Chapter 10

Ignorant Truth

"Killing you will make him come for me, I will prove my existence by crushing both of you."
"Subakuchuu!" Gaara yelled as he clenched his hand into a fist…

The sand ninja's eyes twitched as the sand imploded, the texture just wasn't right. It wasn't something he was used to, denser then a body but not as dense as a rock. When his sand opened back up, splinters of a log dropped to the forest floor.

Sakura was sprinting full speed back to the camp she had just left, thinking about what Naruto said.

'Wait until I deal with him… he wont hesitate to kill you…' she thought as she ran, but she could feel the distortion of air behind her letting her know that something was following. Sparing a glance over her shoulder she saw something between frightening and amusing, Gaara had decided to chase her but clearly wasn't used to having to move too quickly with all that sand on his back.

"I will kill you all!" Gaara shouted as he continued to jump from tree to tree, truth be told he wasn't so used to the trees either.

Sakura couldn't help but let out a slight laugh at her pursuer until he blew away bit by bit as sand. She froze on the tree branch waiting for him to present himself.

"I've got you" she heard his cold monotone voice behind her. She spun around to see the sand coming at her again to trap her in the 'coffin' again. 'Shit no time to do a Kawarimi this time!' she thought as she made to run.

"Gaaaaraaahh…" a dark voice came ringing out from further behind Gaara almost in a sing-song whisper. The sand stopped where it was and spilled away as a hand gently set its self on said ninja's shoulder.

Sakura had since frozen hearing the voice, looking back was about all she could do. She saw a slightly taller man standing at about 6' glowing purple eyes with slits running through them. He was dressed in a black and orange outfit much like Naruto's, but this couldn't be…

"Gaara… you need to learn some patience my friend." The new blond said as he appeared with his hand on Gaara's shoulder. "I wouldn't like it much if you hurt my… friends." He said pausing to look at her when he said friend.

"You…" Gaara said turning on the tall blond who just stared down on him as if confused, looking like he really was staring at a friend. "The corpse's crimson bitter tears flow and mingle through the endless sand feeding the chaos in me and making me stronger." Gaara said angrily as if reciting something.

"You shouldn't listen to Shukaku, he is only trying to use you. Now just run along to your family and I will spare you." Naruto said dangerously yet tauntingly at the same time.

Gaara just stood there eyes wide, never had anyone spoken to him like he was JUST a child, like he was JUST human, like he WASN'T the demon he held. Gaara's hands shot up to clutch his head, his demon was clearly screaming to him, ordering him to kill this man trying to oppose him.

"Shukaku, back down! You have yet to tread this path, but you couldn't even defeat Nekomata you don't stand a chance against me!" a booming voice rang out seemingly from all directions. Almost instantly Gaara released his head looking up at the man next to him in shock.

"Leave now Gaara, we will talk later. You don't want to try to kill us, it will destroy your future if I feel any killer intent from you directed at the cherry blossom. I don't care how good of friends we are, clear?" the tall ninja said in a hushed voice but still allowing Sakura to hear. Gaara could only nod slowly at the man. Not only is he treating him like a human still, but something of him commanded his demon, the Ichibi.

Then without warning both the tall ninja and the pink haired one were gone…

"And where did you run off too so suddenly after Sakura left, Dobe?" Sasuke questioned as Naruto came walking back to the camp, he had let Sakura enter a few minutes before him as to not arouse suspicion from Sasuke. Apparently it didn't work..

"Just here and there, why do you want to know teme?" Naruto shot back.

"No reason, just figured you were being perverted trying to watch Sakura is all."

"Ah I'm sorry, must be getting you jealous. My interest being in her and not you." Naruto said walking past Sasuke to see Sakura staring up at him with a shocked expression strewn across her face.

'Did he just admit he likes me?' Sakura thought looking at him.

'Eh… how long has she been standing there..?' Naruto thought staring back.

'Did Naruto just admit following Sakura into the woods to watch her pee?' Sasuke thought watching Naruto's back.

None of the 3 moved for a while until Naruto disappeared into the trees to take first watch.

The next morning Sasuke was in for a rude awakening involving a bucket of cool water and some fish.

Sasuke shot up angrily to find the culprit was gone, just a note stating it was his turn to make breakfast. Upon exiting the tent he saw Naruto and Sakura sitting on a log with some wood set up for a fire and three long spears to cook the fish on.

"Morning Sasuke!" Naruto yelled jubilant as ever, Sakura just gave a slight nod.

"We still need to get a scroll…" Sasuke stated lamely looking towards the tower as he walked to the center of the clearing. Naruto swiped his hand over the wood and it caught fire while Sasuke was looking away, Sakura just looked at Naruto amazed.

"Nope, did it last night while you two were asleep." Naruto said getting Sasuke to look back at him.

"I thought you were watching us Naruto?" Sakura questioned.

"Usefulness of the Kage Bushin." Naruto said simply. "So Sasuke, since when can you shoot Katon Jutsu out of your ass?" Naruto asked looking shocked at Sasuke.

Said ninja just stumbled then halted his approach.

"Neither Sakura nor myself are Fire element users and the fire is now lit… so…"

"Baka…" Sasuke said as he grabbed the skewers from next to Naruto. "After breakfast then we will head to the tower."

"No"

Why not?" Sakura asked looking at Naruto.

"Who would you say is more likely to win in a fight, you or Ino?" Naruto asked causing a little bit of uncomfortable attention on her from both him and the Uchiha.

"I.. I'm not really sure…" was her reply.

"Sakura's first match is going to be against Ino so I figure we could train out here for a bit then go in when we are done?" Naruto offered.

"We need to get to the tower though dobe, just teach her your Kage Bushin and lets go." Sasuke said hastily.

"Sorry but even if I did teach her, she wouldn't be able to use it. No offence Sakura-Hime but your chakra and stamina suck, this Jutsu would take you out too easily." To that Sakura's head dropped clearly disappointed, Sasuke just smirked as if proving a point. "No, I was thinking I could teach you a resistance to the Yamanaka Clan abilities. And Sasuke I even have one for you." Naruto said getting his interest. "A beginning step in Fuuin Jutsu, known as the 'Demonic Suppression Seal'" Naruto said earning a confused look from Sasuke and a worried look from Sakura.

'This way, even if that Snake still gets to Sasuke he will have this seal ready for it.' Naruto thought.

After a while of Sakura practicing breaking all of Naruto's Genjutsu and Sasuke observing them all with his Sharingan, Naruto called it quits on that. Deciding to move onto the Fuuin Jutsu.

"Those were some pretty realistic Genjutsu Naruto." Sasuke complimented now that they were his too.

"Don't, compared to Itachi those are nothing. He is a true master that not even our Jonin Genjutsu specialist can compete with, that's without his Sharingan." Naruto warned noticing Sasuke's hair standing on end. "Your elements are mostly lightning and fire, I will talk to Kakashi-Sensei about teaching you his Raiken, for you it will probably be Chidori though." Naruto laughed.

"If your done with Sakura, then just draw out the seal, I will memorize it with my Sharingan then we can go instead of wasting time here." Sasuke stated getting irritated that they were spending so much time in the woods.

Sakura could see the irate look on Naruto's face as well as on Sasuke's although he did as his team mate had asked and drew out the design, she decided it wasn't worth mentioning.

"Alright I got it, lets get going now!" Sasuke said as he bolted for the tower. Naruto and Sakura just followed.

"Naruto, what happened back with Gaara?" Sakura asked slowing her pace to match Naruto's as they jumped through the trees.

"What do you mean?"

"You were tall! Your eyes changed, you were just different!" Sakura yelled back at him angry that he would try to play dumb with her.

"I will explain later Sakura, drop it for now.." and with that they continued the trip in silence being watched only by a fearsome ninja atop a massive snake…

Author Notes!

This is a little different but it will help clarify some of the things in the story.

Yes I know that this chapter was sloppy and poor, but I had no ideas on what to do for it. I wanted to involve a moment between Gaara and Naruto so I tried.

"Shukaku, back down! You have yet to tread this path, but you couldn't even defeat Nekomata you don't stand a chance against me!" yes this was Kyuubi talking and Nekomata is the 2 tailed Cat, what he is talking about is in reference to the Japanese legend of the Bijuu that Masashi Kishimoto based some of his story on.

Naruto appearing taller and with purple eyes this time was more so a sign that he was using Kyuubi's chakra. Since his eyes are already naturally slits and he has a near constant cloak around him, this will be in place of his fox cloak. He will more so resemble the image of himself that his mind is from (IE his future body) I have yet to decide if there will be side effects with it or not though…

Yall know the drill,

Review = Reward!

Thank you!

XIII/TTR\TAK