Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
You know, this author note section has become a space for me to blather on about my life/fanfiction/anime/other random stuff...
Let's just call it Namikaze Artemis's completely random place to blather on about random things...
In fact, does anyone actually read this? I bet everyone just skips the author's note to the chapter. Right?
Not that it makes much difference... half... I mean, ninety percent of the time there's nothing important.
Chapter 34: Fighting Gaara: Saving Hinata!
Obito's eyes widened as he took in the snakes crushing various buildings.
The ANBU running on the rooftops urgently.
The screaming civilians.
The fighting shinobi.
Invasion?
I have to get to Naruto!
Um... the arena was that way!
Obito raced quickly to the arena from the formerly crowded street he was in.
Naruto... you better be alright!
For that matter, snakes...
Is Orochimaru leading this invasion?
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Naruto was racing through the forest when he suddenly realized something important.
Which way did they go again?
He promptly stopped moving and looked around for tracks.
I always sucked at tracking... If Kiba were here he could sniff it out or something, but how am I supposed to find them?
Ah, well... I think they went that way... I think...
Naruto turned in a direction.
"They went the other way." Sasuke commented.
"Huh!" Naruto flipped around, staring at Sasuke. "What are you doing here?"
"I figured you had no idea where they went." Sasuke muttered. He kneeled on the floor. "Are your eyes holes in your head? Can't you see these footprints?"
Naruto rubbed his eyes and frowned. He squinted. "Now that you mention it..."
Sasuke sighed. "Dobe."
"Whatever, teme!" Naruto ran in the way Sasuke pointed, Sasuke himself following.
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Sakura looked around frantically in the stands of the arena. There were many Konoha, Sound, and Sand nin fighting around her.
Luckily, no one attacked her. Her pink hair made everyone think that she was a civilian.
Sakura wasn't sure if she should be relieved or insulted.
I need to find someone I know! Someone... sensei... everyone!
Just then, she spotted Kiba, Shino, Neji, and Tenten fighting some Sand nin in a corner.
Someone I know!
Sakura raced towards them, behind the Sand nin. She took a breath and punched one of them in the back.
He fell towards the ground, groaning.
Sakura blinked. Woah... did I do that?
The other Sand nin turned towards Sakura, growling. "You little..."
They didn't manage to finish their sentence. One fell down, hit by Neji's Gentle Fist, and the other fell down from chakra exhaustion as Shino's bugs sucked it all up.
"Sakura!" Kiba exclaimed, Akamaru barking next to him.
"Hinata... Hinata's in trouble!" Sakura cried, her eyes widening with worry.
"What?" Kiba assessed the information and stared at Sakura. "Tell me where she is!"
"Follow me!" Sakura said urgently, beckoning for everyone to follow.
The four of them promptly followed Sakura- albeit with a bit of hesitation.
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Temari glanced back with worry. "Do you think someone's going to follow us?"
"Nah, we should be alright." Kankuro decided. They were running through the forest. "All of the Konoha nin are busy fighting Sound and Sand nin."
Gaara winced and blinked his eyes open. He was lying on Temari's back. "What.."
"Oh, G-gaara, you're awake?" Temari inquired, peering at Gaara.
"Stay away." Gaara whispered.
"Huh?" Kankuro blinked and assessed that information. His eyes widened. "Do you mean..."
"STAY AWAY!" Gaara screeched, hitting Temari and Kankuro away. They hit the trees in a painful clunk.
"Do you think it's coming out?" Kankuro whispered, looking at Gaara who clutched his head.
"Actually, it's supposed to come out, remember?" Temari muttered back. "That was part of the mission. It was supposed to come out in the village, but if it comes out here Konoha will still recieve much damage."
"But it wasn't supposed to come out completely..." Kankuro murmured.
"I agree... but what can we do?" Temari reasoned.
Gaara's eyes clenched closed. Please, Mother... can you not wait... AHH!
Shukaku scratched at the seal yet again, letting his demonic chakra leak out. Needless to say, this caused much pain for Gaara.
It was when Gaara was clutching his head that Sasuke and Naruto made their appearance on a tree branch above him.
Kankuro swore. "Reinforcements?"
"The blondie." Temari said with annoyance. She was still annoyed at the fact that Naruto managed to beat her.
"Hey! You're blonde too!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing at Temari.
"Shut up." Temari muttered.
Gaara looked up at Sasuke and Naruto, his lips contorted in what could be taken as a determined frown. "So you-"
Gaara winced and clutched his head again as an arrow of pain shot through his head.
"I don't know why you want to invade Konoha." Sasuke said coldly. "But I will stop you!"
"Don't be stupid, I'm going to stop him!" Naruto snapped, flipping around to glare at Sasuke.
Sasuke sighed. "I am not getting into an arguement with you in this situation."
"I guess that's a good idea." Naruto admitted.
"Are you two idiots?" Kankuro demanded, staring at the two of them.
"I'm not." Sasuke muttered, looking pointedly at Naruto.
"Hey! I'm not either!" Naruto exclaimed. He glared at Kankuro. "What makes you think that?"
"You're trying to fight someone who has a monster sealed in him. If that isn't idiotic, it's plain stupid." Kankuro reasoned, paling slightly at the thought of Gaara.
"He called you idiotic, Sasuke." Naruto smirked.
"How do you know he's not talking about you?" Sasuke demanded in annoyance. He fiddled around with a kunai.
For that matter, is it alright to be talking around like this?
"I have a monster sealed in me." Naruto said smugly. "You fought me. Therefore, he's talking about you."
Sasuke twitched.
"Wait, what?" Kankuro stared at Naruto. "You're a Jinchuruki as well?"
"Jin.. Uh... yeah, I guess." Naruto blinked.
"But you're not psycho-" Temari objected.
She was cut off by Gaara, who stared up at Naruto in disbelief and anger. "You're... like me?"
"Uh huh." Naruto nodded.
Gaara's head twinged and he was unconsciously influenced by Shukaku. His eyes flashed with bloodthirst. "Lies. Lies! There's no way you can be like me!"
"Well, not exactly like you... I mean, I don't kill people without any particular reason..." Naruto pointed out.
"Enough talking." Sasuke retorted. He threw a kunai at Gaara, and his Sand Shield knocked it off automatically. "As I said... I'm going to stop you."
Naruto looked hesitant as he closed his eyes for a second. He opened his eyes again, and there was nothing but determination. "Fine. I'll kick some sense into these Sand genin!"
"Hmmph." Temari scoffed. "Just you try."
"I beat you, remember?" Naruto pointed out.
Temari twitched.
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Obito stared around at the sight of the various ninja fighting in the arena.
Definitely an invasion... But why are Sand and Sound nin working together?
I can't spot Naruto... He doesn't seem to be here...
Just then, a familar pink-head ran through Obito, followed by a few other genin. Obito winced.
I can never get used to that feeling... Wait, that's Sakura!
Naruto should be with his teammate... and she looked worried and urgent!
Obito raced after Sakura upstairs. There, a bruised Shikamaru was unconscious on the floor.
"Shikamaru!" Sakura exclaimed, running up to Shikamaru in worry. "What happened? Where's Hinata?"
Shikamaru groaned and blinked his eyes open. "Ran out of chakra... then the scales were tipped against me. They knocked me out, then probably took Hinata. Then went that way somewhere..."
Shikamaru pointed in the western direction. He got up with some difficulty. "I'm useless... My chakra's at a near-zero state. From what I assessed, they're probably mid-chuunin rank. High-chuunin at most... definitely not jonin. If the four of you take them on, you should probably be able to beat him."
Tenten nodded.
"We should save Hinata, for-" Shino paused in the middle of his sentence, certain that someone was going to cut him off.
His expectations were met.
"Of course we're going to save Hinata! Come on, guys!" Kiba exclaimed. "We're not a tracking team for nothing- we'll find them quickly!"
"Why should I go?" Neji said coldly.
Everyone turned towards Neji in shock.
Neji didn't even bat an eyelid. "If she was kidnapped, that was Fate."
Tenten looked at Neji with a frown. "Neji... this is because Hinata's a part of the Main Family, isn't it."
"Perhaps." Neji stated, his pale eyes flashing.
"Main Family?" Sakura said in confusion.
"There's two 'families' in the Hyuuga- the Main Family and the Branch Family." Tenten quickly explained. "The Branch Family is forced to obey the Main Family by a seal on their forehead."
"The Main Family..." Neji said with disgust apparent in his voice. "Does not care about the Branch Family. To save one of the Main Family, they'd sacrifice one of the Branch Family without even a twinge of their conscience."
"So?" Kiba growled.
Neji blinked.
Kiba grabbed Neji's collar, pushing him up against a wall. "Hinata's never done any of that stuff! I'm sure! And because of some stupid grudge, you're not going to help save her!"
"Correct." Neji said calmly, pushing Kiba away. "Don't touch me."
"That is iillogical, for Hinata is gentle and-" Shino paused again. Everyone's eyes were upon him. "Would hate for anything bad to happen to anyone. You should return that gentleness."
Shino placed a small smile on his face.
I finished my sentence.
"Yeah!" Sakura exclaimed, nodding fiercely.
"Look at it this way." Shikamaru blinked lazily. "If you do not save Hinata, you could be charged with Shinobi Rule 34, refusing to save a comrade when not interupting with a mission."
Neji sighed slightly. "I suppose."
Not to mention the fact that the Main Family will not be happy.
"Let us go, then." Neji stated, turning around.
The other genin, who had been shocked into silence by Shikamaru's smart and logical persuasion, promptly followed Neji.
Obito blinked. From what I heard, Hinata's been kidnapped. Uh, looks like Naruto isn't here... They should be fine, so I'm going to look for Kakashi...
He has to know about where Naruto is!
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Naruto and Sasuke jumped down swiftly from the tree.
"Sasuke, you can take care of Kankuro and Temari, right?" Naruto demanded.
"It'll be done in five minutes..." Sasuke retorted, walking up. "But are you sure you'll be alright?"
"Of course!" Naruto exclaimed. He smirked. "Another minute or so and I would've beaten you, don't forget..."
"Don't be stupid, dobe." Sasuke said coldly. He glared at Naruto then shifted his withering gaze towards Temari and Kankuro.
If I had used my Sharingan more... no, even then...
I'm not strong enough...
Sasuke's eyes clouded as he recalled the two easy ways for power that were offered to him.
To gain the Mangenkyo Sharingan, you must kill your closest friend!
If you want power to defeat Itachi... you will have to find me, Sasuke-kun.
Sasuke's eyes faded to red and the two sand nin shuddered slightly at the site of the Uchiha Kekkei Genkai.
I can get stronger... but...
No. That is my last resort.
First of all, I'm going to squeeze all of the Uchiha knowledge that ghost has out of him.
No need to go that far right now.
"You're going to d-defeat the two of us in five minutes?" Kankuro raised an eyebrow. It was obvious he was slightly fearful of the Uchiha, however. "Don't be stupid. Come on, Temari. Let's show him that Sand genin far surpass even the strongest of the Konoha ones."
Kankuro's puppet, Karasu, floated off his back.
Temari grabbed her fan and flipped it open to show all three of the purple circles drawn on it.
"Do you really think you can beat an Uchiha with that?" Sasuke asked superiorly. "You were beaten by Naruto."
"I'm going to enjoy beating you." Temari stated, her fan pointing towards Sasuke.
"Agreed." Kankuro growled. His fingers moved fiercely as the chakra strings which were attached to his hand and Karasu helped move Karasu. It clattered loudly.
"Hn." Sasuke grunted.
1010101010
"So, have you spotted Hinata yet?" Sakura asked urgently. Neji, Kiba, Shino, Sakura, and Tenten were racing through the forest, following the brown-haired and bald Kumo nin's trail.
Akamaru was helping quite a bit by sniffing out Hinata's trail, and Neji was half-heartedly searching for Hinata with his Byakugan.
Shino's bugs were buzzing off ahead to look around.
"No!" Kiba said in annoyance.
"No." Neji stated.
"My bugs have not reported that they have spotted her yet." Shino said calmly.
Sakura looked to the ground with worry.
"Were you friends with this Hinata?" Tenten inquired.
"No... But we were classmates. And she was always nice... to everyone... to me..." Sakura gave a small smile. "No one could really dislike her... even though she wasn't that noticeable."
"Was she a fangirl like you?" Tenten asked with distaste.
"I'm not- erm..." Sakura scratched her cheek to the side in embarassment. Well, I guess I am a fangirl of Sasuke-kun. "I don't think she's a fangirl."
"Oh, okay." Tenten nodded. "Well, I should get to know her... she's one of the few non-fangirls."
"That is, if we can save her..." Sakura said, her gaze falling downwards.
Tenten nodded.
Neji took a step forwards into a clearing full of mud. Then, several yellow-eyed wolves formed from the mud and growled threateningly.
"Eh?" Kiba blinked in shock.
"It's a trap!" Tenten snapped. She threw kunai at the wolves, but they just absorbed them.
Neji then tried to destroy one of the wolves with taijutsu. He succeeded in destroying a part of the wolf.
"Good job!" Sakura exclaimed. Then her eyes widened. "What?"
The wolf regenerated, mud flowing up to fix the wound.
"This is endless!" Kiba exclaimed.
"You guys... go ahead!" Tenten snapped, throwing explosion tags at the wolves again.
"Huh? What are you saying, Tenten!" Sakura cried.
"Just go! I'll take care of these wolves... Go save Hinata!" Tenten snapped, glaring fiercely at everyone. "They're getting farther away!"
"But-" Kiba hesitated. Akamaru barked.
"Hurry up!" Tenten retorted. The wolves were already regenerating.
"Let us go." Neji stated.
"We should not take Tenten's sacrifice in vain." Shino agreed.
"Wait, sacrifice?" Kiba cried.
Sakura closed her eyes. "You'll follow later, right?"
"Of course." Tenten smirked, twirling a kunai.
"Let's go!" Sakura exclaimed.
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"So... " Naruto sighed and placed his hands into a handseal. "I guess we have to fight."
Gaara's face was slightly cracked. "I will kill you... to prove my existance... for Mother!"
Naruto winced. "You're calling that demon in you 'Mother'? Just how messed up are you?"
Gaara stared at Naruto coldly. Sand flew up from inside of his gourd that was attached to his back.
"I get it." Naruto's eyes narrowed in determination. "No talking, right?"
Naruto jumped up onto a tree branch as sand squeezed together.
"Fuuton: Shinkuuha. Wind Style: Vaccum Wave!" Naruto exclaimed, blowing out fiercely.
Trees fell down around Naruto, but Gaara was protected easily by his Sand Shield. Sand floated up towards Naruto, and he promptly jumped back down.
"Fuuton: Futatsu no Daifuutou no Jutsu: Double Grand Wind Spears Technique!" Naruto snapped.
Gaara didn't even blink as his Sand Shield blocked it easily.
Naruto scowled.
Okay. Let's assume any of my wind techniques won't work.
Now, how about water?
"Suiton: Daisuitou no Jutsu. Water Style: Giant Water Spear Technique!" Naruto cried.
That's a pathetic water spear... I'm still not used to water techniques.
True to Naruto's thoughts, the spear was quite small. Gaara barely did anything to block it.
Okay, none of my water techniques work either.
I don't think summoning toads will help much- and it's still hard to get to Kyuubi's chakra.
How about explosion tags? I think I have a few in my pocket.
Naruto grabbed several kunai from his pocket and threw it at Gaara.
There was a reasonably big explosion, and a plume of smoke flew up into the sky.
But when the smoke cleared, Gaara still stood there stotically.
Naruto sighed.
So, there's only one technique left, isn't there?
Naruto's mouth twitched up into a smirk. "Get ready, Gaara!"
Gaara simply aimed his sand towards Naruto yet again.
Naruto quickly ran to the side. He took a deep breath. His hands moved swiftly, creating a blue sphere of chakra in his hands.
"Rasengan!" Naruto exclaimed, his face lit up by the blue glow of chakra.
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Obito ran towards Kakashi. He had some trouble locating Kakashi, but luckily Kakashi's bright silver hairstyle was hard to miss. It didn't take too long for Obito to find him.
Obito waited patiently for Kakashi to finish up with the Sound nin he was fighting, then he floated up to Kakashi and whispered something into his ear.
"Where's Naruto?"
Kakashi paled visibly, then calmed down. "Oh, Obito?"
"Yup." Obito grinned.
"Naruto went into the forest." Kakashi muttered. "Sasuke's with him. I don't know anything else... you can float, right? Why don't you float above the forest to look for them?"
Obito placed his hands together and opened his mouth to form a 'O'. "Oh, yeah!"
I always stay on the ground, though... I don't know how high I can go...
A sand nin threw himself towards Kakashi, and he quickly grabbed a kunai.
"See you then, Kakashi! Don't join me!" Obito said cheerfully, before floating upwards.
Up, up... oh... Can't get any higher...
Oh well. High enough, I guess.
Obito floated towards the forest.
Still, the forest is giant! My best chance is to wait for an explosion of some sort, then race towards there.
Just then, a plume of smoke meandered up into the sky.
Perfect. Let's go there.
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Sasuke wiped his hands as he regarded the unconsious bodies of the two Sand nin in front of him.
While Kankuro and Temari had put up a fight, they were no match against Sasuke. He had quickly knocked out Temari with a fire technique, then went on to Kankuro.
After Kankuro had observed how Temari had been defeated, he had grabbed a summoning scroll and summoned another puppet.
However, with the Sharingan, Sasuke could see the chakra strings Kankuro used to move the puppet.
Although it wasn't perfect, Sasuke could somewhat predict where the puppet would go next.
Kankuro was simple to figure out. It was obvious that the crow puppet was trying to lead him into the other puppet that he had summoned.
Although it was a bit of a surprise that the puppets started shooting kunai and senbon at him, it was nothing that he couldn't dodge.
Sasuke had a few close calls, but nothing even nicked him. Since the kunai and senbon were covered in poison, that was a good thing.
With a few 'Great Fireball Techniques' and a bit of fancy footwork, Kankuro was lying on theground unconscious along with his sister.
Sasuke was then going to back Naruto up, and so he flipped around to regard the situation.
That was when he discovered the swirling, blue, and glowing ball of chakra in Naruto's hand.
Sasuke's eyes widened.
What is that? I know it's different from the Chidori... Just what did Naruto learn?
Just how much stronger did Naruto get?
"Rasengan!" Naruto exclaimed, racing towards Gaara.
Gaara's Sand Shield just came up automatically to block the attack.
"That won't work!" Naruto exclaimed. Then a pensive look appeared on his face. "I think."
Sasuke groaned inwardly. I think?
Naruto's technique touched the Sand Shield. It broke through the shield without a bit of resistance.
A giant part of the shield blew open, revealing Gaara's cold and astonished face.
Then his face contorted in an expression of pain as the Rasengan hit Gaara's shoulder. It had gone off-target slightly.
Naruto's eyes widened and he jumped back, withdrawing his blood-stained hand.
Sand clentched together in the place Naruto used to be.
"Mother..." Gaara whispered, sand surronding his body. "MOTHER! What is this wet feeling? This... this..."
Sasuke's pride had taken quite a beating the last few hours. Learning that Naruto had a technique with at least the same destructive power of the Chidori was the last straw.
Needless to say, Sasuke took it all out on Naruto.
"What did you do, dobe?" Sasuke asked scathingly.
"Um..." Naruto blinked and regarded Sasuke. "I think the Sand Shield has never been broken before... I think I'm the first person to ever break through it... I think... I'm the first person to draw blood..."
Naruto trailed off as he started to look slightly sick.
"Mother..." Gaara wimpered again. The remains of the Sand Shield fell down around him.
"Then who's 'Mother'?" Sasuke demanded with annoyance.
Naruto looked positively ill now. "The demon that's sealed in him... probably..."
Sasuke looked at Naruto thoughtfully.
"And before you ask, I think Kyuubi's a horrible demon." Naruto retorted. "Not my mother."
Sasuke blinked and nodded. Then his eyes widened. "What's happened to him?"
One half of Gaara's body had contorted into a horrible monster. One of his arms was gigantic with long claws. Half of his face was a horned, yellow-eyed monster.
It seemed to be the colour of sand, unsurprisingly.
Gaara growled as his hand shot out towards Sasuke and Naruto.
Fast! Naruto thought as he quickly dodged the arm. Sasuke went the opposite direction.
"Die!" Gaara cried manically. His arm snapped back.
Ch! Naruto could do nothing to dodge it, as the sand-coloured hand clentched Naruto.
"Naruto!" Sasuke cried involuntarily, ignoring the little voice in his head that wanted power for the moment.
Naruto spat out crismon blood. "Drat... sorry, I got myself-"
He paused as he coughed up more blood.
"You..." Sasuke's eyes flashed. "Let him go."
"What is he to you?" Gaara demanded.
Sasuke twitched. "Why does everyone ask me that? My rival? Perhaps. My friend? Probably not. My teammate? Yes."
"But..." Sasuke clentched his wrist, and white chakra started to gather in his hand. "He's still someone that I don't want dead."
Naruto's eyes widened.
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That was when Obito made his appearance. He looked around.
Okay, what exactly happened? Wait... NARUTO!
"He is going to die. Now." Gaara stated. He squeezed his hand.
Blood flew through the air.
"Naruto!" Sasuke said in shock.
Obito froze, looking at the limp form of Naruto in Gaara's... or rather, Shukaku's... hand.
He looked at the blood staining the hand crismon.
"No... Naruto..." Obito stammered. His expression was one of disbelief and shock.
Blood slowly dripped onto the ground.
"Naruto..." Obito repeated. Various emotions swirled inside him, then erupted.
Anyone watching would observe the form of a slightly-short, black-haired boy gradually appearing from the air.
1010101010
Mua ha ha ha! Mua ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha- *cough, cough, cough*