Fandom: Naruto
Title: Never Ever
Part: 13 of 15
Genre: General/Action/Adventure
Rating: PG
Warning: AU
Spoilers: Manga up to Chuunin Exams
Summary: What if Naruto had sided with the Sand in the Konoha invasion?
Chapter 13: Start the Attack
The roar from the audience was getting louder and louder and the pit of worry in Naruto's stomach was growing deeper and deeper. Where the hell was Uchiha? Was it not enough that the Kages were putting everything on hold just for him? Did he have to be late to such a ridiculous degree? Bastard.
He WOULD start pacing had he not known that pacing would just make his two 'siblings' even more nervous. Gaara was already waiting on the field and had on his mask of apathy, but it was so very evident to the three Sand Nins that the control over his chronic schizophrenia was slipping rapidly. Uchiha Sasuke better get here soon. If he doesn't, then Gaara would transform before the attack. If Gaara tried to transform before the signal, all hell would break lose and they couldn't afford that.
There was a movement in the audience where the fake ANBU was. It'd be either Kabuto or Yashamaru. Baki was probably outside the village sending for the two-headed snake along with the other jounins. From what he knew, the snakes would always demand a sacrifice in return for services. All the more incentive to win, for if they failed, the snakes would more than likely devour those it was allied with.
He took a deep breath, trying to remember the order of events that were to take place. First, Gaara would have to transform while Naruto summoned the Kyuubi to guard him in case someone managed to break the shell. After Shukaku transformed, the only thing left to do was to wreak utter havoc on the village. Kazekage-sama and Orochimaru would take care of the Hokage.
The Hokage. Crap. There's that thing called guilt again.
Damn Uchiha.
---
Sasuke DID eventually arrive- minutes after when his match should've started. Had he been anyone else, he would've been disqualified long before he and his silver haired jounin sensei appeared in a storm of wind and leaves. But sadly, he wasn't anyone else. He was Uchiha Sasuke, the boy Kazekage-sama has been extremely partial toward in the last half month or so. His sudden interest in him was questionable, but then again, Naruto was not one to question orders. Personally, he could not understand why Uchiha was so special. From what Gaara had told him, Uchiha was grossly overrated.
"Kankurou could probably take him." Gaara had said a few weeks ago after getting berated by Baki for his little 'scouting mission'. "I don't see what all the fuss is about." Unless Uchiha had magically cleaned up his act, he'd probably die before the attack even began.
"Begin" the proctor said, jumping back to provide adequate space for the long anticipated clash that was to happen. The words were scarcely out of Genma's lips when Gaara suddenly lurched forward, head clutched tightly between his hands.
"Please." he strained out, ignoring the dumbfounded expression on Sasuke's face, "I fed you some nasty blood earlier, I'm sorry. But this time, it will be delicious."
---
"Oh no"
"Conversation has begun."
Naruto glanced down worriedly at his friend. If Gaara lost control before the outside could start the attack, all hell would break loose. He was about to shout something to calm Gaara down when the other boy's face unexpectedly resumed its unbreakable mask of nothingness.
"Let's go."
---
The fight began as any other fight would. There was the customary first round of shurikens thrown by the challenger that was, of course, easily intercepted by Gaara's shield of sand, which abruptly turned into a clone of its user. For the next few moments, Sasuke would do battle with the sand clone instead of his real opponent.
Naruto had to admit that Sasuke improved vastly over the span of one month, but even with that improvement, he did not have the ability in him to defeat Gaara. He was fast, but not fast enough. He was strong, but could not possibly penetrate the shield.
At the moment, Uchiha disappeared. In the same second, Gaara was unceremoniously knocked off his feet and into the ground.
"What the hell?"
Suddenly, the roles were reversed and Gaara became the rag doll in the hands of a powerful opponent. Sasuke's attack was so fast the shield only prevented the heaviest hits from connecting. The only flaw noticeable was that the speed was taking an unusual amount of energy to produce. Still, if this attack kept up, then there could be a problem. How could Sasuke get so strong in such a short time? Maybe Gaara had him pegged wrong.
---
Gaara stood up from the bed of sand. He clasped his hands together and the sand began packing into a sphere with him inside.
"No! Not that jutsu!" Temari gasped. "Gaara!"
"Gaara! Stop it!" Naruto yelled. "Don't forget...!"
Shino, who was still in the stands with the Sand trio, could not understand why they were throwing such a fit. But their shouts actually worked and the sand loosened away and fell to the floor. Of course, Gaara shot them the deadliest death glare Shino had ever seen, but he listened.
He really did not appreciate being told what to do, but the miniscule respect he had for his brothers and sister quelled his blood thirst. For now.
'It's time,' he thought, 'to try out another jutsu.'
Gaara slammed his hands into the ground and focused to the ground where Sasuke was. 'Morph.'
The dirt patch beneath Sasuke suddenly turned into a substance similar to quicksand and held him down just as a hand of sand ascended from the ground and made its way up to his neck and began to steadily choke the life from him.
"Die" spat Gaara.
---
Naruto managed a shaky sigh of relief. This probably wasn't any better for Sasuke, but at least the plan wasn't being disrupted any further. Uchiha would probably die but that wasn't a concern compared to the greater business that was to take place.
Suddenly, the sand around Sasuke's neck loosened while the quicksand held steadfast. "What?"
He shot a glance at Gaara, who was glaring up in the Kage's balcony. 'Oh yea.' he thought. 'Kazekage has uses for Uchiha.' And Gaara probably wouldn't go as far as kill Sasuke under his father's eye. Sasuke was breathing heavily and clutching his neck, but was, for the most part, alright.
Too bad.
---
There were feathers in the air, Sakura observed. Dozens and dozens of feathers. Was this an illusion or was it just her imagination-
"KAI!"
The pair of voices from her teachers alerted her enough so she managed a "KAI!" before her mind became too mangled.
Up in the towers, Sandaime-sama sensed something was amiss. He turned slowly and gave the Kazekage a look. Kazekage turned his head slowly too. The two Wind Country attendants sprang into the air and detached a smoke bomb just as a group of Leaf ANBU dashed toward the Towers.
The operation had begun
---
Immediately, the sand began wrapping Gaara in a tightly packed sphere as before. Sasuke, who was standing parallel to the ground on the arena wall, was doing something with his hands, no doubt a jutsu
Naruto jumped on the railing. 'Oi! Kitsune!'
'Got ye'
He jumped down toward the ground headfirst, hoping, praying for success. The Kyuubi would regulate the chakra for him and he would do the seals. Somewhere deep inside him, a gate opened and chakra not his own poured out from his hands.
'Please work.'
All was going well, but then the chakra began to burn. 'That's too much!' he yelled at the Kyuubi. 'I won't be able to control it.'
'Spread yer arms as far as ye can.'
He slammed his hands, palms down, into the ground as instructed, bounced off the force, and landed on his feet a few feet away. The pillars of light extended from the ground and formed the figures of two vague four-legged creatures. Two?
'What the $#&?'
'Shut up kid.' Kyuubi snapped. 'It's the best combination. Ye have enough power to control them both.'
'I do?' Naruto thought dubiously as the two Kyuubi forms strengthened and finally grew to around 6 feet of height each. 'They look like they're going to eat me alive.'
'Look them in the eye and don't back down.' said it, 'They know fear when they see it and they'll refuse to serve one who has fear.'
It was surprisingly difficult. It might not seem an all worthy task, but when you're facing two pairs of pits that have no mercy, not looking away is quite trying.
Suddenly, the two stopped glaring and began running circles around him. 'What're they doing now?'
'They're acknowledging ye for the time being. Hurry up and start doing your & job.'
---
The two sand attendants dashed headfirst toward the team of ANBU only to be sliced in half across the waist.
"Li and Ro team," shouted the captain as the Kazekage jumped on top of the tower with a kunai aimed at the Hokage's neck, "Protect the ministers."
If only they had looked back, they would have seen the each half of the two attendants come to life and jump on top the ceiling with the kages.
"Ninpou! Quad Purple Flame Wall!"
A dark purple flamed wall was obstructed on the ceiling of the tower reaching up and scraping the sky. Each four of the attendants then created a barrier within the wall, effectively trapping the kages within the jutsu with no possible chance of escape or rescue.
---
The Chidori crackled angrily under Sasuke's hand. In the previous fight, maintaining that speed took a lot of energy and Kakashi had estimated that Sasuke could only use the Chidori twice a day.
Not that it mattered. He'd rip that sand shield off in one hit.
He began a mad dash toward the sand ball in the middle of the field.
---
Naruto smirked. This is when the jobs kicked in. "Protect Gaara" He shouted at the two summons as Sasuke ran toward them at full speed. The Sharingan eyes widened at the sight of twin Kyuubis and the Chidori was slammed into the side of one of them. It dissolved on impact and Sasuke had to jump back as quick as possible to avoid decapitation.
Then, the heel of someone's hand slammed into his face and knocked him off his feet. Sasuke winced and blinked. Naruto was standing between him and Gaara, trench coat abandoned.
"Your opponent is me, Uchiha-kun." said Naruto with enough edge to send chills down his spine. "Let's go."
---
"Sasuke-kun!"
Sakura jumped down from the stands only to barely avoid being knocked over the head by Temari's fan. Then she had tip over backward to escape the base of the fan. This girl who was attacking her was nothing like the carefree person who crushed TenTen effortlessly. She had eyes to kill.
There was a rattling behind her and Karasu came out of nowhere and shot several knives at Sakura. They would've skewered her if Kakashi had not knocked them away.
"Sakura," Kakashi said, "You-"
He stopped in mid-sentence to deflect a round of shurikens thrown by Kankurou. "Go to the Academy and inform the teachers." he said. "They'll know what to do and follow their instructions to protect the village."
Sakura nodded and rushed to obey her sensei.
"Can't let you do that." Temari yelled, expanding her fan and following her outside.
Secretly, Temari was looking for an excuse to leave. She didn't want to be anywhere near Gaara when he transformed.