Allies of Sand

by tyrna

After the Gaara incident, three Sand ninjas are sent as a peace offering to Konoha. Everything seems fine, but the past is trying to catch up to them, and their fate is more intertwined with Team 7 than anyone could have guessed.

11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Many thanks to CelticKitten (aka Senjo) for writing the memories for Tansei and Kuro's attacks!

Chapter 11

Her staff blocked his first charge, but her arms almost buckled under the pressure he exerted. If he had the same power as Sasuke, she was in trouble. The damage he'd done to her arms had never fully healed, and Kohaku knew she was weaker than she'd been. She needed Kurai and Senjo, but she had no way of contacting them. No, this time she was on her own. "Feeling defeated already?"

"I never admit defeat!" Leaping out of the trees, she threw her staff down and prepared her seals. "Hinote bunshin no jutsu (Fire Clone)!" Kohaku and her two copies dove into the bushes, and Tansei landed to see only the bladed staff stuck in the ground.

"You can't hide forever. Without your staff you're at a severe disadvantage. I know all your moves."

"You know nothing," Kohaku said as the three of her stood up in a triangle pattern around him.

"Replications won't stop me for long." He drew a kunai and charged at the nearest one, but she ducked out of the way. Another pulled the staff free and swung at him, catching his shoulder with the tip. "You really think that toothpick will do anything against me?" The wound bled, but he ignored it and advanced on the staff holder. "So you have a few new tricks, but you still need your weapon. Just like Temari and her damn fan, or Kankuro and his freaky puppet. Even Gaara has his sand. Why follow in their footsteps? A true shinobi needs only himself."

"A moment ago you were trying to kill me. Now you're offering advice? I know my limitations, Tansei. Fighting you hand-to-hand exceeds those limits." He lunged again, but she blocked quickly, then again as he aimed for her throat. Suddenly he spun into her, pressing the blade between her ribs and grinning. Kohaku gasped as her other selves backed away, and the staff clattered to the ground.

"Still leaving your right side open? Not very smart." But even as he spoke, Tansei felt the air grow hot, and his kunai began burning his hand. "Shit!" The clone dissolved into a ball of flame, and it caught his shirt on fire.

"Katon: Hirogerukyuu no jutsu (Fire Element: Expanding Fireball)!" Kohaku quickly attacked again with her combo move, watching as the fire spread over his whole body and enveloped a small area around him in intense flames. She smelled smoke, like a campfire, and instantly leapt back into the trees. Her clone dove into the bushes once more, taking the staff with it. "Come out, Tansei. I know you're not dead."

"What gave it away?" he asked, stepping out from behind a tree holding his burned arm to his chest. The fire near him burned out, leaving dead grass and a charred log at its center.

"People don't smell like wood smoke when they burn."

"I suppose you would know." Kohaku took a deep breath and then picked up a fist-sized stone. She smirked while it lengthened into a staff, and she pointed it at him.

"Let's finish this so I can get on with my mission."

---

Senjo wasn't exactly sure where she was, but it was somewhere near the Fire Country's border, and she didn't like that. "I hope I find someone soon. This place is starting to-" She pulled back from her jump just in time as a shuriken whizzed past her head and embedded itself in the trunk of the tree she had been eyeing. "What the hell?" A figure landed next to her, and she quickly got onto another branch. "Who are you?"

"Oh Senjo-chan, I'm hurt. You've forgotten about me after all this time?" That voice. It was the voice that still haunted her dreams and pursued her in the waking world with memories of that night and the years she'd spent in partial enslavement.

"Kuro, you bastard! Where did you come from?" He stepped into the light, looking only older than the last time she'd seen him. Though now he wore a Sound forehead protector around his arm, and he seemed much more physical. The old Kuro would've never started an attack with shuriken.

"I came under the orders of our village leader, Orochimaru-sama. He said to send his regards to anyone pursuing Uchiha Sasuke, before we killed them."

"I'm not the same helpless girl you tried to hurt, Kuro. I am a Chuunin of Sand village, and I earned that title myself."

"Ah, poor deluded little Senjo. Of course you're the same girl I knew. After all, if it wasn't for me trying to hurt you in the first place, you never would've gotten stronger. I was testing you, but then that bitch Kohaku-"

"Don't you say anything bad about my team! All you did was use me, Kuro. But Kohaku protected and trained me, and Kurai cares about me. I think." The last part was said more to herself, and she tried to put a sincere face on.

"Cares about you? Kurai only cares about himself and his family legacy. If you weren't an easy target, he'd ignore you just like he did all the other girls."

"I am not easy! The Senjo you knew is gone, killed the night you tried to take my innocence. You are a monster, Kuro! And you are a far worse one than Gaara." His eyes narrowed, and Senjo took an involuntary step back. Sure, she could talk big, but Kuro could overpower her if he really wanted to. She needed to get away from him and find some friendly faces. Hopefully Kurai and Kohaku were fairing better than her.

"You know, Senjo-chan, you really ought to be thankful that I'm here. After all, I wouldn't want you to watch your teammates being killed."

"What are you talking about?"

"Makoto and Tansei are here too. And they were especially looking forward to seeing the Hajino twins again." Senjo paled, and yet at the same time her resolve was never firmer. Kuro needed to be dealt with, and then she needed to go help her friends.

"You had your chance, Kuro. Now it's my turn to show you what power is."

"Don't keep me waiting," he said, flexing his arms and stretching them over his head. As he did so, Senjo saw what looked black lines criss-crossing across his face and up his arm. As she watched, the pattern began to look like grid lines that ran up both sides of his body and spread across his face. "Ever seen one of these before?"

"Up close and personal, unfortunately. Sasuke at least looked intimidating. You just look stupid, Kuro." He narrowed his eyes and readied seals that Senjo recognized too late. Before she could make a move to defend herself, Kuro struck:

"Ninpou: Oboe kawari (Memory Change technique)."

---

Kurai was starting to think he was going the wrong way.The chakra trail he was following wasn't particularly strong, and he hadn't seen a trace of anyone else in at least two hours. Landing on the ground and assessing the terrain, he suddenly detected someone very close. They weren't moving, just staying in one spot behind the trees. They were either injured, or watching him, but they were an enemy more than likely. "Show yourself!" he called, taking a kunai from his pouch.

"Still trying to give orders, Kurai-kun?" a high voice asked as a figure stepped into the small clearing. Long blonde hair framed her face, tied back with a scrap of white fabric. Her dark-green shirt had short sleeves, and her shorts were tan. A Sound headband was tied around her waist, and she placed her hands on her hips and smiled.

"Makoto? What the hell are you doing here?" She laughed, blue eyes shining mysteriously.

"I came to settle things, and to let you meet the man who replaced you."

"So, I finally get to see whether it was Tansei or Kuro who made you break your promise."

"I'm afraid it isn't either of them," she replied with one eyebrow raised. "In fact, they're probably playing catch-up with Senjo and your sister." Kurai was silent for a moment, staring at her. They were all here? Why? Had they somehow known who Sand village would send? No, that wasn't possible. They had only received the orders yesterday, and they hadn't detected any spies in the area. Unless someone from the village was reporting to Orochimaru? Or could the prisoner Senjo had been dealing with somehow been able to report back?

"You were sent to deal with us? How did the Sound know we would come?"

"We didn't, actually. My team was to monitor the progress of Uchiha Sasuke and further escort him to Orochimaru-sama. We were deployed along with Kimimaru-san, the most elite Sound ninja."

"Well, since he and your traitorous teammates aren't here, who's with you? Everyone knows you're only a back-up fighter."

"I already told you I would introduce you to the man I left you for." Footsteps sounded behind him, and Kurai turned slowly, tightening his grip on the kunai. What he saw stole his breath for a moment as he felt like he had been kicked in the chest. Standing in front of him, wearing a Sound headband, black shirt and shorts, and a smirk, was a duplicate of himself. "Kurai, meet my Kurai-kun. Your replacement, and my front-man."

---

"Why do you continue to struggle?" Tansei wondered as he advanced on Kohaku. "You couldn't stand up to me when I was normal, so what chance do you have now?"

"I wasn't expecting your attack last time." He smiled, stopping a few feet from her.

"Why? Because we were at home, because we were Genins, or because you cared about me?"

"I loved you!" Kohaku screamed, knowing she was starting to fall apart. Trust Tansei to still be able to do that to her after all this time. "I wanted you to be happy, to know that it didn't matter who was better. I wanted you to love me."

"It must have traumatized you then, when I attacked you." He whistled a low note, and a tingle ran up her spine. Another pitch higher, and her legs buckled as he stepped closer. "However, I can make it up to you. Say you'll willingly allow Orochimaru-sama to experiment on you, and I can make every moment bliss. Refuse, and I will redefine pain." She tried to move, but her legs had gone numb, like she was paralyzed.

"How can you do this? Who taught you?" He crouched next to her, smiling. Whistling another slightly higher pitch, he watched the stone staff drop from her hands, and he kicked it away. 'I can't control my body. What's going on?'

"What you're experiencing isn't a technique, or at least not a normal one. You see, there's a reason our village is called Hidden Sound. While most everyone there has their own techniques, those of us who didn't learned a few. I picked up various ones from different people and combined them into my own style. Sounds can to everything from trigger memories to shatter stone. Learn the right ones, and you can make people dance or die at your command. What I've done now is cancelled out part of your nervous system. When you first saw me, I was bringing back the memory of the pain I'd caused in your arms. You see, Kohaku, my new ability is unbeatable. My team is the one that gathers new test subjects for Orochimaru-sama. I immobolize them, Kuro sedates them, and Makoto makes sure they're the right target. But I am just as deadly by myself."

"Are you done bragging, Tansei? If you're so deadly, then just kill me."

"Are you sure you want to refuse my offer? I'd think on it a little. You wouldn't have to die, and your bloodline would be put to a much better use under Orochimaru-sama's command. And you'd be near me. Isn't that what you've wanted all this time? To find me, win me back, and grow old togther? I can't promise the growing old part, but you'd at least have my full attention most days, especially when you were being experimented on." She was silent for a moment as shestared up at him, eyes narowing as she dug her hands into the ground in anger. Tansei quirked an eyebrow and whistled a few notes. The strength left her arms, and Kohaku almost fell on her face in the dirt. Tansei placed his face next to hers, still smirking. "What's your decision, Kohaku-chan?" A moment later he felt a slice across his back, and spun around to see the otherclone with the regular staff in its hands. Movement on his right brought his attention back to Kohaku, who was sitting up, both hands still on the ground.

"Here's my answer: Ganseki gosunkugi! (Rock spike)" A shaft of rock pierced the ground behind the clone, and Kohaku quickly altered her chakra for another technique "Ganseki toku! (Rock shield)" As the explosion came, Kohaku knew that Tansei would survive even this, and she needed a new plan of attack.

---

"Senjo?" She was slightly roused, as if just waking up. A warmth had spread through her limbs, and she smiled slighlty as she snuggled further into the softness she was on.

"Mmm?"

"Time to get up. Your team will be here any moment." Wait. Something wasn't right. Why was she warm? Had she been sleeping? And wasn't that her mother's voice?

"Mother?" Senjo opened her eyes to see Naiteki staring at her. "What's going on? Where am I?" She sat up quickly, realizing she was in her room. "Where are Kurai and Kohaku?"

"I would assume either at home or on a mission. Now get dressed before your teammates arrive," Naiteki answered, looking slightly puzzled. Teammates? Had she been picked for a squad mission and not told? How long had she been sleeping? She kept trying to remember what she'd been dreaming about, but it was all fuzzy. Obeying her mother, the redhead was brushing her hair when she heard a knock on the door.

"Mother, where's my vest?" she called, quickly scanning her room. She usually left it over her desk chair, but only her forehead protector was there.

"What vest?"

"My Chuunin vest." Like she ever wore any other vests? Seishin poked his head into the room, a smile on his face.

"Getting a little ahead of yourself, Senjo? You just became a Genin yesterday." He walked off, chuckling to himself.

"Became a Genin yesterday? Dad's in an odd mood today." Inkei had probably hidden the vest while she slept, and her parents were just playing along. She'd get it out of the little brat when he got home later.

"Senjo, don't make these boys wait all day!" Naiteki called from the kitchen.

"What is she talking about? If they didn't tell me about a mission..." Walking into the kitchen, she raised her hand to greet her fellow Sand nins, but stopped dead and lost the ability to breathe for a moment. Tansei was leaning against the wall, looking bored. And sitting at the table, grinning broadly, was Kuro.

"Finally ready, Senjo-chan?" he asked, standing up. She pulled back, eyes wide. What was going on? How was he back in the village? Why was Tansei with him? And why were they standing in her kitchen!

"What the hell are you doing here, bastard?"

"Senjo!" Naiteki admonished, poking her head into the room. "That is no way to speak to your teammate."

"Kurai and Kohaku are my teammates. Not these traitors!"

"If anyone could be labeled traitors, it's those two and their entire cursed family. Their father did try to kill the Kazekage, remember?" Tansei told her. "Makoto volunteered to be on Kurai's team to make sure he didn't try the same thing. Kohaku dropped out of the academy right after the failed assassination."

"Liar!" Nothing made sense. That wasn't the Kohaku she knew, and Hajino-san would never try to kill the Kazekage. After all, Gaara's father was already dead, so it didn't matter.

"Senjo-chan, what's gotten into you?" Kuro asked, concern in his voice. "Don't you remember any of this?" Her head began to throb as she met Kuro's eyes. Had she been dreaming? What had happened in Konoha's forest? It all seemed so fuzzy, so far away. They had been trying to find- Who again? One of the Genins from the Leaf village. Her team, and another had gone. Who's team? Of course, Gaara and his siblings! Where were they? She had to find them.

"Just one question: Where is Gaara?"

"The desert child? We got rid of that abomination years ago," Naiteki replied in disgust. Senjo nodded, then locked eyes with Kuro again as she concentrated her chakra and formed a single seal.

"Kai! (Dispel)" The kitchen image shattered, showing her the woods once more. Kuro staggered back, seemingly dazed. With the genjutsu broken, her true memories came back to her.

"You stubborn little bitch," he swore, shaking his head to clear it. "How the hell-"

"You can't alter reality that drastically and expect someone to believe it," she cut him off. "You and Tansi on my team, the Hajino clan as traitors, Kohaku not a ninja, and my mother calling Gaara an abomination? Bad-mouthing my friends will only piss me off."

"So I see. I might actually have a fight on my hands."

"When Kurai and Kohaku find us-"

"We already went over this, Senjo-chan. They aren't coming. Tansei and Makoto will subdue them and bring them to Orochimaru-sama. Then they'll be expereimented on for their bloodline until they die."

"Liar!" She was so angry she was shaking, but she also knew that this was what Kuro wanted. If he could distract her with words, he could force her into a position where he could attack again.

"There you go, using that word again. We're your own personal demons, and we were all excited to be able to face you three again. This time everyone will get broken in both body and spirit. No will to fight, no way to fight, and there's no problem. I think I might keep you out of harm's way though, Senjo-chan. Orochimaru-sama will find your ability most impressive, and you'll learn to respect him soon enough."

"Like hell I will!" She didn't care what happened, only that she wanted him to shut up. Drawing a kunai from her pouch, she charged forward... And right into his trap. The seals were already made as he caught her hand and wrenched the blade from it. His free hand brushed against her temple, and she felt his chakra brush against hers. This was what he had made her teach him years ago, and now he was going to use her teachings against her.

"Ninpou: Oboe souki (Memory Recall Technique)."

---

Kurai's duplicate laughed at the expression on his opponent's face. "I finally get to meet you -well, me- and all you can do is stand there and stare? Makoto, this fight is beneath me." That snapped the real Kurai back into a fighting mood. He charged forward, kunai up, and at the last moment went to his knees to try and get the clone in the leg. However, the duplicate blocked with its own blade and landed a punch to his chest.

"Your usual tactics won't work, Kurai," Makoto sneered. "My love knows your every move, and he can counter it the moment you attempt something. Why don't you just give up?"

"Because he's a stubborn ass who always tries to figure out how to win a fight, even if he's outmatched," the duplicate replied.

"If you're the same as me, then you know that I always find a way to win." The clone smirked and shook his head.

"Not this time. Kaze no Yaiba! (Wind Blade)" Kurai was lashed with the chakra-laced wind, but he quickly countered:

"Fuuton: Chiri gufuu (Air Element: Dust Tornado)." As the two attacks covered the clearing in a thin haze of dirt, Kurai got into the trees. When everything cleared, all he saw was Makoto brushing herself off.

"You're only stalling, Kurai," she called out. "My love will find you, and then he'll defeat you with your own techniques." Could the clone actually do that? He wasn't even sure how it had been created, but everything had its limits. All he needed to do was find them. However, fighting himself was not something he had been trained for, and he would have to outthink this creation. Suddenly he saw movement to his left, and jumped out of the way a moment before shuriken embedded themselves on the branch he'd been on. Back on the ground, he faced Makoto alone again. "See?"

"All I see is flush tactics. How could he fight like me if he's never seen me?" She smiled and held up a small vial which contained a red liquid.

"With this. You remember when I drew blood from you before I left? It wasn't for a test, like I told you, but a memento for me. I needed a back-up in case my love ever died before I could extract the original blood." Raising an eyebrow, Kurai saw the duplicate land and stay to the side. He didn't seem all that interested in fighting him. What was going on?

"You see, Makoto created the first me before she left Sand village. It was a regular clone modified with our blood. But when she began studying under Orochimaru-sama, she found a much better way to create me."

"You think I care?" Kurai asked, turning to face the clone. "That she left me for a petty copy that she controlled? I got over her betrayal." A kunai at his throat made him curse silently. He'd turned his back on her, one thing he should've known not to do.

"I know you care, just like I know that Kuro and Tansei both care a little about Senjo and Kohaku. And deep down, I still care about you, Kurai. But I have my love now, and you're just going to get in the way. So when I hand you over to Orochimaru-sama, I'll never have to worry about you again."

"And what does he get out of the deal?"

"He gets to experiment on that wonderful bloodline of yours. Why do you think he came to your village in the first place? We told him what had been going on, and he made his own inquiries. He can't control Gaara, but now he can have the next best thing."

"I'd rather die." Whipping around, he felt the blade graze his neck, but he caught her wrist and pulled her off balance, watching her sprawl on the ground at his feet. The clone charged at him, but he dropped to one knee and quickly focused his chakra.

"Ganseki kabe! (Rock wall)" The clone skidded to a stop just in front of the wall, and Kurai grinned as he placed his hand against it. "Ganseki gosunkugi! (Rock spike)" He felt his chakra run through the rock in front of him, lengthening into spikes that jutted from the wall.

"Pull back!" he heard Makoto yell. Kurai held his breath for a moment, when a kunai suddenly materialized from the wall, embedding itself in his left shoulder. The duplicate followed, and the wall crumbled at his feet.

"Now that was interesting," it said, "Don't you understand that I'm you, therefore your attacks can't block me?"

"How?" Kurai demanded, holding his shoulder.

"My love has some of you and some of me," Makoto answered. "All I do is animate a corpse, feed it the blood, and shape its features. Orochimaru-sama showed me how, and Kabuto-san helped me perfect my control. After all, I am a fellow medical ninja."

"You use a forbidden technique to create this thing?" Kurai asked in disgust, pulling the blade out of his shoulder.

"Forbidden techniques are only called that because the elders are afraid of losing power to the younger shinobi. But the Sound village encourages their use, and we all benefit from the power."

"Power? You know nothing about power! Being handed techniques you don't understand and thinking you're better than everyone else is not our way. How did you ever start thinking like this, Makoto?"

"I've always thought like this, Kurai. For all that Tansei and Kuro are the voices, I am the brains. They never would've thought of going against the girls they care about without some encouragement from me." Silence followed her statement as Kurai tried to understand what he'd just heard.

"You will not walk out of here alive, Makoto," he promised. She began laughing, and then ran a hand through her hair. As she did so, lines began swirling up her arm and face, looping and twisting across her skin like demented worms. The clone too, was changing, taking on the same markings. They stood together, staring down at Kurai, still laughing.

"We'll see who can walk when we're done with you," the duplicate replied.

---

Tansei was waiting when Kohaku retracted the earth around her. Now along with his burned arm, half his face was scorched and his left leg was also damaged. "That hurt," he said, sounding annoyed. "I offer to give you your greatest wish, and that's how you respond?"

"My wishes have changed, Tansei. Everyday when I look at my arms, it reaffirms the decisions I made. I stopped Kurai and Senjo from killing you, but not because I had feelings for you. I am not some lovestruck girl, at least not towards you." She stood up, noting her staff was only a few feet away.

"Found someone else, have you?" he asked in amusement. "Is he anything like me?"

"He has your determination and strength, but he doesn't rely on a cursed seal for power/"

"Sounds like a typical idiot from the village, just perfect for you. Too bad you'll never live to see him again." He suddenly felt a blade at his back, and turned to see Kohaku with her staff. She struck quickly, cutting into his side. Her duplicate puffed away when Tansei fell on it.

"It doesn't matter if I never go home, or if I see him again. I will kill you if it takes every bit of chakra that I have."

"Don't think that vest means you have an advantage over me," he coughed, spitting out blood. Kohaku nodded and slipped the vest off, taking up a fresh grip on her staff.

"Let's see who's better now."

---

Senjo blinked a few times, trying to get used to the darkness. As she tried to focus, the darkness became gray, and then the gray became lighter as Kuro walked into view. She knew where she was, and didn't like it. It was a type of genjutsu, but one that called up memories so they could be analyzed. It was what she had done with Naruto, but hers had not been as invasive. Their chakras had temporarily merged, and he had used that to implant this in her mind. It was real, but she could only watch until the memories were over. Trying to fight against them would sap too much of her strength. "What did you want to show me?"

"This," Kuro replied, extending his hand as a scene flashed into view. It was Kohaku, two years ago, and she was with Tansei at the cliffs. A knot formed in the pit of Senjo's stomach as she shook her head.

"Tansei-kun?" The boy stopped and turned his head and glared at her for a moment before going back to pummeling the wall in front of him. "What do you want, Kohaku?" She involuntarily flinched at the tone of his voice. He was beyond mad.

"I…I wanted to congratulate you." He stopped again and turned around, eyes narrowed and fixed in a hateful glare.

"For what? For losing to you and your brother?" Kohaku shook her head.

"No, for how well you and your team did. Naiteki-san said you guys were only two points away from tying us." He growled at her and turned away again.

"Whoopdee-do. We should have done better…I should have done better." Kohaku stepped towards him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"I know you did your best." He grunted and shrugged her hand off.

"Obviously my best wasn't good enough if I lost to Kurai again." Kohaku sighed, resisting the urge to hug him.

"You know…you don't have to constantly try and beat Kurai at everything you both do." Tansei shot her another glare. She smiled at him, placing her hand back on his shoulder. "You're fine as you are. You're strong, fast, and smart, and you can come up with a plan of attack faster and far better than Kurai ever could. Why are you trying so hard to be like him?" Tansei sighed.

"You know that answer as well as I do. We live in a world of perfection, a world where second best doesn't account for anything. You have to be the best in order to get ahead, to get respect."

"But at what price? Being number one isn't all its cracked up to be." Tansei's expression softened slightly and he looked away from her. "You have to constantly watch what you say or do because people are always watching you, always criticizing you, and just always around and in your space. Sometimes it's better to be second best." He was silent for a moment before he looked at her again, his expression soft and almost understanding."Maybe you're right." Kohaku smiled and didn't hold herself back from hugging him this time.

"Let Kurai be number one. This way you can-"

"What?" His tone suddenly became icy again as he pulled away from her. Kohaku blinked.

"I said let Kurai be number one. This way you can con-" Tansei growled and shoved her violently away and into the rock wall. Kohaku doubled over, the impact knocking the wind out of her. The shock from the sudden shove made it harder for her to regain control of her breathing. Tansei growled grabbing her ponytail and yanking her to her feet.

"I knew it!" He punched her in the gut again before throwing her onto the ground behind him. Kohaku gasped and wheezed, curling into a fetal position. "You're on his side! You were always on his side! All you want is for me to give up so he can always be the best!" Kohaku shook her head, trying to muster up enough air to say something, anything. Tansei kicked her in the chest, causing Kohaku to roll onto her back. The crazed boy straddled her waist, his knees resting on her hands, keeping them down and keeping the brunette defenseless. "You and your bastard brother think you're so clever. But I'm not buying it. He is my enemy. Just like you are. You are my biggest enemy, Kohaku. I shouldn't have let myself get sidetracked by you and your petty attempts to knock me away from my goal." Kohaku shook her head, fighting back the tears threatening to spill. Senjo was shaking as she kept staring at the scene. Kohaku had never really spoken of the attack, or what proceeded it. But now, she could see that Tansei had been unstable back then, so what was he like now?

"Why are you showing me this? I already know what happened."

"No Senjo, you only know the half of it."

"Why should I believe that this is the truth?" she shouted. "You could've twisted this too!"

"I took these memories from Tansei directly. Now be quiet, or you'll miss the best part."

"No! I never wan-"Tansei backhanded her, blood trickled down from her split lip.

"Let me show you what I do to my enemies, Kohaku-chan." He smiled cruelly, reaching behind him and producing two kunais from his pouch. Before Kohaku could register what was going on, Tansei laughed and slammed the blades into her arms. Kohaku screamed as the blades dug deep into her skin, piercing the bones and embedding into the ground under her. "Aww, did that hurt, Kohaku-chan?" His voice was dripping with venom. The only response Kohaku could muster was another scream as he stood and pressed a foot down on one of the kunais, driving it deeper into her arm to the point where the handle was barely visible. Moments later he did the same to the other side. Kohaku screamed again, she felt all her years of training slipping away. She couldn't find the strength to move, to fight, to try and save her life. She was going to die. She was going to die at the hands of the boy she thought was her friend, the boy she loved. Tansei casually took a seat upon Kohaku's stomach, making sure he put his full weight down and chuckling when she began wheezing for air again. He casually stroked her exposed palms, tracing little patterns on it as if he was bored already. His fingers traveled up to her wrists, and a twisted grin formed on his face as he grabbed them. Before Kohaku could register what he was about to do, Tansei pulled back on her wrists, and the already stressed bones in her arms cracked and separated. He laughed at her strained scream and twisted her arms upwards, his grin getting wider as the bones began straining against the thin layer of skin on her arm. Another twist forced the bone through the skin. His hands moved again. Kohaku's arms were bent towards the sky and the bones cracked again, forcing their way through the already bloody and shredded skin. Multiple times he repeated these actions until her bones were reduced to nothing but shattered fragments. Standing again he made a point to stand on her arms, digging his heals into the broken limbs, laughing when he felt them crunch beneath his feet. Kohaku could barely scream. Her throat was dry, her head was spinning, her sight was blurred, her body was numb, and her heart was shattered. Tansei stood over her, looking down at her face. The grin turned into a sadistic smile and he leaned down, another kunai in his hand. He gently moved the hair from her face and tilted her head upwards. "It's been fun, Kohaku. But all good things come to an end, and I'm afraid this is your end." He held the kunai over her heart. Kohaku closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable stabbing pain to come. After a few moments passed, and there was no new pain, her eyes opened and widened in surprise. Senjo was over her, checking for any signs of life, Kurai was to her left on top of Tansei, laying into him with a volley of punches. She faintly heard her brother cursing loudly, vowing to kill the bastard. She watched as Senjo, who was satisfied that her friend was still alive, pulled one of her own kunai and ran over to the two boys, screaming her own curses and death threats. She had to find her voice and find it quick…

"STOP!" The redhead and her twin quickly stopped and turned their heads towards her. Kurai was holding the collar of their once friend and had a look of rage and murder in his eyes. "D-don't kill him!"

"You're kidding, right?" Kurai all but screamed at her as he stood, dragging Tansei to his feet. Kohaku watched as Senjo looked at her, then to the boys, and back and forth a few times before turning back to Tansei and raising her hand with the kunai.

"NO!" The redhead stopped again, and Kohaku could see her hand trembling, fighting with her want to kill him and the want to do as her friend wished. Kurai snarled and slammed the boy into the rocky wall.

"He's going to die, Kohaku! Whether you want him to or not, I'm going to kill him!" Kohaku shook her head, a fresh batch of tears streaming from her eyes. Senjo dropped her kunai and ran to her friend.

"Kohaku, look at what he did to you. How can you tell us not to kill him?" The battered girl didn't say anything, but looked into Senjo's eyes. Senjo understood more than anyone in the world would have. If anyone was going to kill him- It would be her. "Let him go, Kurai…"

"You're both insane! I'll do no such thing!" He raised his fist again to start another assault, but was stopped by the sudden cold steel at his neck. "Let him go, Kurai…"

"Back off, Senjo."

"Let him go!" She pressed the weapon harder against his throat. "If anyone kills him, it should be Kohaku." Kurai growled and glared into Tansei's eyes. The two rivals stared at each other for what seemed like forever before Kurai threw him to the ground.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave this village." Tansei stood and glared at the three.

"This isn't over."

"You were ready to kill your teammate to spare Tansei? Why not just take revenge on him there?"

"I would never have killed Kurai. I only wanted to make my point. And Kohaku asked me not to. It's the same reason she didn't kill you: It was my revenge. Showing me this won't work, Kuro."

"How do you know what I'm trying to do? But you're right, I've had enough of this sob story." He waved his hand needlessly, and the scene disappeared. A moment later a new memory began, and Senjo saw Kurai standing outside his house. He was soon joined by Makoto. "These are her memories, from the day she broke Kurai."

"Kurai doesn't break!" Senjo screamed, fists at her side. She needed to find a way out of this.

"He will soon," Kuro whispered back.

---

Kurai recognized the similarity between Makoto's markings and those he'd seen on Sasuke. He didn't care what they meant, what they did, or what they truly were. He only knew that it made her and the duplicate more dangerous. Standing up, he took his hand off his shoulder and put the pain out of his mind. It would only distract him, and Kurai couldn't afford that right now. Getting into an attack stance, he held up one hand and motioned at the duplicate. "Come then, if you're not afraid." He received a smirk in return, and Makoto tossed it the vial of blood, which it drank quickly.

"I fear no one." It charged, but Kurai was ready, pulling a kunai and deflecting the one he'd seen it draw. "Good reflexes." The blades clashed together again, but the duplicate was stronger, and pushed Kurai back, then slammed his hand to the ground. "Ganseki gosunkugi! (Rock spike)" Barely jumping out of the way, Kurai managed to avoid the first thrust of earth, but the second caught him in the right leg, tearing across his shin. Forming seals, he hoped his aim was true as he gathered the chakra in his lungs.

""Fuuton: Sakashima senpuu (Air Element: Reverse Whirlwind)." The clone uttered a cry of surprise as it was flattened to the ground, and Kurai landed and attacked again. "Kaze no Yaiba (Wind Blade)!" The duplicate anchored himself to the earth and pulled back as fast as it could, but not before its right arm was a mess of blood and muscle. Makoto quickly leapt down to help, but Kurai was there too quick, hand on the ground. "Ganseki kabe! (Rock wall)" A circular wall cut off the two boys from the Sound ninja, and she called out:

"My love, be careful!" But Kurai was back in his natural element, and he would not let a mere copy show him up. Picking up a rock, he noticed the clone do the same thing, and they both called their blades:

"Ishi no Yaiba (Stone Blade)." They met in the middle of the stone circle in a flurry of strikes and blocks, each trying to overpower the other. Managing a hit, Kurai went for his opponent's wounded arm, and the sword struck true, nearly severing the limb. But the duplicate smiled and dropped to one knee, letting the sword go and gripping his wounded arm. With a fierce cry and a spray of blood, he ripped the limb off and pressed it to the ground.

"Ganseki toku (Rock Shield)." The earth dome surrounded him, seeming to come from the severed arm as it liquified into blood and chakra.

"I don't think so," Kurai replied, striking the shield with his sword and concentrating. The sword began glowing with chakra, and it soon surrounded the dome. "During the training with my family, I learned to take control of their techniques by overwhelming their chakra and making their earth mine." He could sense the clone inside the shield, feel the parts that were him and the ones that were Makoto. "Now die!"

"No." The clone replied as the dome receded and he stood up and grabbed Kurai's blade. "You forget, whatever you do, I can as well." The sword crumbled, and they stood facing one another. "There is nothing you can think of that I can not make my own. I am the perfect replacement for you."

"As Gaara was for your family," Makoto said as she leapt over the wall. "Face it Kurai, you can't beat him, so what hope do you have of beating yourself?"

'I need to think of something fast before I run out of chakra. At this rate I can't rely on any of my standard attacks, and that thing will just copy whatever I do. Unless... Unless I can make it use up the chakra it got from my blood. If it only has Makoto to rely on, I can win. But how do I-' And then he remembered Daichi's use of the sand armor, and his reaction to it. He had never wanted to use one of Gaara's techniques because he believed they were part of what made him an abomination. But what if that was the only way? Only Gaara had ever been stronger than Kurai, and he needed all the strength he could get.

"What's wrong, Kurai?" the clone asked. "Ready to give up." Turning with cold eyes and a smile that was dangerous, the Sand ninja shook his head.

"I will show you the power of the Hajino clan. I will show you my power." He charged, catching the clone's shirt and dropping to the ground, pulling the other boy over his head. The duplicate landed with a thud, and Kurai sunk quickly into the ground, and spikes began shooting up at random intervals.

"Stop him, my love!" Makoto ordered, seeking safety in the trees.

"With pleasure." Placing his one arm on the ground, the clone sent his chakra through it, hoping to route Kurai out. But something was wrong. He didn't sense his enemy like he should. There was no mass of chakra to mark his presence, only the tendrils. Suddenly a hand shot from the earth behind him, and then another. Kurai followed, placing both hands on the duplicate's back and shoving a stone dagger through it. Screaming, the clone felt his chakra waning, and turned with wide eyes to see it flowing up the dagger.

"As I can extend my chakra through rock, so too can I recall it, shaping the rock to my will. I'll take back what you stole from me." Removing the dagger and leaping away, Kurai stared at the clone as it stood, the markings on it pulsing.

"Makoto can still heal me through the seal," it said, smirking.

"Then I'll make sure there isn't enough left to heal." Driving the dagger into the ground, Kurai concentrated, recalling what he remembered of a technique he'd sworn never to use again. "Ganseki gokusha (Rock prison)!" The earth responded, wrapping around the duplicate so tightly that he could not move. Only his head was visible, and his eyes burned with hatred.

"This is-" it began.

"One of Gaara's techniques, yes. But modified by me for my own purpose. His sand might be controlled by Shukaku, but this is my earth, and it obeys only my commands when I wish it."

"Don't kill him!" Makoto cried, leaping in front of the cocoon of rock, arms outstretched.

"I will kill that thing, and then I will kill you," Kurai told her.

"Not before I break you," she replied icily.

"Nothing you do or say can break me, Makoto."

"Really? Don't you want to know what happened the night Senjo showed up all battered and bruised, claiming she and your sister had just sparred too heavily? Kuro attacked her that night, and robbed Senjo of her innocence. If he couldn't have her purely, then he wouldn't let anyone have her that way." Eyes wide, Kurai stopped in his tracks, shaking his head. "Isn't that a shame? That the girl you fight so hard to protect isn't as innocent as you thought? And guess who told Kuro that she deserved it? I did. I couldn't stand the way she looked at you, all hopeful and doting. She's a joke as a ninja, and the only reason she got as far as she did was because you and Kohaku were always holding her hands! She made me sick! But I took care of her." Anger was an understatement in Kurai's mind, and his fists clenched and unclenched. "So you fight for nothing! Kohaku will follow Tansei, and Senjo will soon be back in the possession of the boy who first owned her." He kept walking forward, not quite sure what was powering his legs. "So stop this useless fighting and come back to-" He backhanded her so hard she flew, blood flying from her mouth. Makoto landed on her face and stayed down, while the clone watched helplessly.

"Makoto!" Kurai was beside it the next moment, hand on the earth surrounding it.

"As I made this prison, so shall I unmake it. But it will take you with it." He forced the rock to constrict, and then it grew over the clone's head to stifle the screams. Smaller and smaller the mound became, until all that was left was a bloody puddle and a lump of earth. He needed to help both Senjo and Kohaku, but one more obstacle remained. Makoto was on her knees, staring at him. She was on her feet in an instant, charging at him with a scream. He caught her easily, wrapping one arm around her body and one around her head. "I told you I always win."

"But Kurai, we could make a great team. You saw what the clone could do! You don't need that idiot Senjo." Kurai brought his mouth to her ear, fighting to keep his voice in a whisper.

"I happen to love that idiot, Makoto."

"But what has she given you that I couldn't?"

"She loves me too." With a quick twist, Kurai snapped her neck, and Makoto fell at his feet, her hair falling into her eyes. "And that is enough for me." He collapsed to his knees for a moment, but shook his head and stood. "No time for this, I need to help Senjo and Kohaku." Using a little bit of chakra, he created a quick earth clone. Grass for hair, dirt clumps falling off, and rocks poking out of odd places, it would have to do. "Find Senjo and help her!" he ordered, taking off after Kohaku and praying he wasn't too late.

---

They stood facing one another, and Kohaku was wondering why Tansei didn't just attack her. The fact that he was wounded didn't seem to have stopped him before, but now he seemed unsure. Could he be second-guessing his ability to take her? Or was he just being cautious all of a sudden? "You never make the first move, do you?" he asked after a moment.

"Not if I can help it. I like to study my opponent first."

"That's a very stupid thing to do. While you're looking for an opening, they could come in and take you out."

"So why don't you then?" It was a challenge, one she'd hope he'd take. She didn't like the way he kept talking to her like they were old friends, or the fact that he seemed to also be toying with her. She'd injured him twice now by catching him off-guard, yet it didn't seem to slow him down at all. Was his seal that powerful that it allowed him to shrug off damage that wasn't immediately life-threatening? Tansei raised an eyebrow, then pulled a kunai from his pouch.

"Very well," he said, then charged. She caught the blade with her staff, but he bore down on her, forcing her to her knees. "Not so easy to push back, am I? I thought you didn't want to fight me hand to hand?" He swept his foot out, catching her in the side, and she sucked in a breath. Then he smiled and pursed his lips, whistling one shrill note. The sound seemed to pierce her very core, and she screamed as pain raced along her arms, and they buckled. He crashed into her, rolling them across the ground and ending up sitting on her midsection. "Well, doesn't this bring back memories?" She struggled, trying to reach her staff, but he laughed and grabbed her arms, squeezing her wrists until she hissed in pain. "This would've been so much easier if you'd just agreed to come quietly."

"I told you before, I never admit defeat." He bent over her, forcing his weight down, and she found it was getting hard to breathe. The memory of where this had led before tried to come to the surface, but she fought it and him with everything she had, kicking her legs and trying to throw him off.

"Now this is just pathetic." A lower note sounded, and her entire body went numb, and she felt fear race up her spine. She had to find a way to stop him from making those sounds, or there was no way she would be able to do anything. "I'm going to enjoy torturing you this time, Kohaku. It's just a shame that Senjo and Kurai couldn't be here to see this." He pulled up her armguards, his fingers tracing the scar lines, and he smiled. "You screamed so beautifully back then, like I was breaking your very soul. No one I've hurt since has made such wonderful sounds."

"What?" she asked weakly, finding it interesting that her mouth still worked.

"Orochimaru-sama uses me to torture prisoners and those he no longer has a use for. I'm very good at it, and I have you to thank. You see, I love when people scream, and I keep trying to make them scream like you did when I gave you these scars. Only, they never seem to quite reach the right pitch or volume. It's a shame really, but then I sensed you in the woods, and I knew that I would be able to hear those screams again, like a music only I can appreciate."

"Break me, twist me, and kill me, Tansei. But I swear that I will never scream like that again." The kunai was back in his hand, and he traced one of the lines with it, drawing a thin stream of blood, but Kohaku felt nothing. "Looks like you need to let me move if you want to hear that music again."

"I guess so, but I don't need you trying to run away." He sounded one clear, high note, and she felt her upper body again. Her legs were still numb, but they were starting to tingle, and she hoped that time would simply restore the feeling to them. "Now then, let's try this again." He bent low, until their faces were inches apart, and whispered against her mouth: "Give me what I want, and maybe I'll let you live still."

"All you want me to do is scream?" she asked softly, eyes sliding to the right to avoid looking into his. "Like I did that day?" The smile on his face was genuine, warm, and completely insane.

"Yes. Just one scream, and then I'll let you up and we'll go to the Sound village. Give me what I want, and I'll still make sure you never suffer unless I'm the one causing it." Her eyes stayed looking to the right, and then they slowly slid back to lock with his. She was smiling, like she was happy as well.

"Very well." She took a deep breath, body tensing, eyes still on his. "NOW!" Tansei barely had time to think before something slammed into him, knocking him off Kohaku. He was up in a moment, and what he saw caused his eyes to widen. Kurai was standing over his sister, kunai out and his eyes full of hate.

"I told you back then that it wasn't over. Now I'll do what I should've done back then. You will not leave here alive, Tansei."

"I owe you for disturbing me that time too, Kurai," he replied, nodding. "Now we'll see who's truly better."

---

"What did you want to talk about?" Kurai asked as he straightened his shirt. For some reason he always felt self-conscious around the blonde.

"I heard about your sister nearly killing Senjo the other night. A shame really, considering how Kohaku goes easy on her."

"She's still my teammate," he replied, voice flat. This wasn't the first time she'd made fun of Senjo, and the recent habit was beginning to annoy him "Kohaku trains with her to improve our team. Maybe yours should try it for the next Chuunin exam."

"What makes you think we'll need to wait?"

"Because my team is going this time. For all your complaining about my sister and Senjo, at least they're useful on missions."

"We should have been together, and have Kuro with them." He smirked, shaking his head and laughing.

"That would've been a disaster, and you know it. I would've had to beat Tansei on every mission because he more than likely wouldn't accept my leadership. As for Kuro, I'm sure Kohaku would've kicked his ass any time he even so much as looked at Senjo wrong. She's very protective of her."

"What makes you think he didn't touch her the other night? Kuro looks like he'd been jumped by a squad of shinobi."

"Maybe he started training with Tansei and it got out of hand. He's not stupid enough to antagonize my sister, or me."

"You? Why would you hurt him?" Again he smirked, leaning against the house and folding his arms across his chest.

"Anyone who would hurt our chances of going to the Chuunin exam will have to answer to me. Kuro's not the brightest, but he knows when he's outmatched." Makoto smiled at this, and he wondered what she suddenly found so amusing.

"Unlike you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"There's another reason I asked to meet you tonight. See Kurai, I've found someone to replace you."

"Excuse me? What do you mean replace me?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. I've found someone else. Someone much better suited for me."

"That bitch!" Senjo screamed, staring with her jaw slightly open. She couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. Makoto had never struck her as completely sincere, but didn't she love Kurai? Hadn't she promised-

"Someone else? What nonsense are you spouting?" Kurai demanded. "If you're trying to make me jealous, Makoto, it won't work."

"I don't care if you're jealous or not, I'm simply telling you the truth." He looked angry and hurt at the same time, and her smile only widened. "Now don't feel too bad, Kurai. It was bound to happen, we both know it."

"No I didn't! So all that time you said you cared about me, all those times you hugged and kissed me, was all for nothing? What about the promise you made to me? To always be there for me no matter what?"

"You actually thought I was serious? We're not children any more, Kurai, regardless of how old we are. I said those words because I knew it's what you wanted to hear. I've always been good at telling people what they want to hear."

"It's true," Kuro agreed. "Makoto has a silver tongue that no one's been able to match. Even Orochimaru-sama was impressed with how easily she can manipulate people."

"That's not what we're supposed to be about," Senjo shot back.

"Really? Sometimes ninja have to lie, and I've heard that it gets easier with every lie you tell. Come on Senjo, you can't stand there and expect me to believe that you always tell the truth? As the daughter of the village interrogator, I know you were taught how to find others' weaknesses and exploit them. And the best way to do that is to lie. Now be a good girl and watch the rest. I find this next part very entertaining."

"Who is it, Makoto? Who made you break your promise to me? Tansei? Kuro? Someone else from class?" Kurai was barely holding back his anger, fists clenched tightly at his side.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she replied with a smirk. "Unfortunately, I don't want to spoil the surprise. You'll find out soon enough, Kurai."

"Damnit, you promised me!" He made to grab her shoulders, but she held a kunai out and made a stab towards him, which he dodged.

"I made an alliance with you, nothing more. Now I've found a better alliance, and it's time to cut my losses. Does this really bother you? How good of a shinobi will you be if you can't part ways easily? Death is a much more permanent seperation." His eyes narrowed, and he turned away.

"Get out of my sight!" he yelled.

"Gladly." When she was around the corner though, she looked back at him, only to smile as he sank to his knees.

"You promised me, Makoto. You promised me." He wiped his arm across his face, and came away with tearstains.

"Kurai-kun," Senjo whispered, her hands falling to her side. "You're crying. You're crying for her."

"Has he ever cried for you?" Kuro whispered in her ear. "Has he ever shown this much emotion towards you for any reason?" The memory faded away, and Senjo kept staring into the gray cloud around her, wanting so much to hold Kurai and tell him it would all be okay. Kuro waved his hand again, and this time her eyes widened as she saw herself walking towards the cliffs near the village. "I remember the night you cried. Do you remember it?"

"Stop it," she said, voice far too soft.

"All I wanted to do was talk, but you didn't want to listen. So, I had to make you listen."

"Stop it," she repeated, a little louder.

"I hadn't wanted to hurt you, but you were treating me so poorly, Senjo. I knew that I had to do something to make you see how much you were hurting me. And that's when I-"

"Stop it!" she screamed, hands over her ears.

"I'll make you listen this time," he continued, smiling.

---

The two boys eyed each other, and Kurai caught sight of Kohaku's vest lying a few feet away. "What did you do to her?" he demanded.

"Aside from almost getting what I want, nothing," Tansei replied with a smirk. "She's a crafty ninja," he admitted after a moment, turning his head to show the burns. "So, what did you do to Makoto?"

"I killed her, which is what I'm going to do to you."

"Shouldn't you be off saving Senjo? Kuro's out there, you know. Wouldn't want him to get his kicks in before delivering her to Orochimaru-sama."

"Are you trying to get rid of me, Tansei?" Kurai asked with a smile. "That would be better for you, wouldn't it? After all, last time I kicked your ass when you hurt Kohaku. But if you leave now, I'll wait five minutes before running you down."

"I'm not the same weak child I was, Kurai. With this seal, I am nearly invincible. You've just been lucky enough to catch me off-guard both times."

"Really? Then why was my team chosen for the Chuunin exam? Why were my marks always higher than yours? Why was I the best ninjutsu and taijutsu user in the class? Catching you off-guard is one thing, but from where I stand, you will always be second-best." Tansei's hands curled into fists, and he narrowed his eyes as the smirk disappeared. "Face it, you need that seal to beat me, and even then it won't do you any good. I've already beaten Makoto and a clone of myself, so what do I have to fear from you?"

"Kurai, don't antagonize him," Kohaku warned, testing her limbs to see if they worked. She could raise herself on her arms, but the lower half of her body was still tingling and unresponsive. "He's got a new technique that-"

"That won't matter. You just rest for a while, Kohaku. I'll handle this." The smirk was back on Tansei's face a moment later, and he chuckled.

"You know, I'd listen to her. Kohaku's seen what I can do."

"Enough talk. Let's go!" Kurai charged, kunai out. But Tansei shrugged and whistled two notes. His charge halted, Kurai fell flat as his legs stiffened and refused to work. "What the hell?"

"My new technique," the Sound ninja said as he walked over and bent down. "I can make you do whatever I want."

"Like hell you can!" Standing up, Tansei whistled another note, and Kurai felt his shoulder begin to ache where the kunai had caught him. He fought back the pain as he tried to move, but a low note caused his arms to go dead, and the blade slipped from his grasp.

"As I told Kohaku, I can make you feel or not feel as I choose. Memories of past pain can be revisited, and I could even turn you two into puppets and make you destroy one another."

"Then why don't you?" His words like ice, Kurai glared up at the other boy, wanting nothing more that to drive a kunai through his heart.

"Because that would put me in a very bad situation. See, we were instructed to bring back one or two shinobi for experimentation. You are expendable, but we need the girls. After all, they have the techniques and the bloodline. And as an added bonus, they can breed with other ninja." Now Kurai fought the muscle-numbing power with everything he had. He heard a crack, and pain blossomed in his shoulder, but it was new pain. The patch of rock he'd used to make himself appear unhurt had broken, and blood began seeping into his shirt and vest again. "Well, it looks like you were hiding something. Still trying to act tough?"

"Who's acting?" He felt a tingling in his legs, but knew it wouldn't be enough. Letting go his concentration, he allowed the patch on his leg to crumble, and the pain helped him focus. A kunai was suddenly at his throat, and he looked to see Tansei over him, smile firmly in place.

"I can't have you ruining my fun again, Kurai. But don't worry, I'll take good care of Kohaku, and I'll even make sure than Kuro doesn't beat Senjo too badly. We can't have him damaging her ability to read minds for our village."

"I'm not done yet," Kurai whispered, feeling his arms begin twitching.

"Actually, you are. Looks like I win this time."

"Tansei, stop!" Kohaku yelled from her position on the ground.

"Why should I? Kurai was the only obstacle I needed to surpass, and I never could until now! I have to do this, Kohaku. You don't need your brother, do you? How much pain and misery has he brought you? Always wanting to be the best and challenge Gaara someday. And your family always gives him the recognition, don't they? How much attention to they pay you, or Daichi for that matter? You are nothing in their eyes when compared with Kurai. Let me eliminate him for you, and then all their worry and thoughts will be of you."

"Don't do this," she begged. "I never cared about any of that-" He turned to face her, moving the blade away from Kurai.

"You're a poor liar, Kohaku. I know it bothered you that your brother was always the one everyone had their hopes pinned on. Your family, our classmates, even some of the village. He's the heir to the Hajino bloodline, and you are just second- No, third best because of your younger brother. Can you honestly look me in the eyes and tell me you don't want him dead?" Kurai struggled, but Tansei clicked his tongue, and the paralysis became stronger. Kohaku took a deep breath, staring at her brother for a moment before shifting her eyes to Tansei's face. She still remembered the night he hurt her, the night he would've killed her if it hadn't been for her brother and best friend. How those two had helped her recover the mobility in her arms, and had pushed her to work harder than she had before the attack. They were a team, no matter what Kurai thought.

"If you touch him, you will beg me to kill you by the time I'm done breaking you." She narrowed her eyes, and her voice was the same icy tone that Kurai's had been. Neither boy had ever seen her like this, and Tansei recoiled a bit as he looked at her. But she was still immoblized by his earlier tehnique, and he would need to keep all his chakra focused on Kurai to keep the other boy down. It was a risky move, but he was the more dangerous of the two at this point.

"Say your goodbyes, Hajinos," he said, bringing the kunai against Kurai's throat once more. Movement from the corner of his eye made him turn, and Kohaku barrelled into him, trying to knock the blade from his hand.

"I said don't touch him!" she screamed as the kunai came up on instinct and lodged in her chest. They landed with her on top, face only inches from his as he watched her eyes widen.

"KOHAKU!" Kurai screamed, moving his shoulder and feeling the pain reawaken his deadened nerves.

"Time to break, Tansei," she whispered as he started to smile. But a moment later the smile turned to shock as she dissolved into fire, and he felt his mouth and throat burn as the clone seemed to pour itself into him as he tried not to scream. The real Kohaku was in front of him now, pulling Kurai to his feet and away from the flailing ninja. The flames seemed to stick to his skin, and he felt it blistering and cracking beneath the heat. When the fire was out, he stood and glared at them, and opened his mouth to say something. But no sound issued from his charred lips, and only blood seeped from the cracking skin. A silent scream issued from his damaged throat as he gingerly wrapped his hands around it.

"How did you get free?" Kurai asked, staring at his sister.

"He laces chakra into the air around him, which helps make the instant reaction to his whistling. All that talking he was doing had another purpose, but I just didn't realize it until you showed up. It is the sound that does most of the work, but he needs to concentrate on his chakra to maintain the effect. While he was busy with you, I was able to move and make my duplicates." The other clone came to stand by the twins, and it handed Kohaku her staff. "We attack him together, Kurai. Even deprived of sound, he's still powerful."

"Then let's finish this."

---

Senjo knew this was the final straw. Kuro was going to show her the night she had been the weakest, when she had almost lost one of her most precious possessions. She had to hold her emotions back, like Kurai did. If he managed to break her now, there was no way she could recover.

Senjo let out a small yell and whirled around, hand balled into a fist ready to swing. The person holding her arm let go and barely dodged the attack, holding their hands up in defense. "Hey! Calm down it's just me." Senjo sighed and shook her head.

"Damn it, Kuro. Don't sneak up on me like that!" She glared at him.

"Sorry, I called your name but you didn't answer." Senjo shrugged and turned back around continuing on her way. Kuro followed her like a lost puppy. "Senjo, can we please talk? I've had a lot of time to think since we became Genins and I really wish you'd hear me out." Senjo sighed, he sounded so pathetic. When she didn't say no or make any type of response, Kuro went on. "I know I was a jerk and treated you horribly, but you have to believe me when I say I've changed. I always thought you'd be around and I took it for granted and I always let my temper get the best of me and took everything out on you and I'm sorry." Senjo stopped walking only when they reached the spot Kohaku and she had agreed to meet at. She turned and looked at him.
"You always said you were sorry. You always apologized, said it would never happen again, and not even ten seconds later, something would set you off and I became your punching bag." She could see the anger in his eyes, but she was sure with all of her training recently she could handle herself, and the fact that Kohaku should be arriving soon helped.

"Senjo please, just give me another chance to prove I've changed. I know I hurt you and I want to make it up to you. I love you, Senjo. I didn't realize it till I lost you, and these past months have been killing me without you." He took a step towards her, but Senjo held her ground, shaking her head.

"You didn't change at all!" she screamed as Kuro turned with a smirk on his face.

"Maybe if you hadn't kept insulting me everytime I saw you, it might not have ended the way it did. Makoto was right: You only care about yourself. Ever since you began hanging out with Kohaku, you changed."

"I got stronger, and she helped me! You liked me weak because it made it easier to kick me around."

"You don't know what love is, Kuro. All you ever did was use me to get the things you wanted. I even betrayed my family by teaching you our technique. A technique, while not a bloodline limit, was only supposed to be taught to members of my mother's family. I put everything on the line for you and you thanked me by beating me on a daily basis because something didn't go your way."

"Senjo-chan." He reached out to touch her face but his hand was slapped away.

"Don't touch me! Don't ever touch me again." Senjo bit back the tears of frustration that threatened to spring forth. There was no way she was going to let him see her cry every again. "I hate you, Kuro! I hate you more than the Hajino clan hates Gaara! You're nothing but a selfish, spoiled brat who wants nothing but control and power over every person or thing in his life." Kuro growled and glared at her, his hands balling into fists.

"Senjo, it would be wise for you to listen to me and give me another chance." His voice was low and threatening. Senjo rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"And why is that? So I can go back to being your punching bag when things go wrong?" Kuro smirked and moved directly in front of her; barely an inch of space separated them.

"Because I know that things you did, I know the lies you told, the things you've stolen, the things you've done that could get you kicked out of the Village of Sand and disgrace your family."

"Resorting to black mail now, Kuro? Honestly, who do you think the village would believe? The daughter of the Village Interrogator or the heir to the Toshiro clan, a clan that has been disgraced more than once in its history and by the first born son no less." Senjo grinned to herself. She knew Kuro had nothing he could hold over her that anyone would believe. When he didn't respond the red head turned away from him, folding her arms over her chest. "Just leave, Kuro. I have nothing else to say to you." The silence that followed bothered her and sent a small chill up her spine.

"You never could just shut-up and listen to me, could you?" Kuro demanded as he grabbed her arm.

"Let go!" Senjo pulled away, terror in her eyes. If he tried to force himself on her, there would be no way to fight him off. He was stronger than her to begin with, and that seal only increased his strength. But he'd been constantly keeping her in a genjutsu, so his chakra must be getting low. Was that why he was showing her this? In the hope that if he broke her she would be no further trouble? She needed to remain calm, no matter what happened, and no matter what emotions tried to resurface. The memories couldn't be changed, but her attitude towards them could.

Senjo turned just in time to see the fist coming towards her face. The impact sent her stumbling backwards. Before she could regain her balance, Kuro struck again knocking her to the ground. Senjo grunted as she hit the ground face first holding her stomach and curling into a ball, gasping for breath. Before she could recover, she saw Kuro's leg rearing back and his foot coming towards her. Senjo closed her eyes tight, grunting and yelping every time his foot connected with her body, knocking more and more wind from her. Senjo whimpered, clenching her teeth tightly together, fighting for the air that left her body. She wasn't sure how long ago Kuro had stopped kicking her. When she finally regained enough composure to turn her head to look at him he was standing over her, muttering to his self and pacing back and forth, growling and kicking at the sand. The frightened red head was sure he had finally lost it and knew she had to get away and find Kohaku. Gathering herself, she forced herself into a sitting position.

"Who told you to move!" Before Senjo could register what happened she was flat on her back with Kuro sitting on her waist, his hands gripping her hair and slamming her head repeatedly into the ground. Her vision became blurry and her head was throbbing. Kuro stopped his assault on her head and glared down at her before gripping her shirt. "I'm going to teach you a lesson that you should have never forgotten, Senjo." With a twisted smile he yanked his hand back, tearing her shirt from her body and tossing the tattered remains behind him. Senjo let out a small scream and quickly brought her hands up to cover her exposed chest. Kuro snarled and backhanded her, grabbing her left arm and twisting it until there was a satisfying pop and a cracking noise. Senjo let out another scream earning herself another slap to the face. With out thinking, she reached up with right arm and clawed at Kuro's face with her nails. He snarled again and punched her chest, once again knocking the wind and the fight from her. Senjo struggled weakly under Kuro who continued to punch her chest, stomach and face repeatedly. Growing tired of her resistance, Kuro finally grabbed her right wrist and forced her arm down, kneeling on her hand to keep the arm at her side. "It would do you good just to lay back and accept what's going to happen, Senjo." His hands were traveling down her body towards her shorts. Senjo whimpered again and closed her eyes tightly. Slowly, as if to humiliate her more, he worked down the zipper and popped off the button keeping them closed. "There's no one to help you this time."

"Kohaku did come to help me though." Kuro was behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Senjo repressed a shiver, fighting to remain in control of her emotions. She had to break out of his world and help her team.

"But she's not coming now. Tansei said he was going to have fun torturing her. He does that now, you know. But he doesn't want information, like your mother. He wants to hear people scream like Kohaku did that day, but they never do."

"He's going to kill her?"

"No, he's going to make her suffer. And when we get back to the village, I'll be able to get my own kicks in, just like Makoto promised."

"What?"

"She's the real leader of our team. Tansei's too full of himself, and I don't care enough. Now that I have you back, everything's going to finally be all right."

"That's all you want? Me?" He brought his lips against her cheek and kissed her. This time the shiver that traveled up her spine was warm and tingly. It reminded her of spending time with Kurai... Or how she had felt about Kuro years ago.

"I only want you, Senjo. I need you, just like you need me. You're nothing without me."

"Maybe... I did always look up to you."

"Of course you did. You used to always want me around, until you started hanging out with Kohaku. And where has that gotten you?"

"Back with you," she sighed, leaning into him. He seemed startled, but she placed her hands over his and smiled. "So you never stopped thinking about me? You must've been so lonely."

"I was. But that's over now." He closed his eyes, and the memory disappeared. She could feel his chakra fading, and knew he was through with the illusions.

"So when we go home, will I get to meet Orochimaru?"

"Not right away, but eventually you will. He'll like you, Senjo. Your abilities will come in very handy. Even with what you taught me, you were always better at the mind-reading and genjutsu." A feeling of pride settled on Senjo, and she smiled brighter.

"Really? That's sweet of you to say, Kuro-kun."

"You haven't called me that in a while." She turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck as his circled her waist.

"I know, and I'm sorry I said all those horrible things to you back then. But I want to make it up to you." She stood on her toes and kissed him. Kuro's eyes widened for a moment, but then he relaxed and lost himself to the kiss, holding her tighter. When they broke apart, his eyes were closed, and Senjo was smiling. "You know Kuro, there's something I always wanted to do with you," she whispered in his ear.

"What's that?" he asked, sighing happily.

"THIS!" Her knee connected with his groin faster than he could react, and the air left his lungs as pain blossomed between his legs. His arms dropped as he tried to cover the small area, and Senjo stepped back, fists up. "I've wanted to pay you back for everything you ever put me through." Her right hand connected with his chest, and he toppled over. "You always treated me like I was worthless!" Her left leg hit his gut, and the air he'd just gotten back once more escaped. "Nothing I ever did for you or showed you was good enough!" Right leg now kicked his side, rolling him onto his back. "I gave you almost everything I had, and then you tried to take me by force!" She hauled him to his feet, backhanding him once he was up. "I hated you then, and I hate you still!" A viscious left hook dropped him to the ground again, and she kicked him repeatedly. "Don't ever touch me again!"

"Senjo-chan-" he tried to say through his split lip, but she punched him in the face again, and then continued to hit his face and chest.

"Never again will you hurt me. Never again will I have to worry about you coming back." He stared up at her, eyes wide. The seal pulsed oddly beneath the already-forming bruises, but Senjo payed it little mind as she formed seals and grinned. "My name is Tanamari Senjo, Chuunin of the Hidden Village of Sand. Toshiro Kuro, you were declared a missing-nin, and it is my duty to ensure that any secrets you carry are not revealed any further. Now prepare for my world: One you will not escape. Ninpou: Seiryoku akuma (Forced Nightmare Technique)." Her hands were on his temples, eyes on fire, and then Kuro fell into darkness.

---

Kurai felt strength returning to his limbs as he looked from Tansei to his sister. She was glaring at the Sound ninja, staff ready and eyes narrowed. The clone was in a fighting stance, but Kohaku motioned at the trees and the copy obeyed. "If we fail, she'll finish Tansei off."

"Kohaku, look at him," he started to argue, motioning towards their burned opponent. "He's-"

"Still a threat. I only took his advantage, so we're all even now. We're hurt, he's hurt, and everyone's running low on chakra. We get one shot at this, Kurai. Follow my commands, and don't waste any chakra trying to outdo me or attempting something flashy. Pride has no place in a mission."

"I'm beginning to see that." Tansei had frozen in place after the fire attack, eyes shifting quickly between the twins. His sure-kill technique was unusable, and he had two mobile enemies to deal with. Now his only hope was to find Kuro and pray that he'd managed to take Senjo prisoner. Rasping out a quick breath, he bolted for the woods.

"Stop him!" Kohaku yelled as Kurai charged forward and caught Tansei's legs, bringing both of them crashing to the ground. Kicking hard, the Sound ninja caught his opponent in the jaw, but felt a tap on his head. Kohaku was above him, one of the staff's blades pointed right at him. "I don't think so." But he rolled suddenly, spinning out of Kurai's grip and away from the weapon. Getting to his feet, Tansei knew he had to either make a stand against them, or try to injure one of them badly enough to even the odds. Kurai was getting to his feet, blood running down his left arm and right leg from the injuries he'd tried to hide. Kohaku was tired and bruised, but she was mostly intact. Kurai would have to be his target, and he needed to make every strike count. But the moment he shifted his balance to move, Kohaku saw it and stood in front of Kurai, staff up.

"What are you-" he began to ask.

"We need to hide for a bit. Can you handle a dust storm?" He nodded, and Kohaku stepped to his side as he formed the seals and took a deep breath, hooking his arm with her staff. "Now!"

"Fuuton: Chiri gufuu (Air Element: Dust Tornado)." The wind swirled around them, choking the air with dirt and dust. Tansei began coughing, and he lost sight of the twins amid the debris. He thought he heard something through the wind, and the ground shook slightly. Suddenly the wind stopped, and the dust quickly disipated. Kurai and Kohaku were now only five feet away, but they were standing by a wall of rock. With a slight gasp, Tansei saw that the rock wall extended around to a foot or so behind him, and the sky was almost blocked where it created a domed ceiling. He was trapped, but Kurai swayed on his feet momentarily, and Kohaku didn't seem to notice. More than likely her brother was going to pass out before her plan could be put into action, but he got into a defensive stance all the same.

"One shot. One chance to make this right," Kohaku whispered as she whistled a shrill note. Tansei cringed as his eardrum vibrated painfully, and then he saw the clone jump through the narrow opening over his head and land next to her orignal. "Kurai, hold him in place!"

"No problem," he said, taking another deep breath and forming the succession of seals. Tansei recognized the attack too late and knew he would never dodge it. "Fuuton: Sakashima senpuu (Air Element: Reverse Whirlwind)!" As he was bent to the ground by the pressure, Tansei saw Kohaku form seals of her own, and this attack he knew as well.

"Katon: Bouseki hoi-ru no jutsu! (Fire Element: Spinning Wheel Attack)" The flame wheel spun towards him, and then met with the whirlwind. Flames exploded around him, and he was at the center of the inferno. He saw Kohaku through the blaze, eyes centered on him. "Let me hear you scream!" she shouted as the clone jumped into the fire and wrapped itself around him before exploding. A scream like a choked animal issued from his throat, and then he was alone as the walls began closing in on him. Burning alive, barely able to see or feel anything but pain, Tansei continued to scream. Outside, Kohaku and Kurai were shrinking the rock dome, and both could feel the intense heat that was only a foot away inside the rock. Finally they had reduced the dome to an egg shape about four feet high, and Kurai took his hand off and slumped against it. Kohaku continued to stare at the prison they'd made for a few minutes.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't hear him anymore," she said after a moment of silence. "He was screaming for a little while, but now he isn't."

"He's dead, Kohaku." She looked over at him, frowning slightly.

"I know. He was right, though. The screams of your worst enemy make the most beautiful music." Kurai's eyes widened as he stared at her, trying to find something in her face that told him she was kidding. But Kohaku's face remained blank as she ran her hand down the surface of the prison. "Senjo's still out there." He was on his feet a moment later, but then the fatigue and pain seemed to hit him all at once, and Kurai toppled to the ground and passed out. Kohaku was by his side a moment later, flipping him over and staunching the flow of blood as best she could. "Senjo will be fine. She's a ninja of the Sand, just like us."

---

Kankuro was following the med-nins from Konoha back to the village when he spotted Senjo and someone else in a clearing. "That's one from our other team!" he called out. "She's got someone with her." Dropping down, he and one of the Konoha ninjas stopped while the other kept going with Kiba and his dog. "Senjo!" he called, allowing Karasu to follow him.

"Kankuro!" she answered, running over. The other person was on the ground, curled on his side, unmoving.

"What happened?" She glanced back at the other person, then shrugged.

"I ran into one of our missing-nins. I'm not hurt, but I could use some help getting him back to Konoha before we transport him home." The med-nin nodded and bent to examine the other ninja.

"He seems to be heavily bruised, and is unresponsive."

"I expected that," Senjo said with a sigh. "We'll have to carry him."

"I can put him in Kuroari. That is, if he doesn't mind a little blood and a body as company," Kankuro said with a wicked grin. The puppet landed next to him, and Senjo took note of the bloodstains on the outside of it. She was betting the body inside was little more than a lump of flesh with a head.

"Where his mind is right now, he wouldn't notice if we turned him into one of your puppets," she replied with a matching grin.

"That an offer?" A moment later Kankuro's eyes widened as he saw who the missing-nin was. "Kuro? What was he doing here?"

"Under orders from Orochimaru, as was the rest of his team. More than likely we'll find them with Kurai and Kohaku." Loading Kuro into the interior of the larger puppet wasn't easy, but at least he didn't move at all. Senjo held back, not wanting to touch him or see what the condition the other body was in.

"So I take it you didn't find the Uchiha boy?" the puppet master asked.

"No. Kuro distracted me longer than I intended. How about you?"

"Took care of someone who was after one of the Leaf Genins. No big deal for Karasu and Kuroari."

"I guess not. Maybe the others have had better luck."

"We'll see them in Konoha, I'm sure."

"I'm sure." Just then, a rustling in the bushes drew their attention, and the med-nin drew a kunai. Kankuro moved Karasu into a defensive position, but Senjo stood and held her hand out to halt them. She recognized the chakra pattern, but wanted to double-check herself. When a dirt-clone walked into the clearing, falling apart as it went, she walked to it. It was crude version of Kurai, but it had his chakra in it, and she nodded. "I'm okay," she told it. It nodded, turned, and dissolved into a pile of debris. A soft gasp escaped her lips as she ran and scooped up a pile of dirt. Where there had been chakra a moment ago, now there was nothing.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Kankuro asked.

"I… I don't know. Kurai must've made that clone in a hurry."

"We'd better get back to the village," the med-nin told them, jumping back into the trees.

"Let's go, Senjo."

"I'm coming. I'll be right behind you." Looking back at the dirt pile, Senjo felt a chill race up her spine. "You better be all right, Kurai."