"That's weird," I said as Horo walked away.

I stared down at the little kitten and frowned. A kitten with wings ... what sort of animal was that? It trembled and meowed a little before disappearing with a poof. It was after it was gone that I noticed that I hadn't been creeped out by it. I hadn't felt like getting as far away from the animal like I did for others.

I had felt connected...

"Oh well." I shrugged it off. Maybe it was because I knew it was a wee little thing that couldn't hurt me, even if it wanted to.

"You again," came a voice behind me.

I turned. I wasn't sure who I was expecting it to be but it was definitely not Gaara. He was standing a distance away from me, his hands folded. His face was devoid of any emotion and I briefly remembered how he had reacted to me talking to him at the prelims.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, facing him completely.

He came forward, each step slow and deliberate. The closer he came the more I could see sand floating around him.

"It's interesting watching you that's all." He stopped before he reached me fully. I noticed that there was a good ten steps between us.

"You were watching me?"

"I would have never thought that you were afraid of frogs." He smirked at me and I raised a brow.

"There are many things I afraid of. Not that it really matters."

He blinked. "Doesn't it? That could be a real advantage in battle."

I shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me."

A hint of a smile appeared on his lips but then he frowned. Then the frowned grew more and more. "I- I don't know why ..." he started.

I frowned at him. "You don't know why what?" I asked him.

He stared at me as if he couldn't figure me out and I stared back. Who wouldn't? This guy was ... different.

"I don't know why," he said again. "Who - what are you?"

"What kind of question is that?"

He shook his head. "I mean ... you feel ... different."

I nodded. "No one is the same, Gaara."

As soon as I said his name he fell to the ground, clutching his head. I rushed to him. He let out a growl of pain.

"Are you okay? What's happening to you?" I asked him. This was just like the time at the prelims. Instead of backing away horrified, like last time, I knelt before him, concerned. Which I found weird, but decided not to question it at the moment.

He let out another shout of pain and I grabbed his arm. "Gaara? What's wrong? Tell me what's wrong."

"I ... you ... argh!" Gaara screamed and doubled over. I caught him and pulled him back upright.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" I asked him, terrified for him now. I had no idea what was happening to him.

He shook his head violently. "No! No ..." Slowly, he began to calm. His hands fell from his head and his body stopped shaking.

I held my breath. Was it over? "Gaara?"

His head shot up and his eyes caught mine. They were red, exactly like Naruto's when he was fighting Orochimaru.

I had absolutely no time to ask him or even wonder about it however before he surged forward and his lips connected with mine.

I froze, shocked. My eyes were as wide as saucers and the only thing going through my head was: What the hell was happening?

I could see that Gaara's eyes were closed and he leaned in. My body refused to recover from the shock. I sat stiffly, my lips tight.

But then...

I relaxed.

And my eyes closed.

And my lips softened.

And I thought to myself, 'I don't know what he's doing but maybe it's not so bad ...'

Gaara drew back as suddenly as he had moved in. I opened my eyes, staring at him as he stared back. His eyes had returned to its normal colour.

I blinked. "What was that?"

Gaara blinked back, then his face slowly transformed, as if my question had just hit him. His eyes grew wide and he sprang to his feet. He looked down at me, his expression a mixture of horror and curiousity.

"What are you ...?" he asked again, before walking away as quickly as he could.

I touched my lips and stared into his retreating back. Then slowly I got to my feet. I sighed and brushed myself off. People were so weird...

I turned around, intending fully on forgetting about what had just transpired and mastering this jutsu before Horo came back.

My plans were foiled when my cursed body gave away and I fell into complete darkness.

//

"I'm going to ask you one last time. How is it done?"

I stared back at him through dead eyes. I had absolutely no intention of saying a word. He must have finally gotten that because he muttered an angry curse and got up from the table.

"You want me to bring it back out, don't you?" he asked, his features angry.

My heart leaped but still I said nothing. He wasn't going to corner me. It made no difference anyway. Whether I told him or not, he would bring it back out and the torturing will never stop. I had come to know the ways of the mad sadist standing before me.

"I finally know," he said to himself, throwing his hands up into the air. "I finally know something substantial over that wretched snake! Something that can make me the most powerful person in the world." He whirled around and slammed his hands on the desk. "Tell me! Or you'll feel pain never felt before!!!!"

I refused to flinch, to move, to breathe. He stared into my eyes, his face boiling over with anger.

Then slowly, he raised up, standing straight. His lips spilt apart into a grin and I repressed my shudder. I knew exactly what was coming next.

He snapped his fingers and a man walked in. He was large and burly and looked as if he had not one lick of sense. I had seen him around a lot, doing every little deed his master commanded him. I watched as he entered the room with a black candle. I swallowed.

The man was watching my face, gauging my reaction. He smirked evilly at me. "Remember this?"

The large man placed the black candle on the table and exited the room.

The man circled me. "You sure you don't want to talk? This could all be much easier if you just cooperated."

This time I did look at him. "Go to hell." And I spat at him.

His grin fell immediately and I don't think I've ever seen him so angry before. He slapped me across the face and my cheek stung harshly. The blow was so hard, I felt blood in my mouth.

"Have it your way!" He took a kunai from his pouch and grabbed my hand. I bit my lip as he ran the sharp blade over my palm, drawing blood. He curled my hand into a fist and held it over the black candle's flame. My blood dropped unto it and it sizzled and blazed even brighter.

Then he cut his own palm and did the same. He sat before me again and muttered a few words. I felt the familiar and unwelcomed feeling settle over me.

I stared at him, trying to hate him, knowing I should, but also knowing that the morphine they had given me made that virtually impossible.

He stared at me. "You know what to do."

I had no control over what I was doing. I raised my injured hand and hovered it over the flame. It burned.

I couldn't hold back the tears. The pain was just too much.

"What are you waiting for?! Say it!"

I swallowed. "I am Reina Hasharimi and I am the Ten Tails."

//

I awoke from the noise in the room. I opened my eyes and saw Sakura, Kiba, Shikamaru and Naruto, his head bandaged.

I frowned and sat up slowly. Why was in the hospital?

"Hey, you're awake!" Kiba rushed forward, and I noticed that he made sure that Akamaru stayed behind. I frowned at him.

"What's going on?"

"We came to see you," Sakura said. "Well, I came to see you and these idiots tagged along." She pointed to Naruto and Shikamaru.

"Hey! Lea-chan is my friend to you know. No need to make it sound so bad ..." he grumbled the last part.

Shikamaru sighed and rubbed his face. "I should have known that this would be a problem. Women..."

"What was that?" Sakura asked, her eye twitching.

"Hey, will you guys be quiet! She just woke up for God's sake!" Kiba bellowed at them. He turned to me and grinned.

I blinked. "I still don't understand. Why are all of you guys here?"

Naruto grinned at me. "Cause we're you friends! Duh! Lea, you can be so dense sometimes."

My eyebrow twitched. "I don't think you're in any position to be saying that, Naruto ..."

Naruto's sweat dropped. "He he ... I didn't mean anything by it. Seriously! I was just surprised to hear that you were here that's all!"

"Yeah," Sakura said. "When we asked the nurse she just said that the person who had brought you in here had no idea what was wrong with you. Neither did they. You were just unconscious."

Shikamaru took an apple from the basket at his feet and started peeling it. "Maybe you saw something that made you scared. Girls do that sometimes."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're calling me weak?" I asked. "Discreetly. In front of my face."

He shrugged. "Whatever you think." He threw the peeled apple at me and I caught it, taking a bite. I was surprised to know how hungry I was.

"She's not weak, Shikamaru," Kiba said. I smiled at, not very grateful. I could handle myself.

"It's that stupid sword," he said and I rolled my eyes.

"It's not the sword, Kiba. Machaera had nothing to do with it."

"Machaera?! You even name the cursed thing?!" He scoffed in disbelief. "Why don't you just dress him and sing him to sleep like you would any other baby?" he asked sarcastically.

I shrugged. "Who says I don't?"

Shikamaru laughed. Kiba's face grew angry and he shook his head. "Would you listen to yourself? Can't you see that I just want the best for you?"

"Stop trying to run my life, Kiba," I warned him.

"Wait, who's Machaera?" Sakura asked. "And what curse is he talking about?" Both she and Naruto looked confused.

Before I could answer, Kiba spoke up. "She bought a black sabre right after she was told that the previous owner had cursed it. It will shorten her life, yet she continues to use it. Tell me she isn't mad."

Naruto's face broke out in a grin. "Woah, Lea-chan that's so cool!"

Kiba face palmed. "It's dangerous, you baka!"

"He's right Lea," Sakura agreed looking worried. "That doesn't sound like something you should get caught up in."

I waved her off, taking a finishing bite from my apple. I threw it out the window when I was done and caught another one as Shikamaru threw it to me. "Don't worry about it," I said. "I'll be fine."

"How do you know?" Naruto asked.

I looked at him, frowning. "I guess I don't really know. But trust me, I'll be fine."

Kiba threw his hands up in frustration and sat on my bed, forcing me to shift over. "Don't go haunting me when you die," he muttered.

I poked him playfully, hating to see him so upset. "Will you lighten up? Okay look, if anything like this happens again, I'll get rid of it, okay?" I had absolutely no intention of doing so, it was only to appease him.

He searched my face. I kept it serious, hoping to convince him. After a moment he nodded. "Fine."

I grinned at him and held out my apple to him as truce. He grinned back at me, but instead of taking it from me, he leaned forward and bit into it.

"I'm holding you to it," he said, his face inches from mine. My face grew hot and I dropped the apple. He smirked leaning back. Everyone was watching us.

Luckily for me, Kakashi chose that time to walk in. I breathed a sigh of relief when their attentions were averted. I took back up the apple and polished it off.

"Yo."

"Kaka-sensei!" Naruto shouted.

Kakashi lifted his hand in greeting then his eyes (or eye I should say) landed on mine. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't know what came over me."

"The nurse told me there was no sign of distress, you had just simply passed out,"

I shrugged, finishing my fourth apple. "I'm no doctor, I have no way of explaining it myself."

He nodded then motioned to the others. "Can you guys give us a moment? I would like to speak to Lea in private."

They all nodded. Kiba grinned at me before leaving the room, Akamaru on his trails and telling me goodbye with an excited bark. Naruto and Shikamaru left next and Sakura gave me a knowing smile before leaving the room last.

"What's up?" I asked him.

"Weird things have been happening lately. The way you went berserk at the preliminaries. Your unexplainable knowledge of complex jutsu and now your passing out willy-nilly. If you have answers, I need to hear them."

I swallowed. Why did he have to confront me like this? I was cornered. I looked at him and there was only one thing I saw in his eyes. Sincerity. I could trust him. Me, who didn't trust a single soul, knew that if I told this secret to Kakashi, he would not betray me.

But even then the truth wouldn't come forth.

I grounded myself before saying the next words. "I have the Ten Tails inside me."