Thank you to the person who reviewed my last chapter. My last chapter was too boring, so I'll try and make this one not quite like that.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from or in the anime show/manga series "Naruto". All of the characters in the anime show/manga series called "Naruto" are owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

---- WARNING! WARNING! SPOILERS! WARNING! WARNING! ----

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---Chapter 4---

---Eviscerated Pane---

---Normal POV---

Something cold had fallen from above; others followed pursuit. Temari cracked open her eyes, watching the dark snowflakes dance in the air. They landed on her, and refused to melt. She tried to raise her hand to brush them off, but found she couldn't. Pain bound her still. She glanced to the left, and saw a suspicious creature on all fours. It looked up, one eye peeking out of the shadows. The creature lunged forward.

Temari watched helplessly as the vicious being attacked Kankuro. The leader of the group slashed away at his prey, while the victim tried to defend himself with his kunai.

The ring of shadows around the two fighting began to shuffle; one by one, their forms took shape. Weapons they had never seen before were slung in various places on their pants, and thin rows of pockets were attached to their vests. Coils of steel bands were wrapped around their arms; they shone with darkness unlike any metal that had been discovered.

There were ten of them, surrounding their leader and Kankuro. Some stood while others knelt. Their backs were curved, and their faces seemed to be molded into frozen masks. Their heads hung low as if looking down, but their eyes watched. Their fingers were bent slightly at their sides. The last part of their fingers was mutated into sharp, bony claws. All of the clothes they wore were black, to camouflage them well. Last but not least, steel plates shone from each mysterious figure. A symbol was carved into the center of each plate. The insignias were tied around various places such as their foreheads, necks, arms, and legs.

Movement in the ring was almost invisible. The group's leader moved so fast, it was almost unreal. The deathly attacks placed blows upon Kankuro, unstoppable. The prey had only been able to strike the leader a few times in counterattack. Kankuro was beginning to feel weak; he was scattered with bruises and cuts. He caught the leader's fist and blocked the other one, but he had lost his grip on the first. He didn't know how; it was almost like the leader was just some sort of moldable existence, like fog, water, air, or sand that kept sliding through his holds. Suddenly, he was punched, and he parted with the ground. A fierce kick drove him back into the rocks.

Temari couldn't stand to watch anymore. She couldn't do anything; she felt so pathetic.

"Gaara," She called weakly, her throat and voice being damaged by the burns. "Help him!"

Gaara gritted his teeth. He needed to help Kankuro, or he would die at the merciless attacks of the leader. The only problem was that two of the ninja had moved near to him, probably keeping an eye out in case he tried something. He looked over at his injured sister and saw two ninja there too.

'Can't help Kankuro?'

'Don't say anything. I know what you're going to suggest.'

'Why not? It's your only chance.'

'You know 'why not'.'

'You'll be regretting it. It'll all be your fault if he dies, because you didn't try to help him. It's never too late to change your mind, you know... The opportunity's here; take it. Or; leave it, and let your brother die.'

Gaara clenched his fists so hard he thought that he would break them. A plan began to formulate in his mind. Gaara analyzed the area, and the ninja. They were near him, but they gave him enough elbow room. The red-head inhaled deeply and exhaled, cleaning out his lungs of stale air. The cork of the gourd popped off, barely making any noise as it rebounded off of the rocks. Golden sand began to seep from the gourd, and the cursed particles swirled around Gaara's feet. He glanced at the ninja; had they realized he was about to make a break for it, or were they actually unaware of him? It was too late to turn back; either way, he'd get Kankuro out of there. Or they'd all have a rendezvous in the world of the dead.

---

Naruto walked along the cobblestone street with his two friends, Sasuke and Sakura. Their team leader and sensei, Kakashi, trailed not too far behind the three of them.

Naruto glanced around at all the shops, remembering every feature about them. He tried to remember the pattern of the leaves on the trees, the direction of the blowing wind upon the grass, the bee's path as it zoomed around a patch of flowers, the powerful beat of a crow's wings as it flew… he didn't know if he was getting a mission; if it was a high-class mission, he might not come back. The blonde wanted to remember everything the way it was, so he would have something to keep him going.

He didn't like many things about the village. The thing he abhorred most was the way everybody treated him like dirt. He had to live with it every day since he could remember. He even remembered somebody spitting on the ground near where he was walking and swearing at him as he started the trek with his group.

Even so, he would miss the things that seemed to calm him. The crystal-clear river that had shown him his reflections so many times; the trees that had supported him when he hid from the rest of the world; the birds who flew near him as though he wasn't repelling as everyone thought he was; the meadow a ways off from the village that surrounded him in tranquility. His heart felt as though it was being crumpled when he thought of leaving all of this forever.

On the other hand, maybe he wasn't getting a mission; he might just be in trouble for something. His mind started to race. What had he done wrong? He couldn't think of anything. Sasuke and Sakura were also called to the Hokage with him, so he figured it was more likely to be a mission.

'It might not even be a high class mission. It might just be some easy thing that'll be over quicker than I can snap my fingers.' Naruto thought, trying to be optimistic. He found it hard to be.

Naruto pushed the front doors and held them open for the rest of his team. They walked down the marble hall, passing desks with work scattered across them. They passed the entrances of hallways, and the doorways leading to separate offices. When the group saw the door with a golden plate that had 'Hokage; Tsunade' engraved on it, they went inside. (Sorry if Tsunade seems out of character, but I haven't seen her in the show yet. Oh, and to clear something up- Gaara's not the Kazekage yet.)

"Ah, Team Seven!" The Hokage swung around in her chair, smiling at him. "Glad you're here. All of you; sit, please." The chairs screeched slightly on the tiled floor as the group adjusted them. When they were all seated, Tsunade began to talk.

"As you know, we don't yet have very strong ties with other lands." Tsunade sighed. "I've had a very bad feeling over the past week or so that something bad is going to happen. Our lookouts have told me that they've seen some people leave Sunagakure.

"Surprisingly, those three were Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. I assume you've gotten to know them over the while they were here for the tournament?" She raised an eyebrow. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke nodded in unison, still confused. So what if they were leaving their city?

"Our guards have told us that they haven't gone back home yet. It's been over a week."

All was silent, until Naruto piped up. "Yeah, well what if they're on a high-class mission? Those go on for a reeeeeeeally long time, you know!"

Tsunade entwined her fingers together, and placed her hands on the desk in front of her, seemingly full of patience.

"That's exactly it. If they're on a high ranked mission, what would they be doing? Usually, Sunagakure doesn't need missions like that unless something is terribly wrong, like they were getting attacked, or planning a raid; something of the sort."

"Why would they want to do that?" Sakura frowned.

Sasuke's eyes flashed.

"They may want to take over Konohagakure."

Naruto jumped up and stood, his fists clenched. "They wouldn't! The Sand Ninja know how much we would kick their butts if they decided to take over this place!" With his little outburst, he added, "Of course, no offense to them. But with all of our Ninja teams here, they couldn't gain control even if they tried."

"On to the assignments." Tsunade said, bringing out a scroll. "I'm entrusting you guys on this high class mission." She handed it over, and Sakura plucked at the seal of the scroll. When it unrolled slightly, she uncurled the rest and read it. Tsunade explained it aloud as well.

"I hope you all can travel quickly," The Hokage stated, "because I first want you to visit the Kazekage. The trip to Sunagakure under these weather conditions will be fairly easy, until a storm arrives. I've heard that there is rather bad weather in other lands, and with the wind these days, it could blow over here any second. Be prepared.

"Once you have received enough information from the Kazekage, piece it together. If he says they're on a high class mission, but won't tell you much about it, I want you to try and locate the Sand Ninja. Do not intervene in their mission if it seems unimportant to Konohagakure, but if it suggests anything about this land, I want you to stop them."

Naruto had his hands clasped behind his head as he walked. He stared at the sky, and then to each of his team members. He stretched, and then yawned.

"I'm going to head over to eat some Ramen!" Naruto patted his stomach and grinned sheepishly. "I'm so hungry, I could make that place millions with one stop; if I had unlimited money, of course!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, and averted her vision back to the scroll. "It says we're supposed to leave soon after we receive this, so hurry up, Naruto." She handed the scroll to Kakashi, who put it in one of the various pockets he owned.

"Like that's ever been a problem!" Naruto exclaimed, laughing.

"Everybody; meet up here in an hour." With that, the sensei disappeared in a puff of smoke, which set off the three young ninja running to do what they needed to.

---

Sand swirled on the floor in various directions, like a growing maze, like instantly growing thorny vines. It was silent but deadly. One of the ninja, who was standing as if frozen, tilted its head down slowly and stiffly. It spotted the sand, and quickly pulled out an extremely long kunai. The other ninja followed suit, pulling out similar weapons. The two ninja turned to face the redheaded captive, only to find he was gone.

Ninja forming the ring around Kankuro and their leader were now looking around ominously for the threat. Gaara appeared in one spot, disappeared, and then appeared again elsewhere. Sand swirled and smudged below the steps of the redhead, keeping time with his sudden movements.

Shifting, appearing on different sides of the ninja, took a lot of energy out of him. But still, he didn't quit. A jutsu symbol was formed by Gaara's hands, as they were clamped together in a special pose. His eyes held the coldness of hate, his movements staccato and silent. His sandaled feet would just touch down on the sand, before he was in an entirely different location.

A silent ninja wrapped his mutated fingers around the handle of his weapon. He pulled it out of its sheath, which caused an ominous metallic sound. A ninja holding a long, curving kunai followed the uneasily detected movements, gripping the kunai in a ready position. The ninja's eyes strayed icily, and then gleamed with a predator's experience as the kunai swished with powerful speed into the air in front of him.

Gaara's sand whooshed upwards into a solid wall between the redhead and the demonic ninja. The tip of the kunai was sticking out of the sand wall. Why hadn't the sand defended against it fully? The sand dissipated after stopping the harsh blow, the grains falling back down lifelessly in the mix. Gaara gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing dangerously. He began to feel the sand shift under him, telling him that it was okay to run. Gaara's eyes snapped open, his mind at full alert. He listened intensely. A faint sound, suddenly growing in crescendo until it was clearly loud. It didn't take much time to register what it was. He could also hear other sounds exactly like it.

Gaara outstretched his hands, bending his fingers out as if a walking zombie. He then raised his arms and wrists to a higher angle. The sand swirling underneath him jolted up to life, crackling. It continued the movement of Gaara, rising up. It made a wall. Gaara looked over his shoulder, instantly realizing that he was in trouble. The redhead turned his right outstretched arm one-hundred eighty degrees to his opposite side, the sand following suit. The sand wall extended, and following his pattern, stretched into a complete cylinder around him. Gaara kneeled, and bent. He clasped his hands together with slight difficulty, as if there was an invisible force there; the sand walls imitating, and curving into a sphere shield. Darkness surrounded him. He then clasped his hands in the same chakra position as before, so that the sand would hold their defense.

He heard the loud whistling, and heard the sound the kunai made when they hit the sand barrier. There was a metallic clatter, and he knew that the numerous kunai had fallen. He opened his eyes, and saw puncture holes in the shield. His face filled with anger, before turning icily cold. Angry silence was showcased in his eyes. Faster than a blink of an eye, the sand was crumbling quickly, forming heaps of golden powder where Gaara used to be. The sand shot up once more, and out stepped Gaara, fully sculpted from sand.

The sand Gaara stared at its prey. Sand drifted around it, and some grains fell off of the recently constructed form. Its hands were raised, and they clasped together in yet another sign. Sand fell from the contact of the hit. A nearby ninja reeled back his arm on a slant, and let a kunai fly at the target. The doppelganger's expression seemed almost bloodthirsty. The sand underneath the figure began to dance upwards, and then splashed out violently like a sea storm. The kunai was caught under the grainy tide. The ninja ran forth, fist formed, raising his arm. With the flick of a wrist, the sand was rushing in towards the enemy. A swift leap into the air, and the ninja had dodged the sand. The doppelgangers arm did a slapping motion, and a huge, sudden wall of sand came crashing down. Two ninja were hit and knocked away by the attack.

The sand raised and blocked four kunai thrown. It also blocked kicks and punches, but the defense seemed to be getting weaker. The doppelganger's arms hovered in front of itself, bent, and then it unfolded them wide. The sand silently recoiled back and then exploded; scattering, attacking and pinning the enemies. A fist then flew at the sand Gaara's head, but an arm broke the landing. Another doppelganger of Gaara's had taken the blow, the sandy arm that was used to block now broken into miniscule grains. The sand reformed the arm, and then there were two mirrors of the redhead. The sand beside them jolted up, and another appeared. So did another one. By the next five seconds, twenty sand clones were standing icily, scattered across the cave.

Kankuro panted, and forced himself to get up. Blood dripped from his nose and from a huge gash on his head, and he had numerous bruises. The older brother came to a sore stand, and raised his arms in a block. He was beginning to see a dark fog cover his vision. The ominous leader recoiled, drawing his clawed hand back. The claws rushed forward, and Kankuro got ready for the blow.

The claws didn't strike. A wall of sand stood between them. The wall diminished, and from the sand stepped the original Gaara. He scowled fiercely, his arms crossed.

"Move." He stated, nodding his head in the direction of Temari, not taking his eyes off of his new opponent. "My sand doppelgangers will take care of the rest of the ninja." Kankuro hesitated, and then stealthily disappeared to where Temari laid.

The creature standing not one meter from him seemed to grin sadistically. Gaara glared back, an icy look upon his face. A low rumble of a growl erupted from the creature. It lurched forwards again, letting out a howl. Sand blocked it. Gaara stood with his arms crossed, concentrating on the movements of the sand.

'Hopefully, he'll run out of chakra and energy soon, since he was so busy beating up Kankuro.'

Punches, claw attacks, kicks, and slams were all blocked by the sand. Gaara kept his mind focused on the fight; however, he began to notice that his control on the doppelgangers was slipping. 'I shouldn't be running out of chakra so fast,' He thought, feeling slightly frantic. He recoiled when a clawed hand broke through his sand defense. It tore through the sand strongly, not giving the grains time to stop it. Another hand pierced through, and also began to dismantle the shield.

Gaara gritted his teeth. Why was this happening? His defense was always good enough to block out the enemy, so why wasn't it doing that now? He was beginning to feel exhausted, but didn't let his guard down. He clamped his fists tighter, hoping the sand would listen to him.

"Sabaku Kyu!"

The floating particles began to enclose the enemy's wrists. The sand imploded, but the enemy's hands were no longer there. The sand clamped down on nothing, and returned back to its floating, defensive state. Gaara looked all around him, not seeing the figure he was fighting.

"You missed." A chilling voice seemed to speak right in his ear. In his shock, Gaara turned around quickly. Nobody was there.

He scanned the room past the floating particles to see where his enemy had gone, only to see Kankuro in a defensive stance; one of the few kunai he actually carried situated in his grip. Temari, who was still recovering from that hellish trip, also clutched a kunai in her shaking hand. Gaara's five remaining sand doppelgangers surrounded them facing outwards, like a shield. From what he could see, the agile ninja that he had defeated moments ago were back up with a vengeance, easily obliterating his doppelgangers back into the sand they were formed from.

'My doppelgangers have no chakra left in them. Temari and Kankuro will have to fend for themselves until I can find a way to beat their leader.' Gaara thought bitterly, beginning to turn around.

'Look out behind you, brat!' A voice snapped in his head. 'Look at what trap you've situated yourself in!' Gaara turned around fully, to find a kunai pressed to his throat.

"Game over." Gaara could see the leader's ominous eyes. He could see malevolence behind them.

Gaara's head suddenly dropped downwards, the kunai cutting slightly into his neck. There was silence for a moment. It was almost as if Gaara was… sleeping?

His head snapped up, a crazed grin on his face. His eyes were completely black. He now had yellow irises with black diamonds shooting through them around his pupil; Shukaku's eyes.

"But the fun's only started!"

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x.x That wasn't as long as my last chapter, but I think it was long enough, ne? About nine pages!

I kinda got bored writing this, so if you find it boring, I'll understand. I started writing this chapter a looong time ago, but I had writer's block, so I stopped for a good month or so. I'm sorry to those who wanted an update quickly!

Oh, and I also noticed that Gaara was OOC, since he appeared in the show. So if he seems different later on, that's probably why. Sorry!

There's also some confusion with the Kazekage that I put in the story a while ago… I'll try and fix it. I'll either go back and edit it, or just write something in the future chapters to make it make sense. :Sweatdrops: I'll notify you in an author note if I go back and edit something.

Reviews are very much appreciated, by the way :D

Phoenix-Roar