Chapter 327: Embroil
v. to throw into disorder or confusion
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Gaara's opponent was fast. He flited across the arena and drifted annoyingly out of Gaara's reach. Mother's yowls had only increased in rage as the fight progressed and the boy had slunk out of his attacks. Mother clamored loudly in his mind making Gaara flinch from the noise as he retreated further into himself and gave her more and more control of his body.
Gaara was forcefully returned to the forefront of his mind as the boy's fist connected with his face, throwing him to the ground. Gaara turned narrowed eyes to the boy, his suit of sand crumbling from the impact. His cheek throbbed and pulsed in pain, its sensation grounding, if only for a moment. With renewed vigor Mother was back, yanking back control of Gaara's aching limbs. Fear and defiance sent Gaara's consciousness scrambling for control, but Mother was too strong. She was beginning to churn their sand around them in a cocoon, carelessly building up power.
Gaara fought against Mother. For the first time Gaara sought a different approach to Mother's wailed commands. He did not want to use this jutsu. He did not want to fight like this. He did not want to obey Mother.
Chirping resonated throughout the arena. All eyes locked on Sasuke as he built chakra within his hand and blue sparks scattered in the air around him. The crowd held a collective breath as they watched the boy charge towards the shell of sand, blue lightning trailing in his wake.
As Sasuke's hand embedded into the sand the crowd gasped. Kankuro and Temari exchanged widened eyes as they desperately sought Baki's figure in the crowd. This would throw off their plans, and they anxiously wished that Baki was there to tell them what to do now.
"Blood? My Blood!" wailed a gravelly voice from the center of the sand cocoon.
"No!" exclaimed Temari, a protective ire stealing across her heart as Gaara's sobbing moan echoed in her ears.
"It can't be!" denied Kankuro, his teeth grinding together, while his heart hammered with an unidentified emotion that sluiced through his body. He was impossibly grateful that Kagome was far, far away from this arena.
Sasuke forcefully withdrew his arm, blood leaking down his arm. In a squelch of sand, the shell cracked and decayed, leaving a wounded Gaara in its place. His hand gripped his shoulder as blood gushed through his fingers.
Temari and Kankuro tightly gripped the railing as they watched the scene below, they nearly missed the start signal as civilians and ninja dropped off in the crowds above and chaos ensued. Summons materialized in the distance, ANBU agents exploded through the arena battling elite Leaf nin, and the Kazekage took off with the Hokage. Kankuro and Temari took a moment to exchange a glance before they bolted towards Gaara.
Baki was already waiting for them at the center of the arena, his body blocking Gaara from the proctor.
"Gaara?" whispered Temari as she watched Gaara drop to his knees, one hand gripping his hair the other buried in the wound on his shoulder.
"Baki? Wh-what do we do?" Kankuro asked, his voice breaking as he watched Gaara unravel beside them.
"Abort the mission, take Gaara and go," ordered Baki.
"What about the plan? And Ka-" questioned Kankuro as he dropped down to help prop Gaara up.
"I'll take care of it," barked Baki. A concerned scowl settling on Baki's face as he observed his team. Baki couldn't quite hide the relief that streaked across his face knowing that they had a legitimate reason to abandon this mission. "Now GO!"
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