Author's Notes: WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. An epic battle. Hmm.not a lot of reviews for my last chapter..I thought I did a pretty good job on it. No? Oh...alright then. I shall do my best to make this chapter gooood. But..i keep my promise and you have to keep yours..what promise you ask? Why reviewing of course!

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Gaara's sand collided with Sasuke's chokuto(1). The sand wrapped itself around the chokuto as it pulled it out of Sasuke's hand and threw it across the room, it swung back flinging Sasuke across the room as well, in the opposite direction. The sand spun as it formed a seraded edge.

Sasuke stood up angry as he looked at the sand heading straight towards him again. He leaped out of the way as the sand crashed into the wall with such force that some of it crumbled down upon Sasuke. He moved out of the way as he stood facing Gaara.

He began making familar hand seals, ones Sakura recognized well.

"Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu!"(2) Sasuke yelled as he held two fingers up to his mouth as a massive fireball headed directly towards Gaara.

Gaara's sand undoubetdly protected him, but the immense heat from the fireball began changing the sand as Gaara's eyes widened. Using the fireball technique, Sasuke had caused Gaara's sand to form into glass.

Gaara looked up as he saw a foot headed straight for him. Sasuke smashed through the glass barrier around Gaara as he gave him a swift kick to his chest. Gaara was knocked back quite a distance as Sasuke appeared behind him, he held out a kunai as he brough it down fiercly and planted it into Gaara's chest.

Gaara let out a small grunt of pain. "Gaara!" Sakura yelled as she struggled in her restraints creating new wounds.

Gaara grabbed Sasuke by the back of his neck as he pulled him over his shoulder. Gaara delivered a right jab to Sasuke's face, followed by a swift kick to his abdomen sending Sasuke flying towards the wall, causing more debree to fall from the cieling.

"Gaara! Sasuke! Stop!" Sakura pleaded as they just ignored her.

The wall to the far right began to rumble as it slowly, very slowly began to lift off of the ground. Sakura, Gaara and Sasuke all turned their head to the new disturbance as water began flowing through the small crack made as it gradually became larger and the flow more steady.

"Temari! Kankuro! Get them out of here!" Gaara yelled to the two figures standing at the doorway watching the fight. They both nodded as the ran to the konoha shinobi chained to the wall.

Gaara sighed as he knew they couldn't go back the way they came, he had to make a new entrance. He held out his hand as sand gathered beisde him in a large fist. He moved his hand slightly as the hand thrusted upwards crashing into the ceiling as a gaping hole was created. Debree fell as Temari and Kankuro shielded their faces.

"Take them through there. Hurry!" Gaara yelled as he returned his attention to Sasuke.

Kankuro stood on some of the debree elevated from the ground as Temari free'd the Konoha shinobi one by one and handed them to Kankuro as he brought them to the surface, going back in and doing it again.

Sasuke and Gaara stood in the elevating water as they each gave each other death glares. Gaara held out his hand as the seraded sand headed towards Sasuke, with little time Sasuke just barely moved to the side as the sand caught his shoulder and pinned him to the wall. Gaara approached Sasuke as he stood inches away from him. They looked at each other as the sand dug deeper into Sasuke's shoulder as Sasuke winced in pain but kept an emotion glare.

"You die here Uchiha. You do not deserve her. She deserves better than scum." Gaara said as his dark rimmed eyes narrowed at Sasuke.

Sasuka glared daggers at Gaara. "What do you know..moster." Sasuke said the last part mokingly. "You've never loved before and you don't know what it's like to love or be loved!" Sasuke said his Onyx eyes staring into the Gaara's jade eyes.

Gaara pushed the sand deeper as he stared at Sasuke.

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( Meanwhile, in Konoha )

The door burst open to her office as a medical nin rushed in ."Hokage-sama!" the medic nin yelled.

Tsunade looked up from her paperwork surprised as she watched the medic nin breath heavily, she could tell that he had ran here as fast as he could. "What, what is it?" she asked putting her pen down.

"Kaze-kaze-" the nin asid trying to catch his breath. "The Kazekage is gone!" He yelled finally before leaning against a wall for support.

Tsunade's eyes widened as she jumped out of chest and ran past the nin as she left the Hokage building and hurried down the streets. She entered the Konoha hospital as she got into the elevator and rode it up to the sixth floor. She stepped out as she ran to the room where Gaara, and Naruto had been kept. She skidded to a hault as she looked inside. There she saw Gaara's bed, empty. She walked closer as she examined it further. The tubes from the machines hanging limply, the bloodstained sheets layed ruffled. She let out a sigh as she opend a small chest that sat on the table beside the bed. "It's gone." she said to herself.

"What's gone." A voice called from the window sill.

Tsunade lifted her head as she looked over a familar face. "Don't you ever use a door?" she asked in a sarcastic tone.

"It's more fun this way." Jiraiya laughed. "Other than the Kazekage, what's gone?" He asked making his way over to her.

"A jade necklace." Tsunade said tracing her finger across the felt where the necklace one layed.

"A jade necklace?" Jiraiya said confused as he stepped closer.

Tsunade nodded as she let out a sigh, "It belonged to Sakura." she said closing her eyes.

"So that means.." Jiraiya said crossing his arms.

Tsunade snapped the chest shut as she nodded her head and opened her eyes. "Yes."

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Gaara felt dizzy as he knew he wasn't at a full 100. Ever since he escaped from the hospital he had the same reaccuring pain in his chest. He didn't show the pain as he continued to glare at Sasuke.

"I've never experienced true love before, it's true. But now, now I know." Gaara answered as he glanced over at Sakura. "And it's all because of her." he said returning his gaze to Sasuke.

Sakura stopped struggling as she stood there amazed at what Gaara had just said. Had he just confessed to loving?

To loving..her.

"So that's it then," Sasuke said with no emotion. "You think I'm not good enough for her because you're in love with her and you want her for yourself." he said as he clutched his hands into fists.

"You're no good for her no matter who loves her." Gaara said as the sand dug deeper and broke through the other side of Sasuke. Sand rose from behind Gaara as it spun and faced Sasuke.

"You lack the sand demon, yet you are able to maintain control over the sand at will." Sasuke pointed out as he rememberd that the Akatsuki had taken the demon out of Gaara killing him, but he was brought back to life due to a sarcrifice of one of the Sand villages elders. Sasuke slowly lifted his hands as he put them together making a handsign.

Gaara noticed this as he commanded his sand to go forward at Sasuke but was suddenly stopped.

Sakura and Gaara's eyes widened as they both heard a very familiar sound, however they saw nothing.

"Chidori Nagashi!(3)" Sasuke yelled as suddenly Gaara couldn't move and the sound of birds were heard. Sasuke lifted his hands as he grabbed onto the sand that penetrated his shoulder as he slowly pulled it out. He winced in pain as he finally dropped from the wall and the sand fell to the ground.

Gaara tried to move but couldn't. "What is this jutsu." he said in his monotone voice as he struggled to move.

"Over the years I've perfected my chidori. There's many new things I can do. This allows me to stun my opponents while giving me the chance to kill them while they can't move." Sasuke said as he rose to his feet. He reached out and grabbed Gaara by the throat. He tightened his grip as Gaara was having trouble breathing. Sasuke raised his fist as he thrusted it forwards into Gaara's chest as Gaara was sent flying across the room.

He slammed into a fallen pile of rocks as a large splash was created due to the water flooding the area. The water was over his face and Gaara couldn't move due to Sasuke's jutsu. He could only hold his breath for so long, and his body was collapsing.

Sasuke walked over to Gaara as he lifted him up by his collar and stared into his eyes. His sharingan eyes meeting Gaara's jade eyes. "This isn't over." Gaara said as he fought to raise his hand. The sand reformed as it shot out around Sasuke's arms pulling them back. Gaara had to make sure the sand didn't touch the water or else he wouldn't be able to control it. Gaara dropped down from Sasuke's hold as he stood staring at him. He pulled the kunai out of his chest as he winced in pain. "It ends here Uchiha." With that Sasuke took the kunai and drove it into Sasuke's chest.

Sasuke winced in pain and spat out some blood. There was now blood trickling down his chest, and flowing out of the previous wound from Gaara's sand on his shoulder. Sasuke lifted his head. He clenched his hands into fists as he pulled inwards trying to brake the sands grip. It was no use, the sand was too strong.

Gaara grabbed his chest as he started breathing heavily. He had caused too much strain on his already injured body. Not being completely healed from the hospital and his new wounds were too much for him to handle. He forced himself to stand up straight as he stared into the eyes of Sasuke.

Sakura watched as she knew there was nothing she could do. The room began to shake as she looked up and saw the roof beginning to collapse again, this time it was right above her. Her eyes widened as a boulder size piece fell heading straight for her, she closed her eyes tightly awaiting it.

Gaara glanced over at Sakura as his eyes widened, he held up his hand as sand shot out and blocked most of the falling debree, however some hit Sakura and knocked her on concious. The room began shaking again as more of it fell apart. Gaara knew this was dangerous and if him and Sasuke continued fighting, Sakura would die. He sighed as he turned and looked at Sasuke. He released the sand as Sasuke fell to his knee's. Gaara looked over and saw that Temari was still there helping one of the konoha ninja. "Temari! Get out of here!" Gaara yelled as he grabbed his chest.

"I'm trying, he's stuck!" she yelled back while she continued to try and pry open the shakle.

Sasuke slowly stood as he pulled the kunai out of his chest wincing in pain and he looked at Gaara. "Why did you do that." he said standing straight.

Gaara sighed as he looked over at Sakura then back at Sasuke. He glanced down as the water had raised high. They were standing on top of it, but where Sakura was shakled, it was up to her neck. Gaara and Sasuke covered their faces as more debre fell and splashed into the water.

"We could stay here the whole time fighting each other to the death, we don't value our lives but there's someone's life we value the most." Gaara said referring to Sakura. "Get her out of here."

The water level was now above Sakura's neck and over her head. She was unconcious and it would only be a matter of mere seconds before her lungs filled with water and she would drown.

Temari struggled to keep Shikamaru's head above water while trying to free him. "C'mon, c'mon." she finally broke him free as she grabbed him before he fell underwater. She put his arm around her as she jumped up through a hole in the ceiling.

Rocks fell onto the shakles that held Sakura to the wall as she slowly began to fall deeper and deeper into the water. Her body suddenly stopped sinking further. Sasuke had dove in and caught her. He headed for the top as he submerged from the water, a blood trail following him. He stood with her in his arms as he glanced over at Gaara who was standing with his sand holding the ceiling up so they could get out. Sasuke jumped out with Sakura in his arms.

Gaara fought to keep the ceiling from collapsing in on all of them. He was growing weaker. He saw that Temari, Shikamaru, Sakura and Sasuke were safely out. He held out his hands as held a jade necklace. He closed his eyes as he held it tight. "Goodbye, Sakura." With that his sand fell and the room began collapsing in around him.

Temari set Shikamru down on the ground as she turned to go back in and get Gaara. She looked down and saw Gaara just standing there as the ceiling collapsed. Temari jumped hoping to get in but didn't. "GAARA!!!" she yelled as her scream echoed through the forest, birds flew out of the tree's.

Kankuro set Naruto down and quickly turned. "No.." he said as he lowered his head.

Sasuke was standing on a hill about 100 meters away from where the incident had occured. He turned as his back faced it. He looked down at Sakura in his arms as he held her tighter and dissapeared.

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Naruto slowly opened his eyes as he saw the sky. He lifted himself up as he winced in pain. He glanced over and saw his comrades laying all around him, passed out. He heard the sounds of crying as he spotted Temari and Kankuro a few meters away. He slowly rose to his feet as he made his way over to them. "Temari...Kankuro.." he said weakly.

Kankuro looked up at Naruto with sad eyes.

Temari was still on her knee's crying.

"What is it? What happend? Is Sakura okay...where's...where's Gaara?" he finally said looking down then returning his gaze to Temari and Kankuro.

"Sakura, she's fine." Kankuro said slowly.

"And Gaara? Where's Gaara?!" Naruto said more violently.

Kankuro simply lowered his head.

Naruto shook his head, "No..no.." he said falling to his knee's. "Gaara's not..he's.." he felt his eyes beginning to water as the tears refused to fall. He clenched his hands into fists as he closed his eyes tightly and lowered his head. "Gaara..." he said quietly.

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AUTHORS NOTES: HUZZAH! ANOTHER CHAPTER. well..it was short, i know. but ..meh. REVIEWS PLEASE?

NEXT CHAPTER: Sasuke's new friends; Team Hebi.

What will Sakura think of them? Of kain? BWHAHA.

(1)Chukoto: it's a type of sword that was created before the modern katana and is a straight blade with no curve added at the tip. It's Sasuke's new weapon.

(2)Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu: Fire style: Grand fireball. One of the Uchiha's trait attack.

(3)Chidori Nagashi : One thousand birds current :: it emits electricty from all over his body stunning his opponent and anyone that comes in contact with him.