Although it was still early in the morning, the room that Naruto stayed in was bustling with movement. Sakura and Sasuke were gathering their necessary weapons; Naruto however, sat on the edge of the bed, his sword and shield already strapped to his back. He knew that they would all have his back; however the first meeting with Gaara the night before had unnerved him. As Kankurou knocked on the door though, he squared back his shoulders, catching Sakura's attention. She gave an encouraging smile as he stood, cracking his neck.
"Ready to meet Shukaku," She asked. Naruto gave her a grin, though he could feel the fluttering intensify in his stomach.
"Ready as I'll ever be," He said, heading to the door. He opened it, greeting a somber looking Kankurou. Naruto nodded towards him; Kankurou turned, leading the quartet away from their comforts to where Shukaku lay. As they walked, Naruto looked out over the village that lay beneath the sand, watching as their lives began to unfold before his eyes. Mothers were doing laundry and beginning to cook, while various merchants were already beginning to peddle their wares in the streets. For a moment, Naruto felt a sense of homesickness wash over him, as these early morning activities reminded him of the ones that occurred back home.
"I hope they're alright…" He thought to himself; images of Iruka and Jiraiya flashed through his mind, and the thought of them suffering because of him left an imprint on his mind that he couldn't shake. However, as soon as the dark thoughts plagued his mind, Kakashi's hand moved to ruffle his hair, distracting him from his thoughts. He looked up at the mage, blinking in surprise; Kakashi gave a reassuring smile.
"They'll be alright," He said, "Jiraiya is incredibly talented in combat, and Iruka can certainly hold his own. Your village will be alright in your absence."
Naruto smiled, looking back out at the village. "I know…It's just…Well, what if Shukaku gets so mad, he goes after them," He asked, looking back at him.
"There are safety measures in place to ensure that he doesn't escape," Kakashi explained, "Besides, if Shukaku were to leave, this village would begin to crumble; not only that, but he would be a bigger target for Kaguya."
"So this whole village is dependent on him," Naruto asked; Kakashi nodded, looking out at the village.
"As you noticed, the village is hidden underground; yet, there is air flow from the outside," Kakashi stated, "That is Shukaku's doing. Despite what he may claim, the protection of this village is his primary duty; without the village, he would be much more vulnerable. So, he protects them from outsiders, and in return the villagers protect and revere him."
Naruto nodded in understanding, though he had trouble understanding how an entire village rested on one creature's powers. Kakashi ruffled his hair again as they reached large doors; Kankurou pulled them, revealing a grand staircase leading upwards.
"Don't worry, you'll understand it in time," Kakashi said as they began walking up the staircase. Naruto followed after them, thinking over Kakashi's words; he glanced up at the backs of Sasuke and Sakura as they walked both silent for once during the trip.
"Protection as a duty, huh," Naruto thought to himself as the light from the village grew dimmer as they traveled farther down the passageway. Torches on the walls were their only light through the winding staircase; illuminating carvings on the walls depicting what Naruto assumed were more pictures of Shukaku's powers. After what seemed like hours, they came upon another set of doors; Kankurou pushed them open, allowing light from the room ahead to filter in. The group blocked the light, eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness. As they lowered their hands, they saw Gaara standing at the entrance, arms folded across his chest. He surveyed the group, taking in their weapons; he suddenly turned his back on them, heading down a vast hallway towards a different chamber.
"Follow me," Gaara said, robes flowing behind him as he walked. As they exited the passageway to follow him, Naruto looked around the grand hallway that they stood in. Pillars made of stone lined the hallway, holding up a grand ceiling; at the end of the hallway stood a great door, large enough for what he assumed a dragon could be able to walk through. As they walked, their footsteps echoed throughout the hallway, making the space seem even larger than it already was. As they approached the door, Naruto tried to swallow the lump in his throat, wiping his palms on his clothes.
"It's now or never," He thought, staring determinedly at the door. Despite there being no visible handle, Gaara placed his hands on the door; closing his eyes, a sudden gust of wind blew from behind them, pushing the doors open. Dust rose from the ground as they creaked open slowly, revealing a spacious chamber before them. Gaara stepped in, the rest of them following cautiously behind him, watching in case they were being lead into a trap. As Naruto entered, Kankurou trailing behind him, a sudden gust of wind slammed the doors shut; Naruto turned and watched as Kankurou's wide eyes were the last thing he saw before the door closed. He pulled out his sword, his grip tight as he watched the room with wide eyes; Gaara stood calmly in the middle arms at his sides as he stared straight ahead.
"You brought them here," A voice roared in their minds; Naruto glanced over at Sasuke and Sakura, both looking equally as surprised as he felt. Gaara continued looking forward, his body still relaxed despite the dangers awaiting them.
"They are here to help," Gaara replied, "They mean us no harm."
A pair of yellow eyes glowed, watching their every movement. "That doesn't mean they won't bring us harm," The voice replied, "You should have never brought them here."
"They want to protect you from Kaguya," Gaara countered; a sudden gust of wind blew through the room as the large beige dragon pounced, his snout a few inches away from Gaara's face.
"I don't need their protection," Shukaku growled, glaring into Gaara's eyes. The dragon's head suddenly lifted away from his face, staring straight into Naruto's eyes; Naruto felt paralyzed as he met the dragon's gaze. Shukaku growled again, stalking away from Gaara towards Naruto.
"I especially don't need help," Shukaku began, "From little boys who are playing soldier. If they truly wish to help, they should leave and go face Kaguya alone. Leave us out of the equation, and kill her in her own lands."
"You know as well as anyone else that she's too powerful for them alone," Gaara replied, "She'd kill them in an instant."
"All the more reason to not ally ourselves with them," Shukaku shouted, facing him again. He circled Gaara, his wings close to his body as he glared at the mage. "I refuse to become a slave just because they're unable to protect us! And if you value your life, you'll agree with me."
"Kaguya is stronger than any of us," Gaara retorted, "Whether or not we value our lives won't matter when she comes for us; and you know that she will, no matter who we ally ourselves with. There is safety in numbers, and deciding to help them is the only way that we can survive."
"Enough," Shukaku snarled, his eyes zeroing on Naruto again, "I wish to hear the boy's side of the argument."
Naruto blinked, realizing that the dragon was addressing him. "M-Me," He choked out, cursing himself for not sounding more confident. Shukaku snorted, the puff of air almost knocking him off his feet.
"Yes, you," Shukaku replied, "Convince me. And if you cannot convince me, the consequences will be dire for you."
Naruto gulped, feeling all eyes on him as he approached Shukaku. His hand trembled on his sword, mind frantically searching for the right words to speak; he straightened his back, blue eyes staring straight into golden.
"We…" Naruto began; he faltered for a moment before taking another breath, "We wish for your help in defeating Kaguya."
"Why," Shukaku growled; Naruto was caught off guard, feeling the words he wanted to say slip away from his tongue again.
"Well…y-you see…" Naruto stammered, "If you don't ally with us, the world will be destroyed. And well, that would be pretty bad for everyone, s-so you should join us against Kaguya. That way, she can be defeated, and we can make the world a safer place for everyone to live in."
Shukaku stared at him; suddenly, a deep rumbling chuckle could be heard, slowly changing into boisterous laughter. Naruto blinked, confusion covering his features, forgetting his fears for a moment as the dragon laughed.
"Foolish child," Shukaku laughed, "Just the answer I was expecting from a child such as yourself."
"Now just wait a minute," Naruto began, but was suddenly cut off as Shukaku roared.
"Enough," He growled, "I've made my choice. Following a pathetic, uncertain little boy like you would mean certain death for everyone, no matter what your lineage may be. Leave my temple, or face my wrath."
Naruto watched as Shukaku turned away from him; a feeling of rage swelled up in him, causing him to tighten his old on his sword. Naruto growled, and with a mighty shout swung his sword, hitting the tip of Shukaku's tail; his eyes widened as Shukaku turned around, glaring at him.
"I…uh…" Naruto began, trying to find the right words. Shukaku suddenly roared, a gust of air slamming into Naruto so hard that he went flying. He vaguely heard a shout of his name as he flew across the room; before he could hit the opposite wall though, he was caught by a soft cushion of sand. He cracked open an eye, seeing Gaara's hand outstretched towards him, though his eyes never left Shukaku.
"You dare to attack me," Shukaku roared, glaring at Naruto, "I will destroy you and your pathetic comrades! Your bodies will lie in my desert for all eternity!"
"Good job Naruto," Sakura said sarcastically as Naruto landed on the ground. Naruto brushed himself off, looking over at her.
"Hey, it's not my fault I lost my temper," Naruto shouted, "He was laughing at me!"
"Well now he's doing a lot more than laughing," Sasuke said, drawing his bow and arrow; Sakura drew her axe, ready to assist in the fight. Shukaku roared as he saw the weapons, multiple blasts of air streaming from his mouth. Gaara raised his other hand, gesturing for the sand to form a wall protecting them; the air slammed into the sand, causing a shower of sand to rain down on them.
"A little help would be nice Kakashi," Gaara shouted as he waved his hand; the gathered together and shot towards Shukaku. Kakashi nodded, raising his staff; the moon glowed as electricity gathered around the head. He pointed it towards Shukaku, a lightning bolt shooting towards the dragon. Shukaku roared as a large gust of wind averted the lightning bolt, causing it to slam into a pillar. Shukaku turned his attention away from the pillar, only to be slammed to the ground by Gaara's sand; as he thrashed, it slowly began to cover him, his body blending in with the sand. Kakashi swirled his staff, causing a circle of fire to surround him as Shukaku's body continued to be covered. He slammed his staff down, causing the fire to spread towards Shukaku's body; it slowly encased the sand, causing it to emit a bright light as it glowed. After a while Kakashi swept his hand in the air, causing the fire to dissipate and leaving an encasement of glass surrounding Shukaku in its place. Naruto watched with wide eyes as Kakashi and Gaara looked at each other, both of them panting after the effort exerted.
"This…is the true power of a mage," Naruto thought. Suddenly, Gaara groaned; he fell to the ground, clutching at his head, eyes shut tightly. Naruto ran towards Gaara, ignoring the calls of Kakashi to stay back; he knelt beside him, shaking him by the shoulders.
"Oi, are you alright," Naruto shouted, looking at him concerned. Gaara looked up at him, his face scrunched in pain.
"Get…away," He breathed, staring at the ground. Naruto blinked, confusion flitting over his features.
"What are you," He was suddenly interrupted as Gaara roared; Naruto instantly felt himself being yanked back by his collar as sand suddenly rose up from the ground where he had previously stood. He looked up, noticing that Sasuke had been the one to pull him back; standing up, he watched as Gaara rose, a glazed look to his eyes.
"What's going on," Naruto asked, looking over at Sasuke. Sasuke nocked an arrow on his bow and let it fly; it was immediately blocked by Gaara's sand, causing him to let out a curse.
"He's possessed," Sasuke replied, nocking more arrows. Naruto watched as Kakashi shot a bolt of lightning towards Gaara; Gaara merely waved his hand, redirecting the bolt towards Kakashi. Kakashi suddenly raised a wall of earth from the ground, though he still stumbled back as the lightning bolt hit the earthen wall. A blur of pink and black moved out of the corner of Naruto's eye; Sakura charged towards Gaara, her axe raised as he was distracted. She raised it above her head and swung it towards him. Despite her speed, the axe got caught in sand; she watched with wide eyes as it began to creep up towards the axe. She growled, yanking it free of the sand as arrows came flying towards Gaara. Suddenly a gust of wind blew back the arrows and Sakura as the sand enclosed Gaara in a sphere. Sakura went skidding backwards, stumbling slightly as she reached Sasuke and Naruto.
"Is it your goal to get yourself killed first," Sasuke asked as he watched warily. Sakura grinned, pushing her helmet out of her eyes.
"Only if it's your goal to stand back and shoot arrows the whole time," Sakura replied; Sasuke merely smirked at her answer. Kakashi shot another jet of fire towards the sand; it encased it, creating another glass prison for Gaara, similar to the one that currently encased Shukaku. Naruto watched the entire thing with wide eyes as Kakashi leaned heavily on his staff.
"That should keep him at bay for a bit," Kakashi panted out, looking over at the other three. "Keep your guard up," He shouted out, catching their attention, "They could break out at any moment."
"Break out," Naruto asked, looking at the encasement of the two, "But they're totally immobilized!"
"If you think this can hold me, you've got another thing coming," Shukaku's voice shouted. Naruto whirled to face Shukaku, watching as the glass encasing Gaara was suddenly shattered; Gaara snapped his fingers, the glass encasing Shukaku shattering as well. Shukaku roared, a blast of air catching the falling shards in midair and shooting them towards the group. Naruto ducked behind his shield as Sasuke and Sakura dodged, though some of the shards cut their arms. Gaara waved his hand in a circular motion, the glass halting and following his movements. He directed it towards Kakashi, the shards raining down on his unprotected body, cutting every inch they could reach.
"Kakashi," Naruto shouted eyes wide in shock. He watched as Kakashi leaned heavily on his staff, knees hitting the ground as blood ran down his face. Gaara merely smirked, glancing over at Shukaku.
"I leave those three to you," He stated, "Whatever power you need, take it."
Shukaku's eyes gleamed sinisterly. "As you wish, Gaara," He replied, a claw swiping through the ground. Sand rose from the strike, and with a sudden burst of wind was heading towards them. Sakura grabbed Naruto and pulled him out of the way as Sasuke jumped to a different area. Naruto and Sakura skidded across the ground before finally settling farther away; Shukaku watched the sand, his eyes tracking its movements as it hovered.
"Highly defensive," Sakura muttered, standing up. Naruto followed her movements, his shield in one hand and sword in the other. He glanced over at her, watching as her brows were furrowed; she finally turned towards Naruto.
"You need to stay back," She said, getting into an offensive position; Naruto blinked, bewildered by her statement.
"I…what…Now wait just a second," Naruto began, but a glare from Sakura cut him off as she spoke.
"No, now you wait a second," She spat, "It was your rash behavior that got us into this mess, so now we need to get ourselves out of it. The last thing we need is you dying, so instead of focusing on Shukaku, why not just focus on staying alive?"
"But I can help," Naruto protested, raising his shield and sword. Sakura sighed, focusing her attention back on the battle.
"Just stay out of our way," She replied before charging back into the fray. He watched as she dodged sand coming at her from seemingly every direction; Sasuke was shooting arrows, trying to find weaknesses in Shukaku's armored body. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sakura approaching him, dodging another sand stream; her back pressed against his, she glanced over her shoulder at him.
"Get through the armor yet," Sakura asked, swinging her axe to deflect glass that came towards them. Sasuke shook his head, eyes focused on Shukaku.
"His scales are too thick to hit the skin beneath with arrows," Sasuke muttered, drawing his own sword, "And he can summon defenses too quickly for anyone to get through."
Sakura shoved him out of the way as a gust of wind flew past them; though he stumbled, he was able to stay on his feet, Sakura still watching his back. "Got any magic words to help us out?"
Sasuke smirked. "Only if you're willing to trust me."
"Not exactly like we have a lot of options here," Sakura replied, shrugging. Sasuke placed his hand on her arm; he concentrated his energy, working to funnel it into her. Sakura tensed slightly as she felt warmth spread throughout her as he spoke in his native tongue.
"Ama tyelka," Sasuke said, hand falling as he finished speaking. Sakura suddenly felt as if she were lighter; she glanced over at him, eyebrow raised.
"What did you do to me," Sakura asked. Sasuke looked back at her, his face mere inches away from hers.
"Gave you speed," He replied, "You go get some hits in, I'll keep him busy."
Sakura nodded, raising her axe and charging towards Shukaku. Shukaku roared as he noticed her increased speed, firing more wind and sand in her direction. She dodged them easily though, jumping high into the air and slamming her axe down into his back. Shukaku roared in pain, thrashing as she stood atop him, pulling the bloodied axe out of his skin. Shukaku raised his tail at her, yet as he swiped at her she was already off his back and onto the ground. She ran alongside him, her axe cutting through his limbs, causing him to fall to the ground as blood rushed from the wounds.
Gaara looked away, Kakashi lying at his feet, noticing that Shukaku was being injured. His eyes narrowed as he watched Sakura cut at him, pink hair flying with the speeds she was moving at. He raised his hand, sand rising with the movement; he gestured his hand in her direction, the sand moving towards her. Sakura went to swipe at his other leg when she was suddenly slammed back into the wall by the sand, the weight of it crushing out all the air in her lungs.
Sasuke cursed as he heard Naruto call out her name. He repeated the spell, feeling his own body get lighter; he drew his sword and rushed towards Gaara. Gaara looked over at him, a wall of sand rising just in time to block the sword from stabbing him in the chest. Sasuke grit his teeth, lifting the sword upwards and out of the sand, causing the wall to crumble. Gaara merely smirked, the sand reforming to attack him. Sasuke continually dodged and swung his sword, though Gaara continued to keep his defenses up.
Naruto watched, his hand tightening on his sword. "I have…I have to do something," Naruto thought, charging out from his hiding spot. Shukaku swung his tail in his direction, knocking Naruto flat on his back; Sasuke turned his head in his direction, giving Gaara enough time to encase him in sand, causing him to fall to the ground. Shukaku stared at Naruto, yellow eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
"What can you do," Shukaku taunted, "All your comrades have fallen. The mage will die of blood loss soon, and your friends will be crushed to death very shortly. As for your life, I will gladly let you watch them die before killing you slowly as well."
"I don't care what you do to me, just as long as you leave them alone," Naruto shouted, "Take it all out on me; I am the reason you're mad after all!"
"Then why send your comrades in to clean up your mess," Shukaku asked, his snout almost touching Naruto's forehead. "Why have them suffer when you should be the one in pain?"
"Because they're willing to die for me," Naruto replied, "And I….I was too afraid to tell them to step aside and let me fight. They wanted to protect me, and now it's my turn to protect them!"
"You speak as if there is friendship between you," Shukaku snorted, "Isn't it only their job to protect you? Should you really care if they die?"
"I don't care whether they see it as their job or not," Naruto shouted, rising to his feet, "To me, they're my precious friends, and friends don't let friends suffer alone! So now it's time for Naruto Uzumaki to be your next opponent!"
Shukaku stared at him; slowly, a deep chuckle rumbled through his throat. "Foolish boy…You'd die before you even lay a scratch on me," Shukaku replied, "How do you plan to fight someone far stronger than you without anyone else to save you?"
"I don't need anyone else to save me," Naruto retorted, "I may need some help, but I don't want anyone to risk their lives for me! I want to protect those that are precious to me, just like…" Naruto trailed off slightly, slowly staring up into his yellow eyes, "…Just like you…" He finished softly; Shukaku growled, eyes narrowing as he glared.
"I have no one precious to me," Shukaku snapped. Naruto shook his head, stepping closer to him Shukaku.
"No, you do, you just don't want to admit it," Naruto countered, "Why else would you protect this village? It's not because it's a duty or to have shields; it's because you actually like these people!"
"There is only one, and he has been dead for centuries," Shukaku roared. Naruto stood tall as air rushed past him, the wind ruffling his hair and clothes. Shukaku glowered at him as Naruto stayed standing, not at all cowering away from his wrath.
"Whether or not he's dead, you still protect the memory of him," Naruto replied, "And that's what matters most to you. So here is my new proposition to you: fight alongside us to protect his memory! Together we'll keep him alive by defeating Kaguya!"
Shukaku watched him warily; the sand encasing Sakura and Sasuke began to dissolve. "And if you fail?"
"If we never try, we can never succeed," Naruto retorted; Shukaku snorted, turning his back on Naruto. The doors to the chamber opened as Kankurou, Temari, and various healers surged into the room. Amidst the commotion as Kankurou and Temari talked to Gaara, Naruto could only hear Shukaku's final words.
"I will hold you to your promise, Naruto Uzumaki."
"Still can't believe all he needed was a talking to," Sakura muttered, arms crossed over her chest from her position in the bed. She was propped up, bandages covering her torso, the sand having cut into her body as it squeezed the life out of her.
"Well, at least nobody died today," Kakashi said cheerfully, his body bandaged up as well. Sasuke nodded, having escaped with a few scrapes and bruises, though the wound on his torso had opened up again. Naruto sat on the floor, vaguely listening in on the conversation as he thought back to the conversation he had had with Temari as they walked back to the village.
"So you connected with him, eh," Temari asked, nudging Naruto in the side. He glanced over at her, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
"I guess so," Naruto replied, "I dunno how I did it, but I apparently did it."
"Well, be proud of yourself," Temari stated, "Only one other person was able to do that, and that was the original mage, Bunpuku."
"Bunpuku," Naruto asked; Temari looked over at him, remembering that he wasn't familiar with Shukaku's history.
"Ah yes, Bunpuku," Temari began, "He was the first mage that came into control of Shukaku; with their combined power, they were able to create Suna. However, Bunpuku didn't become the mage because he could withstand mental attacks from Shukaku; rather, he became the mage because Shukaku had a preference to him."
"So that's who Shukaku was talking about," Naruto said, realization dawning on him. Temari nodded, a small smile on her face.
"Yes," She replied, "And as you can tell, Bunpuku had great power over Shukaku. He was the one who convinced Shukaku to create the village, and we believe it's his memory that truly keeps Shukaku from doing anything harmful to us. While it's really just legend now, it's believed that the two had a friendship, with both of them willing to die for the other. Once Bunpuku died, it was said that that was when Shukaku became the dragon that he is today, isolating us from the rest of the world."
"But, since you connected with him…Well, perhaps there is still hope for the dragon yet," Temari said, laughing slightly as she walked besides him.
Naruto looked out the window, watching as the village bustled about below them. He could hear Kakashi mutter something, causing Sakura to screech her annoyance at him, while Sasuke muttered under his breath about annoying dwarves. A gentle breeze blew into the room, ruffling Naruto's hair; a small smile came across his lips as he closed his eyes.
"Perhaps there is hope for us all," Naruto thought to himself.
Ama tyelka: Agility
A/N: Blergh. I knew what I wanted, and I think it vaguely came out to what I wanted it to be like. I got distracted by the new AU cover. (SAVE A HORSE, RIDE A COWBOY YA'LL) I also got distracted by RWBY volume 2. (JUSTICE WILL BE DELICIOUS) Suggestions on how to make things better are appreciated as always.