"…You."
Sasuke glared at the shark Akatsuki before him. The Akatsuki didn't wear the traditional robe/cloak though…He simple wore black pants wrapped at the ends and wore a black tank top with the Akatsuki symbol on it. His sword was now swung over his shoulder, and he bared his teeth in a devilish smile, staring at the ninjas challenging him.
"…Yeah. Me. So…It's been at least--What--Two, three years, Sasuke?"
Sasuke scoffed.
"Well," Kisame continued. "…I see you and your friends haven't changed much in the power quo."
Sakura scowled. "Hey, watch it, pal. A lot has changed in the past three years."
Kisame tilted his head. "…Well, as much as I can tell, the only one of you that has changed is that Naruto kid: It looks like the Kyuubi is getting the better of him."
"…No, it's not."
The group of ninja turned to the cliff, to see Naruto climb swiftly over the side. His red and yellow eyes were flaring angrily.
"Heh…The only thing that the Nine Tails has changed, really, is my temper," he growled.
"…Okay, enough talking," Kisame said, smiling. "It's time I showed you true power, Naru--!"
Before Kisame knew it, Naruto had grabbed Kisame with a clawed hand and threw him into the ocean below. Kisame landed on the surface of the water, using his chakra to stand on the water. He looked up at the figure of Naruto, who stared down at him from the cliff. Naruto, along with the other ninja, jumped down to the water, all standing on its surface. Kisame scowled, and pointed his blunt sword of the vulpine boy. He shifted his eyes to Gaara, to Sasuke, to Sakura, and then turned to Hinata. He smirked.
"…Heh. The sickness is getting to you, isn't it, Hinata?"
Hinata frowned, and then turned to her friends, who now stared at her.
"What does he mean, Hinata?" Naruto said.
Hinata gasped, unsure of what to say. Suddenly, Kisame burst into a laugh.
"You mean, you haven't told your friends yet? Of course, Gaara here knows."
The group turned to Gaara, who stared at them all, irritated.
"…Shut up, freak."
"Gaara," Naruto said coldly. "What does Kisame mean by 'sickness'?"
Gaara glared at Naruto. Everyone stared at the Sand shinobi, waiting for an answer. Hinata looked down at her feet, waiting to hear the secret come from his mouth.
"I…Can't…"
Hinata looked up: Gaara stared directly at Kisame.
"…I can't tell you."
Naruto grimaced, and then turned to Kisame as he laughed again.
"…Well, someone's a little embarrassed that his martial status is about to become 'parent'!"
Gaara stared at Naruto's speechless expression, and Hinata cupped her face in her hands.
Sakura's green eyes were wide, while Sasuke just stared at Kisame.
"…What?"
Kisame was still grinning evilly. "Yeah--Apparently, as I have been told by your brother, Sasuke, Gaara did a little something he really shouldn't have done, and now, his little girlfriend is pregnant. Bwahaha!"
Naruto's eyebrows curled with difficulty of understanding the situation: He turned slowly to Gaara.
"…Gaara--!!!"
Naruto snarled as Kisame's sword impacted with his jawbone. Kisame snickered.
"Well, are we going to chat all day, or are we going to fight?"
Naruto stood up of the water, and growled furiously at Kisame.
"You'll wish you had never done that," he said, his voice suddenly inhuman. "Sasuke! Gaara! Let's go!"
Sakura scowled at him. "Hey, what about--!"
Naruto glared at her.
"You and Hinata go to the cliffs--If what Kisame says is true, than that would put Hinata in an unstable condition to fight. Take her to the cliffs, and ask her what exactly happened! I want to know what's going on!"
Sakura hesitated for a second, then nodded. She grabbed Hinata by her left arm and took her up to the cliffs. Naruto turned back to Sasuke and Gaara, and then to Kisame, who pointed his sword at the three shinobi.
"…This should be fun," Kisame snickered.
……………………………….
Sakura and Hinata landed at the top of the cliff: Hinata automatically stood up, stumbling over and leaning against the next tree, her face upset. Sakura stood up off the ground, and stared at the agonized Hyuuga before her. The pink-haired kunoichi wore an expression of confusion and frustration.
"Hinata--I'm your best friend…Why didn't you tell me?"
Hinata looked up, and frowned unhappily.
"I…If I told everyone…I don't think that anyone would have approved of Gaara any more than the incident that caused this--!"
"Whoa, whoa--Wait a second," Sakura interrupted. "You mean, this pregnancy is from when Gaara assaulted you?!"
Hinata stared. "What else would it be from??"
Sakura stared at her as if Hinata figured that she was stupid.
"…You do recall that I am Tsunade's apprentice, and that I do know about your appointment with her when you had bark scraped in your back."
Hinata blushed furiously. "…S-So you though it was from that??"
Sakura nodded. Hinata sighed, slid down the side of the tree she rested on, and sat on the ground. She stared up at the sky, listening to the battle sounds of the ninja below. Sakura shrugged, and took a seat next to her friend.
"…So, what's it like?"
Hinata turned to Sakura, confused by the question.
"What do you mean, Sakura?"
"I mean, being a mom and all…What's it like so far?"
Hinata sighed, then smiled.
"Well, I'm not really sure yet…I mean, I still need to tell my father…Even though I don't know how I'm going to manage that…And I can't really say what being a mother is like until I'm actually a mother, can I?"
Sakura chuckled. "Well, I guess I'll just have to ask you in nine months time."
Hinata smiled softly, not feeling as embarrassed as she once was.
"…Thanks, Sakura…"
Sakura flashed a grin.
"Hey, that's what I'm here for!"
……………………………….
"Ugh--!!"
Sasuke did a back flip and landed unsteadily on his knees as he was knocked back by the shark Akatsuki. Kisame fought them all with all their power put together, resisting all their efforts, only being slightly put off by the rapid blows thrown at him by the demonic Naruto. Sasuke stood up and dashed back into the group of battling ninja, taking out multiple kunai and hacking them at the Akatsuki.
Kisame smirked, turning quickly and using his blade to block the weapons against him. Sasuke stepped back, Gaara looking up at him as he slightly bent to his side.
"Our chakra is running out, Sasuke," Gaara said, looking down at the water. "This continuous battling on the ocean is sucking it away."
Sasuke glared at Gaara. "Well, however longer I have should be enough for me!"
(Author's Note:….I CAN'T THINK!!!)
Sasuke clamped one hand around the opposite wrist, clenching his hand. He bared his teeth, and his hand began to spark--
"Sasuke, DON'T!!!"
Sasuke let go of his wrist, and looked up. Sakura was coming down from the cliff, racing toward the fight scene.
"Sasuke, if you use the Chidori now, you won't have enough chakra to stay above water and you won't be able to battle anymore! We need you to fight, Sasuke!"
Sasuke grumbled and nodded, turning towards battle.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Kisame were locked in a frenzy of throws, Gaara occasionally throwing in a blast of sand. Naruto struggled to concentrate on his fighting, edging another swing from Kisame. The demon inside of him was itching to break free, wanting to tear the shark Akatsuki limb from limb.
Naruto…Let me out, boy…Let me rip this shark to shreds…
I can't--! I risk putting my friends in danger…
Make them go away…Make them leave…LET ME FREE!!!
The Kyuubi sent a throb of pain through Naruto's head. Naruto snarled, and then thrust out his arm, sending an unnatural wave of wind towards Kisame, sending him stumbling back. Naruto thrust a hand to his head, clenching his crimson hair, his vulpine ears going back. Sakura, Sasuke, Gaara, and even Kisame stopped and stared at him, the shark Akatsuki full of curiosity.
Kisame's curious smile turned into a horrified scowl when Naruto looked up.
His eyes were different. His eyes were surrounded by thick, black outlines like those of Gaara's, and his eyes were yellow, with thin slits for pupils. The ears on his head were longer, and, suddenly, a red aura burst around him in the shape of a large vulpine.
"…Go…" said an inhuman voice through Naruto's unmoving lips.
Sakura stared in horror. "Naruto--!"
Sasuke grabbed Sakura around her waist, his face serious. "Gaara, let's go!"
Gaara sneered at the Uchiha. "There's no way I'm going--I've got to teach this bastard a lesson about keeping his mouth shut…"
Sasuke glared at Gaara.
"…Whatever."
Sasuke held onto Sakura, taking her from the battle scene and onto the cliffs.
Hinata looked up as they jumped before her: She stood up.
"Sasuke? Sakura? W--Where are Gaara and Naruto?"
Sakura looked up at the Hyuuga.
"Naruto insisted that we stay away from the fight: Something's wrong with him, he doesn't sound human…"
Hinata frowned, stumbling over to the edge of the cliff and looking down.
"Then--Why is Gaara still down there?"
Sasuke shrugged. "He insisted he should stay behind…Jerk."
……………………………….
"…Gaara, I said GO!!!"
"No way, Naruto. I'm not letting you have all the fun."
Naruto snarled irritably. "Don't say I didn't warn you! HRRRRAAAAHHHHH!!!!"
Naruto's glowing hands slammed down onto the water, causing the water to form a tidal wave, straight after the shark Akatsuki. Kisame quickly put forth his sword, and, being a Mist ninja, easily avoided the wave.
Of course, that was just a distraction.
Naruto plunged up from under the water, punching Kisame upwards from below. The Akatsuki flew up, and began to fall back towards the water.
SPLOOSH! The form of Kisame splattered into water. Naruto winced.
A shadow clone…!
Naruto lashed out an arm, quickly catching hold of the sword aimed at him. Kisame smiled as the sword began to suck the chakra away from Naruto's hands. Naruto winced, knowing that if he let go, he would be struck.
FWAKOOM!
Naruto jumped back as a blast of sand from Gaara attacked the Akatsuki, stunning him for a second. Naruto smiled at Gaara.
"Thanks--?!"
Gaara looked half dead: His chakra had depleted enormously from the mix of sand attacks and the walking on water. He shook his head.
"…Get him."
Suddenly, the glow of chakra from Gaara feet disappeared, and he plunged underwater. Naruto snarled, his eyes wide.
"GAARA!!!!"
Naruto turned and cut back more attacks from Kisame, his mind set on getting to the Sand shinobi.
Damn it! Gaara is a reincarnation of sand--He can't swim: He'll just sink like wet sand…
And then, Naruto heard it.
"Hinata, what are you doing--HINATA, DON'T!!!"
…Splash…
……………………………….
"…I'm sinking, aren't I…?"
Gaara sank further and further down into the water. His eyes remained staring calmly at the light shining down through the glittering surface of the crystal water.
"…Heh…I guess this is it, isn't it?...I'm really going to die…"
Gaara's hand slowly reached up towards the surface, pretending to trace the sunlight with his finger.
"…I'm out of chakra…There's no escaping my fate now…"
Gaara's hand coiled into a fist, then let loose again as the darkness began to take over. His air supply began to run out.
"…I…I'll never see…My…Child…"
…Splash…
"…What?..."
A figure was swimming towards him: It's hand frantically reached out to him, coaxing im to reach out for it.
"…Hinata…"
And everything went black.
