got closer to the ground the strain became too much and I jumped, the ground cracking below my weight. So that meant that there was at most 100kg added onto my punches my whole life? No.. I turn around and face the rock pillar that I just walked down and clench my hand into a fist. I just wasn't hitting at my full potential. I slam my fist into the rock with as much strength that I could. Doing it again and again with both arms, my hands a blur even to my own eyes and I was the one doing it! The rock crumbled like sand beneath my hits and it wasn't long before it fell down and made the ground shake. Even though my muscles could easily handle it, my skin was another story. The skin around my fingers and knuckles was practically shredded away and blood was dripping down both of my arms. Oops. That was probably why I didn't hit my hardest, my skin wasn't strong enough to take it. But my scales.. they are.. I slowly sit down and start wrapping some bandage around my fists before putting my gloves back on over my hands. My legs muscles were already stronger, since having the weights on the upper half of my body would require my whole body's muscle. It was actually a really smart tactic, on my tutors behalf. My hands hurt too much for me to hit anything after that so I started playing around with my chakra. Nothing too wild, just trying to do that sand/dust thing that Mikano could do. That gave her the ability to see without actually seeing. I ended up getting sand in my eyes, nose, mouth and probably in every nook and cranny of my clothes too.

"Son of a bitch!" I cry out, trying to use sand control to get rid of the little sand storm that I just made, that I was also standing in the middle of. After struggling for a while it did, eventually, die down and I was left lying on the hot floor with small cuts all over me and sweat, mud and blood dripping from my body. Sand was a stubborn bitch to manipulate. Lightning was difficult in its own ways, sure. Lightning wanted to kill, it had the blood lust that would rival Gaara's. Lightning could only be used when I was calm and or ready to kill, or ready to die. Lightning wanted to kill it's user, if I lost control it would destroy me.

Sand, however, was like rock but messier. Rock/earth just didn't want to be manipulated or used, it took will power and brute strength to control and sand took both as well as patience. If you moved too fast and got impatient, you'd get caught in your own-

"Sandstorm," Gaara's raspy voice caught me off guard- which is my excuse for screaming. The red head stood over me with a blank look in his eyes, I smile sheepishly and sit up, wiping my forehead of any mud or sweat.

"Yep, that was me. What are you doing here? You hunting me down-"

"You were talking to yourself, about using patience.. if you know to use patience then why aren't you doing that..?" Gaara looks away from the broken pillar of rocks with some traces of blood and stares at me with confusion. I laugh sheepishly and scratch the back of my neck, patting the spot next to me and gasping when he actually sits beside me.

"I have a low temper." Gaara seemed to make a face that said 'no shit' but I continued anyway. "I have a lot of shit going on right now, I killed Mikano and-and Orochimaru is fucking everything up i-it's hard to think patiently-"

"I manage," Gaara responds, interrupting my stressed out ranting. I look up at him and blush slightly, his eyes now boring into my own. I notice that he had a small patch of purple on his cheek, shaped probably like my fist. He caught me staring at the mark and tensed up, putting a hand on it and flinching softly.

"You're one of the first people to hurt me.. " Gaara notes lowly and I lower my head in shame. A small plan pops into my mind, I was originally joking about training with Gaara but like why should it be a joke..?

"Wanna train-"

"There's a full moon tonight, I can't." Gaara looked in pain as he stood up and took a few steps away from me. I lower my head further and sigh softly.

"You don't have to hide yourself away from me, I don't care if you hurt me. Beat me until I'm broken if you have to, I don't mind." Tears started dropping onto the sand and I could hear Gaara gasp softly. I'm crying wayyy too much lately. Oh no... I need to talk to mama iruka..

"As long as you know that you are loved I would let you step all over me," I add before finally looking, more like squinting, up at him and the setting sun. Gaara looked confused and in pain, hands clutching his head. I get up and put my hand over his, softly, watching as he tenses up even more.

"Why? Why? I do- It doesn't make sense!" Gaara growls and I bite my lip, my hand trembling a bit. His red hair shone underneath the suns merciless firey shine.

"It doesn't need to. Not if you can feel something in here," I slip my hand past his arms and point at his heart, wearily watching his sand start wrapping around my wrist. I step back and the sand returns to his gourd, the redhead crossing his arms over his chest and looking at the ground.

"I feel a lot of things, in my heart. I want to understand... what they mean.. if they're... good." Gaara was unmoving as he spoke, as still as the wind that died around us.

"If they are in your heart, they are definitely good."

"You're saying this to a monster." Gaara deadpans and I can't help but scoff, he didn't even realise how much of a smartass he was being.

"Yeah, I'm a monster saying it to another monster... all shinobi's are." I grin and Gaara rolls his eyes very hesitantly before retaking his seat on a fallen rock, eyeing the blood covered sand near us. I smile weakly and pull my gloves a bit higher up my arms, my chakra needed some time to refill.

"Mika, you used..the kekkei genkai.. can I see it?" Gaara recalls and I look over at him with worry but I obey anyway, letting long white bones grow out from my wrists (after pulling my gloves down). Gaara watches silently, shivering as if someone was talking to him.

"Can we.. fight?" He asked and my eyes widen ridiculously, I have never sparred against him. When we were little all we did was play with teddies and what not. Never ever- ever. I have sparred with Naruto, Shikamaru- everyone from the academy. Gaara.. he.. was always different. I felt like I had to protect every aspect of him, his heart- mind. All of him.

"You hesitate, are you scared of me?" Gaara questions suddenly and I blink, a weary smile on my face when I felt Kakashi's chakra nearby. Checking on me.

"I'm... I don't want to hurt you."

"You underestimate me?" Gaara sounded pissed now. I stood up quickly and rose my hands in defence.

"Absolutely not! I'm sure you'll win, I just.. I could hurt you and I.. I can't handle doing that.." I try.

"You already did," Gaara's sand attacked quickly and it took a second for me to jump back where I was safe. We lock eye contact and the certainty in Gaara's eyes was enough, no more talking. I decide to go with taijutsu, taking my gloves off and letting bone grow from my bloody knuckles. His sand moved towards me with terrifying speed and accuracy and for now all I could do was run and dodge. Oh and I was trying to find some sort of pattern to it but.. I couldn't. It was just sporadic bursts of blood lust powered sand, aiming for my vital spots every time. Gaara was just watching me; his sand moving by its own will like it had tended to do when he wasn't in control.'though I could see his hands raised to grant it this freedom to attack.

There! An opening! I leap towards him and start slicing the daggers from my knuckles at him with speed that could only be accomplished without my gloves. Gaara's sand instantly pulled back and protected him, now he was on defensive. I couldn't stop or else I'd be shredded to pieces, so I moved as fast as my body could allow me, my bones growing as I finally attempt my favourite attack. Small bones grow from my finger tips whilst I have the longer ones out of my knuckles, I jump closer so that Gaara was in good reach and I swipe at him.

Red hair fell to the ground and a small droplet of blood joined it- I had barely grazed his cheek. I leap backwards and retract the bone, my body aching slightly.

"Even with those weights off you're not moving fast enough, is that because of exhaustion?" Gaara asks, making his sand pull my leg and then fling me into the air. I grunt and run away from the hidden sand that was all over the floor, sweat once again dripping from my forehead.

"Half exhausted and the other half if just the fact that you're too fast for me.." I respond softly. Unable to silence my scream when he slammed a wall of pure rock towards me, knocking me out instantly.

When I woke up again I sure as hell was not expecting Kakashi to be sitting next to me, between Sasuke and I. He was reading his book with clear humour in his eye and I almost didn't want to hit him as hard as I could. Not that he let me anyway, he caught my gloved, bloody and bruised fist before it could break his jaw. Kakashi groaned and set his book down, tilting his head and staring at me solemnly.

"You almost got yourself killed, a thank you would be appropriate," Kakashi mumbles and lets go of my fist, watching me shift away from him and hold my pain filled hand to my chest. We had a short staring contest before I tasted sand in my mouth and blinked with shock.

"G-gaara! Where is he??" I leapt towards Kakashi again and almost stepped on Sasuke's sleeping body (which was looking very worse for wear). Kakashi stood up and stretched a bit.

"Terrorising people, I'd assume. He almost killed you so I had to scare him off.. next time train with someone who doesn't want you dead," Kakashi suggests and I lower my gaze, anger pouring through me.

"He doesn't want me dead." I hiss, earning an eye roll from the Hatake.

"Not what it looked like to me, I'm surprised that you're up already. Anyway, I found you someone to train with that won't... successfully kill you, you're to meet your temporary Sensei's at sunrise." Kakashi states listlessly, taking his book out and reading it as he steps back towards Sasuke's sleeping body and sits down next to it. I stand there, anger pulsing through my curse mark but there was also.. natural pure anger. Kaguya blood lust, perhaps. I'm not an idiot, I know that almost all Kaguya's were blood lust filled mindless weapons and that I shouldn't be any exception. Except I am. I.. want to be, anyway. I try to be.

"Whatever," I rush out, turning around and walking away from the jonin, my kunai returning to it's place in my weapon pouch. I'm not a weapon. I'm a protector. Then why do I want to turn around and tear Kakashi limb from limb? I mean it's so obvious that I'd get my ass kicked. He knows that I have injuries and he'd use it against me. Adrenaline could stop th- why am I even arguing about this? He's my sensei.. he let Jay die, why does he deserve to live? Because killing him would prove his theory right. I'll go awol eventually, I'm a Kaguya. I stand up and jump down from the hill, landing on the ground with a fire in my eyes.

"Yeah fucking right, I'm only half Kaguya."