Chapter 3- Suna Showdown
Naruto and Roushi were getting ready for the Akatsuki to make their move. It had been a few days since the meeting with the Jinchuuriki and they were still waiting for something to happen. Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari went about each day like nothing was out of the ordinary. The next day, everything was calm and quiet. Then, something strange happened, new came in that two men with black cloaks were making their way to Suna. Naruto smiled at the news and Roushi was getting his strategy together. Gaara knew the danger but had to pretend, but was prepared nonetheless.
"So, when do we make our move?" asked Naruto, as he and Roushi met in a hotel to devise a plan.
"Basically, we have to make them think that Gaara is the only threat they've got. Once Gaara has fought for a while, or if it looks like he is having trouble, we get involved and catch them by surprise. We have to make sure that we take care of all the members around. Can't have anyone going back and getting reinforcements, can we?" said Roushi, while Naruto nodded as he explained the plan.
"Sounds like a solid plan. Does Gaara know?" asked Naruto.
"Just informed him today," said Roushi, as Naruto smiled.
"Well alright then, lets get into position and wait," said Naruto as he and Roushi left the hotel to get ready.
(Outside Suna)
"How much farther to Suna Sasori, hm?" asked a man with blonde hair and a robotic camera eye patch.
"We're almost there, just be patient Deidara," said Sasori, a hunched over man with the bottom half of his face covered by a black cloth.
"Whatever, I just want to catch the Jinchuuriki and get on with it. Though it will be fun to show off my art, hm," said Deidara, as he stuck one of his hand mouths into his bag of clay and it began chomping.
"Hmph, you call those clay junk creations art? Art is something that last forever and can withstand time itself," said Sasori, as Deidara looked at him with an annoyed look.
"That's not right. Beauty in art is only for a fleeting second, and you have to enjoy it while it is in sight. That is true art," said Deidara, as Sasori looked at him and then decided to drop the matter.
'When this is over, I'm asking for a different partner,' thought Sasori as they drew closer until they arrived at Suna.
They were immediately attacked by ninja. Deidara blew most of 'em away with his clay bombing. Sasori conjured a metal tail that cut away at the ninja. After the battle went on for a while, they had taken out all of the gate guards. They had apparently not alerted the inside, so they decided to use the element of surprise while they still had it.
"I'll take to the skies, you stay here and keep a look out," said Deidara as he made a giant clay bird.
"Just make sure you don't keep me waiting," said Sasori, as Deidara took off to get Gaara.
Deidara flew by, taking out the lookouts on the roofs. When he took out the last one, he decided to drop down to a platform. He look up and saw that Gaara was there waiting for him.
"Looks like we didn't exactly have complete surprise," said Deidara as Gaara looked unmoved by his words.
"You couldn't hide yourself from a blind man. I am well aware of what you did at the gate, so you can expect on mercy from me," said Gaara as a huge amount of sand formed behind Gaara.
"Fine, you're the target any way so this suits me," said Deidara as he lept up to his bird and began to hover in place.
Gaara formed a sand platform and me him in the air. Gaara attacked first with a sand pillar toward Deidara. Deidara moved out of the way and threw some exploding clay creatures, but Gaara's sand moved to defend him. Gaara then tried some sand shuriken, but again Deidara dodged it.
'Naruto, Roushi, whenever you guys wanna get in here and help,' thought Gaara as he didn't want this battle to go on for too long.
"Quit zoning out and fight," said Deidara as he threw some more clay creations at Gaara, but was again blocked.
(Back on the ground)
"How much longer do we have to wait?" asked Naruto, while Roushi just looked at Gaara's battle and then at Naruto.
"Just a little longer, what's your hurry?" asked Roushi, as Naruto looked at him then at Gaara.
"I just don't want to lose anyone to the Akatsuki. We are all being hunted, which means that unity is our strongest action right now. Plus, Gaara is my friend, he's been through more pain than I ever was," said Naruto, as Gaara blocked another exploding clay creation.
"In that case, Let's go!" yelled Roushi as he and Naruto jumped up to Deidara's shock.
"What the?" said Deidara as he didn't expect the Kyuubi to be here with some guy from his old village.
"About time you guys came out," said Gaara, as Naruto hopped on to the sand platform.
"Just waiting for the opportune moment. Lets see what Roushi can do," said Naruto, as he saw Rosuhi making hand signs.
"Lava Style: Volcanic magma!" said Roushi as Lava came out of his mouth and incinerated Deidara's clay bird.
"Damn! Need to make another bird," said Deidara as he started to form the clay.
"Oh no you don't," said Naruto as jumped down from the plateform and punched Deidara in the jaw, sending him flying to the ground.
Deidara hit the ground and skidded away some 30 yards away. Deidara tried to regain composure, but found his arms and legs buried in sand. Then, Roushi started to walk towards him, again making hands signs.
"I wont be killed by you! I will be killed in a work of art, not just some random Jinchuuriki!" yelled Deidara as Roushi got done making signs.
"Oh just shut up. Lava Style: Eruption!" said Roushi, as the ground began to shake.
Deidara was suddenly engulfed in lava that came up from the ground. His screams eventually died down. Roushi looked back at Naruto and Gaara.
"Don't the Akatsuki usually travel in pairs of two?" asked Roushi, as Naruto widened his eyes in realization.
"Gaara," said Naruto, as he looked at Gaara, who nodded in understanding.
Garaa flew upward and began scanning with his sand eye. He then spotted another man wearing a black cloak with red clouds. Sasori was then surrounded by sand and crushed. Out of the sand flew a man wearing the cloak with red hair. Gaara and the others appeared in front of the man.
"So, the Jinchuuriki have come together to fight us and it looks like you got rid of Deidara. I think you'll find I'm a bit more difficult," said Sasori, as he summoned a puppet that looked like the third Kazekage.
"Sasori of the red sand, never would have thought to see you with the Akatsuki. Careful guys, we've got a world class puppet ninja on our hands," said Gaara, as Naruto nodded and charged forward.
Sasori chuckled and launched the puppet and it swung at Naruto, but he jumped over the puppet and continued to Sasori. Gaara grabbed the puppet with sand and began dragging it down and then finishing it off with a sand coffin. Naruto connect Sasori with a right hook, but was shocked that it didn't faze him. Not as shocked when Sasori's flesh felt like wood. Naruto leapt back with Gaara.
"This guys a puppet himself," said Naruto, as Gaara looked a Sasori with a scowl.
"I guess my secrets out. Now you get to see my full power and ability," said Sasori as he took off his jacket and opened up the right part of chest. He then took a scroll from his back and summoned a hundred puppets being controlled by strings in his chest.
"Oh boy," said Naruto with Gaara having the same expression.
"Now the show will begin," said Sasori as he sent the puppets directly toward them.
Gaara and Naruto fought off a few of the puppets before the rest of the pack was burned by lava conjured by Roushi. They then turned their attention to Sasori. Sasori then from holes in his had and shot out a huge amount of fire. Everyone took cover behind Gaara's sand, but it was turned to glass from the immense heat. Naruto then appeared out of nowhere with a Rasengan and landed it right in the scroll that was in the left side of Sasori's chest. The Rasengan ripped the scroll that apparently held his heart, apart. Sasori's body fell to the ground dead.
"Well that's two down, and I don't know how many more," said Naruto as he looked at Sasori's dead puppet body.
"Yea, but at least we got some sort of victory," said Roushi as they started to walk back to Suna.
"Lets let all the others know how we did and plan another force," said Gaara, already deep in thought.
(A/N: Sup! Jinchuuriki 2, Akatsuki 0. Review and tell me how this is. Also, I said I was going to work on this a little, but I've got a bunch of ideas for the Naruto/Espada story, so yea. Till next time.)
