I know I said that this would be the last chapter, but I had to much stuff left to explain. There for, this is the second to last chapter. So sorry for the delay. Please enjoy! I know! Please don't slap me.. I'll up date in like three weeks with the finale chapter.

K.I.B.A

With a roar, sand tendrils burst into the air of the stadium like an explosion of in human force. A hurricane of gigantic proportions revolved twisted and rotated in the center of the stadium sending dangerously vigorous grains of sand whipping about. From within the eye of the storm stood a fiery fierce Gaara with a not to happy look gracing his anger filled face. Sasuke's attention was diverted from his predominantly bleeding soon to be child barer. Well, at least that's what he wanted her to be. Sakura twitched somewhat on her uncomfortable wall of sinister snakes. They scratched her skin, leaving small lines in their tracks..

"Sasuke, I'm going to kill you.", Gaara's eerily calm voice sounded a bit above a whisper as the hurricane around him died down. He took a step forward.

"Was that supposed to scare me?", he smirked, " I'm not as easily defeated as my partner here", he motioned to the unconscious blonde girl to his left.

Gaara didn't seem to here this. He just seemed to get more calm. After all he was preparing to murder some one. In the back ground he heard Sasuke's voice. But, that wasn't what his main focus was at the moment. Right now, it was Sakura. Her cheeks where pale and lacking her usually peachy cheery aspect. She looked cold, and most defiantly uncomfortable.

Sasuke just stared at Gaara with a smug look on his face. He knew he had it won. There was no way that the plan could go wrong. He was going to trade Sakura to Gaara, if he would let Orochimaru reign in his place. But, he wasn't actually going to give her back. You see, the snakes on the wall on which she shivered on, was not just your ordinary I'm- Going- to- Kill- You jutsu. Oh no. It was The Soul Selection Jutsu. If his plans worked out well, then he would have power, his woman, and the strongest children the world has ever seen.

That's if the plan worked.

In the sand beside Sakura lay the deadly still body of Ginger. Her cold gritty skin began to peel away from the body. Inch by inch it crawled away from the bones. Ripping and tearing and forming a completely new being. A whole knew form gradually developed as Gaara and Sasuke Death glared each other into infinite oblivion.

" I would give up now if I were you. With the tremendous amount of power I have, you wouldn't stand a chance." , Sasuke continued on like this for a while. He made some pretty hurtful sinful remarks. But Gaara wasn't listening to him. No, he was planning an extremely animated murder as already stated.

Gaara: Shukaku, lend me your strength. I swear that I will kill this fool. His blood will be mine.

Shukaku: We'll do it for Sakura. I like the Kid. I deem her worthy, you can date her.

Gaara; Since when did I need your permission?

Shukaku: Since when haven't you needed my permission.

Gaara: I'm going to get rid of you.

Shukaku: Why?

Gaara: Why not?

Shukaku: Why?

Gaara: Why no… I'm not dealing with this! Lend me your strength. We have butt to kick.

Shukaku: Heck, yeah.

" You can't win, stop now.", Sasuke finished with the smuggest smirk the world could ever imagine, painted onto his conniving annoying skin scrawling lips. A silence followed.

Gaara made complete and total eye contact with him. It was like matches. One strike, two strike three… and fire.

The ground shook, sand once again revolved around Gaara , engulfing his entire body, like a blanket of uncontrollable madness. A hurricane of pure sandy death whipped the surroundings. He was trusted in to the air with his own force. The sand clung to his body creating a completely new demon like form .

Sasuke shielded his eyes from the transformation. He braced himself with his crystal daggered plunged into the ground. "What's going on?" , he shouted to no on eimparticular.

Just like that, it all stopped. Gaara landed on to the ground. One foot at a time.

From head to toe, he was a warrior. Shukaku merged with the deadly wrath of Gaara. The coldest heart of a beast and the hatred of a human. It was a potent combination. Gaara's hair stood in spiky tendrils of fiery red. Vibrating with the pulsation of his rapid heart beat. He wore a black martial art style shirt with the Japanese symbol for Love encrusted in gold on the back. His pants where lines with Gold, his masculine frame was high lighted by the pure majestic aura he emanated, but that wasn't the most striking thing of his metamorphosis. It was his eyes.

His right eyes was a deep emerald orb of the fighting spirit. But, his left eye was the gold of the sand. The soul and the will of a lover who would fight for ever for his mate.

" I don't know you very well, or what you've been saying for the past five minutes." , He got into his deep stance, "but, your going to die. ."

Sasuke was taken aback by the sudden change, but he also got into the fighting stance. " We'll see about that now won't we."

They both grinned in unison.

Gaara: For Sakura.

With out the smallest bit of warning, Sasuke charged. He drew his crystal blade and pierced a deep trench into the sand as he ran. He quickly closed the distance between the two of them . Gaara, un armed, went some what wide eyed, but held out his hand as if he himself had a sword. Sasuke came flying into Gaara with a force that would make the largest and fastest of mammals jealous. Then in an instant out of no where appeared a sword, completely created out of sand. The sheath was harder than boulders but lighter than the feather of a lonely bird in the midst's of a forest fire. It was part of Shukaku's spirit. Unforgiving and hard to the world.

The both of them put pressure on the others sword. Gaara pushed forward, sending Sasuke sliding back ward. This time Gaara attacked. He aimed the tip of the sword straight for Sasuke' s cold heart. How ever, with the blink of an eye Sasuke disappeared and re appeared behind Gaara. A mad man's grin upon his face. Then there was the first impact. The crystal pierced into Gaara's back . Cutting through the center of the love kanji.

That was not acceptable. No, not to Gaara. He grimaced, then flipped around his body in mid air, grabbing hold of Sasuke's boney arms covered with the painful burning curse marks. He did a 360 spin and sent Sasuke barreling into the sand of death. Gaara didn't hesitate to engulf him in the sand and raise Sasuke from the grainy floor.

"Wait!" , Sasuke yelled out as he felt the sand tighten against his limbs.

"What?", Gaara's tone was harsh and scratchy. Blood lust , and revenge was the only thing on his mind.

" If you kill me", He gulped as the sand got harder, " Sakura dies as well."

"What?"

" You heard him Gaara." , Both heads turned to face the direction of a new voice. A creepier and more sinister being than the two of them put together. A snake like ghostly pale form stood next to the now awake Sakura. A smile filled with Sarcastic happiness flashed across the lower half of his face., " Or should I say, Lord Kazekage."

" Orochimaru.." , Gaara's eyes became small slits as he threw more glares into the arena. " Nice to know that you care more about glaring at me then you do about your precious one here.", Orochimaru gently Caressed Sakura's chin in his seemingly frail hands. " I'd hate to have anything happen to her that would forever steal her heart away from yours." He licked her chin and smiled again.

Sakura nearly threw up from pure disgust, " You're a true Freak , Orochimaru."

" I know", he returned his attention back to Gaara and Sasuke, who both seemed to be unnaturally disturbed by the action that had just taken place due to the will of the Snake Sanin. Thy shuddered in unison.

" How ever, you don't have much time before this comes true.", he continued. " The Soul Selection Jutsu binds the victim to the Caster of the jutsu." , "There bodies and minds slowly become the same. Soon, Sakura will be Sasuke and Vice Versa. The Snakes will slowly , and sorry to say this my pink little friend, but it'll be painfully when it starts."

" Orochimaru, when I get free from these freaky snakes, your one dead man., I swear I'm going to shove a kunai so far up your….", Sakura paused. Every one looked at her with curiosity. Sakura let out a blood curdling scream . The shear agony was like that multiplied force of a black hole crushing and tearing every cell apart in her body.. She clenched her fists and cheeks , shaking vigorously. Sakura stopped suddenly, finding some way to hold in her shrieks, Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

"Damn you." She whispered before she closed her eyes, and felt the wretched pain again.

Gaara loosened his grip on Sasuke. Taking this as an opportunity, Sasuke materialized beside Orochimaru.

" Do you want her back?"

" What do you want from me?", Gaara Inquired in a semi defeatist manner.

" Your power, let me be the Kazekage, and you'll have you Querida back", Gaara stood in shock. Since when did Orochimaru know how to Spanish?

" Don't do it Gaara.", Sakura's spoke. "It's ok, I'd rather become this bum, then have you disappoint your whole village. I love you Gaara. I'd give my soul to the devil for you." She let out a small whimper. " Don't do it."

Gaara: What do I do? Loose the village, or loose my first love. I , I don't know what to do.

Shukaku: There is a way to stop them.

Gaara: I'm listening. Anything, tell me.

Shukaku: Make a bet.

Gaara: Gamble for her life?

Shukaku: Say you'll give them your power and village if you loose, but if you win, you get back Sakura, and .. well, you already kicked their butts, so.. yeah.

Gaara: How can I fight them both?

Shukaku: Just you wait and see.

" How about we make a bet? " Gaara, proposed, his face went blank and casual, as if nothing odd or out of the ordinary had ever happened.

Orochimaru's face light up. He liked bets, gambling, and all the sins the world could offer him.

" A bet . I Like the sound of that." He looked to Sasuke in inquiry. Sasuke simply backed his already made decision.

" We fight. If I Win, I get Sakura, and you leave. If you win, you get the village and my power.", he felt a stone drop I his heart. He closed his eyes and listened to Sakura softly gasp. I'll win you back.

"Deal." Sasuke and Orochimaru both said in unison.

They all toke their stances.

Ready.

Set.

Fight.

K.I.B.A.

OK, the next chapter is the last one. I hope you liked this one. I'm sorry for the delay!