Chapter 57

The table smack on the middle of the wedding reception has only two occupants and neither one is speaking. The red-headed one has an expression of antipathy towards the general population and to one in particular. While the other, the blond haired nin, sports a smile that looks painful, the creases and muscles on his face holding up the tilt to his lips, trembling in his effort to keep it up.

"Smile," Naruto finally mutters, his lips opening minimally to allow the word out, trying to hide to anyone watching the fact that he's urging the person a chair away from him to appear friendlier or at least sociable.

Gaara glances at Naruto to give him the full force of his distaste. "No."

"Sheesh, it wouldn't hurt you, you know."

"I don't wish to appear as stupid as you."

Naruto scowls. "I said I'm not stupid dattebayo!"

"Ask your friend." Gaara gestures with his head towards the groom. "He's been giving you warning looks rather than watching his bride. Shows he knows you'll do something idiotic."

"Sasuke?" Naruto swivels his head towards the front table where the bride and groom are seated.

Gaara smirks; it looks like he struck a nerve. "People here don't think much of you."

"They will."

Gaara's smirk becomes a sneer.

"You'll see someday I'll be the Hokage and everyone in Konoha will acknowledge me," Naruto announces defensively.

Gaara just laughs, mocking Naruto's statement further.

Naruto bangs their table with his closed fists. "I'll prove to you my strength."

Gaara's eyes darken as he smiles dangerously. "Then be prepared to die for daring to challenge me."

Naruto meets Gaara's glare before transferring his attention to the special table in front and encounters Sasuke and Sakura's glower. "Urm alright let's do it outside."

Gaara suddenly pushes his chair backward and stands up, a sign that he has no plans to disagree with Naruto's suggestion.

Naruto, surprised with Gaara's abrupt movement and easy acquiescence, watches the foreign nin as he starts to stride towards the exit with that humongous gourd slung on his back. Glancing back at the table up front, Naruto waves his hand at Sasuke and Sakura in farewell and congratulations before following at a run towards Gaara.

"Oi dobe!" Naruto hears Sasuke shouting after him so he turns around and yells, "Teme!" before running off again after Gaara. He therefore misses the look Sasuke and Sakura exchange.

The groom would normally be offended if he's called teme at his own wedding reception. But for now, he's actually satisfied that it seems things between him and Naruto is back to what it was like before—them having an unresolved rivalry.

Sasuke hasn't spoken to Naruto since that dobe realized he 'lost' Sakura. And then sulking further, that dobe left with that questionable mission with the Hokage. There were talks that it was just a subterfuge for the old man to do some research for his newest book and the fact that it was their former sensei, Kakashi, who was left in charge of Konoha while the Hokage was away that added fuel to the gossip. Kakashi-sensei, the number one fan of the Icha icha books, an erotic literary series, benefited from it, no doubt. But Naruto...yeah that baka is still not that much of a pervert yet.

Sasuke is convinced Naruto went together with the Fifth Hokage because hewas moping jealously…As if that dobe had a chance with Sakura… But still it is good to know that Naruto has now accepted the change in his friends' status.

Sasuke frowns. But that's not what's bothering him. That useless, very incompetent, highly unskilled Kamaru left the reception several minutes ago then followed by his youngest brother, who according to rumours, may become the next Suna's Kage. A rumour that is highly believable considering who his big brother is…But why did Naruto follow after Gaara? What's going on?

Sasuke prepares to stand up to follow his team mate when he feels the sudden tight grasp on his right hand stopping him. He swivels his head slowly. Damn he has forgotten about Sakura.

"Don't even think about it," Sakura murmurs. The smile she endows her groom thrilling the guests who are watching them. Only Sasuke sees the strange glint in his bride's eyes, warning him that she may throw a fit or worst, cry.

Sasuke sits back on his chair. After all, he once felt a weird twisting sensation on his chest the last time he saw Sakura tear up.

So yeah that dobe is on his own.

—o0o—

"Is this far enough?" Gaara asks as he pivots around to face his opponent. He has led Naruto towards the forest at the edge of Konoha. They have encountered a wooden sign with deer's horns drawn on it several metres back and now, the place where they are seems to be deep enough into the woods that any destruction they cause will go unnoticed. Gaara smirks. Squashing the annoying nin will be easy enough that he need not lift his finger. His sand will take care of the proud Konoha shinobi.

The big gourd on Gaara's back suddenly starts to shake before a high-volume of brown particles of sand fly out from the big jar's mouth forming a dark cloud behind Gaara's back. The sand flows into the air, developing into a thick half-spherical canopy from his back to the top of his head.

The smell coming from Gaara's sand permeates the air. Its pungent odour of blood and rotting flesh is overpowering.

"Soon you will follow those that were killed by my sand," Gaara threatens joyously. His eyes enlarge with its tiny veins about to pop out; the orbs simply cannot contain the sadistic pleasure emanating from the red-haired nin as he stares at his enemy. The smirk on his face is evilly cruel and surely means danger for the blond shinobi in front of him.

Naruto gulps as he watches Gaara's face contort with hatred and mocking glee. "Anou—"

Whatever Naruto is about to say is interrupted when abruptly the sand behind Gaara's back curves and forms into numerous spines, elongating and simultaneously attacking him. "Wait, wait," Naruto yelps as he hastily evades the sharp spikes, jumping everywhere. The shredded wood trunks and pulverized earth testimony to the trail of destruction as Naruto simply tries to avoid being hit.

Gasping, Naruto pouts sullenly at the shinobi in front of him before, with a burst of energy, he goes ahead and attacks with a succession of his fist. Immediately the sand retreats and forms a spherical barrier and encloses Gaara protectively.

"Nani?" Naruto shouts as he rains powerful jabs, all to no avail. His punches just create little dents on the solid surface of the sand shield; it isn't enough to break it.

Naruto hears Gaara's cruel laughter as if, despite being trapped inside the sand shell, he can still see Naruto and his futile attempt to break the solid barrier. Instantaneously one particular sharp spike protrudes from the shell. It's so fast that Naruto is not able to act quick enough to avoid being stabbed in his left shoulder but enough for his heart to be spared.

Retreating a few metres away, Naruto puts pressure on his bleeding shoulder as he catches his breath.

While the sand that encloses Gaara slowly clears, uncovering him and his evil smirk. "My turn," Gaara declares and with that he performs a seal for his Sand Tsunami justsu. His sand and the powdered rocks in the area then become a thick, high wall and, with wave like precision, it goes after the wounded Naruto. "You can't outrun it." Gaara laughs viciously.

The gigantic wave of sand falls on top of Naruto and drowns him in its depth. The blond nin just disappears from sight.

"You're so weak and yet you dream. You dream of becoming the Hokage." Gaara's cold laughter continues. "Today I will crush that dream."

"You won't," Naruto's voice rings true as the dust from the sand attack settles, revealing that he's alright. Naruto then makes seals with his hands and creates hundreds and hundreds of clones and all of them then attack Gaara simultaneously.

The ball of sand with Gaara kept inside is covered all over with Naruto's clones on the outside. Suddenly the ball of sand explodes, puffing and throwing numerous Narutos off.

Not one of the Naruto clones remains when the smoke from the sand explosion clears. And in the middle of the now-cleared area stands Gaara—or what resembles Gaara.

The red haired shinobi growls, his face deformed by rage and something else—something monstrous. The gourd on his back has obviously burst open and the sand it contains begins to cover part of his body, from one of his arms to his face. The eyes that shine with hatred have now become yellow instead of the blue-green of moments ago. He even has a sand-like tail from the gourd.

Simply, Gaara has turned into a one tailed monster.

Naruto gapes at the image before him.

"Your dream is impossible," Gaara rasps, as he raises his normal looking hand with palm out. Suddenly the pulverized rocks and the little amount of sand at Naruto's feet come alive and catch the blond shinobi's leg.

Slowly the little grains of sand and crushed rock creep up Naruto's lower appendages. It isn't long before the sandy mixture reaches and covers his torso and upper appendages then his head. After a while only Naruto's eyes and the top of his head are peeking out while Gaara's extended hand unhurriedly clenches into fist.

The spot in the woods now bears the appearance of being destroyed. Various trees have been uprooted and part of the landscape has been levelled. The animals inhabiting the area have long since started to back away, escaping. Only the eerie sounds of the fleeing birds somewhere linger.

And amidst it Gaara laughs, enjoying Naruto's pitiful attempt as he squirms from the sand crushing him. Gaara's outstretched palm is still loosely fisted as he deliberately tries to crush slowly, painfully the stupid nin in his grasp.

Naruto, unable to form a seal with his hands immobilized at his sides inside the sand coffin, shouts optimistically, "I'll get free, you'll see dattebayo."

Gaara's laughter becomes louder and more blood curdling.

"Stop it, Gaara." Suddenly, Shikamaru arrives, speaking calmly and authoritatively to his youngest brother. The dark haired nin obviously has ran to reach them as sweat trickles down from the side of his temples.

"I am the stronger shinobi and I will beat him up and show him that his dream is impossible," sneers Gaara.

"Winning or losing—those are not the things that Naruto values. Naruto values people and wants their recognition. He has faced a lot of obstacles but they would never make him quit. Those setbacks only made him stronger and more determined in pursuing his dream," Shikamaru explains evenly. "You Gaara, what is your dream that makes you stronger?"

"I don't have a dream," Gaara answers emotionlessly.

"Then you would not understand why for Naruto being a Hokage is important. Simply defeating him now, showing to him your real form won't stop him dreaming. Naruto will continue striving for his dream regardless of what is the outcome of this fight...When you find your dream, that's the time to fight Naruto with your real strength," Shikamaru argues steadily.

Glaring at his oldest brother, Gaara jeers, "I don't have a right to a dream, niisan. I'm a monster."

"Ba-ka!" yells Naruto, suddenly pushing back the pressure and bursting the sand that confines him. "Everyone has a right to dream."

His sand is defeated. Bringing down his arm, Gaara could only stare at the shinobi in front of him. Finally, he snaps testily, "Everyone who is normal. I have a monster inside me."

"I am the same as you dattebayo!" Naruto announces before taking a few steps back and cringing his eyes and tensing his shoulders; he imagines his friends in danger. It isn't long before a reddish chakra with the shape of miniature one-tailed fox appears to envelop him. "See?" Naruto smiles at Gaara and immediately the reddish haze disappears. "Ops I couldn't hold it long."

Gaara gazes at the grinning nin. The blond shinobi appears to be happy despite having a beast inside of him.

Naruto's unashamed smile just encompasses everyone. "Gaara when you find your dream, let's fight again!" Naruto challenges.

Gaara simply glowers at Naruto; irritated that he feels like the stupid nin and his own brother have given him something precious. But he doesn't want to grasp it, the opportunity to dream of something.

"Why?" Gaara asks in the end.

"Because you are at your strongest when you are fighting for something—when you are fighting for the sake of your dream dattebayo." Naruto nods his head, believing his own words boisterously, only to pout immediately after. "You didn't see me pit my real ability just now, you know. Of course, you know! When we have our match again, I'll show you my real strength at the same time you'll show me yours. The outcome of that fight will show who's really the strongest."

Gaara just continuous to watch Naruto as the blond nin goes on and on about his dream of being the Hokage, of the people acknowledging his existence…

Slowly the sand that covers the red-haired nin's monstrous arm, his head and his tail falls to the forest's floor and the gourd becomes whole again and remains hanging at his back. His eyes that stare at Naruto return to its previous blue-green colour.

After several moments, a slight lift to Gaara's lips appears. "With my own dream, I'll crush you."

TBC

~9 1 11, 10 14, 11 4 12 AF GC~

~ 11 16 12P~

A/N: Gomen for the long wait…and well gomen to the Guest who reviewed Chapter 58 slash Filler2, I lost the 2 chapters I told you about…I couldn't remember the limey details anymore ~sniffs sniffs~

On to good news. I didn't lose everything…of course I still have the plot copy! I can still write out of sequence yay. Hope this reassures the followers that I'm not abandoning this fic.

Review? Concrits? It reassures me people still wanna read this…