4:Unleashed

Rasa was looking over the reports Yashamaru had given him on his youngest son's progress. "This is most unacceptable." Rasa said, slapping the reports to his desk, "If he's unable to control himself, then he is yet another failure as a Jinchuriki!"

Yashamaru sighed, "But he's just a child, Kazekage-sama, shouldn't we wait a little longer to see if he can - "

"No," Rasa dismissed the thought, "I'm sending out an evacuation order. After all of the appointed citizens have moved out of the village, I want you to test Gaara!"

Yashamaru, "Me?! But, Sir - "

"No!" Rasa growled, "It has to be done by you. He fears me, and you are the only other person close enough to him to traumatize him! He must be made to believe that his mother never loved him, and that his sand is her curse upon this village!" The Kazekage snapped, "Also, it has come to my knowledge that Kiri has decided against working with us in an alliance, seeing as we are unable to provide them with Pakura's life...do not inform her, or the Hokage about the evacuation."

Yashamaru nodded, "It shall be done."

Rasa nodded, "Good," he said, turning toward the window, "Be careful out there, Yashamaru...I would prefer you to live through this if possible."

Yashamaru pulled his mask over his face and turned to leave, his heart heavy, "Do not look for me to return." The man said, "Gaara's mother will always protect him from harm, no matter who comes for him."

=x=

Naruto had woken from his nap, and was currently pestering Hiruzen for the Jutsu he'd promised, but the old man was merely chuckling away as he teased the boy about not being back in the village yet. Naruto pouted and begged even as the aging Hokage, and young Anbu shinobi laughed at him. Despite the youngster's earlier mishap with young Gaara, he had been on his best behavior, the best the Sarutobi patriarch had ever seen, in fact. But teaching him a Justu was out of the question while not in the Village.

Though there was one thing that the old man knew would take his mind off the desired reward until they returned. "Naruto-chan, I just remembered something I was supposed to tell you," he said, gaining the pouting boy's attention, "I met a woman earlier today, and she said she wished to move to Konoha and adopt you."

Upon hearing this, Naruto's eyes went wide for a moment, shimmering with tears before the light in those blue orbs died off. "Liar."

"Why would I lie?" Hiruzen asked, surprised, "I would have thought you'd be happy to hear something like that?"

Naruto shook his head, "The lady at the orphanage said no one would want to adopt me...ever, because I'm just a little monster."

Kakashi tightened his hands into fists angrily, "That sadistic - "

"Naruto-chan," Hiruzen said before the young Jonin could get started, "I've already told you that you are no more a monster than I am." He said, picking the child up and setting him on his knee, "You are, without a doubt, the most special child I've ever met. Do you know why?" Naruto shook his head. "Because, despite all that has been said and done to you, you have remained strong, and so kind that I could not believe it myself. I know I wouldn't have been able to forgive something like that, but you just keep smiling, even though you know that all of their anger and hatred is directed at you, instead of the fox inside you."

Naruto smiled slightly, "It's because I wanna be Hokage," he said without hesitation, "I'll make them all see that I'm not what they think I am, and get them to seem who I am, not for the stupid fox, by for me!"

Kakashi nodded, smiling behind his mask, "That was well said, and just to let you know, Pakura-san is very interested in adopting you." He said, heading to the door, and opening it, "She so eager to meet you that she couldn't even wait until tomorrow." The door swung open to reveal the green/orange-haired woman in question, her hand raised to knock.

Pakura blinked in surprise as Kakashi gave his customary eye-smile at her. "Oh...um, I hope I'm not interrupting?"

Hiruzen chuckled, "Not at all. I was just telling young Naruto-chan about your adoption of him." He said, patting the child on the head, "I'm afraid he didn't quite believe me."

The child in question was suddenly feeling extremely shy with the arrival of this new person, someone that supposedly wanted to be his mother. But there was no way that was true, was it? No one wanted to be near someone like him, did they? Despite how kind the woman looked, the tiny blond knew that as soon as she found out about what was inside him, then she wouldn't want to come near him. No, when she found out, she would hate him, too, just like the rest of the village.

"Is it because of what he carries?" Pakura asked, which surprised Naruto and Kakashi, which was all Pakura needed to know. "May I come in?" She asked.

Hiruzen smiled and nodded, "Please, come get to know our little Naruto-chan."

Pakura stepped into the room as Kakashi closed the door behind her. The woman made her way to where the pair were sitting, Naruto keeping his eyes on her the whole time, and sat down next to them, "Hello, Naruto-chan."

Naruto just nodded to her, not knowing what to say. Pakura gave him a gentle smile, "I realize what you must think, little one, but the truth is, I trully wish to adopt you." She held out her hand to the child, "I don't care about the Biju you hold inside, but I know exactly what it's like for you. Gaara, as you said earlier today, is indeed like you, a Jinchuriki. Not only does the village fear him, but so do his siblings and his father." She said, "But I'm not like that. I promise, if you let me, I'll always be there for you."

Naruto looked at her hand for a moment, before reaching out and letting his fingers curl around hers. It's warm, was the first thought that entered his mind. And soft...like Hokage-jiji's.

Pakura smiled warmly and drew the child to her, and held him tightly. "Will you let me be your mother, Naruto-chan?"

=x=

Gaara reached out to the shinobi's mask, ripping it from his face, wantin to know who his attacker was. As the veil was drawn away, his eyes went wide as the face of his beloved uncle met his gaze.

"Y-Yashamaru-oji-san...why - ?"

"I was ordered to do so," Yashamaru said, blood dripping from his lips, "Your father wanted me to test your control over the Ichibi, and asked me to carry out this mission...but make no mistake, I had a choice to refuse, but I willingly took this mission."

"But why!?" Gaara cried desperately, "What did I do wrong, tell why!?"

Yashamaru looked at the small boy, clutching his teddy bear for dear life, and sighed. "Because I tried to love you, Gaara-kun, but in the end...I could do nothing more than hate you with my entire being for what you did to my sister." He said, making the poor child's eyes go wider. "Do you know why your mother brought you into this world? Because she hated what the village made her do. To have the Ichibi sealed inside you before you were ever born, taking away her life. She brought you into this world as a curse upon this village. She did not love you so much that she hated this village."

Gaara's tears streamed down his face, his tiny body trembling as Yashamaru opened up his vest.

"And so, this is good-bye," Yashamaru said, pulling his vest open, revealing a body covered in explosive notes, "For the sake of this village, please die, Gaara."

The bombs went off, blanketing the area with smoke and ash. The wind blew the black clouds away, revealing a sphere of sand, covered in Yashamaru's blood as it fell apart. Gaara stood there, his eyes white with shock...his mouth opened, and the scream of a beast erupted from his throat.

Rasa, watching from his home, saw the rush of sand as the Ichibi formed itself, his eyes narrowing. "He's another failure." He sneered, "It matters little, at least he can do me the small task of ridding the village of that treacherous Pakura, and that damned Hiruzen. And then I can trap him."

The Shukaku roared, and crashed through the village, heading exactly where the man was hoping it would; the hotel housing the Hokage.

A grin spread itself across his face as the beast crashed its paw right through the roof, collapsing the hotel in on itself, and destroying it. "Good boy, that's a fine piece of work, my son!" Rasa laughed as the building came down, the Shukaku howling and crashing into the village again.

Rasa was sure that he had won. The Hokage was old, and feeble, and the guard he had brought with him was young, as was the Jinchuriki. Nothing could save them from the Shukaku's wrath.

That is, until a massive ball of flames erupted from the ruins of the hotel. "Pakura?" Rasa wondered. But no, the flames were far too big, even if she was using her Incinerating Flare Technique. Rasa's answer came from the hotel with a roar even mightier than the Shukaku's. It was a sight he had never seen before, and hoped that he never would. At least not in his village.

Nine massive tails rose from the rubble as a sickening wave of chakra washed over the village, nearly knocking the man from his perch. In a way, the beast was small than Shukaku, if only in mass, but that did nothing to take away from the ominous presence the Kyuubi unleashed as it rose in height, its blue eyes blazing.

"Blue?" The Kazekage questioned out of wonder, "I'd always heard it had red eyes?"

=x=

Moments before the Ichibi crashed through the roof, something shook loose in the group as the beast drew near as Pakura drew Naruto into her arms to protect him. Hiruzen and Kakashi had ushered them both to the windows to escape, but the roof was collapsed before they had a chance to get out. Pakura held Naruto against her tightly as she had tumbled through the air.

Kakashi had appeared beside her and gotten them both out of harms way, Hiruzen landing softly beside them only a moment later, no worse for wear other than some slight scuffs on his cheek from the debris.

The Ichibi hadn't finished with the building, however, and smashed into it until it was nothing but a pile of stones. The little blond had made the mistake of looking into the crazed eyes of the One-tailed beast, and immediately felt something inside him snap, almost like a chain breaking loose.

"Yes." Growled an all too familiar voice, "You sense it, don't you?" Naruto shook his head, trying to rid himself of the beast's voice, but the Kyuubi only laughed, "The Shukaku will destroy everything he comes in contact with. Your Hokage, the white-haired runt, and your new mother." The fox sneered, "And you can't do anything about it...not with your puny little body. But if you decided to take a bit more of my power, you could easily defeat the Ichibi." Naruto whimpered as he felt the malevolent chakra trying to make its way into his system, but he resisted. "Go on, take it! Take my power and protect those you love...including that little vixen you've come to care for...Temari was her name, wasn't it?"

That had been the last straw as Naruto stopped resisting. He let the chakra flow through him like a flow, and his body began to burn as a shroud of red chakra bubbled around him. Pakura looked down at him in shock and held him tight. "Naruto-chan, no! You can't let it control you!" She yelled, gaining the two men's attention. Hiruzen moved to try to seal the boy's chakra flow, but it was too late as the tails began to sprout.

Pakura was forced to release him as his body began to grow, and the chakra began to burn her flesh.

"Yes!" The fox howled gleefully, "More! Take more of my power!"

Naruto was close to losing himself right there and then as the chakra washed over him. Don't let it control you! His eyes snapped open. Pakura's words rang through his ears like steel striking steel. He wasn't taking power from the fox, the fox was giving it to him!

"This power," Naruto mumbled, only for the fox's ears, "this body...they both belong to me!" Naruto and the Kyuubi were suddenly face to face, glaring at one another, "I already told you that I won't take power from you, ya damned fox!" Naruto shouted at the beast as he sneered at the blond, "But since you're giving this power to me, I'll use it the way I want, not the way you want!" Naruto roared, his clear blue eyes glowing brighter than the stars as the Ichibi turned toward them.

His body erupted in a massive ball of flames as he began to grow.

"You wretched little worm," Kyuubi snarled as the boy took on his form, "Some day the pull of my power will be far too much for you to resist on your own, and then I shall devour your soul!"

Naruto paid no attention to the fox as his body grew in size comparable to the sand spirit. His teeth sharpened to fangs, and his nails became claws as thick as tree trunks. His nine thrashing tails smashed into the surrounding buildings as he glared at his prey.

Hiruzen paled as the fox fully manifested itself, unaware that it was Naruto at the helm. Pakura was nearly caught underneath his paws as he stumbled about, trying to get his bearings, but Kakashi flitted in and pulled her to safety.

Hiruzen growled, and pulled off his robes, revealing his battle attire beneath. "Kyuubi! Give back the boy!" He roared.

Then the beast turned its gaze upon the old man, and Hiruzen felt his heart clench as the beast looked at him with familiar blue eyes. Kind and innocent eyes that he knew so very well.

"Naruto?!"

The Kyuubi nodded its head, and then turned back toward Shukaku, roaring out a challenge at the beast. Shukaku, the beast itself in control, readily returned the challenge. Naruto wasted no time and barreled into the beast. The two were bowled over from the force of Naruto's charge, and crashed into the ground even as Naruto came out on top, ripping and tearing at the sandy body of the sand spirit.

Pakura watched in morbid fascination as the Kyuubi tore into the other beast. "Why is...why is this happening?!"

"I don't know," Kakashi said, watching the two beasts role. "But this is bad! If this fight gets worse than this - "

Hiruzen appeared beside them, "It's of no consequence," the aged Kage said, "I can't sense anyone life in the village, save for the Kazekage himself. Everyone else seems to be on the outskirts of the village north of here."

Pakura growled, "Of course!" She sneered, "This is all Rasa's doing! He had someone attack Gaara-kun!"

Kakashi looked startled, "Why would he do that?! That's his own son, isn't it?!"

Pakura shook her head angrily, "As if he cared. All he wanted was for the village to have a proper Jinchuriki! If Gaara couldn't control the beast then he would have been killed so the Biju be resealed into someone else!"

=x=

Meanwhile, on the Northern side of the village, the citizens were all gathered together, listening to the sounds of the battle, not knowing what in the great nations was going on. The roars of the two Biju terrified the people, particularly two small children from the Kazekage's family. Temari and her brother were huddled against Baki as the sounds of battle raged around them.

"Baki-sensei?" Kankuro said, looking up at the Jonin, "Is the Biju gonna get us?"

Baki looked down and smiled at the boy, "No, your father will beat it, just like all the other times."

Temari shivered. "But what about Gaara-kun?"

At this, Baki was left without an answer. Temari was no fool. She knew full well that the Biju had been sealed into her youngest brother, and the reason that he was so hated by the village.

The ground shook violently, saving him from answering, but the crash had been far too close for the Jonin's comfort, "Everyone, move to the oasis, now!"

The shinobi among them directed the people away from the village.

=x=

"Manget Style: Golden Shower!" Rasa roared, his gold dust forming a hail of projectiles, pelting both of the Biju as they fought. Naruto growled at the man, and let loose a stream of fire at him in anger at being attacked. Shukaku took the moment and hit him with an Air Bullet, knocking the transformed blond off of him.

Hiruzen alighted next to the man, "Rasa, you picked a bad time to to something so foolish as the unleash your son's captive!" He growled at the man, "If that wasn't bad enough, it touched off Naruto-chan's transformation, and now we have two rampaging Tailed-Beasts to deal with!"

Rasa, annoyed at being yelled at, growled, "All will be well, Sarutobi-dono, I have had to deal with this sort of thing from my son before." He said, raising his hands and forming a massive cloud of gold dust above him, "Can you hit me with a Lightning Style jutsu?"

Kakashi landed beside the pair with Pakura following close behind him, "I have one, what do you need?"

Rasa nodded, "Just hit me with your strongest as soon as I tell you to." He said, and formed his seals, "Magnet Style: Lightning God Armor!" The gold dust that had been collecting above him came swirling down around the Kazekage, and latched onto him, forming to his body, covering him, and creating a larger, golden body. "Now!"

Kakashi flashed through a series of hand seals as Lightning began to form around him, "Lightning Style: Electromagnetic Murder!"

The jutsu surged forth, arcing up and down the massive golden figure, covering it in a layer of electricity.

Rasa then moved toward the two fighting beasts.

Naruto, meanwhile, was struggling to keep himself upright as Shukaku lunged at him. "Stop moving around, Kurama, you coward!" The beast roared angrily swiping at him, "I'll finally show you which one of us is strongest once and for all!"

Naruto didn't say anything and latched onto the beast's arm, and fell back, rolling onto his back, and lifted his hind legs, planting his feet against Shukaku's stomach, and hurled him over his head.

Rasa, covered in his giant armor, stared in horror as the beast was sent careening into the Northern walls of the village. Shukaku crashed through the walls, slamming into the ground with a wail of anger, one of his arm's missing.

Naruto dropped the appendage and bounded after him.

Temari screamed as the Shukaku rose from the rubble, roaring. Then she saw the flash of red as the Kyuubi roared onto the scene, pouncing on the Sand Spirit, and biting into its neck.

"The Kyuubi?!" Temari heard Baki shout, "Why - ?! How - ?!"

Temari looked from her sensei to the two beasts, her eyes falling on the massive fox, and noticing the familiar blue eyes.

You're like me. The girl trembled as she recalled Naruto's words to her brother, and only now did they make sense. Naruto was also a Jinchuriki, the Kyuubi was his Biju. And he was fighting her little brother!

I don't know why it took so long for me to get this out, but I'm glad I finally did, and I hope that it's satisfactory to those following this story, and lets all pray that I can hit my streak again, and hit it hard!

Next Time: Collision! Kage Vs. Biju!

Don't forget to review!