Looking over to where he heard a scream, Sasuke saw Naruto gripping her side where a sword had been stabbed through.
Leaving the rest of his team to take care of the bomber Sasuke ran to Naruto hoping to help her before it was too late. Ignored the fox fighting one of the puppets he got to Naruto's side in great speed.
Crouching down next to his fallen comrade he searched to see what he could do to help her.
"Pull it out," Naruto gasped out, getting Sasuke's attention.
"If I do that you will bleed to death," he said looking at how the sword was sticking out of her on both sides.
"Please just pull it out, I can heal the wound quicker that way," she said working on getting it out herself, only cutting her hands in the end.
Sasuke bit his lip as he took hold of the blade pulling it out in the cleanest way he could.
Naruto's hand went immediately to her side to heal the wound.
When she was sure it was okay she stood up while reaching into her back pocket. Pulling out a very large scroll she struck a small amount of her blood over the seal allowing it to open.
"This ends now," she said in an almost ghost like tone.
Striking her bloody fingers over the scrolls writing surface Naruto allowed the scroll to let out what she summoned.
A very large cloud came from the scroll Naruto pulled out, and as it cleared away her team mates could see a very large white fox.
Along its fur streaks of red and black streamed from her eyes down to her two tails. Peering red eyes peeked glancing around getting the handle on what was going on but as her eyes landed on Naruto she quickly ran towards her hurt master.
"Naruto-Sama, oh dear god, why didn't you summon me sooner!" It had a very ruff feminine voice.
"Naruto?" Sasuke asked as he stood next to her. Said girl looked over to him with a faint blush on her cheeks. "We'll have to talk about this later, won't we?" she asked nervously, Sasuke nodded at her confirming her thoughts.
As the large fox came up to the two of them Naruto gently pulled herself on to the fourteen-foot tall fox; her bloody hands leaving slightly streaks of red on the places she touched.
'Kit stop using so much chakra, didn't you listen to the old pervert?' Kurama demanded.
'I know fluffy, but if I stop now they'll know everything in a flash,' Naruto thought with sadness in her voice.
"Let's go Kira," Naruto said transferring her thoughts back on to the matter at hand. Kira ran back towards Sasori who had taken off his cloak showing his puppet body.
Hearing a scream behind her, Naruto looked back to see Deidara expanding in to a very unhealthy size. Knowing what would come next Naruto ducked down with her arms around Kira's neck.
Sasori's tail slashed at Naruto but with Kota's and Kira's help she dodged it easily enough.
"Damn girl stay still," he said attempting to hit her again. Naruto flashed an evil grin for a moment and then threw several different shuriken at him.
'Wanna' come out and play? I'm getting tired," Naruto said to Kurama. She could just feel the joy and glee coming from the fox as he prepared to go out and 'play.'
Sasuke watched as Naruto's shoulders slumped and moments later he could see that her whisker scars were becoming thicker, her well maintained nails grew and as her eyes opened and flickered red.
A joyful and threatening smile slipped over her lips also exposing her long canines. She erupted into a maniacal laugh.
"Fool you should have killed us faster, but for that now you shall pay the price!"
"Fox," Sasori said blandly.
Kurama glanced at the preparing to explode Deidara. A small grin slipped on to Naruto's lips. Sasuke suddenly felt a vast amount of chakra erupt form Naruto's body but he couldn't pin point where it was from.
On the other side of the room Chio, Sakura, and Kakashi were backing away from the expanding man.
"Kakashi-Sensei, what do we do?" Sakura asked in pure horror.
"I'll take care of this," he said as his eye changed. Concentrating on Deidara he forced the man to disappear before he could explode.
They sighed and altered their gaze to Naruto who was grinning devilishly. Their moment of peace was severed as the ground behind Kakashi shattered. Swirling around to see what was going on, the trio saw a large stream of red chakra bubbling on to Deidara.
"What the? I thought you got rid of him!" Sakura yelled. Kakashi glanced at his pink hair student, and then went back to the blond.
They followed the trail as it went back under ground and broke up again next to Naruto. Their eyes widened when they saw Naruto maneuvered his body in front of her to block Sasori's tail.
Sasori's eyes widened slightly as his poisoned weapon plunged into his partner.
Naruto's tail let go of Deidara as she hopped on top of Kira again. The two of them ran along Sasori's tail approaching him at a steady rate Kurama easily managed to get close to him during his shock.
Jumping off Kira's back Kurama used a massive force to plunge Sasori into the cave wall causing it to collapse over him.
A light snicker brought everyone's eyes back to her after the shock that the battle had ended so quickly had ended.
"Naruto?" Sakura asked approaching her slowly. Naruto's red eyes flickered to Sakura for a moment, but quickly became blue once more. The moment the red faded away her body started to give out on her. Kira sprang into action and took the back of Naruto's shirt into her mouth. Gently the fox set her down on the ground.
"Thank you, Kira," she said softly.
"It's time for me to go Kit, take care of yourself," Kira said before leaving in a poof of clouds.
"He's dead," Chiyo said bringing everyone's attention over to her. She sat on the other side of Gaara while inspecting his body.
"It's stupid really; going after someone we knew was going to be dead," she said not removing her eyes from Gaara's body.
"Shut up old hag!" Naruto said tears streaming down her cheeks. With the remainder of her strength she pulled herself up and sent a glare at her.
"You have no right to say anything, so just shut up!"
"Naruto, c-calm down," Sakura said attempting to calm the raging girl. Naruto turned her gaze away from all of them with her face in her palms to stop the tears if she could.
"What are you doing Chiyo -Sama?" Sakura asked casing Naruto to bring her gaze back to Gaara's body.
Chiyo had her hands on Gaara's body, channeling chakra into him. Naruto shakily walked up to her and knelt down to her knees.
She placed her hands on his chest doing the same as Chiyo.
"What are you doing child?" Chiyo asked when she realized Naruto was there.
"Same as you, old hag. You don't have enough chakra to do this on your own."
"How did you know that?" Chiyo asked astonished with the younger girl.
"Your breathing is becoming uneven and your heart rate is very fast."
"How can you tell that; did you study under The Slug Queen?" Chiyo asked again.
"No, my Sensei was not Tsunade-Sama, but yes I did study under a medical ninja."
"I see, my how times have changed," Chiyo said with her eyes dimming slowly. Naruto chuckled lightly. Chiyo looked up at the blond girl just in time to see her cough up blood.
Naruto's team jumped up in worry for their team mate and quickly moved towards her. Chiyo pushed Naruto's hands away from Gaara's body.
"That's enough, I can handle the rest." Naruto nodded slightly, but as soon as she did her eyes fluttered closed and her body slowly fell backwards.
Sasuke being the nearest to her quickly caught her before she could hit the ground.
Sakura lit up her hands green as she ran it over Naruto's body, but she found no apparent problem.
"I-I don't know what's wrong," she said voice filled with panic.
"What befalls you my friends?" Everyone turned their heads over to see Team Gai coming closer.
Sasuke stretched his arms around Naruto's back and under her legs lifting her up into a princess hold.
"What happened here?" Neji asked as he and Tenten walked behind their team mates. Before more was said Kakashi seemed to have lost strength in his legs and fell down to one knee.
"What happened?" Everyone looked over to the new voice of which happen to be Gaara's.
"Gaara!" several voices also came from the caves entrance as everyone form Suna neared their Kazekage.
Temari and Kanguro tackled their brother to the ground with a huff, while different people from the village gathered around them to join in. Kanguro flung his brothers arm around his shoulder and gently, pulled him off the ground.
When Gaara was eye level with everyone else his eyes landed on Naruto, who had blood still covering her chin form earlier.
If Gaara had eye brows they would have been scrunched together in confusion.
"I think we should talk about this in my office."
Together everyone started to head back to Suna, Chiyo who had passed on was carried away by other ninjas.
(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)
Sky blue eyes slowly opened only to close again when painful white light hit them.
Opening again after they were really a room of pure white was the first things she spotted.
Bringing a hand up to her face Naruto slowly smoothed her bangs out of her face.
'Another fucking hospital," she thought angrily.
'What did you expect some comfy hotel?' Kurama teased.
Naruto ignored him and slowly started pushing herself up only hissing in pain rather than screaming out when a searing sensation went through her body; starting at the stab wound.
"Glad to see you're awake."
Naruto's eyes flickered to the door where she saw Gaara standing with her team behind him. Tears came to her eyes when she realized that he hadn't been lost.
"Glad to see you're alive," she said in a scratchy voice.
Gaara slowly stepped into the room and up to Naruto's bed. He ever so gently picked up some of her long hair, which had been taken out of its pony tail.
"I do think you have some explaining to do."
Naruto knew, sooner or later she would have to explain but she had hoped it would be later.
Gaara pulled up a seat next to her bed, and waited patiently for everyone else to find a spot in the room. Temari and Kanguro stood calmly behind their brother, while Sasuke stood in the corner back to the wall. Sakura and Kakashi sat at the seats near the window, lastly Team Gai stood at the door keeping it shut.
Naruto was clearly taking her time to explain. More than five minutes had pasted by the time she had looked up from her clenched hands.
"What would you like me to tell you?" she said finally realizing she didn't know where to start.
"Why are you a girl?" Sasuke asked speaking up for everyone else.
"...I have always been a girl," she said calmly.
"THAT'S NOT TRUE! I know for sure, you have always been a guy!" Sakura screeched at Naruto.
A minor anime anger mark appeared on Naruto's head as she sent a harsh glare at Sakura.
"You really are stupid. That was a henge," Naruto growled out.
"Why would you need to hide yourself?" Gaara asked before Sakura could say anymore. "What would you do Gaara, if you were born a girl? Our villages hated our guts; you know we're 'Demons' like they say. Still you were graced with the body of a boy while I was born a girl."
Gaara was starting to get what she meant clearly not needing a bigger explanation himself.
"But that still doesn't explain why you were pretending to be a boy," Sakura said wanting Naruto to elaborate.
"Okay Sakura, now pretend that you were hated by the entire village, you are a girl and live alone, now stay with me. Remember people hate you, all right, what would a small girl not even older than seven do if say... drunk bastards decided the 'Demon' needed some 'Punishment,'" Naruto said while throwing her hands up into the air to ad air quotes to her words.
Tenten's eyes widened, she knew what Naruto meant by that almost being in the same situation if it wasn't for Neji and Lee.
"O-Oh I see," Sakura said guiltily.
"If you don't mind me asking, could you also tell us where you've been for the past few years?" Kakashi asked form his spot near the window.
Naruto sighed softly, "During the first year Jiraiya and I were just traveling around but... something happened and the next thing I knew Jiraiya and I were rushing to go to another village that my Sensei was at. It was then that I found out Sasuke had come home. Still the fact remained that the Akatsuki were still out to get me and all the other Jinjuriki. Jiraiya and I stayed with my Sensei for the rest of the time I was gone. Though it truth I wouldn't have minded staying there."
Everyone looked at Naruto in shock. Naruto had her eyes directed towards the ground, and her arms held to her sides ever so slightly as if to comfort herself.
"I think we'll let you rest some more then." Gaara said standing up and walking towards the door. Everyone else also took this as their cue to leave as well.
Naruto remained in the room by herself; her mind was bolting back to what Itachi said. "They do like you, you just won't admit to it." Naruto felt tears leaking at her eyes, but quickly hid her face in her knees as a comfort, and to hide away from the world. Listening closely a muffled noise escaped her lips, but it seemed to extremely similar to the word 'Tachi.'
(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)
Naruto leaned on Sakura's shoulder as they were preparing to head back to Konoha, Kakashi was currently stuck on Gai's back and the two teams were waiting for Gaara who chose to send them off. Every one of them seemed to be upbeat except for Naruto and Sasuke, both for different reasons of course. Sasuke never smiled so it was natural that he wouldn't start now. Naruto though was a whole different reason. She had been up the whole night thinking, and crying. None of her troubles showed through though, except for the soft frown set upon her features.
Kota, who was sitting by Naruto's leg started to bark as she saw Gaara and his sibling exit the village gates.
Gaara walked straight up to Naruto and smiled at her sadly. "It was nice having you here." His next actions surprised everyone, even Naruto. Gaara took Naruto into a big hug which caused Naruto to feel all of his emotions at once. He was thankful, sad, and yet happy all at once.
Naruto happily returned the gesture by hugging him back.
"I hope I will see you again soon," he said slowly letting Naruto go so she could use Sakura to stay up right again.
Naruto looked Gaara in the eyes and smiled.
"I think we will. Take care of yourself Gaara-nii."
"Yosh, let's get going!" everyone looked over to Gai, who had poor Kakashi strapped on his back.
"Gai-Sensei lets hurry back to the village as fast as we can!" Lee said as motivational as he could.
With lee attempting to get Neji on his back they finally started off back towards home.