Part Two:

Chapter Twelve: Reunited

"Reiko's illness is beyond our treatment now," the medic-nin said.

Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and looked away, breathing in deeply. This is it. This is rock bottom. For a few days now, Rei had done nothing more than just sleep. Sleeping fought off most of her symptoms – but what type of life was that? What would he do if Rei were to die – his first student? And how would the rest of his team react – especially Sasuke? She couldn't die. He wouldn't allow it.

"There's nothing left you can do?"

Yuri shook her head, but she wasn't defeated. "We can handle any recurring symptom of course and some of the pain…but understand, Rei's future as a kunoichi isn't bright. She can go on missions, but it's almost guaranteed that she would fall ill halfway through."

Kakashi nodded. He wanted to protect Rei at all cost, even if it meant taking her out of the ninja field completely. Whatever it took. If she were to die…

No, not another one.

"I'll tell her the news," Kakashi offered, turning away. But Yuri gave him a dry, sad laugh.

"It's hardly news," the medic-nin said with a tired smile, "she knew it was coming, eventually."

0-0

"Hey Kakashi-sensei!" Rei waved at her sensei enthusiastically as she got up from the bed. She vaguely reminded him of an amputated puppy trying to play fetch. "Look at what I discovered!" She announced proudly and started making hand signs. Then a blast of coldness shot through the room and he shivered as he felt a distinctly cold chakra surround him and upon closer observation, he saw a thinnest layer of frost clinging onto him - one that broke and melted off the moment he moved. Still, he smiled.

Such a waste of talent. "That's impressive, Rei. Good job. You're progressing really well." She needed all the recognition he could give for her kekkei genkai. She beamed up at him. But this was a problem. How could he break her spirit now? Not when she was looking up at him with such eager, brown eyes. Like Rin's. He sighed. Not today.

"I think that Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura are done the second part of the exams. We should go meet them."

0-0

"Creepy place to hold the thing," Rei observed as she jumped towards the arena in the centre of the scanned through the crowd – not seeing Shigure there – and finally, she spotted her squad. Sasuke's eyes moved to her immediately and watched as a huge smile spread across her face.

Remembering about the kiss, Sasuke almost blushed – almost, but didn't– when she raced towards him…but not really. Not him, but the squad. She threw her arms around the three of them and squeezed them tightly. Naruto laughed loudly. "Hey, you're okay!" he shouted happily, grabbing Rei and hugging her so tight he lifted her off the ground. Rei laughed as he set her back down. Sakura just smiled at the girl, her eyes softening with the sting of tears. So much had happened since the girl had seen her fellow kunoichi, and she didn't realize how much she missed Rei until now.

As for Sasuke, he was wondering why the hell Naruto touched Rei like that and why Rei wasn't paying a lot of attention to him. More so, he couldn't fathom why she was in such an annoyingly good mood for someone who had to wait another half year for the chunin exams. It was his arrogant and superiority side speaking, but he didn't sulk… too obviously. After what seem like forever, she finally turned to him, looking at him curiously, but then in a second, she was smiling again. "You look like hell, Sasuke."

His eyes narrowed at her, as he scoffed a "whatever". Her smile became more personal this time she wrapped her arm around his. "Oh come on, I'm just kidding. I expected the worse without me hanging around," she said teasingly, holding his arm tight. Just as quick as her bliss appeared, it disappeared as she looked at him oddly, pulling away. "Is something wrong?"

Sakura reacted just slightly, but Rei caught it and immediately knew that something happened during the exam. "It's nothing," he said quickly, darkly. She frowned and opened her mouth to say something when the Hokage arrived. "You're going to talk to me later," she told him, leaning in to whisper in his ear and then she vanished up to the balconies as the ceremony began.

She watched them carefully as Anko, the Hokage and Kakashi seem to argue over something. And then Sasuke reached for his shoulder and Sakura started sobbing. Suddenly...she felt like she wasn't a part of the group. One event, and now everything felt distanced. She had felt so happy seconds ago with her arms around Team Kakashi and now she felt miles away. Her fingers dug into the metal railings, and Rei turned to leave – until she heard Sasuke's name being called. Stopping, she internally fought her interest in the battle and the feeling of alienation but decided on the prior. After this battle, I'll leave them.

But there was something…different. He was skilled as ever, but it was as if he had a surge of new power. She looked up across from her and saw Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi all watching the fight closely. Eventually Kakashi noticed and nodded just slightly to the other girl. It was confirmed. Something definitely happened. Then she saw it – a glimpse of a black mark at the edge of his neck. After Sasuke's barrage and victory, Rei forced herself to leave behind the feeling of recluse and joined her teammate and sensei on the battle ground.

"Okay, you're coming with me," Kakashi said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. Rei walked towards the two, watching carefully, unsmiling and through narrowed eyes. Despite Sasuke's complaining, he followed his sensei and Rei, silently, found her spot next to Sasuke.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" she asked quietly, her voice strained.

"Nothing hap –"

"You're a liar," she said quickly. "As if I didn't notice that mark on your shoulder." His eyes flashed to her and he sighed. She continued, but her voice was flat and lifeless. "There's no use trying to hide anything from me."

"I know."

0-0

Rei was waiting outside when Kakashi took Sasuke to a large room. When she heard him yell through the walls, she had to dig her nails into her palm, restraining her urge to run in there – until she felt a strange surge of chakra. Someone else was in there. She ran inside, but it was a large room. By the time she arrived in the center and saw Sasuke lying on the ground, Kakashi was facing the other way, shaking.

"Ka-Kakashi-sensei?"

Slowly, he turned around. He had to cover his fear for Rei's sake but his too-wide eyes met her worried ones unsteadily anyway. "We should get him to the infirmary." Suspicious but obedient, she nodded as she looked down on the Uchiha with the curse mark clear on his body. She bit her lip worriedly. Please be okay, Sasuke.

0-0

The next morning, Rei was still with him, sitting on a chair in a room surrounded by ANBU members when she heard a commotion outside. A white haired ninja walked in and she immediately recognized him as the one from the written exams. She glared, and stood up slowly.

There was no use of talking, his intent was clear. She wasn't like Naruto who gave out threats, she just reacted. Coming at him quickly, she attacked his arm with her chakra, freezing him momentarily. "Who are you?" she demanded and twisted to kick him across his face. She had seen him around in the hospital before as well, but there was no way he was on their side.

He glared at her, grunting and holding his arm. "My name doesn't matter to those who are going to die." Using the same technique she used on him – the chakra scalpel – he aimed for her pressure points but she formed a physical sheath of ice beneath the layer of chakra – but it wasn't good enough. Stab after stab, they managed to dodge each other's shot but she tired easily and her speed dropped. I have no chance of winning. And she saw it slowly as it happened - he was diving in, his arm strong and smoothly underneath her -

She shouted and turned around, feeling a blade at her neck but in the same time, a kunai went flying towards his hand and Rei fled, jumping away and getting into defence position in front of Sasuke.

"Well, well, Kakashi."

She looked up, panting as the man faced off with her sensei with a grin on his face, but undoubtedly with shaky breath as well. "Are you ready to take me on? Next time, you should station at least ten guards. Only this brat seemed to stop me...for a while." Kabuto smirked, amused but before any serious fight broke out, Kabuto had escaped.

"Kakashi," out of breath and a hand on her rib, smothering out a cramp - out of all times - she continued, "just what exactly did Sasuke get himself a part of?"

He hesitated which sent her nerves racing. But calmly, he said, "Don't worry for Sasuke now, Rei. We need to get you a doctor – you shouldn't be pushing yourself like this." Despite his obvious concern for her, the fact still remained that Kabuto eliminated several ANBU guards but Rei – a genin, a sick one at that – managed to hold her own against him. He leaned over the window, searching.

But Kabuto was hidden, smiling down at the strands he managed to cut.