Author's Notes: First of all... I am truly, truly sorry about the lack of updates over the past month but I'm sad to inform you all that this is how things are going to be for a while. Finals are coming up and I just can't find the time to write anymore! It is frustrating and yet helpful. I'll elaborate. Over the past month, the following chapter has been reviewed and corrected so many times I've lost count and I truly think that this was the best draft. By having more time I write better stuff but by posting too fast, I think the quality suffers. Now I don't know if you agree with me on that but I think it's true. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

PS: If you have friends, go buy Destiny and make them get it too. It's super fun!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

The crowd was silent. Every eye was focused on the arena. Normally they'd be cheering and shouting yet they simply stared in silence ever since the previous match ended.

"The crowd is awefully silent, Hokage-dono." The 'Kazekage' told Sarutobi.

"Well, I'm sure they're still shocked."

"What was his name again... Naruto Uzumaki?" he asked.

Hiruzen nodded. "Yes. Naruto sure is a surprising one eh? Even if it gives me more paperwork and trouble with the council, I still need to have a talk with that boy." Hiruzen finished smiling.

The 'Kazekage' smirked under his mask.

"If you live to see another day... sensei."

XXXXXXXX

"The next match is Sasuke Uchiha vs Gaara. Will the two contestants get down here?" Genma called.

Sasuke smirked and used a sunshin to teleport himself to the arena. Gaara just stood there and watched.

Genma turned to look at him. "Gaara get down here." he called again.

Sasuke's smirk widened and he called too. "What is it? Are you scared?"

Gaara still didn't move an inch and his face remained impassive.

"If you are you can just stay up there and forfeit. I wouldn't care less..." Sasuke said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Gaara then licked his lips in a bloodthirsty manner and grinned meanecingly. He then sunshined to the arena in a swirl of wind and sand.

"Come."

XXXXXXXX

"Sasuke, you better make this quick..." Naruto thought to himself as he gripped the railing harder. Everyone simply stared at him in silence a safe distance away. Shino and Shikamaru were acting like Naruto hadn't just told them an S – Ranked secret, something that bothered Naruto a little.

"I'll have to be more careful of what I say from now on..."

Kankuro turned to look at Temari and whispered to her.

"Have you ever seen Gaara like that before?"

She shook her head. "No. Not ever since... that day."

Kankuro gulped and turned to look at Gaara again.

"Please Gaara, stick to the plan..."

XXXXXXXX

Gaara eyed Sasuke with a grin on his face as he chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.

Gaara chuckled once more and grinned cockily.

"You will help me prove my existance..."

Genma raised an eyebrow at this but shook his head.

"Begin!" he called out as he jumped back.

Gaara instantly summoned a wave of sand from his gourd and attempted to swipe at Sasuke only for him to jump back.

"So this is the sand Older Me warned me about..." Sasuke thought as he reached for his katana.

Gaara eyed the weapon in Sasuke's hands wearily as his sand swirled around him like a vortex, protecting him.

Sasuke observed Gaara for a moment before jumping back and weaving a few hand-signs.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke shot the fireball at Gaara but his opponent just stood there unfazed by the sheer size and power behind the attack. He made a swiping motion with his hand and more sand shielded him from the blast, bits and pieces of glass falling to the ground.

"Fire Style won't do me any good here... I'll have to be faster, find a way through that defense of his..." Sasuke thought, reaching into his kunai pouch. With swiftness and precision, he aimed the kunai straight for Gaara's head, hoping he would be fast enough to block.

He was. The kunai lodged itself on a wave of sand that formed a hand. The Sand Hand grabbed the kunai and with it's strength, it threw the kunai back at Sasuke.

Sasuke grinned. This was the moment he'd been waiting for.

With a perfectly-timed sunshin, Sasuke appeared behind Gaara in a swirl of leaves and aimed for a kick at the red-haired ninja's head. Gaara's automatic defense however, blocked the strike just in time.

Sasuke spun in mid-air and landed on his feet in-front of Gaara. He threw a punch only for it to be blocked again. With his other hand, Sasuke attempted to grab Gaara's shirt. The sand grabbed his fist and enclosed itself around it, trapping him in place.

"Perfect!" Sasuke smirked.

"Chidori Stream!"

XXXXXXXX

Kakashi stood up and stared at Sasuke the moment he saw the lightning and that, unique, chirping sound. It couldn't be... no. Kakashi never taught Sasuke the Chidori!

"I was planning on teaching it to him but..."

"Kakashi! You taught a genin an A- Ranked assassination technique? Are you out of your mind?!" Guy shouted at Kakashi.

Kakashi ignored him and simply stared as Sasuke's entire body eminated an aura of electricity that shocked Gaara's sand and disturbed the chakra flowing through it, making it useless.

"Kakashi!"

Said Copy Ninja snapped out of his trance and turned to look at Guy with wide, questioning eyes.

"I didn't teach it to him." he said simply.

"What?! What do you mean?" Guy asked again.

"I-I was going to but he refused to train with me for the month..."

Sasuke's Chidori Stream increased in range and shocked Gaara's body, Sand armor already useless, Gaara fell on his back with a thud.

"Heh, Got him." Sasuke grinned. He walked towards Gaara's unmoving form and just as he leaned closer to inspect the damage, Gaara's eyes snapped open.

"Wha-What the..." Sasuke jumped back and out of reflex, unseathed his katana.

Gaara slowly stood up and raised his head to look at Sasuke with a glare that could scare even the most battle-hardened shinobi.

"I did not like that very much. Did you, Mother?" Gaara asked.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow as he observed Gaara carefully.

"Yes, yes. I'm sorry. I fed you nasty blood last time but now..." Gaara chuckled. "...Now, it will be delicious! I promise you Mother!"

And with that Gaara summoned more sand from his gourd and it swirled all around him, forming somekind of sphere.

"So, he's formed some kind of shield to protect himself from any attack. And by the looks of it, it seems like it's packed tight making it really hard... I wonder..." Sasuke raised his katana.

"How will you block this?"

The blade of the katana glowed blue as electricity surged through it. Sasuke lunged forward at full speed and his Sharingan activated.

Inside the Sand Sphere, Gaara chanted in a low voice as the Third Eye formed outside of the shield, giving him a perfect view of his opponent.

XXXXXXXX

"There's no doubt about it... It's that jutsu! Gaara's forgotten all about the plan!" Temari thought as sweat dropped from her forehead. She turned to look at Kankuro. He looked worried too.

Naruto glanced at them for a moment, observing their moves.

"So it's almost time..."

"Damn... Once he's like this there's nothing that can be done. Does Gaara want to ruin the plan?" Temari asked.

Kankuro stared at the arena with a frightened expression. "S-Should we run away?"

Shino and Shikamaru glanced at their direction, wondering what kind of 'plan' they were talking about. Naruto let go of the railing and went to find Kakashi.

XXXXXXXX

Sasuke charged at the sphere fast, dodging spikes shot from the shell of the sphere. He guessed that eye above it was giving away his location. He shook his head. It didn't matter.

"It's over!"

He jumped in the air to dodge one final projectile. Spinning in mid-air, he thrusted his hands forward and with a wordless battle-cry, he plunged the sword deep through the Sand Sphere.

The cold metal laced with lightning, cut through the sand like a hot knife in butter, the electricity running through it, rendering it useless. The blade plunged deep, and Gaara suddenly felt a numbing sensation at his shoulder. Then pain.

He turned to look at the shoulder wound and saw...

"Huh... what's this warm stuff? Mother... what's..."

"..."

"BLOOOOOD! IT'S MY BLOOD!"

Sasuke removed the katana from the sand and seathed it but when that scream was heard throughout the arena...

"Crap..."

He jumped back and waited for Gaara to come out. He'd finish this...

The sphere cracked and suddenly, a big, clawed, cream colored hand with black markings shot out of the shell and swiped at Sasuke with it's extended range.

Sasuke barely managed to duck out of the way and avoid the strike before.

"What is this?" he asked with wide-eyes.

The sand fell and revealed the form of Gaara clutching his bloody shoulder with his other hand.

XXXXXXXX

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called.

Kakashi turned to look at his student with what Naruto guessed was a frown.

"Do you know what Sasuke did right now?"

Naruto sweat-dropped and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"I-I uh..."

"Or better yet, do you know how long he's been able to perform that jutsu?"

"Look that's not important! Have you noticed the ANBU hiding all around the arena?" Naruto changed the subject.

"Yeah... what's wrong?"

"Keep an eye on them and the first moment you feel something's wrong, do the first thing on your mind. If you think, it'll be too late."

"Naruto what are you talking about?" Kakashi asked again, clearly confused.

Just then, feathers seemed to fall from the sky all around the stadium. Naruto, instantly formed a hand-sign and focused on disturbing his chakra flow.

"Kai!"

"Kakashi, this is..." Guy called.

"Yeah, Genjutsu!" Kakashi answered and they both dispelled it with ease.

Sakura also noticed the genjutsu and dispelled it.

"Wha-What's going on?" she asked turning to look at Kakashi.

Naruto gulped and took off without saying a word.

"Sasuke and I didn't say anything about this to Sakura... Damn you Sasuke!" Naruto thought as he landed in the middle of the arena, between Sasuke and Gaara.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called.

Sasuke nodded as he raised his hand and lightning formed on his fingertips.

"Chidori Sharp Spear!"

The lightning spear shot out of Sasuke's hand and headed straight for the dome of sand. He made a swiping motion and he sliced the top of the dome effortlessly.

Gaara looked up from his wounded shoulder when the previously dark space was filled with sun light.

"RASENGAN!"

Naruto formed a Rasengan and jumped through the top of the dome. He thrusted his hand out and nailed Gaara in the stomach as the ground beneath him shook from the force of the blow. The sand fell and revealed Naruto raising Gaara from his shirt.

"I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

And then he was gone in a flash of yellow light.

Sasuke smirked and headed towards the field just outside the Leaf.

"Naruto's already there by now... Too bad I can't teleport though..."

Baki sunshined to the arena and stood against Genma, leveling him with a hard glare. Kankuro and Temari jumped down to his side.

"What are we supposed to do now?! Gaara's gone!" Kankuro shouted to Baki.

Baki looked at him and stayed silent for a moment before looking up.

"Abort the mission."

"What!?" Temari and Kankuro shouted in disbelief.

"You guys retreat and try to find Gaara. I'll stay, join the battle." Baki informed.

"But..." Temari tried to protest but Kankuro put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Temari nodded.

"Alright let's go."

XXXXXXXX

Naruto teleported to the open field and dropped Gaara down on the grass. He got up and snickered.

"It seems like you'll entertain me, Uzumaki."

Naruto remained impassive.

"What's wrong?" Gaara inquired. "Aren't you even a little excited?"

Naruto simply reached for a pair of marked kunai and entered a battle stance.

Gaara frowned.

"From what I can tell, you're just like me. How are you not interested even in the least about..."

"That's not it." Naruto cut him off.

"Oh? So you say that you do live for the perfect fight, the perfect kill?"

"No, that's not it either." he said again.

"Then why? People like us are born to live and fight only for ourelves! Surely you understand that much..." Gaara said.

"If I were to say that I've never felt the same way then I'd be lying." Naruto answered solemnly.

"So what is it?"

"I was alone... for a lot of time. Maybe, just maybe I could have changed something earlier... then I wouldn't have to be so lonely." Naruto looked down.

"But what you're doing is spreading your hatred. Shouldn't you be helping people so that the tragedy that happened to you never happens again?" Naruto asked.

Gaara chukled.

"You see there's the diffirance between us. I fight and live ONLY FOR MYSELF!"

I hope you liked the chapter :)

As always...

Andrew... out!