Very Sorry for it being posted so late. My work has kept me very busy the last couple of weeks.
Deep in a cave, in the Land of Sand rested three horrific men. Asu sat against the cave wall, staring in to his lighter's flame. He did this often. "burn." However this form of meditation didn't seam to calm his soul. "burn." He felt like a junkie without his needle. "burn." Asu looked over to where Umi was sleeping. He flicked his lighter closed and quietly walked over to Umi. He dropped the lighter to the ground. One by one legs popped out of the lighter. It originated from the scorpion etched in to it. "I haven't burnt a living body in a long time." Asu's normally scowling face became a wide grin. A grin only his victims have ever seen. The lighter became engulfed in flames, scurrying towards Umi at an alarming speed. Suddenly an audible crack echoed throughout the cave accompanied by a flash of light. Umi, awoken by the sound of lightning. He could see Asu's lighter on its back. Legs moving helplessly in mid air. Asu turned his gaze to the cave's entrance. He saw Kensei laying on his side, ready to throw another lighting bolt should the need arise. Managing to get back on it's feet, Asu's lighter crawled up its owners leg. After reaching the pants pocket, the lighter crawled in returning to normal. With the return of Asu's scowl Kensei felt more at ease.
"Everyone grab you gear," ordered Kensei, "The sandstorm is over and we still have a Jinchuriki to capture."
Temari burst in to the office, "Garra, three men are approaching the village and they are wearing matching black robes."
"Akatsuki?"
"I don't think so. Their robes have a picture of the nine tailed fox instead of clouds."
"I think it would be safer for the village if I go out to meet them."
Outside the village Garra and Temari stood to face off against the three intruders. Umi grabbed his trident shaped necklace. It grew in length and size become a weapon as long as his body. "We will swim in the sea of victory."
Kensei rolled his eyes at Umi, annoyed that he didn't have a chance to introduce himself first. "Hello Garra. We are the followers of the great Kyuubi. My name is Kensei, please forgive my brothers rudeness."
"Temari, go back inside."
"Fire elemental: Fire cage," flames shot from Asu's hands creating a dome around the village. He gazed at Temari a sick and twisted grin on his face. "Don't go, I haven't heard you scream yet." Temari started running to the west. She knew who her opponent would be and she didn't want to get caught up in Garra's fight. As she thought Asu was hot on her heels.
"You can't beat me as long as we are in this desert," Garra stated. The sand beneath himself lifted him up into the air. What surprised Garra is that Umi also rose to the sky supported by water.
"Do you like my trident I took it from Poseidon himself. It can create water without draining my chakra." Kensei decided to stand back and watch the show. Garra decided to take the first attack. His sand shot out from behind him, trying to wrap around his opponent. Umi jumped out of the water and over the sand, like salmon jumping up stream. He sailed through the air heading closer to the sand demon. Twisting and spinning in mid-air to dodge the incoming sand. He was getting closer. He thrust towards Garra's face only to hit a wall created of sand. The water reached his feet once again supporting him. Acting quickly he had the water carry him backwards as spikes came from the wall in an attempt to impale him. The fighting seemed to rage on for hours, both participants starting to feel tired. Garra risked a glance towards his sister. She wasn't fairing much better.
"I need to free the villagers and overwhelm them with numbers. Temari wont be able to hold out much longer," every time Garra blocked with his sand he would inch closer to the village. "I will use his water to put out the flames." Umi was so caught up in the battle he didn't even notice. Inch by inch, second by second the fire came closer to being extinguished.
"Ahhh," Umi screamed has his body involuntarily shook. He peeked out of the corner of his eye to see Kensei sending lighting up the stream of water and into his body. He lost control over the water plummeting towards the ground landing with a thud.
"Idiot, he almost freed the villagers," Kensei tried to hold back a chuckle at Umi for missing something so obvious. "We can't take all of them at once." While he was reprimanding his lackey as he sees him, Garra took the opportunity for an attack. With the momentary lapse in concentration Kensei reacted too slow. His left arm was caught in the sand.
Garra pointed his open hand towards Kensei closing it, "Sand burial." Kensei could feel the sand closing tighter around his arm. He focused his chakra at covered portion. His arm pulsated with lighting. This stopped him from taking permanent damage. His once calm and laid back composure changed to that of a fierce warrior forged in battle. Umi finally recovered and attacked Garra two on one. The battle only lasted a few more minutes before Umi and Kensei combined their powers creating a liquid lightning. With a diversion and the speed of the attack it got past the sand landing a direct hit. Garra fell to the ground unconscious. Umi picked up the body and looked at the other battle that still raged. They knew it wouldn't last too much longer.
Temari was on her last legs. Every wind attack was met with fire only increasing the strength of the fire attack. She was out matched in terms of justu and tried to use tactics. However in the middle of the desert there wasn't a lot she could do. Only her superior intelligence kept her going as long as it was. "Tell me why does a fire user keep trying to burn me with his lighter?"
"I found it on a beach. He is my friend. It tells me to burn," he screamed the last word and lunged at Temari. She could barely stand as it was and had no hope of dodging. Asu's kunai went into her shoulder and the force knocked her off her feet. She tried to get up. She tried to find the inner strength Naruto was famous for to continue the fight, but she had nothing left. Asu stood over her his grin getting wider as he flicked open his lighter dropping on her burnt and battered body. The fear in her eyes grew as it sprung to life lighting her tattered clothes on fire. The lighter kept spreading the fire until her whole body was on fire. Her screams only made her tormentor happier. Just when she thought she was going to die the fire vanished. It was replaced by the cooling water.
Umi had put out the fire turning Asu's pleasure into anger, "That is for trying to burn me today."
The receptionist was slumped over at her desk. She couldn't keep from yawning. "Today has been very slow," she thought. "Although in this line of work, that is a good thing." She took a glance around the hospital waiting room to see if anyone else had shown up, but it was empty. She was about to turn back to her papers when the doors blew off the hinges. A figure stood in the doorway his eyes were blood red slits.
"Help her," he growled out. Only then did she notice the girl he was carrying on his shoulders. She was clutching her neck and writhing in pain. In a blink of an eye a dozen people were surrounded around Hinata's stretcher. They wheeled her away. Naruto sat down, his eyes and whisker marks returning to normal. A few minutes later the nurse came out to ask Naruto a few questions.
"Did she always have that mark on her neck?"
"What Mark?"
"How long has she been like this?"
"A couple of minutes." The nurse turned to leave when Naruto stopped her, "is she going to be ok?"
"It looks like her condition is being caused by what looks like a seal. Since we don't have a shinobi village here we aren't well equipped to deal with this particular situation, but we are doing everything we can. You may go in and see her, but make it quick." Naruto entered the hospital room to see an unconscious Hinata hooked up to various hospital instruments. There were tubes going all over the place. He sat down in the empty chair near her bed.
"Hinata, I never told you this directly, but I love you. All the time I was gone I was surprised to find it wasn't Sakura I was thinking about, it was you."
