Kankuro leaned over the balcony next to his sister. "You're bleeding," he softly said.
"It's nothing, " she answered without looking at him. He nodded curtly and walked back to the other side again. Taryn stayed at the railing. What was wrong with her? Finally she was with her siblings again, after seven years and now she didn't know what to say. Though Kankuro's words had been kind enough, there had been no warmth in them. Temari's eyes were cold whenever they looked at her. And Gaara... He refused to look at her at all. Cold anger in his eyes the entire time. Hate for the entire world. It was her fault...
She couldn't concentrate on the final match. She wasn't really interested either. What did she care for Orochimaru's pawns? They meant nothing. Her eyes rested on Kakashi, who stood at the far end of the balcony. His two remaining students were cheering for their friend downstairs. It would be nice to be part of something again. She sighed. What was she going to do anyway? Orochimaru had already sunk his teeth in Sasuke. What was left for her here?
"This concludes the preliminary rounds," Hayate said, "will the winners please come forward, so we can decide the order of fighting in the final round."
Every contestant was handed a piece of paper with a number on it, thus deciding who would fight who.
"We should tell you that the final round will be held one month from now. During this time you will have a chance to recover from your injuries and to train. Also, it would be wise to use this time to learn about your opponent fighting skills. You have seen everyone's specialties during the prelims. Use that to your advantage. For now, the exam is over. We will see you in one month in the coliseum. Remember that you will be fighting for a larger audience. It will contain not only the lords and ladies from other nations, but also possible future contractors. Do not shame your country. Dismiss!"
Taryn stayed behind as everyone else left the grounds. She dreaded this moment, even though this was why she had come here in the first place. Hayate looked at her for a moment before leaving the room. She didn't search for Kakashi. The hokage slowly rose and motioned for her to follow him.
The office was still as she remembered it, the window giving view over the village. Taryn looked outside, not sure what to say. What was the point now that she was already too late.
"Back again, Taryn?" the hokage said from behind his desk. No one else was in the room, "Sasuke this time?"
It took a while before she answered. "I was chasing Orochimaru," she said, "he wants Sharingan... he has always wanted that, just as he has always wanted Byakugan."
"Yet he never got either one," Sarutobi, the hokage, mused, "what is your purpose with Sasuke?" Taryn shook her head. "I see," Sarutobi nodded.
"I'm not after his life if that's what you think," Taryn said through her teeth.
"I didn't say that." "But you were thinking it."
"I considered it a possibility," Sarutobi admitted, "so now what? What are your intentions?"
"I don't know," Taryn said softly, "I'd like to stay in Konoha for the duration of the Chuunin Exams."
"Of course." He looked at her sadly. Taryn's life had not been easy. Being born from two nations had put her at conflict numerous times. Her mother's family was not too warmly towards her, but accepted her because of Byakugan, which was too precious to let go to waste. Her father was a cruel man that had trained her to exhaustion, trying to turn her into a formidable weapon. He had succeeded at that. She was strong, fast and skilled. She had served the assassination squad and could endure a lot more than most people. Above all that, there was no better spy than Taryn Desertstorm.
"I know you," Sarutobi said after a long silence, "I have offered you refugee in Konoha after your father cast you out. You have never given me reason to regret that decision. I advise you to keep it that way."
"Did Orochimaru threaten to kill Sasuke?" Taryn asked.
"He warned Anko not to withdraw him form the Exams."
"He won't kill him," Taryn said, "he's too valuable."
Sarutobi eyed her carefully. "You know what he wants?"
"Yes."
The hokage stood up and went to stand next to her at the window. He followed her gaze which rested on the hospital. He sighed. "Go to Kakashi. Have him look after your seal... Taryn... have a care with Orochimaru. Don't do anything reckless."
Taryn snorted and turned to leave. Without a word she walked out of the office and closed the door behind her.
The hospital was quiet and white. Very white. She didn't like hospitals, but Kakashi was here. He would be with Sasuke. Not really somewhere she wanted to be. She wasn't a genjutsu user, but there were other ways of getting in without being noticed. She was trained to be a spy after all. And she was the best spy Suna had ever had. She turned the corner and searched for Sasuke's room. Suspicious sounds made her look up. They came from the room at the end of the hall. Taryn hurried down the corridor. She threw open the door and in one second eyed the situation. There were dead ANBU on the ground.
Over by the bed stood Kakashi, looking out of a broken window. In the bed lay Sasuke Uchiha. Kakashi's back was towards the door so he didn't notice one of the bodies getting up from the ground. Taryn didn't hesitate. She took out a dagger and threw it at the man. It brushed his shoulder right before he could jump out of the window.
"Shimatta," Taryn cursed.
Kakashi looked up startled when someone flew past him. In the blink of an eye Taryn was at the window, staring after the person that had just jumped through. The man removed his mask and chuckled.
"Kabuto," Taryn growled and then the man was out of sight. Kakashi stared at her, still not over the shock of her sudden appearance. "You..." Taryn turned to him. "Surely Kakashi, I expected more from you." She walked to Sasuke. He seemed alright. Had Kabuto come to kill him? It was hard to believe he would go against Orochimaru. What kind of game was going on here?
"You knew him," Kakashi said, "... that Kabuto."
"Of course I do," Taryn said, "he's Orochimaru's right hand." She narrowed her eyes. She couldn't stand the boy. A medical genius he was. And a bootlicking creep.
"You could have given some warning," Kakashi said.
"When should I have done that? During the prelims with everyone there? Including Orochimaru?"
Kakashi sighed at her hostile words. "Taryn, I am not your enemy." He place a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. I'll reseal that curse mark now."
"Why did you come back?" Kakashi asked. They were strolling through the park behind the hospital.
"I wanted to stop Orochimaru. Prevent him from marking Sasuke."
"But why would you do that?"
Taryn looked at him. "If Orochimaru would gain Sharingan..." she didn't finish her sentence, but shook her head.
"That's not what I meant, I..."
"Drop it Kakashi," Taryn warned.
Kakashi sighed and watched the girl who had picked up her pace and was now walking a few feet ahead of him. It had been such a long time. Three years since he had last seen her. Three years since she had snuck away in the middle of the night with no intention of coming back. Slowly he stretched out his hand and got a hold of her elbow.
"What are you doing?" Taryn asked when he slowly turned her around. His mask was down and he locked his arms around her waist.
"Something I've been wanting to do all day," he said and kissed her.
Taryn sighed and for a moment she leaned into the kiss. She closed her eyes and placed a hand against his face, pulling herself closer. Then she pushed away from him and fled out of his embrace. She turned her back on him. "You should not have done that," she said.
Kakashi looked at her sadly. "Still huh..." he inquired. Something of guilt rushed through Taryn.
"...always," she answered.
She heard Kakashi sigh behind her. "Taryn... I would never have tried to keep you here against your will. You know that. You did not have to crawl away believing me to be asleep..."
Taryn sighed. "You were awake huh." She took a step.
"Where will you be staying?" Kakashi stopped her, "you're staying for the Finals, right?"
Taryn looked over her shoulder. "Uchiha quarters... are they still abandoned?"
"Yes," Kakashi admitted, "no one has set foot there since the incident. Sasuke lives in town now."
Taryn nodded and took another step.
"You're not going to stay at the Hyuuga Compound?"
"I'm not exactly welcome there anymore."
"Why don't you just come with me? I have room enough at my house."
Taryn shook her head and took another step. His hand came on her waist and his forehead leaned against the back of her head.
"I have a couch you know," he said.
"You're going to train Sasuke, right?" Taryn asked instead of answering. Kakashi nodded. "Yes."
"You do know he'll eventually..." she stated. Kakashi remained silent. "Don't let him out of our sight," Taryn told him and broke free from his grip. This time she didn't stop and Kakashi watched her until she was out of sight.
Uchiha land was n the outskirts of town. And it used to be beautiful. Now it was nailed shut. No one lived here anymore. Taryn yanked at the fence boards that blocked the entrance to make an opening large enough to let her through. She stood on the deserted road between two buildings. Automatically she scanned around with Byakugan, but no living soul was here. Not even a bird or a mouse.
Taryn advanced down the street, following the outer wall until she was almost at the end of the block. Her hand traced a crack in the wall, across an Uchiha symbol. A kunai had been embedded here once. Taryn sighed and turned around to the house across the wall. The door was still open. Slowly she made her way over and stepped inside. This would be her lodging for the time being.
***
"Look over there," Eiden pointed through the night. A slim figure made its way through the shadows of the village. Hiroshi, who had guard duty with him, looked over his shoulder.
"What is it?"
"The girl," Eiden said.
'The girl' meant Taryn Desertstorm, who was walking through the village in the middle of the night. That alone was enough to at least rise suspicion, but her reputation had everyone on alert. Hiroshi frowned.
"What is she doing out so late at night?"
"That's what I'd like to know."
"Well, the hokage decreed she could stay in Konoha."
Eiden looked at his friend. "Don't you think it strange? I mean... she's a traitor to her village after all. And word has it she ran with Orochimaru. She wears the same curse mark as the Uchiha kid."
"Anko has the curse mark too and she's no criminal. It was sealed up years ago."
"You're saying Taryn is no criminal either?"
"Not at all... it is suspicious isn't it? Her showing up again. Now of all times."
"Hm."
The guards looked down he street puzzled. The hokage may have allowed her to stay for now, that didn't mean the rest of the village trusted her.
"Poor Kakashi," Hiroshi mused.
Eiden looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"You mean you don't know? He's got it bad for her. Always has." They looked at Taryn again, who was almost at the end of the road.
"Shouldn't we follow her?" Eiden questioned.
"She's heading to the training grounds," Hiroshi pointed, "we can watch from here."
Taryn entered the training field close to the forest. She chose to train at night, because she didn't want to draw attention. Also, she had always liked the night. Especially nights in the desert were beautiful. She sighed and stepped into the center of the clearing. She raised her hand in front of her and closed her eyes to feel te wind. In the blink of an eye she took out a kunai and flashed it across the air, causing a fearsome and razor-sharp wind. It cut the poles on the field in half in less than a second. She jumped in the air, rotated upside down while throwing several kunai at the scattered targets on the field. Without looking she knew every one of them hit the center. She landed in a crouch and swiped around. Her movements were fluent like water and it looked like a dance. In the middle of a turn, she threw a few shuriken at a tree. Then she stopped.
She took a deep breath, made some seals and released fire. She watched as the flames died out and made ready for her personal jutsu. There was a reason they called her Desertstorm. She had managed to combine wind and fire, ironic as that may sound, into an ultimate attack. Kamikaze, people called it. Ryoki, Taryn had named it. Dragon's breath. Not only was it a razor sharp wind, the wind itself was so hot it could burn you to a crisp if you were exposed to it long enough. A desertstorm indeed.
There was a movement in the atmosphere around her. Someone was approaching. "Kakashi," she said.
He approached he from behind. "Taryn," he greeted. He waited for her to turn around. He smiled faintly at her transparent Byakugan eye. Taryn closed her eyes for a second and when she opened them again they had their regular coal color. "I thought I might find you here," Kakashi calmly said. It had been three days since the prelims and she had conveniently avoided him during that time.
"What do you want?" Taryn asked.
Kakashi shrugged. "Nothing really..." he sat down on one of the fallen logs, "just keeping an eye out for you."
"You don't trust me?" Taryn scoffed, "want to make sure I don't harm anyone?"
"Making sure no one harms you," Kakashi replied,
"I can take care of myself," she said annoyed and turned around to throw another dagger.
Kakashi sighed. "I know, but you don't always have to do everything on your own."
"Just leave me alone, Kakashi," Taryn said softly and continued throwing daggers at the tree. When after a while she looked over her shoulder, Kakashi was gone.
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A song on the side for Taryn, suggested by VampPrin1O1. Thanks you for that. Check out her profile!