Reina's P.O.V

I couldn't help but let my mind wander as I stared at my reflection, my own bloody reflection. After years of being stared at and tormented by citizens and some of those closest to me, I thought I would have gotten used to the fact that I was different than everyone. How so? Just look at me... I had blue hair and blue eyes, the blood of the Hizō Clan.

A monster. That's what I am, a monster... Right? If everyone deemed me to be one, then they're right aren't they? Year after year, day after day...things are said about me. People look at me like I'm some freak created to kill them.

I can't help but let out a cold laugh. These people, I swear. They make me laugh. I stared at the blood that oozed out of my scratched up arm. The little pieces of glass that were stuck in my wrist were starting to hurt, but for now I would have to pay no mind to them. It's about time I head back to Choji, Shika, and Naruto.

"I hope I wasn't gone for too long..." I muttered out with a snarl. "I don't really need anyone questioning right now."

With that I walked out room with a frown. When I was down the hallway I remembered that I shattered the glass mirror with my fist. My blood along with all the glass is still in the bathroom. I sighed and shrugged my shoulder nonchalantly.

"Oh well, it's not my problem anymore... It's just a mirror. No harm, no foul." I smirked and walked down the halls of the hospital.

~*~

I faced Choji's room door only to meet complete silence. It was very odd. I expected to come back to a room with Shikamaru muttering out a 'how troublesome' at Naruto while he babbled on about Choji's injuries and such. I turned the doorknob to Choji's room. Did something happen while I was gone?

"Choji? Shikamaru? Naruto?" I asked as I walked into the room.

I furrowed my eyebrows together and clicked my tongue. There was no one in the room. Was this some kind of joke? I let out a laugh and I rose my hands up in the air.

"Okay, guys. If this is a joke you can come out now. I don't find it funny..." I said, glancing around the room for any sign of the three of them.

Nothing ever came out, not a sound and not a person. I chuckled nervously, picking at the small pieces of glass in my skin.

"Guys?" I asked.

Nothing.

"Hello-" I started only to be cut off by a very familiar voice.

"You jerk!"

I spun around and ran out the door right away. Naruto wouldn't scream out anything like that for any reason unless it was Sasuke calling him an idiot, but in this case Sasuke was currently busy elsewhere. I sped down the halls, sliding into walls from the slippery floors, yet none of that stopped me. My heart was beating rapidly.

"Naruto!" I shouted, running into a room that had light peering out of it. "What's going...-"

I froze at the scene before me. "-on?" Gaara was currently glaring at Naruto and Shikamaru, while the others glared at him. How this happen in the span of time that I was gone? I clenched my teeth together tightly as I stepped into the room and took a place next to Naruto. Naruto eyes widened as he spotted me appear beside him.

"Reina?" He gasped, "What are you doing here?"

I rolled my eyes, "I should be asking you two that. You were the ones who left me behind without a single notice." I pointed out.

Shikamaru sighed and nodded his head at Naruto, "Well after you left the doctors came in a took Choji away for a few tests, and Naruto here wanted to visit Lee." Shikamaru explained partially.

"Then care to explain why Gaara is glaring you two to death?" I spat out, waiting for an answer.

"He was trying to kill Lee!" Naruto growled out.

My eyes flew open and my gaze snapped over at Lee. He was covered in sand from head to toe. I then looked at Gaara. He looked me in the eye with no shame whatsoever at his actions, instead he actually looked pleased by the attention he was receiving from me. It was like he enjoyed my eyes on him. I shivered and looked down at my feet, a wave of disgust filling me to the brim.

At my silence, Naruto took that as a chance to talk. "What the hell were you trying to do?" He asked Gaara.

Gaara didn't say a word.

Naruto clicked his tongue, "What were you trying to do to Bushy Brow here?" Naruto demanded.

I could tell what Gaara's intentions were even if I wasn't in the room when everything first started. The aura that surrounded him was thick and very easy to notice.

"I was trying to kill him."

It was the aura of a killer.

"Why'd you have to do something like that?" Shikamaru asked, "You beat him in the match, right? Do you have a personal grudge against him or something?"

I gulped and waited for Gaara's answer.

"I don't have anything like that." He answered simply.

That wasn't the answer I was looking for.

"I just wanted to kill him, that's it." He added.

He just wanted to kill Lee? Was that his only reason? I scoffed. And I thought Gaara was a little better than that... I actually believed that there was some hope for him.

"What's wrong with you..." I breathed out.

"How can you say something so selfish, you bastard!" Naruto yelled, pointing a finger at Gaara.

"All you care about is yourself." I snarled out in disgust.

In that moment, I swear I saw a small twitch at the corner of Gaara's lips, but I could be mistaking a twitch for something else.

Shikamaru pushed me behind him and I rose an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" I asked quietly.

Shikamaru looked at me from over his shoulder and he smiled gently, "I'm keeping you safe...troublesome woman." He muttered out.

I scoffed and smiled softly. 'That idiot sure knows how to put himself in danger...' I noted as I watched both Gaara and Naruto glare slightly at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru cleared his throat and stepped forward, "I know that you're from seeing you in the competition with him, but we can keep up with you." Shikamaru smirked, nodding his head at Naruto to help him out.

I gasped softly. 'I see what you're doing Shikamaru... There's no chance that you and Naruto could really hold up against an opponent like Gaara, but by saying you can you're making Gaara fear you two just a bit. And that small bit is enough to scare him away.' I smirked, 'You really are a genius.'

"Of course, we didn't show you our best skills in the preliminaries. And it's two against one, three if you count Reina. You're the one who's at a disadvantage. If you're smart you'll do what I tell you and just get lost." Shikamaru stated boldly.

I couldn't help but grin at this. I did indeed feel protected by his actions and by his words. 'You can do it, Shika!' I cheered him on.

"I'll say it again... If you get in my way I'll kill you." Gaara drawled out in an icy tone.

The tension in the room only grew in size. I felt like I would collapse any moment due to the way it felt. Naruto and Shikamaru brought me out of my thoughts as they argued and yelled at each other. As usual, Naruto was trying to be reckless and start a fight. However, it was Naruto's remark that made me tense up.

"I have a real monster in me! I'm not going to lose to this guy!" Naruto retorted.

Shikamaru and I both froze and didn't say a word. What was there to say about something like that? We know there's a beast in you, Naruto. That's not right at all! But how come Naruto said such a thing like that so...freely, so easily?

"It's just like you said. I had a terrible upbringing. When I came into this world, I took the life of the woman some might call my mother. So that I could become the strongest Shinobi my father brought this ninjutsu upon me, and so I became possessed by a Sand spirit."

Shikamaru gasped and Naruto clicked his tongue, standing his ground. I could tell that Naruto and I were sharing the same thoughts. All three of us were in fact.

Naruto...

Gaara...

"I was born a monster."

So was I, Reina Hizō.

We were all born to be monsters, each having our own definition of a monster.

Hm, it seems like the three of us are a trio of monsters.

Suits us well, doesn't it?