A/N: I decided to make this a three-part fic. It seems to be doing pretty well (no title-pun intended), so now that FF.n is finally up and running again for log-ins, I thought I'd supply the next part. Hope you enjoy it!

Warnings: sandsib fluff (with Temari and Gaara because I think it's uber adorable), a overly worried Naruto, and a surprise guest whom I hate with a passion! D:

"So what are you going to do?" the pinkette asked pointedly. Naruto had confided in her what his talk with Gaara had consisted of, actions and all. She wasn't surprised what had gone down; she knew something physical could have happened, although she didn't know what. She almost expected something extreme, like a physical rejection such as a shove, or the polar opposite, like an accepting kiss. Neither occurred, but her Inner Sakura was pleased with what did. Hugs are nice, and they always lighten the mood no matter what it is.

"I have no clue," Naruto groaned despairingly. "I would like some advice, please."

Sakura blew air at her bangs. "Gee, Naruto, I don't know, either. It's not like I'm experienced with this kind of thing. I mean, Lee likes me, and you used to, but I never returned either of your feelings. And it seems to me you might be returning some of Gaara's."

"That's just the problem, dattebayo! I don't know if I do, and if I were to I wouldn't know how to handle it because all my life it's been about girls, ya know? So how am I supposed to suddenly change all that over one person?" Naruto whined, stuffing his face into a pillow. They were seated in Sakura's hotel room, Naruto cross-legged on the bed and Sakura in a chair a little ways away.

"Maybe you should ask someone who has dealt with this kind of thing," Sakura puzzled out slowly, "Someone who's been in a similar situation…"

"Say what?" the blonde quizzed as he lifted his head.

"Well, um, there is someone I know who used to have a crush on one of their friends… and this friend of theirs wasn't female, either. Maybe you should talk to him about it." Sakura said with a strange look on her face. It was a cross between wanting to giggle and pull a 'weird, isn't it?' face.

"How the hell am I supposed to talk to him? I don't know who you're talking about, let alone where he is. If he's back in Konoha, I can't talk to him now! We're on a mission! Plus, I don't have a crush on Gaara; I'm just… uh, undecided. Because of what happened, I'm left all confused and stuff, 'ttebayo."

The pink-haired nin twisted up her hands. "Actually, you do know who I'm talking about, you just can't guess because of what I said about him. He's here with us in Suna." She revealed.

Naruto perked up. "He is? That really helps! So who is he?"

"Er… Kakashi-sensei," she whispered.

The blonde blinked. His jaw fell to the floor in awe. "No way…!" he muttered in disbelief. "You have to be joking, Sakura-chan. I mean, Kakashi-sensei isn't…"

"Well, he never acted on it," she said. "He told me the story once when Tsunade-baachan treated him to too much sake and asked that I walk him home to make sure he didn't hurt himself or pass out along the way. And it was weird, because he started talking to me about it, and I never expected it."

"What did he say?" the kitsune asked out of genuine curiosity.

Sakura flushed slightly with guilt for spilling her sensei's secrets. "He said that for a long time when he was growing up, he liked his childhood comrade Uchiha Obito. But they were friends and he didn't want to ruin that, so he kept his feelings to himself, but then Obito passed away. And he regrets it to this day."

Naruto mulled this information over. It was very hard to understand, let alone believe, but somehow it fit. It seemed possible, in a warped sort of way. Some people thought Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei had something, but everyone else knew that it was just a rumor. Although, suddenly, it appeared a bit more realistic because of the news Naruto got from Sakura a second ago.

"The way I look it at, if you come to Kakashi-sensei for advice about this, he'll most likely tell you not to do anything you'll regret." Sakura stood from the chair and walked over to her friend. She bent down enough to look Naruto in the eyes. "If what you won't regret late on would be to try it, then do. If you think that might hurt Gaara-sama in the long run and it's better to tell him 'no' now, then do. In my opinion, if you choose something that you think is best, then it's the right thing because it'll be what you won't regret later on in life."

The blonde peered up at his teammate and nodded his head. "Thank you, Sakura-chan. It helps a lot. It also saves me a very embarrassing conversation with Kakashi-sensei, since I think he'd say the same thing… if I caught him in a gentle mood, that is."

Sakura giggled. "Yeah, I have a feeling he'd be a lot blunter that I am." She put out her hand, offering to help him stand. Naruto took it and she yanked him off the bed and into a short embrace. When she released him, she ventured, "Are you going to be able to make a decision before we leave, or is poor Gaara-sama going to have to wait?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I'm afraid he'll have to wait. I'm still trying to figure out what feels right, and I doubt I'll come to a conclusion any time soon, 'ttebayo…"

"Alright." Sakura nodded. "I guess that's best. It lets you take more time to figure everything out, which could save you both a lot of pain later."

"You make it sound like I'm taking some giant test or something," Naruto pointed out with a grin.

The other laughed. "In a way, you are."

xXxXx

When it came time for Naruto to say goodbye the next day, the air was thicker with tension than when he first gave Gaara a heartfelt goodbye. It made the blonde uncomfortable to know that he caused the reason to why both Gaara's minute smile was missing and why there was a new struggling pain hidden in the depths of Gaara's eyes.

Nonetheless, Gaara held out his hand like before. And also like before, his hand was just as mysteriously soft and greatly contrasting with Naruto's own rough, tanned hand. But this time, Naruto couldn't shake it. His hand was quivering on it's own accord; it hardly needed any more movement. He felt nervous, and he couldn't quite put a finger on why. Well, it clearly had to do with Gaara, but he didn't know specifically what about him.

"So… I guess… I'll see you again soon, Gaara," Naruto murmured as he let go of Gaara's hand. His own felt clammy from his nerves.

"Soon," Gaara parroted. His voice sounded low and weaker than usual. There was something in that weakness of tone that caused Naruto to want to embrace Gaara for a second time and reassure him that he was going to make sure that everything would turn out fine.

With one final, longing glance, Naruto turned around and followed the rest of his team, whom were much father ahead of him that he thought. He heard something scuff the sand, like a foot taking a step forward, or perhaps a step backward. But Naruto didn't dare look back, for he was afraid of what image he might catch in the corner of his eye.

xXxXx

The day felt choppy. Gaara's head swam constantly, as if his skull was full of water, sloshing and churning and confusing him. He felt as though he were fading in and out of darkness. Black outs, people call them. Blank spots in one's memory. On most occasions, they are associated with a disease that affects the brain. But this wasn't the case with the redhead; in his case, it was the ache in his heart from a mix of emotions powerful enough to make his mind unable to function properly. So his brain did the best it could by recalling as many events as possible, but by the end of the day of Naruto's departure, Gaara could merely think of half the things he'd done.

"Gaara?" Temari asked later that evening. There was heavy concern laced throughout his name when she spoke it. She found him facedown on the couch in their living room, the only recognizable aspect of him being his clothes and red hair. His entire face was buried into the cushions of the back part of the couch in a corner. "What's wrong? You're acting strange."

There was a muffled noise, something similar to an agitated grunt of displeasure. It was a noise that most people would use to say rudely, 'leave me the hell alone'.

"Otoutou…" Temari sighed as she sat on the edge of the couch near Gaara's legs. "You have to tell me what's up. For the past couple days, you haven't been acting like yourself! The first day, I just thought you were having a moody moment and I didn't bother you about it, but now you're flat-out scaring me." Her tone was stern and honest. The blonde woman had good intention in both. "Tell me, please."

Gaara lifted his head and looked over his shoulder at her puzzled expression. With an exasperated sigh, he sat up and straightened himself, some of his regal demeanor returning. "I don't think I can say, onee-san."

"Why not?" Temari asked. She felt a tad offended. "I mean, I knew we haven't talked much about personal stuff in the past, but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to hear out anything problems you might be having!"

Gaara locked his gaze on the folds of his airy cotton robes. "But I don't understand my problem, so how can I talk about it?"

Temari frowned. "If you don't understand it, then how do you know you even have a problem?" He wasn't making any sense, and that worried her further; after all, Gaara was a very logical person, so for him to not make sense, that in itself didn't seem sensible.

When Gaara didn't respond, Temari tried a different tactic.

"What are you feeling right now, otoutou? Maybe I can help you find your problem."

"I feel… weighted," he said at length, his brows coming together in the slightest as if he were in pain.

"Weighted? Like too much responsibility? That's normal for someone who became a Kazekage at such a young age. Hell, I only do a little bit of the work you do, and I –"

"That's not what I meant," Gaara corrected. "I meant on my chest, in my heart."

The fan-wielder cocked her head. "Oh, is that it? That's easy, then: it's from Uzumaki. He left today, and you didn't get to see him very long, and since he's your first real friend besides Kankurou and me, you miss him. It's understandable," she amended.

"But onee-san," Gaara remarked, his tone soft. Temari enjoyed it when he spoke respectfully and almost affectionately to her like this, calling her 'big sister'. He continued: "You weren't there. A lot happened, and because of it, I'm left feeling the way I am."

"Well, what happened? If you just tell me –"

Gaara shook his head fiercely, his eyes flashing. "No."

"Gaara… Please. Open up to me. I won't hurt you. And who knows? Maybe telling me will make you feel better," she pleaded with him, her dark teal eyes begging. Sure, she was a tough, cocky girl to everyone else, but secretly she had a soft spot for her youngest brother. He was fragile in his own way, and she felt the need to mother him.

Gaara sighed through his nose a manner that usually meant that he felt reluctant or irritated, or on some occasions, frustrated. It appeared that in this moment, it was all three. "Haruno-san pointed out something to me about Naruto, and after speaking with him it was confirmed. And I'm not quite comfortable with the topic."

"What is it?" Temari questioned. Her mind couldn't chalk up any form of speculation.

"Haruno-san thinks… and Naruto agreed with her… that I must…" he replied at a snail's pace, his heart drumming and his face contorting slightly with the words, "Have a crush on him." Finally he told her what the cause of his weighted heart was. Then, something clicked into place in his mind. "Perhaps… what presently bothers me is what the future will hold." Yes, that has to be it; he was afraid for the next time he would see Naruto. He feared rejection, not sure if his heart could take it, especially not when it finally started to love. Vaguely, Gaara touched the blood red scar on his forehead.

With all of this, Temari understood what was really going on. She got up and knelt before him. He didn't notice her movement (a rare oblivious moment for him) until she took his hand by the fingers from his forehead and placed them at his side. She then leant forward and hugged him, something she had been meaning to do for a couple years now. "I get it, Gaara. You might not think so, but I truly understand what's hurting you now," she mumbled over his shoulder. He felt tense and braced as if for attack while she held him, but she ignored it. "The funny thing is, you're going through something almost every teenager does, except on a much broader and… altered scale."

She smelled oddly familiar to him. It triggered a lullaby in his mind, a calming melody from the far recesses of his memory. "Temari?" Gaara whispered.

"What?"

"You remind me of Mother. Your smell... it triggers a vague memory in my mind."

She pulled away to look him in the face. Her eyes searched his, as if she could find the memory and relive it herself. "What kind of memory? You were so young when she died… What could you possibly remember?"

"Nothing visual," Gaara replied slowly, his voice in a completely different tone than anything she has heard come from his mouth. "It makes me think of the melody from a lullaby."

Temari gasped in surprise. She swallowed and nodded her head once. "I remember… there was a lullaby she would sing to us… she sang it to Kankurou and I when we were babies and toddlers to get us to fall asleep. I remember hearing her sing it to you when you were first born. I remember because the medical ninja taking care of her birth had just handed you to her after cleaning you so that she could nurse and name you. It was weird, because the second she saw you with your bright red hair, she had smiled and whispered your name immediately, as if she already had it planned out. And then she started humming the lullaby while she nursed you."

Gaara lowered his head and absorbed this. Because of the doubts Yashamaru had planted in his mind, he hadn't been sure if his mother had loved him or not. Obviously, this was before he has become a Jinchuuriki, at a time subsequent to his birth. It was a warming thought to know that his mother had smiled when she saw him and didn't at all think of a monster or demon child, that she only thought of him as her son, her baby.

Nibbling his lower lip to stop the odd sensation of crying from washing over him, Gaara said lowly, "I'm glad you told me this, onee-san. Although I wish you could have mentioned it earlier."

"Sorry," she said lamely, "But I didn't remember that myself until a minute ago. I was young then, too. Not as young as you were – which makes it all the more remarkable that you remember anything – but I was young enough."

The redhead nodded, realizing that this was probably true. It wasn't like she meant to keep this comforting information from him; Temari was not as cruel as that. It was true that she was fierce in battle, but she wasn't a fierce person by nature. Not to her brothers.

"Anyway," Temari said as she got to her feet and ruffled Gaara's hair (another thing she has wanted to do for some time), "I'm going to go wash the dinner dishes, since I'm sure Kankurou already 'forgot' to do them. If you want to talk more, you're welcome to –"

"No," Gaara said as he suppressed a yawn, "I'm weary. I'm going to retire to my room for the rest of the night."

"Okay," Temari smiled. "Good night, then."

The redhead gave a curt nod and then exited the room. He followed the hallway to the end where the master bedroom for the Kazekage awaited him. He opened the door, noting that his cleaning maid had left the window open like he requested. He always told her to leave it open if the weather was relatively pleasant at night. He liked the cool breeze and, sometimes, he would resort to his old insomniac habits by exiting via window to camp up on the roof until sunrise.

He decided that for tonight, he wanted nothing more than to lie in the dark on his back on the bed, the covers below him while a dry, cool breeze of the desert night swept over him. It sounded very pleasing, and he thought it was the best way to regulate his stressed, heavy heart. It also sounded like a good method of washing his mind. His brain felt somewhat cluttered, and the atmosphere made his skin feel warm. So what better than to chill his body and ice his mind than having his window open on a cold desert night? To Gaara, one of the best things about living in the desert was exactly that: having boiling days and chilling nights, dry air through and through.

Satisfied with this choice, Gaara shut off his light and stripped to the bare essentials as moonlight streamed in through his window. For once, he didn't feel paranoid about possible break-ins; he trusted the guards outside his building for the time being. He'd feel safer if there were bars on his window, but if he had that, how would he be able to leap out and get onto the roof?

There were three windows that Gaara had in his room. One was the average size like the rest of the windows on the mansion, another was circular and was placed just above his king-sized bed, and the last was less of a window and more of a large, double-paneled glass door that slid open and led to a small balcony. The balcony would normally be a better space to escape from, but the balcony wasn't anywhere near his favorite, highest section of the roof.

These small facts aside, Gaara lied down on his bed and shut his eyes, his arms and legs widespread across the sheets. They were done up the proper way thanks to his maid, and felt nice and cool from the breeze that had bathed them while he was absent from them. He sighed to himself and felt as though he were sinking into the mattress.

His mind wandered, covering a broad range of thoughts. Naruto, Sakura, goodbyes, his mother, his sister, his brother, his job, his people, his uncle, his demon. He didn't feel the usual pain that came with some of these thoughts, and if he did, he hardly noticed. He concentrated more on the sensation of the night air on his flesh and less on his heart.

But Gaara still didn't like the thoughts that were currently rampaging in his brain. He tried to distract himself further by singing softly. He didn't hum his mother's lullaby, nor did he sing a folk song of his people; he chose something else, something he had heard but has not yet been able to get out of his head. It was a song that sounded much too happy in his opinion, but he liked the lyrics and somehow, it sounded good with his voice(1).

"Ne, ima made kimi no ita basho wa
Don'na fuuni suteki datta no?
Un, sou da ne, kimi no koto dakara
Sei ippai kenage ni ikite kitan darou…"

(English:
Hey, this place you are in now...
What makes it so wonderful?
Oh, I see, it is because of you
You're always trying to live life heroically…)

"Atarashii sekai sorosoro ikaga desu?
Boku to isshou ni te to tetsunai de
Saa~ tobikomi mashou…"

(How about the two of us head to another world?
When I am with you nothing can stop us
Okay~ let's dive away!)

"Come on, let's go,
Zettai daijoubu –Are you okay?
Kitto daijoubu…
Hoshou wa chotto dekinai keredo
But saki no mienai ashita totemo wakuwaku da shi
Sukoshi kurai bouken shimashou
Datte anata bouken suki deshou…"

(Come on, let's go!
Everything will be fine. –Are you okay?
Surely everything will be fine.
However, I can't guarantee anything
But, even if I can't predict tomorrow, I'm still excited
So let's set out on a little adventure because, after all, you do like adventures…)

"Sou, tashika ni kowai ka mo shirenai
Kimi no kotoba ichiri arimasu
Mou, ato ni wa hikenai koto wo
Nantonaku kanjiteru no ka mo…"

(That's right, no doubt it may become scary
Your words do have some merit there
Come on, we can't turn back now
Somehow, I can just feel it…)

Gaara stopped for a spell. His eyes popped open as something occurred to him: small tidbits of the song made him think of the orange-clad, knuckleheaded ninja all over again. Yet he couldn't seem to stop. The song was nearly over anyhow, but the fact that small pieces reminded him of Naruto made him want to sing it even more for reasons he didn't want to express.

"Katsu ka? Makeru ka? Shiro to deru ka? Kuro to deru ka?
Boku no kyara ni wa funi ai dakedo tama ni wa ii deshou…"

(Will we win? Will we lose? Will it turn out good? Will it turn out bad?
It's not like me to care about these things, but it's okay for me to slip every once in a while…)

"Come on, alright,
Zettai daijoubu –Are you okay?
Kitto daijoubu
Hoshou wa chotto dekinai keredo
But saki no mienai ashita totemo doki-doki suru
Sukoshi kurai kakete mimashou, datte anata gyamburu suki deshou…"

(Come on, alright!
Everything will be fine. –Are you okay?
Surely everything will be fine.
However, I can't guarantee anything
But, even if I can't predict tomorrow, my heart is still thumping so quickly
So let's put a little bit on the line because, after all, you do like to gamble…)

"Come on, let's go,
Zettai daijoubu –Are you okay?
Kitto daijoubu
Oishii tabemono mo takusan aru
Check, son'na mugendai no kibou ga aru no dakara
Sukoshi kurai ganbari mashou, datte anata gurume na hito deshou."

(Come on, let's go!
Everything will be fine. –Are you okay?
Surely everything will be fine.
There will be very delicious food
Check! Because you have so much hope...
Let's save a little bit because, after all, you're a natural gourmet.)

Gaara felt a tad foolish when he completed the goofy song, but as he slowly sat up on his bed, he realized that his heart didn't feel quite as heavy as before. In fact, it appeared to have taken on it's usual volume, which is practically weightless. He couldn't understand why, but he guessed it was because he allowed himself to think of Naruto guiltlessly. It also could be because he cheered himself up with music, but he wasn't about to admit it.

With a majority of his spirit back, Gaara removed his covers from their tight placement and slid underneath them. He curled up on his right side, for once being fully prepared to have a long night's sleep.

xXxXx

Naruto wondered if it was possible for a person to overload from stress. He's had plenty of pressure placed on him in the past, but currently he felt as though he were carrying far too much. His mind was constantly racing, his incoherent emotions ranging from worry to panic to anger to sadness to feeling nothing whatsoever. It depended on which thoughts popped up. Gaara, the paranoia of being attacked while traveling, Sasuke, Jiraiya, and a void of blank blackness when he shut down to either sleep or stop himself from yelling or crying out.

He worried about Gaara; how was the redhead doing? How was he managing with the weight of uncertainty on Naruto's behalf? Would be alright if Naruto told him he wanted to only remain friends? Would he visit more often if they developed their relationship further? (Actually, the idea of seeing Gaara more often did spark a temporarily sunny feeling in Naruto, a feeling that made him unconsciously smile.)

He panicked about their mission; would he be able to complete it? Would he come back in one piece to Gaara on the way back and everyone in Konohagakure when he returned? Would he fail like all the other times he has attempted this same exact mission?

You see, the goal was of the same old 'retrieve Sasuke' sort. This time they had more people, and they knew where to locate the bastard, and this time they meant to take him as either a prisoner or in a body bag, depending on how things went. They could also take him back as a lost comrade turned from his traitorous ways, but no one hoped too highly for this; everyone taking part in the mission this time around knew that the third option was damn near impossible, not to mention utterly improbable.

Thinking of Sasuke, Naruto would grow angry, and depending on what he thought, he grew as far as 'livid'. If he went a tad farther – 'blind with fury' being the term here – his eyes would change color to a bloody red and his canine teeth and nails would grow, and the whisker marks on his cheeks would become more pronounced. He was getting more and more pissed with every passing thought of Sasuke, mainly due to the fact that Sasuke had dealt with some pretty dark affairs in his life thus far. It both frightened and enraged Naruto.

…But mostly, it enraged him.

And then, as he thought of what kind of training Sasuke must've went through along with who trained him while Naruto was gone those few years, he thought of who was his own mentor. Jiraiya. And the very thought of Ero-Sannin sent Naruto into a depressed hole that was hard to crawl out of, because despite what he said to others, he thought highly of the perverted old man; almost how one might think of their wise grandfather, the kind that interacted with you and joked right along with you. And when he found out from Tsunade-baachan what Jiraiya really was to him, it made him hurt all the more. It felt like this: What? My godfather? I lost who was technically my last relation on the planet? Now that really stings, dattebayooo!

And it was at that point that Naruto shut off his emotion valve and ceased the stream of emotions completely. He went dead, his face stern and his eyes hard as he breathed in and out much slower. It was a way of stopping himself from crying; he figured he's cried enough, so why cry more? Besides, he had a mission to do, and he wasn't about to spontaneously break down in tears along the way. Nor was he going to save them for when he saw Sasuke; last time they met he had gone numb, and he expected to do the same. Although he was going to move more this time around… don't want to get stabbed again, ne?

"I think I have his scent," one of Kakashi's dogs called back to the group one evening. It had been a little over a week since they left Suna (ten days), and they'd been out of the desert for a few days now.

"Are you sure?" Kakashi questioned.

"Positive. It's a hard scent to forget."

"Alright. Lead the way, then." The silver-haired teacher replied, his voice low and even.

"…Sasuke…" Sakura whispered in an odd voice. She was the closest one to Naruto, yet from the angle, he couldn't see the expression on her face. Judging by the tone she used – which was a mix between shock, pain, and resentment – he pictured her face resembling a calm stone with fire in it's eyes.

Naruto stiffened and tightened his fists, his senses sharp and aware of everything around him. Since last time, he had gained a hefty amount of skills and was more than prepared to face the bastard as soon as he saw his raven hair and sharingan eyes. This time, he actually had confidence that he could defeat Sasuke… if it came down to a fight. There was ever the possibility that Sasuke could evade them or come along quietly.

It's a bit unethical and foolish, but the kitsune prayed that the circumstances led to battle. Because, by Kami, he was going to succeed, no matter what! After so many failed attempts, he was tired of going home empty-handed.

xXxXx

For the remainder of the week, Gaara had stayed relatively nonchalant and thoughtful like he always used to. His sister was happy to see this, because to her, it meant he had resolved enough of his inner turmoil to at least put up his usual front. True, she didn't like that the walls he put between himself and society were up and running like they had been for years. But it showed that Gaara didn't want people to worry about him.

She knew this was his was of being selfish; he didn't want to talk to anyone or have anyone ask about what was bothering him, so he kept all this thoughts, feelings, and words to himself. Why he disliked speaking so much, she never understood, but being his sister she always felt offended by it. This is one reason why she had been a bit glad when he hadn't been acting like himself; it allowed her to talk to him and allowed him to open up for a short while.

"Oi, Gaara! How's that paper work coming?" Kankurou called as he came bustling into Gaara's office at the end of the week. It was close to dinnertime, and Kankurou wanted to see if he could talk Gaara into joining them at the table. He had no self-assurance that he could get his younger brother to do this, but he wanted to try anyhow.

"Almost done," Gaara murmured in reply.

"Good, good! Then d'ya think you could come to dinner tonight? I cooked this time, so the food's not inedible," he added with a chuckle.

The redhead thought this over for a minute. It couldn't hurt, could it? So he nodded his head and finished off his work within seconds. He stood and followed his brother to the kitchen, all the while noticing how happy he made his brother by agreeing to join his siblings at dinner.

When Temari saw the two men enter, she smiled warmly. "Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise?"

"Don't get used to it," Gaara muttered under his breath. Temari showed sign of having heard him, but Gaara didn't take it back. He knew this wouldn't become a frequent thing; but he felt that, given the odd circumstances, it was alright to indulge in a bit of their company. It calmed his nerves for some odd reason.

So, without truly meaning to, Gaara relaxed and made light conversation with his siblings while he ate, and tried his best not to let his mind wander.

xXxXx

He didn't know how much more of this he could take. Whilst part of his brain lingered on dissecting the hidden motives in Chiyo-baasama's dying wish ("please look after Gaara"), the rest of his brain attempted to wrap around the visual of Sakura charging, kunai in hand, at her former crush.

They found him. They had caught up with and actually trapped Uchiha Sasuke. He was surrounded with no where to go unless he shunshinned away. And he was not about to do something that cowardly. (Although running away from your own village to gain power is cowardly in it's own way.)

Anyhow, Naruto was having a difficult time with all the conflicts going on within him. The major one at present was how Sakura could be as determined and gutsy to attack as she was acting. After all, she was aiming for someone both she and Naruto held close to their hearts at some point in time.

Surely he couldn't stand by idly, his muscles immobile; but how could he join his pink-haired friend in a fight against the bastard? He thought he could do it – hell, he knew he could – and yet his body wasn't responding. He was suddenly hosting the urge to curl into a tight ball and rock with the foreign agony that was currently flooding through his veins.

"Naruto!" Sakura hollered as she was sent flying backward. She skidded to a halt. "I could use your help over here!"

"I could, too!" Kakashi chimed in. His voice was sharp and short, showing some kind of physical struggle behind it. It took Naruto a moment to realize that his sensei was fighting back against Sasuke's forces in order to stall for time so that Sakura could regain her footing and attack once more.

Steadily, Naruto regained his composure and willed his muscles to move. He flew into action, a pair of kunai snaking down from their hidden place in his sleeves. He gripped them tightly and flashed, as fast as the blink of an eye, out of sight. A millisecond later, he was at Sasuke's side. "Oi, long time no see," he said in a tone that was far from friendly. It was practically a snarl.

"Good to see you, too, Naruto," Sasuke said languidly, as if he felt no exhaustion, despite having fended off his former team leader minutes before. "Why have you all come after me?"

"For the same reason we always do!" Naruto barked in reply as he blocked a swing from Sasuke's sword. "To make you come back with us!"

"I will never come back with you," Sasuke growled. "You know that. I have my own team now, with my own ambitions, and it doesn't include returning to Konohagakure as a friend."

"I know," Naruto retorted, a hint of forlorn in his tone. "That's why we're going to take you back as a foe in chains, or even as a body bag."

"Is that so?" Sasuke said with interest. He dodged another of Naruto's attacks, seemingly with ease. "I'd like to see you try."

"Don't mind if I do!" Naruto roared. He summoned up the Rasengan, only in a slightly different form. The first time he tried it, the shuriken form had broken his arm, but not this time. He knew how to control it now, and it would definitely send Sasuke reeling.

For a brief second, Sasuke looked frightened. He looked terrified of the windy resemblance to one of his previous favorite weapons. The fear was gone from his otherwise stony expression within seconds, but for the time it had been there, Naruto noticed, and slowed down ever-so-slightly.

His hesitation was enough for Sasuke to slip around to behind Naruto. He still had that impossibly fast speed in his fighting, but Naruto had also gotten faster. Before Sasuke would think to turn the other way, Naruto whirled around and shoved the newly-crafted shuriken Rasengan in Sasuke's chest.

Sasuke flew backward into a tree, the breath rushing out of his lungs from the sheer force. He felt his teeth tear into his tongue; bitter, salty saliva rose behind his gums. His already open robes were sliced to pieces from that damn attack, making his shirt useless. There were now thin cuts across the expanse of his chest, not yet bleeding because his body hasn't had time to react. "Damn you, Naruto," Sasuke hissed as he stumbled to his feet on the thick branch of the tree he slammed into. He wiped his mouth of the saliva that arose when he bit his tongue. "You've been practicing your techniques. You've improved a great deal."

"You're damn right he has!" Sakura spat as she curved around the tree to knock Sasuke to the ground. Tears were in her eyes, and Naruto knew it wasn't from the wind hitting them. She swooped down and punched the ground near Sasuke's abdomen. She almost got him, too; but he rolled away at the last second. A flare of dust clouded the air as the ground shattered under her gloved knuckles.

"But he's still a dobe."

At least part of the old Sasuke was in there, Naruto thought vaguely. It's good to see that some things never change, even if they're insulting.

Sasuke glanced over at the hole the pinkette created. "My, my, Sakura, you've improved just as much as he has."

"Thank you," she said coldly. Her eyes looked pained, as if she were thinking of how nice it would have been if he had said something similar to her years ago in a softer tone. She would have felt all bubbly inside if that had been the case. But it wasn't, so it stung in a way that she couldn't describe.

Sasuke stood up, the wounds on his chest finally bleeding thin trails down his belly towards his legs. He didn't wobble; he was too proud to wobble. But he shook with the smallest of tremors down his arms, which made his fingers twitch. He cracked his neck. "I've gotten better, too."

And with that said, he made a hand signal too quick to spot, and the world began to teeter on its axis. "He's using his Sharingan," Kakashi informed his students as he approached them during the initial phase of Sasuke's illusion. "Stay on your guard. I have a bad feeling that his will be worse than what we encountered with his brother while trying to rescue the Kazekage."

The blonde gulped. He agreed with his sensei.

"What should we do?" Sakura whispered, watching as the world closed around them and began to reform itself. "I keep trying to dispel of it, but it's not working."

Kakashi shook his head as he formed a tight triangle between them, back-to-back-to-back. "It wouldn't. Being a real Uchiha, he's far better at the Sharingan than I am. He's ten times more powerful when using it, so he knows how to make it impossible to dispel. It's a good trick."

"So we just have to battle it out, dattebayo?" Naruto ventured in a low voice as he glanced around. He could hear his heart thumping in his ears. He could feel the adrenaline dancing in his blood. He could even sense Kyuubi stirring in the pit of his stomach as the seal on his tummy burned dully.

"Yes, that's what we have to do."

Naruto gave a twisted smile that thankfully no one could see. He was grateful for this illusion, actually; it allowed him to fight in a blissfully unaware manner in which he cannot see the face of his 'brother of the past'. (Because Sasuke was, after all, nothing but a faded brother figure in Naruto's heart from years and years ago.)

"Excellent," he said darkly, "Because now I know we can win."

His eyes shimmered crimson and he licked his sharpened canine teeth. With a twitch of his clawed fingers, Naruto ran blindly forward.

FOOTNOTE:
The song Gaara sang and about it suiting his voice is a little joke. You see, 'But But But' is a song for Slayers sung by none other than Akira Ishida, whom is Gaara's voice actor. In the song, he sounds a bit too happy to be Gaara, but you can tell that it's his wonderfully deep voice. Ah, how I love that song. Up until I went looking for the lyrics for this part of my fanfic, however, did I discover what the lyrics were when translated to English. XD (it amuses me)