Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto if i did Gaara and Kisame would have a lot more screen time...topless hehe

Ok im so very very sorry for such the long wait but I was at a road block with this chapter but i had help! Good old HimekoUchia came to the rescues! So girly this chapter is for you!

Ch 17. Confusion.

Simple white rose laced in red
romantic mix of purity an love
speaking words that can't be said
simple white rose laced in red
touch her heart let feelings spread
attached on wings of a mourning dove
simple white rose laced in red
romantic mix of purity an love

Katsumi, Ari and Mimi all had the side of their faces pushed together tightly as they read the little note that mysteriously found its way into their laundry basket; Mimi held up a white rose that someone carefully laced with red, while a tiny black lace back was tired to the steam was filled with her favorite candy.

"Heheh, looks like Mimi has a secret admirer!" Air said in a sing song voice.

"N-now who gone and said it was for me?" Mimi glared her cheek stained red.

"Why Mimi your simple white eyes laced in red locks, do." Katsumi bats her lashes, as she pulls back the letters. "Plus it reads 'To my dearest Mimi'."

Snatching back her letter Mimi glares at Kat. "Oh, Mimi it's ok to be embarrassed don't worry, plus Kat just being stupid, imagine if Sasuke sent her a letter she be sputter all over the place." Ari reassure the redhead.

"Tsh, that cockatoo couldn't put feeling on paper even if it was the key to kill Itachi." Kat rolled her eyes not affected.

"Ok, granted what if it was Gaara!" Ari smirked.

Though Kat's cheeks turn super red she kept her cool. "If Gaara start sprout out how much he's in love with me, before his new sexy outfit change, then I'll send his cute ass to the infirmary."

"Yeah right ya have him naked before he could blink." Mimi laughed, along with Ari, while Katsumi just smirked and shrugged hanging up the clothes on the line to dry.

"Have who naked? I hope it's me." Kankuro swaggered his way over to the trio, giving them all a dashing smile, today he wasn't wearing his 'war paint' so he was looking mighty fine.

"No, it's not it was G-" Katsumi slapped her hand over Ari's mouth blushing hard, only to have her shove a pair of silky black boxers on Kats head pushing her away laughing.

"Ahhh!" Kat wails yanking the boxer off her head, glaring at Ari and Kankuro laughing. "Shut up! Kankuro, tell everyone you wear silky boxers!"

Katsumi, glared at them while curing Temari for making team 11 do her and her brothers laundry for knocking over in the hall. "Those are mine." Kankuro chucking as Kat rises a brow.

"There mine." Gaara spoke appearing in a swirl of sand next to him brother.

To say that Katsumi and the other, save Kankuro, were taken back would be a understatement, who would have pegged Gaara to me a silky boxers type, coming up to her Gaara snatched his boxer from her; Katsumi couldn't kept the growing smile off her face as she spoke.

"Hmm, I wouldn't have thought you were the type Gaara." She grinned. "I saw yours, wanna see mine?"

WHAM!

"Gahhh, mother fu—Ahhhh" Katsumi ducks as Mimi and Ari tried to kill her. "I was joking! I was joking! He doesn't even know what I mean!" She pleads pointing to Gaara, who sure enough looked like a lost foreign exchange student, the girl stopped their attacks. "Jeez, I bet you guys didn't even understand the hidden meaning in the first thing I said." She grumbled.

"Tsh, I so knew what, you meant." Ari crossed her arms.

"You so did not know." Kankuro smirked. "If you did you would have jump Kat long time ago."

"Well gosh darn are ya gunna tell us or sit there!" Mimi barked.

Katsumi looked at Gaara who just give her a blank stare. "When most guys wear silk boxer, sometime-

DOUBLE WHAM!

"Holy ball sac!" Katsumi screams holding her head. "Would you people stop hitting me in the damn head? I'm already slow as it is!"

"Well then stop trying to poisons their minds!" Temari braked pulling the two away from Katsumi while Kankuro chokes on his laughter, as Gaara stood emotionless next to her.

"I hope you die." She mutters to Kankuro as she nursed her head, when Gaara spoke.

"So you admit it then."

"Admit what?" She mutter looking at him and that when it happen! Right there on the roof top of the tower, while everyone was busy doing whatever, Katsumi saw it, a smile! Granted it was tiny couldn't even be seen with a microscope but she saw it, the way his eyes shined and the small part of his mouth twitched up, and the best part was that it was only for her.

Smiling Katsumi stepped close to him and lightly whispered in his ear. "You should smile more Gaara-kun, it make you look even cuter." She actually wanted to say sexier but knew that it would just bounce off the pre-teens head. Gosh she couldn't wait for the 'Shippuden' years, then that way she would be close to her actual age, and then she wouldn't feel so much like a cougar for checking out 12 year olds.

Gaara watched the blue hair ninja walk away and he couldn't help the weird sensation that kept happing in his pants every time she got very close to him, then there was the parts where he couldn't stop staring at her chest when she leans over or the fact that her skirt swishes just high enough for him to see the cuffs of her butt, and that just made things turn painful something that never happen before. Shifting uncomfortably Gaara continue to watch Katsumi laugh and play with her team and his siblings, his eyes couldn't help but drop down to her chest that bounced with every move she did, her candy blue hair blowing in the wind some of the locks sticking to her lips made Gaara's pants become tight.

Swiftly turning his back to the group Gaara looked down to see something wrong with his nether region, why was it standing up like that? It never did that before! Gaara felt what he assume was panic was this normal or something that only happen to him because of the demon…Just when he was about to leave in a swirl of sand Katsumi bound up next to him, quickly Gaara moved his sash over the stiff muscle, he felt his heart jump start going 60 miles a minute, all of a sudden he didn't want Katsumi to see him, he wanted to hide!

Sabaku no Gaara wanted to hide! HIDE! What was this damn female doing to him!

"Hey, Gaara stop being a loner come and join the fun!" She yips marching over to him; Gaara quickly blocked her view with his shoulder his back facing her. "Waa, Gaara?" She frowns moving to face him, only to have him duck out her way. "Whoa dude, Gaara?"

"I don't want to be bothered!" He growled. "Now leave me alone!" he jerked away heading towards the door.

Lightly taken back, she glared at his back. "You're not getting off that easily! Get your cute butt back here!" Katsumi roared.

"Ah, young love." Ari and Mimi sighed batting their lashes.

"Tem," Kankuro mutters. "What you thing set off Gaara?"

"I'm not sure Kankuro…but one thing is for sure, Kasumi affecting him somehow," She mused. "If it was anyone but her, we'd be cleaning up their blood right about now."

I Really Like You

But You Don't Know
These Feelings I Have
I Can Never Show

I Always Wish That
I Could Be With You
But Deep Inside I Know
That Will Never Come True

I Think About You
Almost Everyday
Wishing I Could Find
The Right Words To Say

Hoping You Would Notice Me
When I Stare At You
But I Know That You Don't
Feel The Same As I Do

Im In Love With You
And There Is No Cure
But Forever I Will Only Be

Your Secret Admirer

Mimi sighed as she looked at the letter then the basket of her favorite flowers, Orange Dahlias, who ever this was knew her pretty well, looking down the hall for any signs of this Secret Admirer but there was nothing or no one there.

"Another love note?" Ari yawn from her bed rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah, I wonder who it could be." Mimi mutters placing the basket on her bed, before scooping up one of the big flowers inhaling deeply. Mmm her favorite…

"Maybe, Lee?" Katsumi suggested from beneath her blankets, her voice thick with sleep from her late night in trying to get Gaara to talk.

"Na, Lee would have put 'Youthful' in the both poems about 5 trillion times over." Ari mused stretching.

"Kiba?"Mimi considered the dog love ninja.

"Nope, Kiba a straight forward guy and is the manly type, poems and love notes are to sissy." Katsumi grumbled

"Yeah, well enough about Mimi," Ari spoke getting out of bed. "What happen with Gaara last?"

"He didn't talk like always, just 'Hn' me," She yawns sitting up in bed. "Then he swirled away, I searched the whole tower and the little red fuck was nowhere to be found." Mimi chucked a pillow at Katsumi telling her not to curse.

"So ya spent all nite tryin to him, didn't ya?" Mimi smirked shaking her head, Kat just glared.

"Well it doesn't matter," Ari informed. "Today is the fifth day; we need to be ready for anything." She looked at Katsumi knowingly before looking at Mimi.

"Shit already!"

"Hai."

Once Team11 got Katsumi to roll out of bed and eat breakfast they went their separate ways to scope out the competition or in Ari and Katsumi's cases new faces, that weren't in the anime or a team that wasn't suppose to make it.

As the three girls walked the tower each felt a scent of being watched. For Mimi the feeling was none threatening yet it felt like a crowed watched her, Ari was annoyed with the feeling of guys staring at her chest, while Katsumi felt the need to hide and to be cautious.

Her heart was pounding in her ears as she felt the tingles run up her spine then shooting down to her toes, her stomach clenched, her body quivered. Katsumi looked behind her to see no one following her but when she turns around she stopped in her tracks, Orochimaru stood at the end of the hall, smiling, quickly she turns away only to have her other way blocked by Kabuto.

"Shit." She growled before taking a fighting stance.

"Now, that's no way for a lady to talk." Kabuto chuckled walking to her.

She took out two kunais, narrowing her eyes at the silver hair ninja. "Stop right there Pokémon or I'll slice your face off." She growled.

Kabuto eye twitched. "Now, now my Kitten, we're only here to chat." Orochimaru purred in her left ear. Gasping she quickly swipes her kunai back; the Snake Nin was too fast for he leans back catching her wrist, twisting it hard to left making her drop the weapon. "The other one too."

"Fuck off!" She growled, Kabuto then punched her hard in the side earning a glare from his lord. Couching hard she dropped the other kunai warping her free arm around her stomach, Oro then pushed her to the ground before speaking.

"Easy Kitten, like I said before we're here to chat." He smiles binding at his knees to get eye level with her.

"I don't talk with strangers." She spoke through clenched teeth, looking away from his golden stare.

Grabbing her chin rough he chuckled. "But my pet we are not strangers," He gently moved her side bangs from her eyes. "Though it will be revealed in due time." Katsumi grabs his wrist trying to make him let go of her jaw but that bastard had her in a killer grip.

"Gahh, stop beating around the bush, what do you want?" She thrashed about clawing at his wrist only making him laugh.

"You were always so impatient." Smiling he stood up to his full height, her feet dangling in the air. "I'm here to give you your long awaited gift, Kitten."

Gift, she shook her head. "No, thank you!" She squeals kicking out as he held her by her jaw while his canine teeth became longer.

"It's not a choice." Oro free hand clasp itself over her mouth while his head stretched over her shoulder and down to the middle of her back.

Katsumi felt his fangs bite hard into her back, a icy chill ran through her veins before it turned to a fiery burn that stung her joints, she screamed into his hand as her body her body felt like it was being ripped apart but freezing hands only to be burned in a fire.

Feeling her body go limp Orochimaru let go of her back and swiftly cradling her body like a new born infant, she vision was going in and out as she gazed up into his face, her throat burned preventing her from talking, grazing his thumb over her cheek he grins down at her. "Go to sleep Kitten, when you wake the pain will be gone." Slowly her eyes closed letting herself be pulled into the darkness.

"Again!"

"No."

"Yeah, yeah again!"

"I don't want to do it again my head hurts, now go to sleep!" The blue man, or now known as Bubbles, growled at the small girl, who wouldn't for the life of her go to sleep.

"Never," The blue hair child stood up in her tiny bed. "I isn't suwwendewing!" She started jumping on the bed.

"Again, again, again." The child chanted loud and nosily while jumping on the creaky bed.

Kisame held the bride of his nose sighing, this is why he hated bedtime! And bath time or any other fucking time with this brat. "Katsumi, sit down!" He roared cause her to stop jumping and dash under the covers though still giggling. "If I do this one more time will you promise to go to damn sleep!" the girl nods. "Fine!" Kisame grabbed his nose and took a deep breath pushing air through his gills, she giggled as he turned purpled from the force but soon bubbles started to rise from his gills.

"YAY!" She clapped as Kisame blew multitude of bubbles from his face, as he lets of his nose his purple face finally returns to its normal blue. "Again!"

"Give up!" He yells looking over at Orochimaru who had Ari. The blonde chair had his hair in a tight grip while her foot in his face as she cried bloody murder.

"Shit! I'll switch you Water work for Monster." Oro growled as Ari yanked harder on his hair.

"Watch out, Bubbles!" Katsumi giggles launching herself at him. Skillful catch Monster, also known as Katsumi Kisame through her to the snake, while Oro through Waterworks, aka Ari to the shark.

Both men were at a lost when it came to child, as they struggles to put them to sleep Katsumi kicked Oro in the face twice while Ari screams got louder. "How about, I read you a story?" Orochimaru suggest as Kasumi bite his arm. Suddenly the room got quite, sniffling Ari wiped her nose on Kisame's arm.

"A princess stwoy?" She asked.

"No, a ninja story!" Kasumi chimed.

"How about both?" Kisame quickly chipped in, they been trying to get them to sleep for the pass three hours.

"Ok, a princess name-." Orochimaru started and was cut off.

"No, you have to start with once upon a time." Ari sniffled.

"Fine, fine." He sighed. "Once upon a time, there was a princess who wanted to be a ninja…"

30 minutes later the girls and Kisame was fast asleep. The snake nin sighed in relief, he didn't know how Itachi always puts them to bed so fast, all he says is sleep and their knock out and dead to the world. Placing the small blue hair child in her bed he went to stand up only to find she had a lock of his hair, trying and failing to free himself, he sides and laid his head next to her, reminding himself to kill the Uchiha once he return from his mission. Rolling in her sleep Katsumi had wrapped herself in his hair while placing a small hand on his cheek, as he stared at the child he could tell she was going to become a strong Kunoichi, he had seen her power, its slips all the time when she around Itachi.

"No, my popsicle." She mutters in her sleep smiling. She could be of use to him once she was older; it was then that he decided that if he left he would be taking Katsumi.

"Katsumi!"

"Katsumi!"

"Just slap her."

"Ahhh what the fuck!" Katsumi jumped up panting looking around and spotting Gaara with his hand high in the hand. "You did not just back hand me!"

He blinked at her.

"Red bastard." She mumbled rubbing her face. She was in the arena where the preliminary rounds take place. "How did I get here?"

"What you mean how you get here!" Sasuke yelled at her.

"Sasuke? Dude man how long was I out?"

"You mean you remember nothing?" Kakashi spoke coming into view.

"Am I suppose to?" She raised a brow. "I mean all I remember was that I was in the hall sizing up the competition then black, nothing else."

"So you mean to tell me, that you walked here held a conversation with me and you don't remember and of it?" Sasuke frown walking up to her.

"No, what did we talk about?"

"Noodles."

"Hmm, I am kinda of hungry…"She mutters.

"Katsumi!" Ari yells. "Fouces!"

"Interesting." Kakashi hums looking at her, or more of down her shirt.

"Uh, Kat did ya always have that tattoo?" Mimi questions.

"Huh?" She turns o face her teammate.

"Holy fuck!" Ari yells.

Whipping around Katsumi looked at air shocked face. "Whaa?"

"You, you have a tattoo!"

"No I don't! You guy stop it you scaring me!" She whines.

"No, sorry girly but that is defiantly a tat, look here." Temari turns her fan to the side so Katsumi could see her reflection and sure enough there it was down the spine of her back!

Thick swirls and half open circles marked her down her spine, how in the fuck did she get this! "Ok, ok hold the fuck up!" She barks. "How in the world do I faint in a hallway, and wake up here after having a conversation with duck head about noodles then discover I have a tattoo!"

"It's just doesn't add up!" She whines. "I mean then why did Gaara slap me?"

"Casue you fainted when you found out you where fighting Kabuto." Naruto chimed in loudly.

Kabuto…wait…"Didn't he forfeit?" Katsumi said slowly looking at Ari, who looked as if it just clicked.

"He was about to but I convinced him to stay." The idiot smiles like he did a good thing.

Oh shit! They both thought as everything clicked into place. A weird tattoo shows up on Katsumi's back, her blacking out, then Kabuto staying for the preliminaries! This had Orochimaru written all over it, so that meant her tattoo wasn't a tattoo but a curse seal.

Kat looked up into her sensei's eyes; Anko must have come up when she and Ari were placing the piece together. Kakashi must have filled her in on everything, and they both must have come up with the same conclusion her and Ari did.

She had just been marked.

Ok so I hoped you all liked this I know the part with Kisame or aka bubbles was my fav^^

This is what her cursed seal looks like its was one of many i like...though i am sorry about the pic.0/0

. http :/ / farm4. static. flickr. Com /3573/3768742699 _bb1cb50421 .jpg