I hadn't planned on updating this chapter today already, but I finished it yesterday evening and I didnt want to make you waiting! So now here's the battle scene. Enjoy :)
PS: I dont own Naruto
PPS: Some characters may be OOC, but I hope you'll forgive me!
Chapter nine: Gaara vs Deidara – again!
The training fields looked exactly as Sakura remembered, green, wide and open – perfect grounds to practice your ninja skills. The trees waved slowly in the nice breeze and the grass looked greener than ever. Two ninjas were already fighting with each other while a third – with flaming red hair – watched from a distance.
When they entered the fields the two fighting ninjas, Lee and Neji, stopped training and Naruto yelled. "OY! Guys! Look who's here!"
Sakura withstood the urge to close her eyes as she expected a sudden attack from Gaara and in that case she would need her eyesight very hard. She saw how the redhead slowly turned his eyes and then laid his jade orbs on the blonde chained to Sakura. A flash of sheer hatred shot through his eyes and the next moment sand shot out of his gourd, aiming for Sakura and Deidara.
Naruto yelled at Gaara to stop but Sakura felt that Gaara wasn't – or didn't want to be – able to stop in time, and then she felt Deidara tense the muscles in his upper legs like it were her own. She didn't have long time to think this sudden development over as she jumped up at exactly the same moment as Deidara did, evading the sand attack and landing in time to make a backwards flip to dodge another furious attack.
My god, Sakura thought as they landed again. I never thought that these chains would affect my body as well! Deidara smirked at her when they entered another flaming sets of dodging moves to evade one after another attack from Gaara, and the redhead got more and more and more frustrated.
In a strange way, the chains made sure that Sakura and Deidara could add their eyesight and previous battle experiences together to form a solid and fast team, and they both dodged and evaded all of his attacks one by one. They were moving together like one body, very strange.
Then Sakura spotted a opening in his defense – or so she hoped – and she aimed for it. She felt Deidara's body moving at the exact rate of her own and a smirk played around her lips while she flipped and ran up to Gaara at a speed that one could only gain by inserting chakra in ones muscles. She heard Deidara utter a sheer cry of surprise and realized that he obviously wasn't able to do that on his own.
Then she jumped from the floor, and then they both hit Gaara's total defense sand, which smacked them back. But as they got up from the floor and saw Gaara's slightly surprised look, Sakura knew that they had been in the right direction.
But then there was no next attack from Gaara. Naruto had reached his friend and was now talking to him, and Gaara sometimes responded in his low and dangerous tone. Sakura and Deidara stretched their backs, still in perfect harmony, and then the weird new battle connection was gone, leaving only the normal chained situation.
"WOW! Sakura-san! I've never seen such a power of youth!" Lee exclaimed and he ran up to the couple. Neji followed him in a few feet and nodded at Sakura. "Nice work with the chakra link," he added. "I've heard from your situation although I couldn't believe that the chains would actually link your chakra systems." He smiled. "your chakra systems look very strange, intertwined like that."
Then Gaara and Naruto walked up to the others. Gaara with crossed arms and Naruto with an apologetic look on his face. "Gaara says he accepts the challenge from Deidara," he began but he wasn't able to finish his sentence.
"I still have some business with you," Gaara said, interrupting Naruto. Deidara nodded slowly. "And I with you, hmm, since you're alive again."
"Oh, oh, are we going to see another row of those fantastic dodging moves?" Lee asked, his voice sounding hyper. "They looked so solid and so… so harmonic!"
Sakura smiled nervously and stroke a bang of hair behind her ear. The chains also allowed them to fight together in such a way that they moved exactly the same way. The question was; when were they able to do that? And how could they trigger it?
"You do know, mainly taijutsu, hmm," Deidara said, taking off his shirt and sinking through his legs. To Sakura's relief he wore something beneath it so the ugly tattoo was covered, but she wasn't connected with his muscles as before and she made a clumsy attempt to mimic his movement. He glared at her from the corner of his eye while Gaara slowly loosened the heavy gourd from his back and then put of his shirt as well.
Sakura meanwhile got more and more tensed. She felt accelerated and exited feelings from Deidara, who obviously wanted to fight, but when she looked at Gaara's small eyes which were filled with rage and bloodlust, she felt like stopping them now. Her throat was dry and she swallowed several times but that didn't help.
"Okaay," Naruto yelled from the side of their small battlefield. "I'll decide whenever the battle is over. No use of weapons except for your own body – and Gaara, that includes a sand copy – and the winner will be the one to knock out the other. Ready? Set, Goooo!!"
Gaara remained at his impassive position but Deidara leapt forwards, rushing towards Gaara. Sakura, a medic nin and absolutely not used to these kind of attacks, felt slightly surprised when she was forced to run merely a heartbeat later than Deidara. What was he planning on? Had he made a plan or something to beat his opponent?
Deidara stumped towards Gaara's face but the Kazekage disappeared with a swift movement, appearing behind Deidara and intertwining his hands to smack Deidara full on his back. Sakura saw it though and, even before Deidara could recover from his failed attempt, Sakura jumped up, tugging Deidara with her in the air.
Where's that connection? She thought panicking when Gaara jumped up from the ground as well, following them into the air. Where is it?!
Then the time froze. Gaara was aiming for her directly – as he had possible remembered that inflicting damage to her would also damage his direct opponent. Fear rushed through her chest as she immediately calculated the damage from such a direct blow, and then she felt something click. She couldn't describe it better that that. It just felt like there was some sort of gate inside of her, and it opened at the moment the fear had reached it.
Deidara! We're back!
She dodged the kazekage's attack and then grabbed his wrist and pulled him down, launching herself into the air further. Deidara meanwhile did the same but then helped them getting down by tugging down, after the falling Kazekage. Of course Gaara landed on his feet safely to jump away from a kick of Deidara immediately. Sakura jumped over deidara's back with a fancy but also very implicated flip and then felt her feet connect with some part of Gaara's body, but she felt him dodge the attack with his body and then it disappeared. He ducked and Sakura flew over him, but Deidara had anticipated it. Gaara, meanwhile, had trouble watching two enemies at the same time and Deidara leapt forwards, his chained arm in the air to allow Sakura to stay in the air for a while more. His free hand aimed for Gaara's chest and missed it for inches as the Kazekage jumped back.
But there was Sakura. She landed on his shoulders and then kicked down with all her strength – no chakra – and he got smacked on the floor hard. But, with miraculous strength, he catapulted himself up again by using his hands and then immediately took a taijutsu stance.
Sakura and Deidara stood next to each other again, both panting lightly while looking at their enemy. "Deidara," Sakura whispered and Deidara nodded. "I'll think my suggestions okay? You just yell them out – I don't think he'll suspect something else from you."
To her surprise, Deidara didn't take that as an offense and he smirked. "Sure, hmm. Now let's kick some ass."
This time it was Gaara to attack, and Sakura saw that his green orbs flashed in something that she had only seen once before. Murderous intent. In the eyes of Sasuke whenever he spoke of his elder brother.
Watch out, she warned Deidara while they both sank through their knees lightly to see what kind of attack he would launch. He's in killing mode. We better dodge and wait for an opening and then use that to attack – agree?
Deidara simply nodded and Sakura smiled. That mind thing was rather handy in battle situations.
Then Gaara launched himself at the two and tried to kick Deidara's legs out of beneath him, and succeeded half but Deidara jumped in time thanks to Sakura's dodging experiences. Meanwhile Sakura leapt forwards and tried to hit Gaara, but the redhead was too fast again and evaded her fist while kicking her in the abs. It was a direct hit but, thanks to Deidara who pulled her back by the chains, it didn't inflict too much damage but only smacked the air out of her lungs. Gasping for air, Sakura stumbled back while Deidara attacked Gaara with all he got, and when Sakura felt ready for action again she joined to help them.
Deidara! Stay where you are, I have a plan, she thought as she hit Gaara on his shoulder lightly. I go around him and try to hit him while you do the same, okay?
"Okay!" He yelled, obviously confusing Gaara. And that was what Sakura had been waiting for. She ran around Gaara, hoping that Deidara would remain on his position even though she tugged the chains very hard now. When she had nearly made the entire circle, she withdrew her fist to get speed and power in her arm. NOW!
They both hit the Kazekage at the same time, from different angles, and Sakura felt a bone snap beneath her knuckles while Gaara gasped for air lightly. Still, he remained capable of ducking, standing on his hands and then kicking them away from each other and from him. He then jumped away from them and landed on the floor rather clumsily, breathing heavily.
"You," he hissed and he spat out some blood. He looked at Deidara and Sakura felt the air around him change dramatically. Suddenly it felt like the temperature dropped several degrees and Sakura and Deidara went back to their starting position; close to each other with both ready fists. Something changed, she thought at Deidara who nodded.
"I think we pissed him off, hmm." He said and, to Sakura's surprise, he smirked. "Then perhaps this fight will finally get interesting."
How do you mean? Haven't you been fighting with all you've got then?
He laughed. "Of course I haven't, hmm. but that will change now."
Sakura swallowed and then looked at Gaara. I guess it's our turn again, she thought while the other part of her brain felt very disappointed with herself. He hadn't even been fighting at 100 percent, while she had been kicking and punching her ass off. She decided that she would start training more intensively as soon as she got freed from Deidara.
If I even live to get freed from him, she thought while they rushed at Gaara again, who sank through his knees, ready to attack back. Something has changed about Gaara... I can't realy define it but it doesn't look good.
She knew what at the moment Sakura tried to hit him and he didn't jump back. Instead of that, he drew a kunai with a speed that a normal human shouldn't be able of doing, and the cold steel flashed in the sunlight. Sakura's eyes widened for a moment and then she did the only thing she thought of doing. Her fist was still traveling in the air, and at this rate, it would miss Gaara's right shoulder in inches.
So she grasped his shoulder while diving right a bit, dodging the kunai for as far as she was able to, then leaned in and grabbed his other shoulder as well. She noticed dragging Deidara closer but didn't care. This had to be quick. She saw Gaara's eyes widen as she tensed the muscles in her neck and completed her plan.
She smashed her forehead against his with all the power she had got left.
A loud thump and several shivers went through her head and spine before she let go of Gaara, who stumbled back and fell on the floor. For a few moments, Sakura thought she would be able to keep standing. But she wasn't. Soon her knees collapsed and she fell on the floor, and Deidara followed her within merely a second, breathing heavily while muttering curses under his breath. Soon Naruto's voice rang out from the sidelines.
"Since both fighters have passed out, there's no winner! It's a tie!"
Sakura closed her eyes for a moment. Soon Lee's voice woke her up.
"It was a good fight, Sakura-san! You and Deidara-kun fought great, even though Deidara-kun is an enemy. I have to admit it!"
Sakura smiled weakly while she and Deidara got up from the floor, their battle connection gone again. Deidara rubbed his forehead angrily while Neji walked towards them, his Byakugan activated and a grin plastered on his face. Sakura waved faintly at him.
"It was a good fight, Sakura, as Lee already said," Neji said and he stopped walking in front of them, deactivating his bloodline limit. Sakura heard Deidara hiss and poked him in the side lightly. "Although the end was a bit… unsuspected."
"He used weapons, the bloody cheater, hmm," Deidara hissed, eyes still glaring daggers at a certain redhead that got up from the ground several feet away from them, with Naruto and Lee next to him. "If he hadn't, I would've been able to defeat him, hmm."
"It did seem so." Neji nodded. "But he was outnumbered."
"Would you please not say that, hmm?" Deidara blurted at Neji. "I beat him once, so I'm still better than he is."
Neji frowned. Sakura rolled her eyes while looking in his eyes. Deidara noticed but decided to do nothing else about it then just clamping his teeth together and stubbornly looking another way.
"Anosa, anosa, Sakura-chan,"
Sakura looked at Naruto who came running towards them from Gaara. The Kazekage obviously refused to come with him, as he walked towards Lee and asked him several things.
"What is it, Naruto," Sakura asked, her voice tired. "I'm kinda tired right now."
"I know, I know, I just wanted to ask you about Ichiraku's tonight. You're still coming, are you?"
Sakura nodded. "Of course."
Naruto grinned widely and then gave Sakura a bear hug. She nearly suffocated and saw Deidara experiencing the same as his face got pink. "Thank you Sakura-chan," Naruto said, his voice sounding thrilled. "Then I'll see you tonight around eight, at Ichiraku's. And for now," he pointed behind him, not really in a specific direction. "I guess I'm going to train some more. You're welcome to join us."
"No thanks, Naruto. I'm pretty exhausted and I guess Deidara's too – besides, I've had my share of battle rage for today. I've been out of the training for quite a while and this fight pretty tore me up."
Naruto nodded, understanding the situation. Then Sakura said goodbye and she and Deidara turned around to walk away, when Naruto suddenly blurted, "Deidara,"
They turned around. Naruto was frowning deeply and was obviously having some kind of inner fight. "You… you fought well, too." And with those words, he turned around and joined to fake battle of Neji, Lee and Gaara, not looking around anymore. Deidara raised his eyebrows.
"That was strange, hmm."
"Sure was," Sakura added, staring at Naruto's back. She didn't know what Deidara had actually done to make Naruto feel better about him. For as far as she knew, Naruto never stopped hating a person if he ever did.
Well maybe this'll be an exception, she thought as she nodded at Deidara and they started walking back to the village, not really with a destination. She looked at Deidara and then suddenly felt something in her stomach, twirling around, making her blush and look down at her feet, confused. I kinda hope this will be an exception. I cant help but hope that people will accept him… I don't know why. Do I?
But as she looked at him more intensively, she knew why. It was because of the way he looked. He looked so… so handsome. So relaxed. His blonde hair pretty messed up, but just giving him some sort of bad guy look that made her shiver till the deepest part of her soul… and then those blue eyes that seemed to pierce right through her and which reflected endless blue skies with cream white clouds. She sighed. Something about his entire appearance made her dream of flying.
"If I was able to make my birds, I could take you flying once, hmm." Deidara suddenly spoke, and Sakura's cheeks flushed even more as she realized he had been watching and reading her thoughts.
"really?" she stuttered, looking at him. He smiled at her. "You seem so obsessed with flying. I cant blame you though, hmm. It really is the experience of a lifetime."
Sakura looked in front of her. They had entered the village gates and were now walking through a busy shopping street, several stores opened and some closed. She walked closer to Deidara, with the thought excuse that it was because she wanted to hide the handcuffs.
She felt his hand against hers and withstood the strange urge to grab it and hold hands; it was just too strange. But she wanted to, in a strange way, even though she couldn't do that. She wasn't – no, wait. She frowned. In fact, she was allowed to do that. To be exact, she was obligated to.
She swallowed and then carefully slid her hand in his, feeling his warm skin and soon goose bumps appeared on her arms. He gave her an quizzical look.
"What's that for, hmm?"
"Nothing, really. Just… just because."
"Oh."
It remained silent for a couple of seconds while they kept walking. Sakura still felt very strange and her stomach was making flips and loops and all other kind of acrobatic stunts, when Deidara spoke again.
"You sure you wanna hold my hand?"
She looked in front of her, a blank expression on her face. "Kind of, I guess."
He smirked. "Then I hope you've thought about my bloodline limit, hmm."
Sakura froze.
She hadn't.
Okay the next chapter will take a bit longer to update since tomorrow weekend's over, but I hope you all liked this one anyway! If you've got questions about their "Battle connection", just ask me coz it might be a bit foggy. And thanks everyone for the reviews!
