A/N: 'Ellooo there :D Here's the next chapter of AFD, on time and somewhat ahead of schedule!! Yayy :D Seems not many people like the cliffhanger XP it makes me feel special and powerful :D anywhos, I was certain I was forgotten after the trip to Europe, but WOW! I'M STILL REMEMBERED!!!!!! THANK YOU ALL MY LOYAL READERS AND REVIEWERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Disclaimer: Haven't taken over the world just yet :( But until then, I don't own Naruto :P All I have is my teddy :3
Warning: Yaoi and swearing :D Yaoi couples (decided as of now) will be GaaraxNaruto and SasukexNaruto...oo! And also, can't forget the KakaIru :P Mild swearing also :D
Note: For this chapter, the dividers will signal the change in setting perspective, since everyone is now at the same place. I'm still writing in third-person, however. Very badly explained, I know XP You'll understand later :P Don't worry, the setting will still be stated at the top of each new section to help =]
"..." normal speech
'...' thoughts
Dobe = dead last
Baka = idiot
Futon = Japanese bed made of straw
Ohayo = Good Morning (said before 10 AM)
Nani = What
Sensei = Teacher
Bolded text – setting
Italics – emphasized thoughts or words, can also be flashbacks
Italics: underlined – emphasized thoughts or words underlined for added emphasis
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Chapter 6 – Death Smiles
Konoha – Gaara's Apartment, street
"Oi, Sasuke,"
Sasuke stared blearily at the back of the Jounin's head, his vision still slightly hazy.
"Izumo, get Sasuke out of here," Kakashi ordered gravely. It took a fraction of a second for Sasuke to register what his sensei had said, but before he knew it, he felt two hands grab him.
"No!" Sasuke yelled, and started struggling desperately against his hold. He knew that the Chuunin was on his side, but saving Naruto was his own responsibility, not anyone else's.
"Don't make this any harder for yourself," the Chuunin said through gritted teeth. Sasuke instantly recognized the voice of the mysterious, shady Chuunin that had been coming to his window at regular intervals the previous night. A new burning hate and desire welled up within him. With the remaining strength he had, Sasuke pried himself free of the Chuunin's grasp, and attempted to land a punch on Izumo's face.
Izumo, sensing the sudden attack from the hysterical Uchiha at the last minute, was forced to step back. That was all the time Sasuke needed to hurtle himself past Kakashi and towards the frightened blonde standing stock-still in the doorway.
"Naruto!"
The blonde cringed at the sound of his name being called. 'Do I know him?'
Sasuke faltered for a second. Why wasn't Naruto coming to him? He had come to save him, but why was Naruto looking at him with those wide eyes flooded with fear?
Kakashi's voice carried through the narrow street to Sasuke. But his voice was faded, as if he was very far away. He only saw Naruto in a sea of black; all else was nothing.
Sasuke continued to pelt towards him, willing his bleeding legs to go faster. But his desperate attempt to reach Naruto was suddenly interrupted by a violent swipe from a wave of sand, sending his body flying towards the sidelines.
"Izumo!" Kakashi yelled frustratedly as he began charging towards Gaara, kunai in hand. But the elite Chuunin was already in front of Sasuke, taking him once again in a stronger grip than before.
"No! There's something wrong with Naruto! I have to get him!" Sasuke hissed, spit flying from his mouth. The whole time he never tore his gaze from the blonde slowly inching deeper inside the apartment.
Without hesitation, Sasuke reached for a kunai and stabbed the offending Chuunin, but only managed to leave a shallow cut. Even then the grip on his arms did not recede. Instead, they gripped even tighter. Drawing his arm back for another crazed stab, Sasuke felt a surging pain in the back of his neck, and curtain of black fell over his eyes.
Konoha – Gaara's apartment, doorway
Naruto shivered involuntarily at the sight of Gaara's sadistic, maniacal look in his eyes as he struck down the dark haired boy once again. What were they doing to each other? It was all so confusing...Gaara had never done such things before, and the same went for his brother and sister. One minute they had been minding their own business at home, and before he knew it, chaos had ensued. But Naruto knew one thing for sure: he had to get away from here, but his legs wouldn't budge.
The tall silver-haired man was now charging towards Gaara and his siblings, shouting something intelligible all the way.
Gaara's expression slowly began to crack as a demented grin broke across his face as he smiled at death.
'He wasn't like this before...' Naruto thought, mortified as he watched Gaara smile widely.
Tearing his eyes away from the horrible sight, he looked towards where the black haired boy lay before another man appeared and took hold of him. His legs began to move a little...
Naruto found himself again as he watched the man hit the boy so that he fell limp and did not move again. They instantly disappeared in a puff of smoke. He didn't know what that man had done, but he definitely wasn't going to stick around and find out.
Naruto didn't know what to do. The only thing on his mind was getting away from the fighting, and that's when his body began to act upon its own accord. He turned around and practically dove back into the apartment before setting off at a sprint down the hall. He rounded a corner and instantly ran face first into something solid and hard.
"Naruto! Are you okay?" came a frantic voice as Naruto tumbled down in a heap. Naruto immediately sat up and looked at what – or rather, who – he had crashed into.
Towering above him was a man with dark brown hair tied up tightly in a tufted ponytail. Engraved across the bridge of his nose was a long scar. His shadow enveloped his small form, making him seem all the more intimidating.
Naruto's eyes widened. The man in front of him, kneeling with a hand outstretched, was wearing the same vest that all the other unknown men outside wore. Giving a loud but short yell, Naruto panicked and bit the hand that was slowly inching towards him.
He felt the rush of something metallic tasting in his mouth. The man in front of him immediately withdrew his hand with a bloodcurdling cry.
Wasting no time, Naruto darted the other way and swung open the first door he saw. He had no idea where he was going, seeing as he had only been kept in the confines of Gaara's room, the bathroom and the kitchen.
Naturally, Naruto stepped forward, expecting a flat, solid floor to land on. Unfortunately for our amnesiac, it turned out to be something rather round. Naruto's fell through the air as he let out a startled scream before he was sent plummeting down.
Konoha – Gaara's apartment, street
With the deft footsteps of a practised Jounin, Kakashi swiftly made his way to Gaara, standing in the middle of swirling torrents of sand.
In his mind, Tsunade's orders resounded loud and clear.
"We don't want to fight you! If you hand over Naruto, we may spare you of any charges!" he called as he and his fellow squad members closed in around the three sand-nins.
The only reply Kakashi got was a speeding pinnacle of sand seeing to pierce him. Kakashi had already seen Gaara fight once at the Chuunin exams several months before, but the experience still burned fresh in his mind. If he could just get enough speed...
In the fray, the other squad members had focused on Temari and Kankuro. Both were stiff from the imposing thought of fighting elite Chuunins, who they had seen before at their own Chuunin exams. But they held their ground.
Kunai whistled menacingly in the air as a simple brush of Temari's large fan easily parried them.
Hastily taking a short moment to attach chakra strings to the nearest Chuunin, Kankuro managed to trip one of them. Smirking with triumph, he sent poison needles at the body and watched in satisfaction as they met their mark. His delight was short-lived however, as they body on the ground suddenly disappeared.
"Nani?" Kankuro muttered, perplexed. His senses flared as he narrowly missed an oncoming attack from the missing Chuunin.
Temari was having her own problems. Dealing with two elite Chuunins was not an easy task, and she soon found herself cornered. Giving and angry swipe, she sent a large whirlwind pelting towards them, sending dust and sand everywhere. Her formidable attack did little damage, but served its purpose as Temari was able to escape her cornered position.
Temari took a quick glance at her brother from her new position. Kankuro was currently sending Karasu diving towards his opponent, who in turn dodged by jumping into the air.
The elite Chuunins' lack of effort did not go unnoticed to the female sand- nin. They were not using any form of higher-level techniques; throwing weapons and little to no taijutsus were all they used. The only one who seemed to be trying a little harder than the rest was the Jounin, who was currently trying to penetrate Gaara's defence.
'We all should have been beaten by now...' she thought. Her distraction proved almost fatal, as she narrowly escaped a wave of shurikens.
Konoha – Gaara's apartment, bedroom
Naruto landed painfully, his head colliding with the hard stone floor. He groaned and managed to drag himself back up, dazed.
Loud footsteps echoed very close by. Naruto, still shivering, mentally slapped himself for wasting precious time.
As quietly as his frenetic state would allow, he closed the door as quietly as he could. The last thing he needed was for a loud door to give his position away.
Looking desperately around the room, he noticed there were no ways to escape.
'Great. I'm trapped,' he thought bitterly. He seemed to have flung himself inside a bedroom, most likely Temari's from its cleanliness. He contemplated hiding under her blanket for a while, but then decided it was foolish to do so.
He had no other choice but to curl up inside the small closet. As he closed the door, he heard distant doors being slid open at a rapid rate. It must be the man chasing him. Slapping his hands over his mouth to stop himself from making any noise, Naruto desperately hoped that the man wouldn't reach this door anytime soon.
Konoha – Gaara's apartment, street
Kakashi sent another kick flying to the immobile sand-nin. As he expected, sand appeared to block his attack. Kakashi then took a few leaps back as sand flew towards him once more.
He knew he was fighting at a Chuunin's level, but he wanted to deal as little damage as possible. But judging from Gaara's personality he witnessed at the Chuunin exams, negotiating would prove to be useless.
"I expected more from you..." Gaara said in a raspy whisper as he eyed Kakashi. Their battle was going nowhere. Kakashi could wait no longer. With a spurt of speed, Kakashi appeared behind Gaara and sent a kick towards his head.
His attack was successful this time. Gaara was sent flying, as Kakashi prepared himself for another attack while the Genin was still caught off guard.
Kakashi then appeared in front of Gaara and punched him as he was still airborne.
But he couldn't keep his attacks coming for too long. His main objective was to catch the sand-nin, not hurt him. Gaara skidded to a halt as he staggered up to a standing position again. When he lifted his head up, Kakashi saw a look of purest loathing. Sand began to rush towards him again.
Deciding to end it, Kakashi did a series of hands signals.
"Doton Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu!"
Gaara's eyes widened as his target disappeared. He looked around, senses ready to catch any sign of Naruto's sensei. But before he could react, a hand reached up from the ground and took hold of his leg. Without giving him any time to react, he was pulled into the ground up to his chin.
Kakashi reappeared and advanced towards Gaara. The sand-nin was currently trying to escape by pulling himself out with sand, but it was proving to be a difficult and slow task. Kakashi once again disappeared in front of his eyes.
A small inkling told Gaara that he would be defeated soon. In his mind, Shukaku clawed at his restraints, alight with the fury of further bloodshed. The thought of setting the demon loose was tempting, especially at a time like this...
Kakashi moved in for the finish. But as he raised his fist he was flung backwards by a strong gust of wind. As he landed on his feet, he looked up to see a man with a veiled face standing regally in front of him.
'I'll kill whoever took my prey...' Gaara thought darkly in his mind. At least there was more blood to spill now...Gaara closed his eyes and began to perform the fake sleep jutsu, but his incantation was cut short by the sound of a familiar voice.
"Gaara, what do you think you're doing?" the newcomer hissed.
The Genin stuck hopelessly in the ground stopped trying to crane his neck to see who it was. His suspicions were confirmed. Standing behind him with his regal exterior was Baki, who had been sent from the Sand village for reasons unknown to the three Genins.
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A/N: Ta-da! The only crappy chapter that was only composed of action scenes (which I am conveniently horrible at)! I'm very sorry if the characters attacks and techniques seemed a little awkward...but I think I got all the jutsus performed by the right characters at least. And yes, I know there are some parts in the Kakashi vs. Gaara fight that were kinda weirded, and I'm very very sorry if there are any confusions or things that don't make sense in those scenes :P Feel free to point them out in an e mail or a review! And I can't forget all my absolutely, positively loyal reviewers and readers!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SO BLOODY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I'm not British :P) for continuing to review, even after my 12 day disappearance!
Review Responses:
Dark Mimiru-Chan: Poor Sasuke :P as much as I enjoy making fun of him, it's a bit sad he was knocked out isn't it? :( poor poor almighty Sasuke :P But have no fear, Iruka is here! Here he comes to save the dayyy =] –waves Iruka flag around- but it's nice to see Iruka get bitten :P Naruto=carnivore o.O
Fallen Dragon: And here it is! :D Update that was on time and even a little bit ahead of schedule :D a grand feat (in my case anyway) if I do say so meself n.n Anywhos, it was a little bit rushed...I had to go to dim sum :P Don't hurt me XP
izumi: Gyaah! X.x Rabid ninja fans with skillz!!!!! There's no pot lid to save me ;--; all I have left is mr.teddy :( FEEL MR.TEDDY'S WRATH! -gets pwned by izumi- :P But cliffhangers make me feel powerful and almighty n.n –maniacal laughter-
kashisenshey: -evil cackle- I AM THE ALMIGHTY RULER OF THIS FIC :] –sees nin chicks- NOOo! BACK YOU FIENDS, BACK! –runs away- Fank you very much for lurrving the story! –gets eaten by evil nin chicks-
Hao-sama rulze the world: Wahh! THANK YOU!!!!! vely vely muchy :D Yeps, I feel the pain of limited vocabu-ma-lary :P My brain has long since melted ;/ I think it happened when I heard the Barney song –sighs sadly- But I can assure you your vocab exceeds mine o.O I use little baby words :P Anywhos! Here's the update! It has lots of baby words :D
GlompHige: More enthusiasm! HIP, HIP, HURRAY FOR GAARA!!!!!! (or are you being sarcastic :S) I wouldn't know :P Very slow person I am, and damn proud of it =]
Kamikakushi: WAHH! My very own welcome back person! n.n THANK YOUU! Blah, poor Sasuke :P Wanted to beat Gaara to a bloody pulp he did =] But too bad he was too weirded to get to the almighty, invincible Gaara! WAHAHAHHA :D Now that I'm finally past most of the action, it's time to roll in the angst!!!! There's nothing better than seeing Sasuke wallow in self-pity =] Stupid Sasuke deserves it :D Maybe we'll get to see Sasuke's reaction in the next chap :) I certainly dunno :D Being the lazy author I am, I haven't planned out the next chapter yet XP
Cat: -has a heart attack- THANK YOU!!! Here's the update! Finished sooner than I expected! All them action scenes :P Very poorly written, but I tried to do meself justice! Fankies so much for liking my story!
Little Leila: -evil cackle- stupid sasuke indeedy :D no one can defeat the invincible Gaara-chan! Blah, stupid Sasuke and his grudges :D can't admit that someone's better than him! It's about time someone showed him up :] Wah! You must have the strongest of minds to memorize those chapters! What's left of my brain has melted from writing them ;/ Wee! Someone to save my very poor excuse of German writing :P I've never taken German classes, I only got that line cuz I saw a lady say it to a clerk when I was on vacation o.O Yep, and that's the outcome of my sad attempt at German XP Thank you very much! I don't feel so German-challenged now! And I got the professional help from someone who's from Germany! –does the happy dance- The beer thing was just a weird suspicion I had :P Me and my weird thoughts ;/ Maybe I should think of taking some applied German classes :P –secretly hopes you'll do all my homework for me-
Ria Sakazaki: Yay! The last chapter wasn't a total wreck after all! Even though it was abnormally long ;/ I think I have a long chapter phobia now o.O I'm pretty sure the last one was the longest chapter so far! But I'm so glad you actually liked it! Hopefully it was a 1-year read of never-ending fun! (/sarcasm) :P And here's the next update! Composed only of action and more confuddling action that was thought up randomly by the lazy author! :D This chapter really wasn't my best, that's fer sure XP But I tried...I tried –sobs-
Well, now that I've answered all of your reviews, I have nothing else to say but to give all my wonderful reviewers a THANK YOU SO MUCHEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for another surprising number of reviews!!!! I'd give all of you some cookies if I could, but you see –pokes monitor- some thing are in the way ;/ Anywhos! I must take this one last chance to apologize for the highly possible illogical action scenes in this chapter XP If something is so wrong that it disturbs you so much that you lose sleep over it (or something milder along those lines), don't hesitate to email me or mention it in a review! Pointing anything weird out is construction criticism, which is what every author needs once in a while!
Tsuki THANKS ALL THE READERS AND REVIEWERS FOR HELPING AFD ANOTHER CHAPTER FURTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!