A/N: This is the last chapter dealing with the Invasion of Konoha. After this there will be three more chapters – a filler to tie up loose ends and describe the aftermath of the invasion, and then a two-part finale which will feature Sasuke's defection from Konoha.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Chapter 18: A Battle of Heart and Mind

To most of the genin, it seemed as though they had been chasing Sasuke through the woods for an eternity. Shino told them they were getting closer, but all they saw was the endless green blur of passing leaves. That was why, when they came across Temari's unconscious body on the ground, it was such a shock. She stood out like a sore thumb in the forest, her fan partially opened and her face covered in dirt and bruises.

"What do we do with her?" Choji asked, looking concerned. It went against his idea of what was right to just leave her there, even though she was an enemy.

"Bring her along," Shikamaru said. "She's the Kazekage's daughter; she'll make a good hostage."

Naruto created a shadow clone, who bound Temari's hands and feet together and then lifted her to his shoulder. Shino edged closer to Shikamaru, his eyebrows furrowing with slight concern.

"It must have been Sasuke who did this," he observed quietly. Shikamaru had to agree. "That means he's either caught up, or he's going to. We might be walking into a battle."

"You're right," Shikamaru said. "But our orders don't leave us any choice."

They continued onward, and soon they came across Kankuro as well – the puppet-user was unconscious like his sister, and the rips and tears in his black cat-suit showed that Sasuke had mauled him considerably. Naruto didn't wait for Shikamaru's orders, and created a second clone that bound Kankuro before picking him up, too.

Shikamaru began to really worry. If both of Gaara's siblings had been defeated by Sasuke, that meant that there was only Gaara left. And if he wasn't here with his brother, then Gaara was functional again, capable of running further into the forest on his own. And if he could run, he could fight. Which meant that right now, somewhere ahead, Sasuke would be fighting Gaara. Shikamaru put on more speed. They had to get there before it was too late.

Shino's warning that they were getting extremely close wasn't necessary, because long before they saw the battle they could hear it. The distant, muffled sound of explosions reached them through the trees, as well as a bestial roar that made Shikamaru's hair stand on end.

That's not good!

"We're going to have to fight!" Shikamaru yelled over his shoulder. "Whatever power Gaara has, we have to bring him down."

They burst through a screen of trees, and at last found the objects of their search. Sasuke stood on a thick branch, attacked to one of the giant trees for which Konoha was famous. On the same branch, closer to the massive trunk, was Gaara.

But there was something horribly wrong with the redheaded genin. His body looked to be halfway through some monstrous transformation. His entire right arm had disappeared, replaced by a giant, bestial arm as large as his normal body. It was made out of solid sand, with blue lines that looked like veins streaking along its length. Gaara also seemed to have sprouted a single tail, which was made of the same material and whipped back and forth aggressively. Most frightening of all, the sand was starting to grow over his face. His right eye was now different from his left: in place of his normal black pupil, there was a diamond shape that shone with a crazed fury. Gaara snarled like a feral beast, sensing the newcomers as they approached.

Sasuke did not notice them, as his attention was fixed entirely on his opponent. The last Uchiha was panting hard, clearly at the end of his strength. But even as he waited, Gaara kept changing, so that more and more of the human disappeared underneath the demonic sand. Sasuke gathered himself for a last-ditch attack, trying to close with Gaara before he could complete his transformation.

Instead, as if of its own doing, Gaara's tail whipped forward and caught Sasuke across the chest. He went flying off the branch, soaring through the air.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried out. But it was Sakura who acted first. She ran into the small clearing, and caught Sasuke's unconscious form as it fell.

"Get back here!" Shikamaru yelled. She obeyed with alacrity, carrying Sasuke over to the two clones that were carrying Temari and Kankuro. In the background, Gaara let out a primal, triumphant scream. The genin watched, horrified, as the transformation continued. They could feel the malevolent chakra growing, at the same time that Gaara's killing intent became an almost tangible force.

Shino turned to Shikamaru, his calm exterior belied by the single drop of sweat that slid down his forehead. "What should we do?" he asked.

And Shikamaru didn't know. He felt as helpless as he had that day on his first mission, when the escaped convict's knife was descending toward Ino's head. Gaara's raw power was overwhelming, and Shikamaru knew instinctively that his shadow wouldn't be able to hold it for a second.

"I've got an idea," Naruto called out. "It's a new jutsu that Pervy-Sage taught me."

Without waiting to hear Shikamaru's response, the blond genin bit his thumb and performed a Summoning jutsu. Whatever Shikamaru was expecting, it wasn't a small, orange toad wearing a vest. The toad hopped onto Naruto's head. "What's up?" he croaked.

"Aww," Naruto complained, "I didn't want you, Gamakichi! No offense, but I need Boss Toad!"

Gamakichi kicked Naruto in the head, causing the blond to swat at him angrily. "What?" the toad demanded, outraged. "So I'm not good enough for you, is that what you're saying?"

"It's not that," Naruto said, annoyed. "It's just… look at that guy! Are you saying you want to fight him?"

Gamakichi turned to the tree where Gaara was still standing, and his jaw dropped. The little toad blanched white. "Uh…" he stammered, "maybe I'd better sit this one out…"

"Exactly!" Naruto said. "So where's Boss Toad?"

"I'm sorry, Naruto. Dad's fighting outside the village walls."

Naruto's face fell. "Damn it!"

Shikamaru figured he had let this conversation go on long enough. "Look, Naruto, it was a good try, but we're wasting time…"

As if to punctuate his comment, Gaara let out another roar. The transformation looked to be almost complete – only a small portion of Gaara's face remained untouched, along with his red hair and his feet.

Naruto's face became extremely serious, more so than Shikamaru could ever remember seeing. "I guess I don't have any choice…" he muttered.

"What?"

Naruto raised his head, looking at all of the other genin assembled there. "There's something about me you guys don't know. You know how the Kyubi attacked the village twelve years ago? Well, the Yondaime didn't kill it. He sealed it into a baby – into me. I'm a jinchuriki, and my chakra reserves come from the Kyubi."

Shikamaru blinked. That was… unexpected, to say the least. But Sakura was only nodding, clearly unsurprised. And Shikamaru found that, rather than being hard to believe, it actually explained a lot about Naruto. Why the villagers hated him, why he had always been alone, and most recently why he'd been able to churn out Shadow Clones at a rate that would have left a jonin dying of chakra exhaustion.

"Ok," Shikamaru said, as calmly as he could manage. "I buy it. But, if you'll pardon my asking, why are you telling us this now? Couldn't the revelations wait until after we beat the big, scary monster?"

Naruto looked hard at Shikamaru, apparently surprised at the ease with which he'd accepted the news. But Shikamaru only shrugged. He didn't care if Naruto had a demon sealed inside him – he obviously had it under control, and he was a strong ally and a loyal friend.

Naruto continued, his face showing intense relief that none of the five genin had turned on him after learning the truth. "Well, it looks like Gaara contains a demon. Only he's not in control of his. That makes me the best person to fight him. But without Boss Toad, I'm going to have to use the Fox's chakra. I had to warn you what to expect."

"Wait," Hinata interrupted. "You can't take him on alone! I won't… I mean, we won't let you!"

"You have to," Naruto said, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "I need to do this. He's like me – I mean, like I could have been, if I'd never made so many great friends. Don't worry, I'll be ok!"

And looking at the bright, confident grin that Naruto gave them, Shikamaru could almost believe him. Hinata began to respond again, but Shikamaru cut her off with one hand.

"I'm still in charge of this mission," he said, "and I'm not going to let anyone go in there on their own. But if you have strength you haven't called on yet, go for it. We'll back you up."

Naruto looked like he wanted to argue, but Shikamaru wouldn't hear it. "That's an order, Naruto! Now hurry up and do… whatever it is you do."

Naruto stiffened, and gave a salute. "Yes, sir!" he said, giving his voice a mocking tone. Then he stepped away, moving a good distance from the group. "Better stand back," he advised. "I've, uh… never really done this on purpose before…"

Then Naruto brought his hands together, and bent his knees. He gave a wordless roar, which started low and grew louder. As his voice rang out, there was a sudden surge of chakra that exploded from his skin. The increase in power was frightening in its intensity. Naruto grew what looked like a cloak made of red chakra, that seethed with raw force and settled all around him.

Shikamaru watched in awe. So this is the power of the Kyubi. I'm glad he's on our side.

But Naruto wasn't the only one on the battlefield fighting with the power of a demon. Far away in the tree, Gaara's transformation was complete. And all the way across the clearing, his killing intent radiated strongly. Gaara had disappeared, and in his place was a monster that resembled a tanuki, the one-tailed raccoon dog.

There was silence in the clearing, broken by Gaara's hissing, sibilant voice. "Will you validate my existence?"

Naruto balled his hands into fists, and smiled. "Nah, but I'll punch your face in!" he shouted back. Shikamaru noticed that his canines had elongated, and the whisker marks on his face had become more pronounced.

"Let's go!" Shikamaru said. "Support each other, and keep Gaara hemmed in with explosive tags. Naruto has the best chance to land a finishing blow, so back him up and fight defensively."

And for the first few minutes, it seemed like the plan was working perfectly. Gaara's new form was both monstrously strong and deceptively quick, but Naruto's speed put him to shame. The blond ran on all fours, darting up tree trunks and dashing from branch to branch. He baited Gaara like a matador baits a bull, making sure to stay one step ahead from the tail that lashed out at him viciously. With each swing of Gaara's tail, branches snapped like thin twigs and wood flew everywhere.

Shikamaru directed the other genin in a wide flanking maneuver, organized into three groups of two so that no one would be caught on their own. Shino fought next to Sakura, Hinata stayed with Shikamaru, and Ino stuck with Choji. They threw explosive tags on all sides, aiming particularly for Gaara's monstrous limbs. Shino's bugs couldn't drain Gaara's chakra, but they did hover near his head in a dark cloud, which succeeded numerous times in blocking his vision.

Soon even the tree trunk couldn't take any more of Gaara's wild attacks, and the huge tree fell to the ground with a thunderous crash. Gaara jumped into the air, landing heavily with his tail to cushion the blow. Naruto came flying at Gaara through the air, his foot raised in what was going to be a sweeping donkey kick. Gaara's tail flew in an overhead strike, and tore through Naruto with ease. The blond disappeared in a puff of smoke, and through the smoke the real Naruto came flying.

Gaara's tail had already completed its swing, and so was unable to block Naruto's attack. His fist hit Gaara directly in the face, knocking him backward almost ten yards. When Gaara stood up, his morphed face showed a few drops of blood staining the sandy flesh.

"You…" the boy growled, holding one huge paw up to his face. "You made me bleed… not again! Feigning Sleep jutsu!"

Shikamaru scratched his head, figuring he couldn't have heard right. What possible good could sleeping do? Had Gaara just gone crazy? But then Gaara slumped over, and it became clear that the redheaded jinchuriki was not finished yet. Sand exploded from his body, layering over and over again, exploding in size to twice, then three times, then ten times its original size. The tanuki form that had been Gaara's first transformation became larger than the trees, towering far overhead and emanating chakra levels exponentially higher than before.

Far overheard, Shikamaru saw a red tuft of hair, where Gaara's human body had reappeared. But the genin was sound asleep, sticking out of the giant tanuki's head. The demon's eyes were larger than boulders, and when they opened they displayed a keen intelligence, and an insatiable thirst for blood.

"Oh my, what fun!" the demon cackled. Its voice was high-pitched and tinged with madness, and it echoed far away across the trees. "Finally my host went to sleep, leaving me in complete control. And he had the good manners to provide me with a few snacks!"

Naruto blurred into motion, and stopped next to Shikamaru. The blond's chakra was as strong as ever, but Shikamaru could tell that it wouldn't match up to the monstrosity that was Shukaku.

"I can draw on more of the Kyubi's chakra," Naruto panted, "but I don't know if I can stay in control if I do. Get everybody out of here."

"No," Shikamaru said flatly. He continued staring at the demon, and Gaara's tiny form sticking out like some tiny, red-headed needle stuck in a sand dune. And then came a burst of clarity, and Shikamaru had a plan. "Listen, Naruto," he said, riding right over the genin's protests, "we have to wake up Gaara. Ino can do that, but she needs a clear shot. Just keep Shikaku's attention for a moment, long enough for Ino to activate her jutsu. Once she wakes Gaara up, you need to end it quickly. All right?"

Naruto looked slightly dubious, but he trusted Shikamaru. "Ok. Hurry, though – I won't be able to distract Ugly all day."

In a flash of red Naruto disappeared, and re-appeared on Shukaku's far side. "Over here, Ugly!" He began a deadly game of cat and mouse, while Shikamaru signaled the other genin to gather around him.

"Ino," Shikamaru began, looking at his teammate. "You've been training with your father, haven't you? Can you send your mind into Gaara's, and force him to wake up?"

Ino's face paled, but she nodded with unwavering determination. "Yes. But the jutsu works the same way as Mind Possession. I have to have a clear line of sight, and if the demon dodges my jutsu it will take me a few seconds to recover for the second try."

"All right," Shikamaru said. "Well, Naruto is out there distracting the demon. We'll sneak up as close as we can get, and then you need to hit Gaara with your jutsu. Do you see him?"

He pointed to Gaara's body, sticking out of the top of Shukaku's head. The demon was thrashing around, leveling dozens of trees and creating vast craters with every new attempt to crush Naruto underfoot.

"I see him," Ino said. "But he's moving so fast, it won't be easy to hit him."

"It's our bet shot," Shikamaru said, not willing to entertain the idea of asking Naruto to draw more of the Kyubi's chakra. "We have to try."

"That's not good enough," came a dissenting voice. It belonged to Choji, who was looking almost as pale as Ino. "We can't leave it up to chance. We need to immobilize the demon long enough for Ino to have a clear shot at Gaara."

"Oh?" Shikamaru asked. "And how do you suggest we do that?"

Choji looked at him, his eyes tinged with sadness. "Not we. I." He took out a small glass case from his belt pouch, which contained a green pill, a yellow pill, and a red pill. Comprehension dawned, hitting Shikamaru like a fist in his gut.

"No," he said, his tone growing desperate. "Choji, you can't!"

"I can," his friend insisted gently. "And I will. It's my choice. If that thing attacks Konoha, a lot of people are going to die. We can stop it here."

"But you'll die!" Shikamaru cried, his voice cracking at the end. The red pill was a last resort, sacrificing every ounce of energy that an Akimichi possessed in order to generate massive amounts of chakra for one last, desperate attack.

Choji was about to respond, when Hinata screamed aloud. "Naruto!"

The genin turned in time to see Shukaku use a terrifying Wind-style jutsu – it shot a gigantic bullet of air out of its mouth, which slammed into Naruto with unstoppable force. Naruto, who had been jumping through the air to avoid Shukaku's tail, was launched almost a hundred yards. When he hit the ground he skidded for another fifty yards, gouging a long furrow into the ground as he went. Shukaku giggled gleefully, a horrible sound that rang out in the air and made the genin clap their hands over their ears.

Choji turned to Shikamaru, calm certainty spreading over his face. "That's it, Shikamaru. This is how it has to be."

And before Shikamaru could stop him, before he could do anything, Choji popped the red pill into his mouth and bit down. For a second nothing happened, and the genin waited as if hypnotized.

Then, almost exactly like what had happened earlier with Naruto, Choji practically exploded with chakra. Instead of a cloak, Choji's chakra emerged as two shimmering, iridescent wings as large as his body. The force of his chakra was such that dirt and tiny rocks began to rise from the ground, levitating into the air around him. The very air hummed with the power Choji was generating. To Shikamaru's dismay, he saw his friend begin to change, as his body began to sacrifice itself to sustain the massive chakra output.

Choji turned to Ino, who was smiling at him through tears. "Don't miss," he said gently. Then he turned to Shikamaru, and grinned slightly. "See you around, Shika."

Choji performed a series of seals, and called out, "Multi-Size Jutsu!" Then he began to grow. He grew to four times his normal size, which was what he normally did before using his Bullet Tank jutsu, but then he kept on going. He didn't stop until he was every bit as tall as Shukaku. The Akimichi towered above the trees, his chakra wings growing with him, and the red armor of his clan glimmering in the sunlight.

"Hey you!" he called out, startling Shukaku as it advanced on Naruto's small form. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, demon! Why don't you fight someone your own size?"

Tears came unbidden to Shikamaru's eyes, blurring his vision.

Your heart has always been a hundred times larger than anyone else's, Shikamaru thought, the grief he felt threatening to overwhelm him. Now you have the body to match.

"Come on," he said, signaling to Ino. "Let's not waste his sacrifice. Sakura, Hinata, and Shino… just protect Sasuke, Temari and Kankuro. If this works, Naruto will take out Gaara. If it doesn't…" we die, he finished in his mind. What he said was: "…we'll have to come up with something else."

In the vast clearing, standing amid the wreckage of fallen trees, Choji grappled with Shukaku. He set his feet and held on with all his might, all his heart, and all of the chakra that was his dying body's final gift.

At the feet of the two giants, Shikamaru and Ino came to a stop. Ino took careful aim at Gaara's unconscious form, making the hand seal that looked like a window. She whispered the words of the advanced jutsu quietly. "Mind Invasion jutsu!"

And then she collapsed, seemingly lifeless, into Shikamaru's arms. He waited for a second, and when she didn't revive he began to make his way as quickly as he could back to where the other genin were waiting.

Shikamaru couldn't bear to look behind, where Choji was still locked in a deathly struggle with Shukaku. Every second that passed would do more and more damage to Choji's body, until he died with or without any interference from the demon. There was only one hope, and it lay with the girl who was now making her way through Gaara's unconscious mind.

Come on, Ino. It's all riding on you, now.

oOoOo

Tsunade cradled the Third Hokage's head in her lap, and kept a steady stream of chakra flowing into the wound on his leg. Kusanagi's bite was perhaps the most potent poison that Tsunade had ever encountered, but she wasn't going to give up.

There was a thin trickle of blood oozing sluggishly from the wound. A month earlier, Tsunade would not have been able to keep working because of it. Her fear of blood, which had developed after Dan's death, no longer controlled her. It was still there, of course, but Tsunade reined it in.

It was funny, she reflected, how one could change. Tsunade had thought she would carry on as she had been for years, gambling and roving with Shizune along for the ride. But Naruto had changed everything for her.

When Jiraiya had appeared with the little blond in tow, Tsunade hadn't given it a second thought. But the little kid kept demanding that she help the Village. He told her about the approaching war, and when she said she couldn't care less what happened to Konoha the brat had practically attacked her.

"We're shinobi!" he had shouted. "We're supposed to protect everyone!"

Tsunade didn't give in just then, but she might as well have. Naruto's determination to protect the ones he loved, his fierce dedication in pursuit of his goal of becoming Hokage: it was like Tsunade was once again staring at her brother, Nawaki, who had been dead for years. Naruto's purity, his naïve goodness, proved impossible for her to resist for long.

And so, finally, Tsunade had undergone a change of heart. She gave Naruto her prized necklace as a token of her esteem, and traveled with them to prepare for the war. And now, being back in Konoha, Tsunade realized that she hadn't just returned to help Konoha in her time of need.

She was back for good. Naruto had reminded her that even though her family was dead, there were still people to protect. People who needed her help. And so Tsunade would stay, for as long as Konoha needed her. Nothing would keep her from that duty any longer, not her own doubts and fears, and certainly not her old teammate, Orochimaru.

"Stay with me, old man," Tsunade murmured. But it wasn't looking good. The Hokage was wheezing softly, and his face was growing paler. Tsunade realized she couldn't wait any longer. She had to resort to drastic measures, or Konoha would lose its leader and she would lose her sensei. Well, she wasn't about to let that happen.

She brought her hands together, and formed the seal for the her own personal jutsu. "Creation Rebirth," she whispered, and released chakra stored in her forehead. This was the ultimate medical ninjutsu, which was capable of reproducing entire organ systems from scratch. It granted her immortality as long as her chakra lasted, but at a price. Using the jutsu shortened the life of the user. But with the Hokage dying, Tsunade knew she had no choice.

The jutsu began its work, flushing out Kusanagi's poison and replacing the infected cells with new ones. Within minutes the Hokage's face had regained its original color, and his breathing became less labored.

"I feel… alive," Sarutobi whispered. "Is that possible?"

Tsunade laughed, a sound that mingled happiness with relief. "Yes, sensei. You're alive."

"So the work… goes on." The Hokage pushed himself into a sitting position, waving away Tsunade's concerned hand. "Tsunade…" the Third caught her eyes with his powerful gaze. "Will you be staying this time?"

Tsunade bowed her head in humble acceptance. "Yes, Hokage-sama. I am here to serve Konoha, however I can."

"Good." The Hokage's voice, though weak, held an amused tone. "Then I'm taking this opportunity to retire… again. But by Kami, if you get yourself killed by a demon I won't take the job back!"

Tsunade froze, her mind refusing to process what Sarutobi was saying. "What…"

"You heard me," Sarutobi said. "Or should I say, you heard me, Hokage-sama."

"But… I don't…" Tsunade was gulping like a fish.

"Oh, not exactly this minute," the Third reassured her. "There are issues I should take care of before passing on these ridiculous robes. Not least is fixing up the Village after this regrettable attack. But once that is all taken care of, I would be extremely grateful if you would take the post. I've grown too old to keep Konoha safe – it's your turn, now."

"I…" with a sense that she was walking to the chopping-block, Tsunade bowed to the inevitable. "It shall be as you command, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage sighed, and his eyes lightened. A small smile curled the sides of his mouth upward. "Well, if that's settled, I think I'll take a nap. Coming back from the brink of death makes one… very sleepy."

And so saying, he lay down on the roof tiles, and began to snore. Tsunade could only laugh, a wild sound tinged with hysteria.

I come back out of the kindness of my heart, and what does it get me? The worst job in the whole village!

Well, there was at least a silver lining. Thinking about Naruto's outrage when he learned that "Granny," as he called her, was going to become the Hokage, lightened Tsunade's mood considerably. The brat would throw a fit.

"What's with the laughter?" Jiraiya's confused voice brought Tsunade out of her reverie. "You know, laughing at nothing is one sign of insanity."

Tsunade looked up, to see the Hermit standing before her. His expression was bemused, but his eyes were fixed on the sleeping form of the Hokage, and he began to smile as well.

"He's going to be fine," Tsunade said, the relief coming through clearly in her voice. "He stayed awake long enough to appoint me the next Hokage."

"Well, bowl me over with a feather." Jiraiya scratched his head. "Won't that throw Danzo and the other war hawks for a loop. Still, it's the right choice – that is, you're the right choice."

He gave her a thumbs up, and Tsunade enjoyed the rare experience of seeing Jiraiya being completely sincere.

"And for my first mission," Jiraiya added, his face darkening, "I'd like to request that you assign me to the task of hunting down Orochimaru."

"Shit," Tsunade spat. "He got away?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Sadly yes. I would have caught up to him, but his dog Kabuto got in the way. I nailed him with a rasengan in the gut, but he had some kind of regeneration jutsu that healed the hole in his middle. He came back to life before my eyes, after three different attacks that should have killed him."

As a medical specialist herself, Tsunade was intrigued. "That sounds like an extremely powerful medical ninjutsu – almost exactly like the one I used on sensei. What happened then? Did Kabuto escape?"

Jiraiya tossed a something flat and round at Tsunade, who caught it instinctively. It was an ANBU mask, a long scratch gouging through the painted lines.

"That was the mask the traitor was hiding behind," Jiraiya said. "I got tired of watching him grow back body parts, so I cut him into pieces and set them on fire. He didn't come back from that. When I find Orochimaru, I'm going to do the same to him."

Jiraiya's tone was calm and detached, as if he was commenting on the weather. Tsunade winced at the gruesome image.

"That's one less thing to worry about, I suppose. Since you're back here, I assume the fighting in the arena is over? Should we head out the walls and join the fighting there?"

Jiraiya smiled, the first sign of honest happiness that he'd shown. "No need. The Oto shinobi in the arena have been routed, and Suna is no longer a threat. The Hokage's son, young Asuma, and his beautiful girlfriend managed to capture the highest-ranking Suna officer after the Kazekage. Then they sent him out to call off the offensive. Suna should start retreating any second now."

"Good," Tsunade said with relief. "Because I honestly don't think I have much energy left."

"Our part is done, for now," Jiraiya reassured her. "Leave the rest of the clean-up to others. We'll have enough to do supporting the Hokage in the Council meetings that are going to happen. The negotiations with Suna after this are going to be heated, and Danzo is going to do his best to exploit sensei's weakness."

"Over my dead body," Tsunade snarled.

"Oh, I don't think we need to worry," Jiraiya drawled. "If he tries anything, it will be over his."

oOoOo

Shikaku was at the Look-Out Post, directing the increasingly exhausted defenders on the walls. The beleaguered Konoha shinobi had been fighting for hours, but so far they had been able to keep any Suna shinobi from breaching the wall. Choza had been invaluable, wreaking massive destruction and driving the enemy away as if he was swatting particularly nasty gnats. But even an Akimichi had his limits, and he couldn't keep up his Multi-Size jutsu indefinitely.

So the fight had dragged on, and shinobi on both sides fell, pierced by kunai or caught by explosions. Shikaku felt confident that Konoha would win the day, especially when Gamabunta, Jiraiya's boss summons, managed to defeat the three-headed snake. The Boss Toad had received some deep bites, and had to dispel in order to heal his injuries at his mountain home.

Still, the fight wouldn't end for a while, and the Suna shinobi would kill many more of the defenders before they admitted defeat. But then, something miraculous occurred. All of the Suna shinobi withdrew, moving as one. The explosions ceased, and the wall became silent. The men and women on the wall knew better than to cheer, but they took full advantage of Suna's retreat to catch their breath.

What are they up to? Shikaku wondered. The shinobi of Suna were too hard-headed and stubborn to give up just because it looked like they were fighting a losing battle. Perhaps they were only regrouping, before launching some new surprise attack.

But then a messenger came, whom Shikaku recognized as one of Ibiki's lieutenants. He was shouting joyfully, his voice carrying far in the absence of other noises. "Ibiki sent me to tell you that Suna is retreating! All around the wall, they're falling back!"

Konoha's defenders gave a cheer that seemed to shake the very stones of the wall. Shikaku was a little more reluctant to accept that the fight really was over, but he received additional confirmation. It came in the form of Asuma and Kurenai, who arrived at the Look-Out Post from the direction of the Arena.

"Reporting from the Arena," Asuma said breathlessly. "The fight there is over – the revived shinobi turned the tide in our favor, and every Oto shinobi within is dead. Orochimaru has fled, and the Kazekage is dead. The new Commander of the Suna forces left to gather his troops, and we think he's going to order a full surrender."

At last, Shikaku allowed himself to relax. "The Suna shinobi just retreated, so it may be as you say. How is the Hokage?"

"Alive," Asuma replied. "He's resting after the ordeal. You can tell the men to stand down, if you want. We've won the day!"

"Ah, Asuma, how little you know," Shikaku replied drily. "Now that the battle is over, the real work begins. Paperwork and construction to repair the damages, and more paperwork… Not to mention the fact that I won't be satisfied until we do a thorough sweep of the entire village. I won't leave a single Oto shinobi hiding within these walls."

Asuma sighed regretfully. "I'm at your service. Let's get to it!"

The men were still cheering, and in spite of all the work that lay ahead, Shikaku found himself smiling. Konoha would live to see another dawn.

As he began drafting the orders that he had to send, Shikaku's thoughts drifted to his son. He wondered where Shikamaru was, and how he had fared in his first battle. During the recent months, the lazy boy that Shikaku had raised had turned into a young man. No matter where Shikamaru ended up, Shikaku knew he'd be throwing himself into whatever fight was thickest. And wherever Shikamaru went, Choji and Ino wouldn't be far behind. Shikaku just hoped that his son and his team hadn't gotten themselves in over their heads.

oOoOo

Ino stood alone at the edge of a vast maze. There was no sun, no moon, no stars, yet somehow a greyish light offered enough light for her to see. The walls of the maze were grey as well, and reached up to three times the height of a man. There were many openings into the maze, rectangular spaces cut into the wall just high enough for a tall man to enter without crouching. Ino tried to jump to the top of the wall, only to find that as she ascended, the walls grew in height, matching her pace perfectly. When she jumped back to the floor (or whatever passed for a floor in this strange place), the walls reverted to their original height. Ino shook her head in disgust – obviously there was no other way to proceed than to enter the maze.

This, Ino knew, was Gaara's mindscape. It was his subconscious, the inner workings of his mind, temporarily given form, shape, and order. For a moment, Ino remembered something her father had told her long ago.

"The mind is a maze, Ino. It's full of dark corners and false hope."

Ino hadn't listened to her father then. She hadn't been afraid, either. Now she was, so afraid she thought she might die. And she wished desperately that her father could be beside her, guiding her through this deadly maze.

And it would be deadly – Ino knew that much. Each person's mind was different, and appeared in a different form. But Gaara's mind taking shape as a maze meant that there was something hidden at the center, something important and secret. That was where Ino had to go, and that was where Gaara would be waiting. Inside the maze, however, there could be all kinds of terrors. There was no end to the monsters that could inhabit a person's consciousness, and there were no rules that Ino could follow that would make her safe.

There was also no chakra to call on. Chakra was a purely physical energy, which no more existed in the mind than did organs or muscles. Ino had only perception and will – her mind against Gaara's.

Ino wasted no more time, picking one of the entrances to the maze at random. She had heard once that if you took all left turns, you would eventually reach the center of a maze. And if that didn't work, she'd figure out something else. One way or another, Ino was not leaving until she'd found Gaara's slumbering mind.

The interior of the maze was dark – whatever strange light existed outside was largely blocked by the high walls. Ino walked quickly, not wanting to run in case she disturbed anything that might be slumbering. As she made her way deeper into the maze, Ino began to see flickers out of the corner of her eyes. She kept swiveling her head, trying to catch whatever was causing the motions, but without any luck. Then she realized that the flickers were coming to life in the walls themselves. The flickers became splashes of color, lit with an inner light like a computer screen or a television. And then the colors resolved into images, which became moving collages of people and places and things.

Ino knew immediately what they were – memories, contained within the outer reaches of Gaara's mind. She was seeing them all, indiscriminately, jumbled together without any kind of filter or protection. It was because Gaara was asleep, Ino realized. Whether he was dreaming or not, Gaara wasn't actively controlling his mind. He had no defenses in place, at least not yet, to keep Ino from seeing all of this.

So Ino kept going through the maze, watching Gaara's memories play out on the walls around her. And if it was like a movie, it was a tragic movie indeed. Ino saw flashes of Gaara's life from his earliest recollections, and everything she saw tugged at her heartstrings.

She saw a young Gaara, barely five years old, standing alone in a dusty street. She saw the other children who ran away at the sight of him, even though he tried to hold out his hand in friendship. She watched assassins try to kill him, one attempt after another, all defeated by the sand that protected him without fail. She saw his interactions with an older man, who seemed to be the only person who didn't view Gaara with loathing. Ino winced when the next bend in the maze revealed the most shocking scene yet: the man who had spent so much time with Gaara, who had laughed with him and cared for him, tried to kill him, too. Ino watched in mute horror as Gaara killed this man like all the rest, and tattooed the kanji for love into his forehead.

All of this took time, which made Ino worry that she wouldn't find Gaara in time to save the rest of the genin. But Ino's father had taught her that time runs differently in the mind: what seemed like hours to Ino while she was exploring someone's consciousness, would turn out to be no more than an instant in the outside world. But then, speed was of the essence. The faster they defeated Gaara, the better chance they had of getting Choji back to the village in time to save his life.

No matter what Shikamaru and Choji thought, Ino wasn't going to give up on Choji. There had to be someone who could reverse the effects of the pill, even if it had never been done before. She wouldn't let him die! But Ino knew she couldn't let thoughts of Choji distract her, so she forged still deeper into the maze.

There were a thousand more flashes, and from them Ino pieced together a startling sketch of an entire life. Her head was whirling with her new insight into Gaara's mind. He had done nothing but terrify everyone during the Exams, but now that Ino knew some of what he'd been through, she could start to understand what had made him the way he was. Ino was so preoccupied that it took her a second to realize when she came to the center of the maze.

There was another opening, twin to the one that Ino had used to enter the maze. It opened into a circular courtyard, which was filled with a bed of sand. There was a fountain in the center of the courtyard, which sent a small stream of water continuously into the air.

Next to the fountain was Gaara, only different from the Gaara that Ino knew. This Gaara was only a child, absorbed in building a sand castle. He was scooping handfuls of water from the fountain in order to make the sand hold its shape. He seemed oblivious to the maze around him, and also to Ino, though she was standing in plain view.

Ino waited cautiously, but he didn't look up. Ino wasn't sure, but she suspected that the courtyard was a dream. Gaara's slumbering mind was in the past, enjoying an innocent childhood diversion. It was the heart at the center of the maze, which was constructed of all his memories and thoughts of the past. In order to wake Gaara, Ino was going to have to enter into his dream – which meant placing herself completely in his control. But after seeing all of Gaara's memories, and seeing the child form in which his dream self chose to appear, Ino was beginning to formulate a plan.

She closed her eyes, and thought very hard. She imagined herself as she'd been as a child, and held the image in her mind's eye. When she opened her eyes, everything seemed slightly larger. She looked at her hands, which were the tiny, delicate hands of her child self. Ino grinned – perception and will, that was all it was, perception and will. Her power was limited by the strength of her mind, and her imagination. She saw herself as a child, and so that's how Gaara would see her. But if he decided to kill her child self, Ino didn't think her mind would be strong enough to resist. Perception and will wasn't enough to defend herself against someone while trespassing in his own mind.

Ino swallowed, and walked into the courtyard. She headed straight for Gaara, concealing the uneasiness that grew with every step. When she was within a few yards from him, he looked up. A look of mingled suspicion and wariness flitted across his child's face.

"Hi there," Ino said shyly. "Whatcha doing?"

Gaara looked at the sand castle that was slowly taking shape, and shrugged. "Building. Why?"

Ino came a step closer. "Can I join?"

The suspicion deepened. "Why?"

"Why not?" Ino asked innocently. "Don't you want to play with me?"

"Nobody plays with me," Gaara said obstinately. "Nobody." His lower lip quivered, and to Ino's considerable unease the entire courtyard seemed to jerk sideways. The tremor reminded her that their whole environment was nothing but a projection of Gaara's thoughts – if Ino made him upset in the dream, the consequences for her would be very real, and potentially deadly.

"Why doesn't anybody want to play with you?" Ino asked. "You seem nice to me."

Gaara scuffed a foot in the sand, looking away from Ino's eyes. "They're all afraid… they're afraid of Mother."

Ino didn't need to ask who 'Mother' was.

"Then they're all silly!" Ino declared. "And they don't know you well enough. I know someone like you, and nobody wanted to play with him either. But then they saw how nice he was, and they all wanted to be his friend."

Ino was still very confused about how she felt about Naruto containing the Kyubi, but she hoped she could use his story to convince Gaara. Then she got another idea, and proceeded to follow it up cautiously.

"Besides, I think you do have friends," she ventured.

Gaara started, his face showing utter astonishment. "Who?"

"Your brother and sister," Ino said. "Kankuro and Temari. They're your friends, aren't they?"

Ino didn't want to make Gaara suspicious by referring to his siblings, but it was a calculated risk. People took things for granted in dreams that they would never accept in real life. Ino had to trust that Gaara wouldn't think it was strange that a stranger knew about his siblings.

It took a second, but then recognition dawned in Gaara's eyes. "No," he said flatly. "They don't really care about me. Father orders them to fight with me, but they're scared of Mother, too."

Those sentences told Ino something extremely important: although Gaara was dreaming himself as a child, when pushed he could remember everything in his life, including his missions with Temari and Kankuro. He wasn't truly a child, he just wore a child's seeming. That made what Ino was about to do possible, but it also made it extremely dangerous. If she shocked Gaara out of his childish frame of mind, he might lash out at her. But there was no choice.

"Do you think that?" Ino said. "So if they had a chance to kill you, or to let someone else kill you, do you think they would take it? If they knew Mother couldn't hurt them?"

A single tear rolled down Gaara's cheek. "Yes," he whispered.

Ino concentrated hard, bringing two of her own memories to the forefront of her mind. "I think you're wrong," she said, "and I'll show you why. Your siblings fought to protect you a while ago. There were some people trying to hurt you, and Temari and Kankuro wouldn't let them. They got really hurt trying to protect you."

And as she said that, Ino concentrated on her memories of Temari and Kankuro, as they looked when the Konoha genin had found them lying unconscious. Their images floated into the air above Ino's head, and Gaara stared at them long and hard.

"See?" Ino continued after a moment. "They didn't have to fight. They could have run away and left you on your own. But they didn't. That means they love you!"

Gaara looked up, hope shimmering in his eyes. "They… love me?"

"Of course they do!" Ino insisted. "So you must be a good person, if your brother and sister love you so much. That's why I think you'd be a good friend."

Gaara thought hard, while Ino held her breath. But when he looked up at her, his eyes hardened and suspicious light rekindled. "You're lying!" he accused. "Those pictures aren't real, Temari and Kankuro would never do that to me. You're trying to trick me, just like everybody else!"

As he spoke, the courtyard began to tremble even more violently than before. The edge of the fountain cracked, and water began to pour out into the sand. Ino was deathly afraid, but she had to press on.

"No, Gaara!" she said back, as earnestly as she could. "I can prove it to you! Just leave this place – go and find them. They need your help, and once you save them you'll see just how much they care about you."

"Leave?" Gaara's face became slightly scared. "I don't want to leave. This is the only place I don't hear Mother's voice… it's the only place I'm not afraid."

"I know it's scary," Ino said, "but if you stay here you'll never find all of the people who could be your friends. And they're out there, you know. You just have to find them."

Gaara froze, his eyes widening when he heard the word 'friends.' A strong wind kicked up in the courtyard, whipping the sand around Ino's knees with a terrible frenzy. Gaara stepped toward her, and suddenly he was not a tiny child any more, but his full twelve-year-old self. The sand parted before him, and he loomed over Ino, his eyes full of pain and rage.

"Stop it!" he roared. "Stop lying to me!"

Ino almost quailed before the concentrated fury of his mind, but she forced herself to meet his eyes. "I'm not lying to you!" she screamed. "Check for yourself if you don't believe me. Wake up, Gaara – wake up! They're waiting for you!"

Everything stilled. The wind, the sand, time itself stood still. The moment was suspended, frozen – it balanced precariously on the edge of a cliff, as if waiting for the merest breath of wind to tip it over the edge. But the wind never came. And then Gaara was gone, as absolutely and completely as if he'd never existed at all.

An instant later, Ino noticed that she was beginning to dissolve. First her hands, then her arms, and then her torso evaporated into nothingness. Still, right up until the end when Ino completely ceased to be, she felt nothing except a profound peace. She had done it.

When next Ino opened her eyes, Shikamaru was standing over her, the worry clear in his eyes.

"I'm all right," she said. "Is it…"

"It's over. When Gaara woke up, it limited his demon's power. Then Naruto broke his hold over it entirely. Naruto was incredible – I never imagined he could possess such power. When Gaara was defeated, before he lost consciousness, he asked Naruto why he fought. Naruto said it was to protect the ones he loved."

Ino gave Shikamaru a weary smile. "It's why we all fight. Naruto, you, me, Choji… even Temari and Kankuro. Where's Gaara?"

"Next to his brother and sister and Sasuke. They're all unconscious. The others are keeping watch over them."

The next word caught in her throat, but Ino forced it out. "Choji?"

Shikamaru's face fell, but he didn't flinch from her gaze. "He's in bad shape. He passed the first stage of chakra exhaustion about a minute ago. His body is burning itself up from the inside."

With a tremendous effort of will, Ino got to her feet. "Then we have no time to lose!" she declared. "I'll carry him. Let's get back to Konoha right away."

Shikamaru steadied her with his hand. "All right, but don't get your hopes up. If there was a way to reverse the effects of the red pill, the Akimichi clan would have found it by now. Choji knew that perfectly well when he… when he sacrificed himself for us."

Ino's tears flowed freely. "How can you say that?" she demanded. "Maybe, if we can just get him back to the village…"

Shikamaru nodded, though his eyes showed that he didn't believe it. Ino turned away angrily, searching for her teammate. He was lying down in the shade of a tree, at the edge of the vast battlefield that had been leveled by Shukaku's widespread destruction.

Sakura was mopping his sweating brow, while Naruto, Shino, and Hinata stood watch over the fallen Sand siblings and Sasuke.

"Our mission isn't over," Shikamaru declared, as he made his way over to the shady tree. "We're bringing them back."

"I'll carry Gaara," Naruto said immediately, his voice sounding tired and old, far older than he actually was. "I feel… I feel responsible for him, somehow."

He looked down at the ground, until Ino put a hand on his shoulder. She looked into his eyes, wordlessly communicating assurance. "I know how you feel. He is what he is because he grew up without finding anyone with a kind heart. Maybe it's not too late for him."

Naruto looked shocked for a second, and then gave her a sad smile. "I'll carry Choji," Ino declared, looking around belligerently as if expecting someone to object. She picked up her teammate far too easily, his wasted form weighing barely half of what it should.

Shikamaru hoisted Sasuke over one shoulder, leaving Temari and Kankuro for Sakura and Shino. Hinata, as the scout, was the only member of the original pursuit team not carrying a fallen shinobi. Naruto might have made Shadow Clones to carry the Sand Siblings, but his extended use of the Kyubi's chakra had left him too exhausted to do so much as a Substitution jutsu.

The procession set off at top speed for Konoha, although top speed for the weary genin was nowhere near the same speed with which they'd originally chased Sasuke. To Ino, who could feel the feverish heat from Choji's body, the journey back to Konoha was the longest she'd ever experienced, even though it was barely an hour back to the village's walls.

When they reached the main gate, it was clear that the battle for Konoha was over. Shinobi were shouting and cheering on the walls, and villagers danced in the streets and strewed flowers everywhere. Ino took the lead, elbowing people aside in her haste to get Choji to the nearest medical authority. All of the happiness from the victorious shinobi only made her grief sharper. What use was a victory if it meant she lost her best friend?

For that was what Choji was to her, and Shikamaru as well. The thought of living without either of them by her side filled her with an ache that hurt worse than any physical pain.

Then, through the crowd, Ino caught sight of a familiar face, smoking a familiar cigarette. "Asuma!" she screamed.

Her sensei's head turned at the sound of her voice, and quicker than a bolt of lightning he was at her side.

"Ino, thank the gods you're safe!" he said. "But Choji-"

"He ate the red pill," Ino cut him off in a rush. "Please, we have to save him! Can you take him to the hospital?"

Asuma spat out his cigarette, where it fell forgotten to the street. He took Choji from Ino's weary arms, and held the dying Akimichi as effortlessly as if he was a baby. "I can do better than that," he assured Ino. "I'll take him to the best medical specialist in the world. Tsunade won't let Choji die, I promise you!"

Asuma bounded off in a flash, too quickly for Ino to follow. Shikamaru caught up with her, and his voice held a faint hope. "He's taking Choji to the Legendary Sannin? If anyone can save Choji, she can."

Ino clasped her hands together, wishing for a miracle. The weary group huddled together, as if protecting themselves against the celebrating mob. None of them felt much like celebrating.

At Shino's suggestion, they went in search of an ANBU officer. Once they gave the Sand trio into the custody of the proper authorities, they could reunite Sasuke with his sensei and then find where Asuma had taken Choji.

Hours later, Gaara and his siblings had been safely delivered, and Sasuke was recovering under the watchful eye of Kakashi. And on the third floor of the Konoha hospital, in a small room barely big enough to hold them, six genin and two jonin crowded around a hospital bed. Even though technically only Shikamaru and Ino were on Choji's team, none of the genin that had been on the pursuit squad had even thought about going home before checking on him at the hospital. Hinata had almost cried when Kurenai suggested that they should get their rest. Shino had simply said, "he's our comrade. We'll go home when he does."

Now they all huddled together, watching as Tsunade pumped chakra steadily through her hands, which cupped Choji's forehead. She had been working steadily ever since Asuma had brought Choji to her, applying her extensive knowledge of medical ninjutsu to Asuma's information about how the Akimichi pills affected the human body.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Choji's eyes began to open. The room stilled, everyone inside it holding their breath. Choji's eyes flicked left, then right, taking in the concerned faces only feet from his face. A small, painful smile appeared on the Akimichi's sunken, wasted face.

He opened his mouth, but his words came out in the faintest of whispers. Everyone leaned in closer to hear.

"Does anyone have anything to eat?"

A/N: And so the Invasion of Konoha comes to an end. Orochimaru still lives, but the Hokage – and the Village itself – is alive and kicking. Danger lurks down the road, but for a moment the war-weary genin can take a breath. It's been a blast writing the Chunin Exams and the Invasion, and I hope you've all enjoyed it too!