Blood In The Sand

Overall, the night went as one might expect. Gaara and Rena left the forest, heading back to the hotel around the same time Su and Suno did. All was quiet there, as Temari and Baki were already sleeping.

Kankuro and Ikari got exhausted with dancing, so they challenged one another to an eating competition, which they washed down with alcohol by accident- the restaurant had been so popular, the newer server girl had accidentally served them booze rather than water. Tsukiyomi accompanied them, watching them closely. When they tried to fight each other, she finally intervened, knocking the two of them out with non-surprising ease with how drunk they were.

Sansa, on the other hand, could barely see her hand in front of her face as she got on top of Rasa, her lips pressing against his. It had been years since Orochimaru touched anyone in that particular way, but he supposed… he wasn't really sure what Rasa would do. In the end, he decided that the best way to do it was just getting through it.

Tsukiyomi was the last through the door, her Self-Puppetry technique holding Kankuro and Ikari in her hair. She had decided to tuck Kankuro into his bed, carefully and gently, but for Ikari, she had no idea where to put him.

So, like she figured any normal person would do in her situation, she dug a hole in the backyard and left him buried in it, only his head poking out of the ground. Knowing she had done her job correctly, she went back to her room. Su was sleeping in her bed, so rather than lying down and staring at the ceiling as she always did, she simply knelt in front of the table in her room and stared into the nothingness before her.

Sansa awoke, her memories of the night fuzzy. She took in the sight of a hotel room, looking around, looking at the clothes… realization dawned on her. It was Rasa's room. "No, no, no, no, no!" What had she done last night?! Was it something that was going to jeopardize her current life? She had been challenged to a drinking contest… She had to get back before anyone noticed she was gone.

Rena's eyes fluttered open as the wind blew through her hair. Glancing down, she saw an endless void… to which she stepped back in surprise, tipping over and falling to the ground. It was only then that she took in the sights around her; sights she had remembered for a very long time. It was as if she was eons away from the rest of the Hidden Sand, with the Shukaku rampaging in the background. As she reached out to it, a hand rested on her arm, causing her to jump back.

The person who had touched her was older than her. More feminine than her. Longer, straighter hair than her. Yet… a mask obscured her face, half-finished. It was as if whoever had been carving it just gave up and left the other side white… it was clear it was meant to be a cat-mask. As Rena tried to run around the figure, dashing and trying to jump for the other building across the void, the void stretched and hands pulled her down into the darkness. She screamed, or at least tried to, but nothing came out.

She felt a hand envelop hers and as she was yanked up, she hit the ground hard. The woman with the mask hadn't spoken, just eerily continued to stare at Rena. She'd helped her… but why? "You know, you shouldn't aim to dash into darkness." The figure put its arms behind its back, surveying the void- her voice was distorted, sometimes male and sometimes female. "If you fall too far… I won't be able to pull you out next time."

"Who are you?" Rena asked, unsure of whether or not she should be talking to the person behind the mask or not. The figure laughed, a wind ripping through the night and tossing their hair about.

"If you don't know, there's no point in telling you."

Rena backed up, before taking off into a sprint again only to be grabbed by the woman and thrown back against the bar of the roof-balcony they were on. "Why are you stopping me?! Gaara needs me!"

"Tsk, tsk tsk. Not so fast." The woman raised her hand, her index finger pointing directly at Rena as she shook her head. She was almost ethereal as she began to walk toward her victim. "Don't you know? This place isn't something you can change or remedy. It's already happened. Saying he needs you… that's so pointless."

Rena really didn't like the woman's attitude. It was worse than Sansa's. "What are you saying?! Be clearer!"

"I'm saying that this is your biggest regret." She was definitely right about that. Everything in Rena pushed her to go toward the Shukaku, but it was as if she couldn't, like it just got further away the more she tried. The woman walked toward her, tapping her nails against the railing and creating a scratching sound that penetrated her eardrums. "It's the event that shaped you. It made you who you are today and therefore, this is where I… and you, are trapped." It was as if she blinked out of existence and Rena jumped as the girl reappeared as if she'd always been there at Rena's side, hands on either arm, digging her nails into Rena's skin. "This is your version of hell, really. You're not dead… yet. But I suggest that you do what you can to wipe this event from your head and heart. Completely erase it, or you'll be trapped within it forever."

"Why should I trust you?! You said that it was over! That I couldn't change it!"

"You can't." The woman turned around. Her tone of voice was more venomous now, dripping with a poison that hadn't been there before. "But that doesn't mean it's over. Memories are a powerful thing, initiate. Knowledge is king of all, in any world. If you don't know anything… you're as good as dead and things really aren't looking up for you right now."

"Then just tell me what I need to know already!" Rena snapped, causing the woman to turn around.

She raised her hand, gently tracing her fingers around the lines of her mask. "That would be cheating, Rena." Her shoulders shook as she seemed to laugh at a joke Rena had no concept of. "The game doesn't work like that, you know. You have to play it as all the rest do. The rules won't change for you."

"What kind of game are you talking about?" Rena frowned, stepping forward. Her roaming hands found the necklace Gaara had given her and she grasped it.

"O, decrepit soul, lost to time… repeating the same path over and over." She offered her hand to the child, outstretched palm, fingers splayed. "I am no ally of yours, child. Your life does not belong to you and it never will." Her hand once more touched her mask as it unclasped from her face and she slowly brought down her mask, exposing purple eyes… that rooted Rena to the spot. They weren't normal… they couldn't be. The pupils…

"That's… the thing that Uchiha guy has."

"Your body does not belong to you. Your Kekkai Genkai does not belong to you. You have stolen what is rightfully mine… something I intend to take back." Her eyes narrowed, the purple Sharingan piercing through Rena…

And she shot up, panting, sweating, the sun rising in the sky. She felt like she couldn't breathe as she rolled off of the bed, her knees hitting the ground as she gasped for air, trying to calm herself down. Her heart was bouncing off of her ribs like she'd just ran a thousand miles.

Today was the day she faced Kana. That nightmare meant nothing in comparison. No matter what, she would fight and defeat Kana, regardless of who said she couldn't. She would save Gaara, regardless of what even her dreams told her.

It was on that day that the chains of fate were broken and events to make history were put in motion. After all of that pressure… the demons within her were waking up.

"Welcome to the Chuunin Exam Finale!" The announcer said, raising his arms. The arena wasn't fully packed yet, but there were a lot of people in the stands, most having travelled to see the Exams but more specifically the last Uchiha fight against Gaara. The crowds were alight with excitement, the pamphlets chock-full of promising action. "Our first match is two unknown Genin with a grudge, facing off against one another! Rena Hikari versus Kana Yoru! Our second match is a rather exciting one as well… Ikarinochi Hikari versus Tsukiyomi Akagari!" Ikari rolled his eyes at the comment, wondering if anyone would actually use the name he wanted. "Our matches following up that are Temari versus Shikamaru and the gifted genius of the Hyuuga clan versus our own Naruto Uzumaki! Our final two for the prelims of the finale contain the match everyone is pumped up for, Gaara of the Sand versus Sasuke Uchiha, with a finish-off by Kankuro versus Shino Abarame!"

The enthusiasm in his voice was unquenchable, but he was quickly replaced by the same announcer that had called for the preliminaries. "Your very first match of the day, Kana Yoru versus Rena Hikari!" The two locked eyes, their glares piercing through one another. The tension crossed the shinobi between them, but Sansa leaned against the bars, rather uncaring. The cheering from the people already there, excited for the match to begin, was loud. Sasuke Uchiha hadn't arrived yet.

"Rena Hikari. Today is the day you die." Kana's manner of speaking was blunt and rude, despite the fact her teammates were all out of the exams. Her arrogance was almost overwhelming. Rena's hands gripped the bars as she gave a half-hearted chuckle.

"I'd say I'd be looking forward to it, but I can't die here and definitely not to you." Kana gritted her teeth, her glare deepening as her Jonin put a hand on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. Kana seemed to relax all of the tension in her body and moved to walk down the stairs.

"Are you going to keep me waiting? Are you scared?"

Rena turned to follow her, but Sansa stopped her, receiving a glare. "Relax. Do you know how to undo Genjutsu?"

"No, why are you asking me?"

Sansa made the hand-sign to undo. "Release."

Rena raised her eyebrows as if to say, your point?

"You're going to need it if you're dealing with the Yoru. Remember it well, because you may be using it a significant amount." Rena nodded, looking to the side, avoiding Sansa's gaze. "Rena." Her eyes shifted back to her mother. "Know this. For all I've done, everything has been in your best interests. It always will be. Never question that. For all I've said… I believe in you. Come home with us."

"That was never in question, Sansa." Rena shook her head. "But it feels like you've been choking me recently. We'll talk more after the match." As she turned to walk away, Sansa smiled softly. That was her way of saying that no matter what, she wouldn't lose.

On her way out, she ran into Gaara, who was leaning against the wall by the stairs. Their eyes connected as she walked past and he whispered something for her ears only. "I'll be watching. Don't disappoint me."

She laughed. "Didn't intend to." The trek down the stairs was long and arduous. As her shoes finally hit the soil, she walked out to the middle of the field, turning around as she glanced up at the stands. There were a significant amount of people… not to mention, up in the VIP area, Gaara was watching.

She finally came face to face with Kana. This was their battlefield. It was either her or the girl before her. That sort of conclusion excited her in a way that made her feel sick, but she pushed the feeling down. They were silent as the announcer began his speech. "Alright. You have sixty minutes to finish this fight. If you don't, we call it a tie." He raised his hand in the air. "Damn it, the tension between you kids is intense… nevermind. Go!"

The instant he brought his hand down, both girls flew at each other. Metal rang against metal, sparks flying between them as their eyes met and Rena could truly see the hatred infesting Kana. Her first thought was what she'd done to deserve such hate, but the thought was quickly wiped out of her mind as Kana's assault multiplied. She was fast, faster than she'd been in the preliminaries and much more vicious. Rena was having a hard time blocking her with just a kunai. "Woah! She didn't fight like that in the preliminaries!" Kankuro slammed his hands down on the railing, worry crossing his face. If that kid had been hiding that much brute strength…

"You really think she'd show all of her cards from the beginning? How do you think the others lost?" Sansa flicked her eyes to Kankuro. "Her team wasn't weak by any means. At best… they were just sacrifices to make sure she got this far."

"What?" Temari's eyes widened. What did she mean, sacrifices?

Suddenly, Kana got that much faster. "It's interesting that you can keep up with me at this speed… but how about now?" Her voice was behind Rena's ear and Rena turned, but it was much too late as the kunai tore the back of her shirt and she felt blistering, splitting pain up her back. Rena cried out, tripping forward and skidding across the ground, unable to control her footing. As the back of her shirt blew in the wind, exposing the scars, Kana threw her head back and laughed. "I told you I'd kill you. You didn't think the preliminaries meant anything, did you?" She began to walk toward Rena, a sadistic grin stretching across her face. "I told you I'd make it slow. I didn't say I wouldn't go fast."

As Kana blitzed forward again, Rena threw up her hands just in time to block an incoming kick. There was no time to do anything. She could just barely tell where Kana would be coming from next.

What do you do when you're up against an enemy stronger than you?

No, not the voices! Not now! As she rolled to the side, narrowly dodging a kunai that was now embedded in the ground, she did her best to block them out of her mind and focus on the battle.

Run? Where'd you get such a pathetic idea? No, you don't run….

Suddenly, it was as if a flow of energy hit Rena. Her hands began to shake and her mind was alight with possibilities. She knew Kana was coming.

Use their strength against them. Don't let the fight go their way. Do everything you can, even s̡͈a̫̱̤̠̠̳̺͢c̰̩͙̱̹̹̺̕r̗̮̬͇̭̳͍i͕̫̕f̹̞̣͍̞ͅi̡̠̦̹c̱͇͇̭͈̫e̪̩̭͢ your own ̡̮͈b͚̪̘̝̲̠͘ǫ̘͔̞͉̭d͕̕y̩̳̮̦̱͢,̡͕̳̞͇̙to make sure nothing goes their way.

Rena bent backward as Kana sailed at her with a kick, causing the girl to fly over her and smash into the wall. Her glare was definitely one that would be great as a picture on Rena's nightstand. Kana wasn't stunned for long, however, as she charged at Rena. There weren't many options, so she'd just have to go with what felt right. She didn't move until the last moment, opening her arms in a slow, wide movement… this caused Kana to leap back, wary of her actions. This freed her up, even for a moment, as she dropped her arms. "Damn you!" Kana yelled, realizing it was a fake-out. She burst forward, only for Rena to kick up dust in her eyes, causing the girl to fall back as she proceeded to come in through the dust cloud, landing a huge hit on Kana's face. The girl flew across the ground, hitting hard and rolling a few more meters.

"Go Rena!" Kankuro cheered. He hadn't been worried, not at all.

"For someone without any shinobi training, she really is... amazing!" Temari exclaimed, excitement showing on her face.

Sansa's lip curled upward, into a half-smile. She truly was... The Rena from before, through and through. The memories came rushing back. Meanwhile, Gaara watched, his eyes wide. So even though she was weak… she fought with all she had, struggling to preserve that meaningless life of hers. Even with barely any abilities, even despite the fact she knew nothing… even though she had no specialty… this her… this person she was, here, today, fighting in front of him, even though she might have her secrets… he was sure this was the Rena he'd always known.

Still, it seemed like Kana wasn't done yet. Her eyes were full of a thirst for vengeance as she stood up, her voice a low growl. "Are you proud…? Proud of being pathetic?" Wiping away the blood on her cheek, she began to weave her hand-signs. Rena realized, almost instantaneously, that it wasn't a good thing for Kana to complete them. However, she was less than up to speed with Kana and before she could even start her mad dash, it was too late. "Heaven's Judgement!"

Feathers began to fall from the sky in a small area, covering Rena. It was overwhelming to be covered in absolute darkness, nothing but torches surrounding her. Before her, something raised from the water below, the feathers floating along the slight tremors. It was a gate… a gate to the underworld. Rena could feel that something hit her and she keeled over, grabbing her stomach. Another blow hit her face. Where the hell was it coming from? She couldn't hear anything. She couldn't see anything beyond what was there. She didn't really know about Genjutsu, but this is what it had to be, right?

Raising her hand and making the sign, she stepped back cautiously. "Release!" Nothing happened, but there was a blow to the back of her head causing her to skid forward. She felt like she was soaked from head to toe… could this really be a Genjutsu? "Release!" She tried again.

A low growl came from some indiscriminate area. She slowly turned around to face a pair of red eyes, large and terrifying, slits that pierced and judged her very soul.

O, pitiful youth, this is your end. But if you should desire otherwise...

The group watched with worried faces as Rena failed to move. Sansa's grip on the railing became tighter as Kana toyed with punting her around. The blank look in her eyes… so Kana was that far in the Yoru teachings. No wonder she'd been having trouble with Rena before; her specialty was the Genjutsu of the Yoru clan. Judging by how she hadn't used it yet, she wasn't perfect in it, but still, that was more than enough to defeat Rena, whose biggest weakness has always been illusions.

"So, I see she's as pathetic as ever." Sansa froze and it was as if the atmosphere turned to stone. Nobody could move an inch as the sound of heels clicking against the floor filled their ears. It still felt like there was nobody there. Even the sounds she was making felt far away and inconceivable. A cloaked woman came into view. She placed her well-manicured hands on the rail, her black lips twisted into a smile.

"L-Lady… Owari…" Baki looked on, unable to speak or move, frozen in place by whatever effect this woman had on her. Only his eyes could move, following the movements she took as she spread out amongst the bars, laughing each time Rena got hit. "H-How…? You…"

"I'm dead?" Owari brought her hands up, gently bringing down her hood to reveal long, permed hair. Her eyes were the same piercing purple as Rena's, but she herself held something different. She looked as if she were a deity made flesh as she spun around in a circle and smiled brightly, clapping her hands together. "That's right… I died. By the hands of my son, as I watched you escape with my child." Her demeanour changed. It was as if she had the eyes of a thousand demons, all trained on Sansa, her bloodlust spiking that it felt as if death was inevitable.

It seemed Sansa was the only one free of her influence as she dropped to her knees, bowing, her forehead touching the floor. "Lady Owari, if I knew you were alive, I would have-"

"Shut up… Sansa." Sansa's voice went quiet. Baki had never seen her so submissive, nor had he seen her succumb so fast to anyone. She didn't even show the Kazekage that kind of respect. "It seems like… you broke my toy." She watched with glee, leaning on the rail and supporting her head with her cheek in her hand as she tapped her foot against the floor. "Is that useless piece of trash down there really my daughter?" Owari broke out into laughter, her shoulders shaking as she stepped back. "How ugly! How gross!" Her smile faded as she continued. "How detestable! How disgusting!" Her expression descended into absolute rage, her laughter becoming anger and agony. "How worthless. How useless. How insignificant…" She paused, then shrugged, before laughing again. "But how interesting! Watching my daughter die… that'd be so interesting!" She ran back up to the railing, the amusement on her face terrifying.

Gaara was filled with fear. He couldn't move. His sand couldn't move. He even felt like his very blood was coming to a slow stop, yet his heart was pounding… fear…? Was this real, palpable fear?

"Who are you to talk… about your daughter like that?!" Naruto struggled against the influence, as he was more than bound to. Owari's eyes snapped to him and she disappeared, reappearing before him, her smile becoming more than just one of amusement, but one of sadistic enjoyment.

"What did you say? Are you telling me how to live my life?" Her head tilted to the side, a collective group of her bangs falling in between her eyes having dislodged from behind her ear. "Are you chaining me? Restricting me? Are you going to kill me?" She got closer with every question. "Do you want to kill me? If you want to kill me, then do it." A smile stretched across her face as the boy's fear overtook his desire to do good. "You fool. Talk is worthless. You are worthless. Only action shall sate me. Only those who take action deserve to look at me, to stand in front of me and live."

"Please, Lady Owari," Sansa begged. "Leave them out of this." Another grin as she walked over to Sansa before drawing her leg back and slamming her in the stomach. She flew into the air, hitting the ceiling overhead before dropping back to the ground, coughing.

"Since you've begged me… I suppose I can leave out the insignificants. They are nothing in this world but bugs anyways." She skipped around, spinning in a circle again. "But… If you've gone and broken my toy, I need to fix it."

"Please, Lady Owari! Rena… she…"

Owari's eyes snapped to Rena. Nothing but cruelty remained in them. It was as if her emotions and inhibitions changed every five seconds. "You want to play with her some more…? I suppose I can humour that request, Sansa, if only for a few years more. After all, she's such an interesting toy… and you've served me so well in the past." Her shoulders began to shake before she broke out into laughter again. "Yes… we can start a whole new game. But… I'll need to find something else to play with when I'm bored…"

"Y-You're… The Blood Empress!"

Owari took pause, her face shifting to a blank, uncaring shell of its former self as she looked back at the Yoru Jonin. "And? What of it?"

"You… you died. You died seventy years ago!"

She tilted her head, placing a hand on her hip. "Oh…? Did I? That's news to me. How interesting… I'm learning about things I never knew about myself. But… nobody living today save for few should know I exist. Who are you?" Another disappearance as she reappeared, grabbing the Jonin's arm. Her smile twisted into a nightmare distortion of itself and all that existed in her eyes was pure ecstasy at the thought of murdering him. "You're part of the Yoru. How entertaining. You'll be my new toy, won't you?"

The Yoru Jonin could feel the warmth spreading through his pants as liquid dripped to the floor. Owari looked down, then back up at him, a thoroughly unimpressed look on her face.

"How amusingly pathetic. How nauseatingly pathetic." Her hand tightened around his arm as he silently screamed. It felt like he was being crushed. "How inferior you are."

She turned her head to watch Rena, once more, get the shit beaten out of her before rolling her eyes. She smashed the Yoru Jonin's head into the wall, knocking him out cold… and left his body hanging limply from the hole as she walked over, stepping up onto the bars. As she reached out, an inky black surrounded her hand. She pulled it back out and in her hand was a rather exquisite weapon made from black steel and lined with gold. Half of the blade, however, was made with a strangely clear substance, therefore resulting in a see-through look. The most curious part, however, was that the weapon itself was double-bladed on either side making for what might seem like an ineffective weapon. "Akito… it's time to wake up." She drew her arm back… and whipped the weapon into the arena. She turned back to Sansa. "Enjoy the gift I've given you, Sansa. Do not forget your place."