Disclaimer: I don't Naruto, Full Metal Alchemist, if I did, I would be living on a nice beach.
Chapter 14
Anko sat on the edge of his bed. "what?" he muttered as he opened his eyes.
"Care to explain how a one legged, dehydrated loser got the drop on you?"
Naruto sighed and realized she wasn't going to let him sleep. "Where's Hana-chan?"
"Getting food. Now talk." Anko said.
With another sigh, Naruto sat up and hugged his knees. His metal arm glowing in the dim light from the desk lamp.
"Nothing really to say. I got too close and he tagged me with the sword."
"Bullshit." Anko answered. "I've seen you throw up walls, create hundreds of golems like Alphonse and not to mention a hundred other things, all in the blink of an eye. Now why did you let him hit you?"
"(sigh) Because there were Suna ninja around and I like to keep my abilities out of sight. Do you think they would let us leave if they saw me do what I can do?"
Anko's brow furrowed. "But everyone already knows."
"No, everyone thinks they know what they know. And the prisoners are doused with several toxins and Inoichi Yamanaka does a mind wipe with Ibiki's help."
"You sneaky little snake." Anko said. "So that's why you get so pissed with Hatake."
"I mean, yeah the Sharingan can't copy Alchemy, but they can memorize the motions."
"So?"
Naruto sighed. "Ojii-san has a spy that says there are two people out there that can use small amounts of alchemy, well one of them can use the array and potions part."
Anko paused and scowled. "Orochimaru." She hissed.
"Yeah. And Ojii-san's spy's have discovered he wants the Sharingan." Naruto said.
He saw her look. "If he can find a way, he will be able to use it. That's why I'm being careful…at least until Ed and I finish a few more projects."
"And the other one?" Anko asked.
"Excuse me?"
"You said there are two out there, whose the other?"
"I don't know his name. Ojii-san has his best informant on it. He'll let me know as soon as he can."
They were quiet for a bit then Anko asked. "So, you really think you can help the kid?"
Naruto smirked. "Kid? He's what a year younger than me."
"You're mature for you age…" Anko looked him in the eye. "I…"
"Naruto? Anko? I'm back, I've got dinner." Hana said entering the room. "Oh, good, your both here."
Anko scowled as Hana opened the bags and unloaded food. Damn it, ten more minutes. Thanks a lot Hana. Anko said grabbing the box of Dango and tearing into it.
XX
Naruto looked at the two standing before him. Well, Gaara was standing before him. The blond with the huge fan was off to the side.
"You asked to meet me?" Gaara intoned. "Are you ready to justify my existence?" the red head intoned.
Naruto wanted to say something. The night had passed far too quickly for his tastes.
"I'm not here to fight you." Naruto said.
"Then why would you wish to see me?" the red head asked and Naruto could see he was confused.
"I can help you." He said. "I can make it so you can sleep at night, that you'll be in control. I can fix your seal…"
Sand was starting to rise up. Naruto sighed as he slammed his hands together and a glow formed around the room. It was transformed from rock and sand to solid steel. The sand that Gaara had been manipulating was gone as was his gourd.
"Now behave." Naruto said. Gone was his goofy exterior. The Suna siblings were now facing Konoha's Fullmetal Fox Alchemist.
"As I was saying, I can fix your seal, and put you in full control."
The girl had her fan out and was glaring at Naruto while Gaara had a look of shock on his face.
Ed spoke up. "Tell the overgrown desert rat that the kid can free him from the seal, granted he won't be as he was, but its better than being without a body."
Temari leapt back. "It talks."
"And walks, and is a pervert." Naruto said as he looked at Gaara. "Well? Do you want to sleep and be in control of yourself without the annoying raccoon whispering in your ear?"
"What do you have to do?" Gaara asked.
Naruto grinned. Take your shirt off while I set up the arrays." He looked at Temari. "You can join Anko-chan and Hana-chan."
Naruto looked at Ed, the two tailed fox looked up at him.
"What do you think?"
"A double array, eight points each." The fox said.
"Hm." Naruto saw the seal on Gaara and winced. "Yeah, the person that did this made it so it would drive you crazy…hold the ramen…" his hands went thru a variety of motions. He reached out and touched Gaara's seal, the red head flinched at being touched and a second seal appeared. "There's a second soul there as well…"
He looked at Ed. "Now what?"
XX
Anko brought the supplies Naruto had asked for. "Beads. Sends me to a temple, and I get faced by monks that haven't seen a woman in Kami knows how long. I am so going to make him make it up to me." She muttered as she came back. Hana and the triplets were guarding the door with the red heads sister.
Her names Temari. She's been a Genin for a year and Gaara's just made Genin here in Suna. They have another sibling who is too scared to be anywhere near Gaara. Anko shook her head and wondered if Naruto would have turned out like Gaara if he'd never learned alchemy.
Could do without the damn perverted fox. She thought.
"Anko." Hana said. "How'd it go?"
"Next time we need anything from a priest, monk or monastery, you get to do it." Anko said as Temari opened the door.
The three women entered and stopped. Naruto was drawing the last of his array's, this one on the ceiling matching the one on the floor.
Gaara was laying on his back, his eyes closed.
Temari panicked. "He's asleep…oh gods we need to…"
Gaara's eyes snapped open and Naruto who was standing on the ceiling sighed. "He's meditating. Ed and I have him talking to Shukaku." He bit his thumb again and finished the last rune. He flipped down to the ground.
Temari saw the room was still metal.
"How long does this jutsu last?" she asked.
"Not a jutsu, and forever if I leave it." Naruto said taking the bags from Anko. He was pulling items out.
Temari watched as jars of oil, water, dirt, sand, wood shavings, some white powder. Seeing her look Naruto smiled.
"Salt." He said.
She watched as jar filled with broken glass shards, insects and packet of metal shavings.
From the next bag she saw him pull out a stuffed teddy bear. She saw Gaara's eyes land and the bear and remembered how her brother used to have a bear that had been destroyed.
"Now then." Naruto said getting their attention, except for Gaara's that was locked on the bear. "You all will need to wait outside. This is going to be hard enough, and I don't need any distractions." He looked at his teammates. "No one enters until I open the door, am I clear?"
Both nodded. They knew that when Naruto was in that tone of voice, he was deadly serious.
He looked at Gaara. "I won't lie, this will hurt like a bitch."
"Pain is life." Gaara said.
Temari looked uncertain. "If anything happens…"
"Yeah, yeah. You'll kick my ass." Naruto said waving her off. Out, all of you save Gaara."
Ed looked at him a moment. "Remember, willpower and concentration."
"Gotcha. Go."
The two tailed fox hopped onto Hana's shoulders and the door closed. Naruto slapped his palms to the door and metal bars formed across it, merging to the wall.
Turning he looked back at Gaara. "Now, once I start this will hurt, I'm not going to lie to you Gaara. But when this is done you will sleep at night and you will be in charge."
The red head closed his eyes for a moment. "You are strange Uzumaki. You are like me, yet you aren't."
"I've had precious people who kept me from the path you walk. Without them, I would have been like you. But you aren't alone. Your sister truly cares what happens to you."
"I will still be a monster."
"No, you'll be Gaara. Shukaku will be in this bear. And the last spirit." Naruto said as he went thru a series of seals and the items formed a strange crystal bracelet. "Will be in here."
Gaara watched as the items vanished as Naruto made the bracelet. "What are the beads for?" he asked.
Naruto smiled. "Glad you asked." He slipped them around the bears neck, doubling them up into a collar. "A control collar. I have a feeling your demon is not mentally balanced after all these years being tormented by the second spirit. We'll make the control word once he's in there. Now, if you'll lay back down." Naruto leapt to the ceiling and using chakra placed the bracelet and bear on the ceiling right above Gaara.
He dropped back and pulled out his journal. Looking over his notes he nodded and closed it, putting it back in his inside pocket.
"Here comes the pain." Naruto said as he clapped his hands and slammed them down onto the array on the floor.
The room was flooded and by red light and Gaara's screams.
XX
Temari jumped hearing her brothers scream. She moved to the door and found Anko in her way.
"Not happening." The mesh wearing kunoichi said.
Hana was petting Ed who seemed to purr under her talented fingers. "He said this would happen. You bursting in there could harm your brother."
Temari fumed.
The three turned hearing the Haimaru trio growled. "This isn't good." Temari seeing several Jonin and her own father the Kazekage coming their way.
"This is going to be trouble." Hana said.
Anko smiled. "Good thing Naruto is in charge and gets to write the reports."
Hana smirked at that.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" The Kazekage snarled.
Hana looked at him. "Kazekage-sama. As I'm sure your agents have informed you we are…"
"What are you doing to my weapon?" he interrupted. Temari scowled at her fathers term for Gaara.
"Fixing him." Anko said. "He's unstable and its unhealthy for him…"
"This is unacceptable." He said.
Behind the three kunoichi another scream of pain was heard.
"Stand aside." The Kazekage ordered.
Hana sighed. "I'm afraid we can't do that Lord Kazekage. Our orders are to guard this door until Naruto-sama has opened it."
"I will have you arrested." The man hissed and Anko's whole posture changed. Hana noticed her friends eyes narrow.
"I am afraid that won't be happening Lord Kazekage." Anko said. Hana noticed her stance and winced.
This is a public relations nightmare. I can hear it now, Konoha Jonin attacks leader of allied nation.
"Baki." The Kazekage said, but to Hana's hearing it sounds like a hiss of a serpent.
"Arrest them, or kill them it matters little to me."
"Milord…they are…"
"Ruining my plans for my weapon." The man hissed.
"Your weapon?" Anko said. "Really? Since when is a missing nin leader of Suna?" her kunai was in the air and sliced thru the man's veil before anyone could react.
It slipped to the side and everyone around the Kazekage backed up as the pale face of Orochimaru appeared. His serpent like eyes glared at his former apprentice.
"You should not have done that Anko." He hissed.
"And you should eat shit and die asshole." She said pulling out several more kunai.
Screams in and out of the room merged as Anko launched herself at Orochimaru, formerly of Konoha and one of the legendary three.
Ed sighed as he leapt off Hana's shoulder and sat in front of the door. "Like this could get worse." He muttered as Orochimaru killed a nearby Suna nin and used another as shield to block Anko, the poor Suna Jonin died very messily.
Anko didn't pause as she leapt once more, screaming "DIE BASTARD!"
Hana looked at the Suna nin who were backing away from a man they thought was their leader.
Hana wanted nothing more than to move, but her Alpha had given her a direct order, and she'd slit her own wrists before she failed to follow his commands.
Damn it, mom's right. She thought as Anko and Orochimaru were in a dangerous dance of destruction as they started using fire jutsu's in the confined streets.
"Do something!" Temari ordered.
"Can't." Hana said. She looked at Ed.
"Don't look at me. Do I look designed for combat?"
Hana snorted. Not without Naruto. She thought.
Behind her the door opened and Ed leapt as Naruto stepped out, an annoyed look on his face.
"What in the name of Kami is going on out here?"
"Orochimaru." Hana reported and she saw Ed and Naruto share a look.
"He's the one?"
"Yes." The fox said.
"Ed…"
"Yes boss?"
"Sick 'em"
The two tail leapt into the air and the Suna nin watched as Naruto's hands were a blur and then he finished the small fox was replaced by one the size of a full grown tiger.
"HERE OROCHIMARU! COME HERE!" the fox snarled.
The Snake Sannin turned and everyone saw the look in his eyes.
"Shit." He melted into the ground seconds before the fox landed where he'd been.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ed howled as he swiped the ground leaving a gouge.
"DAMN IT!" Anko yelled kicked the ground. "Almost had him."
Naruto looked at the gathered Suna nin. "What's going on?" he demanded.
The door behind him opened and Gaara came out. The nin backed up even more and they all watched with fear as Gaara rubbed his eyes before he looked at Temari. "I want a nap."
Screams filled the street as the Suna Jonin fled with that statement. Clutched to Gaara's chest was a teddy bear that now resembled a raccoon, its tail was swishing back and forth.
"This sucks." The thing said and Temari's eyes widened.
Baki who was the only other citizen of Suna stood there mouth wide open.
Naruto looked at Hana. "What did I miss?"
She snorted and laughed.
AN: Next chapter they say farewell to Suna and head home. Next time on Fullmetal Fox, Episode 15: That's not my bra.