Twice Cursed Or Just Plain Unlucky?

1 - The beginning of a new life . . . or so she thought (Edited)

"Blood," he said gently enough for only the two men to hear. The sobbing was still quiet, but Asuma and Gai had picked up on it as well, looking confused.

Kakashi took a single step forwards, and nothing happened so he took another and another only to freeze as a spike shot directly at his face. Just before it pierced the mask, Asuma sliced through it with one of his special trench knives and the end fell to the ground with a splat, but the spike kept growing.

"Stop!" Kakashi said quickly, as it was about to spear Asuma's left shoulder. The spike froze, as did the sobbing. "We're not here to hurt you, just to talk."

Gai and Asuma looked at each other, confused at the soft, gently and caring tone their teammate had adapted. But he'd picked up on what they hadn't, whoever was attacking, wasn't attacking at all but protecting themselves. They were most likely scared.

"We won't hurt you," he said again.

"They all say that."

None of them expected it. The voice of a child, a young girl no older than five had replied. There was a shift in the corner, she had lifted her head. They could see pale skin, and a luminous red eye.

"They all say they won't hurt me, kaa-san said it, tou-san said it and they gave me to Orochimaru-sama-" Kakashi sucked in a breath "-who said he wouldn't hurt me but then he experimented on me and tortured me and then people tried to kill me and now you're trying to kill me. But I won't let you. If you come near me I'll k-kill you."

Kakashi's wide eyes softened as he heard her stutter, and he took another step forward, the spike wavered but didn't move.

"I don't think you'll kill us."

"Kakashi!" Gai hissed as he stepped forward again.

"I will!" the girl said, a little louder. "One more step and I'll-"

"I've already taken four," Kakashi reasoned.

"Don't mock me!" she snapped and the spike curved and shot towards him.

"You're scared right?"

The spike stopped, Gai and Asuma looked around cautiously, in case anymore spikes came at them. Kakashi stepped forwards again.

"You're only protecting yourself, and that's good," Kakashi continued gently, "But you don't have to worry, we're here to help you."

"H-help? Why would you do that? You're lying!" and the spike shot forwards, Kakashi dodged just in time for it to only scrape along his arm guard.

"Why do you think I'm lying?"

"Because everyone lies to me."

More spikes shot out, cornering the three of them separately and there was a shuffle as the girl walked into the light. She wore all black, trousers and a long sleeved top with red hair to her shoulders, a band of material over her right eye and she was covered in blood and dirt. The most worrying thing Kakashi found were the black marks spread across the left side of her body. He knew those marks.

"See, you don't want to help me now, you're scared of me, of this," she pulled at her cheek.

"No, we're not," Asuma spoke up, "What you see on our faces is anger but not at you, at the person who did this to you."

". . . Why?" she asked, confused.

"Because no one should do that to a child, or to anyone," Gai said softly.

The girl looked between the three of them, confused, her eye was starting to water. She muttered something to herself and from what the three Konohagakure Shinobi could tell, something had replied.