Transposed

We didn't start the fire—
It was always burning,
Since the world's been turning.
We didn't start the fire—
No we didn't light it,
But we tried to fight it.

The moment is here. No more wondering. No more worrying. No more time.

Don't you dare forget your steps, Sasuke.

Half a dozen coughs from our sickly-looking proctor. I imagine the audience perching at the edges of their seats. I certainly am, figuratively speaking. Finally, he utters the word we've been waiting for.

"Begin."

Temari opts to make the first move. Her fan is already open and in position; she releases a blast of wind in my direction. It's difficult to gauge how much chakra she put behind it offhand, so— my answer is a fireball the size of a carriage.

The resulting explosion is decidedly impressive: a blast of heat and light. The damage to the arena, however, is mostly superficial. We cook the earth until it cracks and leave a large circle of singed grass between us. Or, it would be between us, if I hadn't used the explosion to cover my advance towards Temari, both hands sheathed in green, belying the presence of chakra scalpels. The edges of my clothes are lightly singed from maneuvering around the explosion.

Temari uses her fan to shield herself from the explosion; she remains behind it until the flames abate.

Let's find out if chakra scalpels can cut the reinforced fabric Suna uses in its fans.

A loud ripping sound as reinforced, canvas-like cloth is sliced. A savage grin— the answer is 'yes'. A few steps back to escape having my hands removed by a swiftly closing war fan. The ribs of the fan, likely constructed from chakra conductive metal, remain intact. Expensive toy.

Still, I've crippled her favored weapon. I'm still smiling as I retreat, letting the chakra scalpels fade.

Temari is understandably upset by my actions. "You bastard! You— you complete ass!"

My grin is entirely unrepentant, intended to further enrage her. "I am. I assure you, I enjoy every moment of it."

Temari is grinding her teeth in frustration as she tosses aside her giant fan, a pair of tessen sliding from her sleeves, a small fan gripped tightly in each hand.

"By the way, ice cream sounds good. Are you buying when I win?" I imagine I can hear a million fangirl hearts shattering— or is that just Haruno wailing in despair? Great fun, even if nothing comes of this. Despite not being a redhead like her brothers, Temari seems to have inherited a volatile temper— and I've just primed the explosive tags. Her answer is an attack.

I dodge and weave through a flurry of wind blades, an intricate dance— I advance towards her, kunai in hand, and she backs away, maintaining the distance between us. A lucky strike nicks my bare shoulder, a trickle of blood slithering down my arm.

I may have miscalculated.

Temari is at least as good with those tessen as with her giant fan. Perhaps better. Regardless, both are long-distance weapons, and since our deadly tango began, she has consistently been the one retreating. Giving up ground.

A weapon with a longer range would really come in handy right now.

I let that thought drift away. My focus is the fight— the fierce joy, the rush of adrenalin. My life is a battle; in battle I feel alive. Later, perhaps, I will consider those words. What they mean for my future... Not now. A second close call leaves a paper-thin slice on my cheek— too close. I can feel tiny droplets of blood clinging to the edges of the wound. My smile is feral.

Temari reaches the wall, pivoting in order to be able to step away. To continue our dance. In the process, she makes a mistake. Her green eyes meet mine, but it is the swirling tomoe of the sharingan she sees, and not the obsidian from before.

Got you!

It is obnoxiously difficult to avoid making eye contact during a fight. As shinobi, we're taught to watch our opponents carefully, to make eye contact and try to predict their next move. It is this fact that makes a genjutsu user, particularly one gifted with the sharingan, a dangerous opponent.

Temari's perception of the world hasn't been radically changed. Why use something showy that would signal the presence of a genjutsu, when your goal is misdirection, not distraction?

Her aim begins to become slightly off— enough that it's obvious she no longer sees me, just a facsimile, one even better at dodging than I am. Something difficult to detect in the middle of a fight, unless you're exceptionally chakra sensitive. It should buy me enough time to approach. Carefully. To ensure her actions aren't a bluff.

A strike to the gut with the hilt of my kunai leaves Temari breathless, driving her to her knees. It also dispels the genjutsu, its purpose served. Standing behind her, I hold a kunai to her throat, a slight smirk playing over my lips, "Don't die anytime soon, Temari. You owe me ice cream."

A pause, and then I add in a hurried whisper, positioning myself in such a way as to hide from lip-readers. Quiet enough that even the proctor shouldn't be able to hear. "Remember this— Orochimaru can steal someone's face and wear it like a mask... Oh, and I'll pay for the repairs to your war fan." I'm not sure why, but I feel it's the right move. Most likely, nothing will come of my warning, good or bad. And repairing or replacing the weapon I've ruined today is only polite, given I have the funds for it.

The strike to the back of the head I give her should keep her out until the invasion begins. I hope. It's too dangerous to completely incapacitate her. Besides, I rather like her. Until she honestly tries to kill me, I'll hold back as well.

"Victory by knockout, Uchiha Sasuke!"

Loud applause—Temari and I did have a showier battle than Shino and Kiba, after all. Twirling my kunai, I tuck it back in the appropriate holster with a flourish. "Thank you, Proctor-san."

I make my way up to the observation area, bandaging the wound on my shoulder. The one on my cheek has already stopped bleeding— it probably won't even scar. Why waste chakra? As I join the other contestants, the proctor calls for a short break between matches, presumably so the members of the audience can purchase refreshments.

The balcony area isn't particularly different from the one in training ground forty-four. Of course, there are fewer people present— Shino and Naruto are chatting, both located on the 'Konoha' side of the room. Or rather, Naruto is chattering at my teammate, with Shino only occasionally adding to the conversation. The latter looks a touch annoyed with whatever they're discussing, and I wonder how long my little brother's been talking Shino's ear off. Shikamaru is, predictably, napping, slumped against the wall, not far away from the pair. Neji, aloof as always, is standing at attention near the balcony edge, occasionally glancing at his future opponent.

Sabaku no Gaara is— I suppose you could call it 'murderously brooding', as he waits for his turn to fight. He's lurking, alone, on the opposite side of the room from the rest of us. I suppress a shiver of fear. I may love a good fight, though I occasionally wonder how much of that has been bred into the Uchiha as opposed to being an individual predisposition, but battle against an insane, not to mention tremendously powerful, opponent..?

Terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure.

And not something to worry about at right this moment.

I flash a small smile at Naruto and Shino as I move to join them. "Hey guys. It's been a long month." I missed you. "Good fight, Shino."

The quiet boy nods in response, "Your match with the Suna kunoichi was enjoyable to observe as well... I look forward to our fight."

I nod in agreement, and then glance to Naruto, gaze assessing. He looks fine—perhaps a bit more fit, and his hair is a touch longer than before. Could the latter be Jiraiya's influence? Hard to tell.

"Your training was alright, otouto? Did you get to crash at home or..?"

Naruto rolls his eyes a bit melodramatically, but gives a bright, honest smile as well. "Training was awesome... but also really weird. I met a strange person and learned tons— I'll tell you later. Yes, I crashed at home. Yes, I've kept it clean-ish. No, Kaa-san, I didn't eat only ramen… Worrywart."

Don't call me Kaa-san, you brat.

"Someone has to make sure you don't subsist entirely on instant ramen and have a roof over your head." And as your self-proclaimed older brother, that's my job. Particularly as everyone else seems to have failed at it. I try not to be too bitter. Really.

"I'll look forward to watching your fight, then, Naruto-chan."

Naruto sticks his tongue out at me, "Meanie."

I smirk in reply. "Brat."

Shino coughs, "Much as I hate to interrupt this truly touching reunion... Naruto. Should you not head downstairs? The break is about over."

Our favorite blonde's eyes widen, "Oops! Yeah, you're right; thanks, Shino. Gotta run!"

I snort in amusement as Naruto rushes towards the stairs, and let my gaze drift sideways and downwards towards the dozing Shikamaru. "Should we wake him up, do you think?"

"I'm awake." The lump that is Shikamaru groans, blinking sleep out of his eyes.

I arch a narrow brow, questioning his actions, "So... You're going to sleep through your fight and get disqualified?"

The shadow user sighs, standing, assuming his usual slouch, his voice as weary as his body language. "I wish." He stifles a yawn, "But, no. Ino-chan threatened me with many unpleasant consequences if I didn't participate in the finals. Troublesome girl... Mitarashi-san's influence did not help." He slumps and shuffles unenthusiastically towards the stairs.

"Complaining about everything is even more troublesome, I would think." I murmur quietly once Shikamaru is out of earshot, moving to lean against the balcony railing to watch the fight. "Shino. Want to bet on the outcome?"

Uzumaki Naruto is a whirlwind.

Not on the outside— outwardly, he's relatively still, idly bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waits for Shikamaru to finish trudging down the stairs. Waiting for the match to begin. His mind, however, is a flurry of motion, silently panicking.

Um, um, um— what do I know about Shikamaru? He's super lazy, but also really smart, and uses shadows as a weapon. He's scared of Ino—who isn't? And his mom, too. Can I use that?

Aaaaaargh!

Why didn't I think about this earlier?

I blame Ero-Sennin. It's definitely his fault.

It takes over two minutes for Shikamaru to stroll down the stairs. "Geez, Shikamaru... Could you move any slower?"

The sleepy boy shrugs in response, "Probably, but the consequences would be... troublesome."

Naruto scowls, sudden anxiety combined with his opponent's nonchalant attitude resulting in a less-than stellar mood. "Oi! Take this at least a little seriously-ttebayo! Proctor-san, can we get started?"

Gekkou Hayate, the aforementioned proctor, coughs quietly into his hands, his whole body shaking theatrically. "...Right. It seems you're both finally here. Third Match: Nara Shikamaru and Uzumaki Naruto. Begin!"

It's not surprising Naruto chooses to make the first move, considering both his nervousness and his personality. A hand sign to summon backup— five Kage Bunshin to help him harry Shikamaru. All six of them practically dive for their opponent, forcing the other genin on the defensive.

The dark haired genin is pressured by Naruto from every angle— a punch to the face he has to twist away from, a sweeping kick to dodge— Shikamaru manages to avoid most of the incoming attacks, letting a few strikes graze him so as to more easily dispel the five clones that assault him with use of a kunai and careful strikes. Of course, this leaves just the original intact.

Naruto kicks out at the Nara's face— Shikamaru catches his foot and twists, forcing Naruto to move with it to avoid a broken ankle.

Shikamaru, breath coming in harsh pants, takes his opponent's momentary distraction to retreat a few paces away. Naruto has yet to break a sweat... but he hasn't landed a solid blow, either.

Half a dozen kunai thrown by his opponent— Naruto dodges most, and knocks two of them off-course using one of his own kunai. It's a simple distraction; while Naruto is occupied, the Nara's shadow stretches, latching on to his opponents', freezing him in place.

"Ne, Naruto, you remember how the Kagemane no Jutsu works from watching our spars in class, right?" Both Naruto and Shikamaru are in the same relaxed slump... Shikamaru rubs at a lightly bruised shoulder, and Naruto is forced to mimic him. Shikamaru may be outnumbered and outgunned, but he's also likely the best strategist in his generation. "You should probably give up."

Naruto considers for a moment, then drawls, "Yeee-p. I remember," he finishes the dragged-out word by popping the 'p', then flashing a foxy grin. "Nii-san would never forgive me if I didn't. One thing though—" Someone very comfortable with a jutsu can form it without hand seals. Without moving.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

Shikamaru and Naruto find themselves surrounded by over thirty solid clones, each with an identical, fiendish grin. The Nara considers them for a moment, then raises his hand, intoning, "Proctor, I seem to have been rather drastically outnumbered... Also, I'm rather low on chakra. I forfeit." He releases his hold on Naruto, and turns away.

Geez! How boring... he could have kept fighting. There's no way he's that low on chakra, even if he used it to enhance his muscles to dodge. Naruto puffs out his cheeks in frustration, looking incredibly adorable. The shadow clones disperse. "I won, but... this kinda sucks."

Sarutobi Hiruzen, swathed in the red and white ceremonial robes of his station, sturdy armor carefully disguised beneath voluminous fabrics, watches the finals of the Biannual Chuunin Exams, expression thoughtful. This year's crop of genin has been refreshingly resourceful. An excellent batch of young shinobi, he thinks, pleased with the accomplishments of the youngest and least experienced of his soldiers. Subtle tactics, mind games, genjutsu— all three should be a rarity, considering the children's relative age and level of maturity. Good for the village, though not necessarily the best for making a strong showing at such an event. Truthfully, the flashier the genin's antics, the more clients a village tends to attract... so long as the child wins the bout, of course.

He indulges in a grandfatherly smile, applauding the end of the third match. The Nara boy might be ready for a promotion soon, despite his loss... He needs to refine his combat skills first, though. Typical Nara, though perhaps a bit more precocious than most.

Still, all of the recent graduates have excellent potential. Especially Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun— those two will go far. Perhaps it shall become a partnership to rival that of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara? Well, so long as the ending is happier.

He prefers to think positive.

Hmm. I may have to post those two together once both are chuunin and see what happens.

He watches the beginning of the fourth match with trepidation, though neither his expression nor his body language reveals it. He knows, without a doubt, that Sabaku no Gaara is a jinchuuriki. An unstable one, if one considers the rumors that have been trickling out of Suna for the past decade. There are few reasons an unstable jinchuuriki would be entered into a public exam. Fewer still would mean good things for Konoha. Suna and Konoha are allies, true, but relations have soured over the past three years. He'd hoped to remedy this today, but... The Hokage knows that the man sitting beside him is not the Yondaime Kazekage, Sabaku no Rasa.

Although why his wayward student thinks he's forgotten the chakra signature of one of his pupils, considering he'd practically raised them... No technique can completely hide a chakra signature he's so familiar with— and Sarutobi Hiruzen, The Professor, The God of Shinobi would not have survived three shinobi world wars without mastering sensor techniques.

Jiraiya confirmed his suspicions earlier this month, and the preparations, while secret, have been as thorough as possible given the short timeline. His shinobi would soon be tested in battlefield conditions yet again.

War comes to our doorstep today. Will my genin be ready?

They would have to be.

Still, Sarutobi Hiruzen is cursed with a vague feeling of foreboding... And it has little to do with the fight he is watching.

Hyuuga Neji is not doing well, I muse, watching the fight intently. Indeed, the older genin is dodging sandy tendrils which assault him from various angles, though never all at once. Sabaku no Gaara is playing... and Neji has yet to move on the offensive. I wonder if the gentle fist could even penetrate Gaara's sand armor?

"Bad matchup. Again." Shino murmurs.

A sharp nod in agreement, "Hn. Most of the fights have been rather one-sided. The next round should be more exciting." If we have a next round.

Naruto, standing on my other side, bounces a little. "Hell yeah! You better win, Sasuke— we haven't sparred in ages, and I wanna fight you in the finals."

"Hn. Shino, I think you should be insulted," I tease, adding, "Naruto doesn't want to fight you."

Shino adjusts his sunglasses— I can tell he's amused. "Maybe I should be flattered instead. Why? He could be more intimidated at the prospect of fighting me."

Our banter is light. Neji's situation, however, is becoming increasingly grim—while he is still successfully dodging Gaara's attacks, the gentle fist has proven to be ineffective on his opponent. The few strikes he's managed to land on the redhead have been ignored. Must be the chakra in the sand.

Naruto protests that no, he wasn't intimidated by Shino at all. And he will totally kick ass, regardless of which of us he faces.

Honestly, those two could be as nearly as bad a match as Naruto and Shikamaru. Their styles are completely at odds, and kikaichuu would be useless against Naruto. Then again... Shino could, and would, use genjutsu. Shikamaru really should have gone that route, considering his sensei's specialty— a loud voice interrupts my thoughts. "Oi, Sasuke-nii, what do you think?" I blink, turning towards Naruto, "Hn?"

Rolling his eyes, the blond repeats his question, "Do you think Neji should surrender?" Realizing that my hands are beginning to ache, I loosen my grip on the railing. When did that happen? I don't even like the Hyuuga. "Absolutely. This isn't life-or-death, just an exam. His stamina isn't limitless, and he is unable to damage his opponent using his clan taijutsu. Considering he's a taijutsu specialist... If it was a fight for survival, I would advocate retreat." Unless he was covering someone else's' retreat by stalling.

Naruto pouts at my answer, "So, basically, you agree with Shino."

Shoulders lifting in a casual shrug, I revert to my standard monosyllabic answer, "Hn." In the arena, Neji is beginning to slow down— one or two times, the tendrils of sand have nearly caught him. Gaara's expression is gleeful as he starts hurling sand shuriken at his opponent.

Shino, a little smug, finishes off his explanation— or so I assume. "Hyuuga Neji has already ruined his chances for promotion in this exam. Why? The Suna-nin is obviously dangerous, and Hyuuga-san is drastically outmatched."

In the next thirty seconds three very important events occur, almost simultaneously.

Neji, tired from dodging but too stubborn to quit, has his left ankle snagged by the sand— everything from toes to hips in quickly engulfed. As Gaara begins to crush his opponent's legs, Maito Gai intervenes, rescuing his student and retreating from the arena in order to pass him off to the medics.

And then illusory feathers begin to fall from the sky.

I find myself vaguely surprised that Orochimaru waited this long.

My first reaction is to activate the sharingan; removing the chance the genjutsu could affect me. My second is to glance at Naruto—he's already looking dazed, falling asleep— a sharp pinch frees him from the genjutsu.

"Hey! What was that for?" I don't bother to dignify that with a response. Shino, naturally, is unaffected. The three of us are alone on the balcony, for the moment.

From our vantage point, we can see members of the audience pulling off disguises, revealing themselves to be armed Suna and Oto ninja. Konoha ninja—some I can recognize, but many I do not, rapidly move to defend any sleeping civilians, matching both wits and blades with our enemies.

"Protocol would have us assist in the evacuation of civilians..." Neither Shino, who voices this comment, or Naruto, seem particularly enthused by this plan.

My expression is grim. "We need to get Sabaku no Gaara out of the village proper." Explaining this is going to be problematic.

Naruto, naturally, is confused. "Eh?"

Shino, on the other hand, is stoic; I suspect my best friend is aware of Gaara's true nature. Or at the very least has his suspicions; there aren't many reasons a shinobi could have more than one type of chakra. He speaks in his usual monotone, "...I shall rendezvous with Kakashi-sensei and inform him of your intentions." He will not approve. "Afterwards, I'll join you—to stall the puppeteer or the wind user, perhaps." He pauses, pinning me with a rather fierce glare. "Do not die."

"Hn. You too." A glance to Naruto, who's starting to look impatient, "Let's go." The two of us vault over the railing, using to chakra to shield our legs— a buffer for the landing. Gaara, who's quietly mumbling to himself, turns his attention to us almost immediately. I'm surprised to see the proctor leave the area as we arrive.

I suppose we can take that as permission to engage.

Our tactic is simple: stall, distract and disorient Gaara, and hopefully avoid letting him land a solid hit on either of us. Naruto creates over fifty Kage Bunshin, blending in with the horde. I use a henge to assume an identical form and join him in anonymity, casting several relatively minor genjutsu to shroud the movements of various clones.

We're down to a dozen clones within the first minute, having used the 'lives' of the rest to determine the limit at which Gaara's sand acts in an entirely autonomous manner— a circle roughly three feet in diameter, and that while Gaara couldn't detect a solid clone hidden via genjutsu, his automatic defense could.

Taken together, these facts paint a rather grim picture... To incapacitate Gaara, we have to enter the area where his defense was automatic. At least, I would have to do so in order to use the Chidori. Thus, we will either have to overwhelm his defense with projectiles, or perhaps even Naruto's solid clones— no, too fragile— or find a way to remove the sand. Fire? Could I create fire hot enough without resorting to Amaterasu? It would take time for Gaara to replenish the sand. Hopefully. Or could we slow it down? Water? My worst element, and not Naruto's forte either, as far as I know. This would be so much easier if I could just genjutsu him to sleep! But that would only worsen the situation, if I recall correctly.

A moment of inattention could easily leave one of us dead or permanently crippled. Luckily, it seems the Suna and Oto ninja have decided against joining the fight. On the other hand, it seems as if Shino has been ordered to assist elsewhere— at least the other two Sabaku siblings have also failed to appear. I'll take two-to-one odds in our favor over three to two in theirs any day.

A momentary lull— the span of time needed to take a breath. Then Gaara moves on the offensive, gesturing with his right hand and launching a mass of sand shuriken at the gathered clones. We scatter, unfortunately losing a clone to the onslaught. I glance to the nearest clone—Naruto himself is positioned directly across from me—I think— on the other side of Gaara. Maybe. "Shadow clones can use jutsu, right? And you did take the time to learn at least one fire jutsu?" The clone nods. "Well then. Pop yourself, and let's give Gaara a nice, warm welcome from all sides."

The remaining clones, as well as Naruto and I, rapidly pair up, forming a loose circle around Gaara. I launch a sizeable fireball towards Gaara via Goukakyuu no Jutsu, joined by one member of each pair of Naruto clones. The second Naruto, like the clone slightly behind and to the right of me, releases a fuuton jutsu, each fireball ballooning to a size comparable to a small house, and propelling it towards Gaara.

The resulting blast of heat and flame is impressive, though we're forced to back off a few feet to avoid getting burned. Once the heat dies down, we're treated to the sight of a large cocoon of sand protecting Gaara. The structure seems relatively unscathed, though a few patches of sand that were directly in the line of fire, pun intended, seem to have been turned to glass.

I'm going to either have to ridiculously overpower a Ryuuka no Jutsu or resort to Amaterasu to remove a sizeable amount of the sand permanently. More likely the latter. There's only one thing I can say to that. "Well, shit."

I find myself infinitely thankful Sensei and I had the foresight to train my stamina along with my speed. Seeing that the stands have been evacuated in the several minutes— it feels like hours— that Naruto and I have been playing cat and mouse with Gaara, I signal to Naruto.

We make a hasty retreat out of the arena— which is, luckily, not situated at the center of the village but instead relatively close to the edge— and towards the nearest large training ground. Hell at our heels, and an unstable jinchuuriki at our backs.

An incensed Gaara, screaming about his mother wanting our blood; there's no question why we rapidly take to the trees, forced to dodge massive sand shuriken as we flee. Damn it. Running like this feels like suicide by inches.

I scarcely dodge a sand shuriken. The branch I'd been on a second ago is not so lucky, shattering to sawdust from the blow with a loud crack... At least we'll have him far outside the village proper soon.

And so we do.

We're damn lucky we don't meet any enemy forces on the way.

Once we've reached a suitable place that can act as our new arena—a midsized clearing in a fairly remote training ground, I stop and pivot to face the direction Gaara will likely enter from, releasing the henge. As only Naruto and I remain, the disguise is useless. Naruto's clones have been dispelled, distracting Gaara during our... tactical relocation. Naruto lands beside me.

We can hear Gaara crashing through the underbrush; he'll be here within the next minute. "So... Any suggestions?" I don't have a set plan, more of a collection of ideas I've thrown together over the past month.

Naruto shrugs, and offers, "We'll kick his ass... Hit him with everything we've got and hope something works?"

Sounds about right.

"Hn. Know any water jutsu?" I question Naruto.

He shakes his head, taking the moment of downtime we have to stretch. "Nope. Gonna try lightning?"

I nod. "Learned that jutsu Kakashi-sensei used on the bridge." I don't plan on making a kill strike, but... No clue if anything weaker could damage him.

"Alright, I'll cover you."

And then there is no more time for talk, as an enraged Gaara arrives in the clearing, sand swirling around him— it's as if he is the eye of a small localized sandstorm.

I pass on the opportunity to banter, and though I can hear Naruto and Gaara grandstanding and threatening murder, respectively, in the background, I pay only peripheral attention. Instead, I'm flashing through hand seals, activating one of my favorite pet projects, the Raiton Step. The name is deceptive, as the technique increases both speed and reflexes for the entirety of the user's body. Only the fact that I have the sharingan allows my eyes and mind to compensate. A month ago, the technique restricted my use of other jutsu due to the level of concentration necessary to maintain it— channeling a small amount of chakra, converting it entirely to lightning nature, spreading it harmlessly throughout my nervous system and musculature, adding a buffer of healing chakra to minimize the chance damage— but having to practice the Eyes of the Raijuu extensively has drastically improved my ability to multitask.

Is it the lightning or the adrenalin that urges me forward? This time, I take the initiative, attacking first; a handful of kunai flung in the direction of the Suna ninja. A thin wall of sand intervenes, blocking the projectiles, then enveloping and crushing them.

Lips curling into a wicked smile— well, now that looks like a challenge. Considering Gaara's expression, which is a bloodthirsty, malevolent grin... we little monsters must make for quite a sight.

I vault over said wall shortly after it forms, weaving between pair of earth-toned Suna Bunshin that attempt to intercept me. So very, very tempting to taunt him. I bite back the mocking comments— can't afford the distraction right now. I hear Naruto moving to attack the sand clones after I bypass the duo. By the sound of it, there's more than one of him on the field, as is usual since he learned the Kage Bunshin.

I land a solid strike on the neck of the third and last clone, pulling my hand away before the sand can entrap me and pivoting, moving to a position behind Gaara. I can see the several Naruto on the field harassing the sand clones using wind-augmented kunai, cutting off limbs that inevitably reattach. Unfortunately, now he's in the line of fire for any larger attacks I could use. On the other hand, both Gaara and his automatic defense are occupied by Naruto.

I rush towards Gaara, kicking out at his back. It feels like striking a mountain— that last layer of sand coating Gaara's skin is practically solid. Chidori it shall have to be, and while I still have the chakra to pull it off once, maybe twice— concurrent use of the Raiton Step with the sharingan has a small but noticeable drain on my chakra pool.

The sand clones dissolve as a vengeful wave of sand is directed behind Gaara— towards me. Somebody's annoyed. This gives Naruto the opportunity to approach Gaara himself, while I rapidly backtrack out of the sand's reach. "U-zu-ma-ki Naruto Rendan!" Each syllable accentuated with a kick, Naruto and his clones proceed to bounce a shocked Gaara around the clearing in a surprising collaborative move... He manages to crack Gaara's Suna no Yoroi, the sand armor surrounding his body, although it rapidly reforms. Gaara responds by calling back his sand, allowing a sphere of sand to cocoon around him, hiding him from view. But this also, finally, locks him in one location.

I decrease the amount of chakra I'm channeling for the Raiton Step to a slow trickle as I focus on the nine hand seals necessary, a bundle of lightning coating my dominant hand as the Chidori screams to life. This forces my approach to be slower than I would prefer, and Naruto has to intervene on my behalf, intercepting the sand as I approach the dome encasing our opponent.

I force my arm through the wall of sand, aiming as centrally as I dare, grimacing as it shears away the outermost layer of skin on my arm. The Chidori, and my arm with it, is forced to a stop by the sand, something within the dome cracking ominously. The pressure on my arm is intense. Painful.

I hear the apathetic monotone of my opponent as he whispers, "Is this— blood?" The protective dome around Gaara dissolves as he loses focus, revealing the grisly scene. Well, it's certainly not a lethal strike. The sand redirected my attack into Gaara's shoulder— the cracking had likely been his clavicle, along with heaven knows what else snapping under the onslaught. And my arm is starting to feel like I might have cracked something, as well.

The sand swirls around the pair of us erratically. Ominously. A few tendrils try to trip and catch me as I retreat, withdrawing my arm from with a meaty squelch. "My blood? Mother! I'm bleeding! They made me bleed?!" Sabaku no Gaara trembles, whether from anger, fear, or sheer incredulity, I doubt even he knows.

The shock of seeing his own blood for the first time, combined with the rather significant amount of pain the gaping wound in his shoulder must be causing, rapidly drives him into unconsciousness. Eyes rolling backwards, Gaara slumps into a dead faint. That... is probably not good.

This does not stop the sand. In fact, the tempest around Sabaku no Gaara intensifies, lifting the insensate boy as a giant creature of wind and sand forms beneath him—a stocky, hunchbacked form with giant arms as thick as trees, each ending in intimidatingly sharp claws, and sporting a single club-like tail.

Naruto and I are faced with an overjoyed Ichibi no Shukaku. "WAHOO! I'm free! As thanks, I'll kill you insects quickly! Dieee!" I curse loudly and profusely as I'm forced to dodge a volley of sand projectiles sharpened with wind chakra. "Well, shit!" This is becoming a rather unfortunate mantra in my life.

"Ideas?" I call out to my otouto. Both of us retreat into the trees, fleeing to the same side of the rapidly expanding clearing. We remain, terrifyingly enough, significantly below the eye level of the behemoth our opponent has become. Summoned? Released.

Almost immediately, we're forced to dodge out of the way of a massive wave of sand. "Maybe he'll bleed to death?" Naruto calls back. The trees we leave behind, and several of their neighbors, are felled under the crushing force.

"And free the demon completely?! How about NO!" The aforementioned bijuu laughs madly, apparently enjoying the game of giant tanuki versus increasingly desperate genin.

"Alright," Naruto nods resolutely, "Let's even the odds. Hold on— Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Considering I had to dodge to avoid being crushed by a giant toad, it's safe to say my Naruto has a better grip on summoning than I expected. A toad standing at about half the Bijuu's full height, wielding a blade longer than most trees, slices away the tentacle of sand trying to entrap Naruto.

Gamabunta-sama, I presume.

I am left feeling very, very much out of my depth. And very frantically dodging, as Shukaku and Gamabunta begin exchanging volleys of Fuuton and Suiton Jutsu. Gamabunta shows off a surprising amount of agility— hopping about the training ground, twisting and flipping to avoid his opponent's strikes.

I'm definitely going to have to ally with a summons clan and avoid playing 'dodge the stomping behemoth' again. I can barely see Naruto, a tiny figure clinging to the top of Gamabunta's head.

BOOM!

This time, they land perilously close to me. Luckily, this lets me overhear their conversation. "Brat, do you know any Katon jutsu? Toad oil is flammable... Could slow the giant sand rat down." The toad bellows, using his blade to slice the sand projectile that Shukaku eagerly tosses in our direction. To be honest, at that size, everything above a whisper can be described as a bellow.

"Yeah.. My alignment is wind, though. So Sasuke-nii's are better." Oh, that admission had to hurt.

I smirk, addressing the giant summon. Is it possible to yell politely? "Gamabunta-san. I assume your oil is highly flammable?"

The toad grumbles, voice like an earthquake. "Don't make me repeat myself, Uchiha-brat." So much for being polite. Then again, when you're larger than most buildings, being polite is probably not required. I suppose Naruto mentioned me to him earlier?

"If you don't mind collaborating with both of us, Gamabunta-san, I'll join Naruto on your head." The red behemoth grumbles, "Bah! Fine. Just this once... Hurry up."

I dash up to the top of the tree I'd been using as my most current perch, and vault myself towards Gamabunta's head, landing beside Naruto. Nice view up here... if you ignore the rampaging Bijuu. "Ready!"

A deep breath. Focus. I'm distantly aware that I'm pulling on the last of my chakra reserves. I'll be running on empty after this.

Gamabunta spews a spherical bullet of oil, larger than most houses.

A rapid breath out—one of the most intense flames I've formed to date ignites the oil. Naruto breathes out a second later, wind strengthening the flames and propelling the projectile more rapidly towards our terrifying opponent.

Shukaku raises his tail to bat away the blazing projectile—or worse, to swipe it back towards us. The flames meet his tail in a glorious explosion.

The smoke takes a few seconds to clear.

We actually manage to fuse Shukaku's entire tail into glass. The Bijuu shrieks his displeasure, calling for our deaths.

To hell with this mess. Next time— I'll take being blind over being dead.

"One more time?" Naruto asks. "Can try... Running on empty," is my unenthusiastic reply. Less 'running on' and more 'empty'— I silently admit to myself. I probably have enough chakra for the mangekyou, but calling out Amaterasu is likely to leave me next to useless.

"I have a better idea." Gamabunta booms, hopping over a Fuuton: Renkuudan that the enraged tanuki shoots at us. "Wake up the container. The boy on the Bijuu's head." And indeed, there Gaara is, sleeping away... or comatose. His wound appears to have been covered entirely by sand. "Henge us into something with claws, and I'll hold the sand-rat still."

I resist the urge to groan— Naruto is definitely not going to think this through.

And indeed, I soon find myself on the head of a Kyuubi no Youko. Shukaku looks hilariously confused at the change. Naruto launches himself off Gamabunta's head as soon as the transformation is lifted, as the giant toad grapples with Shukaku.

A painful-looking punch to the face wakes Gaara— I fade in and out of consciousness during the following confrontation. Cognizant enough to cling to Gamabunta using chakra, but not much else.

Soon enough, Shukaku dissolves into mere sand and air, sending both boys plummeting towards the ground. I suppose they're both out of chakra, as am I. Soon enough, I join them in freefall, as Gamabunta decides to disperse as well.

I land in a kneeling position, strengthening my legs enough to avoid broken bones. Kami, everything is going to hurt tomorrow. After this much effort, there had better be a tomorrow. Staggering into a standing position, I let the sharingan fade from my eyes. Gaara and Naruto are lying side by side, talking quietly. I could probably guess the topic of conversation. I don't want to intrude. Still— just in case—I palm a kunai.

A familiar voice interrupts. "Uchiha Sasuke— don't come any closer!" Temari brandishes a pair of tessen threateningly. Kankuro, positioned behind her, does not look so certain. "I won't let you hurt him!"

I snort softly in response. "Sabaku no Temari. You retrieve your little brother, and I'll retrieve mine." Gesturing towards the barely conscious pair, I raise a silent prayer to the Kami that she believes my bluff; I'm in no shape to fight what looks like a relatively fresh opponent. Launching a Goukakyuu no Jutsu might result in chakra fatigue severe enough to where a medic would flip a coin to determine the likelihood of me living or dying, and I can barely feel my arms and legs from overusing the Raiton Step.

Green eyes scrutinizing me, she nods resolutely. "Deal." I have no clue why she agreed. I must be quite the sight— covered with flecks of sand, clothes tattered from the prolonged fight... and that damn cut she gave me during our match earlier— was that really only a few hours ago?— is bleeding through the bandages.

Gaara, lifted to his feet by Kankuro and Temari, turns to address them, murmuring in a cool monotone. "Temari. Kankuro... I'm sorry." I turn away from the sight, pushing down a surge of jealousy. It is times like these I miss— never mind.

I focus on helping Naruto to his feet; he looks about as dead on his feet as I feel. Glancing about, I spot a likely reason Temari and Kankuro were hesitant to start a fight— backup. Shino and Ino are standing at the edge of what is now a very large, sand-doused area. Though they seem to have encountered opposition on the way here, given the state of Ino's hair— cut into what she would no doubt call a tragically short asymmetric bob, and Shino's disheveled appearance.

I give the pair a halfhearted wave with my free arm. "Yo." I am intensely glad they're both alive... And no less glad to be alive myself. Naruto and I are leaning against each other. Honestly, he's supporting me as much as I am him at this point. We shuffle in their direction.

After I reach my teammates, Shino moving to prop up Naruto in my stead, I turn away, calling out to a distant Temari. "Oi! Temari-chan, don't forget, you still owe me ice cream! I plan on collecting the next time we meet!" Although the Sabaku siblings are now a distance away... Temari definitely heard me, considering the blush and rather furious expression she seems to be sporting... Cute.

As I sling an arm around Ino's shoulder, intent on using her as a crutch, she smirks, an evil glint in her eye. "Temari-chan, huh?"

Oh, hell. This is definitely not my day.

"... I admit nothing."

So... Sasuke and Temari have an interesting conversation. Shikamaru is still a slacker. Neji gets his ass handed to him, mostly off-screen. Gaara and Shukaku are defeated. Naruto uses his Empathy no Jutsu to make Gaara more of a functioning human being. And somehow, Sasuke still can't catch a break.

My muse is willful, and a spiteful bitch. (Pardon my language.) Sasuke and Temari are also very willful. To me, the funniest thing is that pairing wasn't even up for consideration when I started writing this.. I was actually considering someone like Kurama Yakumo. The sharingan's gift for casting genjutsu mixed with a bloodline that allows one to make genjutsu real... Need I say more?

None of you have guessed the summons... yet. So that little contest is also still open. Keep in mind— I'm probably not even half as creative as you think I am. ;)

Anyway! Happy 2016 to all of you out there in the 'verse! I've been sick, and work has been overwhelming (and looks to continue that way for the time being). That said.. I'll update as often as I can— writer's block and life permitting. Unfortunately for you, I definitely get my best ideas during a nice, long morning run. Considering the winter storm that hit last weekend... well, you're all lucky I'm so devoted to training for an upcoming 10k. (Not devoted enough.) And lucky I'm willing to stay up stupidly late despite work tomorrow to finish writing and editing this. That said— anyone that notices any hilarious errors, inconsistencies, or typos... tell me? I'm writing the second half of this in a rather manic state.

To reviewer 'that guy', as you didn't give me a better venue to reply in:

Thanks for your suggestion; I actually wanted to include more of the Hokage's POV than I did here, but it didn't quite fit with what I had in mind for this chapter.. I'll admit I didn't seriously consider the political ramifications of Sasuke and Temari flirting in such a public venue. (Mostly because Temari snuck that bit in herself, the little imp.) I'll admit to shipping Sasuke/Temari a bit myself— I think they're a good match personality-wise, and I've never seen that particular pairing before. For now, they're just kids playing around. As for the encounter with Itachi.. wellll I'll admit I have bits of it drafted already. You'll see soon enough.

Edited— January 23, 2017. The usual; typos, spacing.