Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Between A Rock And A Hard Place ❯ In a Game of Cat and Mouse ( Chapter 31 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

A long trail of sand was suddenly kicked up as sandaled feet rushed across the desert ground. Without a moment's hesitation Naruto had drew up his fist to beat the living daylight out of Kabuto. However, the obviously more cautious ninja had blocked with his own fist.@"Surely this isn't all you've got Naruto. Isn't there a life you are trying to save?" Kabuto asked intimidate‚„‚Œ‚™. Oh how he loved pestering his play mates ahead off time.

"I'm not trying, I will save him if it's the last thing I do." Naruto hissed. Kabuto merely found the declaration of bravery to be humorous simply because it would be the last thing he ever did, if Kabuto had anything to do about it. "I can't believe I ever trusted you for even a second." The blond jerked back his fist with enough force to pull Kabuto as well. Within that tiny second of an opening, Naruto thrust his knee vigorously into Kabuto's gut. Naturally he cringed a bit in pain, just long enough for Naruto to slam his head down with his elbow.

Naruto didn't let up for even a second, his mighty blows came one after another. With each impact, Kabuto's body was punctured mercilessly with kicks and jabs. Despite Naruto's accuracy in execution, Kabuto was quickly pinpointing every falter, every uneasy breath that signified how limited the attacks could be performed. Finally recognizing an often repeated combo, Kabuto slashed the boy's abdomen with his kunai, just as Naruto was ready to exhale.

Naruto cautiously hoped back on the balls of his feet, cupping the lightly bleeding wound. It took all of his will power not to kick open his opponent's head the moment he gave the typical maniacal laugh. "Seriously Naruto you are too much." He laughed mockingly. "You're attacks aren't so hard to predict as long as you have that limp." Kabuto pointed out shamelessly. He smirked with fascination when he noticed the thick dust of red rush over the younger boy's cheeks. Just as he thought... "I knew Sasuke wouldn't be able to keep his hands off of you as soon as me and Gaara were out of the picture. But I at least thought you would put up a fight for even him."

"Shut up!" Naruto screamed with anger, but his voice betrayed him and rose up an extra octave. What could possibly be worse than having your arch enemy know your personal life more than you? The very thought sicken Naruto to the very core. It would be best for him to end this quick, or at least make past Kabuto. Kami knows what Orochimaru might be doing to Gaara right. Naruto was clueless as far as motive, he merely came here off of tuition. Gaara's voice had plagued him to the point of leaving the room without so much as consenting Sasuke.

Just then an earth shattering cry tore through the air like a knife. Naruto had never heard anything more terrifying enough to make him pale to a sickly white. That was all the motivation he needed; Gaara's life was on the line. Naruto quickly produced several shadow clones before sending them all after Kabuto. It would distract him long enough, so he left three others to begin on a rasengan. Concealed within the crowd, Naruto speedily made it past Kabuto after delivering one hit. His opponent had been too busy destroying the clones to notice the fakes were also the ones making the special jutsu.

"I'm coming Gaara, hold on." Naruto mumbled to himself as he headed straight for the cave. Even if Naruto was to defeat Orochimaru, he feared it could never make up for what he did to Gaara. Then again what he had done to Sasuke was even worse. It wasn't like him to toy with other people's emotions.

Naruto's heart jolted in his chest the moment he stepped foot into the cave. He instantly felt his breath stop as though it had been knocked out of him. Like a vision of red, blood was splattered on the back wall. Orochimaru could only gleam evilly over this; his moisten crimson hand clutched in a tight fist as he stood over a quivering form. "Gaara!" Naruto raced over, dropping to his knees before the hunched form; his knees soaking up some of the blood. His only response was a strained gasp for air. Gaara cringed in his arms, covering his chest with his hand as blood from the gash slipped through his fingers.

"What have you done to him you bastard!" Naruto hissed, his fearsome eyes immediately locking with Orochimaru's.

Despite Gaara's serious condition, he could only smile genuinely at being in his love's arms once again. His body stung like hell and it was obvious he had no strength to even move from this spot. Orochimaru had not lied when he claimed to be able to extract Shukaku without his death, but for what price was Gaara to live now. If one could call this living, then yes; he was still very much alive. His weary eyes narrowed with a wince and he shuffled forward in pain. Luckily Naruto's hands held him in place. Gaara was grateful for that. He really didn't think Naruto would have come to his rescue even if he had knew he was in danger.

But his heart warmed at the fact Naruto had. No doubt Sasuke was against the idea, and probably put up a fight. At least that was what Gaara wanted to think when he could distinctively make out Sasuke's scent all over Naruto even in his bad condition. There could be no other explanation for it, Gaara assured himself. Weakly he placed one palm on Naruto's shoulder, trying to steady himself. His head rolled tiredly into the cock of the blonde's neck. If just faintly, it was still sure. Gaara had saw it. A love bite, clearly not from him.

Gaara hadn't long to contemplate the mark before Naruto stood up again and set him back to the ground. "Gaara you should go, I'll catch up with you soon enough." Naruto insisted, though it was made quite clear Gaara was not in any running condition. "It won't take me long to teach this asshole a lesson about messing with the people I love." Naruto growled, glaring back at Orochimaru.

The snake-like man laughed more at the bold statement. "I thought it was impossible, but it seems your head has actually gotten bigger. But don't worry, I'll deflate that over-confident mood of yours for you." Naruto didn't hesitate in his fury and charged straight for Orochimaru with just his fist. One would have thought he had learned by now about going head-first into things without any plan what so ever. But Naruto could barely grasp a clear educated thought when he had all this barbarian anger pent up inside him. it would prove to be his downfall.

"What the hell?!" Naruto exclaimed in astonishment. Orochimaru had made no effort to move when Naruto approached and instead stood there, taking the blow to the face. Naruto was sure he had put at least some force behind it, but Orochimaru hadn't moved even an inch. Orochimaru took pleasure in the boy's confusion, smiling widely.

Cerulean eyes widened as a tan fist pulled back swiftly. What Naruto had expected to be a scratch or at least a bruise on Orochimaru's slender cheek, was instead a incrusted patch of sand. Tiny grains pecked away from the man's face, recovering his cheek as though he had not just been punched. "As you can see Naruto...you're going to have quite some trouble landing a serious hit on me-" In a second, Orochimaru had kicked Naruto in the gut as he stood in shock. The blond was sent across the cave; the wall stopped him briefly and painfully. A pinch of blood sputtered from his lips at impact. But how?! Orochimaru couldn't be that strong in one hit.

"Naruto!" Gaara gasped out, wincing quickly. But the pain he felt from Naruto's cold stare was more than that from his wound. The blonde’s eyes came to him with a furious look as though he knew everything that had happened. As if somehow Naruto knew he had willing given up his demon spirit. Gaara shied away from speaking again. It would have been best for him to crawl away like he was told, but he couldn't leave Naruto here when all this mess was his fault entirely. If Naruto died by Orochimaru's hand, Gaara would never be able to forgive himself.

"What's wrong Uzumaki? Surprised?" Orochimaru asked with a soft chuckle. "It's true; I now hold the power of Shukaku in my body. I have Gaara to thank for that." With that said, Orochimaru gathered up the sand dusting floor of the cave like a wave. The collected grains hastily slide across the ground toward Naruto and suddenly surrounded him before he could move form his spot. The boy whimpered as sand encasings tightened around him completely and pulled him up off the ground.

Gaara rushed to his feet, stumbling just a bit. "Let him go!" He demanded. But he as ignored as the sand bonding his boyfriend moved quickly past him and toward Orochimaru. Yellow eyes glimmered with amusement as Naruto tried to wiggle his body out of the hold; but the sand held strong to his legs and arms. "I'm strong indeed Naruto Uzumaki, but it's just not enough. I need more power. And you are just the one to give it to me." Orochimaru purred disgustingly in Naruto's taste. Naruto jerked his head to the side when a clammy pale hand came to caress his cheek. "Don't be so testy my dear boy. consider this an honor. I'll use your nine tails power to destroy the one place you have ever belonged." Naruto's jaw fell instantly...

"Just wait until I get my hands on you Naruto; I'll ring your little neck." Sasuke growled, racing past the town. He had left straight for Naruto when he had not found him in the hotel. Figures that idiot would try something stupid like this. In spite of Sasuke's anger, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Not that Naruto deceived him, but he truly thought he stood a chance last night. As long as Gaara stayed out of the way, Naruto could be his. But even with Gaara gone, the blond chose him over Sasuke. The pain of rejection had not been strong enough to deter Sasuke from his mission. He was going to bring Naruto back home, even if it meant knocking him out and dragging him by the leg all the way to Konoha.

It had been awhile since he finally made it out of the city and was now running along sanded ground. If it wasn't for this strong sense of chakra he was getting from Naruto he would be clueless in his search. But this frightened Sasuke, however persistent he was in hiding it. If Naruto's chakra showed through this strong, he was most likely fighting or at least infuriated. Which for Sasuke's case, meant he would yet again have to save that screw up from whatever trouble he has gotten himself into.

Sasuke came to a hasty stop just a few yards from the blurry view of a cave. Just the tepid aura about this place made Sasuke shudder. There was just something not right about it. He didn't see anyone else out here but himself, but he couldn't even hear voices from within, despite his distance. If there was a battle, there should have been some noise disturbance or at least a giant gaping hole in the ground, since Naruto tended to be a very messy, loose fighter. But there was nothing, no grain of sand dared bend with the wind, which was strange in itself. Sasuke hesitantly stepped forward, finally deciding to kill the worry and started to run again.

He came to the mouth of the cave and was met with a grave sight. No doubt about it, there had been a struggle. Pots and tables had been busted, broken, and scrambled across the floor. A lightly coat of drying blood shrouded the wall and some of the ground. Just as Sasuke was taking it all in, he heard a faint grunt and whipped his head to the side. Anger flashed before dark orbs and he stomped over to the form. "What the hell happened here Gaara?!" He yelled, jerking the other up by the collar of his shirt. It had been cruel of him to do, when he could obviously make out the blood to be Gaara's as it still was dripping from his wound.

Gaara panted and gasped in pain at being moved so swiftly. "Tell me dammit!" Sasuke demanded, ignoring the other's sputtering. He could care less about Gaara, he only came here for Naruto who has seemed to disappear after arriving here. Gaara's frail hands gripped pathetically around Sasuke's one fist that clutched his clothing. He didn't have the energy to tare Sasuke away, but he could at least try. Sasuke was getting impatient with Gaara's silence. "What happened to Naruto you stupid sand-rat." He hissed out again, hoping that Gaara's hearing had been the only thing not injured. Apparently not; Gaara leaned his head forward enough and roughly chopped down on Sasuke's hand. "Shit!" Sasuke dropped him immediately, swinging his sore hand. "Just answer the question Gaara."

The redhead, didn't hesitate to try to get up on his own. He'd be damned if he told Sasuke anything. He was going to get Naruto back himself. After all it was his fault in the first place that Naruto was able to be taken. "Just...stay out of this...Uchiha..." Gaara panted.

"You really don't think you can make it out of here like that, do you?" Sasuke asked skeptically. "If you would just tell me, I would at least help you to safety." Sasuke admitted reluctantly. At this point he would have to throw away his resentment if it meant protecting Naruto.

Gaara remained quite as if carefully thinking this over. And finally his shoulders slung down in defeat. "Orochimaru took him. He wants to destroy Konoha...with Naruto's demon chakra." The words came out like a deadly venom that would consume Gaara and plague him for the rest of eternity. But he knew it had been the right thing to do. Sasuke would help, even if he didn't want him to. It was obvious, he certainly wouldn't be able to save Naruto on his own in this condition.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Sorry again. You would think it would be easier to fit in updates with the holidays close by, but it is actually harder since there is so much to prepare for. So I'm trying to get these updates in as quick as I can. Happy holidays everyone!