Gaara walked through the forest to the meeting place, Tsunade's grave. He thought back to how she had died. In a battle with the Akatsuki, she had been killed while trying to heal one of the other ninjas. Naruto had become Hokage after that. Many said it was because he was the strongest, like a Hokage should be, but Gaara and Naruto knew that it was only because he had trained with Jaraiya.

Gaara was brought back to the "here and now" by Naruto putting a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll be here," he said. Gaara nodded and walked into the clearing. He put his hand to the strap that held his sand gourd. That is what he had gone to get before and now he was sure he would need it. There by Tsunade's grave, Gaara saw two people. One was Sasuke. There was no doubt about that. He hadn't changed much since Gaara had last seen him. But the other was a young girl. He didn't know who she was. She had long light brown hair held in a pony tail much like Ino's. She wore a sleeveless top that show most of her stomach and all of her arms and shorts that showed most of her legs. She had muscles but not exaggerated.

She must be very strong.

The girl walked up to Gaara and looked him in the eye. Then she looked over at Sasuke. Sasuke nodded.

"You know Gaara, my friend here can read minds and speak to me through her mind. It's a special kekkei genkai. Please tell Naruto and the others to come out of hiding."

Gaara was shocked but looked over to the place where he knew Naruto was hiding. The all came out of their hiding places and joined Gaara. Naruto looked at Sasuke and smiled.

He hasn't changed, he thought.

"Why did you ask to see us Sasuke?" Gaara asked calmly. Sasuke smiled.

"That's very simple. I want you to do something for me."

"What is it?"

"Well, as you might know, I have killed my brother, but because of that, the Akatsuki want me to help them. So all I need you to do is give me the Hokage."

Sasuke looked at Naruto. Then to Gaara. Then to the rest of the group. Sakura, Neji, Konkuro, Tamari, Shikamaru, Kabuto.

"Give us Kabuto and Sakura as well," said the girl who came with Sasuke.

The group was shocked, scared, angry, sad. Many emotions boiled inside each of them. Neji stepped forward.

"I can't let you take the Hokage." he said defiantly.

"Then you must fight me and win."

Neji was sure he could win but with help. But alone? he looked to Shikamaru who was holding Sakura in a shadow possession jutsu. Shikamaru nodded.

"I can hold two," he said. Neji looked over at Gaara, then to Naruto. They nodded.

"I will fight you," Gaara said, pointing to the girl.

"Are you sure?" Sasuke asked. Gaara nodded.

"Naruto, stay out of this. Brother, sister, you help me. Shikamaru, you need to help me too. Can you?" Shikamaru nodded. "Sakura, you stand by, just in case. Kabuto, help Neji."

Sasuke smiled.

This is going to be fun, he and the girl thought.

Fight one: Sasuke vs. Neji, Naruto, and Kabuto (and Shikamaru for a bit)

Sasuke stood and waited for one of the others to make the first move. Neji drew back his hand. Then he pushed it forward and into Sasuke's left shoulder. Sasuke tried to dodge but realized he couldn't move. Neji's fingers pushed into his shoulder, making it hurt and feel numb. Shikamaru grunted.

"Neji! Warn me before you do that!! I get what he gets! Remember?" Neji nodded. Shikamaru couldn't use his left arm now, so the shadow possession jutsu was released. Sakura rushed to Shikamaru and healed his shoulder. Now he could use it again. But Sasuke couldn't use his anymore.

"No more chidori, Sasuke!" Neji said proudly.

"That's what you think."

Sasuke took his sword from his back. Naruto readied the rasengan. Neji began to build up chakra for another attack. Kabuto charged. He through a powder at Sasuke's eyes. It stung and for a minute, Sasuke couldn't see. Then it was over.

"What was that, Kabuto? Trying to blind me or something?"

"Or something." Kabuto smiled and nodded to Neji who was now ready for another attack. Neji hit Sasuke many times using his gentle fist technique. Sasuke tried to dodge them but wasn't fast enough.

Why can't I predict his moves? What's wrong with my sharingan?

"That powder has an effect on you Sharingan doesn't it? That's what I made it for. Not for you but for Itachi. Since Itachi's dead, I don't need to save it anymore."

Sasuke swore under his breath. As Neji raised his hand for another blow, Sasuke raised his sword. He cut Neji across the crest. Neji screamed as the pain from the cut mixed with the pain of Sasuke's chidori current. Sakura rushed to him and began to heal him.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled. Before Sasuke could turn around, he was hit in the right shoulder by the rasengan. Sasuke fell to the ground. Neither of his arms worked anymore. He had held back and for that, he had been beaten. He looked over at the other fight.

"I leave it to you, Zakuro."

Fight two: Zakuro vs. Gaara, Tamari, Kankuro, Shikamaru, and a few surprise friends

Meanwhile...

Zakuro looked at her opponents. Gaara had his sand around him in a ring, ready for anything. Tamari stood still with her arm held near her waist. This way, she could easily reach up and pull her fan out. Shikamaru was healed and made the hand signs for a shadow possession. He stood in the large shadow made by the forest that was circling the area. No matter where she was, Shikamaru would be able to trap that girl in his jutsu. Konkuro knelt behind the other three. His three scrolls lay out in front of him. He had been cocky in his battle with Sasori and didn't want to make that mistake again. He would stay back and watch what this girl could do first.

"So you think you can beat me?" she was being cocky. "Four, or more, against one. Hmm...what to do? Well, I think first I should introduce myself. That way, if any of you survive, and that's a big if, then you can tell everyone you meet who beat you! My name is Zakuro of the Sound. I was raised by Orochimaru and trained under both him and now Sasuke. I'm warning you! Fight me and your fighting for your life!"

"Nice little speech!" Zakuro turned to see that another person had joined the fight. "A bit cocky aren't we?" the young man asked.

"How? When? I saw Gaara's thoughts! You weren't there!"

"That's because Gaara didn't know," Shikamaru explained. "I asked them to come."

"Them?!"

"Yeah," another boy and a huge dog jumped down from one of the trees behind her, "Us!"

"Well, this doesn't change anything!" Zakuro said regaining her composure, "I will still defeat all of you!"

She made a few hand signs.

"Mind Scream Juts.."

"Mind Transfer Jutsu!" another voice came from behind the two boys and the dog. They moved to expose a blonde girl already slumped over. Then Zakuro's went haywire! Someone was trying to get in! Then something else happened! Her body went numb! She couldn't move and she couldn't see or hear or anything. She felt her body being wrapped in something. Something alive! Then her mind was clear again.

"I can't get in!" Ino yelled.

Zakuro looked down. She was covered in a mixture of bugs and sand and that pest had her in the shadow possession!

"I'm low on chakra guys so be ready!" Shikamaru yelled. a few minutes later, the jutsu was released. Zakuro tried to move her hands but couldn't through the bugs and sand that were holding her. Kiba and Akamaru stood ready for an attack. The sand and bugs went back to Gaara and Shino and Kiba and his dog attacked.

"Mind Wall"

The boy dog duo hit a wall of chakra. They couldn't break through from the outside. Zakuro, on the other hand, could easily throw things through from the inside. Akamaru was hit with three shuriken and a kunai hit Kiba's shoulder. He pulled it out and looked to Akamaru. He was bleeding badly.

"Sorry I couldn't be more help guys! But I gotta go get him some help!" Sakura attended to Kiba and Akamaru while the others waited for what Zakuro would do. Shikamaru had been watching while Kiba fought.

"Gaara," he called, "Send you sand into the spot where Zakuro throws the weapons! It opens for a few seconds to let the weapon out! Get you sand in while it's still opened!" Gaara nodded. Then he called for Shino to come over to where they were. He came, leaving a bug clone after him so no one could see he was gone. Gaara told him Shikamaru's plan. Shino nodded and went back. He covered the chakra wall with bugs. A bit was opened to let out more kunai.

"You know, I can see where you are with my mind so covering the wall won't hide you." Zakuro was so concentrated on fighting that she didn't think to read their thoughts and find out their plan. More kunai were thrown from the wall. They were easily dodged. In a split second, bugs swarmed into the opening left by the kunai.

The group heard a scream. Then everything went quiet. Sasuke had been beaten and taken to Konoha a while ago. They planned on taking this girl too.

About 30 minutes after the scream, the wall went down. There was nothing. Nothing but bugs! There was no girl! there wasn't even a sign that she had been inside! This was crazy. Something was wrong.

Kankuro placed his scrolls on nhis back and Temari replaced her fan. They hadn't been needed after all.

"It seemed unfair at first," Temari began. "Eight against one. But that girl held her own and got away."

"Don't worry, we'll get her." Kiba said.

"Let's go back to Konoha," Gaara turned and began to walk back as he said this. The rest of then followed the Kazekage. They would have some questions for Sasuke when they got back.