Chapter 3: The First Battle Is The Hardest...
Ryu looked at the woods around him, listening to the birds and insects call out to each other. Gaara silently padded along, looking straight ahead. Ryu would've preferred listening to some music on his headphones, but he needed to listen to his surroundings even more. He had, after all, told Gaara that upon catching another bishie, Ryu would give Gaara his freedom. And he wasn't going to catch any more bishies if he couldn't hear his surroundings.
After another hour of walking, Ryu and Gaara came to a clearing, which had the look of having recent inhabitants. A circle of stones covered with ash told that someone had built a fire there not too long ago, while a few areas had the look of being picked clean of stones. There were also marks on the ground that looked to have been caused by a fridge in the rather recent past, and a few logs and rocks circled the fire, providing seats.
"We'll stop here for the day. I doubt we'll find a better camping spot."
Ryu swung his pack off and set it on the ground, then pulled out the capsule case. In short order, he and Gaara had set up a nice camping spot, and a fire was soon crackling merrily, over which roasted the last bit of food pilfered from Ryoki five days earlier, a few pieces of chicken, which Ryu sprinkled lightly with seasoning. Some potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil soon went into the flames to cook, and soon the clearing was filled with the smells of roasting chicken.
Ryu leaned back against a conveniently placed log before the fire, stretching his legs out so that they were placed close to the fire. Gaara picked a rock and sat down, pulling his left leg up to his chest, and resting his left arm on his knee. He stared blankly into the fire, his green eyes mirroring the flames.
"Gaara..."
Gaara looked up and over at Ryu, who was also looking into the fire absently, clearly troubled about something.
"When I caught you, you wanted to be set free so you could return home, and Ryoki's Sasuke said you couldn't return home. Will you tell me what happened?"
Gaara returned his attention to the fire and thought for a long while. Eventually, Ryu decided that Gaara wasn't going to tell him anything, and he started to stand.
"I was banished."
Ryu settled back into his previous position and waited. His patience was rewarded when Gaara continued, transferring his gaze to the sky, just as the first few stars became visible.
"My mother was a Hinata, and she never recovered fully from my birth. She was weak, and couldn't walk very well. I worked to support the two of us, and so I was gone a great portion of each day, leaving my mother home alone. One day I returned, and when I opened the door, my mother's screams shot out, and suddenly cut off. I rushed into the house, and found a sama level Mizuki was in our home... The bastard had ripped off my mother's shirt, and slapped her onto the ground to stop her screaming. He turned to face me, and we fought. I knew that no help would be coming soon, since we lived on the very outskirts of the village. So I gave it everything I had. In the end, I barely won, and the bastard ran screaming from the house. I rushed to my mother's side to see if she was all right. But I should've followed that Mizuki and killed him!!"
Ryu was rather surprised by the rage in Gaara's voice. He saw that Gaara had picked up a fist-sized rock sometime in the narrative, and that he had the rock in a knuckle white grip.
"I heard him start talking loudly with some more bishonen just outside the house. He told them a doctored version of events in which he played the hero, arriving just in time to witness me attack my mother, but how I had been too strong and vicious, driving him away. The other bishonen believed him completely, and rushed into the house. I had just covered up my mother when they came around the corner and attacked me."
At this point the rock in Gaara's hand was crushed as Gaara's anger got the better of him.
"The sand shield reacted as it always did, and protected my mother and me. But I was tired, and now fighting much stronger bishonen than Mizuki. I got my mother to a place where she would be out of harms way, then ran. I made it to a Naruto's house, and told him everything. He told me he'd take care of my mother, and that he'd try to sort this mess out. He then told me to hide out in the woods, so I left. The Sasuke that Ryoki captured was a messenger from Naruto. He told me that the people at large believed Mizuki and not me, and that I mustn't return on pain of death. So I headed away, hoping to get an area where I could make my home. Then you fell on me."
Ryu grinned at the memory.
"And you should've seen your face. Wish I had a camera."
The tension was broken, and both Gaara and Ryu laughed. Or Ryu laughed, Gaara merely grinned slightly.
"Well, I'm a man of my word, and when I catch another bishonen, I'll let you go if you want. I'll even hike back to the area I caught you, and let you go there."
Gaara considered that for a moment. He then shook his head, letting his left leg slide off the rock.
"No. I might as well as go with you. It's easier for both parties involved."
Ryu nodded at Gaara.
"Welcome aboard, Gaara of the Sand."
Gaara nodded back, and the two of them settled in to wait for the food to finish cooking.
Half an hour later, they were both eating a meal of roasted chicken and potatoes. There were two pieces of chicken left, as well as a potato, and Ryu was just reaching for another piece of chicken when a voice called out.
"Hello to camp!!"
Ryu's head snapped up, and he looked around, as did Gaara.
"I can smell the smoke from your fire, and hear your voices! Please share some food with me and my bishies, we're starving!"
Ryu glanced at Gaara who shrugged in response. Before shouting his reply, Ryu noticed that Gaara's gourd was un-corked, allowing the bishonen to attack instantly with his sand. Ryu nodded at him.
"Come on in! We've got a little food to share!"
Ryu and Gaara turned to study the bushes off to the left side of the clearing as a rather strange group walked out of them. In the lead was a girl, about 19, with mid back length brown hair, and hazel green eyes. She was dressed entirely in black, black form-fitting tank top, black yoga style pants, and black gym shoes, and the ensemble was completed with a black, waist length jacket. Ryu saw a necklace, but was too far away to see what kind of ornament it had.
Second in line was a Kurama, looking exactly like the TV series, dressed in his white and gray combat outfit, collected and composed. His hands were tucked into his pockets, and he studied Gaara and Ryu with calm eyes.
It was hard to tell who was third and who was fourth in line. A teenage Vash walked out of the bushes with some difficulty, dressed as usual in a flowing red trench coat. He was having some difficulty because a Sanosuke stood in front of him, his hands placed on Vash's chest as he did his best to keep Vash back. As Sanosuke's legs were leaving deep furrows in the ground while Vash walked steadily forward, his eyes fixed on the remaining chicken, it was obvious that Sanosuke wasn't having much success.
Kurama and the girl reached the fire, and sat on a log. Kurama ran a hand through his hair, and reached down to touch the ground. After a moment, vines suddenly erupted from the ground, winding around Vash's legs and succeeding in stopping his forward progress. Sanosuke relaxed, taking a deep breath in relief, and nodding his thanks to Kurama as he took a spot on another log. Kurama nodded in return, and Ryu noticed that Sanosuke's pants, instead of the too-short white pants, were a pair of black pants that actually reached his ankles, and were tied off.
Ryu stood up, and walked over to the fridge, which had remained un- capsulized, and rummaged in it, coming up with some hotdogs, and a box of unknown food. He walked back over to the fire, and placed the hotdogs over it, letting them cook. He fished out the last baked potato, and waved his hands at the food.
Kurama, Sanosuke, and the girl all grabbed an article of food; Sanosuke the potato, while Kurama and the girl grabbed the last two pieces of chicken. Ryu walked over to Vash, who was watching the other three members of his party eat, drooling heavily. Ryu held out the box, which Vash took with only half his attention. Ryu walked back to the fire as Vash opened the box, and a familiar sent reached his nose. Doughnuts.
"WOOHOO!!"
The three newcomers glanced up to see what Vash was yelling about, then went back to their own food as Vash wolfed down doughnuts. For a while, the only sounds were those of one person eating with the utmost of etiquette, two people attempting manners, and another person who gave etiquette not the barest glance.
Soon, the food was completely eaten, and peaceful silence reigned. Kurama had untied Vash's legs, allowing the bishonen to sit on another log, and a healthy bit of covert staring and not so covert glaring was going on. Most of them were covertly staring and studying each other, while Gaara just glared at everyone about him.
"Well, I suppose we should stop staring, and talk."
Everyone's attention switched to the girl.
"My name's Naomi Omiki."
Ryu nodded at her.
"Ryu Jeson."
Naomi nodded back before continuing to speak.
"Nice to meet you Ryu. You saved our lives with that food. I hate to encroach on your hospitality any more, but could you loan us some space of your camping ground?"
She opened her mouth to continue, but Ryu held up a hand, and made a sweeping gesture around him.
"There's plenty of space to go around."
She nodded, and stood, her bishonen standing as well. They walked over to an area of the clearing, and began to set up camp, un-capsulizing several capsules to reveal a tent, complete with sleeping bags, and a momentarily useless, portable kitchen set.
Soon the group was finished setting up their camp, and they returned to the logs around the fire. For a while, no one spoke, creating a comfortable silence. They either looked around at the surroundings, the sky with the slowly revealing stars, or into the fire, watching the flames. Soon night had fallen.
Ryu had slid off of his log, sitting on the ground leaning back against the log, with his legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He was idly staring into the flames, eyes unfocused. On the log next to him was Gaara, who was looking up at the stars. Naomi was also sitting on a log, but she had crossed her legs underneath her, and was also looking into the flames, her hands clasped in front of her face. Sanosuke had slid off his log completely and was lying down on the ground, his hands acting as cushions for his head, looking up at the stars. Vash, in stark contrast to everyone else, had fallen asleep sitting up, and was gently snoring, his chin resting on his chest. Kurama, while not asleep, had his eyes closed, and his hands intertwined in front of his face. He was sitting on a log all his own, and was thinking.
"So, you been here long?"
Ryu looked up and studied Naomi before answering.
"Just over two weeks. You?"
"Oh, a month or two. You lose track of time when you're having fun."
Ryu frowned a little, and went back to looking into the fire. Gaara glanced at Ryu out of the corner of his eye, but didn't say anything. Naomi also noticed Ryu's expression, but didn't comment on it, allowing Ryu his privacy.
"So, only two weeks huh? Feeling homesick yet?"
Ryu's head snapped up, and he glanced at Sano, his face carefully blank.
"What do you mean?"
Sano raised an eyebrow and elaborated.
"Well, bishonen get taken from their homes. For the most part, we don't mind. Some of us even enjoy it. A chance to get out and see the world. But trainer's...You leave your home unknowingly, but you choose to stay away, away from your family and friends. I imagine you'd be feeling pretty homesick right about now."
Whatever reaction Sano had been expecting, it certainly wasn't the one he got. Ryu started laughing.
It started as a chuckle, then into full blown laughter. It wasn't a nice laugh, not the kind of laugh you'd hear after a good joke. This was laughter filled with bitterness, sadness, and a little fear.
"Homesick?! HA! I'm probably in the minority here, but I had NOTHING to leave behind when I clicked that link. When I found out I could stay here, that was the first time I felt real happiness in...God, I can't even remember. Hmph. Homesickness. Leave that for the people who had a home and a family."
With that, Ryu stood and walked over to his sleeping bag, and climbed inside.
For a moment, Naomi's group looked at each other. Then Naomi shrugged, silently saying that it wasn't their business, and they headed for their own sleeping bags.
Gaara cast a look at Ryu's prone form, then turned back to the fire, casting an irritated glance at the still snoring Vash. Gaara was going to be in for a long night.
Naomi awoke quickly. She was normally a heavy sleeper, but outside, she slept lightly. She sat up, letting the sleeping bag fall away, and shivered slightly in the cooler air as goose bumps rose on her skin. She was glad she was in the tent, as she slept in a pair of pajamas, and would have privacy when she changed. She stripped off her pj's, and grabbed the change of clothes she had left out the night before, putting them on. She opened the door to the tent, and walked out, looking out over the camping ground.
Gaara and Vash were in the same spots as last night, Gaara staring into the still burning fire, Vash still snoring lightly. Sano and Kurama were in their own sleeping bags, still asleep. Ryu was still in his sleeping bag, but he appeared to have just woken up, as he was looking around groggily. She heard him mutter something, then watched as his arm left the sleeping bag and grabbed an article of clothing from the pile next to him. She recognized the clothes as the ones he was wearing last night.
His arm disappeared beneath the sleeping bag with the pants he had grabbed, and his head disappeared as well. As she watched the sleeping bag move while Ryu shuffled around inside it, she thought (So, he sleeps in just his underwear...). She shrugged. (To each his own, I suppose).
She went over to the fridge Ryu had left out, and opened it, seeing what she could find for breakfast. She disappeared behind the door as she rummaged through it, moving objects around. She reappeared a moment later with a large container of oatmeal, and walked over to the portable kitchen that one of her bishies un-capsulized. She put a large pot on the stove after filling it with water, and set it to boil after pouring in a large amount of oatmeal. She jumped slightly when someone spoke behind her.
"What are you doing with my oatmeal?"
She turned to find Ryu leaning against one of the doorjambs, staring at her blearily. His hair jutted out in every direction, and he had several days' worth of stubble on his chin. She also noticed a slight smell wafting from him.
"You look terrible. Didn't sleep well?"
He yawned.
"I've never been much of an outdoors person. Once I get enough cash, I'm going to buy a capsule house."
"Well, until then, you can borrow my shower."
She pulled out a capsule case, popped it open, and tossed him a single capsule.
"You smell a little, and you could use a shave."
He grinned as he rubbed his chin.
"What, the rugged look doesn't appeal to you?"
She snorted lightly.
"Maybe it does. But the rugged smell doesn't. Now go bathe."
He mock saluted her, turned, and walked over to his backpack, which was resting against one of the logs circling the fire place. Naomi went back to the oatmeal, stirring it a bit, then placing a lid over the pot. After a moment there was the sound of a capsule exploding, and the sound of a door opening. But not closing. Naomi looked up to see Ryu standing just outside the shower, a pair of clean clothes and a towel in one hand, a bathroom kit bag handing from his wrist, the door in the other hand, and a look of utter revulsion on his face. He turned slowly to look at her.
"Why in the hell is everything in here pink?"
She shrugged slightly.
"That was the color it came in. If I had known it was pink, I would've asked for another."
Ryu nodded, turned back to the bathroom, and with a little shudder, walked in, closing the door behind him.
"He's a brave man."
Naomi turned to see Sanosuke awake, leaning against the door jamb in almost the exact same position Ryu had been in a moment before. He was wearing his black pants, while his shirt was still lying next to his sleeping bag.
"How so?"
Sanosuke considered the bathroom a moment before answering Naomi's question.
"Well, first and foremost, everything in there IS pink. And the only person who I've seen so far who's comfortable with that color is Kurama."
Naomi nodded in affirmation.
"And secondly, that place is haunted."
It was stated in such a deadpan tone of truth that Naomi burst out laughing.
"Sano, how many times do I have to tell you, that there are no ghosts in technology?!"
"Yes there are! How else do you explain how those...THINGS do the stuff they do?!"
"Hey Sano!"
Sanosuke turned around to see who had called his name, temporarily forgetting his argument with Naomi. Naomi burst out laughing again as there was a click, flash, and a high pitched scream from Sanosuke.
Kurama was awake, and his fox sense of play was showing through. Especially when Kurama had his camera in hand.
Sano dove behind Naomi, crouching down so that she stood taller than him and effectively hiding him from view. Naomi laughed as Kurama put the camera away, and she stepped to the side, taking away Sano's hiding spot. He immediately tried to dive behind her again, but she seemed to turn to the left, back to the pot of oatmeal. He once again tried to dive behind her, but she crouched down, opening a cupboard and drawing forth a few bowls. Realizing that his hiding spot was moving around into the exact places that left him exposed, Sanosuke turned and fled. He ran over to the fire and hid behind Vash, who merely grunted slightly.
Kurama chuckled slightly and greeted Naomi with a small smile. She smiled back and returned the greeting, and they broke into small talk as the oatmeal cooked. Meanwhile Vash finally woke up as Sano grabbed his shoulder and pulled him slightly to the left, bringing him more effectively into the line of sight between the portable kitchen and the fire. Vash blinked stupidly at Sano, who gave up as Vash stood up and stretched, and moved off into the trees. Sano stood up and walked back to his sleeping back to grab his shirt, since it was a bit chilly out. Of course, he took the long way around, keeping as much distance between himself and the portable kitchen as possible.
Once Sano had retrieved his shirt and moved back to the fire, the oatmeal was done, and Naomi spooned it up into the bowls, and, with Kurama's help, carried it out to the others, passing the bowls around. As Naomi sat down on a log, the door to the bathroom opened and Ryu stepped out. He looked much better, his hair still damp and plastered to his head slightly, and his face clean shaven. He was wearing a short sleeved red shirt, which was revealed to have a gold dragon on the back when he turned around to close the door. His pants were a pair of gray jeans, which the shirt was tucked into, and he was barefoot.
He looked over at the group sitting around the fire, and Naomi pointed at the kitchen. Ryu nodded and walked over, spooning up a healthy portion of oatmeal into the bowl left on the counter. But instead of walking over to join the rest of them, Ryu headed for his fridge, walking gingerly over the rough ground. He opened it, and pulled out a jar of crunchy peanut butter, butter, a jar of honey, and milk. He added healthy portions of each condiment to his bowl of oatmeal, stirred it altogether, and gave it a taste. Finding it to his liking, he placed the items back in the fridge, then walked over and claimed a seat on a rock.
For a moment, he simply ate his oatmeal. He then noticed everyone staring at him, and looked up.
"What?"
They all shook their heads, except Gaara, who didn't bother with looking up from his food, and returned to their own oatmeal. Ryu shrugged and continued eating.
For a while, there was silence as everyone ate their breakfast. Once they were done, the dishes were carried back to the kitchen, where Naomi got Vash to wash them, while she and the rest of her bishies went about their morning routines and breaking down the camp. Naomi also got permission from Ryu to grab some of his food. Soon they were done and she saw that Ryu and Gaara were also packed up, and getting ready to leave. Naomi called out to them, effectively stopping them from leaving.
"Hang on guys!"
They stopped and turned around, looking at her in inquiry.
"Before we part ways, how about we battle?"
Ryu glanced at Gaara who shrugged.
"Alright. Obviously Gaara will be fighting for me. Who'll you have fighting for you?"
"Kurama. Vash wouldn't be able to use his gun, and Sano would freak."
"Oi, I would not freak!"
While Naomi nodded at Sano in a 'yeah, sure' way, Ryu spoke quietly to Gaara.
"Okay, Kurama, as far as I know, is pretty powerful, and he controls plants. Just watch out for it."
Gaara nodded, grinning slightly, as he stepped forward. He stopped when Ryu grabbed his arm.
"Listen Gaara, you can pull out if you want. I won't force you to battle."
Gaara merely shook his head, before stepping forward.
"I, Gaara, give my consent to battle for my trainer."
Kurama stepped forward while everyone else moved back.
"I, Kurama, give my consent to battle for my trainer."
Ryu and Naomi quickly conferred on the betting amount, and then Naomi stepped forward.
"BEGIN!!"
Kurama ran a hand through his hair, drawing forth a rose. Gaara merely crossed his arms, his gourd uncorked.
Kurama tensed as he sized Gaara up. Gaara had made no move to draw a weapon, or even get ready to defend himself. Kurama didn't know anything about Gaara, and his method of fighting, and he hoped Gaara didn't know about Kurama and his own fighting style.
(Time to see what he knows...)
Kurama raised his right hand, and sent energy into the rose, transforming it into his rose whip. Gaara's eyes widened slightly in surprise as Kurama suddenly shot forward, rose whip at the ready. Kurama noted Gaara's surprise, and was slightly relieved that Gaara didn't know about Kurama's abilities. But his relief was short lived when he saw Gaara still hadn't moved. Either Gaara was so surprised at Kurama's weapon that he froze, unlikely, or it didn't matter to Gaara what weapon Kurama drew forth.
Kurama reached a point where he could attack with the rose whip, and he swung it out, aiming for Gaara's face, then adding a flick of his wrist to bring the whip back around to lash at Gaara's chest. What happened next made both attacks mute, and shocked Kurama.
Sand poured forth from Gaara's uncorked gourd, and moved to intercept the whip, deflecting it easily. The sand then shot forward, toward Kurama, who rolled to the right to get out of its path, lashing out again at Gaara once he had rolled to his knees, aiming for the back of the other bishie's legs.
The sand once again deflected the attack harmlessly, moving with incredible speed to protect Gaara before the whip came within three feet. Kurama decided on a different tactic, and quickly ran his left hand through his hair, as well as jumping back, away from the sand which had once again moved toward him. Kurama landed on his feet, and jumped to his right, the sand still pursuing him. As soon as he landed, he jumped away again, this time to the other side of the imaginary battlefield boundaries, the sand nearly catching him.
Kurama looked at Gaara and the sand, and saw that more sand was pouring forth from Gaara's gourd to continue the pursuit of Kurama, while the rest of the sand was quickly returning, so as not to leave Gaara undefended.
Kurama sent a portion of his power into the seed in his left hand, and quickly knelt down, placing the seed on the ground. He once again leaped away, the sand reaching his current location, and slid to a stop on landing, the sand leaving him alone for a moment. Instead, the sand slowly returned to Gaara, and disappeared inside his gourd.
At some point Gaara's head had bowed slightly, hiding his eyes in shadow. Kurama took a moment to smell the air, trying to catch Gaara's sent and determine his emotions. The smell Kurama received was rather unexpected. Gaara's sent was masked rather well by the smell emanating from the sand that moved to protect Gaara, quite possibly independent of the binshonen's will.
Blood.
"What's up with that sand?"
Ryu looked at Naomi out of the corner of his eye before answering Sanosuke's question.
"It's what makes Gaara so powerful. In his world, it's called an 'absolute defense'. The sand moves on its own, independent of Gaara's will, to protect him from any attack."
Naomi frowned as the information sank in, and her frown deepened as Sanosuke spoke up.
"Hmph. I wouldn't have freaked. It's just a bunch of sand."
"Sand which you could say is possessed by the spirits of the dead."
Sanosuke blanched.
"That sand is filled with the blood of all the people Gaara's killed."
Naomi snapped her attention to Ryu, suddenly concerned. Ryu looked thoughtful as he watched Kurama once again lash at Gaara, then dance back as the sand tried to engulf him.
"I don't think Gaara's ever killed anyone though. I think that the gourd, and the bloody sand, is all a part of his san stage."
Naomi turned back to the battle, watching intently.
Kurama leaped away from the sand that loomed over him, landing ten feet away and panting slightly. That sand was fast. Not quite as fast as Kurama, but close. And Kurama had yet to land one blow on Gaara. The sand deflected every attack he made, never mind the fact that Kurama's whip could cut through things like solid steal. Very irritating.
Gaara raised his head, revealing his eyes from shadow, and stared at Kurama. Gaara's pupils had contracted to a much smaller size, and his eyes had become bloodshot. His mouth had opened slightly, and he was wheezing slightly. Kurama's eyes narrowed as he reached out with his power to gauge the progress of the seed he had planted on the ground.
His eyebrows drew together, nearly forming a solid line of red on Kurama's forehead. Good. The plant that sprouted from the seed had spread all throughout the clearing.
Kurama relaxed, and coiled his whip, placing his left hand in his pocket. Ignoring the slight looks of surprise from his trainer and fellow bishies, and the considering look on Ryu's face, Kurama gave the plant that now grew through the entire clearing a little more power, and guided it through its actions.
Gaara closed his mouth, breathing heavily through his nose. The rush in his veins that always appeared when he fought was there, and Gaara fought it down. He looked at Kurama, considering what action the other was about to take.
Gaara's eyes blinked in surprise as he heard a faint cracking sound. Then the sand in his gourd came alive as vines suddenly shot out of the ground directly underneath him and from the ground in a circle all around him. Gaara had a brief glimpse of the vines reaching a height equal to his waist in an instant, then everything was suddenly obscured in sand, and Gaara felt himself rise nearly half a foot into the air, supported on a small platform of sand.
Kurama frowned as a dust cloud was kicked up around Gaara for a moment, obscuring the other bishie's fate. Then the dust cleared and Kurama felt his mouth open slightly in surprise.
Gaara stood as he been throughout the entire fight, his arms crossed. His sand had once again protected him, forming a solid shell around him, blocking all the vines. Through a gaping hole in the shell where no vines had tried to attack Gaara was visible, supported on a slight mound of sand, protecting him from the vines that had sprouted directly beneath him. Kurama closed his mouth and sent a little more power down the plant, and vines shot for the largest gap in the shell. Sand suddenly flew up from the ground, forming another piece of shell and effortlessly stopping the vines.
Gaara uncrossed his arms and the sand suddenly exploded outward, tearing the vines apart. The sand lay on the ground as a great amount of sand poured from Gaara's gourd and moved to attack Kurama. Kurama jumped out of the way, thinking quickly.
(I can't attack him so long as the sand protects him. I have to immobilize the sand. But how?)
Kurama's left foot touched the ground and he propelled himself into the air again, the sand shooting after him. But as Kurama's foot touched the ground, he suddenly realized how he could stop the sand.
Kurama once again landed, but this time he did not jump away, despite the fact that the sand suddenly loomed over him, ready to engulf him. Instead, he uncoiled his whip, and lashed out, cutting deep into the sand and effectively scattering it all over the ground. Kurama then sent a large amount of his power into the ground, before leaping away as the sand once again rose up.
Kurama then began a complex game of cat and mouse with the sand, always staying just out of reach, though at times he had to strain to do so. But every time he touched the ground, no matter how brief, he sent as much power into the ground as he could before he had to leap away again.
This continued for several minutes until a loll in the dodging arrived when the sand left him alone for a moment. Kurama panted heavily. He had been using up his power, and was running low. He had to finish this quickly, or be forced to forfeit.
Kurama turned to Gaara, who looked totally relaxed with only a slight sheen of sweat on his head, and rushed him, drawing back his whip. Gaara's eyes widened as Kurama once again went on the attack, but he didn't move, waiting for Kurama to reach him.
On the sidelines, Ryu watched the battle, and listened as Kurama's party gave their support to the red haired bishonen in their own ways. Something was nagging at his mind. Kurama would not have dodged for so long without a reason. He was a smart, cunning, and ruthless fighter, who wouldn't need that long to come up with a plan. And with his plants, he had a wide variety of tools to use. And with Kurama suddenly charging Gaara, that meant that his plan was already in motion.
Ryu just couldn't figure out what the plan was.
In frustration he glanced down at the ground, and at Gaara's sand. And suddenly he realized what Kurama was doing. His head snapped up and he shouted out across the battlefield, surprising Naomi and her bishies.
"Gaara, MOVE!!"
Gaara glanced at Ryu in surprise, but before he could decide whether or not to follow Ryu's order and move, Kurama reached him and lashed out with his whip once again.
And connected, snapping Gaara's head to his left, then pulling Gaara's upper body down when Kurama flicked his wrist and the whip snapped across Gaara's left shoulder and traveled down toward Gaara's right hip.
A stunned silence encompassed the spectators as Kurama once again lashed out with his whip, wrapping it around Gaara's right leg, and sending him sprawling across the ground. Kurama pressed his advantage, lashing out at Gaara repeatedly.
After a moment, Kurama relented, and Gaara climbed to his feet, his back facing Kurama. The last attack had spun Gaara around, and he had landed nearly face first onto the ground. Gaara turned around to face Kurama, and Kurama took a step back in surprise.
It was a mix of things that made Kurama step back. One of them was the absolutely crazed grin on Gaara's features, and the single, pained wheeze he gave. Another was that Gaara was even able to stand at all. But the greatest thing that made Kurama back up was that Gaara's skin had cracked.
Kurama stared, open mouthed, as every spot he had hit Gaara was now decorated with a network of cracks, like mud when it dried in the sun. Gaara's skin was slowly turning the same brown as the sand, and parts of his face fell away, turning into sand. Revealing normal, unmarked skin just beneath.
"I see. You also cover yourself with an invisible layer of sand...Very creative. But..."
Kurama once again lashed out, wrapping the whip around Gaara's throat and lifting him into the air, throwing him across the clearing.
Gaara stood, and revealed his face, showing that he was once again unmarked. He was panting, and glaring at Kurama, but he was unmarked.
Kurama too was panting, but he charged Gaara regardless, lashing out repeatedly with his whip, determined to break apart Gaara's sand armor. With each blow, the sand slowly chipped away. Even as it was repaired, Kurama struck out again, dealing further damage. At the pace he was going, Gaara's sand armor would soon be totally destroyed. Kurama ran a hand through his hair, gathering a seed, and prepared for the moment when Gaara's armor would finally be totally gone.
Kurama dealt one lash blow to Gaara, the whip striking the boy on the left temple where the last of the sand was, and propelling him through the air to crash onto the ground. Kurama ran after him, using the last of his power to make the seed in his hand sprout.
Gaara rolled over on the ground, lying on his stomach. He looked to the left and saw Kurama running at him. Gaara pushed himself up on his elbow, his energy low from repairing the sand armor through Kurama's assault, and shouted.
"ENOUGH!"
Gaara's left arm extending, his fingers crooked, and there was a sudden rumble from the ground. Kurama glanced down, and sand suddenly exploded upward, wrapping around his legs, then his arms and hands, prying the plants away, and finally around his neck and head, leaving only his face exposed. He felt himself rise into the air, Gaara's arm pointed right at Kurama's sand prison. Gaara panted, and stood up once again, lowering his arm. Kurama stayed in the air, surrounded by sand.
Ryu breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried for several minutes.
"This battle is over. Gaara wins."
The other spectator's turned to him, Naomi clearly angry that he would make such a call. Ryu held up his hand stopping the outburst from her open mouth.
"If this was a true fight, Kurama would have been crushed instantly by the sand the moment he was caught. That's how Gaara kills people in the series. He wraps them in sand, and then makes it crush them, killing them instantly before they can feel any pain. Or if you want, Gaara could cut off Kurama's air until he passes out?"
Naomi opened her mouth to protest, but then thought about the situation, and nodded. Gaara lowered the sand to the ground, and it fell away, revealing Kurama, who sat down in relief, taking huge breaths. Gaara joined him on the ground, also panting heavily, as the other bishies and the two trainers ran over.
General sayings of 'good fight' and 'nice moves' abounded, with a few critiquing sayings such as 'well next time you know.' The trainers both looked over their respective bishies, examining them to make sure they were alright. Both were revealed to be merely tired, and uninjured.
"One thing I don't get though, why didn't Gaara's sand protect him?"
Ryu looked at Naomi, and then glanced at Kurama and Gaara, seeing if either of them would like to explain. Gaara looked interested, not knowing how Kurama stopped his sand, while Kurama merely shrugged, too tired to explain. Ryu spoke.
"Kurama used the vine to hold the sand in place."
Naomi looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm...how do I...ah. Do you know why plants are so important for when a flood comes? Or strong winds?"
There were general expressions of both realization and confusion, so Ryu elaborated.
"Plants are the most important thing when a flood or wind comes because they hold down the soil. If there are no plants, the soil is free to move around. That's how such things as dust storms come into existence. There aren't any plant roots to hold down the soil. Kurama just used that principle to hold the sand in place, allowing him to attack Gaara. He had already planted the vine, as we saw, for when he sprung his surprise attack on Gaara. That didn't work, so, he used the plant for something else."
Ryu looked at Kurama.
"Right?"
Kurama nodded, still breathing heavily. Naomi noticed his condition, and held up Kurama's bishball. He grimaced in distaste, but saw the wisdom in the idea, and vanished into the ball. Ryu followed suit, but he merely held the ball up, and let Gaara decide what to do. Gaara merely glanced at the ball, and then stubbornly stood up. Ryu shrugged, and replaced the ball on his belt. Naomi grinned.
"Heh. Quite the Bishonen you've got there."
She handed over a pouch, which Ryu pocketed, and he grinned back, extending his hand.
"Yours aren't too shabby either. 'Till we meet again Naomi."
They shook hands, and suddenly everyone was grinning, even Gaara. Though his grin looked slightly like a scowl, everyone could see it in his eyes.
The two trainers nodded at each other, then walked in opposite directions.
:Author's Notes:
So, what'd you think? Was it good, bad? Was the fight interesting, or do I need to work on it?
Ryu looked at the woods around him, listening to the birds and insects call out to each other. Gaara silently padded along, looking straight ahead. Ryu would've preferred listening to some music on his headphones, but he needed to listen to his surroundings even more. He had, after all, told Gaara that upon catching another bishie, Ryu would give Gaara his freedom. And he wasn't going to catch any more bishies if he couldn't hear his surroundings.
After another hour of walking, Ryu and Gaara came to a clearing, which had the look of having recent inhabitants. A circle of stones covered with ash told that someone had built a fire there not too long ago, while a few areas had the look of being picked clean of stones. There were also marks on the ground that looked to have been caused by a fridge in the rather recent past, and a few logs and rocks circled the fire, providing seats.
"We'll stop here for the day. I doubt we'll find a better camping spot."
Ryu swung his pack off and set it on the ground, then pulled out the capsule case. In short order, he and Gaara had set up a nice camping spot, and a fire was soon crackling merrily, over which roasted the last bit of food pilfered from Ryoki five days earlier, a few pieces of chicken, which Ryu sprinkled lightly with seasoning. Some potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil soon went into the flames to cook, and soon the clearing was filled with the smells of roasting chicken.
Ryu leaned back against a conveniently placed log before the fire, stretching his legs out so that they were placed close to the fire. Gaara picked a rock and sat down, pulling his left leg up to his chest, and resting his left arm on his knee. He stared blankly into the fire, his green eyes mirroring the flames.
"Gaara..."
Gaara looked up and over at Ryu, who was also looking into the fire absently, clearly troubled about something.
"When I caught you, you wanted to be set free so you could return home, and Ryoki's Sasuke said you couldn't return home. Will you tell me what happened?"
Gaara returned his attention to the fire and thought for a long while. Eventually, Ryu decided that Gaara wasn't going to tell him anything, and he started to stand.
"I was banished."
Ryu settled back into his previous position and waited. His patience was rewarded when Gaara continued, transferring his gaze to the sky, just as the first few stars became visible.
"My mother was a Hinata, and she never recovered fully from my birth. She was weak, and couldn't walk very well. I worked to support the two of us, and so I was gone a great portion of each day, leaving my mother home alone. One day I returned, and when I opened the door, my mother's screams shot out, and suddenly cut off. I rushed into the house, and found a sama level Mizuki was in our home... The bastard had ripped off my mother's shirt, and slapped her onto the ground to stop her screaming. He turned to face me, and we fought. I knew that no help would be coming soon, since we lived on the very outskirts of the village. So I gave it everything I had. In the end, I barely won, and the bastard ran screaming from the house. I rushed to my mother's side to see if she was all right. But I should've followed that Mizuki and killed him!!"
Ryu was rather surprised by the rage in Gaara's voice. He saw that Gaara had picked up a fist-sized rock sometime in the narrative, and that he had the rock in a knuckle white grip.
"I heard him start talking loudly with some more bishonen just outside the house. He told them a doctored version of events in which he played the hero, arriving just in time to witness me attack my mother, but how I had been too strong and vicious, driving him away. The other bishonen believed him completely, and rushed into the house. I had just covered up my mother when they came around the corner and attacked me."
At this point the rock in Gaara's hand was crushed as Gaara's anger got the better of him.
"The sand shield reacted as it always did, and protected my mother and me. But I was tired, and now fighting much stronger bishonen than Mizuki. I got my mother to a place where she would be out of harms way, then ran. I made it to a Naruto's house, and told him everything. He told me he'd take care of my mother, and that he'd try to sort this mess out. He then told me to hide out in the woods, so I left. The Sasuke that Ryoki captured was a messenger from Naruto. He told me that the people at large believed Mizuki and not me, and that I mustn't return on pain of death. So I headed away, hoping to get an area where I could make my home. Then you fell on me."
Ryu grinned at the memory.
"And you should've seen your face. Wish I had a camera."
The tension was broken, and both Gaara and Ryu laughed. Or Ryu laughed, Gaara merely grinned slightly.
"Well, I'm a man of my word, and when I catch another bishonen, I'll let you go if you want. I'll even hike back to the area I caught you, and let you go there."
Gaara considered that for a moment. He then shook his head, letting his left leg slide off the rock.
"No. I might as well as go with you. It's easier for both parties involved."
Ryu nodded at Gaara.
"Welcome aboard, Gaara of the Sand."
Gaara nodded back, and the two of them settled in to wait for the food to finish cooking.
Half an hour later, they were both eating a meal of roasted chicken and potatoes. There were two pieces of chicken left, as well as a potato, and Ryu was just reaching for another piece of chicken when a voice called out.
"Hello to camp!!"
Ryu's head snapped up, and he looked around, as did Gaara.
"I can smell the smoke from your fire, and hear your voices! Please share some food with me and my bishies, we're starving!"
Ryu glanced at Gaara who shrugged in response. Before shouting his reply, Ryu noticed that Gaara's gourd was un-corked, allowing the bishonen to attack instantly with his sand. Ryu nodded at him.
"Come on in! We've got a little food to share!"
Ryu and Gaara turned to study the bushes off to the left side of the clearing as a rather strange group walked out of them. In the lead was a girl, about 19, with mid back length brown hair, and hazel green eyes. She was dressed entirely in black, black form-fitting tank top, black yoga style pants, and black gym shoes, and the ensemble was completed with a black, waist length jacket. Ryu saw a necklace, but was too far away to see what kind of ornament it had.
Second in line was a Kurama, looking exactly like the TV series, dressed in his white and gray combat outfit, collected and composed. His hands were tucked into his pockets, and he studied Gaara and Ryu with calm eyes.
It was hard to tell who was third and who was fourth in line. A teenage Vash walked out of the bushes with some difficulty, dressed as usual in a flowing red trench coat. He was having some difficulty because a Sanosuke stood in front of him, his hands placed on Vash's chest as he did his best to keep Vash back. As Sanosuke's legs were leaving deep furrows in the ground while Vash walked steadily forward, his eyes fixed on the remaining chicken, it was obvious that Sanosuke wasn't having much success.
Kurama and the girl reached the fire, and sat on a log. Kurama ran a hand through his hair, and reached down to touch the ground. After a moment, vines suddenly erupted from the ground, winding around Vash's legs and succeeding in stopping his forward progress. Sanosuke relaxed, taking a deep breath in relief, and nodding his thanks to Kurama as he took a spot on another log. Kurama nodded in return, and Ryu noticed that Sanosuke's pants, instead of the too-short white pants, were a pair of black pants that actually reached his ankles, and were tied off.
Ryu stood up, and walked over to the fridge, which had remained un- capsulized, and rummaged in it, coming up with some hotdogs, and a box of unknown food. He walked back over to the fire, and placed the hotdogs over it, letting them cook. He fished out the last baked potato, and waved his hands at the food.
Kurama, Sanosuke, and the girl all grabbed an article of food; Sanosuke the potato, while Kurama and the girl grabbed the last two pieces of chicken. Ryu walked over to Vash, who was watching the other three members of his party eat, drooling heavily. Ryu held out the box, which Vash took with only half his attention. Ryu walked back to the fire as Vash opened the box, and a familiar sent reached his nose. Doughnuts.
"WOOHOO!!"
The three newcomers glanced up to see what Vash was yelling about, then went back to their own food as Vash wolfed down doughnuts. For a while, the only sounds were those of one person eating with the utmost of etiquette, two people attempting manners, and another person who gave etiquette not the barest glance.
Soon, the food was completely eaten, and peaceful silence reigned. Kurama had untied Vash's legs, allowing the bishonen to sit on another log, and a healthy bit of covert staring and not so covert glaring was going on. Most of them were covertly staring and studying each other, while Gaara just glared at everyone about him.
"Well, I suppose we should stop staring, and talk."
Everyone's attention switched to the girl.
"My name's Naomi Omiki."
Ryu nodded at her.
"Ryu Jeson."
Naomi nodded back before continuing to speak.
"Nice to meet you Ryu. You saved our lives with that food. I hate to encroach on your hospitality any more, but could you loan us some space of your camping ground?"
She opened her mouth to continue, but Ryu held up a hand, and made a sweeping gesture around him.
"There's plenty of space to go around."
She nodded, and stood, her bishonen standing as well. They walked over to an area of the clearing, and began to set up camp, un-capsulizing several capsules to reveal a tent, complete with sleeping bags, and a momentarily useless, portable kitchen set.
Soon the group was finished setting up their camp, and they returned to the logs around the fire. For a while, no one spoke, creating a comfortable silence. They either looked around at the surroundings, the sky with the slowly revealing stars, or into the fire, watching the flames. Soon night had fallen.
Ryu had slid off of his log, sitting on the ground leaning back against the log, with his legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He was idly staring into the flames, eyes unfocused. On the log next to him was Gaara, who was looking up at the stars. Naomi was also sitting on a log, but she had crossed her legs underneath her, and was also looking into the flames, her hands clasped in front of her face. Sanosuke had slid off his log completely and was lying down on the ground, his hands acting as cushions for his head, looking up at the stars. Vash, in stark contrast to everyone else, had fallen asleep sitting up, and was gently snoring, his chin resting on his chest. Kurama, while not asleep, had his eyes closed, and his hands intertwined in front of his face. He was sitting on a log all his own, and was thinking.
"So, you been here long?"
Ryu looked up and studied Naomi before answering.
"Just over two weeks. You?"
"Oh, a month or two. You lose track of time when you're having fun."
Ryu frowned a little, and went back to looking into the fire. Gaara glanced at Ryu out of the corner of his eye, but didn't say anything. Naomi also noticed Ryu's expression, but didn't comment on it, allowing Ryu his privacy.
"So, only two weeks huh? Feeling homesick yet?"
Ryu's head snapped up, and he glanced at Sano, his face carefully blank.
"What do you mean?"
Sano raised an eyebrow and elaborated.
"Well, bishonen get taken from their homes. For the most part, we don't mind. Some of us even enjoy it. A chance to get out and see the world. But trainer's...You leave your home unknowingly, but you choose to stay away, away from your family and friends. I imagine you'd be feeling pretty homesick right about now."
Whatever reaction Sano had been expecting, it certainly wasn't the one he got. Ryu started laughing.
It started as a chuckle, then into full blown laughter. It wasn't a nice laugh, not the kind of laugh you'd hear after a good joke. This was laughter filled with bitterness, sadness, and a little fear.
"Homesick?! HA! I'm probably in the minority here, but I had NOTHING to leave behind when I clicked that link. When I found out I could stay here, that was the first time I felt real happiness in...God, I can't even remember. Hmph. Homesickness. Leave that for the people who had a home and a family."
With that, Ryu stood and walked over to his sleeping bag, and climbed inside.
For a moment, Naomi's group looked at each other. Then Naomi shrugged, silently saying that it wasn't their business, and they headed for their own sleeping bags.
Gaara cast a look at Ryu's prone form, then turned back to the fire, casting an irritated glance at the still snoring Vash. Gaara was going to be in for a long night.
Naomi awoke quickly. She was normally a heavy sleeper, but outside, she slept lightly. She sat up, letting the sleeping bag fall away, and shivered slightly in the cooler air as goose bumps rose on her skin. She was glad she was in the tent, as she slept in a pair of pajamas, and would have privacy when she changed. She stripped off her pj's, and grabbed the change of clothes she had left out the night before, putting them on. She opened the door to the tent, and walked out, looking out over the camping ground.
Gaara and Vash were in the same spots as last night, Gaara staring into the still burning fire, Vash still snoring lightly. Sano and Kurama were in their own sleeping bags, still asleep. Ryu was still in his sleeping bag, but he appeared to have just woken up, as he was looking around groggily. She heard him mutter something, then watched as his arm left the sleeping bag and grabbed an article of clothing from the pile next to him. She recognized the clothes as the ones he was wearing last night.
His arm disappeared beneath the sleeping bag with the pants he had grabbed, and his head disappeared as well. As she watched the sleeping bag move while Ryu shuffled around inside it, she thought (So, he sleeps in just his underwear...). She shrugged. (To each his own, I suppose).
She went over to the fridge Ryu had left out, and opened it, seeing what she could find for breakfast. She disappeared behind the door as she rummaged through it, moving objects around. She reappeared a moment later with a large container of oatmeal, and walked over to the portable kitchen that one of her bishies un-capsulized. She put a large pot on the stove after filling it with water, and set it to boil after pouring in a large amount of oatmeal. She jumped slightly when someone spoke behind her.
"What are you doing with my oatmeal?"
She turned to find Ryu leaning against one of the doorjambs, staring at her blearily. His hair jutted out in every direction, and he had several days' worth of stubble on his chin. She also noticed a slight smell wafting from him.
"You look terrible. Didn't sleep well?"
He yawned.
"I've never been much of an outdoors person. Once I get enough cash, I'm going to buy a capsule house."
"Well, until then, you can borrow my shower."
She pulled out a capsule case, popped it open, and tossed him a single capsule.
"You smell a little, and you could use a shave."
He grinned as he rubbed his chin.
"What, the rugged look doesn't appeal to you?"
She snorted lightly.
"Maybe it does. But the rugged smell doesn't. Now go bathe."
He mock saluted her, turned, and walked over to his backpack, which was resting against one of the logs circling the fire place. Naomi went back to the oatmeal, stirring it a bit, then placing a lid over the pot. After a moment there was the sound of a capsule exploding, and the sound of a door opening. But not closing. Naomi looked up to see Ryu standing just outside the shower, a pair of clean clothes and a towel in one hand, a bathroom kit bag handing from his wrist, the door in the other hand, and a look of utter revulsion on his face. He turned slowly to look at her.
"Why in the hell is everything in here pink?"
She shrugged slightly.
"That was the color it came in. If I had known it was pink, I would've asked for another."
Ryu nodded, turned back to the bathroom, and with a little shudder, walked in, closing the door behind him.
"He's a brave man."
Naomi turned to see Sanosuke awake, leaning against the door jamb in almost the exact same position Ryu had been in a moment before. He was wearing his black pants, while his shirt was still lying next to his sleeping bag.
"How so?"
Sanosuke considered the bathroom a moment before answering Naomi's question.
"Well, first and foremost, everything in there IS pink. And the only person who I've seen so far who's comfortable with that color is Kurama."
Naomi nodded in affirmation.
"And secondly, that place is haunted."
It was stated in such a deadpan tone of truth that Naomi burst out laughing.
"Sano, how many times do I have to tell you, that there are no ghosts in technology?!"
"Yes there are! How else do you explain how those...THINGS do the stuff they do?!"
"Hey Sano!"
Sanosuke turned around to see who had called his name, temporarily forgetting his argument with Naomi. Naomi burst out laughing again as there was a click, flash, and a high pitched scream from Sanosuke.
Kurama was awake, and his fox sense of play was showing through. Especially when Kurama had his camera in hand.
Sano dove behind Naomi, crouching down so that she stood taller than him and effectively hiding him from view. Naomi laughed as Kurama put the camera away, and she stepped to the side, taking away Sano's hiding spot. He immediately tried to dive behind her again, but she seemed to turn to the left, back to the pot of oatmeal. He once again tried to dive behind her, but she crouched down, opening a cupboard and drawing forth a few bowls. Realizing that his hiding spot was moving around into the exact places that left him exposed, Sanosuke turned and fled. He ran over to the fire and hid behind Vash, who merely grunted slightly.
Kurama chuckled slightly and greeted Naomi with a small smile. She smiled back and returned the greeting, and they broke into small talk as the oatmeal cooked. Meanwhile Vash finally woke up as Sano grabbed his shoulder and pulled him slightly to the left, bringing him more effectively into the line of sight between the portable kitchen and the fire. Vash blinked stupidly at Sano, who gave up as Vash stood up and stretched, and moved off into the trees. Sano stood up and walked back to his sleeping back to grab his shirt, since it was a bit chilly out. Of course, he took the long way around, keeping as much distance between himself and the portable kitchen as possible.
Once Sano had retrieved his shirt and moved back to the fire, the oatmeal was done, and Naomi spooned it up into the bowls, and, with Kurama's help, carried it out to the others, passing the bowls around. As Naomi sat down on a log, the door to the bathroom opened and Ryu stepped out. He looked much better, his hair still damp and plastered to his head slightly, and his face clean shaven. He was wearing a short sleeved red shirt, which was revealed to have a gold dragon on the back when he turned around to close the door. His pants were a pair of gray jeans, which the shirt was tucked into, and he was barefoot.
He looked over at the group sitting around the fire, and Naomi pointed at the kitchen. Ryu nodded and walked over, spooning up a healthy portion of oatmeal into the bowl left on the counter. But instead of walking over to join the rest of them, Ryu headed for his fridge, walking gingerly over the rough ground. He opened it, and pulled out a jar of crunchy peanut butter, butter, a jar of honey, and milk. He added healthy portions of each condiment to his bowl of oatmeal, stirred it altogether, and gave it a taste. Finding it to his liking, he placed the items back in the fridge, then walked over and claimed a seat on a rock.
For a moment, he simply ate his oatmeal. He then noticed everyone staring at him, and looked up.
"What?"
They all shook their heads, except Gaara, who didn't bother with looking up from his food, and returned to their own oatmeal. Ryu shrugged and continued eating.
For a while, there was silence as everyone ate their breakfast. Once they were done, the dishes were carried back to the kitchen, where Naomi got Vash to wash them, while she and the rest of her bishies went about their morning routines and breaking down the camp. Naomi also got permission from Ryu to grab some of his food. Soon they were done and she saw that Ryu and Gaara were also packed up, and getting ready to leave. Naomi called out to them, effectively stopping them from leaving.
"Hang on guys!"
They stopped and turned around, looking at her in inquiry.
"Before we part ways, how about we battle?"
Ryu glanced at Gaara who shrugged.
"Alright. Obviously Gaara will be fighting for me. Who'll you have fighting for you?"
"Kurama. Vash wouldn't be able to use his gun, and Sano would freak."
"Oi, I would not freak!"
While Naomi nodded at Sano in a 'yeah, sure' way, Ryu spoke quietly to Gaara.
"Okay, Kurama, as far as I know, is pretty powerful, and he controls plants. Just watch out for it."
Gaara nodded, grinning slightly, as he stepped forward. He stopped when Ryu grabbed his arm.
"Listen Gaara, you can pull out if you want. I won't force you to battle."
Gaara merely shook his head, before stepping forward.
"I, Gaara, give my consent to battle for my trainer."
Kurama stepped forward while everyone else moved back.
"I, Kurama, give my consent to battle for my trainer."
Ryu and Naomi quickly conferred on the betting amount, and then Naomi stepped forward.
"BEGIN!!"
Kurama ran a hand through his hair, drawing forth a rose. Gaara merely crossed his arms, his gourd uncorked.
Kurama tensed as he sized Gaara up. Gaara had made no move to draw a weapon, or even get ready to defend himself. Kurama didn't know anything about Gaara, and his method of fighting, and he hoped Gaara didn't know about Kurama and his own fighting style.
(Time to see what he knows...)
Kurama raised his right hand, and sent energy into the rose, transforming it into his rose whip. Gaara's eyes widened slightly in surprise as Kurama suddenly shot forward, rose whip at the ready. Kurama noted Gaara's surprise, and was slightly relieved that Gaara didn't know about Kurama's abilities. But his relief was short lived when he saw Gaara still hadn't moved. Either Gaara was so surprised at Kurama's weapon that he froze, unlikely, or it didn't matter to Gaara what weapon Kurama drew forth.
Kurama reached a point where he could attack with the rose whip, and he swung it out, aiming for Gaara's face, then adding a flick of his wrist to bring the whip back around to lash at Gaara's chest. What happened next made both attacks mute, and shocked Kurama.
Sand poured forth from Gaara's uncorked gourd, and moved to intercept the whip, deflecting it easily. The sand then shot forward, toward Kurama, who rolled to the right to get out of its path, lashing out again at Gaara once he had rolled to his knees, aiming for the back of the other bishie's legs.
The sand once again deflected the attack harmlessly, moving with incredible speed to protect Gaara before the whip came within three feet. Kurama decided on a different tactic, and quickly ran his left hand through his hair, as well as jumping back, away from the sand which had once again moved toward him. Kurama landed on his feet, and jumped to his right, the sand still pursuing him. As soon as he landed, he jumped away again, this time to the other side of the imaginary battlefield boundaries, the sand nearly catching him.
Kurama looked at Gaara and the sand, and saw that more sand was pouring forth from Gaara's gourd to continue the pursuit of Kurama, while the rest of the sand was quickly returning, so as not to leave Gaara undefended.
Kurama sent a portion of his power into the seed in his left hand, and quickly knelt down, placing the seed on the ground. He once again leaped away, the sand reaching his current location, and slid to a stop on landing, the sand leaving him alone for a moment. Instead, the sand slowly returned to Gaara, and disappeared inside his gourd.
At some point Gaara's head had bowed slightly, hiding his eyes in shadow. Kurama took a moment to smell the air, trying to catch Gaara's sent and determine his emotions. The smell Kurama received was rather unexpected. Gaara's sent was masked rather well by the smell emanating from the sand that moved to protect Gaara, quite possibly independent of the binshonen's will.
Blood.
"What's up with that sand?"
Ryu looked at Naomi out of the corner of his eye before answering Sanosuke's question.
"It's what makes Gaara so powerful. In his world, it's called an 'absolute defense'. The sand moves on its own, independent of Gaara's will, to protect him from any attack."
Naomi frowned as the information sank in, and her frown deepened as Sanosuke spoke up.
"Hmph. I wouldn't have freaked. It's just a bunch of sand."
"Sand which you could say is possessed by the spirits of the dead."
Sanosuke blanched.
"That sand is filled with the blood of all the people Gaara's killed."
Naomi snapped her attention to Ryu, suddenly concerned. Ryu looked thoughtful as he watched Kurama once again lash at Gaara, then dance back as the sand tried to engulf him.
"I don't think Gaara's ever killed anyone though. I think that the gourd, and the bloody sand, is all a part of his san stage."
Naomi turned back to the battle, watching intently.
Kurama leaped away from the sand that loomed over him, landing ten feet away and panting slightly. That sand was fast. Not quite as fast as Kurama, but close. And Kurama had yet to land one blow on Gaara. The sand deflected every attack he made, never mind the fact that Kurama's whip could cut through things like solid steal. Very irritating.
Gaara raised his head, revealing his eyes from shadow, and stared at Kurama. Gaara's pupils had contracted to a much smaller size, and his eyes had become bloodshot. His mouth had opened slightly, and he was wheezing slightly. Kurama's eyes narrowed as he reached out with his power to gauge the progress of the seed he had planted on the ground.
His eyebrows drew together, nearly forming a solid line of red on Kurama's forehead. Good. The plant that sprouted from the seed had spread all throughout the clearing.
Kurama relaxed, and coiled his whip, placing his left hand in his pocket. Ignoring the slight looks of surprise from his trainer and fellow bishies, and the considering look on Ryu's face, Kurama gave the plant that now grew through the entire clearing a little more power, and guided it through its actions.
Gaara closed his mouth, breathing heavily through his nose. The rush in his veins that always appeared when he fought was there, and Gaara fought it down. He looked at Kurama, considering what action the other was about to take.
Gaara's eyes blinked in surprise as he heard a faint cracking sound. Then the sand in his gourd came alive as vines suddenly shot out of the ground directly underneath him and from the ground in a circle all around him. Gaara had a brief glimpse of the vines reaching a height equal to his waist in an instant, then everything was suddenly obscured in sand, and Gaara felt himself rise nearly half a foot into the air, supported on a small platform of sand.
Kurama frowned as a dust cloud was kicked up around Gaara for a moment, obscuring the other bishie's fate. Then the dust cleared and Kurama felt his mouth open slightly in surprise.
Gaara stood as he been throughout the entire fight, his arms crossed. His sand had once again protected him, forming a solid shell around him, blocking all the vines. Through a gaping hole in the shell where no vines had tried to attack Gaara was visible, supported on a slight mound of sand, protecting him from the vines that had sprouted directly beneath him. Kurama closed his mouth and sent a little more power down the plant, and vines shot for the largest gap in the shell. Sand suddenly flew up from the ground, forming another piece of shell and effortlessly stopping the vines.
Gaara uncrossed his arms and the sand suddenly exploded outward, tearing the vines apart. The sand lay on the ground as a great amount of sand poured from Gaara's gourd and moved to attack Kurama. Kurama jumped out of the way, thinking quickly.
(I can't attack him so long as the sand protects him. I have to immobilize the sand. But how?)
Kurama's left foot touched the ground and he propelled himself into the air again, the sand shooting after him. But as Kurama's foot touched the ground, he suddenly realized how he could stop the sand.
Kurama once again landed, but this time he did not jump away, despite the fact that the sand suddenly loomed over him, ready to engulf him. Instead, he uncoiled his whip, and lashed out, cutting deep into the sand and effectively scattering it all over the ground. Kurama then sent a large amount of his power into the ground, before leaping away as the sand once again rose up.
Kurama then began a complex game of cat and mouse with the sand, always staying just out of reach, though at times he had to strain to do so. But every time he touched the ground, no matter how brief, he sent as much power into the ground as he could before he had to leap away again.
This continued for several minutes until a loll in the dodging arrived when the sand left him alone for a moment. Kurama panted heavily. He had been using up his power, and was running low. He had to finish this quickly, or be forced to forfeit.
Kurama turned to Gaara, who looked totally relaxed with only a slight sheen of sweat on his head, and rushed him, drawing back his whip. Gaara's eyes widened as Kurama once again went on the attack, but he didn't move, waiting for Kurama to reach him.
On the sidelines, Ryu watched the battle, and listened as Kurama's party gave their support to the red haired bishonen in their own ways. Something was nagging at his mind. Kurama would not have dodged for so long without a reason. He was a smart, cunning, and ruthless fighter, who wouldn't need that long to come up with a plan. And with his plants, he had a wide variety of tools to use. And with Kurama suddenly charging Gaara, that meant that his plan was already in motion.
Ryu just couldn't figure out what the plan was.
In frustration he glanced down at the ground, and at Gaara's sand. And suddenly he realized what Kurama was doing. His head snapped up and he shouted out across the battlefield, surprising Naomi and her bishies.
"Gaara, MOVE!!"
Gaara glanced at Ryu in surprise, but before he could decide whether or not to follow Ryu's order and move, Kurama reached him and lashed out with his whip once again.
And connected, snapping Gaara's head to his left, then pulling Gaara's upper body down when Kurama flicked his wrist and the whip snapped across Gaara's left shoulder and traveled down toward Gaara's right hip.
A stunned silence encompassed the spectators as Kurama once again lashed out with his whip, wrapping it around Gaara's right leg, and sending him sprawling across the ground. Kurama pressed his advantage, lashing out at Gaara repeatedly.
After a moment, Kurama relented, and Gaara climbed to his feet, his back facing Kurama. The last attack had spun Gaara around, and he had landed nearly face first onto the ground. Gaara turned around to face Kurama, and Kurama took a step back in surprise.
It was a mix of things that made Kurama step back. One of them was the absolutely crazed grin on Gaara's features, and the single, pained wheeze he gave. Another was that Gaara was even able to stand at all. But the greatest thing that made Kurama back up was that Gaara's skin had cracked.
Kurama stared, open mouthed, as every spot he had hit Gaara was now decorated with a network of cracks, like mud when it dried in the sun. Gaara's skin was slowly turning the same brown as the sand, and parts of his face fell away, turning into sand. Revealing normal, unmarked skin just beneath.
"I see. You also cover yourself with an invisible layer of sand...Very creative. But..."
Kurama once again lashed out, wrapping the whip around Gaara's throat and lifting him into the air, throwing him across the clearing.
Gaara stood, and revealed his face, showing that he was once again unmarked. He was panting, and glaring at Kurama, but he was unmarked.
Kurama too was panting, but he charged Gaara regardless, lashing out repeatedly with his whip, determined to break apart Gaara's sand armor. With each blow, the sand slowly chipped away. Even as it was repaired, Kurama struck out again, dealing further damage. At the pace he was going, Gaara's sand armor would soon be totally destroyed. Kurama ran a hand through his hair, gathering a seed, and prepared for the moment when Gaara's armor would finally be totally gone.
Kurama dealt one lash blow to Gaara, the whip striking the boy on the left temple where the last of the sand was, and propelling him through the air to crash onto the ground. Kurama ran after him, using the last of his power to make the seed in his hand sprout.
Gaara rolled over on the ground, lying on his stomach. He looked to the left and saw Kurama running at him. Gaara pushed himself up on his elbow, his energy low from repairing the sand armor through Kurama's assault, and shouted.
"ENOUGH!"
Gaara's left arm extending, his fingers crooked, and there was a sudden rumble from the ground. Kurama glanced down, and sand suddenly exploded upward, wrapping around his legs, then his arms and hands, prying the plants away, and finally around his neck and head, leaving only his face exposed. He felt himself rise into the air, Gaara's arm pointed right at Kurama's sand prison. Gaara panted, and stood up once again, lowering his arm. Kurama stayed in the air, surrounded by sand.
Ryu breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried for several minutes.
"This battle is over. Gaara wins."
The other spectator's turned to him, Naomi clearly angry that he would make such a call. Ryu held up his hand stopping the outburst from her open mouth.
"If this was a true fight, Kurama would have been crushed instantly by the sand the moment he was caught. That's how Gaara kills people in the series. He wraps them in sand, and then makes it crush them, killing them instantly before they can feel any pain. Or if you want, Gaara could cut off Kurama's air until he passes out?"
Naomi opened her mouth to protest, but then thought about the situation, and nodded. Gaara lowered the sand to the ground, and it fell away, revealing Kurama, who sat down in relief, taking huge breaths. Gaara joined him on the ground, also panting heavily, as the other bishies and the two trainers ran over.
General sayings of 'good fight' and 'nice moves' abounded, with a few critiquing sayings such as 'well next time you know.' The trainers both looked over their respective bishies, examining them to make sure they were alright. Both were revealed to be merely tired, and uninjured.
"One thing I don't get though, why didn't Gaara's sand protect him?"
Ryu looked at Naomi, and then glanced at Kurama and Gaara, seeing if either of them would like to explain. Gaara looked interested, not knowing how Kurama stopped his sand, while Kurama merely shrugged, too tired to explain. Ryu spoke.
"Kurama used the vine to hold the sand in place."
Naomi looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm...how do I...ah. Do you know why plants are so important for when a flood comes? Or strong winds?"
There were general expressions of both realization and confusion, so Ryu elaborated.
"Plants are the most important thing when a flood or wind comes because they hold down the soil. If there are no plants, the soil is free to move around. That's how such things as dust storms come into existence. There aren't any plant roots to hold down the soil. Kurama just used that principle to hold the sand in place, allowing him to attack Gaara. He had already planted the vine, as we saw, for when he sprung his surprise attack on Gaara. That didn't work, so, he used the plant for something else."
Ryu looked at Kurama.
"Right?"
Kurama nodded, still breathing heavily. Naomi noticed his condition, and held up Kurama's bishball. He grimaced in distaste, but saw the wisdom in the idea, and vanished into the ball. Ryu followed suit, but he merely held the ball up, and let Gaara decide what to do. Gaara merely glanced at the ball, and then stubbornly stood up. Ryu shrugged, and replaced the ball on his belt. Naomi grinned.
"Heh. Quite the Bishonen you've got there."
She handed over a pouch, which Ryu pocketed, and he grinned back, extending his hand.
"Yours aren't too shabby either. 'Till we meet again Naomi."
They shook hands, and suddenly everyone was grinning, even Gaara. Though his grin looked slightly like a scowl, everyone could see it in his eyes.
The two trainers nodded at each other, then walked in opposite directions.
:Author's Notes:
So, what'd you think? Was it good, bad? Was the fight interesting, or do I need to work on it?