Hey, everyone. I hope things are going well for you. The next chapter's finally ready. I hope you enjoy it.

CenturionEon: No, Fuu doesn't have feelings for Sasuke. She just sees him as a friend and she's worried because Gaara's extremely dangerous and will go out of his way to kill him. As for why she didn't warn him, well, that'll be explained in this chapter. I will say part of it is having to explain how she knows what she does, when she's promised not to reveal herself as a Jinchuriki, and her IDing him when even jonin couldn't be suspicious.

Guest: No, Naruto does not know about Chomei, nor does Fuu know about Kurama. I don't think the Biju could sense each other unless their seals have been loosened or their activities using the Biju's powers. Chomei and Kurama IDed Gaara from the sand, although Kurama didn't design to tell Naruto.

amavgupta: Well, as I'm sure you can see Sasuke has undergone some very different character development after what happened in Wave and hearing about his mother. They're genuinely friends here. And Naruto's already learned more than his canon counterpart did by Shippuden... and isn't that sad?

Madara said that, but he was wrong. He didn't know about the reincarnation thing, so Asura and Indra's chakras didn't factor into his theories. If he were any other Uchiha or used the DNA of any other Senju or Uzumaki, it wouldn't have worked.

I'm aware. I don't know why Sakura was allowed to graduate in canon, but as I'm sure you've seen the events in Wave and realizing her weakness and faults convinced her to get it in gear. Putting in the work and going through some good old Training from Hell worked wonders.

Yeah, I think aiming to be a legendary ninja like the Sannin would be enough, but it's Naruto's dream. At least he's more serious about it here and considering what he'd need to be an effective Hokage. As for Political skills... in canon, he probably gets by being one of the world's saviors and having friends among all the other nation's leadership. Also, a reminder: this story is mostly ignoring Boruto. There's one thing I'm taking from the Gaiden manga, and some of the advancements on the academy criteria introduced there because they seem like common sense. That's it.

I'm aware, but I don't think the basic chakra of a Jinchuriki and the power of their Biju would be a direct correlation.

Isn't that what I said? Bee was affected by the genjutsu, then Gyuuki broke it for him and he blindsided Sasuke. If this is about Fuu breaking the Sharingan genjutsu... read the chapter.

For the last point, I misspoke and apologize for giving the wrong impression. I'm aware that just having a fully evolved Sharingan is not sufficient to control or suppress a Biju. You need a level of raw power and talent, as well as mastery over the Sharingan. Sasuke obviously had trained it sufficiently during the time skip. When I said he was bad at genjutsu, I left out that I meant compared to Itachi to emphasize he hadn't reached the pinnacle but could still at least suppress them with the basic Sharingan. Because the person I was responding to believed the Mangekyo was necessary to affect them at all.

ValentineSokol: I agree. Seeing small changes make ripples is one of my favorite angles.

I think Naruto's done well with the chains given that there's no one to teach him how to use them. All he's got to go on is some stories about what Kushina could do, with no idea how she did them.

Edit: Thanks Darkbladerx666 for pointing out that typo.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Sakura's entire body ached. More so than any time she could remember. That was the first thing she became aware of as she began to stir.

With a quiet groan, she cracked open her eyes. Then, she hissed in pain as light-filled her gaze. She pinched her eyes shut, gave them a second, then opened them again.

A white-tiled ceiling with long, thin lights? Where had she-?

The match!

Sakura bolted upright as she realized where she was and how she must have gotten there.

Had... had she lost? She must have if she was in the infirmary. She gripped the sheets that had been covering her with trembling fists.

Had all of her hard work amounted to nothing in the end?

"Ah, you're awake," A familiar voice said nearby. Sakura turned to see Lee sitting in the bed beside hers.

"Lee?" She blinked as the green-clad genin smiled at her. "You're here too?"

"Ha, I knew you'd spring back. As expected of my rival's student." She turned to see Gai with a cup of water. "Hey, there! Doing alright? I hope Lee didn't hurt you too much."

"I'm fine. A little sore," Sakura replied. Well, more than a little...

Lee chuckled sheepishly before letting his head fall back onto the pillow. "I overdid it with those last moves. I couldn't stand up, so the match ended in a draw."

"O- oh," Sakura replied numbly. A draw? Well, that wasn't so bad... Then her head shot up before she turned and reached into her pouch. "Hang on, let me get you the antidote!"

"Don't worry about that," Gai told her. "Kakashi already gave it to me."

Ah. Yeah, that made sense. Sakura relaxed, then noticed that Lee was doing better than she thought. "Did the medics do anything besides put you in the bed?" She asked. They couldn't have known what poison they were dealing with, but he seemed better.

Surprisingly to her, he nodded. "They used water to draw most of the poison out, but they said there were still trace amounts in my blood. That was when Gai-sensei arrived."

Sakura blinked. More and more, she was looking forward to learning how to use Medical Jutsu. A silence fell over them before Lee broke it. "Sakura, I'm sorry," She made a hum of confusion and looked at him. "That last technique is not something I'd planned on using on you. And-"

"Don't worry about it," She cut him off. "We both agreed to go all out, didn't we? Besides, you could say the same thing about me using poison." Sure, it wasn't lethal, but there was always the risk of an allergic reaction.

It was probably because of that promise he made. Sakura didn't understand why he'd wanted to go out with her so badly. She knew all about love at first sight; that's how she felt about Sasuke. But she was no one special.

"Not like I had many other options," Sakura admitted. "I knew I had no chance against you head-on."

She may have had a chance if her genjutsu could do more than project false sounds and images. She wasn't good enough to conceal herself yet. Still, that was enough to cover her senbon.

"That was some incredible speed back there. I've never seen anyone move like that aside from our sensei."

"Thanks! It's the result of years of hard work and effort!" Lee said. She looked at him to see him staring at the bed, his brow deeply furrowed. "But, why didn't you keep using that hardening jutsu? My taijutsu was useful against it."

"... I couldn't," Sakura admitted, drawing his attention. "I... how much has Tenten told you about me?"

"Only that you've been working hard to improve yourself for the sake of your team." Lee raised a fist to her. "It is an admirable goal, Sakura!"

Sakura smiled faintly before her head fell. She stared down at the sheets. "Well, that wasn't always the case," She began. "I didn't use to take being a ninja seriously... at all. The type who was more interested in boys than training..." She looked away. "It took a near disaster for me to realize how stupid I'd been. How my team could have gotten killed because I was the weak link," She said as her hands tightened in her lap. "I decided to change. To make up for holding them back the way I had. I wanted them to be able to rely on me next time. But, I had a lot of lost time to catch up on. My stamina's miles beyond what it was, but..." She quiets down.

"You know, Neji's been withdrawn since his match with Naruto. Though I can't tell if that's a good thing or bad yet," Lee began, drawing her attention. "He always insisted that people don't change, no matter what. A loser will always be a loser." He then smiled at her. "I hope you and Naruto showed him how wrong he is." She looked up at him, and he gave her a thumbs up. "Neither of us got as far as we wanted, but we'll work hard and do better next time! Right, Sakura?"

Sakura smiled. "Right," She laid back, "My parents have said things like that. I need to focus on growing and learn from any setbacks or mistakes I make."

"That is a core tenet of Gai-sensei's teachings! Never give up, push yourself beyond your limits, and if you fail, strive to do better next time!"

Sakura laughed. She then looked at the ceiling. "So, Lee. What are you trying to prove? You seem plenty strong to me."

Lee nodded. "I like to think I am. All thanks to Gai-sensei's teachings." He said with a grateful glance at his sensei. Then he closed his eyes. "As for what I want to prove. I want to show everyone I can be a great ninja."

"Heh, kinda like Naruto."

"Yes, I recall he, too, was dead last." Lee looked out the window, and Sakura sat up when she saw the determined expression he wore. "Everyone always told me I should give up. The other students laughed at me. The teachers thought I was a lost cause. No one believed in me before Gai-sensei."

Sakura blinked and frowned. "Why not?" She knew Naruto floundered so badly; his chakra. At least, that was part of it. So, what held Lee back?

"I cannot use ninjutsu or genjutsu," He admitted.

Sakura's brain short-circuited. "... What?"

Lee turned to look at her. "I have a deficiency in my chakra network. I cannot mold my chakra in a way that lets me use ninjutsu or genjutsu." His gaze then turned back to the window. "All I can use is taijutsu, and I had no talent in the art. Even in that, I was the last in my class."

Again, what? That was possible!? She'd never heard of anything like that!

"I can see you're surprised," Gai said before cupping his chin. "Yep, you get a few cases like this from time to time. Usually, they drop out of the academy when it comes to light."

"To be a ninja was my dream. I refused to let my deficiency stop me, so I focused on taijutsu. And, after years of hard work, I've made it here. To the Final round of the chunin exams when so many others failed! And I'll keep going! I won't stop until I prove I can be a great ninja, even without ninjutsu or genjutsu!"

Sakura's jaw had dropped. She could hardly believe it. So many roads were closed to him, but he'd come so far.

She smiled. "For the record, you've proved it to me." He looked surprised. "Jutsu or no, I wouldn't have had a chance without my poison. You're a stronger ninja than a lot of people I know."

Lee gave her a bright smile. Gai was about to say something, but they were interrupted by a loud boom. Both turned their heads towards the noise.

"... That didn't come from the arena," Sakura noted, frowning deeply as a sense of dread grew within her.

"No, it didn't..."

Naruto had begun to feel drowsy all of a sudden. Strange, given how focused he was on the match. It wasn't like him to suddenly get so tired. And... huh? Why were feathers falling from the sky?

Wait a minute!

'Genjutsu, it's gotta be!' He had a bit of experience with this. Kakashi had wanted to get that particular base covered, and Sakura and Sasuke frequently used them on him during their training. He formed a hand seal as his sensei taught him. 'Release!'

And just like that, the feathers and the drowsiness were gone. The blond looked over to see Fuu rousing Giichi, who hadn't been able to get out of it himself. Everyone else had managed it, though.

"What the hell!?" Naruto yelled as a burst of smoke enveloped the Kage's booth.

"Lord Hokage!" Hinata cried nearby.

Then, the sounds of battle filled the arena. He could see figures fighting throughout the stands. They were the only ones moving. All others were still as the fighting raged out around them.

"What's happening?!" Fuu asked as her eyes ran over the crowd. It was then that Giichi grabbed her shoulder. "Wha-?"

"Konoha's under attack!" Giichi said as he began to run, dragging her along. "We have to go. Now!"

"But-!" Fuu replied before the sand genin jumped into the arena, taking Gaara's sides. Their sensei jumped between them, standing between them and the proctor. Then, the three genin took off while their teacher fought the jonin.

"What-? Aren't Suna our allies?" Naruto asked in shock as the proctor fought the Suna Jonin.

"Well, at least we know who's attacking us," Shikamaru said grimly.

It was then then that two figures burst from the cloud. It was gramps and the Kazekage, who held a kunai to the Hokage's neck. "Gramps!"

"Come on!" Giichi yelled as he dragged Fuu away. Naruto's head rapidly turned back and forth between them and the arena.

A darkly amused chuckle rumbled through his mind, "Using a unifying event as a cover for an attack. How very like shinobi..."

The fox...

His eyes returned to the arena as Sasuke took off after the Suna genin.

But Naruto had no time to dwell on that with everyone else going on.

"So, what are you going to do, brat?"

'Isn't it obvious!? Whatever Sasuke's gotten himself into, I'm not letting him go alone!' He gritted his teeth as the fox chuckled. He then turned to the two left in the booth. "Hinata, Shikamaru! I'm going after Sasuke. So who's with me!?"

"You can't be serious!" Shikamaru said with wide eyes.

Naruto jabbed his thumb at the arena. "Hey, you're the smart guy here. The proctor must have sent Sasuke after them for a reason, right?" He could see he was getting through to him. The Nara frowned, and his jaw clenched. "What's that tell you?"

"..." He clicked his teeth. "All right, you've made your point."

"U- um..." Hinata looked away. "M- my little sister and some of my family are in the stands." She then faced him with a look that said she wanted to give him another answer. "If you go, it'll be three on three, right?"

Naruto frowned. He understood, but what about Shikamaru? Weren't Ino and Choji in the stands? What if he...? "Probably a good call," Shikamaru noted, putting a hand to his chin. "They'd make high profile targets. I shouldn't have to worry about Ino and Choji. Our clans don't have nearly the same reputation."

Naruto let out a breath in relief. "Thanks and good luck, Hinata," He said to the blue-haired girl, who nodded. "Let's go! Sasuke's already got a head start on us!"

The path they took was still open, luckily. And in short order, the two were over the edge of the arena and in hot pursuit.

'You have no idea what you're getting into,' The fox chuckled.

Naruto clicked his tongue, in no mood for the fox's taunts. 'I know exactly what's going on here!' Then he frowned. 'Gaara's a Jinchuriki too, isn't he?'

He honestly didn't know how to feel about that. Gaara had likely had a life similar to his. Maybe worse. He could only imagine what Gaara had been through to turn out the way he had.

'Oh, there's more to it than that...' The fox answered.

'Enlighten me, then.'

'Gaara's power over sand is born of the power of Shukaku. But you'd know him better as the Ichibi,' The fox said, though there was a hint of something dark when he said those last words. 'He's the weakest of us, but he still has enough power to destroy that village in a single attack.'

'So, what? He's around my age. Even if he's trained all his life, how much of that power could he use?' Naruto thought back.

'Therein lies the problem,' The Kyuubi answered. 'As you know, a body as young as yours can't handle the whole of my power. Even if you'd trained all your life, you could only call upon a small fraction of it.' The fox began.

'I know that,' Naruto replied.

'That would be the case with any of my brethren. Shukaku, though, is unique,' The Kyuubi replied. 'His chakra incarnates into the sand, putting far less strain on his host's body. I've no doubt Gaara can use all of Shukaku's power.'

Naruto's eyes widened, and his blood ran cold. 'Well, he'd have to let him take control for that, but Shukaku has another unique power that lets him do just that. He alone among us has the power to take control of his Jinchuriki whenever he sleeps.' He chuckled. 'I can't imagine that did Gaara's mental state any favors.'

If Gaara unleashed all of his Biju's power while Konoha was under attack...

'Now perhaps you have a better grasp of the situation.'

Naruto clenched his fist. His best bet would be to get Kakashi. 'But he's back there fighting. I might not even be able to make it to him...'

Shikamaru frowned behind him. "Got something on your mind?"

"Just thought I should get word to Kakashi-sensei," Naruto replied before making a cross-shaped hand seal. Three shadow clones burst into existence and immediately took off towards the arena. "Now come on! Let's pick up the pace!"

It wasn't long after that the clones got destroyed. But the surprise was that it had been at the hands of Oto ninja.

Naruto's stiffened. His eyes went wide, then narrowed as he clicked his tongue.

"Something wrong?" Shikamaru asked.

"Oto ninja, hot on our tail!" Naruto answered.

Shikamaru looked shocked, then cursed. "So, this is what Orochimaru had planned..." He closed his eyes for a second before turning his gaze on Naruto. "Naruto, can you use your clones to lead them on a wild goose chase?"

"Can do," The blond smirked. "And they can set up some surprises for these guys."

"That'll buy us some time, but they'll catch on to our trail eventually. Orochimaru probably made sure they were familiar with the terrain. We'll have to think of something."

Shibuki gritted his teeth as he deflected a kunai with a blade made of water before leaping toward his enemy, sword held overhead.

The Oto ninja blocked as he brought his Water Slicing Blade down, then his eyes widened as he let out a grunt of pain. He looked down to see the chief of Taki had conjured another blade in his free hand and buried it in his chest.

Shibuki kicked his now dead enemy towards another Oto ninja, the blade dissolving as he flew, the blue water mingled with red. Two more rushed by as Shibuki made a hand seal. The water that once formed his sword morphed into a water clone.

One Oto ninja turned to block a freshly formed sword from the clone and was thus left open as Shibuki shot forward with a body flicker. He swept the enemy ninja's leg from under him, leaving him wide open. The clone raised its sword in a reverse grip and stabbed him through the heart.

The ninja turned to face him as the clone attacked. Shibuki ducked down as he saw one of his guards draw a shuriken.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He yelled as he let the blade fly and ran through hand seals. The ninja star multiplied into a wall of blades, sailing above the heads of the unconscious people in the stands. Held in place by the clone, the Oto ninja could only look on in terror as the wave of pointy death approached.

As their foe fell, Shibuki turned and scanned the crowd.

"Lord Shibuki, we need to get you to safety!" One of his guards said as he took his side.

Shibuki growled under his breath. "And leave an ally to fend for themselves? That's as good as asking Konoha to turn us away if we ever need help." He looked at the Konoha ninja. "They've been our ally for decades, and they've lent us a lot of aid over the years as our village deteriorated. Doing what we can to protect their people is the least we can do."

Then he stopped cold, his face a mask of shock as he stared at the top of the tallest building and the barrier that the Hokage and Kazekage were locked within.

Or, they'd thought it was the Kazekage.

His subordinates turned and looked on in shock. "Wait, that's-!?"

"Orochimaru," He growled. So he was behind this: Konoha's most infamous rogue ninja. The former student of the Third Hokage.

It was well known that his former teammate Jiraiya had been pursuing him for years. Had they known he was in the area? Had they known something like this could happen?

Either way, it didn't change their current situation or that there were lives at stake. But if they had, and hadn't seen fit to warn him, he could use it to add weight to the requests he'd intended to make before he returned to Taki.

Shibuki would help an ally anyway if he could, but Taki's growth and well-being was his first priority.

But there was another concern; one Fuu had brought to his attention. 'I hope you're safe, Fuu...' His eyes scanned the crowd and landed on the famed Copy Ninja.

The jonin faced down several Oto ninja, led by an imposter ANBU. Neither side made a move at the moment.

Good.

"Kegon, Yuichi, cover me!" As his bodyguards took his side, he closed his eyes and placed one hand on the ground.

Kakashi's single visible eye glared at the Oto ninja only a dozen yards away, tense, prepared for the slightest sign of attack.

He couldn't use his Sharingan. Not now. He couldn't afford to waste the chakra. Besides, their standards were lacking. But then, he was aware that the Suna ninja likely made up the bulk of their forces, and they were elsewhere.

They just needed to keep them all pinned here. Unable to help protect the rest of the village or help the Hokage.

His eyes scanned the crowd. He could see Asuma and Kurenai fighting side by side. Kurenai trapped their foes in genjutsu, making them easy pickings for Asuma's combat knives. The Hyuuga had managed to escape. Hiashi probably intended to rally the clan after getting his daughters to safety.

All around the arena ninjas were clashing, dancing around the unconscious crowd. Several ANBU stood at the barrier where Lord Third faced his wayward student.

He could only hope their contingencies paid off.

'Kakashi Hatake!' A voice rang out in his head, and his eyes widened. 'Try not to be alarmed. I'm Shibuki, the chief of Takigakure. I'm speaking to you through a jutsu I know called Wave Transmission. Don't try to send me any thoughts, it's a one-way technique.'

His eyes scanned the crowd, noticing the younger Taki ninja crouched down with his eyes closed and protected by his guards. He was careful not to let his eyes linger there.

'Listen, two of your students went in pursuit of Gaara, yes? Well, I've received information concerning him. He's Sunagakure's Jinchuriki.' The Copy ninja had to fight to keep the shock from showing on his face. 'I'm sure you suspect the same as I on what they brought him here for.'

They'd intended to unleash his Biju within the village while they were under attack.

'We're pinned down, as are you. And I don't know who might be able to reach Gaara in time. You know your village's shinobi better than I do. Try to get word to someone.'

Kakashi immediately had someone in mind. Now, just one problem.

The Copy Ninja drew a kunai, raking it across his palm before letting it fly at his foes in one motion. One of them deflected the knife as they began to attack, but it had done its job. He pulled out a summoning scroll, ran his blood-soaked palm along with it, and then slammed it onto the ground.

He immediately vanished in a cloud of smoke. The Oto ninja stopped as their honed senses detected the sound of cracking stone. They leaped back as Kakashi's ninja hounds burst from the ground, barking and growling at their assailants.

All of which covered Kakashi as he kneeled down and spoke to a small pug in the smoke. "Pakkun. I need you to get word to Asuma and Kurenai."

Hinata ran through the halls of the stadium, her Byakugan blazing as she took in her surroundings in ways only those of her clan could. The pale-eyed girl's gaze swept the halls and found them empty. No sign of chakra in front of her or in her visual range. Most of the attackers who'd snuck into the village with the spectators seemed to be fighting outside.

She was sure her father would order that the clan regroup at their compound before beginning to counterattack. She needed to make sure her sister was safe, and after that, her father would know best what she could do to help. The only other person she could turn to was Kurenai-sensei, and she was in the thick of the fighting.

She didn't want to fight. Even if the academy had trained them to be ready to kill, that didn't make it easier to think about. But these people would kill her, her clan, and everyone in the village if they could.

She'd looked for her teammate's chakras before she left. Kiba was asleep in the stands. She could count on him being ignored until the battle was over. She hoped he would be ok.

Shino had vanished. She assumed he had similar ideas to her or an idea of where he could help. The only other thing she could think of, besides helping with Gaara, would be to scout things out for the civilians.

She exited the arena and quickly used Body Flicker, keeping to the ground and alleyways. It was strange to see the village so empty. There wasn't a soul on the streets, the only noise being leaves on the wind and the distant sound of battle. It was disquieting to see her home this way.

She didn't see any chakra signatures. Anywhere.

Were the civilians already being evacuated? Had... had their leaders somehow known something like this could happen?

She froze as she caught sight of the village wall. Were those giant snakes tearing through the wall!?

She shook her head. She couldn't do anything about that right now. Better to focus on her family and what she could help with.

She quickly caught up to her clan, appearing beside her father. The man was carrying Hanabi in his arms. He frowned as he turned to her. "Hinata? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure Hanabi was safe," Hinata replied. Then, after fighting with herself for a moment, she met her father's eyes. "And afterward, where should I go to help?"

Her father stared at her hard for a few moments before he closed his eyes and responded. "From what I saw, your fighting skill is equivalent to a chunin. You'll be fighting alongside some of our number who have achieved jonin rank." He looked at her again. "Don't slow them down."

"I won't," she answered.

Ninja retreated from the wall as the massive, three-headed snake tore down the barricade.

Many ninjas retreated, preparing for a counterattack as others peppered the snakes with fireballs to no avail. Suna and Oto ninja began to enter the village through the walls, while others followed behind the snake.

This was a mistake.

"Summoning: Bring Down the House Jutsu!" Before the snakes nor the ninja beneath it could react, a giant aquamarine toad, bearing two massive swords held to its back with an orange sash, came down on them from above. It landed with enough force to make the ground shake.

On top of its head stood Jiraiya, his arms crossed as he surveyed the situation from his vantage point. He and the old man had discussed what Orochimaru might be planning, but this was much worse than he'd anticipated.

How'd he managed to secure Suna's aid without him knowing it?

Didn't matter. Jiraiya could look into how that slipped the net later. For now, he had to focus on the task at hand.

No sounds of panic. A glance back showed only empty streets. Good. The civilians were all on their way to shelter. And that meant their ninja was preparing to strike back.

Many ninjas had likely died on the wall to buy them this time.

Well, he might as well lead the charge.

Jiraiya smirked. He could tell from the faces of the enemy ninja on the buildings below that they'd recognized him.

The snakes pulled back, escaping from under the toad. They eyed it warily.

'I hope the old man's ok...' Jiraiya thought with a frown, briefly glancing at the arena. 'If our hunch was right, then he's fighting Orochimaru right now. And where's the Kazekage in all this? If he has to face both of them...' He then huffed and chuckled. 'Just like him to tell me to see that the civilians were safe before helping him.'

The white-haired man threw an open palm at his enemies and posed dramatically. "All right, you little sprouts! Take a good look! For the crime of shattering the peace of Konoha, I, the Gallant Jiraiya, will deliver your punishment!" He then smirked. "I hope you're prepared."

'Hold on, old man,' They'd prepared for the worst, but still. 'Don't go dying on us...'

'What do I do?' Fuu asked herself, more than a bit overwhelmed by all that was happening. All she could do was let Giichi lead her as the thought.

It was no surprise, really. How was Fuu supposed to react when the first time she ever left Taki landed her in the middle of the invasion of an allied village?

She'd never even been on a real mission before!

She couldn't imagine why Suna had betrayed Konoha, but there it was. There were lots of ninjas out there. Lives were at stake. But, she knew already she wouldn't stand much chance against a jonin.

Where did she go? Was there anything she could do to help? What would Shibuki tell her?

Her brother was probably out there, fighting on behalf of their allies right now. But if he saw her, what would he say? He'd probably tell her to go hide. He was always protective of her. A bit overly so, if she was honest. Plus, she knew how bad it might be if anyone found out the truth about her.

But...

Gaara was a Jinchuriki.

Chomei's warnings about him ran through her head.

The more she thought about it, the more she was sure she knew why Suna had waited until his match to invade.

Gaara had been meant to unleash his Biju inside the village.

It would make sense then that he hadn't hesitated to try to use his Biju's power during the match. She'd thought that he'd want to keep something like that secret. It wouldn't exactly be smart to reveal yourself as your village's secret weapon for something like this. That was part of why she'd hesitated to warn Sasuke.

That and having to explain just how she knew that. No matter how she might have played it off, that came dangerously close to breaking her promise.

If Gaara used Shukaku's full power, he could destroy all of Konoha. Lives were on the line.

She frowned, a strangled noise coming out of her throat. Shibuki's included. And Naruto...

Fuu was sure he'd have followed Sasuke. Two of her friends, well, one and a sorta-maybe friend, were going off to face him with no idea what they were up against.

How could she stand aside when their lives, and so many others, were at stake?

Her eyes hardened. 'There's no way I could do that!'

She broke free from Giichi's grip and ran. The other Taki genin turned, shocked still as she took off down the halls. It took him a moment to snap out of it and chase after her.

"Huh? Fuu? Where are you going?" Her temporary teammate asked as he trailed behind her.

"I'm going after Gaara," She said.

"What?! Are you out of your mind!? You saw-"

"He's a Jinchuriki!" Fuu cut him off, drawing him up short. "You know what could happen if we let him use his power."

"All the more reason we need to get out of here! Shibuki told you-!"

"Shibuki's probably out there right now!" Fuu replied, turning to glare at him. "How can I stand aside and do nothing when everyone's out there fighting!" She turned her gaze ahead, looking for any room with a window facing the direction they'd gone in.

"Besides, if Gaara goes Biju, more than just ninja are gonna die." Fuu looked ahead in determination. "That ain't happening. Not on my watch!"

"But if Gaara's a Jinchuriki then-"

"If we're lucky, Shibuki managed to get the word out, and someone will handle him. If not... it might come down to me to stop him."

"Fuu-!" He began when she made a sharp turn.

She found what she was looking for.

Fuu ran into an empty room and opened the window as Giichi reached for her.

The green-haired girl leaped outside, insect wings growing from her lower back as she took to the air. They moved so fast they became a blur and she flew off, keeping low.

She vanished into the trees before Giichi could do anything.

Naruto grimaced as he looked over his shoulder as he and Shikamaru leaped from tree to tree. The lazy Nara picked up on this immediately and threw him a concerned look.

"Something up?"

"Our tail just sprung my trap," Naruto replied, his brow furrowed as he turned ahead.

Shikamaru frowned in confusion. "How do you know that?"

"My clones. I get their memories when they're destroyed."

Shikamaru blinked. "Huh. That's useful." Then he frowned. "I take it from that look that it's bad news."

Naruto clicked his tongue. "We've got nine guys on our tail. My clones led them into a barrier of explosive tags when the ninth one showed up and got them out. The rest of my clones are fighting, and they set up seals all over the area, but..."

"It's not looking good," Shikamaru guessed.

Naruto shook his head. "These guys have to be jonin. My clones are throwing everything they've got at them, but it's only slowing them down."

"So they'll be back on our trail before long," Shikamaru replied, closing his eyes.

"They led them pretty far out from where we were going. That should buy us some time." Naruto said as leaves rustled and trees sped by.

"Yeah, but not much," Shikamaru replied with a sigh. "They probably won't fall for your clones trying to lead them off track again, either." He closed his eyes. "If worse comes to worst... you might have to go on without me."

Naruto turned back to him with wide eyes. "What!?" What the hell was he thinking!? He couldn't take nine jonin by himself! "What the hell, Shikamaru!? You better not be thinking what I think you are."

"With their skill, clones alone won't cut it," Shikamaru replied. "But if I can find an opening and trap them with my Shadow Possession Jutsu, I might be able to hold them down long enough for them to take them out."

Naruto glared at the Lazy Nara. He couldn't lie: he was drawing a blank here. But, if Shikamaru did this, there was a good chance he wouldn't come back.

He knew that was a possibility, of course. What went down in the Land of Waves taught him that. But he wasn't about to take a risk like that if there was another option! "And what if they dodge it!? They must have seen your match; they know about that jutsu!"

"Hey, I'm the one who's taking the risk here. I didn't come here planning to throw my life away, but it might be our only shot." Shikamaru replied. "Besides, your clones will have my back. And if I learned anything back in the Forest; it's that you're surprisingly reliable."

Naruto just blinked. He gritted his teeth, feeling powerless... and then his eyes widened as a memory hit. He grinned widely. "Well, well, looks like we're in the clear!"

Shikamaru frowned, looking confused. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean? Don't leave me hanging here."

Naruto glanced back. "Asuma and Kurenai showed up. And it looks like they've got things in the bag."

Shikamaru's brow shot up before he breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that's a load off our shoulders. Now we just need to worry about Gaara."

Ah, right. There was still that. "Yeah..."

Shikamaru frowned but didn't say anymore. Naruto was thankful for that; he had no idea how he'd explain what he knew about Gaara if Shikamaru had asked. Not without talking about himself since he was the only one their age who knew about Jinchuriki.

Shikamaru would wonder how he knew that. And his match with Temari proved he was a lot smarter than Naruto gave him credit for.

He looked ahead, his mind wandering to the other Jinchuriki. His eyes trailed down as he wondered how similar their experiences were. How much worse did Gaara have it to have turned him into that? Or did he just break under the isolation and the scorn?

At that thought, Naruto's mind went to everyone who'd been there for him. Those closest to him. The old man, Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke, Iruka, Teuchi, Ayame, and Fuu. All their lives and so many more were depending on this.

His eyes hardened as he looked ahead. He wouldn't let them down.

Fuu looked on with determination written on her features as she flew through the trees, weaving between the branches. Far away from the sounds of battle, with only the noise of the rapid beating of her wings filling her ears, she thought about what was ahead.

Gaara was... well, saying he was the most dangerous opponent she'd ever fought wouldn't mean much, considering how few real fights she'd been in. They'd trained her intensely, put her through more spars where her opponents didn't hold back than she could count, but that wasn't the same. Gaara had more experience in real fights, that was for sure.

Not to mention that he could use all of his Biju's power. She wasn't sure what she could do if they didn't take him down quickly enough.

But she had to do this. Shibuki, her new friends, and so many lives were at stake here.

'I won't let Gaara kill them. We won't,' She thought. 'Right, Chomei?'

She closed her eyes, and her awareness turned inward. When her eyes opened, she was inside her mindscape. The sky above was dark and empty, yet there was enough light to see. Shallow waters as far as she could see, even as high up as her vantage point was.

For Fuu was sitting on an enormous insect. It was mostly covered in a blue, armor-like exoskeleton. The being stood upright on a flat protrusion at the end of its abdomen, six orange wings growing out of it with a single whip-like green tail. All you could see in its eyes was an orange glow from within its horned, helmet-like skull. Its mouth was full of sharp teeth, framed by a pair of pincers. It also has spike protrusions on its shoulders and a row of slits on each shoulder, and six legs — three on each side, the blue gradually giving way to green near their ends.

Chomei: known by most as the Nanabi, the Seven-Tailed Horned Beetle. The Biju that was sealed inside of Fuu.

Fuu sat on a forked horn growing out of its back. She looked down to meet its eyes as the Biju turned its head to look at her. "I might have to rely on you, just a little bit."

"I'm here for you, Fuu, always," Chomei replied, his face contorting into the beetle's version of a smile before it disappeared, replaced with seriousness. "But this might be a tough one, even for ones as lucky as us."

"I know," Fuu replied, mirroring his demeanor. Her eyes were hard with determination. "It'll be rough, and if Gaara goes full Biju... he could take out the whole village, and who's to say he'd stop there? But there's gonna be Suna ninja there too. Would he really take out his own people?"

Chomei grimaced. "If Shukaku's calling the shots, no one's gonna be safe."

"Is he really that bad?"

"Kid, you got no idea."

"Then we got to stop them before it's too late," Fuu said determinedly.

"You know what that might mean though, don't you?" Chomei asked. "Are we really going to go all out?"

Fuu grit her teeth at that reminder. "There won't be much choice if this goes too far."

"Even if it means breaking your word to Shibuki?"

Fuu was silent for a few moments, part of her rebelling against the idea. She didn't want a break a promise to her brother, to betray his trust. And she knew it might cause him problems.

But...

Fuu clenched her fist, the conflict leaving her face. "If keeping my word means letting people die, I'd break it a thousand times. I won't just stand by when I can do something."

There was another moment of silence before Chomei responded, a tone of approval in his voice. "That's why I like you, kid; you and I think exactly alike. Whatever you decide, I'm with you."

"I know." Fuu opened her eyes, her awareness returning to reality as she sped forward.

Chomei would sense it the moment Gaara woke up and began drawing on Shukaku's power. She aimed to be as close as possible when that time came.

Sasuke sensed his quarry up ahead and vanished in a burst of speed. He reappeared in front of them, smirking from his spot on a branch above them.

They were pretty quick, and they'd gotten a head start, but it had only been a matter of time with Gaara unconscious.

"Damn it," Temari cursed.

"I'm not letting you get away."

So ends another chapter.

You know, looking back, why did Shikamaru sacrifice himself to stall the Oto ninja when they could have just had Naruto's clones lead them on a wild goose chase? Shikamaru managed to lead them off the path, and Naruto's guile in combat is one of his advantages, plus he's a prankster. Tricking people is kinda one of his things. Drama and character development, I suppose.

Is anyone surprised Chomei and Fuu are friends? It's kinda my headcanon.

I had noticed something curious. IIRC, Minato had said it was impressive that Killer Bee could use partial transformation when they fought in the war and Killer Bee was a grown man. So, it strikes me as odd that Fuu can use partial transformation to grow Chomei's wings. I had initially assumed her ability to do that was the result of them being under Obito's control. While she could do that in the Ultimate Ninja games, I assumed this was just the designer's taking liberties so they didn't have to create separate movesets and animations for her living and Edo Tensei versions. That's why she can't do that in Legends of Two Jinchuriki.

Then I saw the anime and found out that she actually could do it when she was alive.

If it's something the other Jinchuriki can do, so it can't be an innate ability she has like Gaara's sand or her own Scale Powder, and it's impressive for a grown man who's a known prodigy from a major village to do it, how did a teenager from a minor village pull it off? Moreover, from what I remember the other Jinchuriki aren't shown using partial transformation when alive, either in the anime arcs where we saw them, or in games, further implying it's normally a high-level ability she shouldn't have been able to use.

That, what little we saw of Chomei's personality, and how when they were talking about how they'd treated their Biju, Fuu didn't confirm or deny it, gave me the headcanon that they were actually friends, and Chomei's active aid allowed her a level of control and capability she shouldn't have had at her age. So, yeah, for reasons that will be revealed later that have more to do with him than her, we have a good! Chomei in this fic.

I tried to work in hints. Fuu mentioned way back when she was introduced that she had two friends before Naruto. She counts Shibuki among them, but also stated no one else in Taki wants her around aside from her adoptive father, who is deceased. He immediately warned her upon realizing Gaara was a Jinchuriki. And while I didn't say it for the sake of secrecy, yes, he broke Sasuke's genjutsu for her, as Gyuuki does for Bee.

Now, that's not to say she can use his power with impunity. As I recall, when Naruto first partnered with Kurama, he could only use that full power for five minutes. I think that was thrown out the window because it was the final battle and all(or the penultimate one, given Naruto vs Sasuke). It isn't here. Fuu still needs to train to access Chomei's power for longer periods of time, and the more power she uses, the less time she can use it. Also, as she currently just turned 13, her body can only handle so much of Chomei's power. I'll reveal her limits in the upcoming fight, but suffice to say she can't use all the tails in the Version 1 cloak yet, never mind Version 2.

Things have gone a bit different. As Shino didn't make it to the finals, he wasn't able to tag anyone with a beetle, so he'll be with his clan right now, doing what he can to help. I'll have to give him a chance to shine later. Hinata's resolved to protect her sister and do what she can for the village. Jiraiya actually meeting with Hiruzen has resulted in him getting involved in the battle earlier, which is why Ibiki wasn't there. Also, he and Hiruzen set up contingencies in case the worst should happen, and Konoha finds itself without a Hokage.

Anyway, please review.