Naruto watched the next fight intently. After the odd forfeit between Kankuro and Shino, which struck him as strange, he found himself puzzled. Why give up before even trying to fight? Kankuro had won his prelim so easily, and it wasn't like he was helping a fellow Suna ninja. It made no sense. He looked fine when he said it, which made Naruto feel a bit wary.
Now, Naruto was watching the mental back-and-forth between Temari and Shikamaru. As he watched, he could tell that both of them were really smart. He was kind of glad he didn't have to fight either of them. Could he win? Yeah, he was sure he could figure something out, but they would be hard to defeat because they were so smart and tactical. He cheered for his fellow Konohagakure ninja loudly and was impressed by the final move. It seemed like Shikamaru had the fight in hand when he suddenly just gave up.
Naruto blinked, surprised that Shikamaru didn't fight to the end. But it wasn't as surprising as the fight before. He could understand that this was just Shikamaru being Shikamaru. While he shook his head at the outcome, he let out a sigh and then looked at Shikamaru when he came back to the waiting area.
"Shikamaru-san, why did you give up? I thought you had her. I mean, you even captured her with your shadow possession jutsu," Naruto asked, vexed by the fact that Shikamaru didn't keep fighting and gave up in the middle of the match.
Shikamaru shrugged, hands in his pockets, and let out a long sigh. "Troublesome... I figured out that even if I captured her, I didn't have enough chakra left to finish the fight. I'd just end up getting beaten up, and honestly, it's too much of a drag to go through all that."
He looked up at the clouds lazily. "Besides, I already showed what I can do. Winning wasn't really the point for me. I proved my skills, and that's good enough. No point in wasting energy on something that won't change anything." He gave Naruto a half-smile. "It's just how I do things, you know?"
"Yeah, I know. I just was hoping you would win," Naruto said, letting out a sigh. He hoped Shikamaru would have won, but he knew Shikamaru was right. He wasn't mad at him, knowing he showed how smart he was. Naruto looked ahead, "Next is Sasuke-kun. I bet he and Kakashi show up at the last moment in some really flashy way," he commented as he glanced at Shikamaru.
Normally, he would be annoyed by Sasuke getting the spotlight and showing him up, but after his fight, he felt fine. He just wanted Sasuke to do well and hoped he had trained well. Naruto didn't feel the need to constantly compare himself to Sasuke as much now. His training helped him realize he should focus more on his own improvement rather than comparing himself to Sasuke. Guy-sensei had been great at showing him that.
Naruto's eyes widened as he saw Kakashi and then the dramatic entrance of Sasuke into the ring. It was showy and a bit over the top, commanding attention. Watching on, Naruto could tell Kakashi cared a lot about Sasuke and his training. For a moment, he wondered if he was best suited for Team Seven or if he would be better working under Guy from then on.
"Sasuke-kun looks really good," Naruto commented, looking over at Shikamaru. "I think this should be a really great fight. Gaara-san is really strong, and so is Sasuke-kun."
"Yeah, it should be good. I'm curious how it plays out," Shikamaru said, interested in the abilities of both Sasuke and Gaara. They were powerful warriors, and he had a feeling that fighting them would be nearly impossible for him to win.
Naruto watched the fight, observing Sasuke's speed and abilities. Sasuke was really good—fast, stronger, and clearly had been working a lot on his physical battles. Gaara was incredibly powerful as well but seemed unstable. Naruto focused on both of them, knowing he might get to fight one of the two in the next round. He paid attention, realizing that what he had learned from Guy would give him more than a chance against them. He felt more confident and eager to show his skills and abilities, as Shikamaru had commented.
"What are your thoughts on the fight, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked, looking over at him, curious about his take on the battle.
Shikamaru, with his usual thoughtful expression, said, "It's interesting. Sasuke's speed and taijutsu are impressive, and he's definitely improved a lot. But Gaara's defense is solid, and he's got that sand control. It's going to come down to who can outlast the other and adapt better. If Sasuke can find a way to bypass Gaara's defenses, he has a chance. But Gaara's got that unshakable confidence, even if he's a bit... unstable. It's a tough call."
Naruto nodded as he watched the moment the fight changed. Sasuke pulled back, standing on the wall, and then he pulled out his Chidori. The attack was fancy and powerful. Watching him cut down the wall and head right at Gaara, slicing through the sand, was both impressive and a bit intimidating. Sasuke had learned a move that was really deadly—a kill move.
"Well, that's Sasuke's new trump card, I'm guessing," Shikamaru said as he looked on. "It also seems he found a way to bypass Gaara's defense too."
"Yeah, it does. That was impressive," Naruto said with a nod. Then he noticed something before suddenly feeling tired. Naruto fell down, unconscious due to the mass genjutsu that Kabuto had cast while wearing a mask in the arena. A moment later, the attack on Konohagakure by the Otogakure and Sunagakure ninja began, interrupting the fight.
Naruto woke up a few moments later, seeing Sakura and Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan, what's happening?" Naruto asked as Sakura went to wake up Shikamaru, discovering he was faking when Pakkun bit him, proving that Shikamaru was just being lazy at that moment for some reason.
"We're under attack. Gaara and his siblings left the arena. I need you three to go after them. This is an A-ranked mission, but it's one you have to take. I have a feeling the future of the village is on the line here," Kakashi said, looking at them with his one eye, showing how serious he was.
"Yes, Sensei. How are we going to get out of this arena?" Naruto asked, unsure how they would escape from the battleground that the arena had become.
As if to clear a way, Kakashi knocked a ninja through the wall of the arena, creating a hole for the three of them to go through. "Pakkun, you have a track on Sasuke, right? Go with them and follow him."
"Got it," Pakkun replied, ready to lead the way.
Shikamaru was stuck carrying Pakkun as they made their escape. The dog gave them good and clear directions for the most part as Shikamaru carried him while they traveled through the woods. They were moving quickly, and Naruto felt confident that they could help, especially with all three of them there.
"Naruto, Sakura, I think I have to stay behind. We're being followed by ninja, and if someone doesn't slow them down, then we won't be able to help Sasuke out in his fight against Gaara," Shikamaru said, looking at Naruto.
"What? That's suicide! You can't do that. We can fight them together and take them down together," Naruto protested, knowing the danger that fighting multiple ninja alone posed. He didn't want Shikamaru to die—he was someone Naruto got along with, and there weren't many people he could say that about.
"You have to think about the bigger picture, and I'm not going to die. I'm just going to slow them down and run away. I'm not brave enough or stupid enough to challenge a group of older ninja like that. I'll just buy you two enough time to get to Sasuke. If you don't do that, then we fail the mission. A failed mission here is not acceptable, Naruto," Shikamaru said firmly, handing Pakkun over to Naruto. "I'll handle this. I have a feeling you're needed up ahead."
Naruto clenched his fists but nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Okay, Shikamaru. Just be careful, alright?"
Shikamaru smirked slightly. "Always am. Now go, and make sure to back up Sasuke."
With that, Naruto and Sakura continued their pursuit, following Pakkun's directions while Shikamaru stayed behind, ready to slow down their pursuers.
"You okay, Naruto-san?" Sakura asked as she looked at Naruto. She had seen his fight earlier and could tell he had grown up a lot over the month of training. He was still Naruto, of course, but he seemed more confident and mature than before. It was different to see this Naruto, but it wasn't a bad thing at all.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just hope that I made the right choice, Sakura-chan," Naruto admitted. "Let's not let Sasuke or the village down," he said as he moved. He knew the fight was ahead of him.
As they moved, he had a feeling that Shikamaru was right, but he didn't want him to be right. He wanted to help all his friends. Having to make the choice to leave a friend behind was not something that sat right with him. He knew it was part of the world he was in, part of the ninja way, but he remembered Kakashi's words about how those who break the rules are scum—that's true, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.
Yet, here he was doing just that. Well, he had to trust in Shikamaru and believe that he could handle this situation. He had to have faith in his friend that he could do what he said he could do.
"Sasuke and Gaara are really close up ahead. Put me down, and we should move up slowly to make sure we don't draw too much attention," Pakkun said as Naruto came to a stop.
Naruto nodded and carefully set Pakkun down, his determination clear in his eyes. "Alright, let's move."
Naruto looked ahead as he moved through the bushes. He saw the fight, and he saw that Sasuke had just landed another Chidori on Gaara, who looked as much like a monster as he did a human. He then saw Gaara toss Sasuke aside, and Naruto knew this wasn't a normal fight. This was something he had to be ready for and had to help with all his strength.
"Sakura-chan, please, when I attack Gaara, go help Sasuke," Naruto said quietly to Sakura, who just nodded her head, knowing what she had to do.
Gaara was out of his mind, his anger and frustrations raging. He looked at the Uchiha who had challenged him, ready to attack again and perhaps end him. When suddenly, he heard it.
"Dynamic Entry!" Naruto roared as his foot slammed into the side of Gaara's jaw, bouncing him off the ground and into a tree.
As Naruto did this, Sakura went to help Sasuke, making sure he was okay. Not that she could do much other than offer moral support and maybe some wrap or ointment from her bag. It was a moment of frustration for Sakura too. She wasn't like Shikamaru who could help Naruto with strategy, and she wasn't a warrior like Sasuke or Naruto, who could hold their own against Gaara. She was just there. She didn't let her frustration show though as she looked at Sasuke. "Are you okay, Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke winced as he tried to stand, his body still aching from the intense fight. "I'm fine, Sakura," he muttered, his pride not allowing him to admit just how hurt he really was. He glanced over at Naruto, who was now engaging Gaara. "Stay back and support Naruto. I'll be alright."
He tried to mask his pain and frustration, but it was clear that Gaara had pushed him to his limits. Sasuke clenched his fists, watching as Naruto bravely took on their opponent. "Naruto... don't you dare lose to him," he said under his breath, his eyes filled with a mix of determination and concern.
Sakura stepped back feeling unneeded in that moment. That annoyed and made her so mad at herself. She could see the strain on Sasuke, that he was pushing himself far too much, and she would try to help if she could find a way, but she wished she was stronger so she could help out more directly.
Naruto didn't hear Sasuke, his focus was completely on Gaara, his hand reaching out as he challenged him with it. He was going to make his stand and he was going to do what he needed to do. He had to win this fight, and he had to protect Konohagakure. It was his job and his responsibility now.
A/N- That is complicated cause this is a rewrite because I wasn't ever happy with the old one, the other new one isn't that good either, so I wanted to do this right for once. Thanks for the comments.
