Disclaimer: I AIN'T OWN NONE OF THIS! Masashi Kishimoto is the dude that owns EVERYTHING! ^U^

Unholy Gifts!

Naruko sat beside her teammates rubbing the top of her head sorely. Sasuke didn't need to go that far! Her head was practically throbbing from all the hair pulling and she could swear patches of her hair were missing! Though she wouldn't count Sasuke to actually pull all her hair out…

As she was recovering from the torturous hair pulling of the furious Uchiha (she didn't know why he was so pissed, he's just confusing…) they had already missed a couple of fights… one being Shikamaru's, she really wanted to see that one!, and the other's being the two sand siblings fights, as well as Shino's… she didn't know him well enough to actually want to see his, and also Choji's. Mostly all of the leaf had won,… minus Choji… but the two oldest sand siblings had won their fights, and from what everyone had told her they had won without any effort at all!

There was only a few genin left, Hinata, Sasuke, Neji, Some dude she had never met before named Yoroi, that Gaara guy, and Lee. She worried for Hinata, if she was pitted against Sasuke there was no way he was going to go easy on her… but then again Lee would probably not want to hold back either…. And at hearing how the two sand ninja's had won, Naruko had to wonder about the youngest in their group. If the two of them were so strong and scared of him… just how strong was he?

It was so out of character for her to be wondering about such things. But since she was done with her match she had a lot more time to think about these things. Her mind over flowing with the possibilities of what would happen to poor Hinata if she fought against any of them … and maybe she was worried for Sasuke as well.

Just as she was about to have a mental break through as to why she was suddenly so smart her stomach growled in protest! "DAMNIT! I'M HUNGRY!"

Sasuke watched his teammates facial expressions change from pained to blank and-than to miserable. He had to scoff at the possibility she was thinking of food. He didn't know when he started to read the Uzumaki… but he found it strange. "The idiots just weird… that's all…!" He clutched his neck in pain, taking care to not attract too much attention to himself. The mark hadn't stopped throbbing… somehow it was getting worse the more he waited. He swallowed the hard lump in his throat down waiting for the pain to subside. The small intervals of numbing pain were what he waited for… prayed for. Everything was just a blurry image once the pulses of pain hit.

His hands unknowingly clutched the railing bars, his hands turning white from the pressure. "….Sasuk…. Sasuke?" the buzzing in his ears had finally died. Looking to the person who called him he gave her a blank expression. "What Sakura?" She flinched at his expression. "Are you okay? It's not hurting you is it?" It being the curse mark, but he had asked her in the forest not to let Naruko know about it. Saying she would 'only waste energy worrying about me'. "I'm fine." He quickly brushed her worries off, it was unnecessary right now.

Everyone waited for the next two names to be on the bored, the remaining people were the most anxious, or irritated.

"And the next two candidate of this next match will be…"

The Uchiha forced himself to stay awake, the pain was slowly tiring him… he didn't think he could last any longer.

"Uchiha Sasuke and Akado Yoroi. Please make your way down to the lower gallery!"

At hearing his name called Sasuke immediately lifted his head fully awake. "Finally!" His opponent's eyes were nothing but black circle's, his mouth was hidden underneath a black veil. "Heh, the kid looks as if he'll pass out soon… this will be easy."

As Sasuke walked passed his teammates, ignoring Sakura's small plea for him not to go, he was stopped by a determined look Naruko gave him. "What?" he tried to sound like her stare didn't affect him. She only lowered her head, looking at the recently washed tiled floor at their feet. "Sasuke… if you plan to fight me later… Don't you dare lose now!" His expression remained passive while on the inside he was shocked. This is exactly what he needed, he didn't want to quit, not while he had a goal to accomplish… and he also wanted to fight her as well. "Hn, don't have to tell me twice…" She gave him her signature grin as he walked by.

Kakashi waited for his student to pass him before warning him of the dangerous mark on the back of his neck. Although Sasuke was shocked to hear he had known and told to not use his Sharingan, he kept walking as if he wasn't affected at all.

The Uchiha now stood across from his opponent, face twisted in half concealed pain. Sasuke knew he was at his limit from keeping the mark from consuming him. But he could still fight, he just couldn't use his chakra carelessly… like certain people, who were blond…

He couldn't exactly tell by the mask but his black circled eyes were mocking him. "Should I start?" In an attempt to appear in fighting condition, Sasuke gave him a cocky smirk. "Go for it." He challenged.

Predictably his first move was to throw a number of Kunai and Shuriken, Sasuke could barely dodge them all and the last wave of weapons was dodged with him throwing himself to the ground… Naruko had to wonder why? Before he was in tiptop condition, now he just seemed to be forcing his body… something was very wrong.

The Uchiha barely had enough time to roll out of the way of a chakra powered fist aimed for his head. Instead of his head, the fist struck the ground making a small crater shape. While his opponents was trying to remove his arm from ground Sasuke used both feet to push the bigger genin's torso, while at the same time grabbing his arm to his chest. Yoroi struggled against the jutisu hold the Uchiha held him in.

Using his pelvis Sasuke tried to break the bigger mans arm, hoping to end this fight with a non-chakra based move. The hand he was about to snap twisted and grabbed onto his dark blue shirt, clutching the fabric. With only one more push Sasuke could've snapped his arm… but it didn't. His arms and legs suddenly had no strength in them, the hold was slipping.

With a swift yank, the arm was free. Sasuke looked up surprised but was knocked back down when the arm slammed back into him. Yoroi twisted his entire body and punched the Uchiha back into the ground before jumping away.

Sasuke lay on the ground groaning in pain, tittering on and off consciousness.

Naruko watched the fight with worry while Sakura beside her couldn't bare to watch anymore and turned her head to look away.

Once he was knocked back into the ground Naruko noticed his body trying to relax into unconsciousness. "SASUKE! GET UP!" the words left her mouth before she thought of them. Her eyes widen in hopefulness once he shot up from the ground in a sitting position, bad idea. Once Sasuke was sitting upright he was grabbed by the forehead and pushed back down to the ground, arms laying helplessly at his sides… it was if he was completely weak to even move his limbs.

"…You're feeding on my chakra…" Sasuke had finally figured out what was happening to his body. It wasn't the mark on his neck, it was this guy, he had the ability to suck the Chakra from you with the palm of his hand.

His masked opponent didn't answer only laugh which was all the confirmation he needed.

His eyes were close to closing, they felt heavy. He look up towards both of teammates. Sakura was looking away, figures she wouldn't think he could win. While Naruko was standing on the bottom bar of the railings, looking down hard at the both of them… her stare expecting him to do something already.

Almost like a burst of energy exploded within him, Sasuke kicked upwards into his opponents chest pushing him a four meters away from him.

Yoroi shook his head from the after math of the blow and chuckled "heh-heh I didn't actually think you'd have been able to do that…"

Although he was able to push him off himself, Sasuke didn't think he had enough energy to keep fighting.

Naruko noticed he was struggling to keep conscious, looking to the side she noticed Sakura's hands gripping each other tightly. She didn't what she could do from here but on the other side of her Lee was also anxious.

"HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELF AN UCHIHA?! YOU'RE A DISGRACE TO… TO YOURSELF! COME ON SASUKE! AREN'T YOU EMBRASSED TO HAVE EVERYONE SEE YOU A BIG LOSER?!" his eyes lifted to her momentarily, she gave him a hard look… well as hard as she could make. Than they widened once they drifted towards Lee, who was also leaning over the railing. What was he thinking?

Yoroi rushed at the distracted Uchiha, hand glowing with blue chakra. "Bad time to be daydreaming-!"

Before he was a able to attack Sasuke got him with a uppercut kick in the chin. Sending him flying high in the air, pushing on all fours Sasuke appeared behind his opponent.

Both Lee and Naruko looked at each other and at the floating Uchiha. The blond was the first to say what they were both thinking. "Hey Lee! That's you're move!" she sounded giddy. Although Lee himself was shock and surprised, how could Uchiha learn to do his move with only one look? It had taken Lee a very long time to learn the move, and even longer to execute it in battle… yet he was able to only see it and copy it, it wasn't as flawless as his but Lee couldn't understand how the Uchiha was able to do it with only one fight. "!... The Sharingan!... to be able to copy after only one match is amazing!"

Sasuke prepared his body for his next attack, when a gripping pain shot through his body. It was as if fire was spreading beneath is skin, its source coming from the mark. He flew threw the air paralyzed by pain. "Damnit! It's consuming my body!"

Naruko noticed the blackening skin, and gasped... she had never noticed before! Sakura beside her also noticed the markings a feeling of guilt over filled her, she should've told the instructors about the mark. "No! The mark's consuming him! Someone! Please stop the fight!"

Sasuke couldn't handle the pain for much longer.

Idiot! Why are you trying to act so cool?!

His memory played to a loud blond screaming at him… not the greatest memory. But somehow it gave him the tiniest comfort.

Sasuke… if you plan to fight me later… Don't you dare lose now!

"…That's right… I can't lose to this thing!" with all his might he pushed the overwhelming power of the mark back.

Below him Kakashi was shocked, there was no way any normal person could control the curse mark. Sasuke was something else.

Finally in control of his body, Sasuke used his right leg to kick his side. Yoroi easily blocked it, having all that time to recuperate in the air. "Amature move!"

The leg was quickly pulled back. This time Yoroi had no time to block the side punch to the face. One hit followed after another, pushing his opponent to the ground. Finally with one last hard side kick into the stomach Yoroi struck the ground, blood spurting from his mouth. With that last hit Sasuke pushed himself away from the unconscious man, skidding backwards.

The instructor checked the masked man to see if he was still wake. He was unconscious, just as he suspected. Movement out of the corner of his eye he could tell the Uchiha was still conscious.

With a groan, Sasuke sat up on his elbows struggling to catch his breath.

"The winner of this match goes to Uchiha Sasuke!"

"HE DID IT!" Naruko jumped up and down happily grabbing onto Lee's neck, throwing him as she spun. "Please! Stop! AH!"

Sakura was looking down at Sasuke… surprised. She didn't think he would actually be able to win. With a breath of fresh air she sighed. "…I'm so glad…"

The hyper blond had finally let Lee go and was leaning over the railing, smiling brightly. Now Sasuke was able to advance to the next round and come one step closer to fighting her!

Just as he was about to pass out from exhaustion, but a knee held him in place. Looking back, Sasuke was surprised to find Kakashi standing casually reading his little orange book. "Well done, I personally didn't think you actually had it in you… but… I know a certain someone who had believed in you right from the get-go." The dark haired teen looked up at the bouncing Uzumaki girl, her face was glowing with happiness. "Hn… that's because I made a promise to the little idiot…" his bloodied lips turned upwards in a barely seen smile.

"Hey Sasuke!... you won! But in such an uncool way! And you came out looking like the one who got beat up!" she shouted from her spot on the balcony. "Shut up…clown!…" They gave one another playful glares before Kakashi leaned down ear level with Sasuke; whispering something to him in his ear and-than disappearing in a cloud of smoke. The rest of team 7 was left behind confused, and abandoned.

Looking to usual happy teammate, Sakura hoped to see a beaming smile. Naruko stood glaring down at the same spot with a serious look on her whiskered face. "Sakura…" The pink haired female almost jumped at the sound in her voice, she had never heard her use that tone before. "What's wrong Naruko?" "…I saw a mark on Sasuke's neck…. Like fungus… I think it was causing him pain. Did you see it?" Sakura wasn't expecting her to sound so…. Sad? When she would ask about the mark… thinking of a fast excuse, she shook her head. "No…I didn't…"

Her answer brought her teammate down even more. "I bet he's hiding something from us… the jerk is always trying to act so cool that way. Next time I see him I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!"

And that was the end of team 7's matches. Everyone but Sakura had advanced to the next round. The last to matches were intense. Hinata's being the most futile. Naruko had made a promise to beat the smug smirk off the older Hyuga's face after attempting to kill his little cousin... instead of cursing him, or anything she had seen most people do. Hinata smiled sadly at her cousin. At the end of the match she had leaned over and whispered something into his ear before she spit up a gush of blood covering the front of Neji's shirt. Saying a pitiful apology Hinata had fainted, Neji had surprisingly caught her and handed her to the medical corps without saying anything. At first he looked surprised, but than he composed himself back into a blank expression.

Lee's fight was different, Naruko had hoped the outcome to be the green spandex wearing ninja winning it all… but that was not so.

No matter how hard Lee had fought he couldn't win against the no eyebrow sand ninja. It had never mattered how fast he was, he was beaten in the beginning. Although he was at a huge disadvantage, Lee never gave up. He pushed his body till everyone saw the hard work and drive he had put into his training. Naruko found him to be an inspiration. But in the end Lee was beaten and battered… so was Gaara, but with a quick wave of his sand he was completely healed. She had to wonder what the red haired boy had to go through in order to become this strong… By the end of it, for an extended second their eye's had met. She just couldn't shake the feeling this Gaara kid looked so familiar to her… like she seen him somewhere before. If she ever finds him floating around the village by himself she'd have to ask him.

But from a month from now… she'd have to face Neji Hyuga. She couldn't have asked for a better challenge.