Picture is Kuro.

Play the Music when you see the Bold letters that suggest songs! If you can't see bold letters, just play it when song suggestions come up later.

Filler chapter. Chapter sixteen is when the Chunin  Ark starts.

Enjoy.

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I stood in the familiar monochrome hallway, my Mask and Cloak discarded somewhere unknown. As before, the corridor stretched onwards, the end nowhere in sight.

The floor bore livid splatters, in which seemed to be the only color.

Why was I here again?

Ah, right, right.

I died.

This is the second time, I believe.

How irritating.

My skin radiated no warmth, and if I pressed my hand to my chest, there was no familiar heartbeat.

Only the frigid stillness.

It was unsettling, knowing that I was dead in this place. Was it like Limbo? Would there be two doors?

One to Paradise, and one to Eternal Torture?

Who knows.

A flash of red drew me from my relatively unpleasant thoughts. Eyes lifting to gaze at the Cherry-maned woman, I offered a small smile.

"Hey. Looky looky, I managed to die again." I murmured, for some reason finding the whole ordeal rather amusing. The Woman, whom I still had not acquired the name to, merely sighed.

"So I see. You should be more careful." She straightened, frowning faintly.

I shifted from foot to foot, a sheepish smile drifting over my features. "Yeah.." Trailing off, my smile shifted into a ghostly scowl.

"Why is it that, when I try to have fun, it always turns out bad?" I blinked up at the Woman, who shrugged.

"It's in our veins, love. Bad luck, that is. I'm sorry it had to be this way." Tucking her hair behind her ear, she leaned back, slouching against the wall.

"In our veins?" I frowned, standing straighter, before crossing my arms. "There's something you're not telling me." Eyes narrowing to snake-like slits, I stared at her as she kept her gaze locked on the wall, lost in thought.

"I can't explain it directly to you. However, I can give you a name." When she paused, I inclined my head for her to continue.

"Seraphine." She gauged my features for a reaction, but when she got none, she sighed.

"That's all I can give you. Good luck, love." However, she halted, before approaching me.

"I see your.. Bracelet has cracks in it." She paused, silver eyes glittering faintly. "When it breaks, you'll have your answer." She whispered.

Then, something unexpected happened.

She flicked my forehead, and everything went black.

_

Bleep.

Bleep.

..Bleep-Bleep.

Bleep-Bleep.

"..Waking up!"

Muddled words and sounds drifted into my now partially conscious mind. Groaning softly, I clutched my head, in which sent the unknown machines around me into a beeping frenzy.

My heart began to race, and the hyperactive thumps within my chest made the machines get louder.

Eyes shooting wide open, a strangled snarl escaped my mouth as I watched an unidentified person in a lab coat rush into the room, a needle gripped tightly in his grasp.

There was a violet liquid glowing within it, in which I did not want in my system.

Their words were foreign to my heartbeat filled ears, but I presumed them to be attempting to calm me down.

As the Doctor neared, I lurched out of the bed, in which resulted in a sloppy roll. Everything was sore, and my head was pounding with an oncoming headache.

Gaze swimming with inky splotches, I proceeded to leap out the reaching arms, before I tore the door open, and took off down the blindingly white hallways.

The hospital gown fluttered around my ankles, threatening to occasionally lift as my speed increased, before decreasing as the headache got worse.

An addition of footsteps met my ears, and my wide eyes shifted to the source. Kiba was racing towards me, a wide grin on his face.

However, all I could picture was the man with the needle.

A sharp hiss tore from between my teeth, in which was a strangled mixture between snake and cat. Kiba slowed, his brows drawing together at my foreign nature.

"Akuma? You're okay!" A brown-haired bundle struck me, and I physically restrained myself from lashing out at the brunette that clung to my arm. Tenten.

She gazed up excitedly, but when her misty eyes met my own partially feral looking ones, her expression masked Kiba's.

"Akuma? You almost died.. You really scared us. I'm really glad you're okay.." She trailed off slowly, noticing how laboured my breathing had become.

Skating. Lake. Ice. Kuro. Drowning..

Lurching backwards, I gazed out at the sea of Nurses and Doctors, and suddenly, I felt light headed. So many people..

[OKAY, suggested music to play:

Can you feel my heart. - Bring me the horizon.

Tendencies. - Hollywood Undead.

Numb. - Linkin Park.

They make everything MUCH better!]

Primal, nearly forgotten instincts kicked in, and I released another snarl.

A small group of armed Shinobi had arrived, and gestured Tenten back. She reluctantly obliged, in which oddly, felt as though someone had briefly gripped my heart.

The same Doctor stepped forward, the needle in hand. "Now, Akuma. Don't make this any harde-"

My muscles were twitching, and I felt uncalled energy gather around my wrist.

A sudden snap echoed out. My bracelet. It bore more webbed cracks, in which made it look even more fragile. Like it could snap right off.

Black Chakra leaked from it, but within the dark gas-like substance, was gold. It threaded through the shadows that spilled from the cracks, twitching like my muscles.

When the Shinobi launched without signal, the Doctor opened his mouth to call them off, but they were already in action.

They were on a mission.

A mission to kill the demon while it was weak.

And the worst part? Kiba and Tenten were restrained by the Shinobi who didn't attack.

I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder, which caused an agonizing screech to be torn from my throat.

A Kunai protruded from the bleeding flesh, and I could feel my eyes begin to sting. I was so.. So, confused.

What did I do?

The next Kunai struck my thigh, followed by two more to my side.

Fight.

But befuddlment clouded my mind. I didn't do anything.

They're like the villagers from so long ago.

That singular thought sent my mind back into action.

Fight to kill.

Kill to Survive

[Abrupt General PoV. owo]

The Black and Gold Chakra stretched, twitched, before coiling up the Crimson-maned girls arm. She lurched forward, nails extending into savage claws.

She struck out with lethal accuracy, Talons digging into the exposed flesh of those who dared to make an attempt at striking her down.

She didn't kill, no. However, there were fingers flying everywhere.

Nurses screamed and fled, while the Doctors attempted to escape as well.

What enraged the girl further, was Kiba and Tenten just stood there. Paralyzed. Was this what Akuma was really like?

A Monster?

The black Chakra writhed and warped, soon forming a twisted bubble around her.

But all she honestly is, was scared and confused.

Kunai protruded from multiple places, and it seemed the Girl was slowing. Crimson splattered the floor at random intervals, like some sort of sick painting.

And then, she froze.

"Shadow Possesion: Complete."

The monotone voice wrung out. The familiar form of Shikamaru stood there, panting. He had come to visit, when one of the Nurses warned him of a 'Blood-thirsty Demon.'

Akuma stood mid-strike, her lips curled back from triangular teeth.  The Shinobi that cowered before her scrambled up, before lurching away. He gathered the injured, before poofing off in an explosion of smoke. Shikamaru had given them the chance to escape.

However, his control soon shattered, and that's when Akuma whirled on him.

She was crouched, the out of control mass of Chakra whipping her hair into a frenzy. The peculiar part? The Gold Chakra had settled upon her skin, forming vine-like runes. What none present knew, was they were hovering over her white birth-markings

Shikamaru collapsed onto one knee, his eyes narrowed upon Akuma's Furious form.

As she was about to lurch forward, a barrage of Kunai and other various weapons forced her back. Tenten stood panting, a scroll sprawled out before her.

She wouldn't let.. Whatever this was, harm her friend.

Kiba was more so reluctant, but stood in front of Shikamaru in a battle position, Akamaru snarling by his side.

Akuma faltered, eyes widening the slightest, before she clutched her head. Her Bracelet cracked once more, but didn't shatter.

Betrayal.

The black Chakra seemed to take shape, loosely forming a pair of towering wings. They crackled, the quickly condensing Chakra spitting out little needles of energy.

There was one thing that everyone felt at that moment.

Fear.

Fear, of the monster that stood before them.

However, they were oblivious to the red tears that rolled down her face. She didn't Want to hurt them. They were her friends. Her family.

And they were ready to kill her.

As she was about to lash out with the ferocity of a beaten Lion, one voice broke through her cloud of Confusion, pain, and betrayal.

"Akuma!"

The voice registered through her mind quickly. Kuro.

She froze, eyes wide. The Crimson tears rolled on, dripped steadily to the white tile below.

The bundle struck her, sending a wave of pain rolling through her front.

A pair of arms wrapped around her, and the girl went rigid.

A low snarl built in her throat, but she couldn't lash out. She was physically restraining herself.

The Twisting bubble of Raw Chakra burned Kuro immensely, but he held on.

"Baka!" He snarled, clutching her shorter form to his chest tightly. "I didn't save you just so you could get yourself killed again!" He whispered. His tone was generally monotone, but the girl could sense fierceness behind his modulation.

"Everything is alright now, okay? Hey, you don't want to miss the exams. They start soon. So calm down. Akarui's been worried as hell. We should go get Dango and tease her." He murmured, pale eyes narrowed as he attempted to endure the agony rolling up his limbs.

Aburptly, Akuma collapsed within his grasp, shuddering as the Chakra slowly slid back into her bracelet. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. Why did they attack?" She curled up, her body quaking. She was oddly exhausted, and the inky blotches danced across her vision.

Kuro sighed, before picking the beaten girl up. He flinched at the multiple Kunai that protruded from her flesh, before deciding to take her back to his Team. Akarui was the medic of the squad, and he knew she would help.

The black-haired boy sent a fierce glare to the young Shinobi that stood before him. "Friends? You can go fuck yourselves. She wouldn't have gotten to this point if you had just helped her." They were stunned by the Mist-Nin's words. Tenten looked ashamed, Kiba was frowning, and Shikamaru just sighed.

"Our loyalty remains to our village. She posed a threat." Shikamaru scowled at Kuro, whom scoffed.

"I don't have fuckin' time for this." He snarled, before lurching into a Sprint as he attempted to find an exit.

He'd have to get Akarui to heal his Chakra-burns as well.

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"She'll be fine. Give her a few hours." Akarui leaned back, before standing and trotting into the kitchen of the Hotel the team was staying in.

Kuro leaned against the doorway, chewing on his thumbnail. "The Chunin Exams start  tomorrow, right?" He asked, and Aisu, his step brother, nodded.

Their Sensei had reluctantly agreed to let her stay, but still kept an eye on her.

What a mess they had gotten themselves into.

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"Are you kidding me?!" The Shinobi that had gotten his injured Comrades away from that.. Monster, confronted the Hokage.

"Yes. If she still shows up, she can still participate in the Exams. She'll just have an extra few eyes watching her." The Third confirmed, before leaning back in his chair. "Problem?"

"Yes! She's a danger to everyone there!" The Shinobi snarled, only pausing when the Hokage held his hand up.

"Have you seen the competition this year? There's a lot of strong competitors. The girl won't be an issue." He narrowed his eyes, still staring at the man that stood before him.

The Shinobi couldn't argue. Instead, he settled for muttering an oath, before leaving The Hokage's office in a puff of smoke.

Allowing her to participate was his first mistake.

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"Come on, Akuma. Don't worry. Go on ahead, we need some more time. We'll see you there." Akarui grinned, nudging the now Cloaked girl out the door.

Kuro had gotten her stuff the night before, knowing Akuma would need it.

It had taken nearly an Hour just to coax her up and out, yet she was still reluctant.

"They won't even recognize you." Akarui smiled, before backing up.

Akuma frowned beneath her mask, before shrugging. "Fine. But be quick." She murmured, before racing out of the house.

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That chapter was all over the place. Sorry! Hope it was alright.

And I'll see you.. In the next Chapter!

[Unedited.]

- Duckie.