Chapter 25: Attack on the Sand!: The First Strike

Nightshroud: Sorry for taking so long with this chapter, but I think it came out rather well. Hope you enjoy!

The woman stopped in front of the Kazekage's Mansion and smiled.

"Well, I'm here now and it's time to get things going."

She pulled out a kunai with a paper bomb attached. "Kazekage! Come out!"

She threw it at the main entrance, causing an explosion to rock Suna. As the dust settle, she saw someone approaching her from the partly-ruined mansion.

She tossed off her hat and laughed. "Well, I had almost forgotten that your father was dead. I was expecting to see him, and here you come, little Gaara."

Gaara studied her thoughtfully. She had short silver hair (an inch or so above her shoulders), which was a contrast to the heavy purple eyeshadow she wore. She had a gray outfit of longsleeves and miniskirt, with a purple ribbon tied around her waste (like the one Orochimaru wears). She also wore black fingerless gloves and high black boots. She is also in her late late twenties, btw.

"You have a lot of nerve coming back here, Shizuku."

"So you remember me, huh?"

"People talked a lot about it when you left almost ten years ago. I particularly remember my father being upset about losing one of his most skilled shinobi."

"Well, I guess I should be flattered. But I'm here on some business."

"You're with Orochimaru, right?"

"Clever boy. Unfortunately, you were first on the list, and I was more than happy to go. With you out of the way and your siblings in Konoha, taking Suna should be easy."

"If you're going to kill someone, then do it. Don't stand there talking about it."

The smile fell from her lips and she trembled momentarily. "Shukaku or not, I'll make you eat those words."

Quick as lightning she threw half a dozen shuriken at Gaara. He just as quickly made a handsign and said, "Sand Wall Jutsu!"

A wall of sand shot up in front of Gaara and blocked the shuriken. Next, he said, "Sand Clone Jutsu!"

A sand clone partly emerged from the wall, holding the shuriken in its hands, which it threw back at Shizuku. She pulled out her two kudachi and knocked them away. Then she ran towards the sand wall, when the sand clone emerged from the wall again and grabbed her by the neck.

"Sand Detonation Jutsu!" The clone exploded and blasted Shizuku with sand which flung her backwards.

She regained her composure and dusted herself off. "So you're going to hide behind that little sand wall huh? Then I'm coming after you!"

She made a handsigns and said, "Cursed Sandstorm Severing!"

The sand around her formed a thin wave and shot forward and sliced through the wall, causing it to collapse. It also cut into Gaara, but he was able to disperse it before it went too deep.

His eyes narrowed as he glared at her. "Aww, I hope I didn't hurt you, little Gaara. After all, I'm only getting warmed up."

She took a step to run at him when she found that she couldn't move.

"Sand Coffin!"

Shizuku found herself being encased in sand. Gaara smirked as he said, "You were saying?"

"Sand Burial!"

"Dust Tornado Jutsu!"

The Sand Coffin blew outward, much to Gaara's astonishment, and he could see Shizuku spinning to form a little brown tornado around herself.

"Surprised? That was my signature jutsu. The next time you see it, it'll be the end of you."

"Like I said before, don't talk about killing, just do it."

She frowned distastefully. This kid could really irk her. She looked at all the sand lying at her feet and smirked slightly.

Gaara saw the smirk and immediately realized that she was going for an attack.

Shizuku kicked the sand up and said, "Sand Shuriken Jutsu!" The sand shuriken flew at Gaara, who quickly (since he could now control Shukaku) morphed his arm to look like one of Shukaku's and blocked the shuriken. He looked around for her when she appeared over him and spin kicked him in the face. As he went spinning and tumbling, he launched his Shukaku arm, grabbed her, and tossed her away. When she tried to rush at him, he just stretched it and punched her away again.

She picked herself up and growled, rubbing the recent bruises on her limbs. She was getting really annoyed with Gaara, which served as an advantage since no one wants to face a PO'd kunoichi.

Shikamaru: Amen to that. Girls, what a pain…

Nightshroud: I agree my lazy as hell friend.

Shizuku: Why you little bastards, I'm gonna kick your as- hey get back here!

Nightshroud: Run, Shika, run! Huh…who thought Shikamaru could run that fast…..Must come from being around Ino and Temari so much…Gaah! proceeds to get strangled by crazed Shizuku

Nice little diversion, huh? Anyway, back to the story…

Gaara's Shukaku arm dispersed into sand and fell off his normal arm. "Hn. I don't know why you bothered wasting my time with this. Go tell Orochimaru that he still can't pick good help."

While Gaara was talking, Shizuku had pulled out a summoning scroll (since she was a weapons specialist). She pretended to wipe her face as she bit her thumb and managed to wipe it across her scroll.

"Now get out of Suna before-"

"Summnoing Jutsu: Poison Needle Hail!"

Shizuku threw out her scroll and began to throw a seemingly limitless amount of poison tipped senbom at Gaara.

"Sand Wall Jutsu!"

The first attack was of senbom was blocked by the sand wall, but he wasn'tt expecting her to attack him from behind with a second wave. The senbom lodged in his shoulder his legs and his arm. He groaned and stumbled back, from pain and from the realization that he was now being slowly poisoned.

She now strode forward confidently, backhanding him and punching him back.

"What's wrong, little Gaara? Is that all? And I was expecting so much more."

Gaara's eyes flashed with anger and he made a handsign before hitting the ground with his palms.

"Cursed Sandstorm Destruction!"

The sand around him rose up and blasted outward like a shockwave, throwing Shizuku back into a wall.

Gaara suddenly winced as he felt the poision taking effect. Shizuku used the opportunity to perform a jutsu.

"Sand Drizzle Jutsu!"

Sand from the air began raining down in the shape of snakes (since sand drizzle allows it to come down in any form, and Shizuku is with Orochimaru). Gaara brought up the sand around him into a half dome, which prevented the sand missiles from hitting him. While he was distracted with that, Shizuku came up from behind and kicked him from behind it.

"How boring," she said simply.

He staggered up and took a deep breath. "The poison's spreading fast….I don't have much time left…so…I guess it's all or nothing."

He concentrated all of his chakra and made handsigns. "Wind Style: Infinite Sandstorm Devastation!"

The sand around Gaara gathered up and shot like a blast at Shizuku. The sand blew her backwards, ripping her up (not literally I'm not sick) in the storm. After the storm settled, Shizuku lay battered and breathing with difficulty. Gaara stood on the huge sandhill (as a result of the jutsu) and extended his hand. The sand around Shizuku formed a hand and grabbed her, bringing her up to Gaara.

"I won't let you hurt Suna. Even if I die as a result, I'll stop you now."

He grabbed her by the throat and squeezed. She tried frantically to break lose as he strangled her. He heard a snap, and then she turned into sand and poured out of his hand.

"She substituted with a sand clone!"

Suddenly the tables turned. The real Shizuku stood with one hand on Gaara's throat, and the other holding on of her kudachis. She brought the blade up to Gaara's throat and gently brought it across his neck.

"Ah, I'm afraid playtime is over, little Gaara. In the end you were no match for me. I'm afraid you're going to have to die."

She dropped him to his knees and pulled out her other kodachi. She brought the two into an x shape at his neck.

"Now die."

"Wind Sword Jutsu!"

Shizuku backflipped as a gust of wind like a sword passed in front of Gaara. She looked over to see Baki. He spoke through a communicator to what must have been the Suna ANBU.

"I took to long…I failed."

She started to back away when strong arms grabbed her from behind.

"You're not going anywhere," said Baki.

She could hear the ANBU coming closer. She had to think fast. Using her powers if seduction (and yes she was very good at that, earning her the title kunoichi whore from the other six), she turned her body to the side and purred in Baki's ear.

"Come on, handsome, would you be so nice as to let go? Though I don't mind being close to you."

Baki blinked in astonishment. Was she really trying to seduce him?

She kissed him gently on the neck, causing him to lose focus and loosen his grip. She turned fully around and kissed him on the lips. He tried to fight back but found himself melting into her kiss. She pulled away, almost leaving him panting.

"Sorry tiger, but I have to run. Maybe some other time."

She darted away onto a house and over the wall. Baki blinked before hitting himself in the head. Stupid, stupid hormones. Darn, that whore was a good kisser. He cursed himself silently as he grabbed Gaara's weakened form and rushed over to where the other ANBU were.

"What?! What so you mean you didn't kill him?!"

Shizuku backed away slightly. An angry Orochimaru was not someone you felt safe around.

"I took to long. You said to leave if the Suna ANBU showed up, and they did."

Orochimaru threw the glass he was holding to the ground where it shattered. Shizuku put her head down. When she heard silence, she looked up to see him staring thoughtfully out a window. His back was turned to her, but she could see his shoulders gently moving in a quiet laugh.

"Well, no matter. Proceed with the operation as planned. Do I make myself clear to all of you?"

The six figures nodded silently.

Yes…Konoha, and the rest of the world, would still be his.

Nightshroud: A very good chapter if I must say so myself. And I hope you do too.. Oh and btw I don't plan on adding another couple to the story, I just had to think of a way for her to escape. and with her character that's the first thing that came to mind. The whole kunoichi whore thing is actually an inside joke. I modeled Shizuku after the kunoichi enemies in Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven. They were so annoying and slutty looking that I dubbed them "kunoichi whores." Lol well now ya know! OMG Gaara lost! Huh! Gaara's legendary status has been dashed to pieces. And by a kunoichi whore! -

Gaara: I'm gonna kill you right now! No one talks like that about me!

Shizuku: What the hell?! How dare you call me that!

Gaara: Truce?

Shizuku: Truce.

Nightshroud: Ah...heh heh...hopeyouenjoyedmakesureyoureviewandlookforthenextchapteraaaah! runs very far away

Next chapter: Tsunade's Decision: Challenging the Seven Serpents (yeah I changed their name from Seven Servants of Shichisto to the Seven Serpents of Shichisto, to maintain the snake theme)