I can only wish that I owned Naruto…

Chapter 11: Shields and Feelings

We headed out into the sandstorm but thanks to Gaara's abilities, we weren't affected by it. After flying on top of his sand for a while we headed towards what looked like a quicksand pit. We both saw Fuu save Matsuri and her teammates. Gaara once again used his abilities to dissipate the sand around us. Gaara hopped off and walked up to Fuu while I stayed on. I smiled as they talked. Eventually, Matsuri and her team started to wake up from where they were. Fuu walked over to them and tried to give them her scroll but they wouldn't take it. Fuu left after hearing her teams' shouts for her.

Gaara kept all five of us in a sand dome until the storm passed over us. When it did he released it allowing us some fresh air.

"Thank you very much!" Matsuri said.

"If you thank anyone, it should be Fuu of the Hidden Waterfall." Gaara replied. They all agreed. "Now go. The second exam will probably proceed shortly."

Matsuri and her comrades nodded and ran off. Gaara and I began to head back towards the tower. After a few minutes we heard screams and the sound of a guitar-like instrument. "That sounds like Matsuri and the others." I said.

Gaara nodded and lowered us to the ground by a rock structure. "Stay here. I will go rescue them. It's probably one of the guys who are after me."

I grabbed his arm. "No, I'm going with you."

"You will not. This is too dangerous for you."

"But-"

"As the Kazekage of Sunagakure, I order you to stay here." We looked at each other for a few moments before I released his arm.

"Fine."

"Thank you Tibi." He said and ran towards the screams. I watched him until I couldn't see him anymore then sat down on a rock.

I hated waiting. Always have and always will. For the next what seemed like forever I sat there and thought about the meaning of life, drew pictures of stick figures in the sand with my finger, and worried if everything was alright.

After 30 minutes, or maybe 35 minutes, it's not like I had a watch, of hearing the music I stood up. 'Fuck it. I'm going.' I know it was probably absolutely idiotic of me to go headfirst into battle with next to no experience but hey, I've already died once.

I ran towards the sound of the music. Eventually I saw Gaara and Fuu with what looked like chains coming out of their bodies. The chains was connected to a man playing a lute on top of a rock structure.

"Gaara, Fuu!" I shouted and ran towards them.

"Tibi!" they both yelled.

"What are you doing here?!" Gaara exclaimed. "I told you to stay by the rocks!"

"Well I didn't listen and it's a good thing I didn't." I grabbed the chain connected to Fuu and tried to pull but was shocked. I immediately jumped back. 'That wasn't pleasant.'

"The chains are pulling the tailed beast chakra out of us." Fuu explained.

"I see." I said and nodded.

"Who are you?" the man on top of the rock said.

I turned to him. "I'm a friend of theirs now let them go!" I shouted.

The man laughed, "Friends. No, they are merely jinjuriki. Weapons used for their villages."

I growled. "They are NOT just jinjuriki. They are people. People with feelings and hopes and dreams just like anybody else!"

"You are obviously not from around here. Where are you from child?" the man asked.

I stepped forward. "I am not from here. I'm from a different world where I knew things about this place that no one else knows." I could hear Fuu gasp behind me.

"If that is so then why do you care about these people? You have no ties to this world. These monsters should be the last thing you should worry about."

I chuckled. "It's because I'm from a different world that I care about these people so much. I don't know Fuu that well since I can't really remember her right now but I do know Gaara and another Jinjuriki named Naruto. I know their pasts and thoughts. I know how they really feel. I KNOW without a doubt that they are all people, not monsters and weapons!" I turned to look at Fuu and Gaara and smiled. They looked to be in shock at my words. "I may not have any ties to this world but I plan on creating some. This is my second chance at life and I won't waste it."

I meant every word I said. I really did. The man looked pissed at me, not that I cared. I took a Kunai out and prepared myself to fight. I found myself surprised that I wasn't as scared as I thought I would be. 'Pep talks really do help.'

The man started to play a bit faster. I threw my kunai at him as fast and hard as I could. The guy merely moved his head to the side a bit and avoided the weapon.

Well that didn't go as planned…

A chain shot out of his chest and headed straight towards me. I tried to run but I wasn't fast enough. I threw my hands up in front of me as a last ditch effort. I could hear Fuu and Gaara shouting my name. I waited for the chain to hit me…..but it never happened. I opened my eyes to see the chain slamming into a shield over and over again in front of me. The shield was whitish-pink and had little wisps of chakra coming out of it. My chakra. I smiled as I realized that I somehow used my yin-yang release to take some of my chakra out of my body and made it physical, creating a shield. The man, Gaara, and Fuu looked just as surprised as I was.

I can do something!

My joy was short-lived however when the chain went underneath the shield and hit me in the stomach, knocking me back and making my chakra shield disappear. The chain came at me once more. I jumped to the right and tried to create another shield. I couldn't make it in time. I realized that when the chain knocked me over the head, sending me back even further back. I landed on the ground in between Gaara and Fuu, my head smacking down on the sandy floor.

'That was not a good fall. Is my head bleeding? ...yep I'm bleeding.' I touched the left side of my head, feeling the warm blood begin to ooze down. My vision started to grow a bit fuzzy. Fuu bent down and flipped me around, face-up. She began to create a dome using her jinjuriki powers. As it sealed all around us I heard the man say, "Such a shame you are not on our side. Your chakra is very special, one of a kind."

"This is-" Gaara said when he dome was completely sealed.

"My power, but it's not powerful enough to break these chains. So I'm going to try to buy us some time"

My vision became cloudier and cloudier. "Thank you Tibi." Was the last thing I heard before the darkness consumed me.

Dying sucks.


I awoke to the sound of the dome being cut. 'So it looks like I'm not dead but owwww I've got a headache.'

I sat up slowly just in time to see Neji enter the dome, "Are you three alright?"

"I'm fine other than my head." I said placing my hand on my wound. It had stopped bleeding, thank Kami.

"I gave strict orders not to tell anyone." Gaara said.

"Don't be angry with your subordinates." Neji spoke. "They were worried sick about you."

'Matsuri must have told them about us.' I thought. Neji looked Fuu and Gaara over with his byakugan. He explained that the chains had penetrated their chakra points and were causing direct damage to their chakra networks, thus siphoning away their tailed beast chakra.

Gaara nodded, "Yeah…Eventually the tailed beast chakra will be weakened enough and he'll extract the beast itself."

"Can you help?" Fuu pleaded. Neji said that if he could plug the chakra point that was siphoning the tailed beast chakra, he could possibly stop the flow.

Neji stepped back, "Gentle Fist: Chakra Point Needle!" Neji thrusted two of his fingers into the chakra point that connected the chain to Gaara but was thrown back.

"What happened?" Gaara asked.

"The tailed beast chakra is so strong that it repelled me. I didn't think it would be this strong." Neji explained.

"Please don't give up! We're counting on you!" Fuu exclaimed. I continued to watch, hoping that it would work.

Neji tried again even harder. He hit the chakra point and this time the flow of chakra up the chain stopped.

"It worked!" I shouted happily.

Neji smiled a bit. "You're next Fuu." He did the same thing to her. The chains that were connected to him were released and left the dome. I stood up slowly and left through the cut that Neji had made with the help of Tenten. We saw the man struggling with the chains. The chains became seals and wrapped around him, sealing the man. He lunged forward and fell down the rock structure. At the bottom he laid out, unable to move a muscle.

"May I ask you not to kill him?" Gaara asked.

Neji nodded, "Yes, I understand." He then stepped forward to examine the man from Sunagakure. He still had the black seals around him. Neji asked Lee, Matsuri, and Fuu's teammates to stand back. He used his gentle fist to unlock all of his chakra points, destroying the seals. He then came back to where Gaara, Fuu, Tenten, and I were standing.

"You have my thanks Neji. Imagine, being rescued by you." Gaara said.

Rock Lee walked up, "Is everyone all right?"

Fuu smiled, "Yes we're okay now." She ran up to Neji and took his hand. "I'm Fuu of the Hidden Waterfall! I'm trying to make 100 friends! So please, be Fuu's friend!"

Neji cringed at the contact, "Okay, okay! I get it, just let go of my hand." Everyone laughed.


Eventually, everyone went their separate ways. Matsuri's, Fuu's, and Neji's team went to continue the second exam while Gaara and I headed back to the central tower. I noticed Gaara looking at me every once in a while.

"You okay?" I asked.

He nodded, "Yes, it just a bit hard to believe that people came to save me…..Why did you?"

"Because you're my friend and I care about my friends."

"So you really don't think I'm a monster?"

I chuckled, "Of course not. Everything I had said back there was the truth. Everyone on the planet is special, some more so than others…..you are special, Gaara."

He looked at me surprised, then smiled a little, "Thank you."


When we got to the tower we could tell that the guards were on high alert meaning that they had found out that we were gone.

"The massive sandstorm seems to have passed." Gaara said.

"Lord Gaara?!" the exclaimed.

"What's wrong? Stop making a fuss and resume the second exam." The guards nodded. "Also, Tibi-san has hurt her head and needs medical attention immediately."

A guard came up to me and told me to come with him. I nodded and walked with him "Do you have any Tylenol or ibuprofen for this migraine I'm getting?"

The man looked at me confused.

"I guess not…"


At the end of the day, participants filed into the tower. Gaara held a meeting with the Jonin proctors about what to do. I sat and listened in his office, my head nicely bandaged. He said that he wished to cancel the third exam due to reasons that he didn't want say to everyone else. Not that I could blame him. Someone asked how they could determine who became a chunin. Gaara explained that they had prepared detailed reports of everybody in the second exams and that he would like the respective villages use them to see whether their participants should be promoted or not. Everyone eventually smiled and agreed. I continued to smile in my seat.

The participants were told of the news. Most agreed and were happy. Gaara came out and gave them a speech. I stayed inside knowing that I would remember later. The next day, after some much needed rest everyone headed out to go back home. I told Fuu goodbye and headed up to Gaara's office. We each said our goodbyes. I wondered when we would see each other next and smiled. Friends are a beautiful thing.

Three days later I was in Tsunade's office with everyone else, waiting to hear the results of the exams.

Tsunade stood from her seat, "I've gone over your second exam reports. And Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Choji, Ino, and Sakura….You six passed the exams with flying colors and are promoted to Chunin!" all who were named jumped with joy.

"Komugi, Gennai, Inaho…" another team of genin, "You will be given another chance next time." They sulked at the news.

"Finally…" Tsunade looked at Neji's team, "Although they did not collect two scrolls, they performed admirably and are more than qualified for promotion. Lee and Tenten, you are now Chunin."

They looked happy for a moment then Lee spoke, "Lady Tsunade! Team Guy is all for one and one for all! How was Neji not promoted?!"

"Just let me finish!" Tsunade shouted, "Neji Hyuga has been given a special double promotion to jonin. The Kazekage himself noted his skills and was impressed, due consideration was given in his report. He has already proven himself to be better than a chunin."

Neji looked happy. "Good job Neji!" Lee said. "Congratulations!" said Tenten.

"Thank you guys very much."

Tsunade then looked at me, "I have one last thing to say. Tibi, the Kazekage had sent me a report about you as well."

I looked at her surprised, "R-really?! He didn't tell me anything about that!"

"Yes. In the report, he told me about your bravery and how you were willing to sacrifice your own life for theirs despite your odds. He also told me about the shield you were able to create. Due to the information I was given, I have decided to give you honorary Kunoichi status of Konohagakure." She held out a leaf headband to me.

I looked at it in disbelief. An honorary Kunoichi….did I deserve that?

"Well, are you going to take it or not?!"

I jumped out of my thoughts and took the headband. It was on a black ribbon. I tied it around my forehead, the ribbon part hidden underneath my hair. Everyone looked happy for me. I was happy.

"You are not a true shinobi here, only a special one. You are of no rank. If you want to go on a mission, it has to be specially approved by me, understand?"

I nodded, "Yes maam. But, is this even legal?"

Tsunade shrugged, "I may be abusing my powers a bit but this is a special occasion." she smiled, showing me that she had begun to trust me.

I smiled with tears in my eyes.


It's been awhile since I've updated. I sowwy! But I'm 18 now, yay! Legal adult! And tomorrow I'm going to my college orientation :) it's definitely going to be a change but I'm as ready as I'll ever be for it. Wish me lucks!

Hehe, anyways, the next chapter will be the start of the actual storyline where Naruto comes back and the whole thing with Gaara and the Akatsuki happens. Plus you will see more of Tibi's new abilities.

Reviews are very welcomed!