The air was filled with the sick tension of battle as Kagome held on to Lee laying him back. She turned to him finished wiping the blood and turning to Sasuke, they were both unconscious, Sasuke stirring. Kagome reached her hand out to take both of their hands concerned. Turning back she looked to Choji and the others. Sakura gave her a worried look as Choji suddenly transformed himself into a giant ball to which she identified as the Double Weight Technique. He headed towards Zaku yet he held him off with his air clutter from his hands sending him into the air. Kagome took a moment turning once again to the others. Shikamaru moved forward just as Dosu attempted to help his teammate rendering him uncapable with his Shadow Copy jutsu. He turned as Ino instantly took the opportunity to do the mind transfer technique with Kin, Zaku evading the attack luckily. Ino called, "don't move! I'll kill her."

Growling at their idea Kagome came to her knees seeing her raise the kunai to her own neck. She shook her head cursing under her breath. They seemed to laugh as Dosu explained pulling away from the shadow at best, "hm, we have no use for the scroll little girl, we have one mission, and one mission only, to kill Sasuke."

Kagome jumped, "bite your tongue!"

She seemed to instill little fear in them as they took a moment to pause but then as Shikamaru continued to hold him down Zaku smirked, "I now realize" he turned to the unconscious Ino's body on the floor, "if she dies while in her body or the other way around it has the exact same effects now doesn't it?"

There was an unnerving silence as she outstretched her arm. Seeing Lee's team watching the ordeal from afar, the one she identified as Neji spoke, "leave and I'll let you live…"

Dosu smirked speaking, "don't act so high and mighty little man."

He stopped obviously vexed when Kagome ran in just as Ino lost control of the body. She spun kicking Kin into Dosu's body running them straight into the trees. She felt something suddenly, "chakra…"


She turned to Sasuke seeing a purple light emit from his body. She turned to Dosu and Kin outstretching her arms, "defend yourself."

Dosu pushed himself up yet looked to the unconscious Kin. He stood outstretching his arm to show the weapon yet she smirked to him her eyes flashing brightly, "Sasuke well kill you when he wakes up, I'll never let him get there, I won't allow him to become a killer."

She ran foreword kneeing him in the face doing a backflip causing Shikamaru to whisper, "she's fast."

Zaku sped in sending wind yet her foot remained planted to the ground. Smirking a little she turned to the waking Sasuke. Her eyes flashed with fear as she appeared behind him her arm wrapped around his neck backing up. She gripped his arms her foot in his back hearing Sasuke call out to her. She narrowed her eyes pulling more, "this is what Sasuke would have done, caused this pain and he would have felt nothing…"

She turned to the curse seal that had spread across his face and the chakra. He called to Sakura asking lightly, "who did this to you?"

Looking down to herself she began yet stopped when he continued, "Orochimaru gave me power, he gave it to me to become an avenger. Now tell me who did this to you."

Zaku unable to speak do to her hold on him cried out. Kagome threw them foreword as she turned to Sasuke, "stop it Sasuke, I have handled it."

He cried out in pain still as Dosu stepped back, "We'll be back."

Sasuke smirked running towards them gripping to Dosu and Zaku's back. Kagome cried out, "Sasuke! Stop!"

She ran towards him pushing him back from them and with a forceful punch she hit Zaku in the face running him into Dosu and then into the unconscious Kin as they continued. Dosu called painfully, "The scroll, take it…and…"

Sasuke turned hatefully to her gripping her neck, she reached out with a thrust grabbing his arm. He called angrily, "why did you do that!"

She gripped his hand painfully as Dosu left the scroll disappearing. She cursed lightly as Sakura ran behind him horrified. She looked into the girl's eyes as she begged him to stop. She winced calling, "I won't hurt you Sasuke, I won't hurt you…"

He turned back for a moment his seal retracting back just as she fell. She gripped her neck as Ino jumped, "what was that…and you! You had the power to stop him but."

Kagome coughed lightly gripping her neck turning in between coughs nodding, "I won't hurt Sasuke, I have a job…"

She coughed standing weakly feeling eyes turn to her yet she turned to Sasuke coughing as Ino and the others ran to Sasuke's aid. She turned her head carefully staggering foreword her eyes wide as she looked to her hands. She whispered shakily, "I almost kill him…"

Her hands looked dark with burns as she shook her head looking away. Sasuke looked down to his shaking hands causing her to grip her own arm leaning back against the trees. She took a deep breath feeling the curse mark on her collar and the other from her neck. She turned away, "one from Naraku in this life and another from Orochimaru in the after…."

Suddenly she heard Naruto call, "everyone drop! Orochimaru!"

Kagome turned pulsing at the name yet saw Choji had awoken him. Leaning foreword she smiled as him and Sakura conversed over the new hair, why the others were there and such. Kagome walked away from the crowd just passing Neji and TenTen as they awoke Lee. She gripped her arms carefully as he spoke, "you, you didn't defend yourself…"

She stopped her eyes seemed saddened as she nodded to him pulling her hair back carefully calling, "I won't hurt Sasuke, Sakura or Naruto. Its my job as their guardian to make sure of that, no matter if they attack me or not."

Lee suddenly jumped away from TenTen's lecture calling and bowing against Kagome's feet, "Kagome! Thank you for your help! You are truly a magnificent fighter."

She stopped suddenly then smiled pulling him to his feet, "You did more than I did, I thank you for that and protecting Sakura…you should go speak to her, I am sure she wishes to thank you and do be carefully well you?"

He nodded as she turned walking away from the crowd. They seemed to all be conversation as friends. She felt Neji slide away from the group himself and retreat to the trees to eye Sasuke. Standing away from them she leaned her back against the tree ways her head down carefully. She whispered, "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry I let you all get hurt."

She punched her fist into the tree her head pressed against the bark when suddenly Sasuke called to her. She looked up quickly smiling and walking foreword bending down towards him, "how are you feeling?"

He looked to her sadly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean too…I couldn't control myself…"

She nodded to him smiling pulling the hair from his face standing, "its not your fault, I just want you to promise me, you'll be careful, I'm sorry I couldn't help. I really am."

He shook his head, "you helped me more than anyone, thank you Kagome."

She seemed to not accept it as she turned to Sakura and Ino who had small arguments. She sighed turning back carefully, "Naruto and Sakura, they are here for you. They both risked their lives for you and you for them. I want you to remember that forever more…you have both scrolls now…its your job to get there. I am still here to help as Sakura has the whistle, but first I need to return to the tower."

Sasuke gave a curt nod standing as she blew out her own whistle. Everyone turned to her hearing the sound. Suddenly Kirara appeared. She bent down to her smiling running her hand over the cat demon's fur as she transformed. Standing back she jumped off nodding to them, "take care hm?"

They nodded as Kagome turned disappearing. As she rode she looked downward feeling an awkward aura, she recognized it as Gaara. She jumped down before them seeing the blood on the ground. She kicked the dirt over it turning back to them with a small smile, "siblings having some arguments I see?"

Kankuro growled to her as Temari stopped trying to calm her little brother. Gaara asked, "what happened to you? You are now dressed in dirt and others blood…"

Kagome smiled a little shrugged as she walked foreword Kirara behind her incase, she turned to see Kiba and the others running off. Taking a deep breath she spoke, "I had to help some friends out, what are you doing out? Coming in and out of the tower?"

Kankuro spoke vexed from his brother, "that's none of your business! Maybe its boredom."

She tilted her head to the side shaking it slowly, "maybe, if anything I can't wait to get the chance to fight you."

Temari challenged, "why don't we just settle it now."

Jumping on Kirara she spoke with a tilt of her head, "because, I have teammates waiting for me."

Gaara smirked slowly standing and following as she flew off. She turned back for a second before calling softly, "I know you were scared, its okay…"

Kirara growled as they continued. She still had a worried feeling deep down. She spoke, "we finished the chunins in about hmm 90 minutes or so?"