A/N: Here is part 2 of "The Konoha Ghostbusters", "Suna Arc".
AJT
The explosion was huge, and the only sounds that could be heard over the blast and the roar of the demon was Sakura's shriek.
"NARUTO! NARUTO!" She screamed, staring up at the apparent destruction of her friend and partner in horror. Sasuke winced as Slimer wailed nearby, the little ghost crying out nearly as loudly as Sakura.
"Naruto..." Temari murmured, staring up in shock. Even with all the rationalizations going on through her head about how she knew Naruto was going to die, that nobody could truly defy her brother… It hurt in a way she didn't know it could anymore.
"Sakura, I…I'm sorry," Kankuro tried. The girl was stunned, staring up as the smoke slowly cleared, revealing Shukaku's partially melted face, the black core surrounding Gaara visible.
"Sakura… Sakura!" Kakashi spoke, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Sakura, we need you…"
"But… But Naruto…" Sakura shook her head. "He's…!"
A beam of blue energy rocketed out from a rooftop nearby, striking the black core and making it's dark exterior twist and shift as though being frozen. Sakura gaped, and immediately pulled out her PKE Meter to confirm what she was seeing.
"Is that…?" Kankuro asked. Sasuke sighed, a small smirk on his face that easily hid the small bit of relief he was feeling.
"Has to be," he said. Shukaku bellowed and tried to reform itself, but the beam from Naruto's proton pack seemed to put more and more of its head into stasis, unable to move. A few moments later, out of the smoke, Naruto ran into view, carrying a small pack in additional to his proton pack. He stopped on the edge of the building, grinned and waved.
"Hi kids, miss me?"
"NARUTO! You-You idiot!" Sakura shouted, though it was obvious to everyone how happy she really was. "You- You have any idea how long it'll take to rebuild Ecto-2?!"
"Relax, with the cash money we'll make off this job, I'll buy you two more!" Naruto grinned. "Now, just a moment… You'll love this." He looked at Temari and grinned.
"All I need from you, Desert Goddess, is a little breeze, and we can wrap this up. What do you say?"
"Huh?" Temari asked in confusion. Naruto yanked on a tab on the pack in his hand, and a bright red and white chute shot out of it, catching the wind like a kite. No fool, Temari grasped the plan instantly, and shook her head.
"You're crazy, you know that?!" She shouted. "Daikamaitachi no Jutsu!"
Naruto's only response was to grin and hold on tightly, as the parachute caught the wind from the jutsu and yanked him away, flying towards the roaring Shukaku. The sand-construct was clawing at its head, trying to remove the Stasis Stream-caused "freezing". As a result, it was too occupied with its own troubles to bother with the small ninja that glided right on top of its shoulder.
"Okay Gaara, this is going to hurt you," Naruto began, as he let go of the parachute and ran for the black core, "a lot more than it'll hurt me-!"
Sand tendrils instantly lashed out at him, driven by instinct rather than sight. Naruto dodged them all, using chakra to boost his agility and carry him right up to the black shell. He lifted his neutrona wand over his head and slammed it down on the shell, shattering it like glass. Tendrils of sand lashed out, managing to grab onto one of his wrists, but Naruto let go of his thrower and pulled back his fist.
"But it's for your OWN GOOD!" He bellowed, punching the unconscious Gaara in the head as hard as he could. The band around the Shukaku container's head broke in two, and Gaara's eyes shot wide open.
"GAAAAAHHHH!" He bellowed, the sand in his gourd lashing out at Naruto. The blonde barely swung around to avoid behind impaled through the chest, the sand blade merely grazing his side. With a grunt, Naruto yanked the sealing mechanism off the back of his pack, and slammed it onto Gaara's chest. The Sand nin stared at him in shock, as the sand construct began to crumble.
"How…?" Was all Gaara could manage, as Shukaku howled one last time and fell silent. Naruto, breathing hard, gave Gaara a confused expression
"What do you mean?"
The sand construct was beginning to really fall apart, as was the shell surrounding Gaara. Naruto reached in and pulled him out, finding the boy a lot lighter than he initially seemed (except for the stupid gourd on his back).
"How did you… Beat me?" Gaara mumbled. Naruto gave his brother Jinchuuriki a comforting smile.
"You know… Power of friendship and family, love, stuff like that," he said. Naruto shrugged. "Super advanced technology courtesy of my lovely partner didn't hurt…"
Gaara's eyes rolled back into his head, and he passed out as Shukaku's influence was finally locked down. Naruto wondered why the device made a ding sound like a microwave when it fully activated, but decided to ask Sakura later-The "ground" he was standing on was quickly dissipating back into sand.
"Woah!" He shouted, and tried to leap off, but the ground he was on gave way, and Naruto tripped. "OH SHIT!"
He tumbled down with the rest of the sand, holding tightly onto Gaara, lost in a cloud of sand until-
THUD!
"Owwwww…" Naruto groaned and sat up, rubbing the back of his head. Landing on a pile of sand really, really hurt. He coughed and closed his eyes tightly, using a little technique Kakashi had taught them on the way here to use chakra to get the sand out of his eyes.
It took a few minutes, but it was definitely worth it not to have constantly irritated eyes. Though he was probably with Sakura on this-Goggles would be preferred.
He thought he heard the sound of clapping and cheers, which (while something he really did want to hear) confused him a bit. He didn't think he was dreaming…
"The demon is defeated!"
"YEAH!"
"HOORAY!"
Naruto opened his eyes, and saw a whole mess of villagers and ninja around the huge pile of sand, clapping and cheering. He looked over next to him, seeing Gaara conked out next to him. He checked his pulse, and when he was satisfied he was alive, he stood up, smiled widely at the crowd, and gave a bow.
"Who are you?" Shouted one of the ninja.
UWEAHH! UWEAHH! UWEAHH!
The Ecto-1 pulled up to the site, at a significantly slower pace than before and with Kankuro, Kakashi and Sasuke all up on the roof. Sakura immediately got out and ran over to Naruto, giving him a big hug.
"Oof! Hey, hey!" Naruto said. Sakura pulled back and whacked him over the head, hard.
"IDIOT!" She shouted. "You have any idea what…?" She looked around at everyone cheering, and flushed. "Uh…"
Naruto grinned, and wrapped an arm around Sakura's shoulders.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Uzumaki Naruto! This lovely woman here is Haruno Sakura! Over there, Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Sasuke, our employees. And we are the Ghostbusters!"
More loud cheers followed, and Naruto glanced at Kakashi at the same time he stuck his thumb back at Gaara. Instantly getting the message, Kakashi cast a mild genjutsu around Gaara, and while eye-smiling politely at the crowd made a shadow clone that stole over and picked Gaara up, carrying him to the Ecto-1.
Sasuke, used to significant amounts of positive attention, had never received such adulation, and got closer to Naruto and Sakura as the blonde ninja worked the crowd like an expert.
"See, Sakura-chan here is the brains of our operation! Without her, none of this would be possible!" Naruto enthused, as numerous civilians and ninja closed up on them. Sakura flushed heavily, but managed to give a bow.
Naruto moved away from Sakura, but kept her in sight in case she got overwhelmed by the crowd. He placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and grinned out to the people.
"And this here is Sasuke, who is our current paid intern! I have high hopes for him, which I think will be realized! Just needs a little experience, that's all! Oh, and ladies? He's single!"
"Naruto," Sasuke growled, just before he found himself surrounded by thankful women. Naruto went over to Temari and Kankuro, who by now had noticed Gaara was now in the back of the car.
"So… About that date?" Naruto said with a grin to the desert kunoichi. Temari flushed furiously, and shook her head. She seemed to be doing that a lot.
"… You are just plain impossible," she murmured. She then smirked a bit. "I suppose you do deserve it though…"
"Hey, I do not go half-way when it comes to earning the affection of such a beautiful woman," Naruto said, taking her hand and kissing it again.
"Ahem…"
Naruto looked up and saw a number of monks standing nearby. He frowned.
"Ah… Can I help you?"
The monk in front (whom Naruto presumed was the leader) stepped up and bowed to Naruto.
"Excuse me, Uzumaki-san… We are from the Shukaku Shrine nearby. We would be honored if you and your Ghostbusters would come with us, to stay."
"Well, we sort of already have a hotel," Naruto began, but was interrupted by Sakura. The pinkette had pulled away from the crowd, blushing furiously.
"N-Naruto! We need to get going, they're everywhere! They're just so-so… Ah, hello! I'm Sakura."
"Yes, we know," the head monk stated. "We were inviting you and your group to come back to our shrine."
"Shrine?" Sakura asked.
"Apparently they're from the Shukaku Shrine," Naruto explained. Sakura blinked.
"You mean… The Shukaku Shrine? The shrine where the Ichibi was held before being implanted into Gaara?" She asked. The head monk nodded.
"We have a great deal of information and writings on the demon, going back to its origin, if you would care to come and look," the monk said. "Our archives are at your disposal."
"Well, like I said, we have our own hotel room and-Urk!"
He felt a familiar tight grip on his wrist. He looked over at Sakura, whose eyes were narrowed.
"We'd be delighted to come stay at your shrine… Wouldn't we, Naruto?"
"… Like the lady says, we'd be delighted," Naruto said with an ever-so-slightly strained grin. He looked over at Temari.
"Would a slight detour to the Shrine be inappropriate, my lady? Just a short delay before our date, I assure you."
"Well," Temari began, before being interrupted by the clearing of a throat. Naruto scowled as he identified the owner of the voice.
"Kazekage," he greeted. The Kazekage looked over the scene, and his eyes narrowed.
"Uzumaki… I take it the problem has been dealt with?"
Naruto's eyes narrowed right back, and he snorted. Before Naruto could retort, Kakashi stepped in.
"Kazekage-sama, we have subdued your son," he stated.
"Good! Then perhaps we can meet to discuss what happens next," he said, looking around the devastation. Naruto growled, but was held back by Sakura.
"Kakashi-sensei, we need to do some more analysis before anything else happens," she said. "Remember, my device is still experimental. We don't know how long Gaara might stay… 'Subdued.'"
"However, anything to interfere in our work regarding Gaara would be considered interference in the execution of contract, and therefore render everything null and void," Naruto smoothly stated, grinning nastily back at the Kazekage. "In which case… We'd just take the device off and let you deal with the consequences."
"Are you threatening me, boy?" The Kazekage asked. Naruto's grin grew.
"Not at all, Kazekage! Just reminding you of what would happen if something were to happen to Gaara while he's in our care."
The Kazekage and Naruto stared each other down for a solid minute, before the Kazekage slowly nodded.
"Of course… Hatake, I will see you now."
"Yes, Kazekage-sama," Kakashi said. "I need to make my report to Konoha anyway." He turned and eye smiled at Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke (the latter of whom had managed to escape the girls of the village and make his way close to the rest of the Ghostbusters).
"Don't get into any trouble now!" He said, before turning and following the Kage.
"Naruto. Drive. Now," Sasuke insisted. Naruto sighed and shrugged, before opening the driver's side door and sliding in.
"Work, work, work… Aren't you pushy? Hop in everyone! Monk-san, hop in please? I'm going to need directions…"
M2J
Naruto whistled as he pulled Ecto-1 up to the Shuukaku Temple.
"You know, if you guys set up a food court and maybe a gift shop, you could attract all sorts of tourism to this place," he commented.
The head monk just looked at Naruto shrewdly. "I'll... Keep that in mind..."
"Idiot!" Sakura hissed, bonking Naruto on the head. "This is a place of worship, not some sleazy tourist trap!"
"Sheesh..." Naruto mumbled, rubbing his head. "Stupid abusive woman... Just because she has no date life, doesn't mean she has to ruin mine."
"What was that?" Sakura gritted out through clenched teeth.
"Nothing," was Naruto's aggravated reply.
Temari, who was in the back with the proton packs and Gaara looked to Sasuke, "Are they always like that?"
Sasuke merely gave an affirmative grunt and a short nod.
"That's gotta drive you crazy sometimes," commented Kankuro.
"You have no idea," Sasuke replied as he got out of the car.
"Seriously, though, this place could be like a museum," said Naruto to the monk. "You could probably convert more people if they had a reason to come out here."
"I suppose. Advertisement, however, has never been one of our priorities. We have very strict standards on who we allow to work here, as this is a place of worship and reverence. There is probably no place safer in the vicinity of Sunagakure that is safer for the Ichibi no Tanuki or Sabaku no Gaara." The monk noncommittally agreed as he regarded each of the Konoha Ghostbusters carefully.
At this point, Uzumaki Naruto was clad only in his black Ghostbusters coveralls, zipped a third of the way down revealing an orange undershirt, a PKE meter at his waist and Ecto-goggles on top of his head. On his right shoulder was Konoha's symbol sewn into the fabric with the Ghostbusters logo was stitched to the left. On his back, he bore the spiral insignia that he wore on all of his clothes.
Haruno Sakura's uniform had was much the same, though her traditional (not that the head monk knew that) khaki coveralls lacked the Konoha symbol, opting for a Ghostbusters logo patch on each shoulder. Unlike Naruto, she wore her black hitai-ite, while in full Ghostbuster's regalia, like a ribbon in her hair. She was the only one of the three of them to wear gloves, which went half way up her forearm.
Uchiha Sasuke's uniform was different from the others. His coveralls were all black with the Uchiha Clan Symbol emblazoned on the back and the collar was popped up. Unlike his two compatriots, he lacked the equipment that hung from their wastes. No PKE Meter, no Spectro-Visors, nothing. He also wore his blue hitai-ite properly. Like Sakura, he had a Ghostbusters patch on either side of his coveralls.
And then there was that free floating, disgusting, green blob that Naruto referred to as 'Slimer'. The monk couldn't help but cringe in disgust at its' presence. Apparently that was an opinion he shared with the Uchiha, as Uzumaki seemed to have made friends with it and Haruno seemed to accept its' presence as if it were an everyday thing.
He couldn't help but find it odd that a group of people who fancied themselves ghost exterminators would have and travel with a ghost companion.
It was like having an insect exterminator having a pet scarab that he took with him to work.
While Naruto was conversing with the monks about the virtues of marketing and enterprising, Sasuke approached Sakura.
"What exactly are we doing here?" his tone was a little more than slightly annoyed.
"All of our equipment is still experimental," Sakura informed him, "Some of them are variants of what the original Ghostbusters have, and some are of my own design. The Bijuu Suppressor we have on Gaara is one of those devices, but it was designed for Naruto."
Sasuke looked at Sakura sharply.
"It's never happened, nor have we been in a situation that's given us an indication that it even could happen, but both Naruto and I have considered it a possibility," said Sakura, "We actually didn't expect to encounter another Jinchuuriki so early on in our careers, so we can't be completely sure that the device won't have any negative long term effects on Gaara."
"So we're here to see if there are other ways of keeping the Ichibi and Gaara under control without the device," Sasuke said as he caught on.
"Precisely," said Sakura. "Though we also want to see if there is any additional information on his seal, so we know if there is anything Naruto can do to at least reinforce it. Given Gaara's psychosis, his apparent insomnia, and his instinctual control over sand, it is safe to assume his seal- aside from being different from Naruto's- is also far, far weaker."
"What about extracting the bijuu from Gaara?" asked Sasuke, "If his seal is as weak as you suspect, it might be possible to take the Bijuu out of him and give him a normal life."
Sakura shook her head. "Absolutely not. Your heart's in the right place, Sasuke-kun, but removing the bijuu, no matter how weak his seal is, would result in killing Gaara. There's a reason demons, bijuu in particular, are sealed into children rather than adults."
Sakura looked at Naruto, who was now whispering something in Temari's ear, causing the Suna Kunoichi to blush and Kankuro to scowl at them.
"Children, infants especially, have widely undeveloped chakra systems. The chakra coils of newborns have far more elasticity than those of an adult. If a Bijuu, even one as 'weak' as Shuukaku, were to be sealed into an adult, they would die a horrible death. Multiple system failures, aneurisms, muscle strain from their muscles all trying to expand simultaneously, and a plethora of other symptoms depending on how good the seal on them is- not to mention chakra overload so severe, it could potentially make a person explode with the force of at least a dozen explosive tags."
"However, with infants and newborns, their chakra systems can expand and adjust to the influx of demonic chakra," Sakura continued, "Once more, the gains and losses are widely dependent on the strength of the seal, the bijuu type that it is, and the child's own willpower and constitution. In Naruto's case, the Yondaime's seal is phenomenal, and would probably be overkill for sealing anything less than either the Shichibi or the Hachibi. However, the Kyuubi is easily the most stubborn and volatile of the nine bijuu, so it's lucky for us that Naruto is just as stubborn, if not more so, than the entity inside of him."
Sakura smiled briefly before her face took on a more withdrawn, sad expression. "Should the bijuu be extracted, without the excess chakra in their system, the Jinchuuriki's body could theoretically implode. However, that is the least of their problems, as they'd be dead long before that point either due to muscle strain from every single muscle in their body contracting all at once or chakra exhaustion because they lack the excess chakra from the bijuu bleeding into their system. Again, these symptoms are all widely dependent on the Jinchuuriki in question, his seal, the bijuu that is sealed within him and the method of extraction used- not to mention how long the bijuu has been sealed inside of the Jinchuuriki."
"I see..." Sasuke responded absently.
"Like I said, Sasuke-kun, it was a noble idea, but there just isn't a safe way to extract a bijuu from a Jinchuuriki," commented Sakura, "Besides, I can't be positive that our containment unit could even hold a malevolent entity like a Bijuu, even if they are highly concentrated constructs of chakra and ectoplasmic matter."
"I can't imagine the pain that Naruto and Gaara must have to live with..."
"It hasn't been all bad. Naruto's got us, and now so does Gaara," said Sakura with a smile, one that Sasuke actually returned.
"I guess they do," replied Sasuke.
"Hey, c'mon! You guys have to see this place, it's great!" shouted Naruto.
Sasuke hadn't even noticed how close he and Sakura had gotten to each other until she stepped away with a light blush peppering her face. Suddenly, he couldn't bring himself to look anywhere near her.
'What the hell was that?' Sasuke asked himself in confusion. He then caught Naruto's eye and scowled at the knowing smirk the blonde idiot was giving him.
He then looked over at the Kazekage's children. Temari merely quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing. Kankuro on the other hand, had a scowl that matched Sasuke's- he was clearly annoyed with the Uchiha Scion, to which Sasuke couldn't help but give one of his patented smirks.
Sakura approached the head monk. "Excuse me... Uh... Monk-san..."
"Makoto," the monk filled in for her, with a small smile.
"Ah, yes... Makoto-san," said Sakura, "Would it be all right if I checked out your archives for any sort of relevant information on the entity known as Shuukaku."
"Of course," he congenially replied. "I'll escort you down there myself." As Sakura and the head monk departed Naruto turned to their paranormal companion.
"Slimer," was all Naruto had to say.
"Wight!" Slimer responded with a salute before zipping after Sakura.
"You're awfully protective of her, you know," Kankuro observed.
"She's all I've had for years. I won't let anything happen to her," said Naruto before looking Kankuro in the eye. His eyes flashed crimson for a moment. "Keep that in mind."
"R-right..." stuttered Kankuro as he actually stepped back.
Temari, who had already been aware of Naruto's Jinchuuriki status, only smiled, despite how intimidating Naruto's threat, combined with his changing eyes were. Naruto was so different from her brother and yet... There were some similarities with how Naruto was and how Gaara used to be. It gave her hope for Gaara in the future.
"I think you're forgetting something dobe," Sasuke spoke up. "I don't care how 'safe' this place is, someone should stay with Gaara."
"Have you seen how he looks?" asked Naruto incredulously, "With the Bijuu suppressor on, he doesn't have to worry about the demon attacking him in his sleep or taking control of his body. He's getting the best sleep of his life and will probably be out for at least another day and a half."
"Which is exactly why we should be careful," replied Sasuke, "He is incapable of defending himself."
"Please, Sasuke. This is a Shuukaku Temple. At most, the monks here will build him a shrine and worship him," said Naruto, "He's the chosen vessel."
"Which is why we should be even more careful," Sasuke snapped.
"E-excuse me... Uzumaki-san, Uchiha-san, Temari-sama, Kankuro-sama," a young girl addressed them. "Is there any way that I could assist you?"
Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment. "A name would be nice."
"Oh! I'm sorry! I'm Matsuri!" the girl replied, "Acolyte of the Shuukaku Temple and student of the Sunagakure Ninja Academy."
Temari scowled. "If you're a student enrolled at the academy, what are you doing here?"
"I am an orphan, Temari-sama," replied Matsuri, "And my monthly stipend is barely adequate to live off of. I come here to earn additional ryo."
Only Naruto didn't look shocked at this information.
"I see... I apologize for my rudeness, Matsuri-chan," replied Temari.
"It's no problem, Temari-sama," Matsuri responded with a smile.
"Matsuri-chan, can you do us a favor?" asked Naruto. "Can you look after Gaara while we do some investigating around here?"
"S-sure, I'll be glad to look after Gaara-sama," replied Matsuri.
Naruto then looked over at Sasuke with a triumphant grin. "Nothin' to it."
"Hn." was Sasuke's reply.
"All right, make-up boy, it's time to move your brother," ordered Naruto.
"Wha-?" Kankuro said intelligibly, caught off guard by being addressed so suddenly.
"We're not leaving him in the car," said Naruto, "You're going to move him to somewhere comfortable and then come back and get him when we're done."
"Who are you to give me orders?" Kankuro snapped.
"Just do it, you stupid fool," Temari ordered as she hit Kankuro on the head. "It'll be easier for you because of your puppets. There's less of a chance of Gaara getting jostled around too much and doing something to mess up the device Naruto-kun put on him."
"All right, fine," Kankuro grumbled. "Why didn't I go with Sakura, even if she is a bit bossy, she at least respects me..."
"Yeah, well she's like a sister to me and I've noticed the way you were trying to flirt with her on the way here," Naruto stated, "If I don't like you..."
He let the threat hang.
"Yeah, well the girl you've been constantly hitting on IS my sister," countered Kankuro.
"Yeah, but unlike Temari, Sakura actually listens to me and respects my opinion," Naruto re-countered. Temari laughed in agreement, while Kankuro scowled. "Matsuri-chan, show make-up boy and the bastard someplace where Gaara can rest comfortably, while Temari-chan and I have a quick look around, okay."
"Hai, sure thing Uzumaki-san!" Matsuri bowed.
"Ready, milady?" Naruto asked as he held out his arm to Temari, who graciously took it and let herself be lead into the Temple. "Catch you guys later!" Naruto shouted back as he gave them a small wave.
"Why I oughta..." Kankuro grumbled before he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"We can kill him later," said Sasuke, "For now, let's just get Gaara inside."
AJT
The shrine's interior, even its archives, were meticulously cleaned and maintained, and not the sort of place Sakura had been expecting. Researching ghosts, demons and various other paranormal entities in Konoha's main library had been a difficult task, as many of the materials were related to ninja texts for a variety of reasons, and usually kept secret. More than that, they were dusty, often closed off for long periods of time in between research. They had not been pleasant at all, and what information she had been able to get was not particularly useful. As a result, she'd had to rely almost exclusively on the original Ghostbusters' notes, journals, books and archives. They were extensive, but according to Tobin's Theory of Ectoplasmic Physiological Radiation, ghosts and demons evolved and changed like living lifeforms did, and so there wasn't much on the local demons available.
It was with a wide smile and shining eyes Sakura beheld a library filled to the brim with information on Shukaku. She looked over at the monk (who had been assigned to assist her as Makoto departed to rejoin her companions) her hands clasped together.
"This… I can read… Anything?" She asked. The monk nodded with a kind smile.
"Oh yes, whatever you wish to read."
Holding back a squeal of excitement, Sakura seemed to dive into the archives like Slimer or Naruto into a bowl of ramen. The monk stared, and then cringed as Slimer floated into the library.
"Begone, foul creature!" He growled, holding up a tag with arcane symbols drawn onto it. Slimer yelped and flew behind Sakura, hiding.
"Eh? Slimer!" Sakura said disapprovingly. Slimer babbled an explanation, which made little sense to the monk but apparently perfect sense to Sakura.
"Oh, it's okay."
"But-But it is a ghost!" The monk protested.
"He's our… Nin-Ghost, essentially," Sakura said, pushing her glasses up. "Don't worry, he won't be any trouble, I assure you."
"Very well… But keep him away from the papers, please," the monk said after a moment's consideration. He turned and walked to another part of the library, while Sakura pulled a large selection of books and scrolls off the shelves and laid them down on a table.
"Okay Slimer, just keep your distance, all right?" Sakura said. Slimer warbled and whimpered, and Sakura raised her eyebrows.
"Bad feeling?"
"Uh huh, uh huh!" Slimer whimpered, looking around while worrying his hands. Sakura frowned, and produced her PKE meter. She scanned the room carefully, and her frown deepened.
"Hmmm… There's a large amount of activity around here," she murmured thoughtfully. "It's probably just residual energy from the Shukaku…"
"I dun knooowww," Slimer warbled. Sakura smiled at him.
"Well, just keep an eye out then," she said. "I need to take a look at this stuff." She sat down on the floor in front of the low table, and eagerly began to read through the scrolls, Slimer's large eyes darting about, looking for the source of his uneasy feeling.
The little ghost had been exposed to paranormal entities of unimaginable evil and power, which had boosted his sensitivity to them. He had served as an able "canary", as Peter put it, in later years with the original Ghostbusters. And right now, this canary felt the awful urge to fly away…
"There," Kankuro said, setting Gaara's heavy gourd in the corner of the room. He grimaced, his mind always occupied with the thought of the grisly materials within the shell-Not just sand, but blood from Gaara's last victims. He let go of it, and shook out his hands-Due to the nature of his ninja specialty, his fingers were particularly attuned to chakra energies: They had to be to handle puppets so well. An unfortunate side effect was that touching Gaara's gourd gave him a kind of "chakra echo" from the materials inside.
He shook out his hands again, and noticed Sasuke's stare on the other side of the room. He then scowled and crossed his hands over his chest.
"Ah, will Gaara-sama be all right?" Matsuri interrupted the glaring contest between the two ninja. She was kneeling next to Gaara in her miko uniform, tucking a blanket around his sleeping form.
"Probably," Sasuke said. "Keep an eye on him."
"R-Right!" Matsuri said. Kankuro frowned. Was she… Blushing?
Well, I am a totally badass, handsome hunk of ninja manliness, Kankuro thought with a smirk. She did look a bit cute, in a moe sort of way, but he was used to girls like her-Always skittish around him because of his station, or his intimidating brother.
Sasuke's departure shook him out of his reverie, and Kankuro quickly caught up.
"Shouldn't you be watching over your brother?" Sasuke asked flatly. Kankuro grinned.
"I'm just going to find Sakura. She might need help with some of her research," he said, adding just the right hint of innuendo to 'research' to make the Uchiha survivor tense.
"I've researched with her before, I know what to look for to make her work more efficiently," Sasuke stated, picking up his pace just a bit. Kankuro smirked. Uzumaki was all right in this, at least: Anyone willing to tweak this stuck up ninja couldn't be all bad.
It didn't change the fact that he was still the guy flirting like mad with his sister. Even subduing Gaara wasn't quite enough in Kankuro's book to be okay with that.
"I thought you were an intern?" Kankuro asked, as they navigated the broad halls of the temple. The light was subdued but still warm inside, a contrast to the demon it was dedicated to.
Sasuke's scowl grew deeper. "It means I am more qualified to assist her. She has a bad habit of getting too deeply into a subject…" He trailed off.
"Oh really?" Kankuro asked with a smirk.
Sasuke didn't know quite what to make of it. He'd admitted his annoyance with his teammates on several occasions to Kakashi: How Naruto's teasing of him and pranking aggravated him nearly as much as the blonde ninja's insightful barbs at his character. How Sakura's long research, enthusiasm for learning about ghosts, and often dangerous inventions went out of control. Suddenly though… Those little moments where he'd have to tolerate her being absorbed in a book in the firehouse, or her prattling on about subjects he could barely understand, all seemed very important, and not worth sharing.
He shook his head and ignored Kankuro, focusing his chakra senses to try and locate the pinkette. Kankuro followed along, the smug expression held fact to his face as he knew he not only once more got under the stuck-up Uchiha's skin, but had also gotten the upper hand.
"So, how old is this temple anyway?" Naruto asked as he, the head monk Makoto, and Temari moved through the large central chamber of the complex. He stole glances over at Temari every chance he could, flashing her a grin and wink that made the Suna kunoichi flush.
"It was founded over two centuries ago by the monk Sha Futo. He was a great collector of folklore and stories regarding Shukaku, and believed the One Tail to be the embodiment of the force of the desert itself," Makoto said pleasantly.
"Oh really? Go on," Naruto encouraged, eyes still on Temari. They had entered a sanctuary of sorts in the vast chamber, lit by hundreds of candles. In the center of the sanctuary stood a sandstone statue in the shape of Shukaku himself, with dozens of monks meditating while facing it. Naruto thought the demon looked much better this way: without the predatory glint in his eyes or evil grin on his mouth.
"He led the sanctuary ably, a great teacher and healer," Makoto continued his praise.
"Until he attempted to harness Shukaku himself," Temari said bluntly. Naruto could feel the attention of every monk shift to Temari as one. The Suna kunoichi, however, continued without giving any attention to the monks, as comfortable with her own opinion as she was with her fan.
"He thought he could take the power of the Ichibi for himself, and when he lost control, he was sealed into a tea pot, until the Kazekage decided he wanted to bring him back out," Temari said, eyes as cold as her tone. The chamber was so quiet; Naruto swore he could hear the candles guttering in the slight breeze.
"Yes, that is the story," Makoto returned softly. Naruto cleared his throat and stepped in between the two.
"So! How about…" His mind searched for a subject, "them Bears?"
More silence. Much staring. Naruto mentally cursed.
"Bears? In Sunagakure?" asked Makoto, mystified.
"Ah, er… Well, um, if I remember my… Geology, then at some point in the distant past this desert was actually an ocean, and while it was an ocean, there were shores, and on shores you find… Bears oh hey look over there! What's this thing?" Naruto asked, pointing at seal-work into one of several strong, wooden pillars holding the roof up. It was carved into the wood with such care and precision it looked merely like elaborate decoration, but Naruto knew better. Already he was running calculation of the raw ki units this array was designed to channel.
"It is a meditation pillar, designed to focus our combined chakra for better focus in our day to day duties," Makoto explained. Naruto whistled, and pulled out a piece of rubbing paper and charcoal. He began to make a rubbing of a central array in the main network.
"Wow… That's some focus. This much seal work, lasting this long? Channeling this much energy? Sakura's going to love this. How many monks are there anyway?"
"One hundred," Makoto replied. Temari stepped next to Naruto and shot him an annoyed look. The blonde coughed, and pulled the rubbing away.
"Wow… Um… Well, I need to go check on something in the car, I'll be right back. Thank you for all the information, Makoto-san," Naruto said with a smile. He turned and allowed himself to be led out by Temari, who was visibly relieved to be leaving. Neither noticed the small smile the monk held, as he turned to observe the pillar. He held up a hand, and the part of the pillar Naruto had touched glowed red with chakra.
"No… Thank you, Uzumaki Naruto," he murmured, his fellow monks all looking as excited and happy as he. At a look though, they resumed their serene natures. Makoto smirked. It would not do to indulge in base emotions, even with such luck to drop into their hands…
M2J
Naruto kept an arm around Temari until they turned yet another corner within the temple. Temari observed him for a moment and noticed a far different Naruto than she was used to seeing.
The Naruto she was rapidly getting close to was a pathological, compulsive, chronic flirt. Even with her limited interactions with members of the opposite sex, she could spot the type of man Naruto was from a mile away.
Of course that didn't mean his compliments had any less effect on her or that she didn't enjoy his carefree attitude as he kept her company.
Quite the opposite really.
It was probably the most fun she could ever remember having.
However, the Naruto standing next to her was different from the one who had presented himself to her in the Sunagakure Bazaar when the Konoha Ghostbusters first arrived earlier in the day. His smile was still mischievous and playful, but somehow he seemed less carefree.
"You... You actually really care about him, don't you?" he asked her. The question was sudden and caught her off guard. There was a slight moment of silence and when Temari didn't answer him, his gaze met hers. Correctly interpreting her confusion, Naruto clarified. "Your brother, Gaara."
She wasn't sure how she could or should answer that. She was saved from answering when he pressed on. "You're not just scared of him; you're scared for him too."
"I... I-it's not something I've really ever thought about, honestly," Temari replied. "It's always been the same around Gaara, that constant aura of bloodlust he projects, wondering when my time was going to be up, the pain of watching him as he faces the world alone with that same dead look in his eyes and that crazed expression on his face..."
She had looked ahead as she began to speak, lost in the pained memories of her past as Gaara became less of an innocent little boy crying out for love into the horrid monster her father and uncle created.
Temari was slightly startled as a hand firmly, yet gently, gripped her shoulder. Her gaze immediately snapped back to Naruto who offered her one of the most compassionate smiles she'd ever seen.
"You were younger then and not strong enough to prevent your father from doing what he did to Gaara," Naruto comforted her, "And through it all, you still care for him as much as you did then. Can your other brother say that?"
Temari shrugged, she honestly didn't know. The only time Gaara ever came up in conversation was when they were accompanying him on missions.
"You're stronger now, when we fix Gaara up, you'll be able to keep helping him when we're gone. Gaara... Gaara just needs to know that someone cares, that there is someone out there who acknowledges him beyond being Suna's great weapon or the demon he carries inside of him."
Naruto became lost in his own thoughts as he spoke; painful memories of a time in his life when Slimer and Sakura were not in it were brought up to the surface.
This mission was hitting much too close to home for his own comfort.
"Just like you..." Temari said softly, cupping his cheek with her surprisingly soft hands. "You're much more than anyone would ever expect. If there is anyone who could help my youngest brother, it's you."
"Arigatou, Temari-chan," replied Naruto tenderly, looking her straight in the eye. "I promise I won't let you down. I won't let Gaara fall back into darkness."
"I know."
What happened next surprised them both a little bit. Temari leaned towards Naruto and gave him a quick peck on the corner of his mouth.
At his shocked look, she couldn't help but giggle- something she usually saw beneath her. If she didn't know any better, she would say that he had just experienced his first kiss, not that she had any more experience than that herself.
Despite being a pathological flirt, his non-stop efforts to impress the Yamanaka Heiress and having the absolute devotion of the Hyuuga Heiress, little did Temari know, was that was indeed Naruto's first real kiss. Once the small moment of shock wore off, Naruto gave her a confident half smile that Temari found irresistible.
Taking her chin in his hand, he leaned towards her, stopping just inches from her lips. Temari met his gaze with half lidded eyes and gave him a barely perceptible nod. Naruto then gently guided her lips to his.
If there was one thing Haruno Sakura was widely known for, it was her studious manner and the way she meticulously took note of even the finest details, often memorizing them in perfect clarity.
If there was anything else she prided herself in (excluding Ecto-1, of course) it was her sure fire ability to put together even the finest of details long after she studied them. These traits were vital to the whole Ghostbuster operation as she had done most of the calculations, mechanical work and configurations to get most everything back up and running.
Sure, Naruto helped, but his forte was more in dealing with people, seals and the ninja arts, particularly ninjutsu, than with science and engineering, though to be honest he was actually pretty good at that too- when it could hold his attention.
Sakura let out a tired sigh as she sat back from her work, rubbing her already fatigued eyes. She had already been there for over an hour, she was sure, and was quite surprised that Naruto hadn't come to check up on her yet- or at least pull her away from studying these aged tomes and scrolls.
She looked over at Slimer, making sure he wasn't getting into any sort of mischief, as he was often prone to do. She was satisfied that the startled ghost was merely looking over the various engravings on the walls of the temple and the statues of various key figures of the Shuukaku temple. Sakura also spotted the monk assigned to help her, should she require assistance, standing by the exit, waiting diligently for her to give him orders.
She was roused from her thoughts when she heard some sort of struggle in the corridor just outside of the Archives. Slimer inched towards her, obviously scared out of his wits. Sakura began to drawn a kunai from her pouch when she saw a slightly disheveled Kankuro enter the room.
She eased her guard and began to slide the kunai back into its' pouch when a string of ninja wire snapped Kankuro's foot, making him fall flat on his face.
Once more, Sakura had the kunai in her hand ready to strike out at her would be foe as he revealed himself. Only instead of the expected hostile, the person who entered the room was none other than a fairly disheveled Uchiha Sasuke, scowling even more than usual.
"Is... Everything all right, Sasuke-kun, Kankuro-kun?" she asked in a concerned tone. Sasuke only grunted while Kankuro gritted out 'fine'.
"We've come to assist you in your research," Sasuke explained.
"Really?" asked Sakura looking rather skeptical. "I usually have to drag you along and practically tie you to the chair to get you to do that. You're even worse than Naruto sometimes."
Sasuke frowned at being compared unfavorably like that to Naruto of all people. Though even he supposed that when studying the paranormal, Naruto could often be seen reading diligently, at least for a little while.
"So what exactly are we waiting for here?" asked Kankuro.
"Honestly... I'm not sure..." replied Sakura. "I'm mostly just sifting through general information on Shuukaku so I can see what adjustments need to be made to the Bijuu Suppressor before we go forward with helping Gaara."
"It seemed to be working fine earlier," said Kankuro confusedly.
"I know, but as I told Sasuke, Jinchuuriki aren't exactly common and we never expected to encounter one so soon. The device is experimental and this is the first time it's ever been used. Honestly, I wasn't even sure it would work in the first place," Sakura replied. "Factor in the fact that it wasn't designed to be used on Gaara, there is a possibility of detrimental long term effects. What I'm working on now is minimizing the chance that he will be affected negatively by the device or at least minimizing the negative long term effects it has on him."
Kankuro had a feeling he was getting the short, short version of the explanation and he was pretty sure that's all he wanted to know.
"There is also the matter of the high PKE readings I'm getting from both here and Suna... Paranormal Activity is well off the charts, yet the actual physical manifestations of psychokinetic energies seem to be at low to normal levels."
"What exactly does that mean Sakura?" asked Sasuke.
"Imagine we're in Konoha," Sakura began, "Which has higher than normal levels of paranormal activity. Naruto and I have speculated that since Konoha was attacked by the Kyuubi and at one time housed all Nine of the Bijuu, not to mention the combined presence of both the Firehouse and Naruto in the village, makes it a hot spot for psychokinetic manifestations- or ghosts."
"What does this have to do with Suna?" asked Kankuro.
"The readings I'm picking up from Suna are currently 8 times Konoha's normal level," stated Sakura, "Admittedly Konoha's levels have been rising as of late, but it would take years of unchecked Paranormal Activity for them to be this high."
"So you're saying that the amount of ghosts, both in Suna and the Temple, don't quite match up to the amounts of ghost energy you're detecting," Sasuke clarified.
Sakura sighed. She hated it when Naruto simplified things like that, and it appeared Sasuke was picking up that same deplorable habit.
"Essentially, yes," she responded. "The PKE readings are at near catastrophic levels. We should be seeing far more apparitions and ones with greater power than those we've seen in Konoha thus far."
"Vewy mean ones too!" Slimer piped in, his eyes still darting around all over the place.
"What about Gaara and Shuukaku?" inquired Kankuro. "Couldn't they be part of what your scanning."
"It's something I've both considered and taken into account, however, by my estimations, even with Shuukaku active, either within or outside of your brother's body, the PKE readings shouldn't be nearly this high. Naruto couldn't generate anywhere near this amount of psychokinetic energy while channeling chakra, and he contains the Kyuubi, which is at least nine times more powerful than the Ichibi," Sakura answered.
"So what's generating all this 'ghost energy'?" asked Sasuke.
"I'm not sure..." replied Sakura, "But whatever it is, it's big and may even rival the Kyuubi in sheer destructive force and power."
"If that's true, there'd be some sort of evidence right?" asked Kankuro. "As far as I can tell, nothing out of the ordinary has happened."
"What if there's nothing generating the excess power?" asked Sasuke.
Sakura frowned. "Impossible. The PKE-"
"No, listen for a minute, Sakura," interjected Sasuke. "I know I don't know as much about this stuff as you and Naruto, but look at it this way. Your ghost energy is a lot like a radio signal or electricity, right?"
"I suppose you could look at it that way..." she replied uneasily. "But what does-"
She was stopped when Sasuke raised his hand. "Since coming to the temple, have the readings gotten stronger, or weaker?"
"A bit stronger, though there was a sharp spike in the fluctuations a while ago, but that's likely due to the natural progression of the perpetually increasing psychokinetic energies," Sakura responded.
Sasuke rubbed his temples, feeling his Sakura induced migraine flaring up with much more force than was normal. This was probably due to his brain having to work overtime translating everything Sakura said in plain speak without Naruto there to translate for him.
"So there isn't really any change, right?" he asked.
"Well... No..."
"If something was making new ghost energy, your scans would either be getting stronger or weaker based on your location," Sasuke explained.
Surprisingly, it wasn't Sakura, but Kankuro that caught on first. "Of course! The farther you get away from the generator, the weaker the energy would be, and the closer you get to the source..."
"The stronger the signal," Sasuke finished. "The signals we're getting seem pretty even. So what if someone- or thing- isn't generating new power, but collecting up the old power?"
Sakura's face scrunched up in thought. The look, combined with her glasses, made for an endearing look, Sasuke idly considered as she thought over his proposed theory.
"Yes... It makes sense... Brilliant, actually!" said Sakura in thought. "In fact, I don't know why I hadn't thought of it myself! Sasuke-kun, you're a genius!"
In her excitement she missed the exchange between Kankuro and Sasuke. The puppeteer's grimace was a rather perfect contrast to the Uchiha's victory smirk.
"It definitely explains the lack of paranormal activity that we've seen..." said Sakura, "But how and to what ends?"
"What do you mean?" asked Kankuro.
"If the psychokinetic energies around Sunagakure and the Temple are being collected, rather than generated, as Sasuke theorized, then it has to have some sort of purpose..." Sakura explained. "Or else, like all forms of energy, without any sort of escape, it could eventually pressurize itself well past maximum capacity and explode."
"When you say explode..." Kankuro began to inquire.
"I mean Suna, the Temple and everything for several miles would be vaporized," Sakura gravely informed them.
"What about...?" Sasuke began to ask, before Sakura interrupted him.
"The containment unit at the firehouse?" Sakura finished for him, at Sasuke's nod she continued. "That's different. The containment unit itself is an energy grid of protonically charged beams that sort of draw in and contain psychokinetic manifestations. It sort of works like a cross between the proton packs and the traps. From Slimer's descriptions about what it is like on the inside of the grid, we theorize that the ectoplasmic energies from the malevolent entities we capture combine inside the grid and sort of create a sort of pocket universe within the containment unit, allowing for almost near infinite space for the malevolent entities to reside in, while also allowing us to continue trapping ghosts at rapid, but steady rate, without fear of overloading the containment system itself. As a result, the containment unit actually gives off little or no PKE readings and is perfectly safe for operation, so long as nobody shuts down the main grid."
"And if they did...?" Sasuke asked.
"A cascade failure of the entire containment system and an explosion theoretically capable of creating an intradimensional rift," Sakura answered. "Fortunately, for the original Ghostbusters, the two occasions in which they recorded such an occurrence, they had deity level specters, one by the name of 'Gozer the Gozarian' and the other an ascended apparition named Ivo Shandor, also referred to as 'the Architect', that were trying to open up intradimensional rifts of their own and thus absorbed the energy of the explosions to give themselves enough psychokinetic energy in order to not only open up doorways to their dimensions, but, in the case of the Architect, merge their realm with his."
Kankuro whistled. "Most of that went over my head, but it still sounds really bad."
Sasuke nodded in agreement.
"Not just 'really' bad, 'extremely' bad," Sakura corrected. "We're talking cataclysmic levels well beyond catastrophic, bordering somewhere on apocalyptic."
As if to emphasize her point, Slimer was shaking up and down in agreement.
"Vewy, Vewy bad..." he whimpered pathetically.
"Well..." Sakura sighed as she pulled up her glove and checked a strange device on her wrist. "It's getting late... Let's call it a day and pick up here again tomorrow."
The other's nodded in agreement.
"Find anything of actual use?" asked Sasuke.
"Some, but not much..." said Sakura. "I did find a few interesting seals though that I want Naruto to take a look at. Something didn't look right about them. I'm also thinking it will be a good idea to talk with whoever sealed the Ichibi inside of Gaara before Naruto starts tinkering with it."
Kankuro cringed. "That... Might be a bit of a problem... Chiyo-baa-sama hasn't exactly been on the best terms with Suna in quite some time..."
"We still have to try, for Gaara's sake," said Sakura as they walked out of the archives. "Now, let's go get Gaara and find out where that shameless flirt Naruto went off to with your sister."
Behind them, the monk that was placed to assist Sakura stayed behind and turned into the shadows.
"Makoto-sama... These outsiders... These Ghostbusters... Might be more trouble than we anticipated..." he said as he reached into his hood and depressed a button on a hidden earpiece.
"I'm counting on it, Buraindo," came the voice of the head monk. "Soon our time will come..."
"And we shall pave the path of justice..." the one known as Buraindo finished.
AJT
Sakura reached Gaara's resting room, and opened the door. Matsuri's back was to the door, and she was kneeling next to Gaara. She was leaning over him, and her hands seemed to be on him.
"How is Gaara, Matsuri?" Sakura asked. The girl eeped and jumped away from her position looking over Gaara like a shocked rabbit, and immediately assumed the seiza position with a red flush on her face in front of Sakura. Sakura blinked, Kankuro stared, and Sasuke scowled.
"Everything all right?" Sakura asked. Slimer hooted a bit, but upon getting a look at Gaara's face he yelped and hid behind the door. He still remembered being up close and personal with the Shukaku container and had little desire to repeat the experience.
"Oh-Oh yes! Yes! He's fine, very fine, better than fine!" She squeaked. Sasuke raised his eyebrows, and Kankuro's jaw dropped.
"What the...?"
Sasuke sighed, and crossed his arms over his chest. He recognized that blush on Matsuri's face. Fangirl, great. Well he supposed even killing machines like Gaara might have a few. And she seemed so normal...
Sakura knelt next to Gaara and examined the device. She opened the front panel and began to fiddle with various wires and knobs. Kankuro entered the room and knelt down next to her, watching her work.
"So, what sort of adjustments are you making?" Kankuro asked.
Sasuke scowled, and moved to kneel on Sakura's other side. Matsuri went around to the other side of Gaara's body, and also watched Sakura's work.
"I'm altering the neutron flow from 34.5 megahertz to 32.445 megahertz. That adjustment should make the suppression system more effective. At the moment Shukaku might begin making stabs at Gaara's subconscious, but a narrower frequency should minimize chances of an ego breach and subsequent cross-spiritual contamination. I mean, already his reality matrix is being frayed at a rate of .835 ikaris every twenty four hours, it's a wonder he's not a raving loony already..."
Sasuke was satisfied to see Kankuro's eyes were glazing over just as much as he imagined his own were. Kankuro, seeing this, just smirked and scooted closer to Sakura.
"Yes? Go on?" Kankuro said. Sakura beamed and proceeded to do so.
"Well, the fundamental theory of ego borders is reliant upon the personal conception of self, which when dealing with world systems possessing trans-dimensional energies can be influenced by interaction between..."
"Shouldn't you be checking on your sister?" Sasuke hissed, moving closer to Sakura in retaliation. Kankuro chuckled, and slowly put his hand around Sakura's shoulders.
"Shouldn't you be checking on your teammate?" Kankuro whispered.
"... Absolute Terror field interactions can produce reality-unreality matrix breaches, the fundamental theory behind chakra empathy, or "killing intent" though, is primarily psychic in concept, the exact boundary between real and unreal..."
Sakura had bent over entirely, in order to stare deeply at the device while she continued to lecture. This allowed Sasuke and Kankuro to look at each other directly. Kankuro looked down at Sakura, and his smirk grew. Sasuke followed his gaze.
Whoa... Is that Sakura's ass? He'd never really paid much attention to it, but suddenly it seemed very, very interesting. Sakura was almost always in her jumpsuit when he saw her. Around the firehouse she'd sometimes unzip it, take it off the upper half of her body, and tie it around her waist, leaving her in a very tight white undershirt, the top of her panties exposed...
His cheeks turned red as the memory was suddenly in a very different light now. He glared death at Kankuro. The puppet master simply lowered his hand, hovering a few centimeters above Sakura's backside. Sasuke's eyes flew wide open, and he held up his fist threateningly.
"... the implications are enormous, but of course you'd require a human soul in a construct big enough to channel the conception of self into a practical weapon..."
Kankuro waved his hand up and down, each time threatening to press his hand against Sakura's ass. Sasuke growled.
"Get your hand away from her," he mouthed to Kankuro.
"What? Afraid she might like it?" Kankuro mouthed back. Sasuke leaned over Sakura, feeling like his Sharingan eyes threatening to emerge in his anger. Kankuro leaned forward as well, his smile a challenging one.
"Prick," Sasuke mouthed.
"Asshole," Kankuro mouthed back.
"... So as a result the primary feedback is distributed through psychic buffers, which break down each reality break energy into smaller and smaller ikaris..."
"Bastard," Kankuro mouthed.
"Dickless," Sasuke mouthed back.
Matsuri watched this back and forth in some trepidation. Slimer, on the other hand, had a different reaction.
"Sakuwa! Sakuwa!"
Sakura shot back up into a sitting position, the back of her head colliding with Kankuro and Sasuke's faces.
"OW!" Sakura hissed, and rubbed the back of her head. "Dammit, what-?" She turned and saw both Kankuro and Sasuke laid out on the floor behind her. "What are you two doing?!"
"Um... Nothing," Sasuke and Kankuro both quickly responded. Sakura sighed, and rubbed the back of her head again with a wince.
"Ow... Look, I'm done with the adjustments. I think we need to find Naruto and Temari, and decide what we're going to do next," Sakura said. She stood up and walked out the door. "Stay with him Matsuri."
"Of course, Sakura-san!" Matsuri said. Sasuke and Kankuro rose, and both gave dirty looks to Slimer. The little ghost merely laughed, and turned to fly after Sakura.
"I hate that ghost," Sasuke grumbled.
"Same here," Kankuro snorted.
"Sakura's always treating him like he can do no wrong, and always has a treat for him," Sasuke complained. "And he acts so innocent..."
"Clearly pure evil, you saw how close that blob is to that blond knucklehead," Kankuro said.
The two nodded. They then looked at each other in some shock at their agreement. Their expressions turned to deadly glares.
"Bastard."
"Prick."
They headed out of the room, leaving Matsuri to stare after them.
"... So strange," she murmured. She scooted up alongside Gaara again. "Nothing like you though, Gaara-sama. Nothing like you at all."
The plot thickens. Who will prevail for Sakura's affections? Where is all the 'ghost energy' going? Will Naruto and Temari go on their date? The answers to these questions and more in the next exciting episode of The Konoha Ghostbusters!