The thick, dank air closed in on Sakana as she and her team stepped into the Forest of Death. As they made their way further in, it wasn't long until the four of them were surrounded by near darkness. She chose to go a little slower than her teammates, wanting to keep an eye out for other squads or anything else that might prove menacing. The forest gave off a heavy, foreboding aura, as if something bad were going to happen any second. Then again, it wasn't called the Forest of Death for nothing, was it?

"Hey slowpoke, hurry up or we'll leave you behind!" Kankuro shouted back at her, even though she was only about two feet in back of them.

Sakana rolled her eyes and closed the distance a little. A half hour went by and still nothing had happened. Suddenly a male's scream reverberated through the ancient trees and a female one followed shortly after. She saw Temari and Kankuro look warily around them, but Gaara kept moving as if he hadn't even heard. Behind them a twig snapped. Already on edge, Sakana spun quickly throwing two shuriken in the direction of the noise, but they only thudded harmlessly against a nearby tree. Here eyes darted expertly around the area, searching for the source of her trepidation.

"What is it, Sakana-san?" Gaara asked, coming to stand beside her; Kankuro and Temari were close behind.

"I thought I heard something… but I guess it was nothing," she replied, hiding her apprehension as she turned to face them.

Suddenly her vision swam and she saw a white face with extremely sharp canines racing towards her. The same male scream rang out again, as pain jolted through her body. She screamed, her voice melding with the other as she grabbed reflexively at the left side of her neck.

"Sakana-chan!" Temari cried out, shocked.

Wave after wave of agonizing, gut-wrenching pain swept through her body, unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Sakana started to fall, but as she gave in to the consuming darkness someone caught her and she gratefully fell into their arms, unconscious.

Gaara's POV

When Sakana started to fall he caught her, moving deftly down to the forest's ground level with her limp body cradled in his arms. Gaara laid his teammate carefully on the forest floor as his two siblings joined him. Temari gently moved Sakana's hand away from her neck and gasped. Hidden there was a pale, circular marking unlike anything any of them had seen, seared into her skin like an old scar or burn. Gaara was certain Sakana hadn't had it before, but what could have caused it?

"What are we going to do?" Temari said turning to him.

Silently, he uncorked the gourd on his back and carefully maneuvered enough sand underneath Sakana's unconscious form to lift her safely off the ground. Once it was done, he stood and said, "Let's get going."

FF to the tower, 20 minutes later

Gaara glanced at Sakana's body; she'd been shaking and sweating for the past several minutes with no sign of abatement, and according to Temari her forehead felt like it was on fire. The ninja who had welcomed them to the tower had already gone to get a medic, but it was Baki who arrived first.

"What happened?" he asked when he saw Sakana.

Gaara placed her body on the floor in front of him and their sensei knelt down next to her, feeling first her forehead and then her pulse. While Temari explained what they'd seen, Baki slowly examined the mark on her neck. At that moment a medic appeared who looked vaguely familiar…he thought she might be the same leaf ninja who'd been waving to Sakana before the written exam.

The woman kneeled, purple light slowly radiating from her hands as she moved them methodically over Sakana's body. A troubled look appeared on her face as she reached the strange mark on his teammate's neck. She turned to their sensei and said, "I've managed to lower her fever for the moment, but its rising again as we speak – annoyingly persistent…I haven't seen anything like this before." She then looked at Gaara and his siblings. "I need a detailed and precise description of what happened. Can one of you give me that?"

Temari spoke. "I just told Baki-sensei…"

"I don't want it second-hand," the woman interrupted firmly, ignoring or oblivious to the indignant glare Baki was giving her. "I need to know step by step, detail by detail. Can you do that?" she asked, staring seriously at Temari.

His sister nodded resolutely. "Yes, I can."

"Good." She turned to Baki. "If you could please carry Sakana, I need the both of you to follow me. Once we're in the medical ward and I've heard what her teammate has to say I should be able to make a more thorough diagnosis."

Baki nodded and cautiously lifted Sakana's body up, saying, "You have all done well. Temari, you're with me. Gaara, Kankuro, go get some rest."

They both watched as their sister and their sensei quickly followed the medic out of the forest. Gaara turned away, preparing to teleport onto the roof, but stopped suddenly as a strange feeling clenched his gut. Glancing back in the direction Baki had taken Sakana, he mused over the sensation. It had been a long time since he'd felt true fear, but for some reason he felt it now…