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I turned my head slightly and saw a red-haired boy with the kanji for love on his brow, standing upside-down in the tree that Sasuke was in. his teal eyes were filled with hatred and his eyes had black around them, proving that he probably didn't know what sleep was.

"G-Gaara…" Kankuro stuttered. He was even more afraid of him than me and from the looks of it, so was the blond girl.

"Why do you think we came all the way to Konoha?"

But these brats…they started it."

"Shut up. I'll kill you." Gaara's eyes narrowed, no wonder they feared him.

"I was at fault. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." Kankuro stumbled over his words.

"Excuse them, you guys." He looked around the alley and his gaze ended on me then he disappeared from the tree and appeared next to his teammates. "Let's go, we didn't come here to fool around."

"I know," Kankuro snapped.

'The Shukaku…?' Kaume came into my mind as I studied the red-haired boy. 'Last time we saw him, he was just a baby.'

Curious, I probed the boy's mind.

A snarl echoed around his mind and I laughed at the annoying beast. 'Shukaku, my dear perverted friend, what has you awake at this hour?'

'Who are you?' the voice growled.

'I am Princess Aiko of Ryuugoni. What's the matter with you? The boy shows his exhaustion through his eyes. Will you not let him have one ounce of sleep just because you want to be let out?'

'I've never known freedom. From the sealed gourd to a host who sacrifices sleep to keep me sealed.'The voice whimpered.

'Then get back into your cage, you perverted demon!' I snapped at him and he disappeared. 'Gaara…'

'Shukaku, get into your cage!' his voice came to me and I laughed at him.

'Shukaku already went to his cage, Gaara,' I smirked and turned to face him fully. His eyes narrowed as he looked down at me. 'Stop being so rude, staring is not nice.'

'You're just a child,' he growled.

'Looks are not everything. I am a Ryuu and I am thousands of years old. I must go, but if you ever want to actually talk and not bark at me, just call me with your mind and I will hear you.'

I saw him nod his head barely as he disappeared and then appeared by his teammates. I disappeared and then appeared at the Hokage building. I walked inside and entered the office as Jounin were leaving.

"Lord Sarutobi," I bowed.

"Aiko, how are you? Are you ready to become a public face to the world?" I nodded and he stood up and walked over to me. "Here is a head protector of the Leaf so people know you are a shinobi. You don't necessarily have to wear it on your head though."

I tied the headband around my waist and it rested on the waistline of my skirt. "Where is the first test taking place?"

"Go to the school, two days from now. The tests will start at 3pm."

"Yes, sir, I will take my leave now," I bowed then left.

'Ryuu, come to the place above the Hokage heads,' Gaara's voice called to me.

I opened my wings and flew up into the sky. I looked at the park above the heads and saw Gaara looking over the village, his arms crossed. I landed silently behind him.

"Yes, Gaara?" I spoke and he turned around. My wings disappeared and his eyes narrowed.

"How did you know about the Shukaku?" he growled.

"My beast recognized him and he talked to me before I talked to you, perverted raccoon. Has he always been that way?" I looked at him.

"I don't talk to that demon. He stays in his cage unless I summon him…"

"But you don't have full control," I frowned. "He takes what chances he can to try and come out. You won't ever gain control if you lock him away. The only way to gain control is to use him."

He narrowed his eyes and looked back over the village. "What are you… what is your demon?"

"The three tailed Ryuu from legend. I must go, my brother is waiting."

"How do you know that?"

"He's above us," I smirked as I opened my wings then I flew up to meet Takeo. "What is it brother?"

"Ryuugoni has summoned me. They want me to become part of the council. They watch us still even though we're supposed to be banished," he sighed.

"When would you be able to come back, do you know?"

"I don't, I'm sorry. As soon as the Chunin exams are finished, Sarutobi wishes you to join ANBU. No more human lovers please, I won't be able to do the jutsu anymore. I must go, Aiko, make Ryuugoni proud," he smiled and then disappeared in a black light.

I flew to the training fields and summoned up a couple clones that wouldn't disappear once they reached their limits. These two wouldn't lose their stamina at all. I started fighting them and we used up the whole field which was a mile across. I fought 'til well into the night and next day. It was afternoon when I got hit in the chest by one clone and I was thrown across the field and hit a tree.

I released the jutsu and sat against the tree. I coughed up some blood from the blow and sighed. I pulled myself to my feet and stumbled to the river and sat on the brook and took a drink to wash the blood from my mouth.

"You have a lot of endurance," his voice rolled to me from the trees.

"How long have you been watching me Gaara?"

Silence met my question. I stood up and looked around, while spreading out my chakra. He wasn't there, but the residue of a clone jutsu lingered. I sighed and appeared at my apartment and went to shower. Afterwards, I pulled on a black halter top of the style Takeo created for me and then pulled on a pair of black pants and white over the knee boots that had three inches of heel. I strapped my katana to my back and braided my hair over one shoulder. I tied my head protector to my waist and slid on my crown as I left the apartment.

I wandered the village and ended up at the ramen shop with Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and their sensei, whose name I still didn't know. Naruto at about five bowls of Miso ramen while everyone else had one. I paid for my bowl and saw that the man was watching me over his make-out paradise book.

The students left and I glared at the man. I left first but waited in an alley for him to come out. When he finally did, I saw him jump over the roof and I followed him, hiding myself in an invisible jutsu I made. He stopped on the bridge and looked out over the water.

"Who are you?" I growled as I landed on the road next to the bridge.

"Mika, how are you?" he spoke, his eye guarded as he watched me walk to him, my heels clicking on the wood.

"Answer the question," I snapped, resting my hand on my katana.

"I am Kakashi Hatake and I knew you from twelve years ago," he replied.

"I have no recollection from then. I've been sick." I turned my back on him and started walking back to the village.

"I'm sorry for what I did then, even if you don't remember. I didn't mean to make you sick," he whispered and I stopped walking and looked at him over my shoulder.

I plunged into his mind and he fell to his knees from the sudden pain. I searched his mind and found what I was looking for. I drew my katana and sliced his arms and chest, making sure nothing was too vital that could kill him. I would just torture him. I growled and punched him in the face then sand wrapped around my wrist, making me immobile. Kakashi took that chance and disappeared then so did the sand.

I fell to my knees and shifted so I was sitting against the railing and I had one leg stretched out while the other was bent and I propped my arm up on it as I gripped my katana. Gaara walked onto the bridge as he put the cork back on his gourd filled with sand.

"Why did you stop me?" I whispered, my voice empty.

"You were attacking a Jounin. You would get in trouble for doing that for no reason," he spoke as he stopped in front of me.

"I had a reason," I snapped.

"Really? He made you sick, that was your reason?" he laughed, humorlessly.

"If I get sick as he mentioned, I forget every single person I ever met and am in a coma for years. This past time I was that way for twelve years," I whispered, closing my eyes. "Why were you watching me before, in the training field?"

"…"

I opened my eyes and saw him looking down at me, his face, eyes and mind all empty and closed from me. He disappeared, using his sand, and I chuckled as I stood up. I sheathed my blade and waited for morning.

...

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