Chapter 33

Temari joins Sasuke and Naruto's team replacing Sakura in the meantime, for the pink haired kunoichi is feeling ill and nauseous, probably from something she ate. The mission is to protect the priestess Shion of Demon Country. Shion is the target of assassination by the demon Mouryou since the demon knows that only the priestess is capable of sealing him for all eternity.

Mouryou, the bodyless demon, is out to conquer the world, including Konoha but first, to gain his true power, he must merge with his own body that is laid to rest on one of the temple shrines. Now, to seal the demon, Shion and Sasuke's team must reach the temple shrine where Mouryou's body is located before the demon does.

During the journey towards the temple, the group is intercepted by four assassins that are sent by the demon Mouryou's spirit. Temari is tasked to guard Shion and to continue the journey toward the temple shrine, carrying the priestess on her back for faster mobility, while Sasuke and Naruto are left behind to battle the four assassins.

But, unbeknownst to Sasuke and Naruto, one of the four assassins is actually a puppet. It is a ruse so that one assassin can follow the fleeing Temari with the priestess.

Temari, with Shion secured on her back in a piggy back ride, is jumping from one tree to the next when the lurking fourth member of the assassins suddenly materializes at Temari's back and is about to strike her with poison but Temari is able to detect the enemy's presence a split second before she is injected with the poison. Temari swivels back and strikes the assassin with her fan which is readily in her hands since her back is already occupied by the priestess. The assassin is thrown far away, crashing his back on one of the uprooted trees. Temari then takes the opportunity to escape and gain distance from the assassin. She knows she can't fight and protect Shion at the same time.

Finally, Sasuke discovers that one of the assassins he and Naruto are fighting is actually a puppet, a feint keeping them there and battling it out. The puppet is exposed when Sasuke is able to burn the head of one easily with a single strike of his Katon fire technique. He shouts at Naruto and orders him to take care of the remaining three and then he goes after Temari.

Sasuke witnesses the fourth assassin falling and hitting his back on one of the airborn trees from Temari's wind jutsu. Recovered, the fourth assassin is about to follow Temari and Shion when Sasuke suddenly appears in front of him. Sasuke's onyx eyes swirl in anger, his hand emits a bluish white light which he uses to end the assassin with a single blow.

Meanwhile, upon reaching the mountain temple shrine where the demon's body is kept, Temari and Shion find stone monuments acting as the demon's army, waiting and blocking their way. Temari summons Kamatari with her fan. With stronger winds fortified by the ferret, a portion of the stone army is blown away, creating a path for Shion to pass through in order to go inside the tomb chambers and start the sealing ritual.

Temari is left to stop the stone army from advancing farther and into the inner chamber.

After a while both Naruto and Sasuke timely arrive at the temple. The stone army has now started to gain more foothold as Temari's chakra weakens and the winds she is able to produce have gradually diminished in their intensity.

"She's inside!" Temari shouts to no one in particular, waving her fan to a group of stone monuments who are able to advance closest to her.

Naruto nods his head and follows Shion inside the temple chambers while Sasuke positions himself at Temari's back and together they deal with the stone army.

Sasuke's hand blazes with the chidori while Temari feels keyed up with her team's arrival, her wind jutsu gaining additional strength; the duo destroy the army by the dozens.

Mouryou's stone army is then annihilated in no time.

Temari smirks towards Sasuke and Sasuke returns it.

"Good work," Sasuke praises Temari.

"Yeah. You too." Temari smiles.

Suddenly the whole temple starts to shake. The stone pillars, the walls and even the floor start to develop gigantic zigzag cracks and then a part of the roof starts to cave in. The crumbling boulders of rocks begin to drop one by one, creating loud thuds and billowing dust smokes on the floor.

"What the—" Temari swears, peering in the direction where Naruto and Shion went minutes ago.

Sasuke is about to follow his friend inside the chamber when Naruto arrives carrying a weakened Shion, shouting, "This place is gonna blow!"

"Dobe! We know that," Sasuke answers as he starts to run towards the temple exit.

Temari waves her fan as she sprints, removing the falling debris, clearing the way for her team.

TBC

~9 2 11AF~

A/N: Naara-no-temari, aw thanks!

dJK'.'DJBlossom, I read your review for chap 24...after I wrote this chapter... hmn review and be patient 'kay...

My 100 and 101st reviews are next! Anyone wants to be? Concrits are fine too.