"Ugh. What happened?"

Yuri groaned as she sat up, rubbing her neck. Her eyes widen when she saw explosions happening all over the stadium and far off within the village. The Hidden Leaf Village was being attacked by Sand and Sound Ninjas. There were several Anbu Black Ops fighting them off. The area where the Third Hokage and Kazekage wore was being blocked off by a barrier. There were several Leaf Shinobi trying to break through it but had no luck. Yuri also saw that Sasuke and Gaara were nowhere to be seen, along with Temari and Kankuro and Shino.

Yuri quickly got up and quickly went upstairs to the upper floor of the stadium. The spectators were asleep as they were caught in a Genjutsu. Ino, Hinata, Kiba, Lee, and Choji were all asleep. Shikamaru was lying on the floor passed out as well. But, Naruto and Sakura were gone as well. Yuri saw her mom and Yukina asleep among the crowd as well. When she was about to run over to them, a kunai suddenly flew in her direction. Yuri threw one back, deflecting her attacker's weapon. A Sound and Sand Ninja stood in front of her.

"I see you managed to stay awake during our Genjutsu." The Sand shinobi smirked.

"Lucky me." Yuri deadpanned. "Get out of my way. I don't have time for both of you."

"You're going to wish you'd stayed asleep." The sound shinobi spoke. Just when the two of them were going lunge at Yuri to attack, a voice shouted.

"Dynamic Entry!" Gai was in the air and landed a kick into the Sound ninja, sending him crashing into the wall. Kakashi poofed in front of Yuri and took out the Sand Ninja with a punch to the stomach and a karate chop to the back of the shinobi's neck.

"Why are the Sand and Sound ninjas attacking!?" Yuri shouted.

"It was all an ambush to get to the Hokage." Yuri heard her father's voice spoke from behind her. Yuri turned and saw him walking over to her.

"Let me guess, Orochimaru's behind the sound ninjas attack and they probably teamed up with the Sand as well?" She pointed out. Gai's eyes widened a little in surprise.

"How did-"

"He attacked us during the second exam. But that's not important right now. Where's Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura?" Yuri asked Kakashi.

"They went after the two Sand ninjas who took Gaara with them." Kakashi told her.

"Where are they now?" Yuri asked. Kakashi pointed to where they had run off.

"Okay, I'll head in that direction and hopefully I'll find them." Yuri took off before either one of them could stop her.

"Let's focus on the fight, right now! I bet I can get more than you, Kakashi!" Gai smiled.

"Yeah. Yeah." Kakashi replied.

"I already got 32." Kisuke smirked. Kakashi and Gai's eye widen shock.

"We can't let him beat us!" Gai shouted.

Yuri hopped through the trees, while being on alert for any shinobi, searching around to find her teammates. Within the distance, Yuri saw Kankuro fighting against Shino.

"Hey, Shino! Where are the others!?" Yuri shouted.

"They went on ahead." Shino spoke.

"Okay, thanks!" Yuri shouted and quickly left, leaving Shino with Kankuro.

"You're not going anywhere!" Kankuro shouted and made his puppet lunge out at Yuri. Shino used his bugs to keep the pupper back.

"You're fighting me or have you forgotten?"

Yuri went ahead a little further until she heard a commotion up ahead. Then Yuri saw Temari trembling as she was hiding behind a tree, sitting on a branch, covering her ears.

"Temari!" Yuri called out and hopped down and walked over to her. "Why did you hit me!?" Temari didn't answer or even noticed Yuri when she inched closer to her.

"Where's Gaara?" Yuri asked her, concerned.

Then Yuri heard Gaara laughing manically a little further away and saw him fighting with Naruto. Gaara had transformed a little as some of his sand, covered half of his body. It formed two elongated arms with claws and a tail. On the right side of his head there was a pointed ear and his teeth had become razor sharp. Sasuke was lying on a tree branch, unable to move. His curse mark had been activated. Sakura was being pinned to a tree with by a large claw like hand, made from Gaara's sand. She was being slowly crushed to death.

"G-Gaara Is-He's out of control!" Temari shook her head. "He's going to kill all of if we don't get out of here!"

"Snap out of it! He's your brother, isn't he!?" Yuri shouted at her. Temari's eyes widened but said nothing.

"Is there any way to snap him out of it!?"

Temari still didn't answer her, still shivering in fear.

"I'm going to try and talk to him." Yuri spoke. Temari's eyes widened, and she tried to stop Yuri, but she had already left. Gaara smacked Naruto away from him as Naruto tried to throw a punch. Yuri landed down a little further away on the branch that Gaara was on. Naruto wiped his mouth, getting up.

"Yuri, run!" He shouted. Gaara slowly turned to her with a wide crazed grin.

"You come to fight me as well!?" He shouted. "I should've killed you the first time I saw you!"

Yuri held her hands up. "Gaara, I know that you're hurting. I can't even imagine what you've gone through." Gaara's eyes widened when he saw her slowly inching closer towards him.

"Stay back." He growled.

Yuri ignored him and continued, walking closer. "I wish that could've been there for you back then, but I couldn't. I'm so sorry. But I'm here for you now." She slowly began to reach out towards Gaara's face. "Please, stop this."

"Get away!" Gaara smacked Yuri away with his arm, hard, knocking the wind out of her chest.

"YURI!" Naruto quickly darted forward, grabbing her before she was slammed into the tree. Then he looked back at Gaara. "Why you!" He growled at Gaara, angrily, gritting his teeth. Naruto set Yuri down before he got up, Yuri quickly grabbed Naruto's arm.

"Naruto, please don't hurt him. He's not thinking clearly. You have to help him, please!" She cried.

Naruto's eyes widen. He had never seen her cry before, ever, since she came to the Leaf Village. Then he turned to Gaara, facing him.

"I plan on it. But not before I beat his ass." He spoke and stood up. Yuri saw Naruto lunging at Gaara before she passed out.

Naruto and Gaara fought each other before Gaara fell asleep and transformed into his full tailed beat form. A large raccoon, Shukaku. Naruto summoned Gamabunta and used Gamabunta to turn into the Nine-Tailed Fox, so he could grab onto Shukaku. Naruto quickly charged at Gaara and tried to land a punch to wake him up. The sand lashed out, grabbing Naruto so he couldn't reach Gaara. Naruto growled as he struggled against the sand, pushing closer toward Gaara.

"I-I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU!" Naruto roared and he slammed his head into Gaara's forehead, waking him up.

"No! I just got out!" Shukaku cried out before he slowly began to crumble away. Gaara and Naruto fell onto the trees and got up, narrowing their eyes at each other. The two of them panted, heavily, completely exhausted.

"One punch is all I've got." Naruto spoke. "And by the looks of it, you're at your limit as well. Let's make it count."

Naruto and Gaara both jumped, throwing their fists back. Naruto slammed his fist into Gaara's cheek, knocking him back. The two fell and crashed to the ground, both a few feet away from each other. Gaara couldn't move. He had completely used up all of his chakra and so did Naruto. Naruto, slowly, inch by inch began to crawl over towards Gaara.

"Why-Why are you protecting them?" Gaara asked.

"Why? Because they're my friends! Even if I have to kill you, I will protect them!" Naruto panted.

"S-Stay away!"

"It's almost unbearable, isn't it? That feeling of loneliness." Naruto spoke, crying a little.

Gaara's eyes widen a little in shock. An enemy of his, who he didn't even know, was crying for him.

"I know that feeling. I've been there. If it wasn't for them, I don't know what would have happened to me. They saved me from that loneliness. Yuri was the first to ever acknowledge me. She always talked about her old village before she moved here. She told me about you, her friend from the Sand Village. She always said something about a promise between you two, that you two made, but never told me what it was."

"S-She talked about me?" Gaara questioned, a little in shock and in disbelief. She didn't forget about him.

"She wouldn't shut up. It kind of got annoying, actually." Naruto spoke. "Maybe, I was just jealous because you got to meet her before me." Naruto panted.

"That's enough, Naruto." Sasuke said and jumped down in front of him. "Sakura's going to be fine."

"Really?" Naruto asked, smiling a little.

"The sand crumbled away. This guy used up all of his chakra." Sasuke spoke.

"That's good to hear." Naruto sighed in relief and passed out. Sasuke turned around and saw Temari and Kankuro jump down, landing in front of Gaara to protect him.

"Temari, Kankuro, stop. It's over." Gaara spoke.

Temari and Kankuro both turned back, looking at Gaara in shock to see him in such a beaten state. They have never seen him like this before.

"Alright." Kankuro said and walked over and picked Gaara up, by putting Gaara's arm over his shoulder, supporting him. The three jumped away and left.

As they, hopped through the forest, heading back to the Sand Village. Gaara remembered what Naruto words that he had told him. Love? Is that what makes him so strong? Protecting those that are precious to you. Perhaps, even I can be like him, someday...

"Temari. Kankuro..." He said, softly, catching his brother and sister's attention. "I'm sorry."

Temari and Kankuro's eyes widen in shock. Temari smiled.

"I-It's alright." Kankuro stammered.

As they continued, Gaara slowly reached into his pocket of his pants and pulled out a red familiar ribbon.

Now, he needed to apologize to someone else.