Destiny of the Cursed

Chapter 3: Encounter with Gaara

I knew it was a big mistake to sign that form!

Katana jumped from branch to branch, trying to get away from whatever it was chasing her. I mustn't get caught! She knew she would eventually tire out. I refuse to die here! Signing that form would mean signing in for death.

What do I DO?!

She had the heaven scroll with her when she got separated from the others. Right now, she had the earth scroll. She lost her previous heaven scroll to a grass-nin bully, and got her current scroll by accident.

Flashback:

"Scroll Battle", said the examiner, "half of the 26 teams would get an earth scroll while the other half gets a heaven scroll. There is a tower in the middle of the forest. You have 5 days to get there… with both heaven and earth scrolls!"

Everybody gasped. "13 teams are sure to be eliminated…" they all thought. "These are what will disqualify you: 1st, if you have both scrolls yet did not reach the time limit. 2nd, if you lose a teammate or if one of you gets killed. There would be deaths on this one. Please sign this form." She gave them one each. "What is this for?" asked Naruto. The examiner smirked. "So that if anyone dies… I will not be responsible."

She began to signal the start. "Oh! And, you must not look inside the scroll. If anyone does… they get a special surprise." She winked. Katana shuddered in fear. She surely didn't like the sound of that.

"Last Piece of Advice: Don't Die."

All teams got ready in front of their respective gates. "On your mark, get set, GO!" And off they went.

"Naruto, watch out!" yelled Katana as she tackled him in the ground. Shuriken, kunais, and a paper bomb hit the tree in front. "Why didn't you—"she began to ask incredulously when she saw that it wasn't Naruto she saved. "Hey little girl." Grinned the grass lunatic.

"You…!" her eyes narrowed and with fast hands, she punched the guy straight in the face. "Ack!" he yelped. She ran away as fast as her legs would take her. "The scroll!" she thought aloud and began searching for it in her bag. There was indeed a scroll, but it was a different one.

"GET BACK HERE, BRAT!"

End Flashback

Something hard and cold hit Katana's leg and sent her stumbling forward. Clenching her teeth in frustration and pain, she tried to stand up but failed miserably. "Well, well. I finally caught my prize, didn't I?" Heavy footsteps echoed through out the whole area. You need to protect the others…Can't die yet…she reminded herself.

The grass-nin pulled sharply at the shuriken on her leg, causing the wound to bleed even more. "Ahh!" she screamed in agony. Calm down…He laughed. "How 'bout I end your suffering, right here, right now?" He slowly made his way towards her. Just need the right timing…

"Thud…"

1...

"thud…"

2…

"thud…"

3…

"Goodbye…"

NOW!

"Dendou Tsume! (Electric Claw)" shouted Katana as she turned around to face the guy. "Gyaaahhh!" a bone chilling scream was heard from his mouth. Clutching his burnt face, he cursed. Katana saw her chance and crawled away from her attacker. Unfortunately, she was prevented by a large hand. "You're not going anywhere…" growled the ninja and was about to plunge a kunai on her stomach when he suddenly stopped and went pale. His eyes widened.

Katana's breathing went shallow. What happened? She asked herself. The guy holding her was dragged down to his knees and into a whirling pool of sand. "Help…me…" was all he could choke out before he was enclosed in sand. "Sabaku Kyuu!" The sand casing exploded, along with bits of flesh and blood. Katana stood there, awestruck and horrified at the same time. "Are you okay?" a calm, monotone voice asked her.

She looked up. "Gaara…" she sighed and let out a smile. He didn't reply. Instead, he made the sand move and it gave her something. She reached out and looked at her hand. "A scroll…" she said aloud. "Don't you want it?" she asked him. He stared. "I already have both." He answered. She tilted her head on one side. "Then why… did you kill that guy and help me out?" she asked again. He shrugged. "He looks annoying." He replied nonchalantly.

Katana blinked twice. "Oh… well then." She tried to stand up, but once again failed. "Still, thank you for your help." She smiled. His eyes widened. "…What did you say?" he asked. His teammates, who were watching all along, froze in fear. Katana didn't understand what they were so scared of. "I said 'thank you', because you helped me?" she reminded him.

Gaara couldn't understand as well. No one ever thanked him before. They'd just run away. Others would cry and call him monster. But this girl… she even thanked him? "Why didn't you kill that guy?" Gaara asked her. She met his eyes and grinned. "I don't like killing people, especially if I could avoid it.

"Anyway", said Katana, "I'd better get going. I have to find my team." She forced herself to stand, pain hitting her in the knee. She winced visibly and her breath was released in pants. Gaara noticed her bloodied leg. "Are you sure you'll be alright?" he asked. She forced a smile. "I'll be… f-fine. J-just fine." She answered weakly. "Temari." Said Gaara. His blonde companion suddenly snapped. "H-hai?" she asked. "Clean her wounds." He ordered. "Ahh, h-hai… G-gaara."

He walked away and left his companions with her. As soon as he left, the two others, Temari and Kankuro, circled her. Temari positioned herself facing Katana's leg. "Geez…", she sighed, " for a minute, I thought he was going to kill me." Kankuro nodded in agreement with her. "You were the girl who punched me, weren't you?" he asked, none-too-happy. Katana nodded. "Why are you so scared of him?" she asked them. They gave her weird looks.

"Didn't you see what he just did? He killed a guy without even putting effort into it." Kankuro said as a matter of fact. "What's new with that?" muttered Temari as she healed Katana. "He's been like that since we're kids."

"Oh? You guys were childhood friends?" Katana inquired. Both Temari and Kankuro laughed. "Childhood friends? Hah, I wouldn't be one to get caught even speaking to him!" she said. "Then… what's your relation with Gaara?" she asked. "It seems like you know a lot about him."

Kankuro answered for Temari. "We're his older siblings." He answered. Katana's eyebrows raised in shock. "You're brothers and sisters?" she exclaimed. They nodded. "All done." Said Temari and helped Katana stand up in her own feet. "Thanks." She said. Temari shook her head.

"No… thank you."

Katana looked at her. "Why?" The blonde smiled. "It's the first time Gaara helped someone out. You're lucky." With that, they jumped off. She stared at them, and then stared at the scroll she was holding. She took out her earth scroll. The one she was holding was heaven. She smirked. "Bingo."

"Sasuke-kun, are you alright?" asked Sakura as she rushed to his side. Ino was supporting Lee, while Shikamaru and Chouji were awaking Naruto up using… a branch. Neji and Tenten were up above. "Why doesn't anyone still notice me?" Katana sweat dropped. "Someone's here." Said Neji. She sighed and came out of the bushes.

"Stop." Ordered Shikamaru. Katana raised her hands in defense. "Hatake Katana, 12 years old, brown hair, grey eyes, and a sword birthmark on my left shoulder. Favorite weapon: my sword. Enough proof?" she asked. Shikamaru's worry left him. "So it is really you." Katana gave him a look that said,"duh". She looked at Sakura. "S-sakura-chan!" she pointed a shaky finger, "your hair!"

The pink-haired girl smiled at her. "I just thought a little change would do me good." Katana stared at the others. "I sense that a fight happened?" she asked nobody in particular but Ino nodded. "What happened to Rock Lee?" Katana went towards him. Ino laid him down in the ground. "He's out cold…" muttered Katana, brushing black hair off his forehead. TenTen went down. "I'll take it from here." She told Katana.

The brunette scooted aside. Tenten took his shoulders on both her hands and shook him repeatedly. "LEEEE! Wake up, baka!" she yelled. Ino and Katana sweat dropped. "Hmm… Tenten, why are you here?" She glared at the boy. "Neji and I came to save you! Why didn't you stick with the plan?" she asked. "Sakura needed help." He answered, and Tenten decided not to push it any further.

"Hey, Lee-kun…" greeted Katana with a smile. Lee's attention was caught and he glanced at her. "Ah! Katana-ch—" before he could even finish, she surprised him with a hug. "Thanks for saving my team." She said. Lee blushed. "No problem." "HEY, it's thick brows!" shouted Naruto happily. Lee winced at the harsh nickname. Katana released Lee and frowned at Naruto. "Naruto… you're not supposed to—"

A chakra-fused punch was thrown at Naruto. "BAKA! How dare you be rude to Lee-san!" screamed the infuriated Sakura. She faced Lee. "Lee-san, thank you. With what you did, I feel like I've learned a lot from you." Lee's eyes became moist. "I need to work harder." He sniffed. "Sasuke-kun", he started to say, "You were incredible to drive off those sound-nins. The Uchiha Clan is great as expected. I got my butt kicked." He said, disappointed at himself.

He faced Sakura again, "Sakura-san… the lotus blooms twice. The next time we meet, I will get stronger, I promise." Sakura smiled. Ino called Sakura over to fix her hair. Meanwhile, Katana called Sasuke and Naruto. They huddled in a small circle. "Hey, look what I got while I was away." Said Katana as she showed the two scrolls. Their eyes widened. "How did you—" they began to ask but Katana shushed them.

"Keep quiet!" she reminded. "I got it from a grass-nin." She answered. "We have to head to the tower as fast as possible." She told them.

Two days later…

"Thank goodness!" Sakura breathed out a sigh of relief. They entered the tower. An incomplete note was written in a board above. "I… I think it's a sign that we should open the scrolls." Said Sakura. All four looked at each other. They all nodded in silent agreement. Naruto had one and Sasuke held the other. They held their breath as they slowly opened it. The scrolls began to smoke. "Summoning Jutsu! Quick, drop it!" shouted Katana. The smoke faded after a moment. "You…"

"Hey!" greeted an all-too-familiar chuunin teacher: Iruka-sensei! "Long time no see!" he smirked. "How are my top students?" he asked. Three of them smiled. "And what about you, Mr. Last?" he turned to Naruto. Naruto scolwed. "You're always so mean, sensei!" he protested. "Anyway… Congratulations to the 4 of you. You passed the 2nd test!" he announced. Naruto pounced on him, Katana fell on the ground laughing happily, Sakura danced around and Sasuke remained calm, but it was easy to see that soft glint in his eyes.

"The third and final test… Please don't push yourselves too hard into it." Said Iruka-sensei softly. Katana seemed to read Iruka's mind. As he showed them the way to for the next test, Katana remained with him. "Iruka-sensei…" she started seriously, "there's something I want to tell you." Iruka stared at her. "Go ahead." He told the young girl. She took a deep breath. Her grey eyes bore into his brown ones. "I know you think we won't pass." She said.

He looked shocked. He was about to say something, but she continued, "But you're wrong Iruka-sensei. Kakashi-sensei may have been hasty on nominating us but he trained us well and he knows our limitations. He won't give us something we can't handle." Iruka stared, eyes wide. "And most of all… why should you doubt the students who never have failed to impress you before?" she asked him. He couldn't believe it was Katana talking. It was like he was talking with the Hokage.

"It may be Kakashi-sensei who trained us hard, but you were the one who taught us never to give up! To never doubt ourselves and to always risk our lives for the sake of our village!" she ended her speech with a proud look in her eyes. Iruka's calm composure faded and was replaced by the old soft him. He signaled for Katana to go nearer. She obeyed. He patted her head and gently hugged the girl. Katana hugged him back. "You just have to trust us, Sensei." She said gently. Iruka nodded and smiled. "Of course!"

Katana went inside and joined her teammates in line. They were still 22 left. Only 7 teams passed. She looked around. Lee's here… the sound nin trio…Kabuto… Kiba, Hinata, Shino… Hmm, Ino-Shika- Chou is still here. She looked to her left. Gaara... All rookie 9 are here too. It's harder than I expected. She thought miserably. In front was the Hokage and the jounin teachers as well. She saw Kakashi-sensei stare at her. She stared back. This was how they communicated. There was no need for words. Suddenly he smiled and winked. Katana grinned back. Thank you, Tou-san…

Now she had more confidence. The Hokage started explaining the third test. A referee introduced himself as Hayate. He began talking and coughing and all, everyone thought he was sick. He said something about a preliminary test that decides who gets to fight in the main event. "Why do we need a preliminary test?" asked Sakura the guy.

"There is too many who passed this year. Perhaps the 1st and 2nd tests had been too easy. According to the Chuunin Exam rules, we must have a preliminary and reduce the number of participants." Then, he looked at all of us. "Those who don't feel good, who want to quit please step forward. We will immediately begin the preliminary." Everybody was shocked.

"Right now?!" shouted Kiba.

"Yes." Answered the referee calmly. There was a moment of silence. Then someone spoke up, "I quit." They all turned to see who it was. "K-Kabuto-san!" Naruto said. "You may leave." The referee told him. He gladly did so. "Anyone else?" asked he. "Why are you quitting?!" shrieked Naruto to Kabuto, tears brimming on his eyelids. Gaara glared at the noisy boy. Naruto looked crestfallen. All Kabuto can do was to smile sadly at him.

He waved them a goodbye before leaving. Sakura noticed Sasuke shivering. "The mark still hurts, doesn't it?" she asked bitterly. Sasuke only flinched. "Sasuke-kun…" she said, "Please quit." Sasuke, Naruto and Katana glanced at her, surprised. "Please, Sasuke-kun… I'm afraid." She begged, tears forming. "You are in no condition to fight!" she added, her voice getting louder. "Shut up." Muttered Sasuke.

Katana glanced from one to another. What mark?

"You've been hiding the pain all this time! I'm telling sensei!" she told him. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He grabbed her hand to prevent her from going. "This is none of your concern. Stay out of my business." He hissed coldly. Naruto and Katana were speechless. "I need to get stronger. And only by fighting these guys, could I get that strength." He emphasized the fighting part. Katana glared at him and wrapped a protective arm around her friend.

"What's with you, Sasuke?" she asked. Sasuke smirked at her. "I also want to fight Naruto… and you." The way he said that gave Katana the creeps.

"Now I will announce the names of the first two that will fight." Declared the referee. Everyone looked up above at the electric scoreboard. Two names were there: Uchiha Sasuke VS Akado Yoroi. Sasuke went to the center. So did his opponent. And the fight began.

End Chapter