With clenched teeth, I struggled to my feet. I must have looked like half a hedgehog with all the splinters of wood stuck in my body. They hurt terribly. Blood ran in little rivulets down my legs and dripped onto the soaked floor. My hands firmly grasped the kunai that was still stuck in my thigh and pulled it out with an ugly sound. Straining, I bit my tongue. Damn, that hurt. But I had to go through with it, I had brought the injuries on myself through my carelessness.

Wordlessly, she stood at my side and helped to pull out the sharp-edged splinters. When everything was finally removed, she straightened up and looked at me seriously. Her blonde hair was slightly dishevelled and individual strands were hanging out of her four plaits. She had stowed her fan on her back again.

„We need to get you to the hospital right away," she said, but I shook my head.

„Not even ten horses will get me in there. I hate that place," I growled, and she put her hands on her hips. Challengingly, I was glared at.

„Fine...you come with me then. I'll bandage your wounds and then you go. Especially since I have a few more questions for you."

Uh oh. I had an inkling of what was in store for me now.

She probably didn't like the friendship I had with Kankuro at all. Wait...what was I supposed to do with Shikamaru? He couldn't possibly remain unconscious in my partially destroyed flat.

„Shikamaru...he's still unconscious in the room. Fath...the assassin took him out," I said, and she looked thoughtful.

„Bandaging your wounds won't really take us any time, so you can go back to him right after that".

I was about to protest, but she interrupted me again.

„Listen. I might as well leave you here and disappear. I'm not doing this for your sake either."

Again, I fell silent and looked at Temari speechlessly, guessing who she was doing this for. Probably Kankuro... And somehow, she became a little sympathetic to me. Regardless of whether she liked me or not, she was still helping.

„Thanks, but you don't have to do that," I said softly and she snorted.

„I'll change my mind in a minute if you keep this up."

Then the blonde held her hand out to me and helped me stand up. Putting an arm around her shoulder, I limped along the alleys.

The door squeaked softly as Temari opened it. Hastily, the blonde girl looked around, as if expecting someone to jump out from around the corner. Or was she simply afraid that Gaara might appear here and... Yes, perhaps it was even that.

She probably directed me to a large sofa at the end of the room and disappeared into the adjoining kitchen. I heard the sound of water and footsteps approaching again. Wordlessly, I was handed a damp cloth with which to wash out the wounds. First, I wrung the cloth out a little and let the cool water flow over the wounds before dabbing them rudely to get the dirt out.

At the wound on my shoulder, I took off my jacket and pulled down my shirt a little. Praying at the same time that Temari could not see the scars on my back. Something cool brushed against my back and for a moment I thought someone was standing behind me, but it was only the wind blowing in through the window behind me.

Temari, meanwhile, had placed bandages next to me and had already bandaged some of the wounds. Without covering my shoulder again, I bent down and took it from her hand. If anything, I did it myself.

„Thanks, I can manage."

She nodded, got up and left the room to go to the kitchen. Again, I could hear noises, but this time a cupboard door squeaked. The smell of food hit my nose. All at once I was glad that I had already eaten. The longer I stayed here, the greater the chance of meeting one of the brothers and I certainly didn't want them to find me in this situation.

Finally, I turned my attention to the wound on my shoulder and wrapped the bandage around it in swift movements, after carefully checking that I had completely cleared it of dirt. Once again, something cool stroked my shoulders and I enjoyed the feeling on my skin.

Wait a minute...

That wasn't the wind.

„How did this happen?"

His voice so indifferent, yet seemingly interested, echoed around the room. At least that's how it seemed to me. I winced as I realised, he was standing right behind me. Then it hadn't been wind on my shoulder either, but...

Hastily I covered the scars and hurriedly stood up. At least I wanted to. My legs failed me. I swayed, held on to the high back of the sofa of necessity and staggered to the door, I had to get out of here, I couldn't stay any longer. He had seen far too much. Besides, I didn't want to face his sister's questions. Anyway, I had stayed here long enough.

My wounds were treated. I had to go back to Shikamaru as quickly as possible.

A light cloud of sand formed directly in front of me. He blocked my way. Hastily I looked back and forth between him and the door.

„What are you doing Gaara? Let her go," Temari called out in horror, but her brother paid her no attention, for his eyes were fixed on me. He followed every little movement. I gritted my teeth in annoyance and looked around the room, searching for a way to escape.

„You stay here," he said.

Anger welled up inside me. I would not be locked in here. Not by him. My eyes narrowed and I knew he had noticed the change in me.

So I began to gather my chakra, letting it flow through my veins and channel it into my legs, ignoring the pain that came again, trying to bring me to my knees.

„No. No one will ever be able to lock me up again. I'm intangible.", I retorted and shot towards him, my hand raised into a fist. Almost startled, he looked at me. But I had never intended to attack him. Before I reached him, I made a lightning quick hook and jumped out of the window.

My hands grabbed the roof beam of the house opposite and I swung myself up onto the roof. The tiles clinked lightly under my sandals as I ran across them. As fast as I could. Ignoring the pain. I didn't want to think about the pain I would have later at all. Adrenaline shot through every cell of my body, making me speed up...

Maybe...

I felt him behind me even before I heard the footsteps.

„You're fleeing because you can't bear for me to see you in this weak state," he said, voicing one of the reasons why I had dared to try to escape.

I still turned my back on him, trying to work out whether or not he was going to hunt his sand on me. But everything seemed calm. Like himself. Strange.

Gently, I turned my head.

„Shikamaru tried to help me and got knocked down," I replied, not wanting to affirm his observation, since he had recognised one of my reasons.

„And that guy wants to have made it to the finals? You guys from Konoha really are weaklings," he sneered, and I wheeled around to face him.

„He had been through hard training, just for the finals. He took this limited amount of chakra to help me. Even more so, the shinobi we fought was an experienced Jonin," I growled angrily.

Gaara remained in place, unimpressed.

„It seems you know your assassin. Isn't it?" the redhead stated, and I winced unintentionally. Damn.

A pleased expression spread across his face.

„It's not like he hasn't tried to kill me in other situations," I said quietly, so he couldn't hear, and turned away altogether.

„You already know far too much about my life, it would be better if I leave now."

He fell silent and it seemed as if he was looking right through me.

That was when I noticed the shinobi who had suddenly appeared behind me. Slowly I began to understand where I got the ability to sneak up silently. Maybe he had passed it on to me.

„Tora..." his gaze moved to Gaara and became suspicious.

„Did he do something to you?" he asked more in the Suna-Nin's direction.

My eyes narrowed and I stood in front of the redhead, arms outstretched as if to protect him. They protested when I stretched them so suddenly. Oh yes. There were the injuries too.

„Keep him out of this will you, Genma? He hasn't done anything to me, and he won't," I defended the Suna-Nin and met his surprised gaze.

I stared stubbornly into my uncle's eyes until he finally loosened his gaze and sighed in surrender.

„Good. I trust you Tora on this point. And hope you are telling the truth."

Again, a sharp glance over my shoulder rather he put my arm over his and lifted me up. Then he pushed himself off the roof with both legs and Gaara's face began to disappear into the darkness.

Cool air brushed through my hair as Genma ran across the rooftops.

On and on towards...I groaned in horror as I saw the hated building looming directly in front of me.

Please no.

Anything but not to the hospital.