Yachiru-san: Continuing the slow and painful editing process…7/13/08
I'm so glad you people like my story:) Oh...this chapter is sooo cool! (I really like the fight scene! Hope it makes sense :)
Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto. Kishimoto-sensei does.
Y: Gaara fights in this chapter! He's so cool!
G: ...
Y: (sparkly eyes) You're so cool Gaara!
G: sweatdrop ...you mean how I kill things?
Y: Uh...yeah :) Anyways, what's up with Suna guys and make-up?
G: Its face paint.
Y: Then how come you don't wear any? Hmm? (Thinks: I'm glad he doesn't...who would want to cover up his pretty face?)
G: Because... (Mumbles: No way in hell would I wear that stuff...)
Y: Here's chapter 3! I hope you like it! Read on!
Song: Thanks for the Memories
Artist: Fall Out Boy
Chapter 3
Ten minutes later a bomb exploded in the village square. Another kunai bomb tag was fired, this one in close proximity to the Kazekage complex. The ground shook, people screamed and pretty soon all hell broke loose.
"Ksoh!" Gaara cursed.
"W-what's going on?" Asked a clearly frightened Hinata.
No time to explain. We have to get out of here!" Gaara shouted.
He took off in the direction of the closest exit. Hinata stumbled after him.
"Mate, Gaara-sama!" She said catching up.
"Whatever you do Hinata-san, do not leave my side! Understand?"
"Hai." Hinata nodded.
When they reached the outside, two dozen Shinobi guards surrounded them. A clearly startled Baki ran up to Gaara.
"Kazekage-sama, the war has begun! You must escape. We've just received word that it's you they're after!"
"Never mind that! What about all the innocent lives that are at stake? The people south of here were probably injured badly, and we haven't even sent out the medical squad yet!" Gaara argued.
"Demo, Kazekage-sama the most important thing is that you're safe. If they get a hold of you, there's no telling what they'll do! Remember, last time what happened with the Akatsuki?!" Baki tried to reason.
"Don't underestimate me, I have my sand. I'll be fine. Take Hinata-san to safety, and send out the medical squad. Put the village under high alert. I want shinobi patrolling every part of the village."
I think I know who's responsible for this...and I'll go after him. Gaara added silently.
"Hai, Kazekage-sama," responded two dozen shinobi before taking off to fulfill their missions. Another explosion was heard. This one was only a mile off.
"Ksoh! Kono yaroh!" cursed Baki. "Gaara-sama, you must escape!" The situation was ten times worse than before. With a sinking heart, Gaara escaped from the village.
"Mate! Gaara-sama," said a panting Hinata a few minutes later.
"I...I thought I told Baki to bring you to safety!" Gaara replied, clearly despondent.
"Baki-taichou left, a part of the village was set on fire." Hinata said.
"Ksoh!" Gaara cursed silently. "Haiyaku!" He reminded her.
"Hai." She nodded and went faster.
Gaara wanted to pursue the enemy – not leave himself prone to attack by escaping with her. But it couldn't be helped. He leapt from building to building with Hinata. He tried to stay as close to her as possible. The young Kazekage was worried she might get hurt; after all this was the perfect opportunity for the enemy to attack – he was clearly leaving himself open by traveling with a civilian. They were ambushed as soon as they left the village and escaped into the desert.
Suddenly from out of nowhere, two muscular shinobi jumped and grabbed the Hyuuga girl. Gaara saw her disappear and began chasing after them. He formed a sand barrier to shield him from oncoming kunai and was able to strangle the first shinobi with a "sabakukuyuu". The second one still had Hinata.
"Hinata-san!" Gaara yelled.
They were now traveling deeper into the desert. He increased his speed. The cloud shinobi stopped on a cliff and put his hand over Hinata's mouth, while his other hand was wrapped tightly around her waist. She wriggled and kicked, but he was far stronger and much bigger than she was. Gaara was about to attack the kumo ninja when he realized someone else was watching him. He turned around.
The Raikage stood on a nearby cliff. "Ku, ku, ku, ku, ku." (Yachiru-san: This is seen frequently in manga when a bad guy laughs like in Naruto, Orochimaru uses this.)
He laughed. "The young Kazekage - what a joke! To think that you were actually fooled into believing that we might make an alliance with you! How pathetic! Why should I agree to a stupid alliance, when my country can just take over Suna without any pain?"
Gaara could feel sand pouring out of his gourd rapidly – anger boiled up inside him. So Suna had been tricked. He had suspected Kumogakure of conspiring against them, but he hadn't said anything. Now, it was too late. "I'll make you pay for what you did to my village." Gaara said with an emotionless face. He would just have to kill the Raikage. There was no way out. "Release the girl, unless you want to die sooner!"
"Hmph," the Raikage snorted. "It appears the young Kazekage does have a weakness after all."
"If it's me you want to fight; then release her – she has nothing to do with this." Gaara said coolly. He could feel the sand hovering over him and around him like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey.
"Why should I listen to you? I can kill the girl if I want." Gaara narrowed his eyes – no matter what this guy said he was not going to lose his cool.
Just forget about her and focus on the fight! He thought subconsciously. No, I can't do that! I have to kill this guy and then save her. He resolved.
"Very well then, "the Raikage responded. He wore the Kage hat and robes with the yellow cloud symbol on them. He had dark, wind burned skin, dark eyes, and a long scar that ran down a large portion of his face. "Dairi no Justu!" He shouted as a giant lightning ball formed between his fingers and shot directly at Gaara. A huge wall of sand surrounded Gaara – the lightning ball couldn't even penetrate his defense. The infuriated Raikage landed more lightning, fire, and earth style Justus. The Kazekage managed to evade each one. Even when the evil Raikage crumbled the earth with his chi and hurled boulders at the young Kazekage, Gaara was able to use his sand to support both himself and Hinata. He was finally able to take out the kumo shinobi holding Hinata with a simple "sabakusousou". The Raikage tried using taijustu attacks but they were to no avail; each one was blocked or evaded by Gaara's absolute defense.
After a fierce battle, Gaara was finally able to hold him off just in time to deliver another "sabakusousou". Gaara was running out of chakra and fast too. By this time, the cliff that Gaara and Hinata were on began to crumble, partially due to the effects of the dead Kage's attacks and also from another earthquake that shook the ground. The young Kazekage landed on the crumbling cliff. He quickly caught Hinata's limp body with his sand. Gaara raced up to Hinata, and knelt by her side.
"Hinata-san, can you hear me?" He yelled over the roaring wind and the sound of the crashing rocks. When she failed to produce a response, he scooped her up in his arms. Her leg was bleeding. When the kumo shinobi had tried to capture her, they had used a pressurized attack to crush her leg bone from sheer atmospheric pressure.
He tried again: "Daijobu deska?!" Gaara shouted but the wind took away his words. There was no response from the limp Hyuuga girl. He could feel the very earth breaking up beneath him. "Ksoh!" Gaara cursed. The fact that she was hurt seemed to bother him more than the fact that their very support was buckling underneath them. Soon they would fall to their very deaths.
--
Hinata woke up some time later. It was right before sunrise and the air was cool. She tried to sit up, and felt a sharp pain in her back.
"You're finally awake, Hinata-san." Gaara said.
It seemed that they had fallen into some sort of canyon. It was still in middle of the desert, although she could hear a rushing river nearby. It seemed they had stumbled into an oasis.
"B-but I thought I...I was..." Hinata stuttered. She couldn't believe she was still alive.
"At the last moment I was able to soften our fall with my sand, it took the remainder of my chakra, but now we're safe." Gaara said.
Hinata became nervous at the mention of 'we'. So they were safe after all – it had been a close call. A small bonfire blazed between the two shinobi, shedding light and warmth.
"How is your leg feeling?" He asked her. Hinata felt herself blush.
"It's okay." She mumbled. "Ano, Gaara-sama, thank you for-for s-saving me." Hinata stuttered.
Gaara displayed no emotion on his face. He didn't seem to want to take credit for saving her life. He still blamed himself that she was involved in this because of him. "I let the whole village down; I should have never trusted Kumogakure. They were plotting this all along." Gaara said looking down at his bandaged hand, which he then clenched.
She noticed that he had taken off his Kage robes and was wearing black pants, black ninja sandals and a black t-shirt. He was still wearing his white cloth and had his gourd strapped to his back. He looked solemn but serene in the moonlight. He kind of fit in with the nearby scenery, Hinata thought.
Wait. Where are Gaara-sama's Kage robes? Hinata wondered. She glanced down. They were now her blanket\sheet.
"Ano, Gaara-sama, these are your robes, I –I c-can't use them." She stammered.
He turned to face her. "Listen, Hinata-san, you're hurt right now so you must rest. Your leg took a serious injury, it would be best if you take it easy for a while." He said with a worried look on his face. "I'm not a medical ninja but from the looks of it I think the bone might be crushed."
"Oh…g-gomen-n-nasai."
I wish she would just stop apologizing to me...she didn't do anything wrong.
She turned a darker shade of pink. Why...why is he being so nice to me?
"As soon as you feel good enough to travel, we need to get back to Suna. Possibly even sooner, because we run the chance of depleting our food supply."
"G-gomen." Hinata apologized again.
Why I am always getting in the way? She never wanted people to go out of their way for her.
"Don't apologize – you don't need to be sorry." Gaara said quietly. "You don't need to worry; this is my country and familiar terrain. I'll get us back."
"Arrigatou, Gaara-sama." Hinata said with a weak smile.
Tomorrow their journey would begin.
End of Chapter 3
Y: Aww...Gaara's so sweet.
G: Urusei.
Y: Are too!
G: Am not.
Next time: What happens in the next chapter? And how will the duo get back to Sunagakure?
Y: Sounds catchy, like something for a movie, right?
G: ... declines to comment
Y: Ja ne! See you next chapter!
Japanese words
Taichou: captain
Haiyaku: Hurry!
Ksoh: damn
Raikage: Kage of Lightning
Kumogakure: Village hidden in clouds
Mate: wait!
Kono yaroh: You bastards!
"Dairi no Justu": Great Lightning attack (or jutsu which means technique)
Daijobu deska: Are you okay?
Chi: Spiritual presence\energy
Oh...and from former chapters:
Arrigatou-gozaimasu: Thank you very much!