Ranma belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, Naruto
belongs to I don’t own either, I don’t make this story with
permission, I don’t get a profit.

Ranma swung, the hit blasted into his
opponent and sent him reeling back before the winds surrounding them carried
the enemy back into the air. It’s minor wounds were already healing, his cursed
powers healing the damage like viscous oil coming together. The pig tailed
glared and ignored a wave of flames floated past him, carried by the tremendous
tornado that had ripped the mountains top off.

“PUNY LANDLING! I…” lang=EN-AU>Ranma tuned out the rest of the words, time was up, Akane had to be
saved and there wasn’t much to do now, he had the energy, but not the time to
use it effectively against the godling he fought, and Ranma just didn’t know a
way to release, to use, it all at once… if he could just find a way, the battle
would be over. But Saffron had more energy, and could use so much more of it at
once.

Ranma blinked, that fireball had been too
close, but it had brought an idea… Ryoga was down on the ground and the
pigtailed boy grinned and bellowed to him to get up there. Ranma ducked another
fireball, and leapt forward to Saffron, twirling the ice staff as he went, as
he approached the martial artist unleashed a chestnut fist upon the godling,
throwing rocks and other flying debris to blind and wound the enemy, a last use
of the ancient chinese technique tossed a rock down at Ryogas umbrella. The hit
shook it in Ryogas hand and the lost boy instinctively opened it to defend
himself.

Ranma smirked in false confidence, the lost
boy was lifted by the wicked winds and catapulted into the air, only the
umbrella held the boy up, its surface area countering Ryoga’s massive weight.
Saffron launched another blast, his wounds gone, the godling paused to boast
again and Ranma took the advantage to toss the doll at Ryoga who dropped the
umbrella to catch it and plummeted to the ground near the tap. Saffron’s eyes
widened as the implications of that action hit the demi-god, the winged phoenix
screamed in fury and the pigtailed martial artist quickly distracted him with a
well aimed blow.

“Bakusei Tenketsu!” Ranma sneered; Ryoga
had just broken the tap and was dousing the Akane doll in it as he spoke.
Saffron would die; it was only a matter of time now. Ryoga bellowed his
happiness and picked up the naked and barely conscious girl, before removing
her from the open-air cavern. Ranma inwardly smiled as one less problem
vanished into the cave wall.

“Landling. You’ve done what no other has.
Be proud, for you, and your death will be remembered for evermore.” Saffron’s
voice was cold and ice hard, the escape of the girl had angered him so much he
had become ice calm, a dangerous thing for Ranma, who had needed the callous
overuse of the godlings powers to continue drawing power from.

“I think not Saffron, it’s only a matter of
time before you die.” The pigtailed man said confidently, his voice and eyes
however spoke another story, the man would be cold, colder than ice until he
was finished with the godlings corpse.

Saffron felt a little fear, but his own
ice-cold murderous rage eliminated it quickly, but it had been enough for the
nerimian prodigy to attack with the Yumisenken. A vacuum blade sheered off half
of one of Saffrons wings, Saffron scowled and ripped the rest of it off,
allowing the temporary drop in altitude before the wing regenerated in a burst
of flame.

Ranma angled himself forward; he approached
the godling, dodging the two fireballs and a wing that had come his way. The
young man had an idea, it was untested, but it would guarantee death, for at
least one of them. Ranma’s ki swirled around first inside him, then outside as
he forced his aura outwards. The Nerimaian reached Saffron and dug his fingers
into the demi-gods shoulders as saffron howled in pain as ligaments and muscles
tore underneath Ranma’s hands.

“Die Saffron.” Ranma whispered, a sudden
paling of Saffron’s face showed that although he had been unable to hear the
whisper, he had read the mans lips. Ranma’s ki surged down ranma’s hands
through his fingers and palms into Saffrons body where it, using an idea
reminiscent to vacuum blades, cut through Saffrons dominant and far more
powerful Chi like knife through butter. The Demi-God howled in pain and agony
as he soul was damaged by the attack, Ranma too screamed as the attack bounced
back and cut into his own Ki.

Desperately grabbing at something, anything
to stop his own attack from falling out of control Ranma took the broken pieces
of his own Ki and Saffron’s Chi and melded them together as the martial artist
absorbed them. The new energy was powerful, and it took a mere moment for Ranma
to bend the malleable stuff around himself to protect his own Ki from the
attack.

Ranma sneered into the pain filled eyes of
Saffron and continued his attack when something flickered at the corner of his
eye, down below them a large symbol made of what appeared to be small kanji,
the symbol Ranma realized meant something, and it appeared to be powered by a
similar mix of energies as what the martial artist had made with Saffron and
his own Ki.

“Shit.” Ranma muttered as precious seconds
passed as he removed his embedded hands from Saffron’s shoulders. The demi-gods
lack of control had made skin heal right over Ranma’s hands and the wounds
healed again as he pulled his hands free. There! They were free, and Ranma
kicked off Saffrons twitching pained and unfortunately still alive body, The
pattern below had almost reached them, Ranma smirked as he passed outside the
zone covered by the pattern.

Saffron glanced down and inwardly cursed,
the boy was going to escape because he was being summoned. But it would only be
temporary; the demi-god knew the boy lived in Japan, it would only be a matter
of time to find him again. The godlings stomach lurched suddenly, something was…
out of shape with the summoning circle, it was stretching out towards the
boy…Saffrons eyes widened in joy, the fool had taken enough of Saffrons Chi
that he too would be brought along to battle! If Saffrons enemy did not kill
him, Saffron would have the time to get sufficiently clear from the boy to make
sure he did not return!

Ranma scowled, the enemy was laughing at
him. Glancing around the man noticed that the pattern had stretched and now
covered Ranma again, the pigtailed looked around frantically, but there was
nothing he could push off, and the wind was pushing him back towards saffron.
Ranma cursed, he could accelerate towards saffron, but even then, he’d strike a
blow at the same time as the pattern reached them. He made up his mind and angled
his body for a little more wind resistance, he moved closer and closer, the
whirlwind had been dying and he wasn’t moving as fast as he could have earlier.

Ranma swung at Saffron, and the world went
white.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Naruto glared at his enemy from his perch
upon Gamabunta’s head. Gaara had become visible above the giant one-armed
Racoon he had become and was smirking at Naruto “Thankyou for keeping me
entertained so far..” Gaara paused to widen his smile a little, “But I think
its time to show you the full powers of the sand demon… and also stack the odds
a little more in my favour.”

With those words, the sand ninja’s hands
become a blur, Gumnabunta spoke, explaining about the insomnia of Gaara, but
Naruto could barely hear him, why wasn’t the giant toad attacking?

“SLEEP SUMMON!” Naruto’s eyes widened, that
technique was known in the leaf village, it forced the user to sleep for the
length of the summon but it didn’t require blood or a contract to summon the
mythical beasts, ranging from Youma to Demi-Gods. Naruto started looking around
almost frantically for the summon, but it hadn’t shown itself when the giant
sand demon started laughing.

“Hahahahaha”
it chortled in what had to be the most annoying voice ever, “I’m finally
out!!!” Naruto stared with wide eyes as the demon did a little victory
dance “Yahoooo!!!” it cheered as it spotted Gamnabunta and Naruto. “And
here’s someone I want to kill, Right-off!” the sand demon chortled and
suddenly flexed its stump “FUUTON!” Naruto gasped but Gamnabunta and
Gamakichi didn’t even blink.

“Get down fella!” Gamakichi ordered
suddenly, Naruto quickly hunkered down on top of Gamnabunta as the giant toad
king bellowed and jumped above a Renkuudan attack shot from Shusakuu. As they
reached the high point in their flight Gamnabunta bellowed and released two
massive water cannonballs down upon Shusaku who quickly countered them with
five of his own attacks.

“THIS IS BAD OYABIN! THERE’S STILL ONE LEFT!”
Naruto bellowed moments before they were hit, throwing them down into the
forest, far too close to Sakura for Narutos liking. The orange clad boy dimly
heard the sand demon cheering its victory and repeating itself inanely, Naruto
scowled for a second before grinning as Gamnabunta walked out of the cloud of
smoke that obscured them from Shusaku’s view. “That hurt! You pumped so much
damned chakra into that ball you threw at me!!” declared the toad king in
an irritated voice, although, to Naruto’s ear it was much louder and deeper
than the boys own bellow.

Suddenly a bright light filled their eyes,
and just off to the right of the two giant creatures appeared two figures, as
the summoning light receded Shusaku chortled with glee and called out in what
passed for a happy voice. “Hey Hey Saffron! A bit slow getting here!”
the Sand demon chortled again but stopped mid laugh before appearing to look
closer at the figures which were beginning to fall. “Saffron?” Naruto
and Gamnabunta turned to look a little closer too, the second figure, who
Naruto could only just make out, was dressed in red shirt with black pants… and
he was also attacking the phoenix, Naruto didn’t recognize him, but it appeared
that he was going to kill the winged man.

“Comeon boss, lets get Shusaku while he’s
distracted.” Naruto almost begged. Luckily Gamnabunta did here him and spoke “For
now rough up that medium kid! So the spell will break!”

Naruto eyes bulged, “How?” he gasped out in
shock, how the heck was he, a boy, meant to get over there? Not that if there
was a way, he’d not be able to do it.. he’d get the job done, somehow.

“We’ll get close to that stupid badger
and stop him in his tracks!” Gamnabunta lowered himself
slightly to prepare for a lunge, “We’ll do it when his guard is down!”

Naruto’s face twisted slightly, becoming
more determined than ever. “I’m asking you how exactly are we going to do
that!?”

“I’m just a toad so, I don’t have any
fangs or claws to stop him- so using the Henge No Jutsu, I’ll transform into
something that does!” Naruto grinned wildy as
Gamnabunta continued, “I’m no good at transforming so! You be my will and do
the ‘In’ for me, I’ll lend you my Chakra, It’ll be a Combo Henge!”

Naruto’s face firmed into position as he
felt the chakra enter him, what could he use, something with claws and fangs!
“umm umm” then inspiration struck.

“Here we go!”lang=EN-AU> bellowed Gamnabunta as they vanished into a cloud of smoke.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ranma looked around for a second as the
light receeded and noticed two things, two very, very, big things. A giant
toad, and a giant racoon… not only were these things giant, they were
completely out of his experience, the largest things Ranma had ever seen were
the giant animals and Orochi at Ryuugenza. Shaking his head, he dismissed it
and did his very best to ignore that the giant racoon was trying to speak to
Saffron.

“Hey Hey Saffron! A bit slow getting
here!”

“Saffron?”

Ranma punched Saffron downwards as hard as
he could, there was no way he could stay afloat via using the non existent
whirlwind which had floated around them mere moments ago, so he was forced to
slow his fall by belting the crap out of Saffron… not that Ranma had anything
against that. Saffron was coming around, enough that he was beginning to block
a few blows from the young man, Ranma scowled and swung harder, breaking the
demi-gods arm for what seemed like the umpteenth millionth time.

‘I’ve got to find a way to put him down
permanently!’ Ranma thought frantically, the man
hadn’t thought that Saffron’s claims to godhood were true, but he was willing
to admit Saffron’s power to constantly heal himself was a little… god like.
Unleashing a kick upon the godling Ranma angled after him in the fall until
Saffron regained enough presence of mind to straighten his wings. Ranma
impacted upon the godling almost immediately causing Ranma’s feet to break several
of Saffron’s ribs. The golden winged phoenix gurgled out his pain to the
uncaring world as Ranma placed his feet on the phoenix gods chest and pelvis.

‘Come on… quicker.. fall quicker
dammit.’ Ranma thought as they fell down towards
the treetops, Saffron blinked groggily but Ranma ignored it as they hit the
treetops like a hammer going through a thin wooden table, Saffron’s body
suddenly slowed and stopped its downward fall as Ranma’s previous aiming caused
Saffron’s landing, and consequent impaling upon a tree trunk. Ranma felt his
legs strain as his own weight pushed down onto Saffron’s body hard enough to
break the spine and most of the bones in the phoenix kings cadaver. And he was
dead too, the trunk of the tree had impaled him through the heart and by the
time the corpse had stopped sliding down the centre trunk, it had nearly been
ripped in half.

Ranma sighed as he broke his own fall with
branches, not without its own consequences as the man felt his arms bruise
heavily and several deep cuts appeared on said arms.

Suddenly something impacted from the side,
hard, Ranma gasped for air as someone grabbed him and slowed his almost lethal
fall to something much more acceptable.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Naruto leapt out of the cloud of smoke and
savagely bit and grasped hold of the sand demons neck and arms with his fangs
and hand like claws. The jutsu dissipated and Naruto reeled for a half second
as the strange merging of Gamnabunta and boy ended.

“WAKE UP!” Naruto bellowed as he leapt from
Gamnabuntas head onto the soft sand of Shusaku, as he sprinted up along the
racoons muzzle when the sand suddenly sunk under his leading foot, Naruto
stopped in surprise and barely heard Gamakichi’s call to his father as sand
leapt up to attack the orange clad boy, only to be stopped by Gamabuntas
tongue.

“Don’t lick me!” the
semi-awake/semi-possessed Gaara howled as he forced the toads tongue away. “What
kind of power does this boy have?” asked the sand ninja to the air around him
as he forced back the possession enough to think and check out the situation,
“Damn, this is bad! He and I should both be out of Chakra!”

Naruto meanwhile heard Gamnabunta curse as
the giant toad was pushed back towards where Sasuke had first confronted Gaara
and where Sakura was stuck to the tree. “Sakura-Chan!” Naruto whispered in
horror, reaching deep inside of himself he begged of the imprisoned demon fox
within him, ‘I’m begging you… all I need is a little bit… enough so I can
protect everyone… give me YOUR CHAKRA!’ Naruto gasped as the demon
fox complied and the red Chakra swirled out the howling Naruto.

Gaara screamed at Naruto to die but was
ignored as the blond haired boy jumped forward a challenge on his lips. “HERE I
GO!!! YOU DUMB BADGER!!!” Gaara managed to summon enough sand to slow the fox
empowered boy, but Naruto’s eyes merely narrowed as he swore at him. “You
BASTARD!” finished Naruto as he head-butted Gaara between the eyes. Gaara
suddenly slumped a little, and their now bleeding foreheads rested against each
other, both too weary to move after the devastating hit.

The sand demon began to dissolve into
chunks of sand and then into smaller pieces as Gaaras disorientation returned
Shusaku to powerlessness. Gaara and Naruto both regained enough sense of mind
to land safely on two nearby treetops, the duo stood staring angrily at each
other for nearly a minute before Naruto spoke to the backing of falling sand. “Like..
Even I’m… Empty after all this..” he paused to breath and spoke again as Gaara
regarded him with no little fear. “…I’ll reach my limits after one final blow
to you…” Naruto tottered to his feet and Gaara did the same, “We’re both alike,
you and I… Lets make this the end of it!!!” he finished with a near bellow and
simultaneously Gaara and Naruto leapt towards each other and dealt a single
blow.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The person carrying Ranma set him down
gingerly, which Ranma was more than thankful for, being a manly man and all was
okay, but being treated like dog shit for it sucked ass. Suddenly the person
whirled and sprinted around thirty feet before diving and catching someone
else. Ranma pushed himself up and rested against the tree trunk, the person who
caught him, a black clothed guy with the weirdest tattoo covering his left half
of his face, was carrying a sand covered girl wearing a short dress much in the
manner that Shampoo had. He carried her back to next to Ranma who managed to
say thanks for the catch when a dog seemingly appeared out of nowhere, “Check
Sakura…” he said to the dog before bounding off, presumably after another
person, who would no doubt be falling from the sky in Ranma’s opinion.

“Lemme look at her.” Ranma said to the dog,
more to let the dog know he was being friendly than of any belief that a dog
could possibly ever talk back.

“No. Sit there, shuddup.” Ranma blinked.
Then he blinked again. That dog did talk to him… A sudden burst of flame above
them caused Ranma to flinch and look up to Saffron’s corpse as it was engulfed
in a fireball, covering his face from falling charcoal the man noticed as the
fire receded that there was an egg in its place, the egg subsequently shone
with light and vanished.

Ranma could think of only one thing to say
before he passed out, “Shit.”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Naruto landed face down on the soft grass,
for a few minutes the boy was unable to move at all, but he managed to turn his
head at Gaara, who appeared to be in better condition and laying flat on his
back. Naruto narrowed his eyes but found he couldn’t move.. until he
constricted himself and started edging towards the other boy like a slug or
snail.

The sand ninja’s eyes flickered, and he
turned his head towards Naruto, only to find him edging towards him Gaara’s
eyes widened and he whispered to himself “..My existence won’t be put out... It
won’t be put out!” Gaara had a sudden premonition, he couldn’t stop Naruto now,
he didn’t have Chakra, nor could the sand ninja move. “Will I be saved?” the
unloved boy questioned as he listened to Naruto exert himself to get closer.

“D…Don’t come closer!” Gaara begged as
Naruto approached, all the way crawling towards him with only his chin.

Naruto stopped and looked up at the sand
ninja, Gaara was astonished to realize the boy was crying, ‘why?’ “I
know what you must feel…” Naruto spoke, it was obviously trying for him,
“..Being along… Being incomplete.. What your pain must be.. I understand
that..” Gaara could do nothing but stare, why, for what purpose did he speak
these words? They could not possibly be true. “But..” Gaara trembled at that
word as fear flowed over him, “for the people that are precious to me, to be
able to…” he stopped, and Gaara felt hope rise from within, perhaps he had
fainted? But no, he was still staring the Sand Ninja, “The people that are
precious to me… if you are hurting them…” he stopped again, and Gaara looked
into those eyes, the eyes that spoke of death and held within a vertically
slitted pupil. “And If you are trying to kill them.. I will stop you!” Naruto
finished.

Gaara stuttered as he tried to speak, “what
the…” he stopped as Naruto began moving towards him again but continued on with
an edge of fear and hysteria in his voice “What? Until now for the sake of
other people, you’ve..” but Gaara could fine no strength to speak more.

Naruto stopped again and looked at Gaara
for a moment before speaking “Because they rescued me from the hell of being
alone.. they acknowledged my existence, that’s why they all are the most
important…”

Gaara blinked and remembered “love” he
whispered, “that’s why this guy is so strong.”

“That’s enough Naruto.” Said another voice,
Gaara would have shaken his head to clear his vision but couldn’t, so it took a
moment to realize it was that Uchiha that had managed to hurt him… one of
Narutos…loved ones. He was down on one knee and resting his hand on it as he
spoke to the boy, “Sakura is all right now.” He began in a soothing voice
before turning slightly to regard Gaara, “This guy has run out of Chakra…
Sakura has been saved from the sand.”

Something just obscured Gaara’s vision for
a second, it was Temari and Kankuro, they were both looking much worse for
wear, but Gaara could make out no permanent injuries. “that’s enough… stop it.”
Gaara eked out in a quiet voice when he realized that Temari and Kankuro were
about to continue the fighting.

They glanced back at him and he saw
Kankuro’s eyes widen in surprise at how hurt Gaara was.. “I understand.” He
said as the puppeteer lifted Gaara onto his shoulder, they left instantly and
Gaara spent a moment to look back at Naruto who had allowed himself to fall
unconscious with a peaceful expression on his face.

“Temari.. Kankuro..” Gaara said quietly,
“I’m sorry..”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Authors Note: you may have noticed that I
used Ki & Chi in this. There is a purpose behind this and it will be
revealed later.