I'M BACK! No more angsting for me! Sorry about the long wait and stuff, I've just been having problems with family and jobs and college and the sort. Eh, nothing I can't handle. Well let's get started eh? This chapter isn't all that good, I'm still trying to get back into my writing niche, but I can promise you that the next one will be much MUCH better. It involves the main battle! Well enough rambling, time for the show!

"Speech"

'Thought'

(Standard Disclaimer)

Chapter 51: Monster

Gaara stared impassively at the field, his eyes examining each member of the Akatsuki closely. There was the massive beast, besides the marker on his head proclaiming his past allegiance to Stone there was nothing else he could tell about him...he was just a giant. Then there was that scraggly haired one, he looked to be nothing more than a normal ninja but looks can be deceiving especially in the Akatsuki.

Then there was the girl...that spiky pony tail behind her head reminded him of a certain deer boy but she looked more focused and intense than the lazy genius. There was that plant creature Zetsu, whatever contract he had signed had backfired against him in the worst way.

Next to Zetsu stood a member in a spiral mask with only one eye, he looked to be the youngest. Gaara's eyes finally landed on the Leader...the one behind his suffering at these monsters hands. He was the shortest of the members yet he was the one shrouded in the most mystery. Only his crimson eyes pierced that shadow hiding his face.

Where were the other four...

"Well long time no see, yeah." Gaara smirked, that was the answer he was hoping for. Gaara turned and saw the one person he wanted to since the moment he was brought back to life. Deidara stared at Gaara, a smirk on his face. "So Kazekage, how have you been...yeah," Deidara asked his smirk widening. "I'm alive so I'm doing much better than the last time we met," Gaara responded dryly.

"I never knew you had a sense of humor Kazekage...yeah," Deidara said reaching for his pouch. Gaara stared impassively as Deidara pulled out a hunk of clay and had his palm devoured it before spitting it back up as a clay bird.

Gaara's face remained completely emotionless as Deidara threw the bird down and it grew to a size where Deidara would easily stand on it. Deidara leapt up onto the bird and it took flight, circling Gaara who hadn't moved an inch. "You must be getting slow Kazekage," Deidara said as he produced a few of his infamous clay spider bombs, "you're allowing me to do so much without lifting a finger."

Gaara uncrossed his arms and calmly formed the tiger seal with his hands, "you've played right into my hands." In a flash Gaara's gourd opened and sand flew out of it like a volcanic eruption. The sand flew higher and higher until it froze in mid air and merely hovered there, as if it were waiting for a signal.

"Observe what I've learned from Suna's past," Gaara said his emerald eyes spelling death for the explosion expert, "Suna Shigure!" Suddenly the sand clumped together and flew like bullets to the still flying clay bird, colliding with it and sending it to the ground. Gaara's attack hadn't stopped and as the bird crashed head first into the ground the clay spider's violent nature activated and they exploded creating a massive fire ball of destruction.

Gaara stared into the sphere of fire, his emerald eyes unblinking as they stared into the raging flames. "Come out," Gaara called, "I know you're not dead." Suddenly the sphere of fire broke apart and there stood Deidara, his massive clay bird standing above him and protecting its master from the flames. Deidara glared at Gaara and said, "you got lucky Kazekage, yeah."

Gaara smirked as his sand rose from his gourd again, "let's test my luck then."

Zaiaku stood his ground, his golden eyes closed as he waited. He was in position, he was given his orders, and now all he had to do was make sure he was able to follow them without a hitch. His eyes snapped open and he turned to face a being covered in a black cloak, red clouds floating in the fabric.

"You must be the fourth intruder," the being growled, its voice sounding very familiar to Zaiaku. "If that's what you want to call me then yes, I am," Zaiaku said, his golden eyes searching this being for any clue as to who it is. The being, seemingly a man, wore the Akatsuki cloak with pride and on his head was a straw hat that completely covered his face in shadows. The hat had a plate with the markings of Grass village and a large slash through it.

"Well feed my curiosity," the being said with that gravelly voice, "what's your name." "It's common courtesy to give your name first," Zaiaku said with a small smirk on his face. "Oh we have a smart ass. They call me Bakemono," Bakemono said with a slight chuckle.

"My name is Onigiri Zaiaku and I will kill you," Zaiaku said sliding into an offensive stance. Bakemono laughed, his gravely voice making it sound like he was dieing rather than finding enjoyment in this, "we have big dreams I see."

"That is not dream, that is reality," Zaiaku growled as he rushed forward at the cloaked figure. As Zaiaku struck out at Bakemono he hit nothing but air as Bakemono sidestepped the punch. Zaiaku attempted a kick but Bakemono simply dodged it without effort, he was playing with Zaiaku.

Zaiaku leapt back, allowing Bakemono to simply stop as if he hadn't been moving at all. "Is that all you have?" Bakemono asked tilting his head slightly to the side in amazement. Zaiaku took a deep breath and straightened his body, his golden eyes closing in a meditative stance. "This isn't even worth my time," Bakemono said with a disappointed sigh and he began to turn around.

Zaiaku's eyes snapped open, his right eye active as more chakra than he had ever stored before flowed through his body. "I suggest you don't turn your back to me," Zaiaku said as he returned to his offensive stance.

Gaara dodged yet another explosion that rocked the area to his left. Deidara had gotten the upper hand in this duel and had the Kazekage on the run with some modified sculpture bombs. Deidara was safely hovering above the actual battlefield, his massive clay bird keeping him far from Gaara.

It is true that Gaara's sand deflected several of the explosives but as time wore on Deidara began to use more and more of his clay making it much more difficult for Gaara to simply stand there and let his sand do the work. Deidara was quite pleased with his work. The explosions were magnificent; the sheer destruction of it all distracted him only briefly from Gaara who up until this point was running. Now Gaara was upon his Sabaku Fuyuu with a small smirk on his face.

Gaara laughed in his own mind, throughout the explosions Deidara was so concentrated on him that he had forgotten the sand that was used to destroy Deidara's first clay bird. As the explosions covered the land in a find dust Gaara secretly called upon the crushed rock deep in the ground.

Gaara floated before Deidara, the explosions had stopped and they merely faced off, both wearing smug grins. "Giving up Kazekage? Yeah," Deidara said with an evil cackle. Suddenly his eyes opened wide and he ducked to the side of his gigantic bird, just missing a deadly stream of compact sand that would have ripped his entire left side apart.

Gaara's smirk widened as the sand floated before him, "that was very quick." Gaara reached into the sand and with one swift pull he retrieved Deidara's prized pouch of clay from its confines. "But not quick enough," Gaara said, his smirk never leaving his face.

Gaara's eyes opened in surprise to see Deidara, his own smile widening and a low chuckle rising from the back of his throat. "Poor Kazekage," Deidara said grabbing at the edges of his cloak, "so misinformed, yeah."

Deidara ripped apart his cloak revealing his entire body, from his neck down to his ankles had pouches of all sizes, all of them containing his clay. Gaara's smirk dissolved and all that remained was a dark glare, he had quite a ways to go before he disarmed this maniac.

Zaiaku stuck and yet again he was easily dodged by the much faster Bakemono. Zaiaku was at the end of his patience and with one swift movement he drew his massive double bladed sword, slicing at Bakemono. For this action Bakemono wasn't quick enough and he gained a deep slash in his cloak.

Bakemono took a few leaps backwards, putting some good distance between him self and the sword wielding Zaiaku. Zaiaku smirked and said, "don't like my blade? It loves you." Bakemono chuckled hoarsely, "to bad I only want to be friends."

Bakemono vanished in a blur causing Zaiaku to turn on a dime and strike with his sword. Zaiaku was halfway into his strike when his sword was stopped cold, before him was Bakemono with the sword in his sleeved hand.

"Well I suspected more power from the sin," Bakemono said calmly, shoving Zaiaku away but holding onto the sword. Zaiaku's grip was broken and his prized sword was torn from him, thrown in a random direction for him to find later. Zaiaku rolled and got up into a crouching position, Bakemono called him the sin…could he be from them.

Zaiaku growled out, "why did you call me the sin!" Bakemono tilted his shadowed head to the side, "well that is your name is it not? Sin. How you gained a title I wouldn't know. Now are you going to fight me or lie on the ground?" Zaiaku stood up, he was tired of this beings mocking voice even when he hid behind those robes!

Zaiaku closed his eyes and when he opened them both of his bloodline eyes activated sending a surge of chakra through his body. Zaiaku vanished in a blur and rushed at Bakemono, grasping the only thing he could he pulled Bakemono up and slammed him down in a primitive take down attempt. As Bakemono's body was crushed into the ground Zaiaku heard hoarse laughing, "to slow."

Gaara evaded another blast while he floated above the ground, Deidara seemed to have a limitless supply of his explosive clay and Gaara was the main outlet for its destructive nature. Gaara found his sand was becoming useless, every attempt at wrapping Deidara in his deadly sand ended up with a massive explosion that scattered his sand everywhere.

Gaara could feel it, there was something on the underside of his floating sand. He could feel it's chakra mixing with his own. Without a second thought he leapt from his floating sand just before it was blown to pieces by one of Deidara's clay spider bombs.

Gaara fell to the ground and rolled, he didn't have enough time to form the sealsto command his sand and out of the corner of his eye he could see a clay spider drop right beside him.

Deidara watched at the land erupted in an explosion larger than any of the ones he had produced during this fight. He had planned it perfectly; Gaara had to be seriously injured. Suddenly, from the cloud of dust came Gaara, stumbling and holding his right shoulder which was bleeding profusely.

Gaara's sand shield had just managed to protect his body but his right shoulder was exposed to the blast and all of the debris it scattered. "What's the problem Kazekage?" Deidara asked with a superior smirk, "getting tired? Yeah."

Gaara looked up at Deidara who expected anything. He expected a glare, a growl, even some swears from the stoic Kazekage but all he got was a slight grin. Gaara's left hand flew up, palm first at Deidara, who knew that gesture anywhere.

Deidara turned swiftly and threw a pair of his clay bombs to intercept any and all sand that was attacking him from behind. His clay flew but hit nothing; it just sailed through open air harmlessly. Deidara's eyes snapped open, it was a trick! He turned on a dime to face Gaara but it was to late.

Deidara felt the sand wrap around himself and his great bird, there was no way to escape this. Deidara looked down at the grinning Kazekage, his palm out to Deidara as he said, "go to hell. Sabaku Sousou!"

The dust settled and Zaiaku looked down at his prey only to find Bakemono's cloak and a wooden clone inside. Zaiaku growled and threw the clone to the side saying, "get out here you coward!" "As you wish," hissed a voice by his ear and he was suddenly thrust up into the air.

Zaiaku flew through the air but caught himself and spun to view Bakemono without his cloak. Zaiaku felt sickenedto the point thatwhen he landed he was nearly forced to his knee, Bakemono truly was a monster. His skin was ashen and rough looking; he didn't seem to have a bit of muscle or fat on him. He was just tanned leather skin on bleached old bones.

His hat hid his face from Zaiaku but at the moment Zaiaku didn't want to see it, it probably would have disturbed him more than this walking corpse could. "What are you?" Zaiaku asked, slowly regaining his composure. Bakemono laughed darkly, "a human like yourself only a bit more…advanced."

"Thereis no way you are or werehuman," Zaiaku claimed with a stamp of his foot, his old habit returning at last. "Power and beautyare notone and the same," Bakemono said as he vanished in a blur. Zaiaku tried to dodge it, he attempted to get away, but before he could move Bakemono was standing before him, his chest split open with a disgusting tentacle leaching onto Zaiaku's heart.

Gaara panted as the pieces of the bird and Deidara fell from the sky, it was a disgusting smell and horrible sight but he had beaten the ninja who had kidnapped him so long ago. Gaara had to sit for a moment all that controlling his sand and the injury of his shoulder took a toll on his chakra.

He reached into his pocket and fished out the golden pill Naruto had given him, he said to use it when he was running low onchakra or when he was injured. Gaara laughed lgihtly to himself, this counted as both he supposed. He popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it, almost immediately feeling its power flow through him.

Gaara grabbed his shoulder as a pain coursed through it, the bone was resetting and the wound was sealing up quickly. Gaara slowly got to his feet, he just hoped Naruto was fairing well in his battle against the main forces of the Akatsuki. Gaara shook his head, what was he thinking? Naruto defeated him while Shukaku was still in him. Naruto had faced demons before; he just had to do it again.

Zaiaku hissed in pain, the tentacle latched onto his chest was pulling something out of him and it felt like it was his heart. Zaiaku struggled to free himself from the leaching appendage but Bakemono easily stopped his efforts. "How do you like my Gakidou Housuiro? It's ripping out parts of your chakra coils as we speak, it must be painful," Bakemono hissed while Zaiaku fell to a knee.

Zaiaku could feel the beast ripping at his innards, taking his chakra coils and devouring them like noodles. It was painful but Zaiaku's mantra repeated in his mind, I have felt worse. "Get…" Zaiaku panted as he slowly rose to his feet, "get…get…get of me!" Zaiaku grabbed the tentacle leaching off his heart and ripped it from his flesh. Bakemono attempted to escape but Zaiaku had a firm grip on the slimy eel, he was going to pay.

Zaiaku focused, he held up one half of the tiger seal and commanded his coins rise to fight this creature. Zaiaku opened his eyes expecting to see a bloodied Bakemono lying on the ground before him but Bakemono just stood there, waiting and unharmed.

"What the hell?" Zaiaku asked letting his grip slip for just one second. Bakemono took the opportunity and leapt away, a hoarse chuckle rising from his chest, "you can't use coins can you?" Zaiaku looked at his hands, commanding his coins to come to his aid but nothing happened.

Bakemono laughed loudly, "what a stroke of luck! My hungry devil has devoured you metal wielding abilities!" Bakemono laughed and formed the tiger seal with his hands, like that Zaiaku floated in the air then was slammed to the ground with enough force to break his ribs. The coins lining his body working against him as Bakemono used the stolen chakra coils to his advantage. "And now your abilities are mine…" Bakemono said with an evil laugh.

Zaiaku lie on the ground, his blood line ability deactivated as he just stared into nothingness. That was the end of this match; he didn't have his coins to use. Bakemono robbed him of that ability. He was done; he had no other attacks or defenses other than his Taijutsu. Even if he did have his coins his chakra was very low and he didn't know if he still had Naruto's miracle pill.

His mind began to wander and form ideas but all of them were futile, Bakemono was coming closer and closer. He was probably going to suck his blood line out of him took. Then an idea floated into Zaiaku's conscious mind, it had been lingering in his mind for quite some time since this battle began but he constantly forced it away.

Koumansa, it was his last option in this battle. He didn't know how much he needed though or even if he could do it. No matter what the action he took he was going to die, he knew that much. Zaiaku smirked to himself; he wondered if this was how Itami felt in her battle at the Chuunin exams? Death on either side no matter what you do.

Zaiaku grunted as he stood up, slowly but surely as he obviously gave Bakemono a scare. "So you're not going to give up are you?" Bakemono asked with a slight grin as he prepared to crush Zaiaku again. Zaiaku shook his head, "I've been above giving up to the likes of you for a long time."

Zaiaku flew through the needed hand seals in a flash, the training within the Kitsune realm paying off as he growled out, "Shinchi Zaiaku No Jutsu: Koumansa." Bakemono stood and watched as Zaiaku began his transformation, this looked to be turning into a whole different direction.

Zaiaku's hair grew a pitch black and his skin grew darker as it became surrounded in blackened chakra. The effects of Koumansa on his muscles was evident, they grew three times their size, pulling at the skin that surrounded them. Zaiaku's bloodline sparked to life and he looked at Bakemono who could only stare at the beast that Zaiaku had become. "This is where you will die," Zaiaku said darkly as he vanished without even so much as a blur.

Bakemono felt an extreme pain in his chest; he looked down to find Zaiaku with his arm in the hole that housed the life draining tentacle. Zaiaku turned and his entire arm few out from the fissure in Bakemono's chest, pulling the demonic appendage out with it.

Bakemono hissed in pain and tried to escape but just as he toyed with Zaiaku, Zaiaku now toyed with him. He was battered back and forth with powerful hits, his bones cracking and his skin tearing from the force.

Zaiaku knew he couldn't keep his Koumansa up for much longer but in his mind it didn't matter. He was sure he sacrificed a good portion of his life. He doubted he would have another year to be alive after he gained this much power. In his mind it was for the best, he knew Itami could handle the kids, she knew what to tell them too. Their father died killing one of the Akatsuki, an honorable end for a ninja of Konoha.

Bakemono landed heavily on the ground but in spite of his injuries he laughed to himself. He slowly got to his feet, seeing Zaiaku reaching into his kunai pouch and bringing out his one and only kunai to finish the job. Bakemono almost laughed out loud but that would ruin the surprise, he wanted Zaiaku to find out himself.

As Zaiaku charged Bakemono went to pull his right hand to his mouth but found he was being held back. He looked down and hooked around his wrist was a thick line of sand; it wouldn't let him move another inch. Bakemono looked all around his body, both of his wrists and ankles were held fast with the sand.

He looked up; the last image he saw was Zaiaku's golden eyes burning with hate as he quickly drew his kunai forward.

Zaiaku stood his ground, behind him stood the headless body of the Akatsuki member Bakemono. Zaiaku turned his head to see Gaara, his hand calling back the sand he had used to restrain Bakemono. Zaiaku glared, "why did you help me? I didn't need it and I didn't want it." Gaara said nothing as he walked over to Bakemono, grabbed his right hand and pulled out a golden pill.

Zaiaku's eyes snapped open and he reached into his pocket, the pill Naruto had given him was gone. "If he took this pill then you would have been dead," Gaara said, icily as ever. Zaiaku looked to the dead body of Bakemono, his hat covering the decapitated head. If Bakemono had taken Naruto's chakra pill then Zaiaku's Koumansa would have been for nothing.

Speaking of which Zaiaku felt the rush ebb away, "Kazekage can I have the pill?" Gaara tossed the pill over to Zaiaku who ate it quickly, the after effects of Koumansa being reduced enough to allow him to be awake and alert.

Gaara looked away to the battle field they had left Naruto at; somehow they had gotten quite a ways away from it during their battles. As Gaara looked on a bright light flashed and it was followed by the sounds of a gigantic explosion. Gaara was surprised but held his ground as Zaiaku did the same.

"We must find out what that explosion was about," Gaara said as he formed his hand seals to call his floating sand to him. "Yeah," Zaiaku said, looking at the coins spilled on the ground. He formed a seal but it did no good, he was now forever without his coin handling abilities.

Gaara cast a glance over his shoulder at Zaiaku, "are you coming?" Zaiaku hesitated but turned and joined Gaara on the floating bed of sand. "You seem disappointed," Gaara commented as the chunk of sand rose and began to fly.

"I am no where near your level let alone Naruto's level of skill. Those years of training did nothing but waste my time. On top of that I can no longer use coins, Bakemono did something to my chakra coils…" Zaiaku said just before Gaara soundly slapped him on the back of the head.

"Shut up and be thankful you're alive. Any day you face the Akatsuki, deliver the killing blow, then remain alive puts you on par with any ninja from any village. As for your coins get over it, you can't rely on something forever," Gaara said calmly and icily.

Zaiaku rubbed the spot on the back of his head where Gaara had struck him but…that seemed to set everything in order for him. He was live for the time being, he HAD killed one of the Akatsuki. Gaara just gave him a helping hand in completing that goal. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, this was embarrassing.

"Thank you Kazekage," Zaiaku said before Gaara interrupted, "it's Gaara." Zaiaku shook his head, "ok…thank you Gaara for helping me." Gaara shrugged it off and off the top of his head he said, "if you don't mind my asking. When did you get rid of the black tips on your hair?"

Far away from the two, where he had fallen, Bakemono lie still. With the massive explosion the wind kicked up and blew his Grass village hat from his head revealing his skeletal face and the blank golden eyes that had gazed upon the very face of death.

End Chapter

Alright then! As I said, not too good and yeah don't come crying to me about how I did the focus thing again. I'm sorry but that's how it turned out and it makes sense later when I reveal a(bum bum BUM) plot twister! Ok then, time for Q and A...if there was any.

I'd alsolike to say that, unless this is some horrible prank to get me to update quickly, I am going to work double time to produce the next chapter for LaZyEnErGeTiC. I am not making promises but I hope to have it in time! Later!