~Earlier~

"Zabuza... Zabuza....!" Tears spill down my cheeks as I lay Zabuza's head in my lap. He's gone... Zabuza was dead due to the amount of blood loss and stab wounds on his body. He is lifeless, and he was the only one who cared about me... 

It's not fair... Why did he have to die? The only person who gave a damn about me in this world is now gone... "Akina..." Kakashi gently places his hand on my shoulder, but I shrug it off harshly. 

"Let's get out of here... The mission is complete, right? What a waste..." 

~Now~ 

Squad 7 returned to the village and Kakashi reported the mission to the Old Man Hokage. ANBU placed me in chains the moment I walked into the village. After Kakashi reported to the old man, more kiddy missions were in store for squad 7 since they took severe damage. Well, only Naruto and Sasuke. 

However, my wounds have healed up nicely thanks to Naruto's chakra. At least I got some chakra out of this mission. But, it's also dangerous for me to take so much of the 9 tails chakra. That beast the only reason why my wounds have healed so quickly. I have to be more careful next time. 

I've been silent ever since the Land of Waves. How come I couldn't remember who Zabuza was back then? Maybe it's because of the days I've spent in that damn dark cell. "Akina, is everything okay? You've been...quiet lately." Kakashi asks me to break the silence between us while him and Squad 7 are walking back into the village. 

"I'm fine." I scoff. "When can we go back to the house? I'm starting to get hungry." 

"In a bit. I just need to report this last mission to the Hokage for the day." 

"It's about time." I close my eyes, then ope them when I hear a hawk. A hawk was flying around us from above. The old man is calling for Kakashi. What about? Do I have to go with him? Stupid question. I kind of have to since I'm assigned with the guy. 

While Sasuke and Naruto are arguing because of the lack of teamwork, Kakashi and I use our transportation jutsu to go to the Hokage's office. While I was in the office with other Jounin and Chunin, I notice a few other shinobi entering into the village. 

'Land of Wind...' I think to myself as I notice the headband on one of the genin headbands. What are they doing here? Wait. Don't tell me... "The Chunin Exams? Now?" I speak up while looking at Kakashi. 

"Don't think you can participate just because you're assigned on Kakashi's team." The old man glares at me. "While these exams are being held, you will continue to stay by Kakashi's side." 

"I wasn't talking to you." I glare back at him. "And I wasn't thinking that at all. I was only asking why have it now?" 

"You already know why, Akina. You, out of all shinobi, know how this works. It happens every year."

"How boring." I yawn. The old man sighs and continues to inform the Jouin and Chunin about the Chunin Exams. While he's doing this, I smirk as I tighten my fist so tightly that my blood drips onto the floor, seeping into the floorboards. 

The drops of blood form into a clone of myself. Since I'm stuck here, I might as well use a clone to snoop around. Every shinobi, icluding the ANBU, are distracted. So, why not? 

~Akina's Clone P.O.V.~ 

I walk around the village with my hands folded behind me. So many new faces this time and they look ready to take these exams. I wonder how many will pass this time. 

As I'm walking around, I hear a commotion going about. "Hold on a second! Hey!" I hear Loud-Mouth Sakura shout at a group of 3. "The Land of Fire and The Land of Wind may be allies, but one cannot enter one's village without permission! So state your business, and it better be good!" 

"Keep it down, Loud-Mouth. They're allowed to be in the village. Quit your shouting." I say from the tree branch I'm lying on. 

"Akina!" Naruto grins when he sees me. 

"Hey, Boss, who's that?" The old man's grandson questions while pointing at me. We never met in person before, and needless to say, he doesn't know about me being locked up or me at all. 

"Only the coolest Kunoichi ever! Akina!" Naruto tells his little friends. I hop down from the tree branch and land in between squad 7 and the Sand Shinobi. 

"I can't believe you guys don't know what's going on here. Why else would they be here?" I turn to the sand shinobi. "They're here for the Chunin exams and they have permission." 

"At least somebody around here is smart enough to figure that out." The girl with the 4 pigtails smirks at me. 

"Chunin Exams? What's that?" Naruto asks.

"It's for Genin to become Chunin, boss." Konohamaru answers. 

"Oh, I am so there!" While Naruto and Konohamaru are discussing this, the boy with red hair is staring at me intensively. 

"What?" I glare at him. 

"I've taken in interest in you... Who are you?" He glares back. 

"I'm Akina." 

"I am Gaara of the Desert. Tell me something... Are you what they call the Shinobi Killer?" When he says this, it goes silent between all of us. I'm not surprised that this sort of rumor has spread out throughout other villages. 

"I am." I answer with a smirk. "Welcome to the Leaf Village. I hope to see you later on in these exams." 

"Likewise." Is all he says and walks off with his team. Too bad I had to lie to him. I can't patriciate in these exams. I've entered in these exams before, but with other team members. But, after losing so many teams, the old man has forbidden me to take these exams ever again. 

~Akina's P.O.V.~ 

Looks like things are already getting riled up. So many genin from different villages are walking through the gate, and thanks to my clone, I learn the name of a suspicious boy, Gaara. Too bad the clone didn't last longer. It has a time limit and it can't go too far from my original body. 

After the meeting, Kakashi and I finally returned to his house. He gave me a cup of ramen for dinner since it had gotten so late. Tomorrow, he will be inform the team about the Chunin exams. 

During that night, as I tried to sleep in the guest bedroom, I feel the cold breeze hitting my skin as the window to my bedroom opens up. I held a kunai underneath the pillow as something creeps up behind me. 

As they got closer, I quickly get out of bed and cut them with the kunai, but it was sand. "Sand?" I say with confusion. Where is it coming from? 

The sand retreats out the window. I walk over to the window and don't see anything. "You detected my sand so quickly." I hear a voice from beside the house. It's that guy again. What was his name again? Gaara? 

"What are you doing here? This isn't Romeo and Juliet." I lean against the window with my arms crossed and look at Gaara, who is standing on a surface of sand beneath his feet with his arms folded.

Gaara doesn't say anything to me but stare at me with cold eyes. I sigh tell him,

"If you're not going to answer, then I'm going back to bed. Don't stand near the window like a creep." The moment I was about to close the window, Gaara speaks and says, 

"Where was your real body when I first saw you? Why send a clone?" I glance at Gaara from the corner of my eye when he says this. He knew that it was a clone when I met him? This kid is smarter than I thought. And here I was thinking that he wanted to show off just because he's from another village. 

"Because I was busy with other things.  I didn't have the time." I reply and lean against the window. 

"Where was your real body?" 

"With the old man that this village calls a Hokage. So," I turn around and look at Gaara. "What brings you by at this late hour?" 

"I want to see and speak to the real you instead of talking to a clone." 

"Oh? Do you have a crush on me?~" I smirk and he gives me a cold stare again. "No sense of humor." I sigh. 

"Tell me... How many people have you killed?" 

"Hmm?" I give him a look of confusion. Because I'm a Shinobi Killer. "I don't really know. I lost count over the years." I shrug my shoulders and look up at the sky. "Why bring this up? Have you killed anybody?" 

"Yes. Many." That was a quick response. But I can see him killing someone with those cold eyes of his. But why kill? What's his reason? 

"Why did you want to come talk to me? Why talk to a killer?" 

"Because you and I are the same." 

"How so?" I raise a brow. 

"We both kill..." 

"But for what reason?" I look at him with seriousness. "What is your reason for killing? I guarantee that it's  not for the same reason. We may both kill, but not the same reason I bet. You probably hold a grudge against someone. As for I, I have no choice."

"No choice? What do you mean?" Gaara asks and I look at him with the corner of my eye again. 

"Nothing... You should go back to where you are staying. The ANBU won't allow anybody to talk to me for this long. So, unless you want to get into trouble, you should leave." With that said, I close the windows and go back to bed as Gaara leaves without saying a word. 

One in the same... That could never be possible. Don't compare us to each other. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~