A/N: Very little feedback on the last chapter, so I'm assuming you guys are ready for this to wrap up. Only two more chapters to go including this one, and this story is done. Well, hope you're ready for lots of angry dialogue and fistfighting

Time for chapter 33

Enjoy!

Sasuke ducked down reactively, narrowly avoiding a broken neck as Gaara's right arm swung through the space where his skull had once been. The force of her charge was considerable, as even though he had avoided damage more or less entirely, he could still feel the wind whip through his hair. Taking a sharp pivot on his rear foot to face her once again, Sasuke drove a straight punch into the back of her head while she whizzed by. Though the strike wasn't anywhere near powerful enough to inflict any kind of lasting damage, it did knock her off balance by making her lurch forward.

The redhead skittered onto her hands and quickly regained her bearings quickly. She then whirled around and re-engaged immediately. The message was clear: there would be no breaks. It was either adjust, or be killed. Unfortunately, Sasuke was unprepared for such a rapid assault. He was hardly able to brace himself before Gaara slammed her entire weight into him and launched him back across the stone floor. The impact was horrific, but Sasuke remained alert enough to catch himself as he hit the ground. As expected, the next charge came a split second later. This time, however, the Uchiha was prepared. Rather than retreat or pivot away, Sasuke planted his feet and intercepted Gaara's entry into his distance.

With all the force he could muster, Sasuke slammed his right elbow into the redhead's oncoming temple. The blow stopped Gaara in her tracks and forced her back a step. Ignoring the numbness in his right arm, the leaf genin stepped forward and struck Gaara across the jaw with his right hand and rolled underneath her wild counter to the same side. He was then saved by his reflexes, as his body unconsciously brought up his left forearm to block his face. His guard was then struck by the Jinchuuriki's weaponized right arm. Despite his successful defensive maneuver, the sheer power with which Gaara had struck him sent him staggering back.

'She's definitely swinging harder than she was last time. I can't even afford to block.' Sasuke thought to himself, barely hanging onto his composure. He had already found success cutting off Gaara's blitzes with intercepting strikes, and he had clearly inflicted some kind of damage, as she had retreated a step, but it wasn't a thing to rely on. The Uchiha took a glance down at his right arm and winced. It was bruised and throbbing. He had done more damage to himself than Gaara. He then returned his attention to the maddened girl, who was stalking about in his field of view. She was searching for openings.

'I can hang with her up close. Speed matters less there. She's way too quick in open space for me to time consistently. Yeah, I've gotta press her.' he decided with a nod to himself. After swallowing his fear, Sasuke charged forward and rapidly crossed the distance that separated them. In a split second, he was only two feet from his foe. Seemingly surprised by his gusto, Gaara hesitated momentarily.

"Not used to being pressured?" Sasuke goaded, snapping her head back with a stiff left handed punch as he spoke. He then leaned back at the waste and allowed Gaara to punch the air just in front of his face in retaliation. As the redhead stumbled forward from her own overcommitment, Sasuke ran her into a spearing knee to her gut and shoved the girl back by her shoulders. Deciding to push his luck even further, the leaf genin launched an overhand punch at the left side of Gaara's head. Unfortunately, he had overstayed his welcome in close quarters. The moment he was close enough, Gaara sunk her sand-encased fist into his stomach and knocked the wind out of him.

With Sasuke doubled over, the redhead seized him by the front of his collar and violently spiked him into the floor. The impact cracked the stone and caused Sasuke's vision to go black for a split second. When he came to again, Gaara was suspending him in the air by the same grip.

"You're certainly making more of a fight out of this than it was last time, but your chances are no better. I can take what you give, but the same can't be said for you." she said. Sasuke replied by slamming his knee into the bottom of her chin to make her drop him. It worked as planned, and allowed the Uchiha to retreat back to a safe distance. Once there, he took a deep breath.

"Maybe, but I've got something you don't." he said vaguely, earning a questioning look from his demon-carrying adversary.

"With that being?" Gaara asked impatiently. Sasuke smirked and pulled on something unseen, making a ripping sound in the process. A large explosion then erupted from Gaara's body. When the smoke and debris cleared, Gaara still stood upright. This was short-lived, though, as she soon buckled and fell to one knee.

"Unlike you, I've got a brain." the leaf genin said. The Jinchuuriki wiped ash from her face and returned to her feet slowly.

"When did you do it? The paper bomb. When?" she asked, frustration audible in her voice.

"Just after I ran you into my knee. When I shoved you off, I attached it to your shoulder with some wire on the end. I'm pretty surprised that you slamming me into the ground didn't screw things up, honestly. You actually knocked me out for a second." Sasuke explained. The scheme had been a simple one, but basics won the day in many cases. Tricks such as this would be required for victory to be even remotely realistic.

"I guess I'll just have to try harder." Gaara said, more to herself than to Sasuke. In the blink of an eye, at a speed that not even the Uchiha's sharingan could react to, she made her way into his personal space. Once there, she simply stood there. It took a moment, but the leaf genin eventually did comprehend her movement. When he did, he attempted to counter her with a wide left handed punch. When he stuck her, his arm simply passed right through her. He was then kicked square in the back.

She had left an afterimage in the process of evading him and moving behind him. A feat of raw speed.

"I should warn you. The only people to ever overwhelm me at my fullest are my late father and Naruto. Two people who far exceed you in strength. The only stage I possess beyond this one is a full-blown metamorphosis, which shouldn't be necessary." the redhead said as she allowed Sasuke to turn to face her once again. Her body was unchanged, but it was now outlined by a subtle red light of demonic chakra.

"You're a freak, you know that?" the Uchiha said. Gaara tucked a strand of her disheveled hair behind her left ear.

"A freak that hates you, and a freak that's going to drain your life away. Even if you escape, another beating by my hands would break you. I can see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice. You need this. You desire nothing more than to topple me." she said darkly. Sasuke drew a kunai.

"You aren't exactly hard to hate. You should know that. It's not like you've had many friends." he said coldly. At his words, Gaara scowled.

"You're the exact opposite of Naruto. He's kind, sweet, and warm. You're cruel, demeaning, and cold. You're disgusting." she growled. The Uchiha prepared himself to fight, well aware that his chances were narrowing.

"You stole my best friend. You ripped him away from us because you were selfish enough to not care about the people you were hurting. He had friends, he had comrades, and he was making a life for himself. I have every reason to hate you. You're my enemy, and not because you're from Suna." he snapped back, his own temper flaring.

"If you can't protect what's yours, you don't deserve to keep it. You weren't strong enough to stop me from taking him away. That's your fault, not mine." Gaara replied. At this, Sasuke's composure cracked, and he recklessly charged the amplified Jinchuuriki. When they clashed together, the foolishness of his choice was made perfectly clear to him. Instead of dodging or defending, Gaara had simply allowed him to punch her square in the forehead. The blow did absolutely no damage. The redhead's neck didn't even budge.

"As I told you, the people that have given me anything resembling a fight in this state are superior to you by orders of magnitude. I'm a bear, and you're a rodent." she said as she clamped down on his wrist. She then spun him around twice and launched him straight up into the air. For a brief moment, Sasuke simply floated in the air freely. It lasted only a few seconds, but for a time, there was silence. He was halfway to the intimidatingly high ceiling when he was first hit. The impact came from his left and sent him spiralling towards the rightmost wall. Just as he was about to collide with it, he was bounced painfully back in the direction from whence he had come.

"You're the last thing I need to get rid of! Once you're gone, I can live happily!"

The screamed words came from right over Sasuke's head. As he sailed through the air, the Uchiha opened his eyes to see Gaara bearing over him from above weaving hand signs. Her eyes were wide and crazed, and her expression was one of maddened desperation. There was no stability.

'She's insane. Completely and totally. And...she's probably gonna kill me.' Sasuke lamented while Gaara completed her sequence. The girl then reared her head back.

"Wind Style: Great Breach!" she yelled. An enormous blast of wind then unleashed itself from her throat and slammed into Sasuke. The Jutsu sent him whistling down towards the stone floors below, and when he hit them, they shattered and embraced him.

For the second time during his clash with Gaara, he lost consciousness.

Neji stared at the door in front of him. It had been a long walk from the boundary to the house, but the time had elapsed in an instant, it seemed. He had run through a number of mental exercises on his way to Naruto's location, and while they had seemed to work, he was now unsure. He had never been one to partake in pointless endeavors, and this very much felt like one in a number of ways. He had virtually no way to win unless he got quite lucky, and the trek home would be hellish depending upon his injuries. More than that, though, he felt out of place.

'This has nothing to do with me. I hardly know Naruto or Sasuke, and I've never actually met Gaara, her clone aside. This isn't my conflict. This isn't my fight. Why am I even here?' he pondered as he reached out to open the door. He then pulled his hand back.

'Am I a coward for not wanting to do this? Why take a beating for people that mean so little to me? What's the point?' he thought to himself, his feelings incredibly conflicted. In the midst of his struggles, a loud crashing sound came from the background. The Hyuga whirled around and searched for the source. It took him all of thirty seconds to hit upon the answer. It had come from the library. At this, Neji turned back to the door.

'I have a job to do. That's why I'm here.' he thought firmly. He then pushed open the door of the small, damaged house. It was a single room, and it had a small bed, a table, and a few scattered books. It was extremely messy, but that was to be expected of a home left to stand the test of time. Within the room was who Neji had come to find. Naruto was sitting on the bed with his eyes downcast. He was clearly conscious, which was somewhat odd.

"I didn't think you'd be the one he brought along." the blonde said as Neji stepped inside carefully. Though it took him a moment, the leaf genin found his voice.

"Neither did I. I suggested that Lee go in my place, but they refused, so here I am." he explained, earning an almost imperceptible nod from the Jinchuuriki. A frown slowly spread across Neji's face as he studied his former comrade.

"How long have you been awake, Naruto? You were asleep when I first located you." he asked skeptically. Naruto remained unmoving and silent for a few moments.

"Around 10 minutes. I woke up when the air got warmer. I don't know how or why I'm in this house, but I have a few ideas." he said, sounding quite unsure of himself.

"You may not be a sensor, but you know what's going on. Don't be coy. You also know who put you here. I'm sure you know why as well." Neji said, quite irritated with Naruto's feigned ignorance. The Jinchuuriki looked up at him and stood to his feet.

"What's your point?" he asked, earning a look of somewhat shocked confusion from the Hyuga. Neji gestured behind him in the direction of the library.

"If you're aware of what's going on, why aren't you trying to intervene? You're the strongest thing on this coast by a mile. Even if in support of Gaara, you could end the conflict in an instant." he asked with rising intensity. The Hyuga's indignation was a surprise to both of them.

"That isn't my business. That's Gaara's fight to win or lose. I've got no right to step in." Naruto said. Neji scowled and took a step forward.

"Not your business? Sasuke is your friend! Your teammate! Gaara is your companion, and, from what I've been able to infer, your...lover. Why on earth are you being so impartial?" he demanded. The blonde frowned back.

"Why should I have to choose when they're already fighting? I'm not picking sides." he replied defensively. The Hyuga's face contorted in disgust.

"Are you kidding me? They were always going to fight. They're after the same thing. They're both here for you. You were always going to have to pick a side. If you don't they'll make a decision for you. Is that what you want?" he questioned. Naruto opened his mouth to snap back, but shut it again.

"You put yourself in this position, Naruto. You ran away, and you took her along with you. Did you think Konoha would simply leave you be and let you wander? This was inevitable." Neji said. When the blonde once again didn't respond, the Hyuga shook his head.

"At first, I didn't understand why Sasuke despised the notion of you being left alone with Gaara so much. I thought it to be an overreaction. But looking at you now, I understand. She's made you indecisive and resigned. That's so far the opposite of who you are, or at least what I thought you were. She's breaking you." he said with a look of something almost resembling sympathy. Finally, Naruto reacted.

"Why are you even here, Neji? This has nothing to do with you." he asked quietly. The leaf genin stared at him intently.

"Because I was curious to see if there was any truth to what Sasuke claimed, and it turns out that he was correct. And now, he's fighting a battle he can't safely win. All for your sake. I was...inspired by that motivation. I thought there were lessons I could learn from joining him." he explained. The blonde lowered his head back to the floor.

"Why's he going so far for me? He can't beat Gaara. He just can't. Hell, I don't know if I could do it again." he muttered. Neji swallowed his frustrations and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, you could. Quite easily, I'd wager. Right now, though, Sasuke is wagering his life on the idea that he can break you of Gaara. I can't control who you choose to side with in this fight, but I implore you. Pick a side to fight for. Don't sit idly by and twiddle your thumbs." he urged the blonde.

"Give me some time. I'm just...really stuck. I know what I want to do, but it feels wrong." Naruto said. Neji shook his head and turned around to exit the building.

"You don't have time. If you know what you want to do, come and stand behind that. Neither one of them are going to let up. There'll be a dead body before you come to any sort of concrete decision." he said, taking a deep breath a second later.

"I know what side I'm picking, though. I'm going to go help Sasuke."

Sasuke slowly regained his senses. He had been knocked out again. For how long, he knew not. It clearly hadn't been excessively lengthy, as he was still very much alive. The first thing he saw as his vision returned to him was, unfortunately, Gaara's form looming over him. He was in the base of a small, stony crater, and the redhead was standing over him.

"I'm shocked that didn't kill you. It was supposed to. I put a good deal of effort into that." she said, reaching down towards him as she spoke. She then took hold of his shirt's front and plucked him from the rubble. Being suspended upright in the air caused a gashed that had been opened on his forehead to bleed down into his eyes. After blinking numerous times, the Uchiha felt the pain come rushing through his body.

"You're comically tough. Only a few of your ribs are broken. I guess relying on gravity to smash you wasn't the most efficient of choices." Gaara said. Her armoured right arm then twisted and morphed into a serrated spike.

"Naruto won't be happy with me for killing you this way, but I think he'll get over it. What do you think?" she said mockingly. At the mention of Naruto's name, Sasuke's temper reignited. The sound of Gaara saying his name brought him rage. It was the tone more than the name itself. She spoke as though she owned him. The redhead then leaned into his ear.

"Don't worry. You'll get another shot at me. We'll see each other again in hell." she whispered. She reared back her bladed arm and thrust it forward toward his abdomen. In stark defiance of Gaara's desired outcome, Sasuke mustered his negative emotions and allowed them to grant a final burst of strength to him.

"We're not done yet." he growled, his since-deactivated Sharingan manifesting in his eyes once more. The Jinchuuriki's expression gained a degree of apprehension when she saw that a third tomoe had formed in each of his irises. His Dojutsu had fully matured in his desperation. Sasuke then seized her by the wrist that was holding him up and squeezed it until a loud cracking sound could be heard. Yelping at the sudden pain, Gaara released him from her grip and leapt back away from the crater.

"Well, this is certainly a surprise." she growled. Rising to his feet after having been dropped, Sasuke grit his teeth and sent a fiery glare Gaara's way. The majority of the Uchiha's shirt had been torn away by the impact of his fall, thus making the markings that were spreading across his body all the more visible. At this sight, Gaara stepped back nervously. The very same thing had happened during Sasuke's final push in the stadium hall. It had very nearly resulted in her decapitation.

After a minute, Sasuke's body stopped changing in any noticeable way, leaving him with a widespread tattoo that was rooted in his shoulder. There was a spiralling aura of purple chakra emanating from his form, and his expression was intense and visceral.

"You aren't going to ruin him. I won't let you." he said in a rough tone. At this, he jumped up to the side of the crater opposite Gaara.

"I don't know how many times I'm going to have to flatten you to make you quit breathing, but I'm not stopping until I find out." the Jinchuuriki said with a fabricated calm.

And so, they began the final stage of their final contest.

A/N: Only one more chapter after this, so I hope you guys are ready. I know Naruto came off a little oddly in this chapter, but he'll be very much himself come next chapter. Tell me what you thought :)

See you next chapter! Read and Review!