Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Village Hidden in the Waves ❯ Battle with the Sand Team! Suki is avenged! ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter Eleven

Battle with the Sand Team

The battle debt is repaid!

 

We continued our search for Sasuke into daylight, and I smelled Sasuke getting closer.

“Sasuke stopped. I think he caught up with Gaara, but we're still a ways away from him.” I told them.

Suddenly, Pakkun stopped. Too late to stop my jump, I tripped over a branch and almost fell, but I forced Chakra into my hands and legs to hold on.

“What the hell are you doing?! Why'd you stop?!” I yelled at him.

“Yeah, what's the big deal, believe it?!” shouted Naruto.

“Did something happen to Sasuke?” Sakura inquired fearfully.

“I didn't notice it until now, but...” Pakkun began, making everyone tense. “You use the same shampoo as me.”

I felt like throwing that dog into the bushes below for making us stop over some stupid shampoo.

“The scent is floral green, I know it!” he continued.

“We don't have time for this!” I growled.

“But, but my fur is much glossier.”

“Don't bring up something stupid like that in a serious situation!” shouted Naruto.

“Sorry,” Pakkun apologized.

Sakura embarrassedly hopped away, leaving us behind.

“Hey, Sakura, wait up!” Naruto yelled, following her.

“Wait, guys! You don't know where you're going! Wait for me!” I yelled after them, chasing after them so I could get in lead.

I chased after his scent a while longer, until Pakkun spoke up.

“This scent...”

“Don't you try that shampoo thing again!” I scolded him “Anyway, I've found Sasuke. There are other scents with him, too. We've caught up.”

“Finally?” asked Sakura.

“They're not moving at all,” I continued. “I think they're fighting. Let's hurry it up!”

I looked at Pakkun, then thought of running ahead of the group at my full speed. Could they manage alone? After all, they did make it the Chunin Exam's third part, didn't they? I had promised Suki that I would avenge her, and now was my chance to do so. Without a word, I began charging forth at my full speed, leaving Sakura, Pakkun and Naruto behind.

I finally caught up with them stealthily as Sasuke was preparing to fight Kankuro. I saw Temari run off with the unconscious Gaara before they talked to each other.

“Looks like I'll have to fight you,” said Kankuro.

“I don't care who I fight.” replied Sasuke.

“I do.” I interjected. Both of them looked at me, shocked and perhaps a little scared. “Sasuke, go after Gaara. I've got him. I made a promise that I would defeat Kankuro. Now is my chance to fulfil that promise. Besides, he was my opponent in the first place. Just leave it to me and go!”

“You're pretty confident. You sure you'll be okay?” Sasuke asked.

“Don't worry about me. Give me ten minutes and I'll have this guy flattened.”

After me saying that, Sasuke hopped off. Kankuro then began to laugh.

“So you're a half-fox freak. How cute.” Kankuro told me.

“While you're still trying to act tough, let me tell you about my clan. Though we may be part fox, we are not animals. We merely have the abilities of one. We are, in fact, in harmony with the element of water. That is where our strength lies. So unless you have some sort of electric jutsu... you're doomed.“

“Puppet Control Jutsu!” Kankuro exclaimed as he unwrapped his puppet. It was tied to his fingertips by Chakra wire.

“I've been waiting for this... Suisogan!”

I activated my Kekkei Genkai, then got into battle position, condensing the moisture in the air do that it made water float around me. Suddenly, Kankuro flung his puppet at me, which I blocked with the water I had gathered with the Suisogan. Then, my water began to turn purple. I examined the blade from the puppet's wrist, seeing that it was the source of this transformation.

“The blade's poisoned.” I concluded.

Kankuro continued to attack with the puppet's blades, and I kept dodging them.

“Come on, is that all you've got?” I asked him.

Suddenly, blades came out of its chest, and I countered it by throwing a barrage of kunai. But it used a substitution jutsu and got behind me, shooting blades from its mouth. These I blocked with the steel plates on my gloves. I then quickly condensed the air around me and shot water at the puppet, sending it back.

“Pretty good. Too bad you don't do much of the fighting.” Kankuro smirked.

“Looks who's talking,” I retorted. “Since your attacks focus on the use of your puppet, I can tell you're not a fan of close-range fights... Which in turn, makes you vulnerable.”

“You know a puppeteer's weakness very well, Kitsune. But now, I'm going to show you the true use of the puppet in battle. The true strength of Karasu, that is!”

Kankuro pulled on the strings again, making the puppet's arm pop open at the elbow and fire a missile out of the hollow. I quickly made another shield of water to block it, and saw the poison gas forming around me. I jumped away from it and griped myself onto a higher branch, climbing onto it. Damn, I inhaled a little bit of the gas, I thought. He's probably hiding now.

I waited and waited, feeling the poison spread through my body. I looked behind me for a moment and saw the puppet again. It tried to strike me, but I parried the blow and jumped back to a far away limb where I began the series of hand seals for the Water Fox Jutsu.

“O-ushi, Inu, Usagi, Nezumi, Ousa-buta, Tori, O-ushi, Uma, Tori, Tora, Inu, Tora, Hebi, O-ushi, Hebi, Tori, Ousa-buta, O-hitsuji, O-ushi, Saru, Tori, Ryu, O-ushi, Uma, O-hitsuji, Tora, Hebi, Nezumi, O-ushi, Inu, Tori, Nezumi, Tora, Saru, Inu, Tori, O-ushi, Uma, O-hitsuji, Tora, Hebi, Nezumi, Saru, Usagi, Ousa-buta, Inu, O-ushi, Nezumi, O-ushi, Saru, Tori, Nezumi, Ousa-buta, Inu!!”

Sure enough, the Water Fox leaped out of the swirling water that was around me, and leaped at the puppet, smashing it into trees and then turning back into water again.

“Nice jutsu, but try this!” Kankuro yelled, pulling the stings again. However, the puppet would not move.

“I wet up your little Karasu. Now you can't use him. And I think he was your only weapon, correct?”

Suddenly, the puppet's head popped off. It came at me, but then suddenly stopped, falling to the ground. My plan had worked. I had secretly used the Suisogan to slip the puddle from the Water Fox behind Kankuro and recreate it. I heard him yell, and he was thrown out of the bushes.

“What the hell? I thought your Fox turned into a puddle!” Kankuro shouted as the Water Fox stood over him.

“You underestimate the Suisogan.”

“Wh-what?!”

“Thanks to it, I was able to sneak it behind you and reform itself. And now here you find yourself, victim to my attack. You've lost, Kankuro.”

“How did you find me?”

“You really thought these cutesy-wootsy fox ears and tail were for show? I told you, I'm part fox. I have the heightened senses of smell and hearing of one.”

Then, I made the Water Fox bite him, causing him to yell out and fall to the ground.

“That was for Suki.” I stated, finally having fulfilled my promise to her. Suddenly, I coughed. The poison gas was still in my system, but a small amount couldn't bother me. For now, I had to back up Sasuke. But I couldn't move. I was too weak. Forgive me Sasuke... I'm in a bit of a jam, here...

With those thoughts, I fell unconscious.

 

Kitsune, wake up!

Come on, you lazy fox, up and at `em!!

I opened my eyes to see Suki, kneeling over me and in great shape.

“Suki... I beat Kankuro for you...” I managed to let out.

“I know, thank you...” she replied. “But we have to find Sasuke and the others!”

“Where are they?”

“Just follow me, I know the way!“

 

I got up and followed her, hopping along. She told me how she had gotten out of the hospital and rushed to the stadium to see me fight. But by then, it was chaos. She told me she had begged Kakashi-sensei to tell me where I had gone, and he told her that I was out in the forest.

 

“How did you find me so fast?” I asked her.

“Blind luck?” she replied sheepishly.

 

Soon, we had caught up to everyone. I saw Sakura get pinned to a tree by something that looked like Gaara. She struggled, but then fell limp.

“Sakura!!” I yelled out, about to go help her, but Suki held me back.

“You've lost too much Chakra, Kitsune, just let them handle it.”

Gaara began holding his head in pain, and then asked Naruto what Sakura and Sasuke were to him.

“They're my friends, and I dare you to hurt them anymore, I'll beat you up!” He exclaimed. Gaara then crushed Sakura more against the tree.

“Sakura, no!!” I cried out.

He told Naruto to forget about his friends and fight for himself, that people who bring unnecessary emotions into battle should just die. Infuriate, Naruto charged at Gaara with shuriken. Holding his head again, Gaara swept Naruto away with that mutated tail of his and groaned in pain. Still, he continued to hurt Sakura.

“Get away from her, you bastard!” I yelled.

“Kitsune, don't!” Suki held me back.

Naruto then tried a Summoning Jutsu, and made a tiny frog appear. It was not of much use. Gaara then separated his hand from Sakura, and stated that the sand on her would not go away until he was defeated. It pained me to watch my close friend tied to a tree like that, so weak and helpless. And I could do nothing but wait for Naruto to defeat him.

“Sand Shuriken!” Gaara yelled as he threw multiple shuriken at Naruto. He picked up the frog and leaped back, getting hit by some of the shuriken and hitting the tree wall. Gaara then said that he would kill Sakura if he didn't fight him.

“That's it! I'm going to try to free Sakura!” I shouted.

“Kitsune don't!” Suki warned.

“I have to!”

 

Without another word from her, I jumped towards Sakura, pulling with all my strength at the hand, but it would not budge. During this time, Naruto used Mass Shadow Clone Jutsu to attack Gaara, but Gaara countered it with Infinite Sand Gust Storm. I began stabbing at the hand with my kunai, but nothing happened.

Gaara used sand Shuriken again, and it hit Naruto directly. I had no time to worry about him: I had to free Sakura.

“Naruto...” she mumbled.

“Sakura, look at me,” I told her softly.

Naruto was once again hit by sand shuriken. I knew I could do nothing, for my chakra was still too low. I just struggled to get this hand off of Sakura as Gaara's Sand Shuriken knocked Naruto around like a rag doll.

Naruto got up once again like I believed he would. He tried a move he called the Naruto Uzumaki Tackle, which Gaara tried to counter, and ended up doing Kakashi-sensei's A Thousand Years of Pain move. At first, it seemed to have failed, but just then, Gaara's behind exploded. I watched this, wondering if Gaara was defeated while Naruto went flying into Sasuke. I heard Sasuke tell him to rescue Sakura and get out of here with her and me.

“I'm on it, Naruto, just take care of Gaara.” I told him. “Sasuke, are you-...”

“I can buy you some time...” “If it ends here, it means that I was only meant to come this far. I already lost everything once... I never want to see an important friend die in front of me again.”

“Okay...”

Naruto then told Sasuke that he thought Gaara was strong because he fought for himself but one can only become strong when they fight for someone precious to them. He then created an amazing amount of chakra, followed by an impressive amount of Shadow Clones.

“Sasuke, rest.” He told him, then looked to me and said, “You too, Kitsune. Just leave the rest to me, Naruto Uzumaki, believe it!”

I nodded, then continued working on the hand. During this time, Naruto leaped at Gaara with his many clones.

“This is the start of The Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles, believe it!” He then had every one of his clones throw shuriken at him, which he blocked with his arm. Following that he began kicking Gaara up, yelling, “Na-ru-to Uzumaki Two thousand Combo Chapter!!” With a final punch from two Shadow Clones, he knocked Gaara into the ground, then came at him with a Four Thousand combo, but Gaara countered it with his arm. There was an enormous amount of smoke, and Gaara was replaced by a huge demonic creature that spoke like him. It created Sand around Naruto that began to constrict him.

“Naruto!!” I yelled. But I could not help him. My Chakra was too low.

“Sand Buria-” Gaara began as he closed his hand, but he was cut off by Naruto.

“Summoning Jutsu!”

The cocoon that had formed around him exploded in smoke, and out appeared a giant toad. Naruto told him to fight with him, but the toad refused.

“What?!”

“Why should I fight this guy? It's stupid.”

“Why?! You said you'd make me your subordinate last time! A boss is supposed to help a subordinate, right?! Isn't that your contract?!”

“I did say I'd make you my subordinate... but we haven't had a drink together.”

“That's stupid! I'm underage! I can't drink alcohol!”

“Don't say that. Listen to him, Dad.” said the frog that leaped onto Naruto's head.

“Dad?” wondered Naruto.

“What are you doing here, Gamakichi?” asked the boss toad.

“I was bored, so I came out to play.” Gamakichi replied.

“What? You're father and son?” asked Naruto.

“Anyway, that guy tried to pick on me!” accused Gamakichi.

“What did you say?” inquired the boss toad.

“When this guy helped me out, he was able to fight that monster equally,” explained Gamakichi. “He's pretty strong.”

“I see,” said the boss toad.

“Hey, kid? You're now my official subordinate,” said the boss toad. “I'll show you how the contract works in this world.” He then drew his blade and continued, “You'll pay for what you did, you flunky!” He then began hopping quickly towards Gaara, slashing off his arm.

“Don't go over there, Sakura's there! Lure him here!” advised Naruto.

“Sakura?” wondered the boss toad.

“She's his girlfriend, boss,” said Gamakichi.

“I've got to beat him to save Sakura...” said Naruto.

Suddenly, Gaara rose from the top of the badger's head, at least halfway.

“This is a reward for entertaining me,” said Gaara. “I'll show you the true strength of the Sand Beast!”

He used a Forced Sleep Jutsu, falling into a deep sleep in seconds. The Sand Beast became its true self and shot a Compressed Air Blast at the boss toad, who dodged it and shot it with a Water Bullet. Both attacks collided and created a shower of rain. They continued to fight each other with Compressed Air Blasts and Water Bullets, but this time, the boss toad forgot to stop one of them, and it hit them square on. The hand on Sakura still refused to budge. The Sand Beast rejoiced at the thought of having killed him, but the boss toad leapt out of the smoke and tried to hold the Sand Beast, failing.

The boss toad then asked Naruto to transform him into something with claws and fangs. After Naruto performed the hand seals, the boss toad turned into the Nine-tailed Demon Fox. He held the Sand Beast while Naruto punched Gaara awake. I watched this, amazed at the teamwork between the boss toad and Naruto. Then I felt the hand's grip tighten, and slashed at the hand with my kunai. Suddenly, I felt a burst of Chakra from Naruto. I looked and saw that the Red Chakra had been released. He charged at Gaara, but was stopped by Sand.

“God damn it!” he yelled, then smack his head onto Gaara's. This caused the Sand Beast to crack up and then dissipate into sand, leaving it defeated. Naruto and Gaara fell, and the boss toad and Gamakichi disappeared, the blast knocking Gaara and Naruto away. Naruto said that they should end this fight between similar people, but Gaara jumped at Naruto, who punched him away. Both fell to the forest floor. Then, the hand from the beast began to turn into sand. I quickly freed Sakura, hopping to Sasuke with her in my arms. I then laid her next to him.

“Take care of her.” I told him, then hopped away to check on Naruto. He was telling Gaara that he understood how he felt so much that it hurt, but he had people who were important to him now. He said that he would not let him hurt them, even if he had to kill him.

“Why...” asked Gaara. “Why can you do this for strangers?”

“My loneliness... they saved me from it, and they acknowledged my existence. They're important to me... that's why.”

“Love...”

“It's okay, Naruto.” I told him as I kneeled next to him. “Sakura's safe. He must be out of Chakra, because the sand that was holding her is gone.”

“I see...” replied Naruto, who fell unconscious. Suddenly, Kankuro and Temari jumped in. I looked to them with mixed feelings.

“Don't fight them,” said Gaara. “Let's stop.”

“Gaara...” stammered Kankuro. “Okay.” He then picked him up over his shoulder, and jumped away with Temari. I then looked down to Naruto, seeing that he was smiling in his sleep.

 

Sasuke, Suki and I then brought Sakura and Naruto back to the village, where we learned that the Hokage had left this world.