I was running out of chakra, but it seemed to be working. The strange aura that had begun to surround Sierra, Misty, Amber, Ro and Cathy, was pulsating. The shadows seemed to in pain. Then, as soon as they appeared, the shadows expanded to the point of disappearing. The stadium was in an uncertain, waiting silence. Sierra and the other girls clutched their heads. Then she raised it. I felt a real smile unlock my face.
"Gaara!" My brother called. He looked startled when he noticed my smile, but he mouthed the words that had made my day.
"I know." I mouthed back. "Blue."


Sierra's P.O.V

My head snapped up and I rubbed the back of my head to dull the headache that was raging in my cranium. I looked around, startled, when I saw Temari and Kankuro standing beside me. Looking down, I was even more startled to see a group of shinobi panting up at me on raised circles. My eyes were dilated, I'm sure.
"You . . . helped me?" They all grinned at me, not seeming to care about the scratches on their faces. I looked up and felt my eyes constrict. Gaara. He was standing there, smiling softly. He nodded at me, when he noticed me looking right up at him. I returned the gesture. Glancing down, I saw Jun staring up at me, a look of pure rage on her face. My smile slid off my face, and I eyed her back with a more contained anger. Jumping down, I stood beside Shikamaru, who was facing the Kage stands, while I faced Jun.
"Shikamaru?" I asked, refusing to remove my eyes from the traitor that I had called my sister. "May I please continue my battle with Jun? What just happened will not occur again, I promise." He gave a surprised nod.


"Alright. You have both Kage's permission to proceed. BEGIN!"
"So, are you gonna use that freakish power to win?" Jun sneered, jabbing her ugly little finger in my direction.
"No, Jun." I hissed, my fury barely contained. "I'm going to win- with my own strength." Her superior sneer dropped when the entire stadium began to cheer.


She dashed forward and jumped, her leg poised. I blocked her attack with my own leg and ran. Kunai whizzed past me as I ran towards the far side of the stadium. I hopped onto the wall, using a trick Temari had taught me. It was chakra control, and I had unconsciously mastered it when I had fought at the Akatsuki base. Jun was running by me on the ground, while I ran on the wall. She cast a hand sign and suddenly the wall began jutting out. I jumped over them in surprise, my reflexes being the only thing that kept me from getting bruised. It was only when I reached the end of the wall, that I realised my mistake. I released my focus on my feet and landed on the ground, only to scream in protest as my body was mercilessly slashed. Jun suddenly appeared. I began forming random hand signs, trying to remeber the sequence I had used at the Akatsuki base.
"Heh, so I see you're trying to create a hand sign. You are trying to go back into that form! See? I knew it! You're as much a monster as he is! This is why mother never taught you our clans secret jutsu!"
"Secret . . . Jutsu?" I whispered. I never even knew that the Maeko clan possessed one! She gave me a smile so evil, so full of hatred, that I backed away slightly.
"Maeko Hidden Jutsu: Imprint of the Confounded!" Something hit me on the stomach, and I was shocked when blood was forced from my mouth. Then something began gripping around inside of me. I fell to the floor and lay quivering, as I vomited blood. Jun walked up to me, the cruel simper on her face so wide that it felt like she was creating a blade to stab me with.
"Since you obviously don't know what it is, I'll tell you, you pathetic little squirt. The Hidden Jutsu within our clan has two separate parts; one that can only be used by males, and the other which can only be used by females. The female part is fourteen per cent more deadly than the male. What just happened was, I just placed a Hell Imprint on you abdomen. Now, whenever I make this hand sign." She demonstrated, causing me to spurt the red metallic liquid once more. I gasped and clutched my throat. She continued, taking obvious pleaseure in my pain.
"Whenever I make that handsign, the person I have cursed will have each organ in their body poisoned. When combined with the male Manumission Insignia, the target is certain to die. In fact, both jutsu are powerful enough to kill a whole group of chunin level ninja on their own. This time Sierra, you can't win. In fact, you never could." She smirked, walking away, again. I got up, shuddering with each movement. This was real posion, like the one that had been used on Kankuro.
"So." I called quietly. She stopped and turned around. "You intend to kill me with this poison, don't you?"
"How are even able to stand and talk?"
"Answer the damn question, Jun!" She gasped at me. I was a little surprised at myself, too. I never spoke to anyone like that. Taking in shallow breaths, I began to back away to the raised circle tower that was still in the field. Jun instantly saw my foot move and dashed forward to swipe me, I ducked down, landing with a thud on the floor. Jun watched me, her battle stance angry and stiff.
"You shouldn't have turned your back on me, Jun." I whispered, dashing with a new speed to the tower. She followed me. The poison was slowing me down, and I could hear her catching up to me. I jumped. Bending down until I was in a squatting position with my hands flat on the ground in between my legs, I inhaled deeply, then, I jumped. I couldn't believe my luck when I finally reached the uppermost circle. Looking down on Jun, who was doing a handsign, I let out a scream of pure frustration. Doing some random handsigns, I lifted my right hand into the air.
"Jun." I called. She stopped and looked up at me, her eyes wide. "You never really accepted me, did you? You hated that I had come in and taken all your attention. You hated having the responsibility of looking after me and the clan's reputation at such a young age." Red glass began forming around my hand, forming some kind of twister in ball form.
"Well, you know what, Jun? You, nor the clan, have to worry anymore. I know where I'm not wanted. But, I do know that I'm not nothing. And this is why we will never be the same again. Because, unlike you-" I put both my hands underneath the ball to support it. A golden substance was swirling around inside of it. I raised it above my head.
"Unlike you, Jun. I've proven myself in life with my actions, not my words. You, will never understand what I went to, to become who I am today. Jewel Style: Crimson Ball of Gold!" Her eyes constricted as the sphere made its way to her. It stopped just in front of her face . . . and exploded. Streams of gold flew everywhere, and I used my arm to shield my eyes. When the light faded, I saw Jun lying limp on the ground. Shikamaru came forward and checked her pulse, before signalling for a medic. After Jun had been dispatched, he stood up.
"The winner of the final match, and the ultimate chunin of the chunin exams, is Sierra!"