The Dragon in the Maelstrom

Chapter 27: The Raccoon and the Maelstrom.

Written by Jlargent.

Me: Well the fans have spoken and Sasuke will die in this chapter (Though personally whoever voted that Sakura gets killed instead needs to have their head examined.) as always typical disclaimers apply I do not own Naruto or Avatar the last Airbender in any shape or form.

Naruto's POV

I feel the wind rush through my hair as I jump from tree branch to tree branch in an almost breakneck speed, my orders are clear: bring Sasuke back to the village. As much as I hate the guy and would rather leave him to get killed I have my orders. Gaara's siblings tried to stop us but Shino and Hinata volunteered to keep them at bay until I reach Sasuke and drag his sorry ass back to the village. I can now hear the sounds of explosions nearby, with a deep sense of foreboding I apply more charka to my legs and speed off towards the source.

I arrive in time to see Sasuke lunge at Gaara with a lightning covered hand Damn, it looks like I'm too late and the bastard found Gaara and decided to get into the preverbal pissing contest. If I step in both of them will turn their attention away from each other and focus on me and it will turn into a triple threat death match. Maybe I should wait it out and step in when it gets bad I mused to myself while Gaara uses his sand to deflect the attack like it was nothing and wraps Sasuke in a cocoon of sand ready to crush him.

"BOOT TO THE HEAD!" I scream as my foot slams into Gaara's head sending him flying towards a tree only for a tendril of sand to wrap itself around a branch and pulls him up onto the branch saving him from hitting the tree. The sand that was trapping Sasuke dissolved and crept back to Gaara "Sorry for stepping in but my orders are to take the little prick in for disobeying orders." I said out loud catching Sasuke's attention.

"Shut up dobe! I refuse to go anywhere with you. And I'll defeat this freak and kill you afterwards." Sasuke ranted ignoring the fact that Gaara will kill him before that could happen.

Gaara leveled his gaze at me then looked at Sasuke before speaking "You are weak Uchiha. I only wish to prove my existence by fighting only the strongest, leave me or you shall feed mother with your blood." Gaara said coldly as the killing intent from him was unnerving Sasuke.

Sasuke bristle at the insult "Listen here you monster, I am an elite! And I will kill you." Sasuke growled as he shifted into a offensive stance.

"Sasuke he's too strong for you to handle. Head back to the village and I'll hold him off." I tried to reason with him only for him to turn his attention towards me.

"Kakashi sensei told me that it was your fault that his sensei and teammate died on the night of the Kyuubi attack. And he taught me this move just so I can avenge them as a practice run before I kill my brother." he said as he charges at me, his hand covered in lightning and just before he could reach me I teleported behind him.

"I know you already have a stick in your ass so this probably won't help Ninja Art: Thousand Years of Death: Exploding Pineapple Version!" I shouted as I quickly unseal a pineapple covered in low level exploding tags with the leaves still on it. Now the technique is originally an E-Rank jutsu but with the tags easily upgrades it to a low to mid C-Rank as the explosion acts as a rocket and I didn't realize that the propulsion would send Sasuke flying to Gaara who caught him in a giant hand made out of sand and quickly covers him in it.

"Die." Gaara spoke closing his hand into a tight fist and the coffin implodes on itself, and in a shower of bloody sand Sasuke Uchiha died in the line of duty Great the emo is dead. Knowing my luck the Sasuke ass kissing club would claim that I killed him, then again I did launch him into Gaara's sand. Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll get killed due to the invasion. I silently hoped as I rushed Gaara.

"Sword Art: Dance of the tornado!" I said channeling wind charka into my blades and spinning them as the name suggests and unleash it creating a small vortex of wind barely cutting through Gaara's sand, changing tactics I charge my blades and rush in only to be blocked by a pillar of sand. It then covers Gaara and a pair of wrist blades form and chest armor appears.

"Uzumaki you shall prove my existence!" he screams and he launches himself at me, I raise my swords to block his incoming strike and notice that the sand gave him an extra boost in speed, I parry his blows and counter attack only for him to block them with his blades Obviously he's reinforcing the sand using his charka to make it more dense to withstand my swords. Wait a minute, his eyes…Shit! He's like me and judging from the rings he's had less sleep than mom and Anko after a three day sex-thon. Must be the work of Shukaku if I remember right Ero-Sensei packed some suppressor tags just in case the fox tries to take over me. I thought making a clone to try and double team Gaara, my clone was about to slam the flat of its blade to Gaara's head only for spikes of sand to shoot out of the armor and stab the clone in multiple spots before dispelling itself. I grimace at the information that was passed on to me as I try to get in closer, he swings wildly missing me by an inch but it allow me the chance I need, I slap the tag on his forehead and Gaara starts to convulse for a few moments indicating Shukaku fighting it until Garra collapses his energy spent.

I sigh "Great, one dead Uchiha and one captured jinchuriki. My life doesn't get complicated enough as it is." I mutter to myself as I summon a few clones to carry Gaara back to the village to have the taunki fixed already dreading what I will deal with once I return.

To be continued.

Me: Sorry for the delay but I lost my muse and when I found her she was royally pissed off at me. Next time: The search for a new Hokage and Kakashi's punishment.

As always Hoody Hoo!