Chasing Gaara, part 4


Miyo

I took quick peeks through each of Team Guy's eyes. They were facing clones of themselves!

Then Deidara told us that Gaara was dead.

I was left torn between two locations. One was a vicious battle between clones, and the other was way too quiet.


Then finally there was some action – Deidara flew over our heads with a clay bird, carrying Gaara away! Naruto followed after, still shouting. Kakashi-sensei went after him, dropping some instructions to Sakura and Lady Chiyo. "And Miyo – do whatever you feel is necessary, up to and including running one of our enemies through."

"Got it." I didn't even bother turning my head.


Then I took a quick peek through Sakura's eyes a few minutes later and discarded the Sasori doll. There was no way I'd gotten even close to accurate. Frankly, there was no point in making another one, especially if that was a puppet that could end up destroyed in this fight.

That meant I couldn't help Sakura and Chiyo. And Naruto wouldn't forgive me if I tried to interfere with his fight against Deidara, plus how could I help there anyway? Every single Akatsuki member I've ever seen has had some hidden surprise, Itachi and Kisame being the most straightforward. I wouldn't be able to help with Deidara on the first battle, assuming he survives.

That left watching and helping Team Guy. Hopefully I could figure out a way to assist.

There is!

I lifted an arm and let my threads shoot upwards. They twined about Kakashi-sensei's communications and gave a light tug. Give me these, Kakashi-sensei! I need them!

He glanced down at me. Then he unfastened both and let my threads have them. "I'd appreciate it if you found a way to let me know when they can come help us out."

Quickly I dragged them down to my hand and put them on. "Team Guy, can you hear me? This is Miyo, I took Kakashi-sensei's communications so that I can better lend you aid!"

"Miyo! I'm sorry to say it, but it's starting to look like we could use the aid, even from a genin."

"I'm going to pretend I don't resemble that remark, Tenten."


Sakura

Being pulled around by Lady Chiyo was reminiscent of being yanked about by Miyo's jutsu, only – sorry, Miyo – with years more finesse.


Miyo

"All right, pretend that you actually believe I know what I'm doing and give me a status report."

Guy-sensei answered first. "Well, I'm starting to get tired, but I've still got some fight left in me."

Neji answered next. "This is impossible! What are we supposed to do?" I sensed frustration…and exhaustion.

Tenten was next. "How do you defeat yourself? I'm running out of ideas here!"

Finally Lee answered. "No good; I'm exhausted."

I almost felt guilty about not watching the puppet show that Sasori and Lady Chiyo were enacting with their battle. But they worked puppets, not dolls. I had to follow my own path.


Then, after a few minutes, the cave started caving in! Remarks through the radio told me that all of Team Guy had heard the explosions.

"That was Lady Chiyo's battle. Don't worry about that right now, you need to focus on your tasks." It didn't seem the best time to mention Sakura.

Then Neji "spied" on the battle and said that Lady Chiyo and Sakura were holding their own, and Lee had a small "That's Sakura for you!" cheer.

When I dared a peek through Sakura's eyes later, I saw that Sasori was, of all things, a human puppet! So there was no way I could help them – I worked with dolls, not puppets!

Finally, I heard from Neji that the battle in the cave was over, and Sakura and Lady Chiyo had won. But Team Guy was still fighting their clones.

Then Neji supplied some information that helped us devise a strategy. Apparently, while the originals were getting tired out and weak, their clones were still going strong. Lee declared that they simply must defeat their clones immediately. I rolled my eyes. "Lee…just how simple are you?"

Suddenly, Lee started laughing! "The answer is so simple! I just figured it out! I know how to defeat them, it is so obvious!"

"It is? Really?" Guy-sensei seemed to be having trouble believing it.

"All right, let's hear it then!" Neji demanded.

"You really mean it?" Tenten begged, "You're not just trying to keep our spirits up?"

"No! I have a surefire method!" He finished his sentence after getting hit, evidently. "We just need to become stronger than we were when our clones were created!"

He elaborated, while I sat there in shock. Guy-sensei called him brilliant. Then Lee brought up a mantra that Guy-sensei apparently had them say to get them through hard times: "Stronger today than we were yesterday," or something like that.

That fired them all up, though I had to temporarily turn off my radio after Guy-sensei's declaration. "And I have no intention of retiring – at least not yet!" …I had to turn off my radio to laugh.


And that was the beginning of the end. Each of them managed to defeat their clones.

I spoke up. "You four are all still tired, and I feel like I need something to do. How would any of you feel to a small energy boost from a doll-ninja?"

"Well…" Guy-sensei and Lee let out similar sounds, like they weren't sure. Neji was silent.

It was Tenten who turned the balance. "I don't know about those guys, but I'd appreciate it."

I added to the three men as I gave Tenten a one-percent energy boost – any more would have been overkill, since it was like a goddess bestowing power on men – "You do have to potentially face another Akatsuki. You'll need all the strength you can get."

"Well, in that case, bring it on!"

"Absolutely!"

"I never actually said no."

That was Lee, Guy-sensei, and Neji, in that order. I gave all of them one-percent energy boosts and stood up. "So…shall we all meet up with Naruto and the final jerk?"

"We'll see you there, Miyo!" Guy-sensei declared. "Let's go give Team Kakashi the backup they need!"

A chorus of three echoed, "On our way!"

I ran with Sakura and Lady Chiyo. Lady Chiyo was exhausted.

"How about you just worry about staying conscious, and I'll direct your movements?" I asked, pulling free my copy of her.

"Very well."

I connected her up, and we started moving. It took a couple of bounds before we got onto the same rhythm, but then the movement was smooth.


We found signs of destruction on our way. At least it told us we were heading in the right direction.

Finally, we caught up. Naruto looked like he'd been through hell.

Then we were summoned by the sounds of battle. We found Deidara sparring with all of Team Guy at once, an impressive feat considering he was missing both arms.

"Be careful!" Kakashi-sensei called to them. "He's a long-range fighter, and he uses explosives!"

I stayed well back, and I started getting dolls set up, ready to pull them out of harm's way. When I lifted Kakashi-sensei's doll, though, he stayed my hand. "I have a couple of ideas."

I set it up anyway. If his plan didn't work, I wanted to be ready.

Sure enough, Deidara blew himself up! It left Neji, as they were clearing out, worriedly declaring, "We're not gonna make it!"

I yelled, "If you're not carrying someone, face the blast!"

I must have sounded so authoritative that everyone obeyed me without question – except Kakashi-sensei, of course – and I yanked every cord in question.

Lee, Guy-sensei, Tenten, Neji, Sakura, Lady Chiyo and the original Naruto all flew past me as I fell over. Kakashi-sensei opened his Sharingan eye and…warped the explosion away!

Every doll had landed on top of me, so everyone I'd named up there technically never hit the ground. Carefully, keeping an eye on me and how the dolls were moving, they all got down again, so that I could get up and safely end the jutsu.

Naruto's clones came over with Gaara's body, we left the forest and Sakura checked Gaara over. I knew it was pointless, and just sat there with tears standing in my eyes.

Finally, she just shook her head. I hugged Little Gaara close to my chest and let my tears flow. Naruto started crying, and then when Lady Chiyo tried to tell him to calm down he shouted at her and went into another moving speech. Why were his most moving speeches when he was either exhausted or emotionally unstable?

Then Lady Chiyo approached Gaara's body, taking Little Gaara from me as she did so.

She knelt by him for a long minute, just looking at both the doll and the ninja. Then she suddenly set Little Gaara down on Gaara's forehead and her other hand landed palm-down on Gaara's chest. Her right hand swiftly joined her left, clearly activating a jutsu.

Sakura evidently recognized that jutsu.

"I don't get it," Naruto asked, "what's she trying to do?"