Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Competition ❯ A fight, a stabbed fox, and a second chance�c!! ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Naruto. What are you laughing at? I sure don't see you holding the rights either so there! LAUGH AT THAT! Uh…Sorry `bout dat, had way too much sugar before writing.

A/N: Sorry for taking so long with the next chapter. I got some new pets and they've been demanding my utmost attention! Stingy things. Anyway, I do thank you for the reviews! Please keep `em coming.

Chapter 8: A fight, a stabbed fox, and a second chance…!!

Summary: Accidentally, well mostly because of his big mouth, Naruto is thrust into a fight with one of the sand punks!

~~~~~~~~~~

As they got closer, Naruto and the others could hear snatches of Kankuro and Temari's discussion. “…Even so I just can't believe he just up and left without a word as to where he was going!” Temari yelled hotly.

“Actually, he didn't really get up, he was already standing,” Kankuro interjected quietly shivering slightly in the heavy rain.

A loud thudding noise echoed from their direction followed by Temari's shout. “Will you shut-up! You should be groveling for forgiveness seeing as this is all your damn fault!” She babbled.

Now Kankuro was yelling. “What in the hell do you mean my fault?! How did you work that out? I didn't do crap to the man! He took it upon his self to get up on the emotion train and leave!”

Temari sneered. “Don't cha mean `he was already standing?' And anyway, it just makes me feel better about this whole thing by blaming you! So just shut-up and say `yes, it is all my fault my dear sis.'”

“Fuck…no. Hell no. Who do you think you are? Big sis my ass.”

“I think I'm your sister,” Temari said putting a hand on her hips. “You're beautiful, wonderful, loveable sister.”

“Denial is such an ugly thing…much like you,” said Kankuro giving a noncommittal nod in her direction.

“Just shut-up and say sorry for this!” Temari shouted hitting him again.

“Ow! I'm not sayin' for sorry for something that isn't my fault! What you're doin's a pretty shitty way of taking responsibility!” Kankuro shouted back.

“What's that supposed to mean? Taking responsibility?”

“Oh, right, I forgot…never having any you wouldn't know what it means!” Kankuro laughed. “You're the oldest fanny! You should look after him!”

“I—but—you're the tallest!” Temari stammered wildly. “And don't call me fanny! You know I hate that!”

Blinking, Kankuro bellowed, “I'm tall?! And what in the hell does that have to do with anything?! You're still the damn oldest so it falls upon you to look after him! Me, on the others hand, can still goof off. And, I wouldn't call you fanny if you would just lose some of that junk in your trun—”

Another thud and he was cut off.

Temari remained silent for a few seconds before saying, as if the before conversation never happened, “It's still you're fault.”

“My goodness gracious at the ignorance,” Kankuro sighed rubbing his temple before laying his beady eyes upon Naruto and the other's. “Well, well, well, what do we have here? Aren't you munchkins supposed to be in bed?”

“Shut…the fuck…up,” Naruto growled flipping him off.

Kankuro rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that's a shining example of maturity right there. You've got about as much as Temari, here. Which would be a resounding zero.”

Another thump was heard even with the rain pounding down.

“God! You still can't take a joke!” Kankuro yelled wincing at the triple stacked knot on his head. “Ouch.”

Sakura's grip on the umbrella loosened and it was carried away with the fierce wind as she realized who the dude with the wrappings was. Her mind reversed back to yesterday. Something about Sasuke getting hurt, Shikamaru coming to save him, and Kankuro, here, being the one who attacked Sasuke.

She withdrew a kunai from the pouch on her thigh. “Are-are you the one who hurt Sasuke?” She questioned in a slightly quivering voice.

A broad grin spread over Kankuro's face as he played back that battle in his mind. “Sasuke? Let's see…Sasuke…Sasuke…oh! The raven-haired, stony-faced weakling from your lame school? Him? Yeah, that was me,” he answered shrugging without feeling a shred of remorse. “Why? Gonna do something about it?”

Sakura grit her teeth. “Yeah. Kick you ass for starters!” She yelled raising her weapon.

Temari stood in front of Kankuro. “Listen up, you with the fruity strawberry smell! We didn't come here to fight your weak ass; we're lookin' for our little brother, Gaara. You know him. Seen `em?”

Naruto's eyes widened. “What? You guys are related?”

Kankuro stepped around Temari looking Naruto up and down. “Hm, I've seen you. You hang out with that fag Naruto, right?”

Naruto bared his teeth and growled in his throat.

Kankuro took that as a `yes'. “Who are you?”

“Are blind and stupid? It's me…the guy who kicked your gang leaders' ass!” Naruto yelled with a blatant grin.

Ino shook her head as she whispered in his ear, “You look like Kiba. Remember? Of course they don't know who you are, idiot!”

Naruto flushed. “Oh yeah,” he muttered before something heavy collided with his cheek. “Ooooh! Damn!” He lost his balance falling ass-first onto the hard wet cobblestone ground rubbing his cheek. Pain was shooting up and down his face making him see pretty circling yellow stars.

Before his vision could come back, the scruff of his shirt was lifting him to his feet. He blinked away the pain in his face and saw that Kankuro had him. He had a most gruesome look of loathing on his face. “Don't—you—ever—insult—my—brother 212;in—front—of—me!” He growled yoking Naruto higher.

Naruto held up a finger to halt him while something moved up his throat. With a disgusting snorting nose he hawked a logy right in Kankuro's left eye. Grinning he said, “Whew! ` Bout time I got that thing out! Been buggin' me all day.”

Kankuro wiped the spit away with the back of his hand releasing Naruto as he did so. With a grunt, he elbowed Naruto in the stomach dropping him like a sack of potatoes.

“Uff!” Naruto wrapped his arms around his stomach holding back the sour, steamy liquid swimming up his esophagus.

“Piece of—eng!” He backhanded Naruto onto his back.

The fox demon laid still for a sec before flipping forward kicking Kankuro right in the gut. Or so he thought. He looked and saw Kankuro clutching his foot with a contorted grin on his face.

“Nice try,” commented Kankuro giving a congratulatory little nod.

Naruto groaned. “Crap.”

“HA!”

Kankuro twisted his foot sending him spiraling into the ground sending water everywhere. He didn't stay down long. He was on his feet in the blink of an eye with a grin on his lips. He and Kankuro stood meters apart; neither moving. A fierce wind was coming in blowing the rain in a rapid fashion.

“Yo! We gonna scrap or give a hug?” Naruto yelled over the howling wind. “I got better things to do with my time than stand around in the rain and gaze longingly into your murky eyes! Gotta go home and feed my dog Akamaru!”

Kankuro spared a quick glance around. “What dog? There's no one here.”

“Oh, he's here,” Naruto, said casting a leery glance in a certain direction. He prayed Akamaru would stay knocked out. If he came out barking and snipping at him like a stranger, it would put him in a very awkward situation.

“Where is he?” Kankuro pried. “Shouldn't he be protecting his master? Ya know, from threats to his life?”

“He's taking a crap,” Naruto replied casually, “and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't consider you a threat anyway. You're way below that level, bud. Now, mind ya own business, pussy-cat.” He grinned and pointed to the black hood on Kankuro's head. “Nice hat there by the way.”

Kankuro took a step forward his face in a determined calm though his voice was a different matter. “What was that?” He gnarled.

“You heard me, retard,” Naruto started before being hit softly in the back. He whirled around and once again saw Ino staring at him. “What?”

“Kiba,” she said slowly as if trying to remind Naruto of something, “do you really wanna fight someone or do you wanna keep a low profile? Don't you think that would be wise?”

Kankuro took the wrappings off his back laying them on the floor. “He just raised his profile to my level. I don't even need Scarecrow to beat you. Let's go, freak.”

Naruto twitched. He hated being called as freak. Grown-ups always hissed `Freak!' at him wherever he went and he didn't know why until Mizuki came along. Something about that word seemed to provoke a great rage in him. He didn't ask for that stupid demon to be put inside of him as a sort of puppet. The word `Freak' in bloody red letters kept flashing in his mind. It burned away at his soul. He could feel his blood boil as he turned around slowly.

“I…am…not…a…freak!” Naruto cried, feeling Kyuubi raise its head sniffing the air hopefully.

“Ooh! Got to the little freak have I?” Kankuro barked harshly.

Naruto clenched his fist, cracking his knuckles unintentionally, and ran at Kankuro pulling up his sleeve as he went.

“TAKE IT BACK DAMN YOU!” He yelled throwing a punch.

Kankuro caught it and shoved his fist deep into Naruto's chin with a crack sending him off his feet to the ground with a rumbling thud. Naruto let out a yelp as the wind was knocked out of him. Those pesky stars returned for an encore.

Temari put her hands on her hips with a sour look adorning her face. “We're supposed to be looking for Gaara, remember? The dude that ran off after spilling tears? Am I ringing a bell? We don't have time for this!”

Kankuro laughed hysterically. “Oh, that's rich! How can you be so foolish Temari? There's always time to knock someone's face in!” He joked cracking his fingers as Naruto sat up. He hid the pain he was feeling in his hand with a smirk. Naruto had a hard chin.

`I can't believe I'm fighting the Kyuubi! Hmph! More like little Kyuubi. Dude's a punk. How could my bro have had a hard time with this idiot?' He wondered.

Naruto snorted and hawked out a big glob of blood. He flipped onto his knees then onto his feet. He spit again. His tongue had been cut by his teeth.

“You cut my…tongue,” he said softly as a bit of blood dribbled over the corner of his mouth.

Kankuro gave a shrieking laugh. “Oops, my bad!” He pulled out a kunai and dove at Naruto. “I meant to cut it off! I'll do a better job this time!”

Naruto didn't move. Standing perfectly still, he gazed at the oncoming Kankuro without really seeing him. He realized he had lost this battle before it had even gotten started. He knew known of Kiba's moves. He only knew three techniques: Bunshin No Jutsu, lightning strike, and the Henge no Jutsu. None of them could help him get out of this very bleak situation. If he used any of his techniques, the sand nerds would instantly know who the man behind the man was and jump him probably putting an end to his life.

“Let it be known across the land from sea to shining sea that, I, Kankuro have finally bested the outcast known as Naruto Uzumaki!” Kankuro yelled as he raised the kunai bringing it crashing down. “DIE MONSTER!!”

A lip trembled as a cry tore through the rain and thunder. “Noooooo! Naruto!”

Ino clapped her hands around her mouth in surprise. Had that shriek echoed from her or Sakura? She turned and saw her pink-headed friend eyeing her. So it was Ino. Almost coincidentally a loud clap of thunder struck somewhere in the distance muffling her words slightly.

Naruto's body acted on its own accord. His hand shot out in front of him catching the hand that held the kunai. His mouth opened bringing forth a horrifying roar that rose over the sound of the rain and thunder. Naruto's eyes transposed from cerulean blue to blood red for a hot second. In that second he grabbed Kankuro's head in his sharp nail riddled hand and brought it crashing down onto his knee with all the might he possessed.

Kankuro gave a groan of pain as Naruto brought his head back up until they were eye to bloody-nose. Clenching his hand into a tight fist, he drove it into Kankuro's stomach. The impact of the hit cracked the ground underneath them uplifting rocks and dirt. Kankuro's eyes widened as his cheeks bulged. “Bah!” Blood splattered against Naruto's arm as he pulled it back licking off the gore. Acting on a delayed reaction Kankuro's body lifted itself off the dirt and was thrown back skidding across the ground.

Naruto blinked and his eyes were once again their calming blue. He shook his head and spit out a huge chunk of blood. He stared at his hands then turned around to gape at Ino who still had her hands tightly wrapped over her mouth. Even through the earsplitting boom, he heard her as though she were right next to him. He smiled weakly and started shaking as the impact of what he was about to do hit him.

`I had almost given up,' he thought shaking his head.

He flashed Ino a thumbs up. “Thanks for that. Giving everything up, that's pathetic and…I'm not pathetic. I'm not gonna give up that easily! I'm not some got damn quitter! I don't care if the whole village is riding my nuts! I won't quit and I sure as hell won't run! I will become Lord Hokage even if it's by pure stubbornness!”

He turned back around to Kankuro. He was on his feet with his chest pumping up and down. A blood smear was under his nose left behind from when he tried to rub it away.

“C'mon! I'm not through yet!” Naruto yelled taking a fighting pose. “I may be a freak but it's a helluva lot better than being a puppet fag with kitty ears!”

“You fool, you have absolutely no idea,” Kankuro scoffed giving an odd twitch.

“And you have absolutely no chance of winning just like your loser of a brother,” Naruto shot back.

“You think that was me you hit? Ha! As if I'd ever let you do that to me!” Kankuro yelled.

“What in the hell are you talking about?” Naruto asked abandoning his attempts at cleaning his sleeve. “I hit you full on! Look!” He extended his arm. “In case you forgot just that quickly, this muck—this muck right here? It's your diluted blood!”

Kankuro's eyes shot upward for a minute then he grinned and laughed.

Naruto raised his eyebrows at a loss for that outburst. Something weird was going on. “Hey! What's so damn funny?” His answer came from Sakura.

“Naru…I mean, Kiba! Look out!”

It took Naruto a hot minute to figure out to whom the hell Sakura was talking to. He kept forgetting he looked like Kiba. Feeling extremely dumb, he turned around to see Sakura pointing above him. He arched his head and there was Kankuro, completely unscathed and untouched, falling from the sky wielding a kunai.

Kankuro's flew opened in an earsplitting yell. “FOR MY BROTHER GAARA!”

Naruto squinted, his eyes trying to make sure he'd really seen that. He couldn't have; it wasn't possible.

“What in the hell—? Then what was…?” He spared a glance at the Kankuro standing in front of him as it turned into that eerie puppet of his. `When did he have time to do that?' He thought looking up again. “Oh damn! Aaaarrrrrgggh!”

Kankuro landed smack dab on him and they both hit the ground struggling and splashing water around. “Eat kunai punk!” Kankuro screeched as he pushed the kunai knife in as deep as it could go relishing Naruto's shrieks of pain.

“Aaaaaah! G-Get offa me!” Naruto grabbed Kankuro's shoulders and kneed him in the rear sending him flying off. He flipped over and stood up shakily with aches running up and down his left leg like electricity. He looked down and saw the kunai almost more than halfway in. Blood squeezed through the puncture. It ran down his leg soaking his shoes. “Ah, effin ramen noodle apocalypse!” He moaned swaying on the spot. “I hope I don't die from blood loss…'cause that would suck on so many levels.” Then he thought, `Got damn it. This is all my fault! Ino told me to keep my cool and hold it down but thanks to me and my big mouth…why'd I haff ta go and say that for?'

Ino leapt in front of Kyo bringing out a shuriken in each wedge of her hand. “Kiba stand down. We'll handle this.”

Even if he wanted to object to this, he couldn't. Every ounce of strength was going to just standing without breaking down and crying. He collapsed and stared fixedly at the weapon stuck in his leg. If he pulled, it out more blood would gush out and probably—his stomach flipped—some meat would surely follow. His queasiness distracted him from the fact that Kankuro and Ino where now dueling. Sparks were flying from there kunai clashing and parrying. Temari and Sakura just stood no less than five feet apart clutching a kunai in case either of them tried anything slick to aid their partner.

Naruto was cheering rather absent mindedly as he saw Ino slash Kankuro with her shuriken before leaping back to avoid his kick. He booed when she took a blow to the gut and tried to stand. He found that to be quite impossible.

Ten minutes of nothing but scrapping, dodging blows, trading blows and much smack-talk went by before Kankuro did a back flip landing behind his puppet. He touched it with his middle finger and blue strings of chakra swam from his fingers connecting with each of the dolls joints.

“You still play with dolls?” Ino jeered smirking slightly. She winced as blood from a cut above her right eye swam into her eye. “Ouch!”

“You have a lot of mouth,” Kankuro said giving his hand a little flick. The puppet reared back its wooden hand and in a flash of light, a kunai appeared tightly clutched inside. “Allow me to shut it for you! Take this!”

Ino hit the ground as she heard the whoosh of the kunai passing overhead. “Ha! Is that all you got? My grandma got better game! C'mon!” She taunted getting back up.

“Shut the hell up you amateur! Quit the talkin' and fight damn it!” Kankuro bellowed.

“That's it Ino! Get inside his head an' mess with him!” Naruto shouted encouragingly. “Make `em mad! Make `em mess up then kick his ever lovin' butt!” He flicked her a thumbs up. She nodded.

Grinning he put his hand down and felt warmness. He looked and saw that, to his surprise he was seated in a puddle of his own blood. His leg had gone horribly pale and gave involuntary twitches. It looked kind of wrinkly and shrunken. He could barely make contact with it through all the numbness. It was as if it had been submerged in a bucket of ice-cold water. He wondered vaguely if they'd have to lacerate it off. He shuddered at the thought of only having one leg. Some Hokage he'd be.

Before he knew what was happening he was sliding; sliding right out of consciousness. The pain and fever had over shadowed his brain. He needed rest. His breathing was coming out in short strained gasps as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. His last sight was the real Kiba emerging from the bushes. He was out before he hit the ground.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Something wet and cold, pressed against Naruto's head making his eyes twitch but he didn't dare open them. He realized at once that his Hitai-ate headband had been removed. The rag moved swiftly across his head then it was gone leaving a behind a cool sensation that Naruto greatly appreciated. He felt burning hot. As soon as he fully regained consciousness, his leg began throbbing insanely. He sniffed a little holding back tears that begged to be free.

“Where did you guys say you were?” asked a stony voice Naruto recognized as Sasuke.

Ino's voice answered. It was slightly shaky like she had a case of the hiccups. “A-at the park w-when it s-started raining.”

“And those thugs from sand came,” Sakura said darkly.

Sasuke made a growling noise in his throat. “I see…and what did this idiot do?” He pondered gesturing at the sleeping Naruto.

“Well, we don't know,” Ino, answered truthfully. “We just saw him standing in the rain clutching Kiba's unconscious body, and then he became Kiba when Kankuro and the tramp appeared. I think he wanted to avoid fighting by pretending to be someone else. He probably knew they were itching to get some revenge against him for what he did to Gaara, so he became Kiba. But, due his big mouth this happened,” she added thrusting her hand at Naruto's leg.

“Smart…for Naruto at least,” Sasuke sighed bitterly. “Why does this brat always get the fun? I've been itching to find out where those sand bastards go and he finds them without even trying! Got dammit…if I had been there…” He broke off tightening the hold he had on his can of soda crushing it slightly. He sat it down on his nightstand for fear of spilling it.

Naruto opened his eyes as much as he dared just long enough to get a view of where he was. He could only guess that it was Sasuke's house or more like frickin' mansion. He closed his eyes thinking `Damn! This place is huge!' It consisted of two floors. They were on the top floor, third door to the right, otherwise known as Sasuke Uchiha's room. Naruto was lying in one of the fluffiest maroon sheet covered beds he'd ever been in. It was like pure heaven compared to the hard lump of wood he slept on. Sasuke was sitting on the side of the bed with his back to him while the girls sat in a comfortable silk couch positioned on the left side of the bed under a window. He saw that they both bore minor cuts and injuries. Sakura seemed to be rubbing her back letting out moans of pain. It was still pouring cats and dogs outside by the strange barking and meowing noises. In front of the bed stood a beautiful marble dresser with a big screen, TV perched delicately on a wooden stand next to the dresser. On the right side was a closet that was relatively empty except for a black jumpsuit Naruto had never seen Sasuke wear.

Ino sighed. “We would've taken him to Iruka-sensei but he wasn't home and we had to get out of the rain. We knew our parents wouldn't like the idea of Naruto in their homes,” she said exasperatedly.

Sasuke nodded. “Yeah, he's away on a mission. He left right when he declared lunch.”

“What we don't understand is why our parents don't like Naruto. No one's parent does. In fact the only grown-up that does like him is Iruka-sensei,” Sakura said shaking her head.

“Do you think it has something to do with those cat-like whiskers on his cheeks?” Sakura wondered.

Ino shook her head. “I think that's a birth mark or something. Besides, our parents are hardly the one to be judging people by the marks on their faces,” she said tartly, “What with the atrocious make-up they wear at times and how even more atrocious they look without it. They ain't got no room to talk.”

“Then why does everyone treat him like a highly contagious disease?” Sakura demanded furrowing her broad brow in thought.

`So…I'm some sort of contagious disease am I?' Naruto thought savagely. `I guess it's true what they say about women. That they're foul temptresses who like to dip their heels in tar and stomp on your heart repeatedly until it…beats no more.''

“True…he does seem to be disliked by everyone. I think he knows why but he's unwilling to tell anyone,” Sasuke said cutting into Naruto's meaningless thoughts while lifting his blanket to examine his leg. “Well, the swelling has gone down…by a smidgen.” He paused. “Man, once you look at it it's kind of hard to turn away. It's so gross yet strangely entrancing. It's sucking me into its cut of amazement.”

Ino sighed. What was it about boys and gross things? Can't they ever be normal? Put some of that disgusting energy into stuff like brushing their unruly hair and a little lotion here and there sure wouldn't hurt.

“Thank god,” Sakura breathed. “Sorry I wasn't much help with wrapping his leg up, you guys. It was just all the blood and the meat when it hung out and…ugh, I'm starting to make myself sick again.”

She swayed on the couch with her face turning a delicate shade of turquoise green. Naruto was right there beside her feeling his stomach churn.

“Hey. If you're gonna hurl again please go in the bathroom,” Sasuke said pointing to the door to the right of Sakura. “Cause if you spew your insides all over my couch I guarantee you you'll be cleaning it up.”

“No…no, I'm alright,” she said shaking her head.

Sasuke lowered the cover and turned back to the girls missing the birdie Naruto was sending him under the covers. “So, what did you do with Kiba and Akamaru?”

“Kiba came to at the last second and sort of helped us fend of those sand freaks,” Ino said. “After that he tried to kill Naruto for knocking him out and hurting Akamaru. After we prevented that…he left saying he'd get him back if it was the last he does.”

`Ooh! I'm quakin' in my size seven shoes!' Naruto thought suppressing a giggle.

“Did he say why he was dragging Kiba around at all?” Sasuke wondered completely oblivious to the fact that his bed was shaking due to Naruto's laughing.

“Nope. Didn't say anything; didn't have time to actually. Before we could ask the sand punks appeared,” Sakura said.

Naruto bit his bottom lip. He couldn't tell them the real reason behind it all. After all it was a stupid plan from the get-go. He was originally going to change into Kiba and find Ino and coax her into revealing some of her feelings and secrets for him. Then he'd do the same thing for Sakura. But Akamaru prevented it for the first half then the thing with Shikamaru happened and let's forget that fight with Kankuro. In all that crazy hubbub, there really wasn't much time to carry his plan into the open. He shuddered at the thought of what would have happened if he had been caught or found out. All trust would be, no doubt, thrown right out the window.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. “Hn. Those sand dudes. They seem odd to me…”

Ino looked at him. “You mean odd as in freaky odd or pain-in-my-ass odd?”

“None. Well, I guess, if I had to categorize it, I'd say weird odd. I mean, they know they could get in trouble for killing in Konoha but yet and still they pick fights with anyone who gets in their way,” Sasuke sad putting on his thinking cap. “I just don't get it.”

“What's there to get? They're a bunch of bloodthirsty bastards,” Sakura muttered darkly.

“He seems to want to destroy Naruto,” Ino said exhaling deeply.

“No. No, that can't be right,” Sakura said holding up a finger. “I distinctly remember Gaara saying, when he had Naruto in that chokehold, to unleash it. Unleash the K…the K-something. Can opener maybe?”

“That begins with a `c' you retard,” Ino informed. “Geez, are you really a ninja? Please tell me you were being stupid on purpose.”

Sakura shrugged. “It might be.”

Sasuke gazed at her for a minute making her blush and mumbled, “Hn.”

“When's he going to wake up?” Ino wondered staring behind her out into the rain- drenched village.

“No clue. He had lost quite a lot of blood, so it'll probably be hours before he comes too,” Sasuke informed yawning. He got up and entered the bathroom closing it behind him with a snap.

It was then that Naruto sat up scratching his head.

“Proves how much he knows, that snide communist,” Naruto mumbled.

He ignored the gasps from the girls and flung the cover off his body to examine his leg. He snarled angrily. Someone had cut the pant leg that covered his aching limb. He saw it been bandaged and wrapped up though a huge circle of red was shining though the wrap growing bigger by the second signaling he was still bleeding. He checked the covers and saw his blood glistening back at him.

“Damn you Kankuro,” growled Naruto clenching his fist. “If I don't heal from this I'm gonna make sure I hunt you down and shove a kunai right up your effin—”

“Naruto! You're awake!” Sakura interrupted pointing out the obvious.

Rolling his eyes Naruto replied, “Yeah, I know.” He laid his head back on the pillow and flipped over putting his back to them. His leg throbbed painfully but he ignored it. He was lost in his thoughts.

`They had been discussing me behind my back…about my being disliked by everyone. How long have they been doing that? They could've at least waited until I was awake to start all the spiteful talk about me. Not like,they found a problem talking about me when I was awake. I'm not some damn circus animal whose emotions are being displayed dammit!'

A hand clasped around Naruto's shoulder making him twitch and intake a short breath. He flipped over and saw Ino smiling at him as she sat down next to him. “Need something?” He asked rather stonily.

She nodded. “Remember yesterday? About how we were supposed to stay over at your house?” She asked not catching Naruto's vindictive tone.

He felt a tug at his heartstring as she said that. Did he remember? That had to be a joke, it had to. It was less than twenty-four hours ago and she is gonna ask if he remembers. He had half a mind to say no and tell her to shove it but he bit back that comment with a grin.

“Yeah…I remember something along those lines,” he agreed finally turning away from her.

“Well…how about, instead of returning to your sad-sack of a home, you stay with us?” Ino suggested.

Naruto flipped his whole body around grunting as his leg shouted at him to be still. Had he heard her right? Him? Stay here? And not have to go back to the so-called sad-sack place where he spent almost every night crying?

“Huh? You for real?” He asked a gleam in his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halfway across Konoha…

Kankuro looked a mess as he limped toward their destination with his heavy arm over Temari's shoulder. She grunted as she struggled to hold him up and keep her fan over them to shield them from the rain. Deciding it was too much trouble she put the fan away.

Kankuro looked up into the rain with a solemn expression. “That stupid wolf-boy and his dog! I swear…what the hell was it when he got down on all fours like that? What technique was that freak using?”

Temari nudged him in the side to quicken his pace. He was slowing them down and she wanted to get out of the rain before she caught a cold. “I don't know but your hardly one to be calling someone else a freak, you freak with the puppet addiction. Anyway why don't you put some of that damn talking energy, seeing as you have so much, into walking so we can get to Gaara, hmm?”

Kankuro sucked his teeth and ignored her. His cheek had a slash from one of Kiba's attacks on his cheeks and one of Scarecrows' arms was hanging loosely out of a rip in the wrappings. Temari had dirt all over her face from when Sakura had grabbed her hair shoving it into the ground. She retaliated by leaping over her and jump kicking her right in the back.

“I hope this whatever it is competition lets us kill our opponents. I hope I get the dog-man. I'm…gonna…mess…him…up!” Kankuro yelled clenching his fist.

Temari rolled her eyes and sighed. “Ooh! Pretty terrifying coming from a guy who just got his butt boogied all over!”

“What the heck do you mean butt boogied all over?” Kankuro shouted.

“Remember when he jumped on your back moving up and down?”

“He was not doing that, dang it! He was clawing the hell outta my back with those…those claws of his and you know it! That's why Scarecrow's all hanging out and stuff!” Kankuro said.

“Didn't look like that to me,” Temari muttered in an undertone.

“What was that?”

“Oh nothing,” Temari said in a singsong tone.

“I know. Gaara usually fights people for us so I'll show him ol' doggy boy. Let's see him pull off that dog shit around Gaara. One Desert coffin and poof, he'll be nothing but a blood spurting corpse!” Kankuro murmured frantically.

Temari figured it best to ignore him at the moment and concentrate on seeing through this sleet of rain hailing down on them.

They made their way silently to Hinata's having got the information from Neji who had gone out to see Tenten. They would've fought but Neji knew it wouldn't really be a fight unless they were at full health. He didn't really like the idea of his sister housing Gaara of the Sands but he didn't really like her either so…everything worked out. He wondered how her father would take it once he got back from the land of the waves to find his daughter letting a criminal stay in his house. He grinned at the thought and walked on humming to himself.

Temari and Kankuro sat in the living room with scowls on their faces. They had just traveled all day looking for Gaara and when they finally find his ungrateful butt, he says if they come up and see him, he'll kill them. That's gratitude for ya.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

TBC

A/N: Chapter 8 is through! Yippee!