Hey guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's not a huge one but it is important-not as entertaining as some of them, but it pushes the story forward and it's got an important plot point. Next chapter is gonna be very important and more emotional than this one I won't lie.
In the lead up to the exams Naruto worked hard, oh she had a few days off, which she mostly spent with Sakura and Karin, but most of the time was spent with Jiraiya coming up with new training techniques and idea's to help her incorporate her wind Chakra into the Rasengan. Jiraiya had cackled when she'd told him about her fight with Orochimaru and how she'd lured him in and used an incomplete version of it on him-especially when she'd demonstrated the destructive power of the Jutsu on a tree.
Training with Jiraiya was a challenge she hadn't ever faced before, the man was an idiot at times but he was a very skilled fighter, more often than not she came home covered in bruises and exhausted, but she was beyond happy with that, she could feel herself improving.
And the month passed far faster than Naruto had expected.
When the final three days before the exams came Naruto and Sakura were ordered to take a break from their training-Kakashi was apparently still teaching Sasuke something-he'd been very secretive as to what.
As for Sasuke... Naruto hadn't spoken to him since the day he'd stormed out of the Uzumaki compound.
Naruto wished she could forget the way he'd acted that day-he was her friend it wasn't right. He was like a brother to her-not that she'd outright told him that but she'd thought he understood, thought that he saw her as an annoying baby sister. The pain she felt at the thought that he wasn't ever going to speak to her again was, well, bad, her training, and her days with Sakura and Karin-who had settled nicely into Konoha and was incredibly happy with her life, were good distractions, but there was only so much they could do to distract her when, two days before the exams, they bumped into him-and he looked like crap, his eyes had bags under them and his skin was pale, and he was covered with bruises and the signs of hard training.
Of course the moment he saw the three girls he turned around and walked in the other direction.
Naruto would have chased after him, if she hadn't felt something brush against her arm.
When she turned her head to look behind her to see what it was her eyes widened when they settled on a pale looking Gaara, stood some distance away clearly trying to be somewhat stealthy.
She gave him a very small nod, before glancing at Sakura and Karin. "Sakura-chan can you take Karin-chan home for me?"
"What's going on?" Karin frowned, "Are you going after that asshole? He upset you I don't like him-"
"Karin-chan the situation with Sasuke is complicated." Naruto gave a weak smile, "But that's not the problem I just need to go speak with another friend."
"Gaara?" Sakura's brows furrowed, "Everything okay?"
"I dunno."
"He looks worried."
"Which is why I gotta go and talk to him." Naruto gave a small shrug, "I'll let you know what's up later." with that Naruto was turning and jogging towards Gaara, who turned so that his back was to her and took off himself-clearly he trusted that she could keep up with him as they moved through the streets of Konoha, towards the outskirts, and then up onto the Hokage monument.
And that was where Gaara stopped, perched on the top of her fathers spiky stone hair.
"What is it?" Naruto stared at Gaara's back.
Something was wrong. He wouldn't have sought her out if there wasn't something very, very wrong. Not like this anyway. It was like he hadn't wanted to be seen.
"My father arrived in Konoha this morning." Gaara's voice was monotone, "He has decided that we are to ally ourselves with Oto and attack Konoha." that made Naruto tense, her eyes widening in shock.
"What?"
"The plan is to attack during the exam, during my match against Dosu-san."
"Oh Kami." Naruto's face drained of blood, "That's bad."
"He's ordered me to kill as many Konoha Shinobi as I can."
"What did you say?"
"I agreed." Gaara admitted after a moment, "But I have informed Temari and Kankuro that we won't be attacking Konoha."
That made Naruto's shoulders loosen slightly. "You're going to betray your father." it wasn't a question but a statement, and Gaara nodded.
"You treated me like more than a monster, you fixed my seal and taught me that there is more to the world than death and destruction. I will not go against you Naruto-san."
"Thank you." Naruto's voice was soft, "If it comes down to it then I'll ensure that you and your siblings are safe in Konoha... I don't suppose you tried to talk him out of it?"
"My father won't listen to me." Gaara shook his head, "He never has before. Temari and Kankuro did try but it was useless, he listened to none of us."
"I see." Naruto bit her lip. "So what's the plan?"
"During my match a Genjutsu will be placed over the arena, and I am to attack as many people as I can."
"Right." Naruto nodded, letting out a heavy breath. "Well you being on our side should help."
"I will use my sand and defend as many as I can." Gaara promised, "My father is likely to target the Hokage."
"Of course." Naruto bit her lip, "I'll figure something out so that I can get to him and help." sure she wasn't Kage level yet, but she was strong and the old man could definitely do worse than having her there to back him up.
"Will you tell him?"
Naruto hesitated, thinking for a moment before shaking her head, "I don't think so.. I'm not sure what he'd do if he found out, with you and I working together we can mitigate any real damage. If the Hokage has your father arrested or killed before there's an attack the other villages would consider it an act of war, besides there's more to this... it's something to do with Oto I'm sure of it." she let out a frustrated sigh, shaking her head, "I just don't know what. But I do know that the only way to figure out what's going on is to let the attack happen-but the Sandaime wouldn't be able to do that-it's so risky and the backlash he'd get for allowing it is unreal. But even discounting that... cancelling the exams would make us look weak.. no the best plan is for us to screw up the plans without any of the adults taking over."
"I'll do whatever you suggest." Gaara gave a small nod. "Will you inform Sakura-san? Temari and Kankuro already know and will be on our side."
"That's good. Your sensei?"
"Will be on my fathers side." Gaara admitted, "Though he may switch sides when he realizes that I have decided to betray father. He's afraid of me, most of them are. They still see me as the demon. Most of them are unaware of the impact of the faulty seal and I've yet to tell father that it's been corrected."
"It gives us an advantage that they don't know. Can you keep up the act? Pretending that you're still-"
"That will be easy. I don't feel safe around my father so I wouldn't sleep near him in any case, and that would be the biggest giveaway."
"Just be careful okay Gaara-kun?" Naruto laid a hand on the red haired boys shoulder, "Us Jinchuriki have gotta stick together right." she paused before biting her thumb and swiping it over the seal on her wrist, pulling out one of her Hirashin kunai. "I want you to have this. All you have to do is push a bit of Chakra into it and I'll sense it. And I'll be there in an instant when you do okay?"
"Thank you Naruto-san." Gaara took the kunai carefully.
"Keep it hidden though, there's plenty of people who would recognize those kunai and it's best that we keep certain techniques I can use as secret weapons so to speak.
"Of course." Gaara nodded, tucking the kunai away safely before he stepped backwards. "I should go Naruto-san. Or my father will wonder where I've gone. And Baki-sensei will get suspicious. He already knows too much about our friendship."
"How much does he know?"
"He knows that you're unafraid of me and that Temari and Kankuro were completely comfortable with you taking me away during the preliminaries. He also knows we've been training together."
"It's more than I'd like him to know but we should be able to make things work out." Naruto said after a long moment of though, letting out a slow breath, "At this point we just have to work with the situation as it is." she turned her head, looking out over the village, and she could feel Gaara following her gaze
"You love your village."
"I do." there was no hesitation in Naruto's voice. "Don't you love Suna?"
"I.." Gaara hesitated for a long moment, "I don't know. I care for Temari and Kankuro. Love is new to me, I don't know how it feels. I know that Suna is home. It's not perfect but it is home."
"I've only been here a few months." Naruto admitted, running her fingers through her hair, the faint breeze causing it to go in her face. "I don't know most of the people here, I'm still learning. But... this is the place I was born. The village my parents loved." she smiled sadly, "This is the village they died for." she closed her eyes, "I think about them a lot. They chose to sacrifice themselves for Konoha, and for me." she opened them again, "I owe it to them to protect this village. I want to be like my dad. So I came here determined to love it. I dunno, maybe that had an effect on my attitude but I do love it. Call me biased if you want but as far as I'm concerned Konoha's the best village and one day I'm going to be like my father and I'll be the Hokage and protect it just like he did."
"An admirable dream." Gaara's voice was quiet. "I don't know what I wish to do with my future. I had resigned myself to a life of death and destruction, to a life as a weapon. Having freedom to choose what I may do is rather... hard to process." the boy admitted sounding almost sheepish.
"You'll figure it out. We're still kids really." Naruto gave Gaara a sidelong glance, "Kids who've killed before, but kids."
"You killed someone?" Gaara's voice was curious, and, well far be it for Naruto to dissuade any interest Gaara showed in anything other than fighting.
"Gato, he was a big time shipping magnate." Naruto gave a small shrug, "Hired some missing nin to kill my grandpa because my grandpa was building a bridge to try and regain from freedom for Wave."
"I see." Gaara nodded.
"Sometimes killing is necessary." Naruto admitted ,"It sucks, but that's just the way of the world Gaara. The important thing... or at least to me anyway, is to never view people as disposable. To only kill if you have to I think."
"I've killed a lot of people." Gaara admitted slowly, "A lot-"
"Well in your defense there were kinda different circumstances there." Naruto gave a wry smile, "Blame the dumbasses who incompetently sealed Shu' into you."
"I enjoyed it-"
"You were half insane." Naruto shook her head "As much I'd usually very firmly state that enjoying killing probably makes you a bit of a bad person you weren't in your right mind Gaara."
"How did you feel when you killed Gato?"
"I..." Naruto hesitated, "I felt relieved." she said after a long moment of thought, "And satisfied, I guess. I didn't enjoy it as such, but it was necessary and he got what he deserved and I won't allow myself to feel guilty for that." she shook her head.
"I see." Gaara slipped into silence and they stood staring over the village for several minutes before Gaara turned away.
"I will see you at the exams. Make sure you're ready."
"Of course." Naruto nodded, watching him as he left before letting her gaze sweep back over Konoha.
So.
War was coming was it? Hopefully she and Gaara could negate most of the damage and stop the war from being more than a pathetic skirmish... and perhaps she'd find out more about Oto... and Orochimaru maybe, all things considered his appearance at the exams was probably connected to the worrisome new alliance.
And thinking of Orochimaru dragged the bonde's thoughts to Sasuke and she sighed to herself.
She'd give him until the day before the exams. If he hadn't spoken to her before then she'd have to do something-she'd go to the Uchiha compound and corner him if she had to, anything to at least try and fix their friendship.
