Karrafear

Summary: SEQUAL to Faith in Humanity and Restoration of Faith; PG-13. 2 and half years have passed and now is the beginning of the trials of Faith. Chapter 3: The Fate of Jinchuriki II

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Disclaimer: Naruto is an anime and manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto. It does not belong to me; I’m simply using the characters and plot for my own creative devices.

"Demon's talk", /Thoughts/, "Speech", 'Speech emphasis', (FLASHBACK), Titles, (Author's interruptions)

Warning: NARUTO COMES BACK!!! Enter Tobi! And... more on the Tenkun no Buki... And I’ll be amending the Chiyo & Sakura Vs Sasori fight a little bit. hmm... that’s all I can think of.

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Chapter 3

“This Gofuu Kekkai (5 part barrier) creates a barrier by having tags with the character “Kin” (Forbidden) written on them placed at five different locations in the area. Obviously the first one is directly in front of us.” Kakashi explained while pointing at the small, seemingly innocent piece of paper in front of the giant boulder that is obstructing their entry into the Akatsuki lair.

“The trick is to remove all 5 “Kin” tags, including the one in front of us, all at the same time.” Kakashi concluded.

“But... where are the other four tags?” Tenten questioned. Even though she was the only resident seal user in her team, she had never used seals for barrier techniques, only for storing, hence why this information was new to her.

“Neji-kun.” Kakashi prompted and Neji immediately activated his Byakugan to full range.

It didn’t take him long to find all the other four tags. “One’s about 500 metres Northeast, on top of a rock; another 350 metres south-southeast, on the trunk of a riverside tree. The third can be found at about 650 metres northwest, stuck to a Cliffside, and the last one is just under 800 metres southwest, in a grove.” Neji finished.

“Right! If that’s the range, we’ll use these portable radios to communicate. Kakashi, my team is faster than yours, so we’ll take care of the tags before rushing back to aid you. Neji, you will have to have your Byakugan activated the whole time and give us directions if we’re going the wrong way.” Gai ordered in a confident manner and each member of Team Gai, as well as Kakashi placed the delicate ear piece and voice box on their body. “Good. Everyone ready?” His team mates nodded. “Kakashi, the frequency is 174. Right! Let’s go!” With a punch in the air, all four members of team Gai disappeared from the waterfront clearing, all rushing towards their various targets.

Due to Team Gai’s impressive speed, it only took them all of 5 minutes to find their various targets, Lee having taken the longest due to the distance as well as the difficulty in finding his chosen tag. “Alright everyone, remove the tags in front of you on the count of 3! 3! 2! 1! NOW!”

In synchronisation, Neji, Gai, Lee, Tenten and Kakashi all pulled the delicate piece of paper seal away from their attachment area. Sakura, who had readied herself quickly rushed towards the boulder the moment Kakashi pulled the tag off. Giving a passionate cry, she punched into the stone structure will her might, shattering the rock’s surface crumbling and falling haphazardly into the river below. Team Kakashi didn’t waste time as they immediately jumped into the cavern.

Unknown to team Kakashi, the members of Team Gai were now trapped in their own individual fights, hence they would be unable to rush back in time to help them.

“Damn. Too late.” Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the two Akatsuki members sitting nonchalantly in front of them. There was a giant of a man crouched down in a hideously deformed fashion. Another man with long blond hair tied to a high ponytail, sitting disrespectfully on the seemingly dead corpse of Gaara. Lastly, behind Gaara’s corpse was the giant, white clay bird which was the summon belonging to the blond guy, as described by Baki and Ino.

“Oh. Look, Danna. We have guests.” Deidara mockingly welcomed.

“Sasori...” Chiyo’s soft voice echoed in the cavern.

Sasori remained silent, but Deidara wanted to play. “Yo, Sasori-danna. Isn’t that your good-ol’ grandma? Shouldn’t you go over there and give the old bag a hug or something?”

“Quiet! Deidara!” Sasori snapped back.

Deidara pouted before focussing his attention on the other members. “Oooh. We’ve also got the legendary Copy Cat Kakashi and Itachi’s little bro...” Here, Deidara’s eyes remained on Sasuke’s impassive face for a while longer before he thinned his smirk into a determined stare. “Ne, Ne. Danna. Let me play with the little Uchiha. I want to see how far he’s come along compared to Itachi-sama.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed dangerously at Deidara’s taunt.

“Do whatever you like. I don’t care.” Sasori answered in a bland voice.

Refocusing his attention to Sasuke, Deidara continued to taunt in a childish but threatening manner. “Hehe. How should I kill you, I wonder? Should I blow you up like a human firework, or should I simmer you down like a bright human fuse. An artist must always seek ever greater inspiration or he’ll lose his touch... I’ve already seen what Itachi-sama can do. Now, let’s see if you can even compare, Uchiha-no-boyo (Uchiha boy) (1).

Sasori snorted in a sarcastic manner. “What? You insist on calling those little fireworks of yours art? True art endures the ages… beauty everlasting.”

“As a fellow craftsman, Danna... I respect you, but art is in the beauty of that single fleeting moment of destruction!” Deidara retorted passionately.

“Deidara... are you trying to anger me?” Sasori threatened with a deep voice.

“Well, you’re the one who’s always putting down my art!” Deidara exclaimed in self defence, completely ignoring the four intruders that had invaded their lair. “My art is the explosion itself.” Deidara said forcefully, as he gracefully stood up. His pet bird immediately made a move to swallow the body of Gaara. “Quite different from your little puppet shows, Danna!”

In a flick of movement, a strange wooden, mechanical tail suddenly lashed out at Deidara from behind Sasori’s form, revealing his mastery of puppetry. Deidara had barely managed to avoid the attack and jump gracefully onto his summon, which had already taken to the sky with Gaara still in its mouth.

“Tch!” Sasori snorted in irritation.

“See you later, Danna!” Deidara cheered before looking at Sasuke and Kakashi once again. “Yo, Uchiha-boyo. Come and face me, show me how weak you are compared to your dear older brother!” His last comment blew Sasuke’s fuse. Seeing that he had what he wanted, Deidara quickly flew out of the cavern and into the sky outside.

“Shut up! I’m not weak! And He’s NOT MY BROTHER!” Sasuke screamed at Deidara before trying to rush off after the man, only to have his arm gripped by Kakashi.

Kakashi glared at Deidara who was still flapping around in the air, flying further away with each second he waste, and then turning to look at the formidable Sasori before coming to a decision. He silently pressed into the speaker phone for the portable radio. “Gai? Can you hear me? We need your team back here now!”

“PSSS. That’s easier said than done, Kakashi. We’re all caught up in the enemy’s jutsu. You’ll have to wait a bit longer! PSSSS.” Came Gai’s reply.

/Shit./ Kakashi thought to himself before finally giving out his orders. “Chiyo-basama and Sakura, can you hold off Sasori – the puppet master? Sasuke and I will take care of Deidara and rescue Gaara’s body. But, until Gai and his team comes back, don’t over do it.” With that said, he released his grip on Sasuke’s arm, pulled up his forehead protector to reveal his own single Sharingan eye and the both of them rushed out of the cave to follow in pursuit of Deidara and Gaara.

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Back inside the cave, there was a tense silence between the three Shinobis, that is, until Sakura suddenly commented out of the blue. “You! I recognise you!” She exclaimed.

Behind her, Chiyo gave the pink haired girl a surprised look, having known how secretive Sasori’s personality had been before he deserted the Sand. Her grandson had always been one to keep to himself, never advertising his presence loudly in public, so she was highly surprised that anyone outside of Sand would have met him and still be alive today; but Sakura’s next statement helped her understand.

Sakura announced calmly: “Two and a half years ago, during Orochimaru’s second attempt at invading Konoha, you were there trying to capture Naruto. I remember Yami-san of the Kuunoki describing your appearance and abilities to us. You’re that puppet master that went toe to toe with one of the Kuunoki Gate Guardians! (2)” Although her voice was confident, internally, Sakura was feeling very insecure about her chances against such an opponent. Inner Sakura was in full support of taking on such a challenge, while outer Sakura knew that she was way out of Sasori’s league.

Unfortunately for her, she couldn’t just walk away either. This man puppet standing before was one of the Akatsuki main members – one of those men who were out to hunt Naruto, a good friend if not a brother to her. She couldn’t just allow this man to leave here alive. Not only that, but she had to keep him here while Kakashi and Sasuke deal with the other Akatsuki member. She was certainly not going to stand aside and watch her precious people be harmed, so she literally had no choice but to fight with her all.

Behind her, Chiyo had loosened her hair, letting the white manes fall whether they go, and gave her grandson an old but determined look. “Sakura, do not fear him, remember I am by your side.” With those words, she released a string of kunai directed at Sasori, whom easily deflected them all with his wooden, scorpion like tail.

Seeing how easily their enemy deflected those weapons did not help Sakura’s confidence. “Chiyo-basama. I know that Puppet masters usually fight behind their puppets using chakra strings. And I also know that the puppet themselves are usually filled with traps and poison. I heard from Yami-san that unlike other puppet masters, Sasori actually hides himself inside one of his puppets. So how are we going to get him out of it?” She asked earnestly.

Chiyo gave the girl a weary smirk. “That’s where you come in, Sakura. It’s true. To Defeat Sasori, we must first take out Hiruko – that puppet that you see before you. But I definitely don’t have the raw power to destroy it. However, you, who have inherited Tsunade’s strength, would be able to pull that off without trouble. And it will be my responsibility to get you close enough to him to smash that puppet to pieces, without you getting injured by any of Sasori’s traps. Trust in me, Sakura, I will get you there in one piece.”

“Hey. I hate waiting. Are you ready to fight or not.” Sasori muttered impatiently as he raised his right hand to pull off the black cloth in front of his puppet’s face.

“Relax...” Chiyo chided her grandchild. “We’ll be killing you shortly.”

And so starts the battle. Sasori ripped the mouth cloth out of way, and opened up the three wooden segments that made up the puppet’s jaw. From the opened mouth, hundreds of poisoned needles shot out with deadly accuracy towards Sakura and Chiyo, who had rushed Sasori the moment Chiyo finished her speech. Miraculously, both Sakura and Chiyo managed to weave and dodge their way pass the hail of needles without getting cut even once.

However, Sasori wasn’t done. He raised his left hand, with what looked to be some sort of wooden cannon with small missiles attached to its rounded sides. A snap sounded upon Sasori’s right elbow and the wooden cannon like appendage shot forth in the area between Sakura and Chiyo’s running forms. While in midair, cannon split apart revealing thousands of poisoned needles now flying in all directions, a full 360 degree circumference around its base. Both Sakura and Chiyo were frantic in their movements, desperate to avoid being hit by any of the needles. 

Amazingly, neither of them got hit and Sasori was starting to get angry. Due to the lessening of distance between the two, Sakura quickly rushed towards Sasori’s stationary form, readying the chakra in her fist in preparation for the final impact. Sasori tried to impale Sakura using his scorpion tail but the motion was suddenly stopped when he felt foreign strings that were attached to the wooden appendage suddenly pull tight, rendering him unable to move it. The split second was all the chance that Sakura needed in order to slam her fist into the back of the puppet – Hiroku. She was surprised when she saw that her fest had met and then destroyed a giant wooden face mask that was hidden beneath the large Akatsuki cloak. But her surprise quickly wore off as she saw a small black form escaping from the centre of the crushed mask.

The black clad form skidded a bit before standing up straight. There, the real body of Sasori stood in a calm visage. “As expected of Chiyo - my grandmother and a master puppeteer. No wonder even that girl was able to avoid my traps completely. You’ve been using chakra strings to control the girl’s body from the very beginning, enabling her to react instinctively to avoid all my attacks. Not only that, the initial ruse with the kunai you threw at me helped you attack more chakra stings to Hiruko’s tail, which was why I couldn’t move it when I needed to pierce that girl’s head.”

“You’ve not lost your touch at all, Sasori.” Chiyo commented with a hint of pride and sadness.

“Of course, it was after all you who taught me everything I know of puppetry, Grandma Chiyo.” A petite, delicate looking hand appeared from under the long sleeve of the black gown the figure was wearing. These pale white hands reached up and pulled black cloak away, revealing a very young face, the face of a child’s. Short, shaggy looking reddish hair framed a young, fragile-looking face of a boy, but the pale face held very cold eyes – eyes of a merciless killer. Dropping the black cloak that he once wore over his body, Sasori revealed another coat underneath – this time it was the infamous Akatsuki coat, covered with the threatening colours of black, red and white outlines for the clouds – all giving an ominous and dangerous impression for a boy so young.

From the sleeves of his Akatsuki coat, the young Sasori pulled out a small scroll, opening it with his small fingers, the paper revealed a large character with the word ‘three’ on it. “I didn’t think I would need to use this puppet again, but I guess not everything goes according to plan all the time. I hope you all feel proud, this was the puppet I used against your so-called Gate Guardian who I fought to a standstill (3).” With those words, the summoning scroll suddenly burst into clouds of smoke. Once the haze cleared, the once summoning scroll was replaced by a human size puppet with spiky black hair hanging down the puppets head and wearing a pure black cloak with spiked-looking features upon its collar. The gem like eyes upon the chiselled face of the puppet would haunt the nightmares of many Shinobi who had ever faced such a foe.

Chiyo stared on in shocked horror. “That’s... it couldn’t be...”

“What? What is it?” Sakura asked, slightly afraid as she watched the blood disappear from Chiyo’s face.

“That is the Sandaime Kazekage...” She muttered in shocked fear.

“Sandaime Kazekage? What do you mean?” Sakura asked in confusion, having not heard of this little secret from Yami during their past conversations.

“It’s been over ten years now, since the Sandaime Kazekage disappeared from the village. Sasori! You wound dare go against our Kazekage, and not only kill him, but turn his body into your slave by turning it into a puppet, a Hito Kugutsu (Human Puppet)!” Chiyo cried out is shame and disappointment, having finally gotten over her shock. “My grandson... you’ve fallen so far! You’ve not only betrayed our village, but you’ve caused the deaths of three Kazekages!”

“Three?” Sakura stuttered, amazed that one man could have caused so much pain and chaos to the sand village alone.

“I see before me the body of the Sandaime Kazekage. And it was you and your partner who took Gaara – our Godaime Kazekage and killed him during the Bijuu extraction process. Not only that, but it was Orochimaru – guided by yourself – who killed the Yondaime Kazekage!” Chiyo yelled in anger.

/Orochimaru?!/ Sakura shuddered as she remembered the Snake Sannin and his exploits against her team members in the past, as well as the two attempts at invading and destroying Konoha. If there was one person Sakura could claim to hate with all her being, it was Orochimaru.

“Hey, Hey. I had nothing to do with the Yondaime. It was my subordinate that guided Orochimaru, not myself. Don’t put the blame of something I didn’t do on me.” Sasori countered with a calm visage. “Although, I admit that Orochimaru had been my original partner in Akatsuki. And we did do a lot of things together. Now, let’s get going.” Sasori then directed the puppet of the Sandaime to fly towards Sakura’s location.

In reaction to his move, Chiyo pulled Sakura (using her chakra strings) far away from the incoming puppet. Flying in close towards Sakura’s form, a sudden ripping sound could be heard as the right side of the Sandaime puppet’s cloak was slashed open, revealing several deadly looking knives and blades, all coated with poison ready to stab into Sakura’s vulnerable being. Chiyo reached in instinct, pulling up the scorpion tail left over from the broken Hiruko puppet and placed it in front of Sakura to protect her. With a single slash, the Sandaime puppet shattered all the pieces of the wooden tail appendage, but it gave Chiyo enough time to pull Sakura safely to her side without any further incident.

“It’s not over yet!” Sasori warned as he flung the Sandaime puppet through the air directly towards Sakura and Chiyo. The deadly blades upon the puppet’s side slammed into the ground, separating Chiyo from Sakura as they dodged in opposite directions during the attack.

Raising its right arm directed towards Chiyo, 2 slabs of wooden blocks on the each side of the Sandaime puppet’s right arm suddenly popped open, revealing elegant calligraphic writing symbolling the seals grafted into them. “GHAAA!” Sasori shouted and an instant later, hundreds upon thousands of ‘wooden’ arms or hand appendages burst forth from those calligraphic seal writings. The ‘arms’ multiplied in numbers and reached Chiyo’s shocked form in no time, burying the elderly woman in a forest of wooded puppet parts.

“CHIYO-BASAMA!” Sakura yelled as she rushed from her position to try to get towards Chiyo. Knowing that she would have to cross the puppet’s location to get to her destination, Sakura tightened her fist in readiness. Unperturbed, the puppet merely raised its left hand, the wrist suddenly popped up and opened to the side, revealing a small cannon hole in which it fired a small black pebble right into Sakura’s path.

Not knowing what to expect, Sakura made a hasty stop. Her body just barely stopped in its momentum before the black pebble hit the floor and a blast of smoke erupted from the impact. Then the smoke turned purple, and Sakura immediately knew it was poisoned gas. /SHIT!/ She thought to herself, as she ran blindly towards any direction, hoping she would be able to out run the gas. Eventually, she broke through the poisonous smoke cloud, only to land heavily on her shaking knees as the lower half of her body became increasingly numb. /Damn it! I must have breathed in some of the poison. Calm down, regulate your chakra and force the poisonous gas particles out of your lungs and bloodstream!/ Sakura concentrated, trying to regulate her chakra through out her body in order to dissipate the poison out of her body in the safest way possible.

Unfortunately for Sakura, Sasori wasn’t going to give her the time to any of that. Twitching a few of his fingers, he immediately the Sandaime puppet open up a few more hidden compartments inside its body and threw out dozens of kunai, all directed towards Sakura’s prone form. Sakura’s eyes widened at her immanent death, before they narrowed in anger again. /I refuse to LOSE!/ Closing one hand in a fist, she slammed it into the ground, uplifting huge boulder like stones off the ground, just in time to protect her from the kunais. Now, safely hidden behind her boulders, Sakura once again concentrated on evicting her body of the poison, and mentally praying that Chiyo was okay while she was occupied with staying alive long enough to finish this battle.

On the other side, Chiyo had summoned forth two puppets to her defence, and with them, she managed to protect herself from the swarm of wooden hands.

“Ah...them.” Sasori paused, and reminisced slightly at the familiar faces of the two puppets Chiyo had summoned forth.

“Yes, the first puppets you ever constructed... Your mother... and father...” Chiyo spoke sadly, her mind wandering into the past of so many years ago, but she quickly shook her head and returned to the reality at hand. By now, Sakura had managed to be rid of all the poisonous gas she had accidentally breathed into her body. Sakura stood shakily, leaning on one of the boulders as she watched in awe at the two puppets now at Chiyo’s hand. She couldn’t believe that these two puppets, once human, were actually Sasori’s parents. And more over, she couldn’t believe he would make them into puppets. /What type of person take their own parent’s corpses and make them into puppets? It’s so sick and twisted! She thought privately to herself. 

“What exactly do you hope to achieve with those two? I made them, I know all their tricks. God, you’re so pathetic, I’m almost ashamed, Ba-chan.” Sasori snorted back, his face completely expressionless, showing nothing but contempt.

The two puppets had their palms placed against one another, and then they separated, revealing a thin-looking, but strong ninja wire between them. Together, the first puppets Sasori had ever created launched themselves at the Sandaime puppet, easily cutting and slicing through its army of wooden arm appendages. Soon, the two puppet masters resorted to use all the other tricks and weapons within their puppets to fight against one another. Sakura watched in silent awe as both masters’ hands danced in the air, as their puppets slammed and struck at one another. Eventually, all three puppets came out of the assault badly harmed; most of their weapons were withered and broken. It came out as a tie.

“Hump. Looks like this is going to be paid after all... Guess I should start taking this seriously then.” Sasori muttered as he did a quick hand seal, and the Sandaime puppet’s mouth opened. Slowly but surely, a mass or red sand-like particles floated into the air.

“What is that?” Sakura asked Chiyo as she finally made it to the old woman’s side. The side effects affecting her body now fully disappeared as all the poison had been evicted out of her lungs and bloodstream, Sakura was ready for the next round.

“Satetsu (Iron Sand).” Chiyo explained. “A jutsu developed by the Sandaime himself. Based on the jutsu used by a previous host of Ichibi no Shuukaku, the Satetsu can be formed into any shape, allowing one to create weapons that fit any situation. The Sandaime Kazekage was born with a special physical trait which allowed him to turn whatever chakra he formed into magnetic forces. As such, the iron sand is the perfect weapon for him.”

“But that’s just a puppet, right? Why would a lifeless puppet have chakra?” Sakura questioned again, this time feeling more and more anxious as she watched more and more of the said iron sand come out of the puppet’s mouth.

“A Hitokugutsu is a puppet made from the body of a living person. It’s made in such a way that it retains the chakra that the victim had while still alive.” Chiyo’s voice deepened into sadness. “Only Sasori is able to make Hito Kugutsu. And by doing so, he is able to take control of the jutsu that the victim used while still alive. That is also the greatest advantage of the Hito Kugutsu.”

“That’s not everything.” Sasori said in a prideful manner. “After all, this is my favourite puppet from my collection of almost 300 puppets.”

“Sakura... Get yourself out of here now. I’ll take care of the rest alone.” CHiyo stated gravely, knowing that it would be very difficult for her to win against Sasori now, but at the very least, she wanted Sakura to survive no matter what the cost. “This is far beyond what I was expecting. With that in the game, you won’t be able to compete at all...” She explained, trying to deter Sakura from staying.

“No way!” Stubborn as a mule, Sakura snapped back at Chiyo. “I’m going to see this fight to the end! I am Haruno Sakura, apprentice to both Tsunade of the Sannin and Dokudes Ryoko of the Kuunoki. Until the day I am pronounced the best Medic Nin in the world, I WILL NOT DIE!” She shouted passionately, releasing a hint of inner-Sakura while doing so. “I’m going to crush this guy under my fist if it’s the last thing I DO!” She promised heatedly.

“Oi! Oi! You’re too loud.” Sasori taunted as he reformed the mass of iron sand into thousands of small red pellets. “Satetsu Shigure (Iron Sand Rain)!” He called out as the thousands of pellets flew through the air and pelted down at Sakura and Chiyo. When the dust cleared from the impact of such an attack, Sasori was mildly surprised at seeing both his original puppets having Chakra shields activated in order to protect both Chiyo and Sakura. “Well. So you have been tinkering with those puppets a bit. I wasn’t expecting a chakra shield. It seems you’ve upgraded them from when I use to play with them.” Sasori noted nonchalantly.

Chiyo huffed slightly in breathlessness, she twitched her fingers and tried to close the compartments on both the arms of the two puppets, but all the limbs were stuck. Taking a look at them, she identified the problem immediately. There were red sand particles stuck in all the important joints. /As expected, the iron sand has rendered the puppet immobile. We’re really stuck this time./

Sasori silently recalled all the iron sand to reform into giant spikes in the air. A second later, the newly formed barrage of spikes rushed towards Sakura and Chiyo, indenting to end their lives. With both the two puppets of Sasori’s parents rendered immobile, Chiyo had no choice but to cover Sakura with her own body, and revealed her hidden trump card. Opening the compartments of her own arm, she erected a chakra shield from her own appendage, protecting both herself and Sakura from the barrage of spikes. Both Sasori and Sakura were shocked by this revelation.

“Your own arm... you’ve rigged your own body, haven’t you?” Sasori asked without expecting an answer, and then he chuckled. “We puppeteers... we definitely think along the same lines.” He stated, confirming Chiyo’s suspicion.

“I see... so that’s why you haven’t aged in over 20 years.” Chiyo stated tiredly as she disengaged her left arm which she had used for the chakra shield. Sighing as she gazed at her broken puppets, she could not help but feel useless. “Sakura... We will need to find a way to escape. I no longer have workable puppets on hand and hence, there’s no way I can defeat him.”

“Then use me!” Sakura stated firmly, surprising Chiyo with her determination. “I said that I would punch that guy’s face in if it’s the last thing I do, and I intend to keep that promise. If there is one thing I hate the most, it’s losing.”

Giving the younger girl a wary smile, Chiyo tried to persuade her to change her mind. “I can only use one arm now; I won’t be able to help you dodge all of his attacks like before. Not only that, the Sandaime’s power comes from magnetism! So any weapons of iron and steel are useless against him.” She warned the pink haired girl.

“That’s just perfect!” Sakura readied her fists. “I don’t use weapons anyway. What I do have is Chakra and my fists.”

“That again. How pathetic.” By now, Sasori had summoned a huge red cube and red pyramid, both floating in the air ready for his command.

As Sakura and Chiyo rush towards Sasori, the giant pyramid like structure suddenly sharpened into an elongated spear, heading right towards Sakura. With Chiyo’s help, Sakura managed to jump aside, avoiding being impaled by the iron spear, but as she was twirling in the air doing a handless cartwheel, she delicately placed her right hand against the cool surface of the iron sand spear for a split second. In that split second of contact, she injected her chakra into the iron sand. “Chakra Pulse!” She announced as the iron sand suddenly paused into is momentum and slumped slightly in heaviness.

“What the hell?” Sasori’s eyes widened at the affect the girl was having on his precious iron sand with a single touch. “What the fuck did you do?” He pulled back the sand particles that made up the once pyramid-turned-spear, and the sand reacted to his calling lethargically, as if his chakra was unable to bond quite as strongly with the particles as it had been just a second ago. Angrily, Sasori mentally commanded the giant cube which he had created before to slam down on the prone form of Sakura.

Once again, Chiyo came to the rescue, pulled Sakura back from the impact crater caused by the giant box-like structure crashing onto the ground. Standing up from her fall, Sakura rushed towards the reddish cube and smashed her fist against it. In one mighty punch, he pushed the giant box-like statue right back into the cavern walls, causing quite a large cave in and exposing the inner sanctum into the outside sky.

Sasori could not help but comment on Sakura’s unladylike brute strength. “All that brute strength and you call yourself a girl?!” He sneered at the girl. “And what the hell did you do to my sand?”

Sakura smirked back at him even as she huffed and puffed to gather breath. “That was called a Chakra Pulse (4). I told you before I was the apprentice of not only Tsunade of the Sannin – who is famous for the one-punch-knockout. But I’m also the apprentice of Dokudes Ryoko – who, during her younger days was known as the Unarmed Assassin. Born a Dokudes, Ryoko-sama was already quite formidable when she became a teenager. But it was after that, when she developed her unarmed combat style that made her renowned. She specialised in Chakra attacks that were able to produce all sorts of affects, for both close-combat and ranged-combat. One of which is the Chakra pulse, which is just the injection of foreign chakra into an object or substance that already has chakra by way of vibrations, wavelengths or pulses. The way in which we ‘inject’ this foreign chakra is so ingenious; it actually weakens the ‘link’ between the enemy user and their chosen weapons, in this case, you and your iron sand.”

“Hump. Troublesome woman...” Sasori muttered under his breath. /My Iron Sand won’t be able to withstand too much of that chakra pulse technique. At this rate, not only will it take too long, but it might endanger me as well. It’ll use a bit of chakra but there’s no way around it. Guess I’ll finish her with ‘that’ jutsu./ Sasori thought to himself as he moved his fingers and chakra strings in preparation. The pyramid formation flattened into a triangle and it sliced into the floating form of the giant cube. As the two giant objects merged into one big structure, thousand of spikes suddenly erupted from its merged surface. The spikes – made out of iron sand – grew like the branches of a tree in all directions, including Sakura and Chiyo’s locations. “Satetsu Kaihou! (Iron Sand World Order!)” Sasori called his final attack.

/This is bad!/ Chiyo thought as she desperately used chakra strings to pull Sakura out of danger, but it was too late. In a matter of seconds, the entire cavern caved in, revealing a dense forest of iron sand spikes and spears literally everywhere. Both Chiyo and Sakura did not come out of this assault unscathed. Chiyo’s right arm – or her old arm – was currently buried under a large rock, resulting in her being unable to move. And Sakura was stuck in between the mass of spikes, multitude of scrapes and bruises littered her body, some bleeding, and others turning purple or green in colour, reacting to the poison inside the iron sand.

“Hehe, finally. I did say that ‘that’s not everything’, didn’t I? I mixed poison into the Satetsu, so basically as long as you get a single cut on your body caused by my iron sand, you’re infected. I see the poison’s already started to take effect.” Sasori smiled as Sakura slumped forward in a dead faint, her head landing harshly against the hard earth below her. “Her body will become numb and immobile immediately. Left alone, you’ve got three days. But I have no intention of prolonging your suffering.” He stated as he manoeuvred the Sandaime puppet into flying towards Sakura and Chiyo, to finish the job once and for all.

However, in the final moments just before the puppet pierced into Sakura’s unmoving form with a sword, Sakura suddenly sat up and punched her fist into the puppet’s body, smashing it into many tiny pieces of rubble and wood. A second after the puppet’s destruction, the iron sand in the air began to fall onto the ground like rain, littering the floor with soft, red particles. Sakura avoided the sand and ran towards Chiyo, helping the older woman up by removing the rock that trapped her hand. “Sakura, how did you...” Chiyo asked, amazed that the younger woman could still move.

Sakura then showed her a small capsule. “An antidote! There’s just one left now and I will give it to you. When I was helping Ino make the antidote for Kankuro-san, I was able to make three. Because I knew the opponent uses poisons, I made them into injection capsules and brought them along. But the antidote only works for three minutes. In that time, no matter how much poison we get, the effects of the antidote will turn it into harmless protein. Now, I have about another three minutes where the poison has no effect. We need to defeat Sasori within this time limit.” Sakura explained.

“Right. Let’s do it.” Chiyo stated calmly as she climbed onto her feet, once again, she was amazed by the ingenuity of the younger generation. Not only was there Ino – who already impressed her immensely, but here was another young woman who could and would go far.

Standing in front of him, Sasori had a no-nonsense look on his face. /I see. So I was being played all this time, huh? Well, I’ve had it with this game. I’ll acknowledge that you’re a brat to be reckoned with... and hence, I will now take a chapter from the Kuunoki’s books. No holding back!/ “This is the first time since that trouble I had when entering Akatsuki. It’s been so long... since I’ve last used myself...” Sasori commented as he pulled apart his Akatsuki’s robe, revealing a body of wood shaped in the form of a man.

On Sasori’s back, there were 2 wing like appendages. On his chest, there was a small trap compartment as well as a small round cylinder that had veins connecting it to the rest of his flat chest. His stomach area was hollow, showing a thick rope dripping with poison residing inside of him. It was a frightening sight to witness and Sakura could only give one statement to summarise it all. “He made himself into one... a Hito Kugutsu (a Human Puppet).”

Using a chakra string, Sasori pulled out a scroll from his back, and then he opened the hidden compartment on his chest. Opening the sealing scroll, Sasori released all his collection of puppets. In less than a second, he had close to 300 Hito Kugutsu puppets floating in the air, each one connected by a chakra string that links directly into his body through the opened compartment hole. Sasori smirked proadly down at Sakura and Chiyo. “Aka Higi Kyakki no souen (Secret Red Techniques: Hundred Manipulation)!” He announced. “With my full collection of puppets, I am able to take over a nation. So, let’s see how you cope against my power now?”

Seeing the massive numbers against them, Chiyo had no choice but to act herself. Using a chakra string, she pulled back her old arm appendage that had once been stuck with iron sand, but was now free of them. Reattaching her arm, she pulled out a small scroll. “I’d forbidden the use of this jutsu. I thought I would never use it again, but it looks like that won’t be the case.” Flipping the scroll open, Chiyo performed a small set of hand seals and summoned forth her own special collection of puppets. Unlike Sasori’s hundreds, Chiyo called forth just 10 puppets, each one wearing a white coat but with different facial features, and possibly different attach techniques as well. “Shiro Higi: Jikki Chikamatsu no Shuu (Secret White Technique, Group of the Ten Collection of the Chikamatsu)!”

“Alright! Let’s go, Chiyo-basama. Remember, I’ve still got 3 minutes and counting. Let’s do this fast and furious.” Sakura punched her fists together in preparation for the final confrontation.

Without further ado, the army of black clad Hito Kugutsu flew towards their adversaries, and a massive fight was on hand. Chiyo effectively dispersed her attention among her ten puppets, sometimes utilising two or three of them together in combined assaults, other times, using single puppets to slice and dice their way through the entourage of enemies. Sakura too, smashed her fish in and out of puppets left and right, other times she created chakra blades or spears to pierce and break apart puppets. But it all seemed never ending, the moment they take one puppet down, two or three more takes its place.

/This is taking too long!/ Chiyo understood that they simply could not compete with the numbers of puppets on Sasori’s side. As such, the only way they can survive is if they take on Sasori himself. “Sakura! Aim for Sasori. I’ll hold back the other puppets!” Chiyo called out to her partner.

“Got it!” Sakura answered as she punched yet another puppet in the face, shattering it into little pieces.

“Use this!” Chiyo cried as she manoeuvred one of her puppets to intercept Sakura and gave her a small white globe. “Get in close and throw it at him!”

“Right!” Sakura answered as she caught the globe in her right hand. Ducking behind a sword wielding puppet, Sakura carefully placed the globe beneath her armpits, and then she quickly performed a set of seals. “Gen Bunshin (Illusionary Bunshin)! (5)” A large burst of smoke created from Sakura’s jutsu eventually cleared away revealing 10 Sakura’s in her place. The ten Sakura clones rushed at the attacking puppets, heading towards Sasori’s location.

The puppets tried to dispel the illusionary clones by piercing them or striking them with various weapons, but the clones simply faded out for a bit before solidifying once again, and somehow managed to land their own punches and kicks at puppets, hindering the mechanical dolls even more.

On the opposite side, Sasori was a little bit confused as to the purpose of the jutsu. Normal Bunshins were simply illusions that immediately dispel upon contact. Other clone techniques like the Kage Bunshin or Misu Bunshin uses Shadows or Water as its base element – and these clones usually dispel when they are hit directly with one solid attack. These Bunshins utilised by Sakura fade in and out between the two phases – sometimes they were just illusions that do not dispel but simply pass through the attacks; other times they become solid and are able to do some damage themselves, even though their punches and kicks were no where near the level of power of the original Sakura.

/So, if all ten of these clones – as far as I can see – are simply that, Clones! Then where is the original?/ Sasori thought to himself as he scanned the battlefield. /I can’t sense her anywhere? Is she using an invisibility technique to cloud my senses? But how? I thought she was a Medic Nin? How is she able to escape.../ In that instant, Sasori’s world suddenly turned black and silence shrouded his world.

A form slowly faded into existence behind Sasori’s frozen form. “Mukaku no Jutsu (Blind Senses Technique) (6). Even though you’re body is a puppet, there is there still something human inside, something that produces your chakra. And as long as there is still something human and alive inside your body, I can attack it with my chakra. It’s over, Sasori of the Red Sand.” With those words said, Sakura slapped the white globe object that Chiyo had given to her previously onto Sasori’s back. Sasori immediately feel onto his feet and then the floor as if he himself was a puppet with all of his strings cut. Whatever that globe had been, it started sucking up all of Sasori’s chakra before sealing the chakra away, and at the same it, it grew in size, covering and laying on top of Sasori’s immobile body like a giant parasite. With Sasori’s chakra cut off indefinitely, all of the Hito Kugutsu puppets that had once been attached to Sasori via chakra string feel onto the ground haphazardly and completely defeated.

Chiyo slowly but surely trotted her way across the mass of puppet bodies and puppet parts, making her way towards Sasori’s fallen body and Sakura. “You cannot move... It’s over... Sasori... That sealing jutsu completely suppresses all chakra... you can’t even use a chakra tread anymore...” Chiyo then coughed out blood as her body shook from the poison invading it through a small cut on her arm.

“Chiyo-basama! Quickly. Take the antidote.” With her arms already numb from the poison, Chiyo had to wait until Sakura ran towards her side and hurriedly stab the antidote capsule into her body.

“I see. So it was you who came up with the antidote to my beautiful poison. And here I thought no one would be able to figure it out.” Sasori calmly stated from his place on the ground. “Hm. To think I was taken down by an old hag, and a little girl who’s a Shinobi wannabe. How disgraceful...”

Chiyo signed tiredly as she looked on at her beloved grandson. “Why... Why, Sasori? Why did you do it?” She pleaded softly, her heart unable to take the torment anymore. “Just tell me one thing. Why did you leave? What compelled you to betray the Sand, the Sandaime, and me? What was it you were after? And why couldn’t you confide in me?” She bit down on the tears that wanted to drip pass her eyes. “I would have done anything for you? I would have gone to any length to make you happy? I even created a jutsu just for you. A Tensei Ninjutsu (Life Transfer Technique) – a technique that could have breathed life into a puppet, at the cost of the user’s own life. Just tell me WHY!? Why did it have to end this way?”

“Hump. You’re rampaging emotions is why. Pathetic. When did you start getting senile and overtly emotional, grandma?” Sasori sneered in distaste. “You want to know the truth? Fine, I’ll tell you the truth. I despise being human. That’s all there is to it.” He answered calmly.

“Wha... What? How can you hate being human? You are born one?” Sakura stuttered in surprise.

“That’s exactly my point. Humans are the most detestable creatures on this planet. Only humans would create wars, kill one another, and claim it as a justifiable action. Humans can create great works of art, preserving beauty for all eternity. But on a whim, they can destroy it all as well. I hated the fact that I was born a human, with a flesh and blood body that is weak against physical attacks. I hated the fact that my body would decay with the likes of a rotting rodent. I hated the fact that I am forced to feel useless emotions and fed stupid ideas like bonds of family, and ties to ones village. They are all concepts and lies that bind one-self to its cage, a physical cage that is known as the human body.” Sasori sprouted, surprisingly passionate in his speech.

“In this body that does not feel pain, you can hit me as many times with your fist and I will not feel hurt. In this body that do not bleed or rip as muscles do, I no longer worry about the limits I can take. In this body that cannot feel emotions, I have no ties with anyone, alive or dead. Hehe. Even if you argue that we are connected by blood ties as we were, I won’t feel a thing if grandma here dies. My heart... is just like this body...” Sasori’s impromptu explanation was cut off by Sakura. 

“HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?! The life of a human being... Doesn’t it mean anything to you?! Doesn’t FAMILY mean anything to you?! Why do you think like that?” Sakura cried but was stopped from smashing Sasori’s face in by a tug on her arm from Chiyo.

“That’s enough... Sakura... He was made into what he is... by the misguided customs and teachings of ours in Sunagakure.” Chiyo muttered under her breath, she felt truly old and helpless at the words of Sasori.

“Why don’t you try having a body like this? Maybe then, you’ll understand some of what I’m saying. A body without decay... As a puppet, one’s body can be rebuilt indefinitely... And isn’t bounded by mortality either... I can just manufacture as many people as I want... from puppets... If I want them...” Sasori taunted. “I don’t just add for the sake of numbers of course. Collections are all about quality.”

Sakura grit her teeth in frustration. “What... the hell are you?”

“Well, if I had to say... I suppose... I’m a person who couldn’t fully become a puppet. I’m a puppet, but... I’m an incomplete puppet with a flesh-and-blood ‘core’... Neither a person... nor a puppet.” For once, Sasori smiled a genuinely sad smile. “Soon, I’ll stop moving altogether. But until then, let me make one last request...” Here, Sasori’s smile turned sadistic. “Please die with me.”

Several puppets around Sakura and Chiyo suddenly sprung to life again and headed straight towards the two women with blades out and ready to pierce them. In surprise, Sakura barely managed to dodge a deadly swipe directed at her eye before Chiyo activated her chakra shield with one arm and protected her. With the other hand, Chiyo called forth the two original puppets she had used, the puppets of her son and her daughter in law. Swords in hand, both puppets stabbed right into Sasori’s core, through his back using the sword in their hand. And instantly, the attacking puppets stopped moving and slumped onto the grounds again. Sasori too, was confirmed dead.

“Ha... How did he?” Sakura stuttered with surprise.

“He placed his threads underground and somehow attached them to the puppets around us. I had thought that the seal would have suppressed all of his chakra, including the ones he embedded beneath the earth. But it looks like I was wrong. He was just bidding his time so that he could reawaken those puppets and kill us. In the end, we were careless.” Chiyo answered tiredly.

“I see.” A few long moments of silence later, Sakura stood up onto her feet. “Well, let’s get going. We still have to rescue Gaara.” Behind her, Chiyo too stood onto her own two feet. /Goodbye. Sasori... I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry... I couldn’t have been a better grandmother to you.../

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Kakashi and Sasuke were in pursuit of Deidara as they jumped from tree root to tree root across a great valley carved through by a rapid river beneath them. “Sasuke! Do you have any long range attacks in your arsenal?” Kakashi asked as he jumped.

Beside him, Sasuke frowned in thought. “Only my Katon attacks.” Landing on yet another tree root, Sasuke paused for a few second to perform a list of hand seals. “Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu! (Fire Element: Dragon Fire Technique)” Breathing out large fire dragon from his lips, the summoned dragon flames flew through the air and quickly caught up with Deidara’s flying form.

Deidara’s summon ducked and weaved away from the fire dragon’s clutches, before Deidara released a few more smaller, clay, bird-like creatures and had some them fly towards the dragon, while the rest fly towards Sasuke and Kakashi’s location. The birds that flew towards Sasuke’s fire dragon exploded right in front of it, creating a gigantic blast that neutralised both attacks. The clay birds that flew towards Kakashi and Sasuke were destroyed by Sasuke when he quickly performed Housenka no Jutsu (Fire Flower Technique).

Seeing that Deidara had used the attacks as a distraction to fly further away, escaping from most of Sasuke and Kakashi’s attacks, the two Konoha ninja had no choice to but to increase their speed and run after the ex-Stone Ninja again.

“Kakashi-sensei, what are you going to do? If I use any of my Katon techniques, the bastard will just duck and weave out of the way. All my fire bending techniques have only close to mid-range effects, I can’t do long range fire bending.” Sasuke admitted as he scrambled his mind to think of something he can do to help the situation.

“Hmm... I do have a technique that is long range and can be used in this situation. But because our target is a moving target, I may not be able to hit him with a direct hit. And I can only do this technique once, or at most twice. It’s a one-hit success or failure type thing.” Kakashi stated as he thought about the technique he could do with his own Mangekyou Sharingan. It wasn’t that Kakashi couldn’t use it, but he was rather reluctant to use it in front of Sasuke, having known that the younger Uchiha detested the Mangekyou Sharingan with all his being. Not that he blamed the youngster, but as a Ninja, you really had to use everything to your advantage. Luckily for Kakashi, Sasuke finally thought to something he could use.

“I think... I think I’ve got a technique that I can use in such a situation. And whether it hits or not, it’s big enough to definitely affect the enemy. But... But I need time to prepare. Can you cover me as I get read, Kakashi-sensei?” Sasuke asked seriously, his body tense in readiness.

Kakashi only nodded. And with that acceptance, Sasuke landed and stopped his pursuing of the enemy. He took a deep breath before widening his legs and squat down lower in order to stabilise itself. /Focus. Breathe. Remember what Katono-sama said about this technique. You must feel at peace with yourself completely before you can attempt it. Breathe.../ Sasuke thought to himself as he flexed the fingers on his hands and formed two, identical hand-seals on each hand. The index and middle fingers were straight together, while the little and wedding finger were closed with the thumb covering them. Moving his right arm only, Sasuke focussed all the positive energy within his body to move towards the tip of his right-hand’s fingers as he swung them from up to down, from right to left, twisting his waist as he goes along. Then he changed sides, moving his left hand from up to down, from left to right, he focussed all the negative energy onto the tips of that hand’s fingers. Releasing his breath and breathing in deeper, Sasuke then pulled the two opposition-ally charged fingers together right in front of his chest. When the single instant the two tips touched, Sasuke immediately straightened his right hand to point forward towards where Deidara’s flying form was located.

The reaction was instant. A huge surge of electricity erupted from Sasuke’s finger tips and flew across the air like lightning. And though the young Uchiha’s aim was not exact, the sheer power behind the lightning strike affected a large area of space, an area encompassing where Deidara had flown into. The rush of lightning struck Deidara and his summoned bird, shocking the Iwa-Ninja into numbness and disrupting whatever chakra technique he used to control his bird, resulting in the both the Iwa-Nin and his clay creature to suddenly plummet all the way towards the ground beneath them.

Sasuke slumped onto one knee, completely out of breath and having both his arms shaking under the strain. “Ka... Kakashi... Gaara.” This was all Sasuke could manager to say before he started coughing, body still shaking from the strain of the release.

Luckily for Sasuke, Kakashi understood the dilemma quite well. “You did good, Sasuke. Rest for now.” Performing a few hand seals quickly, Kakashi produced three Kage Bunshins (Shadow Clones). He and two of the clones quickly rushed off towards Deidara’s falling body in order to rescue the corpse of the Kazekage, leaving one behind to look after Sasuke.

With a few high speed jumps, the two Kakashi clones managed to grab on the clay bird before it smashes against the ground. Tearing into the clay construction with a kunai, the two Kakashi clones quickly but delicately picked up the Kazekage’s body and took it to a safe place.

Not too far away from his clay summon, Deidara’s own body crashed into the ground quite painfully, resulting in the Akatsuki member coughing up blood as he felt his lungs being crushed by internal pressure. Having his body shocked by a large amount of electricity, Deidara found it incredibly difficult to move any of his limbs as all of his nervous system is out of wack at the moment. Not to mention his Chakra system had been frying under the intense electrical shock. This was why there was nothing he could do to lessen his impact against the unforgiving ground. Gritting his teeth from the pain of rupturing his body from the inside, Deidara somehow managed to curse out loud: “Shitty Uchiha!”

Unfortunately for Deidara, his troubles weren’t over yet, as he suddenly heard the sound of a thousand birds all concentrated in one area. /Shit!/ He thought to himself as he saw Kakashi suddenly rush towards his fallen being with a powerful lightning technique in his hands.

“Chidori!” Kakashi plunged his electrified hand right into Deidara’s chest, sparking the entire area in a condensed electrical surge. However, to Kakashi’s surprise, Deidara’s body suddenly turned brown and decomposed on the spot. “Kawarimi (Replacement technique)” Kakashi confirmed to himself as he looked from one side of the clearing to the other, trying desperately to locate the missing Nin.

It was at that moment that Sakura and Chiyo landed behind Kakashi, and Sasuke with a Kakashi clone rushing out of the bush on the original Kakashi’s right side, reuniting the members of the original rescue team.

“Kakashi-sensei. Sasuke-kun. I’m glad we caught up with you guys.” Sakura stated, her eyes shining in relief, even as she supported the tired looking Chiyo by her side.

“I’m impressed that you managed to find us.” Kakashi stated, finally letting down his guard somewhat.

“Its because we saw the enemy flying not long ago, and then there was that huge lightning attack. Was that you, Copy Cat?” Chiyo asked, highly impressed by the attack used.

“Iie.” Kakashi shook his head. “That was all Sasuke.” Sakura looked surprised at her teammate, while Chiyo looked on with respect in her eyes.

Ignoring the awed look flying his way, Sasuke addressed his team leader. “Kakashi, did you get Gaara?”

Kakashi nodded and looked towards the far distance, where two of his clones had secured Gaara’s body away from all the fighting.

Some fifty metres away and hiding beneath a dense bush, Deidara glared heatedly at Sakura and Chiyo. /Unbelievable... To think that Sasori Danna could be beaten by a little girl and an old hag! So much for that ‘everlasting and eternal beauty’ stuff; he got himself killed in an instant! His construction with its weak point exposed to everyone, was just him being overconfident anyway. Hmm... Still, if I were to say so myself... it was a death becoming of an artist... Oh well, better get out of her before I’m caught./ Deidara thought to himself as he shuffled softly backwards and out of the bush, only to see all four members of team Gai appear on the scene.

“Good work, Neji.” Gai praised as he grinned at the last Akatsuki member.

Using sheer will and chakra to override his overtaxed nerves and muscles in his legs (due to the electrical shock of Sasuke’s jutsu) Deidara managed to run, dodge and jump away from Tenten’s many thrown weapons. Unfortunately, he still wasn’t fast enough to dodge Lee’s Konoha Senpuu. Having a heavily weighted leg smash into his face was not a nice experience. Deidara was kicked far away from the members of Team Gai, exposing himself to the rest of Team Kakashi as well. Deidara spitted a broken tooth out of his mouth as he glared hatefully at all the Konoha and Suna ninja against him, but then he grinned as he was only a few metres away from his prized clay summon. Running towards the clay bird, Deidara tried to use his arms but winced as the pain from Sasuke’s previous attack had rendered both of them completely useless. /No matter./ Deidara thought to himself as he opened his own mouth and bite into the clay, before swallowing it whole down his own throat.

“Everyone! Be on your guard! He’s a long range fighter that uses explosives!” Kakashi having seen Deidara head towards his clay bird quickly sounded out the warning.

“Take a look at my ultimate work of art! Art is a BANG!” Deidara screamed as his body suddenly bloated and morphed into a giant balloon like creature, ready to blow.

Neji’s face turned to shock as he watched Deidara’s body began to deform due to the chakra within it. /The Chakra’s all gathering in one spot at once! He couldn’t be.../

Before Neji even had the chance, Sasuke had seen the same chakra condensation with his own Sharingan eyes and yelled for everyone to run for cover. “Everyone! Get away from there now!” He screamed in alarm.

A giant explosion erupted from the epicentre of Deidara’s body, expanding quickly and swallowing up all the nearby trees, grass, soil, everything. It was too fast for anyone to escape. That is, until it suddenly disappeared from the clearing altogether.

“Wha... What?” Tenten asked in confusion.

“Kakashi!” Sasuke’s stunned voice brought all their attention towards Kakashi and his single, glowing Mangekyou Sharingan eye. “What did you do and how did you get that eye, Kakashi?”

It was then that Kakashi stumbled backward, closing his Sharingan eye in exhaustion.

“Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura rushed towards him to see if there was anything she could do to help her old teacher.

Kakashi sighed heavily as he looked at Sasuke. “I sent both him and his explosion to another dimension. As for how I got this eye, I’ll tell you later... Sasuke... I promise.” Sasuke nodded in acknowledgement. “But more importantly...” Kakashi trailed off as he looked towards Gaara’s corpse with sad eyes.

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In a large clearing some miles away from the destroyed Akatsuki lair, Sakura placed her hand no Gaara’s chest. But she could only shake her head sadly. There was nothing she could do to help him anymore. He had been dead too long. It was a gloomy reality that everyone had to accept, Gaara’s gone. They had failed.

Chiyo sighed heavily as she shuffled forward towards Gaara’s corpse. Kneeling down to the late-Kazekage, she placed both her hands upon his chest. “This is a result of my sin. As such, I should be the one to take all punishments. Ironically, in a way it would also be my salvation and redemption.” She muttered softly before a green glow appeared from the palms of her hands as she tried to bring Gaara back to life.

“Chiyo-basama! That jutsu will...” Sakura halted as she looked at Chiyo’s pained but determined face. /Chiyo-basama. Is this what you mean... when you said that there was still something you needed to do... You’re going to bring Gaara-kun back to life... in exchange for your own?/ Sakura could feel the tears prickle upon the sides of her eyes, she knew that this would be Chiyo’s last moment and she wanted to honour the elder’s choice by being silently supportive.

“Stop this foolishness, Chiyo-obasama. There is no need to sacrifice your life.” A voice suddenly called out from the side of the group, distracting Chiyo to the point where she abruptly cut off her jutsu. A young man, covered in long white cloak stood before them calmly. The man did not act in any way threateningly, but still, his has a very strong presence, as if demanding respect even while standing casually among the grass.

“Who are you?” Lee shouted out passionately as he prepared himself for another fight.

“No, wait. Stop!” Neji’s voice stopped Lee from assaulting their guest. “He’s...”

Neji’s voice fades as the young man pulls down his hood, revealing the face of none other than Uzumaki Naruto.

“Naruto?!” Sakura stuttered out the name of her old teammate, one who she hadn’t seen in years! The rest of the Konoha teams weren’t much better, all with their eyes wide and mouths open in shock.

“Naruto? What the hell are you doing here?” Sasuke blinked in surprise. “And where the hell have you been all this time?” The black haired boy shook off the shock and asked angrily.

“Now is not the time.” Naruto calmly stated, his eyes never leaving the fallen form of the Kazekage. “Chiyo-basama, the fact that you were already willing to sacrifice your life for Suna, for your Kazekage, for your past sins, that is already enough. You don’t need to actually go through with it. There is still more you need to do to ensure the future of Suna is prosperous.”

Chiyo narrowed her eyes. “Suna needs a leader. They need Gaara, more so than myself. If my life can be exchanged for the Kazekage’s, then I die a worthy death.” She stubbornly said.

“I did not say anything about letting Gaara die. In fact, that’s why I’m here in the first place.” Naruto stated before pulling out a small scroll from his cloak, opening it, he revealed that it was a storage scroll. Lighting tapping one of the symbols on the scroll, Naruto released the sealed object – a large, clear cylinder filled with a strange liquid, and inside that liquid is a human arm and hand.

“Na... Naruto-kun. What are you going to do with that arm? And what do you mean by that last sentence? Are you’re here to save Gaara too? But he’s already dead! Without Chiyo-basama’s Tensei Ninjutsu (Life Transfer Technique), there’s no way you can bring someone whose already dead back to life!” Sakura demanded.

“Who said Gaara is dead?” Naruto’s retort confused everyone. “It’s true the being lying in front of you is nothing but a corpse. But his soul, his life essence, is still there, sealed away from the body... for his own protection.” Naruto answered cryptically.

Both Sasuke and Neji took a deep, thorough look at Gaara’s body with their respective eyes, and both were shocked that there is still one part of Gaara that still has chakra, but hidden in such a way that it does not mix with any part of his body. “The seal is at his heart.” Neji muttered. “There’s a seal inside his heart that still has a minute amount of chakra inside, but that chakra doesn’t seem to be affected by the rest of the body, nor does it look it’s affecting the rest of the body. How the hell did you get a seal that small in to such a dangerous place, Naruto-kun?

“Who said I did? I didn’t place the seal, Neji. I’m merely the one to release it.” Naruto answered as he placed the cylinder onto the ground. Looking at Sakura, he spoke again. “Sakura, when I’m done, I’ll need you to attach this new arm to myself, can you do that?”

“What!? What you mean you need me to attach a new arm to your body? What the hell are you gonna be doing that would cut off a whole arm?” Sakura yelled in slight anxiety, not knowing exactly what to expect.

“You’ll understand soon enough.” Naruto uttered before turning his gaze to Sasuke. “Sasuke, I will need one of your swords, would you be willing to lend it to me?”

“Sasuke narrowed his eyes before nodding. “As long as you don’t break it in anyway.” He handed one of his broad swords to Naruto who stabbed it onto the ground to be used later.

“Naruto...” This time, it was Kakashi who asked the question. “If you didn’t place the seal on Gaara; who did? And when did they do it? Was it done before or after Gaara was taken by Akatsuki? Just how long as this seal been there?” He demanded.

“The seal has been inside Gaara for almost 3 years now. The seal has been feeding off of Gaara’s life energy and chakra, storing the access energy away just in case of this happening. It is similar to Tsunade’s Souzou Saisei technique (Genesis Rebirth). But while Souzou Saisei is activated by the user while the user is several injured but alive, this technique must be activated by an outside source, and only when the user is already dead. Once it is put on a person’s heart, it automatically starts sucking up chakra and life energy, basically shortening the person’s life the longer it stays on the person. However, if this person ever dies unnaturally or naturally, that’s when this seal can come into affect. Once released, it gives back to the person whatever life energy or chakra it had absorbed during its reign. The basic concept is that you take, you store, and then you give back when it is needed.” Naruto explained calmly even as he slowly removed his cloak, revealing his right arm completely bandaged from finger to shoulder.

Sasuke frowned. “Almost 3 years ago?” His eyes then widened in realisation. “Ruri-sama! Ruri-sama was the one who put that seal on Gaara, exactly a month before the Chuunin Exam Tournament. I remember now. On the day that we met up, Gaara was called off to meet Ruri-sama alone (7). And then I learnt that Gaara went missing for a week before he returned looking slightly worse for wear and a lot weaker. Ruri-sama herself wasn’t seen until the day of the tournament itself, Katono-sama later told me that she was sick with a high fever for a whole month. That’s got to be it.” He deduced.

“If Ruri-sama, after performing this... whatever seal it is, became sick for a whole MONTH, then what the hell will it be like for you, Naruto?” Sakura demanded, suddenly feeling weak in the knees, knowing that her teammate would choose the most painful, most difficult way to accomplish anything.

“It’s true, there are many drawbacks to such a technique; which is why it is ONLY ever used when you know that you will die in the future. It’s complicated because when the seal is put on a person, that person actually dies for a short period of time during the process. After that, he or she will have to be brought back to life manually. And then, later on, when that person who carries the seal is killed, their bodies must remain in tack, before the seal can be released in order to revive them from the dead. Not to mention, it does a hell of a lot of harm to the seal master in both instances - when the seal is placed on the body and when it is removed from the body.” Naruto agreed, but he nonetheless continued with what he planned to do. “However, this is the only way to ensure that Gaara still have the powers of Shuukaku – such as the manipulation of sand, even when the bijyu itself has been drawn out of his body.”

A short silence ensued as everyone digested the information Naruto had provided them. “Now, everyone, could you please move away from Gaara’s body. The technique I’m about to use is very volatile and may attack anyone within a certain distance, regardless of my command.” He warned and everyone heeded his warning, moving some thirty to forty metres away from him and Gaara’s body. Naruto then pulled out a small kunai before cutting Gaara’s clothes slightly to expose his chest area, namely the area surrounding his heart. Naruto then put the kuani away and took a few steps back to where the container (with the human arm) as well as Sasuke’s sword rested.

Sakura had a very bad feeling about this as she watched Naruto’s movements. “Naruto-kun, what technique will you be using?” She asked, almost dreading the answer.

Naruto didn’t reply, he simply closed his eyes in concentration before taking a deep breath to prepare himself. Biting his left thumb to draw blood, he stained some of his blood across all five fingers on his right hand – the bandaged one, before performing a short series of hand seals. “Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Tenkun no Buki – Gojyo Fuuin Wa (Summoning Technique: Weapons of the Legendary Warriors – Five Part Sealing Rings) (8)”

A small burst of clouds obscured Naruto’s right hand. When the smoke clears, there appeared to be small intricate looking rings on each of Naruto’s fingers. However, these insignificant looking items radiated a menacing aura, one which both fascinated and terrified the other Ninjas surrounding Naruto.

/Shit! I knew it! Only a Tenkun no buki would cause the wielder so much pain and suffering. No wonder Ruri-sama was sick with fever for a whole month. God damn it, Naruto! Why you always rely on these god-forsaken weapons!/ Sakura bit her lip in order to stop herself from crying out loud. She hated these Tenkun no Buki with a passion, and she hated the fact that her old-teammate constantly uses them, regardless of the harm he does to his own body in return for such power. Shutting her eyes to stop the tears from coming out, Sakura forcefully calmed herself. /There’s nothing I can do to stop him. I can’t stop him. All I can do is support him, and help heal him once he’s done with those awful things. Naruto needs my support, not my condemnation./ She thought to herself and refocussed her attention upon Naruto and Gaara.

Standing beside her, Sasuke had a different viewpoint to the whole situation. /The ‘fallen’ weapons – or sometimes referred simply as the ‘evil weapons’. Katono-sama had always respected those things... and at the same time feared and detested them. They are powerful, no argument with that; but at what price. The price to use them is too high... simply too high to pay. Naruto... to be able to use them again and again, how much are you willing to pay. How far are you willing to go? For each time you use it, not only does it cause your body harm, it strips away your humanity, making you one of them... a demon. And with you being a Jinchuriki, it would be so easy to become one of them... Aren’t you afraid at all? Afraid that one day, you will no longer be considered... a human? But a monster.../ (9)

Closing all of his fingers but leaving the thumb straight, Naruto rotated his wrist until he formed a ‘good’ sign on its side, it was then he spoke: “Inochi no wa, Hatsudo! (Ring of Life, Activate!)” The strange curved-dagger like appearance of the ring’s emblem suddenly shot away from Naruto’s thumb, still attached to him through a small metallic chain (10). The tiny dagger like attachment flew through the air in a straight line and stabbed right into the chest of Gaara, right over his heart.

What Sakura and the others could not see was how the dagger like stud slipped pass Gaara’s rib cage and pierced right into the very important organ that is known as Gaara’s heart. There, a pulse of chakra was released from the foreign object into the deceased organ, causing a wavelength of power vibrating through Gaara’s immobile nerves, restoring life into the once-dead cells.

From behind Naruto, he could hear Sakura gasp in horror and surprise, but he could not spare any attention away from what he was currently doing. Already, he could feel the ring draining life energy away from his own body. He knew he had to hurry or else he runs the risk of dying himself, even before he could revive Gaara. Bending his thumb (still with the metallic chain attached to the ring), Naruto closed his other fingers over it, and straightened his index finger this time. “Tamashii no wa, Hatsudo! (Ring of Soul, Activate!)”

Yet again, the attached stub on the index ring – this time in the form of a decorated cross, suddenly snapped away from Naruto’s finger and sprang towards Gaara’s corpse. With yet another metallic string chaining both the ring and its spearing target together. Just like the first ring, this second ring also managed to weave pass the rib cage and pierced into Gaara’s heart. A second silent pulse was released, and an almost ethereal glow slowly began forming around the heart. There, Gaara’s soul lies asleep, protected from Shinigami’s touch and awaiting revival patiently. 

Naruto had to physically bite his lip in order to not cry out at the spark of pain that ran down his own right arm. Already, he could feel the cells in his body heat up. /Got to hurry!/ He thought desperately. He then bent his index finger, closed the others around it, and pointed his middle finger. “Karada no wa, Hatsudo! (Ring of Body, Activate!)”

Like its predecessors before it, the third object, this time shaped like a two sided cone stabbed into Gaara’s heart with a vengeance. But unlike the other two ring’s affects, this one’s influence was clearly visible. Large, ugly vines suddenly sprung forth upon Gaara’s skin, originating from his chest, it spread rapidly across his upper body, down his arms, across his back, down his legs, before finally slowing down one the veins appeared around his neck and jaw (11). These veins were similar in likeness to Byakugan’s eye line veins when the Hyuuga activate them. However, what makes this situation so unbelievable was that these bulging veins covered almost every inch of Gaara’s supposedly dead body, all except his head.

Beneath the skin’s surface, a series of chakra surges swam through all of Gaara’s veins, arteries and chakra circulatory system. Each surge coincided with a beat of the heart, now active after almost 5 hours in a death-like state. Each surge of chakra brought forth life in many of Gaara’s muscles, bones, and organs. Glans and nerves that had once been dormant were now active and ready to be used once again; a true revival of the body in all its completeness.

By this point, Naruto was breathing heavily. His right arm was shaking slightly and he had to hold it straight with his other hand. Taking a deep breath, Naruto closed his eyes in concentration, before he straightened his ring or forth finger in preparation for the next step. “Kioku no wa, Hatsudo! (Ring of Memory, Activate!).”

The diamond shaped stud stabbed into Gaara’s heart just like all the other rings. But with its activation, all the visible vein that bulged across Gaara’s skin slowly but surely subsides. It left behind only faint marks or scars showing that the event had once happened in the first place. Gaara’s face too, started twitching with the new signals coming into the once inactive brain. Electrical pulses, nerve signals and live cells finally connected with the master brain function, enabling Gaara to twitch a nose, and move his eyes behind his eyelids. All these little movements brought forth hope and awe among the gazing participants, but at the price of its activator.

Naruto forcefully ignored the sight of his right arm slowly turning blue, then dark purple in colour. The skin around his ringed fingers were slowly pealing off, revealing dried up or dying muscle being exposed painfully to the son. /Just one more. Just one more./ Naruto chanted in his head as he pointed his little finger towards Gaara body. “Kokoro no wa, Hatsudo! (Ring of Heart, Activate!)”

The heart shaped stone struck Gaara’s heart right in the centre, passing through his rib cage as if it were not there in the first place. This last ring, the Heart ring, didn’t exert energy in pulses like all the other rings. Instead it vibrates, and helps in awakening the once hidden or buried emotions and feelings within Gaara’s mind and body. With all five rings now buried into Gaara’s flesh, Naruto simply had to release it all. “Gojyo Fuuin KAI! (Five Part Seal Release!)”

For a second, Gaara’s body arc up and off the ground as if he had been shocked by a lightning strike, but immediately after that instant, he opened his mouth and gasped in a huge gulp of air. And hence forth, his chest moved up and down, demonstrating that he was once again breathing. His eyes opened warily, but conscious in very way. His lips twitched with the wish to speak, but he was simply too exhausted to do much else but lie there on the ground, waiting for help.

“GAARA!” Chiyo cried in awe and hope as she stumbled towards her Kazekage.

“NARUTO!” Sakura’s cry was not in cheerful celebration. She watched in shocked horror, as Naruto recalled all the studs that had once buried into Gaara’s body back to his rings. Once the studs were firmly attached the rings again, all five rings disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing a dying arm right in front of their eyes. Naruto’s poor hand looked as if it was rotting right in front of Sakura’s eyes. She could even smell the horrid stench of decomposing flesh and to watch it on her friend’s arm was a gruesome sight.

Naruto mostly ignored Sakura’s cry as he quickly pulled up Sasuke’s sword (which he had stabbed onto the ground at the beginning of the unsealing) and placed it between his chest and his right (and rotting) arm. Once the sharp end of the sword is in place and facing up against his armpits, he placed a kunai in his mouth in order for him to bite on it. Once he was ready, he placed his left hand on the hilt of the sword, griped it tightly and twisted it up in a vertical arc (12). The torrent of blood burst from his how amputated shoulder area where his right arm use to be, staining the once green grass a bright red.

Sakura did not to stifle her scream. “NAAARRRUUTOO!” She quickly ran towards her old teammate to try and stem the blood flow by using Medical Chakra in order to heal the wound.

Seeing what she was about to do, Naruto stumbled away. “NO! Don’t!” Turning his eyes away from the blacked appendage that was once part of him, he looked towards the cylinder with the human arm still inside. “Use the arm in the cylinder and attach that to me in order to give me a new arm. In that way, not only do you stem the blood lost, but I also gain a new arm as a result.”

Without needing further instruction, Sakura immediately ordered Sasuke and Kakashi help Naruto lie down a clean patch of ground and wrap the open wound tightly in order to clot some of the blood. She and Chiyo (whom had come over to help when Naruto first amputated himself) quickly carried the cylinder towards the bloodied form of a boy, opened it up, carefully moving the arm out of the container and placing it against Naruto’s open wound.

“This will hurt.” Sakura warned before green coloured healing chakra erupted from her hands as she firmly pressed down on the area where contact between Naruto and his new arm were made. Chiyo too, sat opposite Sakura and did her part.

Having dropped the kunai in his mouth somewhere prior to him stumbling away, there was nothing holding Naruto back from screaming his pain loudly for all to hear. He literally felt each individual nerve, vein, artery, muscle and skin patch fuse together with the foreign limb. As each second dragged on, the pain only climbs until it reached a climax where by Naruto drifts off into welcomed unconsciousness.

Beside him, tears freely ran down Sakura’s face, even as she continued to silently heal her friend and give him back an arm he had willingly tossed aside for this mission. It wasn’t until a few agonisingly slow minutes later, when the arm was fully attached to Naruto and fully wrapped in bandages, that she let herself collapse and cry in relief. Kneeling beside her and giving her silent support, Sasuke placed a firm hand on Sakura’s shoulder, silently telling her he was there for her, and also that he was proud of her. His gaze however, was riveted to the sleeping form of Naruto. 

/I don’t think I would be able to make such a sacrifice. To save a friend, he had willingly cut off his own arm, and become a possible disabled person. Had he not had that spare arm already prepared, Naruto wouldn’t have been able to live his life as a Ninja anymore. He would only have one arm, and be unable to perform jutsus and a whole lot of other things. I don’t think I would ever be able to measure up in that extent. I... I wouldn’t be willing to go that far./ It was then that Sasuke remembered something Haku had told him a long time ago, but that he had dismissed as nothing important. /When you have someone precious you want to protect, that is when you become truly strong... I think I understand now. Naruto is strong, because he’s willing to go to the extreme to protect and help his friends. I hope one day, one day I would also be willing to go that far for someone... someone precious to me./ He thought silently to himself.

By that time, a large contingent of Suna Shinobis had arrived at the clearing. At first, they were rather nervous having heard Naruto’s pained screams even from hundreds of metres away. But after seeing that their Kazekage was safe and sound, there were cheers of happiness all around, and a wave of respect and admiration directed towards the sleeping teen that had brought their leader back to life.

With Kankuro, Temari and now Ino looking after the weakened Gaara, Chiyo managed to pull aside a few Suna Ninjas and asked them of her selfish request. “I would like to bring Sasori’s body... back to Suna...” There was no need for debate, and the Suna Nin did bring Sasori’s body, as well as all of his puppets with them back to their home village.

Even in death, Sasori’s work could still be useful. After all, a puppet is a puppet, now that Sasori is dead, there are others that can take over his legacy and perhaps even use his puppets as competently as he did. Kankuro certainly wanted to try. At the same time, the Konoha Ninjas had all agreed that Kakashi’s team would bring Naruto back to Suna for healing, and stay with him there; while Team Gai would make their way back to Konoha to report back to Tsunade.

Overall, it was a tragedy that turned into a miracle and everyone was glad it was all over and that no one was seriously hurt, excluding the sleeping Naruto of course.

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A few hours after all the Suna and Konoha Ninjas left the clearing; a crack appeared on the ground, followed by an arm, and then another arm, and then a head. Deidara slowly be surely climbed his way out of the earth he had buried himself in when his bunshin had self-destructed.

Once out of the ground, Deidara took some time to calm himself and catch his breath. /Jeez... I can’t believe that even my self-destructing Bunshin was eaten up like that... Although, I guess it did create enough of a diversion for me to escape.../ Deidara looked around him just to check for any potential enemies. There were none.

“Hmm.. guess it’s time to head back, un.” He muttered to his self. Lifting his right hand - which can now be used after Sasuke’s techniques numbing effect finally wore off - Deidara gazed upon his Akatsuki ring and the Kanji written inside it. /I wonder... is it all worth it.../ He thought to himself silently, before shaking such ludicrous thoughts away and started stomping his way towards the Akatsuki’s real headquarters.

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“I got it! I got it, Zetsu-san!” A childish, loud voice called out the Grass Nin, who had simply been walking around the destroyed sight. A black clad figure, complete with a strange orange mask, held up the Akatsuki ring of Sasori’s. “With this, I can become a member of Akatsuki too, right? There’s an opening now, right?” The cheerful figure called out in enthusiasm.

“Idiot... it’s not that simple...” Zetsu’s human voice retorted only to be interrupted by his own demonic voice: “We can let him join... After all, Tobi is a good boy.”

End

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(1) Eh... inspired by Bleach, relating to how Yoroichi (a female character) always calls/taunts another character – Byakuya as “Byakuya-boyo”. Which literally translate to ‘Byakuya’ ‘boy’.

(2) Restoration of Faith Chapter 15

(3) Restoration of Faith Chapter 15. Personally, I’d like to think that Yami was winning against Sasori, but since I cut the battle short, it ended up as a draw. So officially, it was a draw, even though Yami did have a distinctive advantage.

(4) Original technique created by me. The direct Japanese translation is Chakra Shindo, but I decided not to use it.

(5) Gen Bunshin or illusionary clones is an original jutsu, created by myself and was first introduced in ­Faith in Humanity. The technique described here is the second level of Gen Bunshin. Basically, instead of being a normal illusionary clone, it phases in and out of being solid, depending on how much chakra is put into it. 

(6) A Genjutsu taught to Sakura by Kureinai. First appeared in Faith in Humanity chapter 13 and 16.

(7) Restoration of Faith Chapter 33

(8) First appeared in Restoration of Faith, chapter 33. For more information or to find out what it looks like, go to my website. I’ve got new pictures!

(9) Yet another side-effect of the overuse of Tenkun no buki. Although this side affect would probably be affecting Naruto far more than Ruri, simply because Naruto already has a large amount of ‘demonic chakra’ sealed inside his own body, if he overuses the Tenkun no Buki, which leaks demonic chakra whenever it’s in use, then he runs the risk of mutating his bodies DNA sequence into that which no longer resembles a human’s DNA. Scary thought that.

(10) Please go to my website to have a look at the new pictures of the Gojyo Fuuin Wa there.

(11) This veins covering the whole body idea came from Neon Genesis Evangelion, when Ayanami Rei was invaded by one of the Angels. Her body, too, suddenly had huge veins signifying the foreign parasite invading her body and slowly climbed its way up towards her head. I always found that scene a bit creepy.

(12) The which in which Naruto cut off his right arm by placing a sword at his arm pits and then twisting it up in a vertical cut was inspired by Claymore, where Irene (or Irena) used the same motion to cut off her own arm and offered it to Clare.

My GOD! That was a long chapter. I did not anticipate that the Sasori fight would last so long. Anyway, hope you like the latest chapter. Please review this story and tell me what you think.