Explosions sounded off in the distance. Smoke filled the arena as shinobi moved into various positions like gusts of wind. The Kazekage moved off with the Hokage in tow, surrounding himself with a strong barrier even the Leaf ANBU could not breach.

The attack had begun.

"Jeez, kid…you're so much trouble." Riichi stared up at the chaos in the stands, where the shinobi who'd managed to release the genjutsu before it hit them were trying to figure out everything that was happening, just as they were being surrounded by the enemy.

Riichi's eyes lowered to stare at his last remaining student, unconscious in his arms. One knee was resting on the ground, where he'd narrowly managed to catch her before she became a Genin pancake. "I know you suck at casting genjutsu, but you could've at least learned how to release one. Unagi always tried to teach you, but you were too impatient, always believing you could just punch someone in the face before they could cast a genjutsu. Idiot." He sighed and shook his head, setting her on the ground gently.

"Release." Making the seals to release the genjutsu effects, Riichi watched as Kaiya's eyes fluttered open and she sat up, looking around in confusion. She was probably wondering how she ended up on the arena floor out of nowhere, like she'd just woken up from a nap.

"Hmm?" She blinked, turning to Riichi, slightly surprised. "Sensei? What's going on?" she wondered. "Why am I—"

Before Kaiya could finish her sentence, and before Riichi could reprimand her for her stupidity, an alarm went off in her head, and she jumped to her feet, fully alert now. She turned around, where she last saw Sasuke. He was behind her, about a meter away, facing the Sand team's sensei. He looked troubled. He looked like he was in trouble.

Riichi frowned. He noticed a glint in her eye—the glint she got right before she did something reckless and completely unorthodox. Honestly, it was rare for Kaiya to do something that was detrimental to her own safety—especially if it was for the sake of someone else. Riichi imagined that's why she didn't even try to save her teammates when they were in danger. She knew that if she'd tried, she could have died along with them.

It wasn't that she put much thought into these things—at least not these days. But after all that she had been through, all the betrayal she'd experienced, it made sense that she would be hesitant to risk her life for someone else.

But occasionally, her instincts would kick in, and her body would move on its own; she wouldn't think about the outcome of her actions. It was so unlike her, but when Riichi saw it happen, he knew it was because Kaiya was growing. She was beginning to care about others again. And while that put her in danger, it also brought out her greatest strength. Kaiya was like a fierce lioness, and when she was determined, nothing but Death itself could stop her.

To be honest, her teammates' deaths probably had a lot to do with it. Watching them die before her, without her being able to do anything, was most likely what prompted her to change. Seeing someone else in danger, especially someone she cared about (but would never admit to it), brought out that protective lioness that would rip heaven and earth apart to protect what she loved. She wasn't good with words; she was all about action, about showing how she felt, whether it was a punch to the face in anger, or throwing her body in front of an attack in love.

Riichi was glad she was starting to open up. However, he was not happy about her rushing into a fight with a seasoned Jonin in the middle of their village being ambushed.

Kaiya dashed off towards Baki the Sand Jonin and Sasuke, who looked like they were about to go toe-to-toe. Riichi tried to grab her, but she was too quick. "Kaiya, don't even think ab—oi! Get back here, Kaiya! Where the hell do you think you're…" Riichi's voice faded as he realized yelling would do no good. "Damn it, you stubborn little…" He pulled out a kunai and prepared to use it against Baki as he ran after his student, but he stopped when he saw Genma jumping into action. Clenching the weapon in his left hand, he gritted his teeth in frustration.

Genma was far stronger than he was. He could count on him to handle that Sand bastard. As Kaiya's sensei, Riichi needed to focus on her—getting her stubborn ass to safety, when he knew that she wouldn't leave Sasuke's side from here on out. He'd have to knock her out and drag her away, or perhaps he could place her in a genjutsu again. Surely, that would teach her how to prepare for the unexpected. She couldn't just punch her way out of trouble; real battle didn't work like that (unless, Riichi supposed, you were Might Guy).

He took a step forward but paused as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. His eyebrows furrowed; he parried to the left, sidestepping again to the right a moment later, as shuriken flew on either side of him almost simultaneously. A few strands of his brown hair drifted to the ground, like leaves in the wind. He cursed under his breath, running his fingers through his unkempt locks.

"I wasn't thinking about getting a trim anytime soon, but I suppose I might need one after all," he said, grinning as a Sand shinobi jumped down from one of the seating areas. To his surprise—and annoyance—it was a woman. She looked about his age, with dark, red hair to her shoulders; her dark, wide eyes danced in an unsettling way, like she was barely holding back her bloodlust. Several scars covered her arms and face; her mouth was covered by a thin purple scarf, stained with what looked like blood—or maybe barbeque sauce from lunch. Despite her rough appearance, Riichi almost found her attractive.

He snapped out of that fairly quickly.

The woman pulled down the scarf, and Riichi's stomach immediately dropped down to his intestines. He could see why she wore it: she had calloused, red lips that had been sewn shut with chakra wires.

That's right—someone had chakra-wired this woman's mouth shut.

"What the hell…?" He couldn't stop his jaw from slacking in shock. He'd never seen such a disgusting sight. While his guard was down, the woman threw a handful of shuriken at him. He was so distracted that he almost got decapitated.

Luckily, he still had the kunai in his hand and deflected all but one of the shuriken, which sliced through the left side of his torso, leaving a shallow, yet painful, wound. He winced, grabbing at his side with his right hand. He glanced at it against his better judgment, nausea creeping up his stomach and up to his esophagus as the warm, thick liquid oozed out of his body and onto his shaking hand. Even if the wound wasn't fatal, he still hated the sight of blood, its metallic odor, the sticky feeling between his fingers.

It reminded him of bad things, things he would much rather forget.

But he would keep fighting, even though he'd rather fake his death and flee the scene when no one was looking. He would rather be taking a nap at home with Mr. Cuddles, as opposed to squashing down an ambush in the arena, but hey, what're you gonna do?

Looks like I won't be able to get to you right away, Kaiya, he thought, biting his lip as he rushed the mysterious kunoichi. I'd rather be relaxing in a hot bath, but it looks like that'll have to wait. Just hang on and don't do anything else stupid.

He wanted to laugh at himself, but the situation was too serious for him to do so. Of course she would do something stupid. She was blinded by the desperation to save someone she cared about. He just prayed that she would keep her composure if she was forced to fight an elite shinobi. She would lose—and she knew it, too. But that wouldn't stop her from trying to defy the odds. Stubborn little—

Sasuke's eyes widened as Baki stood before him, his team flanked on either side of him. Before he could make a move, however, Kaiya swooped in front of him like a flash of lightning, holding out a kunai as she blocked the Sand ninjas' path to her comrade. The expression on her face was fierce, determined. Sasuke blinked, his eyebrows furrowing in question.

"Kaiya?! What are you doing?" he asked, his tone dangerously low. "You shouldn't be here."

Kaiya kept her eyes fixed on the Sand shinobi, her cold, green irises set in stone. She remembered when her teammates were face-to-face with death and she was shaking so badly she couldn't even move. She remembered the fear and desperation in their eyes, begging her to save them. She would never forget their silent cries for help that fell on deaf ears. She would never forget how she failed them because of her own fright, her own concern for survival. She let them down. She let them die.

But Kaiya wasn't going to let anyone lay a finger on Sasuke. He was the one person that she would throw her life away for. Her own fear, her own survival instincts—they were irrelevant now. The only thing that mattered was Sasuke's life. When it came to him, she didn't have to think about anything; her body did everything for her, moving where it needed to move. Her instincts to protect him overpowered her instincts to protect herself.

That's how Kaiya knew that Sasuke was more than just a friend to her. He wasn't just a comrade or an acquaintance; he was something deeper, more profound. There wasn't a word for it—at least not that she could think of. But it was almost as if they shared a part of each other's soul—so close to one another, yet they were each their own person. But their hearts and feelings and pain and experiences were all connected, and they could feel one another, even if they were far apart.

"I don't know what's going on, but I do know that I'm not letting these guys get to you. I've got your back, remember?" she finally answered, glancing back at him briefly. Sasuke's eyes widened. "I know that you'd do the same for me. We're friends, Sasuke. Friends protect each other. I don't give a damn about my own safety right now." Sasuke's eyes lowered—she was right. He would tear heaven and earth apart if it meant protecting her. Not that he would admit that.

"Just know that I've always got your back."

"Same for me. I'll always have your back too, Sasuke…"

"You know what, Sasuke? I think we are friends."

Baki chuckled, showing Kaiya a toothy grin. "Well, if all we have to do is get through you, then I guess we're set," he snarled, pulling out a handful of kunai. Kaiya lowered herself, ready to move, clenching her own kunai tightly in her grasp.

Since Baki was the sensei of a team, that meant he had to be a Jonin. So, he was much stronger than Kaiya could handle. Not to mention his team, all elite Genin, scared Kaiya out of her sandals. If she faced any of them in a serious fight, especially all four at once, she would lose, and most definitely die. The smartest thing to do would be to create a distraction that allowed for her and Sasuke to escape, maybe find shelter behind one of their own Jonin. It was cowardly, but it meant survival for the two of them. And survival was what Kaiya's instincts always gravitated towards.

She studied her safest options, which, to be honest, were few. Luckily, a more capable ninja came to their rescue: Genma appeared in front of Kaiya before she could move, holding out his arm to keep her from advancing and doing something foolish. She blinked in question, lowering her weapon as she straightened up, taking a few steps back until she was next to Sasuke. No one saw the breath of relief she released. She kneeled and rested a hand protectively on his uninjured arm as they looked ahead, wondering what would happen next. Genma frowned as he regarded Baki carefully.

Kaiya and Sasuke watched in alert as Gaara began shaking uncontrollably. Kaiya tensed; the last thing she wanted to see was whatever had shown up while he was in that sand dome. Sweat slid down her brow as she gulped nervously. However, he didn't have a chance to do anything right then. Before they knew it, the Sand team was retreating, leaving Baki to face off against Genma. Kaiya and Sasuke watched as the Sand siblings climbed the arena wall and fled into the forest.

Genma frowned, twisting the senbon in his mouth tensely. "So, is the leader of this party…Orochimaru?" The hair on the back of Kaiya's neck stood up; her eyes widened, and her skin tingled when she heard that name. Her breath caught in her throat as she began to tremble. She gripped the sleeve of Sasuke's shirt tightly, staring ahead; her gaze was distant. Sasuke turned to her, his eyebrows furrowing.

Orochimaru? But why? It's not just to get Kaiya, is it?

After a few moments of silence, Kaiya finally found her voice. "What the hell is going on?!" she and Sasuke shouted simultaneously. No one answered their question.

Genma tensed as his eyes lowered; he never took his gaze off Baki. "Sorry, but it looks like the Chunin Exams are over," he told them. His voice was calm, but they knew he was anything but. Kaiya wondered just how strong he was to seem so cool in the face of an ambush; he was so relaxed that it was almost like he expected it to happen.

"Sasuke…go and pursue Gaara and the others. You've already achieved Chunin level, so go make yourself useful as a Leaf shinobi. You too, Kimura. Watch his back, eh?" He glanced back with a small grin, twisting the senbon in his mouth playfully, probably itching to use it.

Kaiya's eyes narrowed suspiciously, wondering how he knew her name, since she hadn't been a participant in the Third Exam. Then again, all the high-level shinobi probably knew her, after what her family did. Even some of the older Genin knew who she was, like Neji—most likely because of their parents being either important enough to know the details of her life, or they were just vocal and rehashing rumors they'd heard on the street. She was just surprised Genma was so trusting towards her. She wouldn't have known very many adults to entrust her with fighting for the village.

Kaiya and Sasuke shared a look, then nodded to one another. They quickly took off together, scaling the wall and heading into the forest. Riichi watched them, sweat dripping down his brow as his frown deepened. He stared down at the limp woman who was lying at his feet, nudging her with his sandal gently; she didn't stir. He'd made sure to flip her over to her stomach, so that he wouldn't have to look at her jagged lips. He was already nauseous enough because of the wound she'd given him earlier.

"Damn it, Kaiya," he mumbled, as more enemies from the Sand surrounded him from all directions. They didn't look particularly happy about him taking down their comrade, and so brutally. "When did you become so reckless?"

Meanwhile, a small, black wolf cub sat on top of the arena, his sharp, yellow eyes following the movements of Kaiya closely. Even as she disappeared into the forest and put more distance between them, the cub had no problem seeing her every movement. His tail wagged back and forth calmly as his claws dug into the cement apprehensively. He closed his eyes.

"What would you like me to do, Alpha?" he asked into the wind. Chaos swirled beneath him, nothing but a haze in his mind.

"Follow her, Kido. That boy with the gourd on his back troubles me. She is in danger." The wolf nodded silently, melting into the shadows.

…

"Kaiya." Sasuke turned to her while they hustled through the trees, dashing from branch to branch. Sasuke's enhanced speed had become obvious while the two were racing after the enemy; he was two seconds faster than she was, but they kept good pace with one another. His eyes lowered as she kept facing forward.

"What is it, Sasuke?" she asked breathlessly. He faced ahead.

"When we catch up to those guys, I don't want you fighting Gaara." Her head snapped to her right to glare at him in question. Her fists clenched.

"What do you mean by that?" she retorted heatedly. "I didn't come with you for a front row seat! The Exams are over, Sasuke, and so is your match. I'm not a spectator, and I refuse to be treated like one. What are you going to prove by facing him alone? Just because I didn't make it to the Third Exam doesn't mean I'm not strong enough to—"

Sasuke frowned, shaking his head. His hair, like Kaiya's, flew in every which direction, being swept up like it was caught in a tornado, falling back down when he leaped into the air again. "It's not that," he interrupted in frustration. "I need you to handle the other two, who are plenty strong. I don't doubt your strength, Kaiya; I'm counting on it. But with Gaara…" He stared at the blurred ground beneath them, gritting his teeth. Kaiya swore his expression showed a hint of concern. "You didn't see what I saw inside that shell. Those eyes…they weren't human. If he were to hurt you, I…"

Kaiya's cheeks flushed as she turned away from him with a pout.

"And what about you?" she argued, gritting her teeth. "You can't take him by yourself. Even with the two of us, I don't know if we'll be able to defeat any of them one-on-one. And Gaara…I'm not sure we can defeat him at all. He's injured, but so are you. I don't know if that makes much of a difference."

Sasuke grunted. He couldn't bring himself to agree with her out loud, but in his mind, he knew she was right. Still, they didn't have much of a choice at this point. It's true that they'd probably have a better chance if they took him on together, but Sasuke just couldn't allow that. Gaara was bloodthirsty, and Sasuke wouldn't be able to concentrate if he was constantly worried about that freak going after Kaiya just because she was a seemingly easy target. Of course, he would get more he bargained for, thinking Kaiya was weak and helpless, but even so…Sasuke wasn't going to risk it.

"Just worry about the other two and let me fight him." Kaiya's eyebrows furrowed; her lip curled into a snarl. When she made that face, Sasuke was reminded of a wolf being threatened, baring its teeth to warn that it was most dangerous when cornered. He thought it was strange that many of Kaiya's mannerisms—when she was angry, at least—mirrored some sort of wild beast. But he knew by now that it was just a mask, to hide the vulnerability beneath the surface. She was afraid of Gaara, of either one of them having to face him.

Kaiya muttered something incoherent under her breath, but didn't protest, much to Sasuke's surprise—and relief. He knew how stubborn she was, but to think that she would let it go so easily almost worried him. If the situation hadn't been so dire, he'd question her about it; however, right now, he was just happy she didn't put up a fight for once.

Kaiya could be so infuriating sometimes. Well, so could he. There was a mutual annoyance and respect between the two that started long ago, when they were children. If they wanted to fight their own battles, then the other should let them. Except, before today, it was never a matter of life and death. The stakes had never been higher, and the price for losing the battle had never been so steep.

There was no time to contemplate Sasuke's choice to face Gaara alone. If they both survived their encounter with the Sand ninjas, then Kaiya would scold him later for it. But right now, they had to focus on the task at hand. Zeroing in on the enemy, they turned their attention ahead once more. They shared a look and nodded, before jumping in front of the Sand shinobi, cutting them off from the path ahead.

Temari and Kankuro were carrying an injured Gaara, so Kaiya figured it would be easy to fight them that way. She started to move forward, but Sasuke used his arm to motion her to stay behind him. She frowned, watching as he stared at the Sand siblings, measuring their current levels of strength.

"You won't get away," he told them with a snarky grin.

Kaiya nodded. "You're going to pay for betraying our village, assholes. Don't think we're gonna let you off the hook." Sasuke lowered his arm, giving Kaiya permission to advance. However, Kankuro told Temari to take Gaara and go on ahead. Kaiya's eyes narrowed. Separating? Smart move for them, but if Sasuke and I do that, there's no way we'll stop them. Is that what they're hoping for?

"Guess there's no helping it," Kankuro sighed, glaring down at Kaiya. "Looks like I'll be your opponent, little girl." Kaiya nodded for Sasuke to go on ahead, before they lost the others. He hesitantly turned to go after them and leave her behind, but a voice from nearby interjected, causing him to stop in his tracks.

"Not quite." It came from behind them. They turned to the voice, surprised. "I'll be your opponent," it said. Kaiya shivered, feeling like ants were making a beeline across her spine—or more specifically, beetles. She knew who that voice belonged to—she'd recognize it anywhere. She and Sasuke frowned in question as Shino appeared out of the canopy.

Shino sounded pretty bitter about not getting to fight his match in the Exam. It just so happened that Kankuro was his opponent, but he'd forfeited just before Shikamaru's match. Kaiya chuckled to herself as he shooed them away. He never liked being excluded.

We were lucky Shino showed up, Kaiya thought, sweat trailing behind her as she and Sasuke chased after Temari and Gaara. We can catch up to the other two easily now, and then it'll be a one-on-one fight for each of us. She noticed how difficult it was to keep up with Sasuke, even at her fastest pace. She knew he was going to rub it in her face later.

Sasuke almost thought it was funny: he was betting she'd never had to push herself to keep up with someone else her own age. She'd always been the fastest in their class, and other than Lee, he'd never seen such speed and agility from someone who wasn't a Jonin. It was because of those two that he had gained the necessary taijutsu skills needed during his month of training.

He would also use it to kick Kaiya's ass into the next week once they started training together again. Of course, this was no time to be thinking of such a thing.

The next time they came within range of their targets, they stopped on a nearby branch to catch their breath and study the situation, somewhere they wouldn't be noticed. There was plenty of shrubbery to cover them.

Kaiya wiped sweat from her brow and peered through the thick bunches of leaves she was ducking behind, her eyes widening as Gaara suddenly tossed Temari aside. She winced. "Well, it's just Gaara now," she noted quietly. Her stomach twisted and churned as fear crept into every nerve in her body. She tried to ignore it, but goosebumps appeared on her skin, giving away that she had chills running down her spine. "That means that we can both—" Sasuke's eyes darkened swiftly.

"No," he snapped, resting a hand on her shoulder tightly. He squeezed, making her wince. He glanced through the thicket, watching Gaara rage uncontrollably just a few hundred yards away. Kaiya scoffed and frowned, crossing her arms.

"Sasuke, I don't understand—"

"I told you, Kaiya: I'm not letting him hurt you. Look at him; he's unstable. If you fight, you'll just distract me. I'll be too worr—" Sasuke stopped himself mid-sentence, his eyes widening slightly as he clamped his mouth shut. He didn't want to admit to Kaiya that he was worried about her, although whether she could read between the lines or not was undetermined at this point. She'd take it the wrong way, no doubt believing that his concern was out of pity, believing she didn't stand a chance against him. But that wasn't it at all.

Clearing his throat, ignoring the annoyed and confused expression she was giving him, Sasuke shook his head. "Watch my back," he told her instead. "You're the only one I trust enough for that." She blinked, her countenance softening slightly.

She contemplated his request, knowing that he was only trying to look for a way to keep her out of the fight. However, at this point it really didn't matter. He was much stronger than her, and she'd just get in his way. But if he needed her for whatever reason, she'd be able to rush in and help him, whether he liked it or not. Even if she was nothing but a shield between him and Gaara, that's what she would become if it meant keeping him alive.

Letting out a defeated sigh, she nodded, sticking out her bottom lip in a childish pout. "Fine, Sasuke," she agreed solemnly, averting her eyes to the thick tree branch they were kneeling on. She clenched her fists. "Just don't die." Sasuke sighed in relief, nodding. He looked up and gave her a brief smirk.

"I won't forget." He patted his chest lightly, where her pendant sat around his neck. It was warm against his skin. "You're here with me." He turned away and disappeared to confront Gaara. Kaiya held her breath, leaning back against the trunk of the tree, closing her eyes. Always.

Earlier…

Pakkun bit Shikamaru's ankle, making him jolt into a sitting position. He cried out, desperately trying to shake the pup loose, while Sakura scolded him for being lazy (as if he didn't hear that enough from his mom and Kaiya).

"Tch. I refuse! Who cares about Sasuke anyway?" he grumbled, squeezing Pakkun's cheeks, annoyed. Pakkun bit his hand, making him cry out again.

"Maybe you'll change your mind after you learn who's accompanying him," Kakashi mentioned, after Guy punched a Sound shinobi through the wall of the arena. Shikamaru's eyes widened slightly.

"You're kidding," he groaned, covering his face with his hands in despair. "That moron! Why does she always have to involve herself in everything and make things harder for me?" A sweat drop slid down the back of Sakura's head. Is he still only concerned with himself right now?