Gaara & Itachi: A Shinobi Battle
Chapter 2: Past Of The Shinobi
In the village of the Hidden Leaf, there was once a noble clan that helped reinforce the law and order into it's society to maintain peace and prosperity. This was the Uchiha clan, the operators of the special police force and holders of the omnipotent power of the Sharingan Doujutsu. Uchiha Itachi, once a member in that clan had been known as the son of the police chief. It put him up on a pedestal of empowerment and encouragement as the boy would train hard, quickly surpassing all of the Uchiha clan and becoming its representative. When you heard the Uchiha name, you'd hear behind it the name of Itachi. He learned to use his clans family Doujutsu at the age of 8, and was enlisted into the ANBU squads. He was a proud member of the clan until age and skill started wearing on his conscience. As time went by and Itachi got older, he realized that ninja, including in the clan, can be so much more if they didn't hold themselves back by the limitations of something as trivial as their clan and devoted their time into themselves instead. Itachi decided to take the different route as a ninja and tried his own method of increasing his potential by excluding himself from feeling, following in the path of power. He had enough of the clan pride and snapped when he was ready and managed to obtain the greatest power of all the Uchiha clan... the Mangekyou Sharingan, and he killed every single person in the clan except his brother Sasuke... who looks to sadly be taking the same route as his brother now. Even though Itachi had the power of love and friendships, he felt used and couldn't use those feelings for support. He took the hard way through the times, and this is now where it leaves him today...
Outside the Hidden Sand, in the area of desert not far from his home, Gaara is seen lurking into the eyes of Itachi. Itachi does the same as the boiling sun leaves a sparkle burning brightly into his crystal red Sharingan. The two just stand each other down as sand from the floor grazes the feet of the two opponents as it's carried by the wind. The two shinobi who are both not too interested in words look as if they're thinking about how they're gonna kill each other. Suddenly, "Ha!" Gaara screams as he launches a beam of dense, chakra embedded sand at Itachi. Itachi jumps back with the sand as he swipes it away with his right hand, landing back onto the sandy ground. Itachi then performs a Katon(Fire Element) Seal. "Katon! Karyuu Endan!(Fire Element! Fire Dragon's Flame Blast!)" screams Itachi as he releases a magnificent stream of fire in the shape of a dragon as it's hurled quickly at Gaara! Gaara's shield of sand quickly covers the attack as his vision from the enemy disappears. The attack finishes and the shield of sand that protected Gaara drops onto the desert floor as he gains visibility again, realizing that his opponent is gone. Gaara realizes that he couldn't be hiding too well in a giant open area of just sand and desert, with apparently no hiding spots. Curiously, he takes a step forward, and from beneath him, Itachi grabs hold of his foot with his left hand, jumping up from out of the sand with Gaara still in hand. Itachi gives a few kidney shots to the now very surprised Kazekage as he then side swipes him away with a swift slice to the face using his right hand. Gaara lands hard against a hard area of desert floor as he flips himself back up quickly, pressing his right hand upon the ground, launching his body back on two feet. Gaara stumbles back a bit, but gains control of his balance. "Katon! Housenka!(Fire Element, Mythical Fire Flower!)" screams Itachi after performing yet another seal as multiple blasts of fire spout from his mouth towards Gaara. Gaara then quickly launches his sand at all the targets, but before making contact with them and smothering the fire with his dense sand, kunais would disperse from the flames and are redirected around Gaara using a method of chakra threads that Itachi used his Sharingan to copy off of Kankurou. Gaara notices the kunai, but can't turn in time. Luckily, the kunai are halted by the shield of sand as it protects him yet again. The kunai hit the ground after being shielded by the sand, but Gaara realizes too late that explosive tags were embedded on the kunai as they blow him from the back, knocking him forward towards Itachi, allowing him to become quite vulnerable... and with that to Itachi's advantage, he moves quicker than the sand behind Gaara and locks him by the arms. "You barely test my abilities" Itachi says to Gaara. Gaara smirks, and suddenly Gaara's entire body becomes sand! Apparently, Gaara used a Bunshin Jutsu(Clone Technique). Now, as the sand leaks down from Itachi's arms, Gaara appears from below, launching himself with his fist out at Itachi's chin, but Itachi side steps the Kazekage's rare use of Taijutsu(Physical Technique). Now, in mid-air, Gaara gets kicked back as he lands on two feet yet again after gliding across the ground of the desert. "His movements are like mine back then..." Gaara thinks to himself as he tries to recall the past...
"Konoha... The Hidden Leaf. I remember..." says Gaara as images of the Hidden Leaf come to his mind, recalling the situations he endured at the time. "Uchiha Sasuke... Are you scared of me?... Uchiha Sasuke!" Gaara says on a treetop half-transformed into the Jinchuriki of Shukaku as Sasuke hides behind a stump, trying to focus his mind off the seal of Orochimaru that was fueled by hatred as it spread across his body. "It looks like I have no other choice" Sasuke thinks to himself as he tries to form a third Chidori(Thousand Birds) even though it could kill him. Sasuke focuses the power through Gaara's Demented yelling, and passes onto the floor. Suddenly... Naruto arrives with Sakura to save him before Gaara finished his final attack. Gaara then remembers throwing Sakura against a tree, locking her by the sand of Shukaku, threatening to kill her unless Gaara was killed himself... that's when he seen what could come of love from the people around you, and how it can give you power, watching Uzumaki Naruto; a mostly useless ninja at the time take on one of the deadliest assassins of the sand and battle equally. "We're the same... but luck gave me its fortune by not allowing me to be alone, but he... Gaara... has been alone for as long as he can remember. I understand his pain so much that it even hurts!" were the thoughts of Naruto before the final attack. Naruto and Gaara jump at one another with a punch made elevated quite far in the sky as both drop like rocks to the ground of the forest beneath them, unable to move their bodies. "How can he do this for a stranger? I know I'm stronger than him... but his will gives him such stamina! I think I understand now..." Gaara thinks to himself, looking Naruto in the eyes, unable to move as Naruto forcefully drags his lifeless body towards Gaara with nothing but his chin until realizing Sakura was safe from harm with Gaara watching him pass out after words. Gaara learned a lesson that day, seeing that if you do truly have special people in your life, it'll make you stronger than just the pure aggression of hatred and pain. Why live in such an unsightly way when there are still opportunities to have the ability to protect other lives? To be responsible for the care of human beings was the lesson Gaara learned that day, and thanks to Uzumaki Naruto, he became a new man.
Back at the Hidden Sand Hospital, Kankurou wakes up slightly in the bed at the ER. "Te...mari" he says quite hesitantly. "Yes, Kankurou?" replies Temari. Kankurou speaks, "Don't look...in his eyes" not realizing he's in the ER or really what happened as he was drowsy and worn out completely as he falls back to sleep. "Rest... Relax, Kankurou. Everything will be fine" says Temari as she thinks to herself..."So, it really was a Doujutsu. Gaara, come back safely". The man from the council looks over at the two and tilts his head downwards, feeling worried and sorrowful.
Back on the battlefield, Gaara and Itachi stare eachother down again. Blood gently drips from the side of Gaara's lip. "You are like me back then... That means, since I have the power to love for another human being, I have a stronger will" Gaara says looking eye-to-eye with Itachi as he replies, "To each his own, Gaara-sama. I only obtained the power I have through discontinuing my bonds. I've become the exact opposite of the path it seems you have taken. Concentrating on yourself will devote more of yourself to perfecting skill". "No... You're wrong. Uzumaki Naruto was a clown who had no real ninja potential, but he almost beat me in battle with the stamina and will of his friends" said Gaara as Itachi quickly replied, "Ahh... Naruto. You also forget to mention besides will and other things pointless that he fought with, he also fought with the power of a Jinchuriki named Kyuubi, so don't be so opulent and optimistic about the idea of will just yet". "I don't believe I'm wrong, but if I am then I want you to prove it to me now!" yells Gaara. Itachi then replies with no words, but with body language as he curls his finger out and towards himself, calling for Gaara to go after him. This battle is about to truly heat up.
Who will prove the truth of differed opinions? Itachi, the abandoning ninja, or will it be Gaara, the sand Kazekage who vowed to protect his village whole-heartedly? Actions speak louder than words... and these two valuable shinobi have a lot of action to share with one another! Who will win in this highly anticipated stand off? Only the shortest of time shall tell the answers of this upcoming battle!