So yeah. I'm back. Anyway, have any of you read the last chapter? I've been waiting for some significant option but the only relatively interesting information I got was how Hashirama and Madara met for the first time. And how epic they are in battle, but we knew that already. On the other hand, I always like watching the anime for two reasons. One, it's more fun to see the story in color and well, moving. Second, its pace is much faster than the manga's. Like, one episode is about three, four chapters in the manga, I think? But, either way, you know what I mean.

I won't hold you much longer, just let me do the disclaimer, ok?

I do not own Naruto, whether it is the plot or the characters.

Chapter Thirty Seven

(Shinju's POV)

We were heading towards our destination at a very fast speed. We already passed chakra traces of the Nara heir and his sensei and are following the ones left by a hyperactive Genin and his female teammate. The summon I was riding on was gaining on them, and fast. Meanwhile, I felt the Shodaime's and the Nidaime's chakra disappear. A good number of the invaders were also down for the count. Yet up ahead, there was a battle going on between Kankuro-san and Aburame-san. Sasuke's teammates were avoiding the battlefield whereas the summon made no move to do so. Let's hope that I won't get dragged into the fight anytime soon…

(Arisu's POV)

Enemy nin have begun to retreat slowly, but my team seems to be down, for now at least. I got a severe injury on my arm and it was decided that I have first aid before we fought anyone else. In the end, we sat in an empty teahouse, Daisuke standing guard near the entrance and Shuhei bandaging my arm. His skilled hands moved quickly, but the job was only halfway done.

"Why do you hate Hyuuga-san so much?"

"Why?" I smiled bitterly as I remembered the conversation I had with her. "I think that you know already, Shuhei. Unless you're really that forgetful?"

"Arisu, you usually don't act like this. What's wrong? Are the elders being hard on you again? Or is it your father's beatings?" His voice was worried and sincere, as always. "Is it because of your hospitalisation-"

"Do you even know why I was not allowed to participate in the Exams this time?" I demanded harshly, recalling the events that led to that. I was never more furious against that vile girl. If I hadn't been careful, I would've even insulted Hiashi-sama!

"What do you mean?" Shuhei asked. "The Hyuuga all said that you were hospitalized and that Hyuuga-san was only there to fill your place."

"Of course. A replacement, right?" I laughed bitterly. "If one piece is too useless then replace it with another."

"Arisu! I don't understand where you're going with this!" Shuhei yelled at me for the first time. "Hyuuga-san doesn't even know why she was chosen. She was played around as much as you were, but at least she's not trying to kill the ones that hurt her! She even gave you a chance to kill her! How can you be so… mean towards her?"

"I agree with Shuhei," Daisuke's voice came from the main room. "Whatever you're accusing her of is unreasonable. Why can't you acknowledge that? I'm surprised that she's even that lenient towards you, but you know what?"

"What, Daisuke? You can't not defend her because she helped save you? Because you fell in love with her?"

"She had the same eyes you used to have before becoming a Genin. The same loneliness, the same tortured yet brave expression," Daisuke ignored me. "What's more is that hers were twenty times worse than yours." He paused. "Think about it, Arisu. Don't make a decision that you will regret."

(Shinju's POV)

Shino was already down, as was Kankuro-san, but Gaara's power has grown tremendously. It was the same chakra signature as that ominous presence she felt from inside him before. Shinju could feel the chakra fighting, clashing against each other. She could feel torment that was not hers and could only hang onto the tiger she rode as they approached the battlefield. With each jutsu, each clash she could sense, her mind was filled with even more anxiety. She must hurry to them, or else…

She jolted out of her thoughts as she felt an all-too familiar chakra. IT was Orochimaru… No, it was the cursed seal that he left on Sasuke, but didn't she and Kakashi-sensei already seal it up? What was going on? As if sensing her urgency, the summon hurried and sped through the forest, despite its chakra draining faster by the second. Uzumaki saved Sasuke in the meantime and also challenged Gaara.

Shinju landed on a tree not far from Sasuke and Haruno as the summon poofed into smoke. Sasuke was obviously still down from the pain of using the Juuin and Haruno was tending to him. Meanwhile, Naruto kept pestering her with the same question over and over again. "Who is he? Who is he, Sakura-chan?"

"Gaara…" Shinju whispered. "That person in front of you, Uzumaki-san, is Gaara of the Sand."

Uzumaki-san's aura became troubled and it was clear that he was remembering how terrifying Gaara was. Sasuke's pain hasn't lessened and she herself began to feel pain of some sort at the crock of her neck. The situation was dire, and Temari, by the feel of it, will not interfere. They had to act quickly.

"Uzumaki-san, Haruno, I'm counting on you to bring Sasuke to Kakashi-sensei." She declared. "I will fight Gaara myself."

"Demo, he's too strong! You don't stand a chance, dattebayo!" Uzumaki tried to persuade her otherwise.

It was then that Gaara went to attack Sasuke, only to be thwarted by the Haruno kunoichi who stood in his way. She was then immobilized and knocked unconscious by Shukaku's arm, startling Uzumaki.

"What? I thought that you were going to run?" Gaara snarled. "Those two… What are they to you?"

"They're… my friends!" Uzumaki's answer was straight to the point. "I dare to hurt them anymore… I'll beat you up!"

Gaara's response was crushing Haruno who screamed in pain. "What's the matter? I thought that you were going to beat me up?" Seeing how frantically Uzumaki was feeling about his teammates, he laughed maniacally. "So you fight for another. That's why you guys are so weak. You don't need a reason to fight. Only the winner can feel the value of his existence. Now, forget about your stupid friends and fight for yourself!"

"Stupid… friends?"

"People who bring unnecessary emotions to battle should just die."

"You just keep saying what you want…" Uzumaki's voice got angry. "I swear, I'll beat you up!" On cue, he jumped to attack.

"You guys do not know the meaning of true strength."

A shout of "Shut up!" was the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki's reply and Shinju went to Sasuke's side, ready to attack or defend at any time. But then, Gaara's wave of negative emotions threw her off track as she felt his torments though she knew not the cause. When he was alright again, he was angrier than ever.

"So? Come at me!" He shouted to Uzumaki whom he threw away earlier. "Don't you care what happens to your important friend?" He crushed the Haruno with his sand again.

Met with no other choice, Uzumaki summoned his chakra to his hands and performed a jutsu, summoning a small frog. "Damn it!" He exclaimed after seeing the results. "I've got no time to play with you squirt, I have to save everyone!"

"Everyone?" Gaara's darker chakra has expanded even more. "Don't make me laugh. I love only myself, fight only for myself." The chakra-filled sand went all over his body, covering it like an armor and a second layer of skin. "The sand on this woman won't be released until you defeat me. Not only that, the sand will constrict her tighter as time passes and eventually kill her."

"Suna Shuriken!" Uzumaki evaded the attack and saved the frog, but hit on a tree and had to be rescued by Shinju who put him on a branch.

Damn it… I've got to do something to help him, but I can't even fight Gaara on an equal level!

After a long painful moment, the fighting resumed between the two boys. Shinju stood by the frog as one jutsu clashed against another, again. Before Uzumaki could get seriously injured though, Shinju created a shield of water. But she already knew. She knew that Uzumaki was once again back to normal, and with the Will of Fire to boot.

What do you think? I especially liked the part with Arisu. I sympathize with her a bit, since I already know what her family background is and everything, but she needed a reality check. Very badly. Shinju hasn't been doing much in this chapter, but it will change... Gaara is still half homicidal, which makes sense because Shinju's influence on him isn't big enough for him to stop acting crazy in the compound at least. But it's a battle, so it's normal that he gets all... mentally disturbed and stuff. I don't envy the guy, but he also needs a reality check.

Now that I think about it, just about everyone needs a reality check. Neji, Gaara, Arisu, Sasuke, Kakashi (you know, Obito incident), Temari and Kankuro (about their brother), the Fourth Kazekage, everyone who hate Jinchuuriki for no reason and every character that want to destroy stuff for no purpose whatsoever. And so on. Not that Shinju doesn't need one herself, but I think that she's been having one during her time at the Chunin Exams, but hers was real minor anyway.

Coming up next: the fight between Gaara, Shinju and Naruto!