The Avenger's Demon

It wasn’t looking too good for Sakura, beaten and bloodied. Her hair was now short from trying to get away from one of the sound nin. Thankfully for her, Ino came to the rescue with her team. Rock Lee was knocked down badly, the sound attacks to his ears took him down.

Sasuke’s condition was growing worse as purple smoke leaked from his body. He was slowly fighting the curse, but the outcome wouldn’t be so pretty. Sithena was struggling within her own dream as well.

During the fight, Lee’s team showed up as well. Now the odds were in the leaf village’s favor, but Nenji stopped, feeling Sasuke was beginning to stir.

Sasuke had slowly stood up with the smoke engulfing him. The black tattoos had covered half his body and his eyes had already activated into the Sharingan, demon eyes. He gazed down to Sakura with such hate, “Sakura, who did this to you?” He then turned to see Sithena laying stomach down on the ground, her cheek resting on the ground. Blood had spilled out of her mouth and ears, she was badly wounded.

His fists clenched, “Who was it?” He asked with more venom within his words. “What’s happened to you?” Sakura stuttered.

“Don’t worry, it’s just the power flowing through me. In fact, I never felt better. He gave me this gift and made me understand what I am. I am avenger, to follow my path by any price. Even if the power is evil” Sasuke stated, glaring toward them.

One of them had confessed they had beaten Sakura as Sasuke’s hate grew and now his entire face and left side of his body was covered in the curse marks. The sound nin had used a powerful sound attack, but Sasuke had already moved Naruto and Sakura to safety. Sasuke launched fire balls which soon to be shuriken hurtling toward him.

With that distraction he pinned the guy, pulling his arms back and breaking them out of their sockets. He glanced back, ready to kill the last sound nin who was frightened. Sakura stared wide eyed toward him, running forward she hugged him from behind, forcing him to stop. “Don’t do it…stop” Sakura begged.

Sasuke had turned to her with that same glare, but soon the curse started to recede as he collapsed on the ground. The sound nins had given up, giving their earth scroll to them as he left, warning them if they were to meet again, they would fight to the death.

They watched them disappear within the forest. Shikamaru and Choji had checked on Naruto as Ino check on Lee. Sasuke had snapped out of his frightened trance, “Sithena!” He scrambled to his feet, getting on his knees to carefully push her onto her back. She was out cold and appeared to be in a lot of pain. Sasuke had suddenly noticed something in the wound Orochimaru had given her.

He peered underneath to see black veins running up her body. He gasped, falling backwards in fear. ‘What’s happening to her? Is…is she turning into…’ a flash back of her wild appearance appeared in his mind as he shook his head, ‘No, then what is it?’

Choji had hit Naruto on the head with a random stick causing Naruto to finally wake up. He was confused and made a scene about the grass ninja. He ran up to Sakura, worried about her hair. “Wait, wasn’t there a ninja that suddenly appeared? That person, helped us right?” Naruto asked, not realizing Sithena was the ninja.

Sakura gazed passed him as he followed her gaze. “What! Sithena!” He ran over towards her seeing her bad condition, “What are we gonna do?” He asked, unsure if they should move her. “I don’t know…” Sakura spoke as she walked up to them. Nenji’s and Ino’s team walked up to see the young girl. “Wait, I remember her!” Ino exclaimed.

Lee had finally woke up by TenTen shaking him so violently. She began to lecture him about running into a battle like that. “So, who’s this chick?” Shikamaru asked, Sasuke had ignored everyone. Sakura turned to everyone, “She’s our fourth teammate, but she wasn’t supposed to be in the exam. Though in a way, she’s monitoring the teams and came to our rescue when someone that wasn’t supposed to be here attacked us”

Sithena began to stir as everyone turned to her, “Agh, so many people” She mumbled when her eyes fluttered open. “You’re alive!” Naruto shouted with happiness. “Yeah, just a little beat up is all” She tried to lift herself off the ground, but gasped in pain. Sasuke supported her back with his left hand, “You shouldn’t be pushing yourself like this” She smiled, “I should be saying the same thing”

Everything seemed normal, Ino fixed Sakura’s hair. Everyone seemed calm, except for Sithena and Sasuke who had moved away from everyone to talk.

“What’s going on?” Sasuke asked, Sithena was patching herself up with a few medical items she had brought, “What do you mean?”

“Your wounds haven’t healed. By now it would have completely healed. Why?”

Sithena sighed, unsure if she should tell him. She gazed up to see her owl flying overhead, “Be careful out there” She disappeared from sight. Sasuke was shocked and growled by her sudden disappearance.

She had appeared a mile away from her team, she couldn’t stay with them any longer for she wasn’t part of the test and she also wanted to avoid worrying Sasuke of the poison. The owl perched itself on her shoulder, its eyes glowed as did her’s. The whole fight Gaara had with these other ninjas were devastating. Killing them without a second thought.

“Shukaku has made him much more dangerous than I had expected” She spoke out loud as the owl disappeared. Sithena had made it back to the tower without any more trouble. Just as she walked through the doors she fell to one knee, the poison was eating away at her. “You” A soft yet rough voice spoke beside her, she turned to see none other than Gaara standing with his arms crossed.

Sithena smiled happily, “Ah, I see you’ve made it here safely. That’s good” She tried to stand, but her legs had given out on her. Gaara supported her before she fell causing her to gasp in surprise. She didn’t really expect him to show this sort of kindness.

He glared darkly toward her, “You’re weak for a demon” She gave him a dumbfounded look, ‘Like you know what I’ve gone through!’ She shouted within her mind, obviously not wanting to deal with criticism.

Gaara had suddenly pulled down her armored shirt causing her to blush madly, “What are you doing?” She squeaked, but he only glared at the black veins appearing under her skin.

Sand had consumed them both as they were teleported right in front of the medical office. “Uh, why did you?...” Gaara had vanished. A medical nin appeared through the door, dropping a clipboard she was carrying, “Ms. Drake!” She helped Sithena into the office to be treated at once.

“What are you going to do?” Kakashi asked her. She was all patched and cleaned up of any blood. She was given herbs to ease the pain to a dull throbbing pain. “I’m not sure. I can’t just leave at such a time like this” Sithena replied, staring out the window overlooking the forest. There was no sign of her team yet and it had been several hours.

“If you wait, you will die”

“And if I go and Sasuke dies…there’s no point in my existence now is there?” She turned to him as a stern look was placed in his eye. “You know my one mission in life is to protect him. I was given that role and I shall uphold that position until my last breath. Even if it means he chooses Orochimaru’s side” Sithena turned back around, placing her forehead on the window.

“Sasuke will not go to him” Kakashi spoke, knowing full well it was all just a lie.

Sithena had once again turned to Kakashi with a saddened smile. “I would only hope so…I don’t want to betray this village, but my destiny cannot be broken. The connection has been set. My life is his and so is my will. If I were to severe this…well…you know what will happen”

Kakashi nodded in understanding. A sad fate for a demon with a human connection, but it is how life had always done it and it shall always be.

“After the team returns there is a break in between now and the preliminaries. I will take you-” “No” Kakashi’s eyes widened when Sithena glared darkly toward him, “You will not, your team needs your guidance for the next step in these exams. Do not worry for me, I will find a way…somehow” She whispered the last word to herself as she hugged herself, closing her eyes.

“The Country of Darkness is much more dangerous than you can imagine…it has grown worse since Cylix betrayed us. He possibly plans to release all the demons upon this world for his hate for humans have grown too much for him to handle. That place is no longer how it use to be. It’s now an unforgiving terrain. Even the very plants can kill you” She explained from what she remembered after she had left.

“Then we will” A young man’s voice spoke deeply behind them as Sithena and her sensei turned to see Cronos, Axel and Lexa standing at the door.