DISCLAIMER: No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and only making a few battle…I promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe just slightly damaged!

As always – a huge thanks goes to my beta COOKIEMONSTER77 – who makes sure I use the right tenses and corrects me when I say something stupid! Please be gentle with me – Writing this chapter was the hardest thing I've ever done!

Chapter Nineteen:

Jinchuriki vs. Jinchuriki

Don't cry victim to me
Everything we are and used to be
Is buried and gone
Now it's my turn to speak
It's my turn to expose and
Release what's been killing me
I'll be damned fighting you
~Creed~

Naruto had just finished eating breakfast when Jiraiya and Kakashi walked into the room. Although he had no proof, he just knew they had been discussing him again. Conversations between the men seemed to always change whenever he happened upon them and at other times, they kept themselves closeted in the den. It was maddening. He had asked them more than once what they were talking about, but they wouldn't say. He actually managed to overhear one word this morning.

"What is the Akatsuki?"

Naruto caught the swift glance that Kakashi exchanged with Jiraiya and knew he hit on something. He was taken aback, for it was a word he had heard one other time by someone he could never trust.

"The question is: Where did you hear about that?" the Sannin answered.

"While meditating," Naruto said with a nonchalant shrug. "The Kyuubi mentioned it the last time we had one of our sessions."

Kakashi paled while Jiraiya coughed as though something was stuck in his throat.

"I don't like the things it tells you. What else has it said?"

"Well…nothing," said Naruto, a bit surprised at the fervent insistence of Kakashi, who was normally the epitome of calmness itself.

Jiraiya suddenly grabbed the boy and spun him around in his chair, much to his astonishment. "Are you sure?" he demanded, his eyes drilling into Naruto's as though trying to draw out his innermost secrets.

It was somewhat nerve wreaking, but he replied honestly, "Yes. He told me about the shinobi you battled; the one on the hill."

"Why? What did it say?"

"It was just another one of his threats…that Orochimaru and that other ninja could destroy me with a flick of their fingers. The Kyuubi said I was too weak and useless and that it was only due to him that I survived at all against the Akatsuki. Why? What's going on?"

Jiraiya went limp unexpectedly and seemed to age. Wrinkles of fatigue appeared on his forehead and in the corners of his mouth, and his fingers reluctantly released their grip on his shoulders.

"What did I say?"

"That would take too long to explain, Naruto. We don't have time for that at the moment," said Jiraiya hastily.

Naruto couldn't help but note the nervous tension in his godfather's voice. Although he dearly wanted to press him, he knew it would do no good for now. He stared down at his plate, mechanically stirring the remainders and thinking that his father and the Sannin had a lot more business and secrets in common than they showed.

Secrets.

Nothing but secrets. They were laughing and dancing around Naruto like shadows from a flaming candle, but there was no way he could get a grip on them. More and more secrets; so many that he felt he could drown in them.

Who was the shinobi with Orochimaru? Why did he want Sasuke? What was the Akatsuki and what did it have to do with him? Judging from their reactions, he knew it did somehow. Nothing made sense right now. The Kyuubi, who had always lied and tried to trick him, spoke the truth and his father, who always told him the truth was keeping secrets from him.

He wished he could remember what happened after Sai and Sasuke left…after he was consumed by the Kyuubi's chakra. But he couldn't. It was all a blank.

Jiraiya slapped Naruto's back and said with false cheerfulness, "It's time to meditate!"

His shoulders slumped a bit. He had been avoiding doing that the past few days. He didn't like the feelings of rage and hatred that lingered after every session with the demon. He especially didn't want to deal with them when he had just arrived home.

But mostly…he didn't want his loved ones to suffer because of anything he did or said afterwards as it had with Jiraiya. "We're supposed to meet with the Hokage in an hour to find out who is going to be our new sensei. Can't we do it later this evening?" he asked.

"Sorry gaki, but I'm leaving later today and we need to show the old man here what to do."

"Hey, I'm only twenty-six!" said Kakashi with a pout.

Naruto sighed to himself and pretended to fall for the distraction. He agreed with a straight face. "Yeah, he really is old, huh? His back goes out more than he does! After all, gray hair is another major sign of old age too, you know."

"How many times do I have to tell you it's silver," Kakashi protested, "And it's been that way since I was a born, gaki."

"See Pervy Sage, talk about getting old. My dad was getting dressed and a peeping tom looked in the window, took a look and pulled down the shade."

As Jiraiya and Naruto laughed, Kakashi said, "You two are not funny."

"Yes we are," they chorused. Naruto added, "Wow, people sure get grumpy in their elder years!"

~~O~~

As soon as Naruto delved deep into his mindscape, he could feel Kakashi's presence wrapping around him like a cloak. It was much stronger than when Jiraiya tried to do it. It helped him maintain a calm, serene attitude as he approached the bars of the bijū's prison.

The fox demon noted the boy's new confidence and self-assured attitude as he approached and it angered him. Everything about his jailer angered him; from his blonde hair and blue eyes that resembled the man that prevented his escape back into the world to the very blood that ran in his veins – blood that his previous jailer held.

He hated the boy.

More time was all he needed to weaken the seal and gain release from his prison. The boy had already begun the process by using his chakra. The Kyuubi stood up and stretched before giving a little growl to try and frighten the brat. It didn't work.

Naruto decided to try something different this time. He said nothing. He sat down in the water (it's not drool, it's not drool, it's not drool) and waited. Neither one said anything for a long time. The only sound was the steady drip-drip-dripping of water and the demon's harsh inhale and exhales. His patience didn't last, so finally he spoke first. Softly he asked, "Why do you blame me for keeping you prisoner? You have to know I can't let you out and hurt people." The fox refused to acknowledge him so Naruto continued, "If we could find a way to live together in peace and without all that hatred, we could be happy."

Still no response.

"Don't you want to be happy?"

Nothing.

Trying to prod a response out of him, Naruto stated, "I'm going to be Hokage someday with or without your help."

That got a response. The Kyuubi snarled and then pressed his face against the bars of the cage. "You'll never become the Hokage. You will remain an object of distrust and scorn in this accursed village until the day you die. You will be reviled, despised, and unloved."

"I don't believe that."

"You know it to be true, deep down inside you. You'll never become the Hokage," he repeated.

"I don't believe that!" shouted Naruto. "You'll say anything to get me to release you…anything. I will be Hokage someday and I will be the greatest one that ever lived. I will be the strongest shinobi in the village and I will protect everyone."

The fox suddenly grinned wide causing Naruto to feel suspicious. Something was going on… he could sense it around him. His chance was upon him in a stroke of luck. "You think you can protect everyone, do you? The power of the bijū is something that can protect people. You will witness the true might of a tailed beast very soon."

"What are you talking about now?" asked Naruto doubtfully.

"That sand genin who holds the Shukaku is about to run amuck. He will kill your precious villagers…your supposed friends…your useless life…"

Just before Naruto's eyes snapped open and he left the sewer in his mindscape, the fox's face broke out in a sly, smug and extremely self-satisfied look, which he didn't see. However, he heard the vicious laugh that echoed in his head. He realized the truth in the Kyuubi's statement. He could feel it now too. Gaara…Gaara was…he didn't know, didn't fully understand, but he knew something very bad was about to happen.

"Kuso…I've got to stop it…!"

Kakashi saw the panic in Naruto's face. He captured the boy's arm, pulled him back as he tried to run away, and quickly asked, "Slow down. What is it? Tell us what's wrong."

In a mindless panic, Naruto ripped his arm away and stuttered out, "Bijū… Must stop… Konoha destroyed…"

A rippling breeze was all that Kakashi's fingers could grasp at as Naruto disappeared. He pinned Jiraiya with a deadly look. "Kyuubi?"

"I don't know. He has never been affected like this before."

"We've got to find him."

~~O~~

He weaved through the villagers, who seemed to have nothing better to do than mill about and get in his way, and dodged the foreign dignitaries who were still in town, walking about with their enormous retinues. "I mean really – can't they even put their pants on by themselves?" he thought in irritation.

Naruto did bump into one person on accident. He threw an apology over his shoulder and ignored the cry of, "My cabbages!"

As Naruto continued his run through the crowded streets of Konoha with a determined glint in his eyes, he told himself not to panic. After all, the Kyuubi liked to mess with his head. It was probably nothing. The Kazekage wouldn't allow his own son to wreak havoc in Konoha…right?

…

…

Right…?

All the same, the bad feeling persisted and then it intensified. Naruto growled in frustration at all the people out and about. He darted up the side of a building and ran faster, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, instinctively knowing where to go.

~~O~~

Sakura, Heirī, and Shēn were finishing up their morning training with a run up HokageMountain. Sakura was still giddy from having found out that she'd made chunin. She had made it up to the top four in the finals, but didn't get any further when she came up against Gaara. Showing great foresight and maturity, she forfeited the match. She still couldn't believe it. Nothing could change her euphoric mood. Not even her irritable teammate Shēn. He was still going on and on about his loss to Gaara. The idiot nearly died and he was mad. She exchanged an amused glance with Heirī and continued her run.

Like a splash of icy water to the face, her great day was ruined as soon as she reached the summit. Gaara was there and worse yet, Shēn was right behind her. Not good. Not good at all.

Her teammate was the worst sort of ninja. He was a loudmouth braggart who liked to insult his enemies. Sakura and Heirī told him repeatedly that it would be the death of him or them. He should have listened to them…

As soon as Shēn spotted the Suna genin, he swaggered over to him and loudly and arrogantly proclaimed, "I would have beaten you if my sensei hadn't interfered. You're not so tough."

"Shēn, shut up," hissed Heirī.

"No, you shut up," he growled. His eyes narrowed in anger at being beaten by such a small kid. "This little twerp just got lucky is all."

"Shēn, you idiot, shut your damn mouth!" yelled Sakura. She put her teammate in a headlock and backed away slowly. "Do you have a death wish?" she hissed. Sand was thickly swirling around all three of them like a tornado. Why couldn't her idiot of a teammate see that this genin was dangerous? He had a murderous aura about him that was almost visible.

"Please," she pled, "Just ignore him. We'll be on our way and never bother you again. Our teammate is just…is just stupid. He's stupid. He…he got hit really hard in the head earlier."

Heirī nodded, "Yeah, a training accident. We need to take him to the hospital."

Gaara stared at them emotionlessly. "Mother wants his blood. I want his blood."

Shēn jerked Sakura's hand from his mouth and retorted, "I'm not afraid of a mama's boy."

"You will be…"

~~O~~

When Kakashi and Jiraiya heard the word bijū, they automatically assumed Naruto meant the Kyuubi. The copy-nin's thoughts were filled with recriminations against the toad sage. In that moment, he wanted to kill the man.

"How," he asked harshly as they ran, "How in Kami's name, did you think that making my boy communicate with that demon a good idea. How?!"

Without stopping, Jiraiya snapped back, "You need to stop thinking of him as a child, Kakashi. He is a genin now; a soldier of Konoha. You are his sensei now, not just his father. You need to accept that. And furthermore, it is a good idea. He needs to find a way to harness the bijū's power. It's imperative."

Kakashi's mind whirled as the implications sunk in. Although they had talked about the events at Waterfall in detail, most of their discussions had been focused on the Kyuubi and its harmful effects on the boy. Jiraiya hadn't been able to give much information about the Akatsuki. His grave demeanor meant he knew more than he let on and it angered him.

"Is it really that serious?" he asked calmly despite the hammering of his heart. He dearly wanted to throttle the man, but just wasn't the time.

Jiraiya gave a slight affirmative nod and then pointed up at the HokageMountain where a small speck of orange could be seen nearing the top. "There!" he yelled and ran faster.

~~O~~

Gaara wasn't anywhere to be seen - but the smell of blood was heavy in the air. Naruto scanned the grounds for the origins of the thick coppery scent. His eyes fells upon a pair of legs hidden in a bush. He ran over and pulled it back to discover a genin he vaguely remembered from the academy. Blood was pouring from a wound on his head. Naruto, fearing the worst, gave a relived sigh when he heard the boy groan.

He helped the teen sit up and then asked, "What happened?"

"I…I…was training…running up and down…mountain…with…with…" He lifted his confused gaze up to Naruto's and puckered his brow in thought. "I was with my teammates, Sakura and Shēn."

Naruto sucked in his breath. He knew at once who the teen was from Sakura's letters. "Where did they go, Heirī?" he asked anxiously. "What happened?"

Heirī took a deep breath and let it out slowly, getting his bearings, he replied, "Gaara was already here when we arrived. He told Shēn that he needed to finish what he started. Our sensei stopped their match when Gaara almost killed him."

"Sakura and I tried to hold him off so that Shēn could get away. He was…he was crazy." He gave a slight shiver and rubbed his arms before continuing, "A huge arm made from sand threw me against the tree and I guess I passed out."

The genin saw the torn look in Naruto's face as he look in the direction where the altercation occurred. He shakily got to his feet despite the blonde's protests and said, "Go… help Sakura. I'll get more help."

"And Naruto," added Heirī, surprising the boy, "Save Sakura."

Naruto's eyes lit with steely determination and he vowed in a strong, steady voice, "I will; I promise."

~~O~~

Sakura had never been so terrified before in her life as she jumped from tree to tree. She thought she had the advantage. This was her home; she knew the landscape better than any sand shinobi could ever hope to. She tried to return to the village, but a wall of sand would block her way every time she tried to head in that direction. That was when she realized the sand genin was merely toying with her.

She knew it was the ultimate in stupidity for her to insult Gaara like that, but she didn't know what else to do. Shēn had barely escaped down the mountain and Heirī was hurt. Gaara was approaching him with murderous intent. The thick, terrifying pressure froze her in place. Sakura knew he would kill her teammate and she wasn't about to let that happen.

"Hey mama's boy, with a face like yours, just how ugly is your mother?"

Oh Kami, why did she have to say that…?

~~O~~

He vowed to himself that he would protect Sakura at all costs. No way would he allow someone to die if he could prevent it.

He was very close now. Every hair on his body seemed to be electrified as he felt a fresh wave of powerful of chakra engulf him. It could only be Gaara. He heard a sound that brought his heart to a stuttering halt; Sakura's terrified screams. The sound suddenly cut off just as he forced his way through the bushes and into a small clearing in the forest.

Naruto gave a gasp of horror as his mind registered the scene. Part of Gaara's upper-body was covered in sand, lending him a gruesome appearance. A disfigured left arm had the pink-haired kunoichi's body pinned to a tree. It was squeezing her.

"Let her go!" bellowed Naruto while throwing a kunai.

Just like the fight with Shēn during the chunin exams, the sand rose up and formed a shield, protecting Gaara from harm. He turned his head and snarled when he spotted Naruto. "You! I remember you! This is your fault!"

The left side of Gaara's face had been transformed as well. He resembled the Tanuki now. Naruto felt fear trying to claw its way into his heart. He pushed it back, determined to save his friend. "How is this my fault Gaara?" he asked.

"It is because you have confused me; made me question things. I am not a monster, but I am a monster." He screamed out in pain and confusion as he warred with what were once his strongly held beliefs… beliefs that he wasn't sure he wanted to believe in any longer. "I must prove my existence! I am an outcast; the living embodiment of evil. Everyone knows this to be true."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Pffft… so what?! Everyone hates and fears you. I understand that, but that doesn't make it true. Besides, I've told you before; killing won't prove your existence. Please Gaara," he pleaded, "Let Sakura go. She hasn't done anything to you."

Gaara gripped his head and groaned loudly. "Shut up!" Gaara howled in sudden fury. "Shut up, shut up, shut up! Leave me alone!"

"I can't do that. You are hurting my friend. Let her go."

Gaara raised his head; his black-rimmed eyes stared straight into Naruto's. He mumbled, "No…I don't need to kill…" and in the same breath, "Mother demands her blood." He gripped his head in pain again and looked down, moaning.

"Mother? The bijū is not your mother. Don't listen to it. It only wants you to feel its hate. It wants to drive you insane. It cares nothing for you. It only knows hate."

"No…no…it…it loves me…" He snarled and without looking up, said, "Fear me, hate me, do what you know you want to do – deny my existence!" With each word, his voice became harsher and more guttural. He finally released his head and looked Naruto square in the face.

Gone were the placid, sombre green eyes. In their place sat yellow orbs with black pupils taking the shape of a four pointed star. They were more alien and sinister looking than anything he had ever seen before; more frightening even, than Orochimaru's snake-like countenance.

He tried one last plea, "There are other ways to prove your existence Gaara. Don't let the bijū control you. Fight it! Fight the demon!"

"No," he let out a laugh of pure insanity, "I'll fight you!" Gaara's face changed; becoming more beastly. He let out a roar of pure rage and insanity. He thrust himself at Naruto at a highly unexpected speed, boosted by his clawed hand.

Naruto deftly jumped out of the way and Gaara collided with a tree. The force uprooted it and sent it crashing to the ground with a thundering boom. "So be it," he said sadly, but resolutely. He wasn't entirely sure what he could do to defeat the Jinchuriki. Naruto cleared his mind and just decided to make it up as he went along.

…this, according to Jiraiya and Kakashi, was what he did best…

Gaara swiped at him again with his same incredible speed. He barely twisted out of the way in time to avoid being eviscerated by the sharp claw. He threw kunai after kunai, but the sandy skin was like steel armor. Nothing could pierce it. He leapt from tree branch to tree branch, weaving around the Jinchuriki in effort to confuse it.

Soon Gaara screamed out in rage, frustration and increasing bloodlust. Naruto couldn't help the fleeting thought that this could have been him if not for the bonds he had made. Another thought occurred to him: was this what Kakashi and Jiraiya were being secretive about? Did they think he could become like this – that the Kyuubi could do this to him too?

"No, concentrate Naruto!" he yelled at himself, "Get a grip! Don't allow yourself to become distracted now." He crossed his fingers, focused his chakra and yelled out confidently, "Shadow clone jutsu!"

He summoned shadow clones to attack and confuse the Jinchuriki while he crept closer to his back. They used the Rasengan to no effect. The used the water shark bullet jutsu, sending a large number of water sharks into the air. They rushed towards the Jinchuriki from above. Gaara simply used his massive arm to destroy them.

A memory popped into his head. Asuma reaching into his vest pocket and pulling out a pack of cigarettes, he puts one in his mouth and lights it up. Taking a deep draw, he lets out the smoke slowly and says "Not bad squirt, but it could be better. If you ever used that technique as it is now in battle, you would die."

Naruto made the practiced seals, took a deep breath and put his hands up to his mouth, and blew. A sharp stream of high velocity wind turned grey in an instant as it picked up dust particles along its path. They hit Gaara and sent him flying back into one of the few trees left standing in the surrounding area. The trees that had been ripped out of the ground flew through the air; their fracturing racket adding to the riotous howls of the wind style jutsu and the roar of anger from the crazed Suna genin.

Gaara shook himself like a beast and crouched low again, preparing to return the attack. Another demented laugh burst forth. His mouth, partially transformed, looked bizarre as he did so.

"I will kill you!" he yelled. The genin began to quiver and shake, and to Naruto's dismay, the earth beneath Naruto's feet began to tremble. Sand separated from the soil and converged upon the Jinchuriki, increasing his mass.

"Oh crap! And I thought he was creepy enough before…"

He also grew a single barbed tail of sand. Naruto groaned in frustration. Sakura was still pinned to the tree. He had to end this fight soon or she could get seriously hurt, but he knew that the fight between them had just become even more challenging.

So far none of his attacks had been all that successful…actually they had been complete failures. His strongest jutsu were wind based, but the Shukaku also had the same affinity – only stronger, so he had to think of something else. Fire beat wind, but he could barely even do a flame large enough to start a campfire. The water jutsu hadn't been all that effective.

But water could make the sand heavy. He could do several other water jutsu, like the shark bullet and vortex technique, but because he hadn't been near a water source, it hadn't been strong enough to do any damage. Naruto pictured the terrain in his mind and remembered a river that was nearby. If only he could lead Gaara to it…

Two shadow clones that had managed to survive so far were crouched on a branch not far from him. He called them down and instructed them to protect Sakura.

Gaara, leaped towards the blonde, his speed heightened even more since the increased transformation. Naruto tried to evade, but this time he wasn't fast enough. As he sailed through the air (and thankfully all the trees that could have impaled him had been destroyed), he made more shadow clones. They caught him and allowed him to land safely. He raced towards the river with Gaara in pursuit.

He didn't have much time at all. Naruto ran to the middle of the river. He frowned in concentration, the effort of mixing his chakra with the swiftly flowing water difficult. The whirlpool he created sucked at Gaara's feet, pulling him under. "Yeah! I did it…"

Disbelief crossed his face as the sand beast managed to extricate itself from the river. He dodged to hail of sand shuriken that was blasted in his direction and hid behind a tree while he tried to think up a new strategy.

Naruto tugged at his hair in frustration. He had no idea what to do in this sort of a situation. It's not as if anyone could exactly teach him what to do without another Jinchuriki on hand (provided they were even allowed to). He tried to think of the worst thing he could do to the other Jinchuriki...

"So stupid it might actually work…," he thought to himself. He created several more clones to divert the other Jinchuriki's attention and quickly moved. As soon as Naruto was finally able to position himself behind Gaara, he pulled out the biggest explosive tag he had and performed the Thousand Years of Pain jutsu. Pure dumb luck was on his side; he found the weakest spot in the sand armor. The explosion rocked the forest and injured Gaara.

It only served to make Gaara mad… and crazier… "That's it? Is that all you can do? You are weak. I will kill you, your little girlfriend, and then I will destroy your precious village!"

Naruto eye's hardened and he clenched his fists. "You still don't get it do you? You just don't understand what true strength is," he yelled in frustration. Images of his friends and family raced through his mind. As they stood a few feet from each other, Naruto couldn't help but see the pain and loneliness in Gaara's eyes and his anger melted away. He knew that look all too well. It was the look Sasuke had after his father died, it was the look Sai held when he knew he wasn't fitting in again, it was the look he himself had in private after a long hard day of putting up with other people's hatred.

"It's when you fight to protect someone who is precious to you," Naruto said in a quiet voice, and then, bolstered with his success with the previous jutsu; made the ram seal, summoning two thousand shadow clones. "That is when you truly become powerful. Let me show you…" They attacked all at once with a bombardment of wind-enhanced shurikens followed by a barrage of kicks and punches.

Gaara was hurt and dazed; something red poured from numerous cuts. He touched the sticky residue in curiosity. Blood… his blood…

"Aaaaaagh!" he screamed out in fright, pain, and confusion and then – anger.

The full power of his Shukaku transformation was unleashed.

~~O~~

Both men stopped running and recoiled when they felt an inhuman yet familiar pressure wash over them. It had been nearly thirteen years since they had felt it, but it was something that could never be forgotten. Memories of that terrible night flooded through Kakashi and he couldn't prevent the tremor in his hands. His face paled, his eyes widened with trepidation. "Kyuubi…" he whispered. He gathered himself, his expression hardening, "We cannot allow this to happen."

Jiraiya grabbed Kakashi by the arm to stop him from getting closer. "No," he said, "That is the killing intent of the Shukaku."

"I don't give it a shit if it's the killing intent of your mother; we need to go help my son. That thing could kill him."

"That 'thing' as you call it, is a Jinchuriki just like your son. Naruto knows what that boy is going through and can stop him."

"Are you kidding me?! Gaara will kill him."

"No…look…" Jiraiya pointed off into the distance above the trees.

"Can it be? Is that…?"

AN:

Thanks to everyone that has favorited/followed/commented on my story. Thanks also to my guest reviewers,Raiu of Kumo, Gamma89, stephanie, and unnamed guests (by the way, yes, it is a Phoenix).

I wanted to say that there is no invasion because Orochimaru did not leave the Akatsuki and found his own village in time. The sand wouldn't dare invade with the extra help. That being said... who's to say he wouldn't want to cause a bit of an incident with his Jinchuriki? That's my thinking anyways. I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter (writing canon stuff is kinda eh!).

Ja Ne

AZFAERYDUST