Dislcaimer: I don't own anything native to the Naruto world.
The sight of the rapidly advancing grotesque twins caused Sakura to clench her eyes tightly. This time she knew Naruto would be unable to protect her from his current position on the other side of the incoming attackers. I'm sorry Naruto. Memories of the recent weeks she had spent with the blond flashed through her mind, as she braced herself for the incoming impact with the ground below and likely evisceration from the dual abominations.
Her eyes shot opened in surprised wonder upon landing upon a cushiony surface absorbing her fall of what should have been a painful collision. She felt the surface and looked at her position; she was suspended in the air by a platform of fine yellow sand. Temporary relief instantly melted into a feeling of pure terror. Gaara!? Naruto may of beaten him once, but that was one on one!
She flinched as the sides of the earthen cloud rose around her, and closed her eyes once again afraid of being crushed. What followed next was a dull thunk sound of the Sound brothers smashing into the side of the cocoon of sand. Briefly aware of motion, she nervously looked about as the sand encasing her dissolved. What's going on? To her right stood Gaara, pristinely dressed in a newer outfit than she remembered. The crimson haired sand shinobi stood tall, his signature gourd attached securely on his back releasing a steady stream of sand which gathered around his feet. What really struck her as different was his face. Gone was the look of madness and murderous anger in his eyes, and his expression was serenely calm. His voice betrayed no emotion in a commanding tone. "Don't move."
Confusion slowly replaced the terror as she stared dumbly ahead. He's going to make me watch him kill Naruto? At the thought, she nervously scanned the forest for him and spotted her teammate on a branch staring down Gaara; the three Sound-nin were temporarily forgotten. In a calm voice the Shukaku vessel explained his presence. "Uzumaki Naruto. I have come to lend you my strength in protecting your precious people." He's on our side? "I have a big debt to repay you." Naruto's eyes flashed with understanding and he empathically nodded turning back toward the trio of demonic looking opponents.
"Gaara. Thanks. Let's go wild!" The sound shinobi exchanged a wary glance with each other, moving into attack positions. With a hearty cry, Naruto stormed ahead, a wave of sand in pursuit. The crimson haired kunoichi received his charge, her distorted face twisted in a sneer. Naruto grappled with her, latching onto her wrists and grinned. Her eyes widened and she tried to pull away futilely muttering a string of curses as the sand surged around the pair. Sakura gasped when Gaara clenched his fist – crushing the two with a muffled squishing sound.
Wait, Naruto wouldn't let himself be smashed like that. It had to be a Kage Bunshin. I hope… She directed her attention to the twins, who were unable to find breach Gaara's defense – but still managed to stay out of harms way. She became worried once they began performing a complex series of seals until orange and yellow blurs burst from the earth securing them in place. Gaara's lips curled in a slight grin as his sand caught the final opponents disposing them with the help of more Naruto clones.
Sakura let out a deep breath she hadn't realized she was holding when Naruto appeared on the branch next to her and the late Kazekage's son. "Gaara! Thank you for your help… but what on earth are you doing here? What is going on?" Her friend animatedly stamped and inquired.
"There will be time for explanations later. My siblings and I are here on my accord to repay my debt to you. You still have friends fighting in the forest yes? We must move quickly." The stoic and fearsome ichibi's jinchuuriki calmly replied.
Frowning Sakura nodded and tugged at Naruto's sleeve. "He's right Naruto, we have to hurry!" Her fear of the teen who had previously tried to kill her abated and she turned to their new ally. The Sand helped destroy Konoha… he said he was acting on his own accord… and his fight with Naruto? Just what happened? But our friends... She bit her lip and choked out a timid, "Gaara-san… thank you." He nodded in silent reply and the three dashed off to help the others.
Arriving where she broke off from her siblings, Temari spotted the girl she easily beat with at the preliminaries fighting for her life against an unseen foe. She's using those twin scroll rapid attacks. Who is the opponent? Her face twisted into a grimace seeing the green guts of squished and shredded spiders rain down to the ground covering the sides of the mighty tree trunks.
When Tenten's attack was finally depleted she stood back panting, gripping at a bloody spot on her shirt. Temari frowned and analyzed the situation. She had to use her greatest attacks just to defend herself. She's exhausted; the enemy is hidden and appears to have traps and minions under his control. A long ranged sniping strategy type… Bun-girl will be toast if I don't act. Unfurling her fan, she let out a sigh – having not wanted to give up her element of surprise before even knowing where the enemy was. Perhaps I can stay hidden too, and play his game.
Then the largest most hideous spider she had ever seen descended upon the brunette who broke into a frantic scream. Shit she's lost it. Temari growled, and swooped down swinging her fan blowing the spider back with a powerful gust of chakra laced wind. "Y-y-you!" She gripped a kunai with a shaking hand.
"Relax. If I wasn't here to help I wouldn't have blasted that spider would I? You're out of your league here." The blonde huffed indignantly at the Konoha kunoichi.
Tenten bit her lip and furrowed her brow in confusion, nervously glancing around her surroundings as she caught her breath. "So we fi-" A pained gurgled scream wrenched through the throat of the dark haired kunoichi and Temari stared in horror and disbelief as long golden arrow lanced through the weapon specialist pinning to the tree behind her. Tenten slid slowly to her knees, a long cord connected to the arrow sliding through the hole above her breast. Not wasting time to suffer a similar fate, Temari bit her thumb, and rubbed her blood along her fan; Tenten slumped face down against the ground in a growing puddle of blood, her position slightly disturbed by dangling on the strong silky strand. Shit, I meant to save her! I didn't expect that kind of attack! Performing her summon, she swung her fan letting loose a powerful cutting wind slicing at the trunks and branches clearing the area of the forest.
A flash of movement caught her eye, and she focused chakra and let loose another wave of wind toward the flicker between falling trees. She dashed after her attack to ensure the kill in the concealing wrecked portion of forest. She spotted a dark skinned six armed man attempting to climb under a trunk. With a loud growl, Temari struck her fan forward releasing a cyclone at the arachnid ninja. The girl… After confirming his demise, the blonde sprang back in the direction where Tenten fell.
Dodging another barrage of larger and faster bone projectiles, he dodged behind a larger tree to catch his breath. None of my ninjutsu or taijutsu is getting through to this guy. Even if I hit him, his bones absorb most the blow and he can protect all vital spots with them. Genma dived away as a giant skeletal spike erupted from the ground devastating the tree he had used for cover. And that curse mark, he seems to be drawing more on it now.
The jounin frowned when the intricate black pattern spread over the being of his bone using opponent and his features turned into something out of a nightmare. That's something I haven't seen before… The next volley of attacks, Genma had to focus everything on defense and staying out of harms way from the field of bones erupting from the earth in an attempt to skewer him.
His eyes widened when he sensed his opponents ploy, and tried to verify his fears running up the side of one of the larger rib-like attacks. I'll be trapped at this rate! Launching himself over, he skipped along the tops and held his breath as the scenery around him emulated one giant fly trap. I guess this is it. He prepared seals for one last ninjutsu in attempt to perhaps blast the incoming spikes back… but they never came.
Surprised, he turned his head toward his opponent who stood still, eyes staring unblinkingly forward his body merged with the ground. A trail of blood followed down from his mouth dribbling to his chest. He… died mid battle? He let out his breath in a relieved gasp. Jeez, it doesn't get much closer than that… Have to go help Tenten and the others now!
Hauling the pair of bundles on his back, Kankuro sprinted along the ground through another section of the forest. Gaara sure decided a fine time to turn over a new leaf. Tsh, dragging me out here to fight and save people we don't even know. Stopping for a moment, he listened intently ahead. The sound of trees crashing down and splintering wood echoed across the ravine. Almost there…
The earth shook, and he nearly lost his balanced glancing ahead at the towering monstrosity. That… is one of the Konoha nins. The fatty that was beaten by the Sound genin Gaara was supposed to fight. Chouji stomped his feet toward an unseen opponent as Kankuro neared the battlefield. I can't go in too reckless, he may think I'm an enemy.
From his vantage point, the sight of the giant Akimichi made him wonder if he even needed help. Then he noticed the deep haggard breaths, and a grunt of pain as the incredibly large Chouji slammed into the ground shrinking to his normal size. Shit, he's actually going all out and losing. Jumping ahead he focused on the large dark skinned horned opponent. That tubby is too large to trap and skewer, I'll have to use ranged weaponry and whittle him down.
From his hidden position under a leafy branch, he let loose his two puppets surrounding the unaware enemy. The long chakra strings would give him the advantage of remaining veiled while assaulting the all-brawn looking Sound ninja. Make it in time! His support puppet flew through the air to intercept the attack only for its main body to be smashed into splinters – the large opponent's blow had continued on crushing the unmoving Chouji.
Mentally growling, he controlled the independent parts of the broken puppet, and wheeled the other into position launching a barrage of poison tipped projectiles catching the man in the back. Roaring in pain, the horned opponent stomped on the earth, and used a large section as a shield against the barrage of blows. Kankuro began quick thrusts in several directions of the many blades bleeding the enemy to death. The poison and stabs didn't kill him. If I was fighting him one on one and he knew the general area I was, he'd of won easily. He swallowed slowly seeing the punishment the foe was able to absorb and his raw strength and earth ninjutsu.
Now! Noticing his opponent's movement was growing slower, and he'd be unable to stop his full assault – he disassembled both puppets and sent all the pieces blades out killing the man from several directions in a fountain of blood. The horns receded revealing a battered and bleeding carcass of a large pale skinned man. His eyes scanned the field spotting what he recognized as the blonde Konoha kunoichi's broken body from the preliminaries crumpled against the base of a tree. I may be too late to help either of them… His eyes followed back to the Akimichi, and ran toward him - unable to see any sign of breathing.
Gathering lightning chakra in his hand, Kakashi began to perform his raikiri. His normal eye flashed his unspoken intentions to his comrade and spandex wearing rival. Gai, I'll try to give you the time you need. Orochimaru is just toying with us – he could of summoned snakes… or worse if his goal was to kill us by now. His hand burned with the electrical glow, lighting the dark area and he gathered chakra in his legs for a mad dash toward the snake sannin… whom began charging his arm up in a similar manner. My own move used against me…
Gai took his cue, and crossing his arms in front of him began forcing his chakra gates open. Energy swirled around him, a strong wind circling and the earth cracked. His skin grew dark from the biologic change of his blood and chakra system spreading forcibly through his system. Muscles and veins bulging, Maito Gai burst into action with his completion of the initial gates opened. Kakashi used all of his speed and thrust his chidori toward Orochimaru's.
A deafening thunderclap echoed across the landscape and he felt his arm and hand begin to tear up through the sheer power of the collisions of the attack. Sparing no moment, Kakashi leapt backwards while Gai caught Orochimaru in a strong taijutsu barrage in a seemingly impossible high speed combo. Their pale opponent roared in pain rolling with each punch and kick recoiling from the mighty blows – his inhuman body bending in unnatural ways.
Finally Gai released the view gate, and in a bright aura of light, began a rapid series of punches setting Orochimaru in flame. Kakashi caught his breath, quietly observing and scanning the area in case the bane of Konoha somehow managed to escape or survive Gai's morning peacock attack. The broken pale visage collapsed on the ground and Gai landed next to him panting heavily. His was face flushed, energy spent, and his muscles torn – he wavered on his feet putting his arm out in case the battle continued.
Sharingan focusing, Kakashi confirmed their worst fears – the devastated body melted away into mud. He could use the replacement so fast; I could scarcely detect it with the sharingan. Nearly spent, both jounin knew they could not win this battle now. Gathering what was left of their strength they squared off ready to meet their dooms. "Orochimaru – you are not fit to have the title of Sannin anymore!"
Both jounins turned their heads to the new arrival. "Jiraiya-sama!"
The white-haired toad sage stood tall staring down his snake counterpart. "So you've come. You have saved me the trouble of hunting you down, Jiraiya!" Both sannin went through a series of seals, causing Kakashi and Gai to leap backward. The gargantuan bodies of Manda and Gamabunta cast long shadows over the ruined forest under the moonlight.
Speaking quietly to his partner Kakashi tossed him a soldier pill. "Gai, Jiraiya-sama won't be able to win this alone. We have to be ready to back him up. Rest up your strength for a bit." Did Jiraiya come alone? One thing Kakashi knew was that the battle with Orochimaru had just entered an entirely new level.
"Sakura-chan… I think we should split up." She nearly lost her footing as the trio dashed toward sounds of battle.
She sank at the words. "N-Naruto? What do you mean?"
"Ero-sennin said you were learning how to heal… our friends might need it. I can send some kage bunshin with you. Gaara and I can go help Ero-sennin, while you help our other friends?" He offered. He's right… I would be more useful there. She didn't miss the hidden purpose of Naruto's plan either. He didn't want her anywhere near the sannin's possible battle. Not even slowing his stride, two kage bunshin poofed into existence flanking her.
She sighed defeated nodding. "Naruto… be careful." And split away from her friend with two of his clones as an escort. Soon she came to an area where it looked like something huge had batted away and smashed trees as if they were toys and surveyed the destruction.
One of the Narutos tapped her on the shoulder and pointed. Is that Chouji? She gasped running toward the black shrouded Sand genin kneeling over a still Chouji. Kankuro turned at the noise. "You guys are here. I trust Gaara found you? I'm afraid I may have been too late." He solemnly replied, pointing toward a large tree not far away.
Her jade eyes followed his finger trailing up the broken earth and locked on the point of interest. Her heart froze when she recognized the tuft of pale blonde hair crowning the heap. "Oh god, Ino!"
A/N: Sorry... enjoy the second installment of "all time evil-ish cliffies". Blah… these action chapters really take a lot out of me. I found it really hard to get into the spirit of this one, and I just wanted some of the battles to end so I may have skimped a bit.
And just who knows who may not have survived… And note: I didn't go into Chouji's battle for a reason - his fighting would be hard to describe, and you've already seen him fight. Also the outcome is different because Chouji did not have his super chakra pills. Remember this fic took place from the final matches (he was just released from the hospital and was a spectator, no reason to believe he'd have them on his person.)
Just a warning – I will probably have the time skip in 1-3 more chapters – depends how things go while I write. I may even have one chapter as the timeskip.