Chapter 26: I don't even have a title for this chapter

Author: I'm serious I don't have a title for this chapter.

Gaara stared at Hotsuma, Hotsuma stared at Naruto, Naruto stared at Ishikawa, and Ishikawa stared at Gaara. Things were now at a two on two fight, but neither person wanted to give up his target and Ishikawa was on no one's list. Gaara had sent a wave of sand out to attack Ishikawa while Naruto used Kitsune no Kirameki (Fox Flash) to close the distance between him and Hotsuma in the blink of an eye. His first punch was dodged, but his kick sent Hotsuma back clutching his chin. Hotsuma smiled as he rushed forward and did one of Rock Lee's signature moves, leaf whirlwind. Naruto knew exactly how to dodge it and also how to hurt his opponent at the same time. By bringing his elbow down, right when Hotsuma's leg was coming, he was sure to catch his leg and break it, but Hotsuma's foot wasn't there. Instead it was coming at Naruto's head and not at Naruto's midsection where it was supposed to come. The kick sent Naruto back, but he followed up with a flip kick that forced Hotsuma to move back while Naruto threw a rasengan into Hotsuma's stomach. Hotsuma had seen the attack before, but he didn't think it could be thrown.

"When did this happen," asked Hotsuma as the rasengan hit him, making him spin quickly.

"During one of my training practices a two years ago," said Naruto grinning.

"Well don't think I'm through," said Hotsuma disappearing and reappearing to punch Naruto into a wall and then follow with a series of kicks.

He took out his sword and stabbed Naruto in his chest, but Naruto vanished into a cloud of smoke. He felt Naruto hit him from the side and was thrown into rock. He used a his chakra to form a dragon of lightning chakra to attack Naruto, but Naruto blew a tornado of wind chakra that swallowed up the lightning and picked up Hotsuma only to throw him across the room.

Gaara was using his sand to wear down his enemies defenses and was noticing how his opponent was more adept dodging the attack than anyone he'd ever fought. Gaara then allowed the sand to spread out hoping to trap his enemy and he kept on luring his enemy closer to those spots. Ishikawa, sensing this, dove straight for Gaara with an impressive burst of speed, but Gaara was ready for him, having spent time learning taijutsu and kendo. Calling upon some of the sand in his gourd, he formed a sand sword that he used to parry each and every one of Ishikawa's attacks. Ishikawa would thrust his jian(Chinese sword that is often seen in Kung Fu movies; Green Destiny from Crouching tiger Hidden Dragon is one), but Gaara used his suna katana to block each attack and then he would spend his time lashing out at him. Ishikawa jumped back to avoid the attacks, but was surprised to find that the sword could increase in length. In desperation, Ishikawa blew fire out of his mouth, but he saw something on the other side and it looked like a Tanuki (raccoon dog). A ball of chakra shot out and nearly hit Ishikawa if he hadn't turned on his side.

Fuck, who is this kid, thought Ishikawa. What the hell did I get myself into!

"If you're going to quit then you better be bowing your head in forgiveness," said Gaara. The smoke cleared to reveal that Gaara was on top of a tanuki.

"What the hell is that," asked Ishikawa.

"Oh this, this is just Shukaku."

"The one tailed tanuki?!"

"Now he's a seven tailed demon," said Gaara as he petted Shukaku's ear. "He and I will be the ones who kill you tonight."

"Fat chance," shouted Ishikawa as he shot out with another fir jutsu this time forming the chakra into the form of a phoenix.

"KAITEN MIZU TORA NO JUTSU!"

A giant tiger made of water crashed into the Pheonix, dowsing the fires and nearly drowning Ishikawa, who was caught in the water attack. It was Hinata who had used the attack.

"Hinata-dono, please do not interfere with this fight," said Gaara to Hinata. "Thank you though, that was an impressive jutsu."

"Your welcome, Gaara-sama," said Hinata bowing before she went to find Sanjuro.

"Now I think I should finish you off," said Gaara.

Just then a giant tortoise appeared and crashed into Shukaku, causing Gaara to focus on keeping his footing by sinking into the sand. He didn't notice Ishikawa until he felt the sword cut through the barriers and cutting into Gaara. Gaara grunted in pain before he thrust his sword into Ishikawa, who didn't know about the armor. His eyes were full of shock at how much strength Gaara could have even after being dealt such a wound.

"You have beaten me Kazekage," said Ishikawa before he fell off the tortoise and hit the ground.

Gaara was set down on the ground by tanuki, and he stood on the ground and looked at Naruto's fight.

Naruto was keeping up with each sword slash and then he used a fire jutsu to cause Hotsuma to move to the right while Naruto thrusted the sword out towards his chest. Hotsuma parried the thrust and punched Naruto in the face. Naruto kicked him back and started letting loose a merciless barrage of fists that caused Hotsuma to throw up blood, but Naruto wasn't stopping. To get him off, Hotsuma placed his feet on Naruto's chest and kicked him off. He then drop kicked Naruto and slipped a kunai into Naruto's ribs. That caused something inside of Naruto to snap and his claws extended and he used them to cut into Hotsuma. Punching and biting, Naruto beat Hotsuma back and then pulled out his sword. Hotsuma parried each slash, but the brute strength was battering his defenses and slowly, Hotsuma was losing the fight. Using his chakra, he called upon shuriken and kunai to surround Naruto and they moved randomly cutting and stabbing in random places when they touched him. Hotsuma was waiting for the opportune moment when he would leap him in to impale Naruto on his sword.

"KYUBI NOHI BIKI!"

A fire shot out melting all the shuriken and kunai and knocked Hotsuma back with just its sheer heat that took dehydrated him. He then felt Naruto's fist in his gut and he was knocked back into a wall where he was then knocked into again and again. He fell to the ground only to be picked up and beaten some more.

"How dare you hurt one of my friends," said Naruto.

"If you're referring about the one I nearly killed, then he's not your friend," said Hotsuma laughing. "He tried to take your woman. Ha, ha, ha, ha BAKA! Then he was going to kill you."

"SHUT UP," shouted Naruto. He then jumped back and did the hand signs for his next jutsu. "KAZE KUNAI!"

The giant wind kunai impaled Hotsuma, who disappeared in smoke leaving a piece of jutsu. He was right above Naruto and he was bringing his sword down to kill him, but he was met with a stronger force that cut through his sword and then himself. Hotsuma landed on the ground and then his upper body slipped off.

Sanjuro could see her trying to heal his wounds even though he had tried to kidnap her and kill her lover. What the hell had he done to warrant such an act of kindness? He could feel her gentle touch as she stopped the bleeding, but he had already lost too much blood to be saved. Naruto had given him a chance, but Sanjuro didn't want to live with himself.

"You…shouldn't waste your time," said Sanjuro looking into her eyes. "I'm not worth the time and effort."

"But you protected me from the man in blue," replied Hinata smiling. "You shouldn't talk like that just because you didn't win."

"I tried to kidnap you," said Sanjuro in a questioning manner as if asking for a reason why she did what she did.

"That doesn't matter," said Hinata shrugging it off.

"I was going to kill Naruto," said Sanjuro.

"Please stop saying such things," said Hinata trying to deny that the man deserved to die.

"I deserve to die and you know it," said Sanjuro.

"Be quiet and let me help you," shouted Hinata. That made Sanjuro shut up as she healed most of his wounds. Sanjuro then noticed Naruto standing about an inch from him.

"You're not the first to betray my trust," said Naruto in a tone of voice a prosecutor would use, but he softened his voice for his next sentence. "But you are the first to make amends for your betrayal."

"I'm sorry for putting her in danger," said Sanjuro, his voice was soft and showed that he truly meant what he was saying. "I was just so lonely and nothing I had gave me satisfaction. It wasn't that I loved her, but that I didn't have her. I became spoiled, like a rich brat, and I might die before I make amends."

"Shut up and let's get you to a hospital," said Naruto.

"He just needs to have a blood transfusion," said Hinata.

"Okay, let's find the others ad get out of here," said Naruto.