Anko opened the door to where Koharu was treating Hinata, Karin standing at her side. "I've brought her."

"Thank you, Anko-sensei." Koharu said from where she was still using the Heavenly Palm on Hinata.

"What did you need me for, Koharu?" Karin asked as she walked forward.

"Karin-chan..." Koharu began hesitantly, "Hinata-chan has been critically injured... she's suffered serious damage to her internal organs. I hate to ask, but... would you be willing to give her some of your chakra? She doesn't have to bite you. I know of another way. But I won't do this without your permission."

Karin smiled softly and reached forward. Koharu stopped using her jutsu at this and Karin took her hands in her own. "Because we are similar, I know... that you wouldn't ask this if you weren't really worried about her. I don't mind helping your friend."

Koharu smiled and brushed the tears at the corners of her eyes away. "Thank you. I'll be sure to keep an eye on your chakra levels and make sure we don't end up using too much." Karin nodded in thanks and Koharu pulled a small bag out of her pouch, holding it out toward Anko. "Anko-sensei, this is an herbal tea for treating eye strain. Please prepare it while we treat her."

"Sure." Anko said, taking the bag and heading to the back of the room to boil the water.

Koharu bit her thumb to draw blood and wove a few signs. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" A slug about the size of Hinata's head appeared on the table and looked up at her.

"Oh...! Koharu-chan! This is rare! What is it you need?" The slug asked.

"Lady Katsuyu." Koharu greeted with a nod, "My friend Hinata-chan has suffered serious damage to her internal organs. The fastest and most effective way to treat her is to transfer some of my friend Karin-chan's unique chakra to her. However, Karin-chan doesn't know how to use the chakra transfer jutsu, so I need you to act as a medium. Spread out your clones to cover Hinata-chan's torso and position yourself on Karin-chan's shoulder."

"Understood." Katsuyu replied as she began to spread herself out over Hinata.

"This is Lady Katsuyu." Koharu explained to Karin as the other girl allowed the slug to climb up her arm, "She's specializes in assisting iryouninja. My godmother, Lady Tsunade, taught me how to summon her when I ran into her about six months ago."

"Godmother?!" Anko exclaimed.

"Long story." Koharu told her. "Lady Katsuyu will be able to transfer your chakra to Hinata-chan without hurting you." She explained to Karin.

"What do I need to do?" The redhead asked.

"Just concentrate on infusing chakra, and Lady Katsuyu will do the rest." Her friend replied. "Are we ready?" She asked Katsuyu.

"Yes." Katsuyu said with a nod.

"Then please begin. If Karin-chan's chakra reserves get to low, I'll tell you to stop."

Both Karin and Katsuyu nodded and Karin closed her eyes, forming a hand sigh as she infused chakra as instructed.

"I'm amazed that you're so focused when you seemed so ticked off back in the arena." Sasuke remarked to Koharu.

"'A shinobi must never allow personal feelings to interfere with the mission.'" The blue-haired girl recited. "As a medic, my main priority is the preservation of lives. If I allow my emotions to interfere with that duty, then I've failed as both a medic and a ninja. In moments like this, I have to squash down whatever I'm feeling and focus on the task at hand. There will be time for me to be angry later, when there isn't a life on the line."

"Hn." Sasuke replied in acknowledgement, "By the way, didn't I tell you before not to say that your eyes are cursed?"

Koharu's expression was unreadable. "I didn't think you remembered that..." She abruptly stood up. "Anko-sensei, is the room next door unoccupied?"

"Huh? Yeah, why?" Anko asked.

"I need to talk to Sasuke in private." She answered, suddenly reappearing beside the boy. "I'll keep monitoring both Hinata-chan and Karin-chan from there." She allowed Sasuke to lead her to the next room over and placed a sound-proofing seal upon it before turning to him. "Now, you were saying?"

"I told you before." Sasuke reiterated. "After Shisui-san died. You were insisting that it was your fault. That you had been born with cursed eyes and that that curse had killed him. I told you back then not to say that, that the people who came up with that were just jealous of your abilities, didn't I?"

"You did." Koharu admitted, "Although scared would be a more accurate description. People feared my powers. They still do. At that time... your kind words comforted me, but... after the death of my father, I couldn't help but think, once again, that I really had been born with some kind of curse." She sighed as she sat down. "But there's more to what I said today than just that. The reason why Neji hates Hinata-chan goes back to an incident that occurred when we were all little kids. An incident that I was also involved in. I know it wasn't really either of our faults, but... I've always felt that if he was going to blame anyone, he ought to blame me instead of her."

"You were trying to get him to shift his anger from her to you." Sasuke realized, "Because you knew what he'd try to do."

Koharu nodded. "I didn't have a chance to say this before, but... thank you Sasuke, for using the senbon that I gave to you. I was starting to lose rationality. If you hadn't knocked me out, I might've said something very dangerous. It also would've been very hard for me to endure watching that fight, able to see what was happening to Hinata-chan's body. I'm glad I came to in time to treat her, but I really needed that reset. I didn't say this earlier, because it was off-subject at the time, but... nobody is capable of not feeling anything. Some people can suppress their emotions, almost to the point that they are no longer aware of them. Perhaps it's because of the Shinjitsugan, but... I'm not really able to do that. I can conceal my emotions to a point, but I eventually need indulge in some form of release in order to avoid a mistake. For a genin on a D-Rank mission, I guess that's not a big deal. That's what D-Rank missions are for, right? But the truth is, I've never been on a D-rank mission before."

"What exactly did you and Itachi do after leaving the village anyway?" Sasuke asked.

"Even nukanin have to make a living." She told him, "Your brother became a mercenary to fill that need. I traveled with him because I had no place else to go. As a medic, I was useful to him, but I could easily become a liability unless I was able to defend myself, so he had to give me some training when he had time. Mostly just sparring, actually. With my ability to copy things in the same manner as the Sharingan, and the fact that I could be up to a kilometer away and still watch him in action, picking up new techniques and then trying them on my own was easy, so most of my training was still focused on medical knowledge, something that was left to my grandfather on the rare occasions that I saw him."

"Your grandfather?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow.

"My grandparents live in Yugakure. However, staying with them wasn't an option. My enemies would know to look for me there." The Mayonaka girl explained. "And Yugakure is neutral. They won't do anything about rogue shinobi from other villages. Heck, they won't even do something about rogues from their own village. It's pathetic. My grandparents would've gained nothing from trying to report your brother, especially since they knew that he was my best chance at survival." She shook her head, "But that's beside the point. Where I was originally going with this was that by the time the Hidden Rain took me in, I was far too capable to be sent on D-Ranks. Especially because of the time I'd spent amongst rogue ninja, I was already too aware of what mistakes I couldn't afford to make during missions. It's true that I've never taken an active role in the majority of the high-level missions that I have been on, but that's because the village primarily relies on my talents as a scout and medic. Fuushin-niichan and Chino-neechan are the combatants, not me."

"You could've fooled me from the way you fought earlier." Sasuke told her.

"Heh. I had the advantage of being familiar with my opponent and I'm comfortable with attacking from any range." She said, "I didn't have a chance to show it while fighting Kabuto, but I'm actually quite skilled at Juuken myself."

"Yeah, I remember you beating Neji when we were kids." Sasuke admitted, "Why didn't you use it against Kabuto though?"

"As powerful as Juuken is, its not always the best approach." She told him, "Kabuto might seem harmless, but he's actually extraordinarily dangerous in close combat. Far more than Yoroi." She shrugged, "Being able to attack opponents from any range is a valuable skill. It enables you to adapt to any situation." She turned her head toward the room beside them, "We should go back. Hinata-chan has almost recovered fully."

"Why do you do that?" He asked, "Turning your head towards where your attention is."

"It's a means to try and conceal my blindness. It freaks people out a little less this way." She replied as Sasuke led her back to the other room. "Karin-chan, you can stop now. Hinata-chan's chakra flow is at should be now. Anko-sensei, is the tea ready?"

"Yeah." Anko said, bringing the cup over to Hinata as she sat up.

"Hinata-chan, drink this. It will help with the strain placed on your eyes during that fight." Koharu instructed.

"She needs that even after receiving my chakra?" Karin asked.

"There are some things which iryouninjutsu and regenerative chakra can't correct on their own." The Mayonaka girl explained before holding out her arm to Katsuyu. "Lady Katsuyu, please accompany me. It seems I needed elsewhere. Sasuke, please lead me back to the arena, quickly!" Sasuke nodded and led the girl by the hand to the arena, opening the door for her when he sensed her urgency. "Get out of my way!" She yelled at the ninja from the medical corps as she rushed over to Lee, who was on a stretcher. "This is really bad..." She muttered, "I have no choice. Lady Katsuyu, please get in touch with Lady Tsunade. I need to consult with her."

"Oh dear. Right away, Koharu-chan."

"Who the heck just casually calls up the world's greatest iryouninja via a summons?" Tenten murmured.

"Let her know that I'm at the Chuunin Exams in Konoha and that one of the examinees has been critically injured." Koharu began, ignoring Tenten's comment, "In addition to a broken arm and leg and damage throughout his muscular system, there are multiple fractured vertebrae in his spine. I can treat the damage to his limbs, but the damage to his spinal cord is another thing entirely. I'm not convinced I can treat it, and I am uncertain if regenerative chakra would be of any benefit in this scenario."

"Yes..." A moment passed as Katsuyu relayed this information to Tsunade. "Lady Tsunade says to not even try it. That's an injury that even she would find difficult to treat. It's beyond your current abilities, Koharu-chan. Go ahead and treat what you can to minimize his discomfort, but don't attempt to approach that injury yourself."

"Right." Koharu said with a nod, her face solemn, "Please thank her for me. Also, if you would, please spread your clones out over his body so that I can at least treat the damage to everything except his spine."

"You'll need to summon another of my clones for that." Katsuyu told her. "You only summoned a large enough part of me to cover Hinata-chan's torso."

"Oh, you're right." She bit her thumb and performed the Summoning Jutsu again before eating yet another food pill.

"How is he?" Guy asked when she had begun the process of treating Lee.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it. There's a chance he won't be able to continue as a shinobi. I'm not saying it's impossible, but... at the very least, it won't be possible without treatment from an iryouninja more skilled than I am, of which there are few." Koharu said grimly, "After all, from what I gathered, the members of the medical corps can't even treat his arm and leg, and I can at least do that. However, I'm not going to berate you for letting him use that jutsu. Under ordinary circumstances, I would, but that battle was anything but ordinary."

"How can you tell when you weren't even in here?" Temari asked.

"I'm not really obliged to answer that." Koharu said bluntly before sighing with resignation.

"It can't... it can't really be that bad... Can it, Neechan?" Naruto asked with a tremor in his voice.

"I'm afraid it can..." Koharu said sadly, "I'm sure this sounds arrogant, but... iryouninja of my level are a rarity..."

"Bushy Brows..." Naruto said quietly.

Her attention drifted toward Sasuke and she suddenly said, "This isn't purely the result of Gaara's power, although that did play a part in it, Sasuke." She told him, "Since you weren't here, I'll explain. Lee-san used a technique known as the Eight Gates, whereby he enhanced his physical abilities by turning off some of his body's normal limiters, meant to prevent one from going past the limits of what their body can handle. Ordinarily, this is considered a kinjutsu due to the amount of harm it inflicts upon the user. However, because the Eight Gates can turn even an unskilled genin into a deadly opponent, there are times when it may be worth it."

"Turn an unskilled genin into a deadly opponent? What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"During the Third War, a three-man cell of Konoha Genin had the misfortune of crossing paths with the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Hidden Mist." The young medic began, "However, one of the genin's father came to their aid. The shinobi in question was, himself, only a genin, even though he'd been fully grown for some time. He was considered talentless. However, by using the Eight Gates, he was able to kill four of the Seven Swordsman, although he himself also died, as a result of opening the eighth gate. Nonetheless, he dealt a significant blow to the Hidden Mist, and his son is now a skilled jonin. That genin's name was Might Dai. He was the father of Guy-sensei."

"...How did you find out about that?" Guy asked.

"I've heard many stories of the history of the shinobi world in the time since my father's death." Koharu told him, "That particular story stands out in my mind because it was the very first. I heard about it from one of the survivors of the battle. That man also taught me something else that was very important..." At this, she seemed to direct a glare at Neji, "Never take any opponent for granted." She turned her head back towards Lee, "In these proctored battles, the risk of death is significantly reduced, but in the real world, making that mistake could cost you your life."

"Actually, it's not just Guy." Kakashi told her, "The other two members of that cell are now Special Jonin."

"Oh? That's interesting to know." Koharu said, "I was never told who the other two were. At any rate, it's better to survive a battle with injuries than to die. That's why I won't berate either you or Lee-san for his using that jutsu." She told Guy. With a nod to Katsuyu, she stopped infusing her chakra and instead pulled out cup, pouring a small packet of powder into it. "Does anyone have any drinking water?" At that, Tenten came forward and filled the cup, and Koharu held up a small utensil. "Use this to dissolve the powder." Tenten nodded and did as Koharu said, before helping Koharu to administer the mixture to Lee. "I've done what I can for him, but he's still in a lot of pain. That's why I'm administering this sedative."

"That's not the same stuff you gave to Sasuke-kun the other day, is it?" Sakura asked with worry.

"Not exactly. It's similar, but it doesn't have any side-effects unless it's used long-term." Koharu told her, "His body can't take any more stress right now, and frankly, I've reached my limit anyway."

"Why push yourself to such extremes for people who aren't even from your village?" Orochimaru, who'd been disguised as a Hidden Sound Jounin the entire time, asked her.

She glared in his direction, "As a medic, my primary concern is the preservation of lives. Therefore, I have an obligation to provide medical care to anybody who is not expressly my enemy." She turned her head toward Guy, "Don't blame yourself. There are very few in this room who could've made it as far as he did, myself included. He didn't know Gaara's abilities going in, so running away would've been unbefitting of a Shinobi. To remain true to his nindou, no matter the risk... I think that was more important. If you can't remain true to yourself, what do you have left?"

"That can't be... that can't be true!" Naruto said to her, "After hearing that, what should Bushy Brows do? He said the failure would take down a genius with effort, and yet... Isn't there something that can be done?!"

Suddenly Kakashi appeared and covered Naruto's mouth to silence him. "Be quiet, Naruto!"

Naruto pulled the Jounin's hand away, "But... But Kakashi-sensei! He kept saying that he wanted to battle Sasuke and Neji!"

"Perhaps... that led to his ruin." Kakashi lamented. "To fulfill that dream... that boy even used a self-sacrificing kinjutsu to try to win! The result is what you see."

"You're wrong, Kakashi-sensei..." Koharu said quietly, "If he hadn't used that technique, he would most likely be dead right now."

Kakashi nodded and continued speaking to Naruto, "That boy... Sasuke and Neji... and you... he sacrificed himself to a promise he never spoke of. He risked his life... so that he might have a chance to battle you guys..." He placed a hand on his student's head, "Don't forget that.

"I'm sorry... Naruto..." Naruto looked at his sister and saw tears dripping down her face. "I wish I could do more... People have always called me a prodigy, but... despite that... I'm never able to achieve what I desire most! These cursed eyes that see what other people can't... and yet can't see what everyone else can... are useful only for saving myself!" She turned and ran out the door, somehow managing to avoid running into the wall and heading down the hall.

"Neechan..." Naruto said.

"Why would she think that her eyes are cursed?" Sakura asked of nobody in particular.

"She said this earlier, but... the night that she was born, her mother died. Her blindness is a result of that traumatic birth." Sasukr answered, staring after Koharu. "Her only means of seeing things is the visual prowess inherent to her clan. But people feared that power, so they told her that she was cursed. A child who is capable of protecting herself and nobody else."

"How do you know about that?" Naruto asked.

"She told me about it when we were kids, just after a mutual friend of ours died." Sasuke explained. "I told her not to say that about herself, but I guess that feeling is something that she can't easily escape."

ç—…

Koharu sat in the middle of the hallway somewhere, her head buried in her knees as she sobbed.

"Are you okay?" Chino asked, having quietly followed her.

Koharu sniffled. "It's not good to talk in the hallway like this. Show me the nearest room." Chino nodded and led her to a nearby room, watching as Koharu placed her seal on the door and waited for her to speak after they had both sat down. "...No matter how much I wish... I'm never able to save anyone..." She said softly, "I couldn't save my father or the Uchiha Clan... I wasn't even able to reach my brother and Sasuke in time to save them from harm."

"You can't blame yourself for these things." Chino said, "You're only thirteen. You were only eight when your father died. Nobody would expect you to stop all of that. I'm sure that even that shishou of yours has had times when he felt powerless."

"Heh. It's funny you should mention that." Koharu said. "Just like I was eight when my father died, Sensei was eight-years-old when he awakened his Sharingan. A comrade was killed right in front of him, and he hadn't been able to do a thing to stop it." She hugged her knees to her chest, "Apparently, the man behind my father's death told Sensei on the day that he graduated from the Academy that the lines on his face were a sign that chaos would surround him all his life. So when I first expressed my fear that I would someday lose him as well, he told me, 'Don't worry about that. Even if your eyes are cursed, it won't hurt me, because I have a curse of my own." She smiled wryly at the thought. "In that moment, I felt that I'd found someone with whom I could share my pain, and I vowed that I would do everything I could to save him... even if he doesn't want to be saved. Because... no matter what he may think of himself... there are still people in this world who treasure him and don't want to lose him."

"And there are also people in this world who treasure you, Koharu-chan." Chino assured her. "Your teacher, your brother, Sasuke-chan and Sakura-chan, Hinata-chan, Ino-chan, Lady Angel... None of them see you as a person who carries a curse, but as someone worth treasuring. The same goes for Fuushin and I." She smiled softly, "And besides, you're wrong. Because you and those eyes have done a lot for the people you care about. Not only do you look after that teacher of yours, but you took care of Sasuke-chan when he was sick and undid whatever that Orochimaru guy did to him and Naruto-chan. You provided both Hinata-chan and Lee-chan with better care than any of the Konoha doctors could've. And if it weren't for your eyes, you wouldn't have been able to use Juuken to correct Hinata-chan's chakra network, nor would you have known that Lee-chan was critically injured. You even tracked down that Karin girl in seconds so that she could come help! So don't think that your eyes are only able to protect you, because they're part of who you are."


Finally got around to finishing this chapter. I kind of decided to just skip over the rest of the fights for the sake of time and also because itâs really annoying when I have to copy stuff. So this is more or less the end of the preliminaries, but there will be some stuff in between this and the third round.