A/N: O.o...Ten reviews already? Wow. Anyways. . . Because the idea popped into my little head, I decided to type up the fourth chapter. So, here it is. (not much, but pretend to be amazed anyway)

Thanks again to all who reviewed; you make me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Disclaimer: Despite my efforts, I do not own Naruto nor do I make any profit off of this fanfiction.

Der Mensch

A loud smack resounded through a small office, the room an ominous silence. Sasuke defiantly keep his head still, refusing to look back up at the angered blonde woman.

Tsunade grabbed the front of his shirt and gave the Uchiha a look that rivaled even his.

"Do you even know how lucky you are to be here right now?" she asked, not expecting an answer. "Do you have any idea what happens to missing nin? You're lucky the hunter nins didn't get to you first or you'd be just a pile of ash and a decapitated head."

Sasuke didn't even blink.

Tsunade took a deep breath before dropping the man back into his seat. She turned her back on him and paced to her desk.

Sasuke glanced around the room as she fumed. His blindfold had finally been taken off, as if Tsunade was daring him to try and use his Sharingan against The Hokage. Not that he couldn'tfight the sannin just that he didn't feel like it at the moment and so decided to listen.

Hearing a sigh, Sasuke brought his attention back over to Tsunade, who looked like she was about to start another lecture.

"What were you do--"

SLAM!

"Why the hell are you in here!" Tsunade yelled at the breathless Anbu who had just barged through the door. "I told all Anbu to keep everybody out until I said otherwise!"

The masked ninja tried to catch her breath as she stood up straight. "I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but a distress signal was sent out by squad nine. Before their transmission was cut short, they reported seeing a large demon demolishing the Sand, with the Kazekage no where in sight. They also said something about another threat of equal strength that came soon afterwards."

"Dammit, I don't have time for this," Tsunade mumbled. "Gather all active Anbu and Black Ops to report here at the tower."

Shocked by the Hokage's sudden urgency, the nin stood for a moment looking at her.

"Now!"

"Y-yes Hokage-sama" the kunochi stammered, sprinting out of the building.

Amused by the kunochi's distress Sasuke slightly smirked. "Sounds like Gaara couldn't control his temper." He ignored the heated glare he got from the blonde.

"I heard that the Sand isn't an ally of the Leaf anymore, so why would you concern yourself with this situation?"

"Because I don't want to lose one of my best shinobi nor do I want to be responsible in the destruction of that village."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in question.

"The only thing that could be the other threat is Naruto. He disappeared yesterday; no one saw him leave or knew where he was going. By using the Kyuubi's chakra, he cannot only pose as a major threat, but also mask his identity."

Sasuke's expression grew sour.

"Let me go with the other shinobi."

Tsunade simply stared at him, amazed at his audacity. "You've just been dragged here against your will after deliberately leaving to seek out and aid one of Konoha's greatest traders and you suddenly want to help?"

Sasuke merely looked up at her as if she just explained that, indeed, two plus two did equal four.

"Do you even understand the importance of this situation? One, verging on two demons are destroying a village as we speak; think of what would happen if we weren't able to contain the brawl to that area."

"I understand. I also know that I'm one of the few if not the only person who can reason with Naruto in such a state."

Try as she might, Tsunade actually could not find an argument for that. She knew it as well as he did.

Without saying anything, she walked out of the office, looking back at Sasuke.

As she walked down the hallway, Sasuke silently followed.

The procession of ninja made their way across the open fields, sand dunes in the horizon. As the group silently traveled the grass became crunchy under their feet. None spoke until they came across a large white forest of spikes.

The wind started to blow, a light breeze, growing stronger as they neared the centre of the forest. Usually awakened annually, the risen fossils began to stir, going unnoticed by the ninja.

Something was wrong with the air; something tainted the smell, the purity. Blood? No, none was spilled, no one injured. It was a wound. Someone important, someone offensive, someone...

Small groans rose from the bones, most of the ninja ignoring them. Sasuke looked around the open forest again, it wasn't frightening just, creepy.

Not that he would admit that of course.

He reached his arm around to clasp a hand on his left shoulder. His wound was starting to bleed again; it had been since Neji had given it to him for struggling. No one bothered to bandage it and Sasuke didn't seem to care, he just let it be. But now it was starting to leave a large stain running down his sleeve.

"What's the matter Uchiha?"

Uchi...ha?

Sasuke turned to see Kiba, well his mask at least. It was no surprise that it was a mask of a dog, Akamaru still walking along side his feet.

Sasuke decided to face forward again, completely ignoring the dog-lover. Kiba however did not take the hint and sped up to match Sasuke's pace, walking beside him. Kiba nudged him with his elbow.

"You looked a little frightened. Is the big bad forest scaring you?"

In the blood...Sharingan...the bloodline...only in an Uchiha...

As if on cue the wind picked up, moving some of the sand from the ground up into the air.

Uchiha…Uchiha…Uchiha

The wind grew violent, many of the shinobi using the bones for wind breakers. The spikes creaked and groaned, growing more zealous by its own thoughts. Sand whipped about the crowd, blinding some and knocking others over.

The Uchiha! The Uchiha was here! Here now. The same one from long ago. The one that shifted Orochimaru's gaze away from Kimimarou. Away from him. If it hadn't been for him Kimimarou would still be in Orochimaru's sight, making him proud even today. It was his entire fault, if Orochimaru had just ignored him, if Kimimarou hadn't gone out to search for him, he'd still be here. He'd still be here alive. He wouldn't have died. He'd still be alive. Alive.

The sand began to spin in circles, moving across the forest like a hurricane, its eye centering on Sasuke.

The Uchiha would die just like him. Slowly buried. Choking on sand. Swimming desperately towards the top only to forget which way was up or down. He would die. Just like him. Just like Kimimarou.

"What the hell is this?" Kiba yelled to no one in particular. Sasuke looked around, noticing how the eye had stopped on him and Kiba. Was this some sort of jutsu? An ambush that they walked into?

He glanced around for a target. A scream and a yelp had signaled Kiba and Akamaru being blown away, vanishing in the whirlpool of sand. He then realized who this thing was after.

It was after him.

"…suke! Sasuke!"

Sasuke turned to face the voice coming somewhere from outside the walls of sand. He couldn't make out who it was.

"Sasuke…!"

Was that…Sakura?

Sasuke's train of thought came to an abrupt halt when he turned back around to face the opposite direction. A tsunami of sand came crashing towards him. Hitting him with full force he couldn't help but scream.

The sand was coming in waves dragging him deeper into itself. A kunai was thrown into the mass, Sasuke quickly catching it with his hand. He ignored the pain of the edges digging into his palm and fingers as he desperately held on to it, the string tied to it becoming tight.

Sakura emerged from one of the waves of sand, coming out into the eye, using chakra concentrated in her feet to hold her up standing. Another wave came down and despite his hold on the kunai Sasuke sank deeper yet.

"Sasuke hold on!"

Squinting his eyes, Sasuke thought he saw tears in Sakura's. She came to stand before him and pulled the kunai from his grasp, the metal searing across his skin. She immediately grabbed hold of his wrist afterwards. He grabbed hers as well, smearing his blood on her forearm and hand as he began to slip away.

Bracing herself, Sakura yanked him up with a yell, Sasuke quickly using his chakra to stand also. Sakura smiled at him before she slipped, landing on her hand, the one covered in blood. Confusing Sakura to be Sasuke, the sand began to devour her instead, pulling her arm down first.

Sasuke was too shocked to move until her screams brought him out of his stupor. Only her head and arm was left above the surface and he quickly reached for her, grasping her hand. His blood slick on his hand, she slipped from his hold and was completely submerged.

Satisfied with the body buried, the wind suddenly stopped, the sand falling back to the ground. The bones began to fall away in small chips and pieces before they reduced to piles of ash and dust. The air became clear again to reveal a figure kneeling on the ground, digging frantically into the sand and dirt.

Sasuke stopped after a while, ignoring the stares from everyone, forgetting they were there at all.

Panting hard he looked down into the small hole he'd created.

"…Sakura."

A massive tail crashed into another building, the structure collapsing around it. Barely anything was left standing, everything reduced to ruins that buried the citizens of the Sand.

The Kyuubi's snarled and charged again, taking hold of Shukaku's throat with his teeth. The demon growled and gargled the pooling blood in its trachea as it dragged its claws down the Kyuubi's chest. Immediately letting go, the fox demon stepped back, its blood dripping down its front legs.

Cracks and seems ran across the ground and through the town. People were scattered and crushed like ants, dispersed across the landscape.

Both demons were covered in wounds and scrapes, ruffled fur and cracked skin. But they ignored their injuries, each one intent on the others death.

Charging at the Kyuubi, Shukaku screeched and drew another one of its claws back, cutting across the fox's forearm. Using the opportunity to its advantage the demon once again grabbed hold of Shukaku's neck biting into it. Shukaku manically scratched at the other demon, tearing its skin and muscle. The Kyuubi didn't let go but applied more force to its bite until he heard a snap.

Shukaku immediately fell limp and the Kyuubi let it drop to the ground. It fell apart like a sand castle with Gaara laying somewhere on top of the pile.

The Kyuubi shuddered and lied down on an opposite end of what used to be the Sand. Wrapping its tails around itself it began to glow with a blue chakra. Seeming to fall asleep it slowly shrank until its container became visible again.

As the day stretched into the night both men lay across the fallen city, dying.

A/N: By the way, the title of this chapter means Human.

Also… I now have (drum roll please) … SPELL CHECK! Yes, and grammar check too, hence all the semi colons.

I'll try to have the next chapter up within a week. Until next time. Review!