Eroninja

Gaara watched as Naruto slept contently while sprawled over his sleeping blanket. Gaara figured that at some time early in the following day, they'd cross the western border into Red Bean Jam Country. Knowing that after tomorrow he likely wouldn't be returning to Wind Country anytime soon, filled him with quite a few regrets. The fact that Naruto was sleeping contently when Gaara felt he should be feeling much the same was a small source of irritation. Giving into the temptation he felt, he created a pair of hands from the sand near Naruto's head and had them clamp over his mouth and nose.

"Gaah," Naruto said sitting up breaking the sand constructs as the need to breath snapped him awake. Smacking his lips, he looked around him as he asked, "Did my face roll over into the sand?" Gaara didn't respond as his face gave no hint that he had been behind his friend's awakening. Naruto shrugged before lying back down. Closing his eyes he said, "You really should consider trying to get some sleep."

The other reason he had awoken the jinchuriki made itself known as he asked, "Naruto, how can you be so at peace with what you have given up to save me? Don't you have any regrets?"

Naruto sat up and looked at the stars before answering, "Sure, I do. I mean I'll definitely miss going to Ichiraku for dinner every night. I mean I can still go, but not as myself. But I'll still have all the important things like my lovers and friends. Truthfully, the only thing I lost is a status that I held in the Konoha. I'd easily trade that a hundred times over if it meant saving a friend."

"Naruto, but what about your dream to be Ho..."

"Anyway," the jinchuriki interrupted, "The decision has already been made. Fretting over it is rather pointless." Folding his hands behind his head, he said, "Don't tell me that is what is keeping you up?"

"Not entirely," Gaara admitted.

"Are you regretting leaving Sari behind? Once the heat dies down, I'll Hiraishin us into Suna so you can see her."

Gaara nodded but said, "I'm not sure if that is for the best...for her."

Naruto sat back up studying his friend as he asked, "What do you mean? I'm sure she's ecstatic to know that you're alive and kicking. Advertisements

"I do not doubt that," Gaara said as he looked back in the direction of his village. "It's just...I think she should find someone else. Our relationship was...struggling before my becoming a missing-nin."

"Oh," Naruto said lying back down, "You two weren't clicking. Was it just you argued a lot about stupid things or something else?"

"We argued," Gaara said but didn't elaborate.

"About?"

"Things."

"What sort of things?" Naruto asked. "I mean were they stupid arguments like what color the carpeting should be in your office? Or something more...I don't know meaningful, like you forgot an anniversary or something."

Naruto noticed some color appearing in Gaara's cheeks as he replied, "I do not wish to speak about it."

Taking a wild guess, he said, "It was about s.εﾒ, wasn't it?" Gaara's face showed his surprise for a moment before returning to the calm mask that he normal wore. His curiosity piqued he asked, "You can tell me. There's nothing you need to be embarrassed about." Thinking a moment he added, "Everything works down there, right?"

Gaara held back a sigh, but knew Naruto likely wouldn't drop the matter now so said, "Yes, that isn't the issue."

"Then what is?" Naruto said growing annoyed at how his friend tended to speak in short bursts. Commenting on it he said, "Come on man. Give me something; it's like trying to read a freaking statue here."

Relenting he said, "For some time now, Sari has wanted to take things further."

"Marriage?"

"Do you wish for me to explain or not," Gaara asked annoyed at being interrupted.

"Sorry," Naruto replied chastised.

Gaara resumed, "No, it wasn't related to us getting married. She has wanted to move forward in a physical sense."

"Okay," Naruto said drawing the word out as he wasn't seeing the issue. "So you're uncomfortable with it."

"Yes."

Scathing his head, Naruto asked, "So she's taking the physical intimacy to a place that you're uncomfortable with."

"Yes."

"So where exactly is the line," Naruto asked. "I mean, she doesn't want to fuck you in the ass with a dildo or something, right?" Naruto saw Gaara's eyes grow wide at his statement as the Kazekage wondered what his friend was doing with his sister, which caused the blond to quickly say, "I mean not that I have experienced in that or anything. But I know a thing or two about a lover wanting to take things to a place you're uncomfortable with."

"I suppose so," Gaara said warily. "Truthfully though, calling Sari a lover would be an overstatement."

A light bulb went off in Naruto's mind as he said, "Oh, OH! You mean you two still haven't been..." Gaara nodded causing Naruto to ask, "Are you sure everything is working down there?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, okay. Just double checking," Naruto said holding up his hands defensively as he thought he saw sand beginning to gather behind his friend. "Then what is the problem?"

Gaara did sigh, surprising Naruto. "I...I'm not sure myself. I want to, but whenever things progress beyond a certain point...I feel like I'm losing control." He looked at the man that understood the pain he had gone through as a jinchuriki as he continued, "You know as well as I do. It wasn't Shukaku that made me act the way I did back then. It was my own darkness and anger at my fate as a jinchuriki." Naruto nodded prompting him to add, "That darkness and anger has faded as my life became dedicated to others, and the people who have become a part of that life. But it isn't gone and at times does come roaring back. I did consider killing Joseki myself. I think Sari's visit that night saved me from falling back into that darkness. I...I can't lose control of myself around her."

"Did you ever ask her what she wants?"

"What do you mean?"

Naruto sighed, "Sari, doesn't want the cool and composed Gaara, or the dark and dangerous Gaara. She just wants you, Gaara."

"But..."

Naruto shook his head as he said, "Hell man, when you're in the midst of passion there is no such thing as control. If you're doing it right, you're not thinking about anything other than making your partner feel good. That's kind of hard to do if you're worried about the face your making or any of the other things you're thinking about to remain, 'in control.'" Naruto made some air quotes as he said the last part. Chuckling he added, "Sari, knew what she was getting when she pursued you. Maybe not about the life of celibacy you seem to want."

"I don't want that, but..."

"Gaara, did you maybe not consider that she wants to be the one that makes you lose control. Give it a try, you both might like it." Naruto laid back down as he got comfortable as he said, "Now, I'm going back to sleep, so goodnight."

"Good night."

"Oh, and Gaara."

"Yes?"

"If you try to smother me with your sand again, the next time you're about to be executed you're on your own."

Gaara gave his usual small smile, but before he could apologize Naruto was already asleep. Watching him, he said, "Thank you, my friend."

*****

Temari had wanted to use her fox mark to call Kiyomi to her as she had prepared to race after Naruto and her brother, but unfortunately shortly after emerging from the armory she had found Senjumaru waiting for her. She had tried to ignore the woman, but was forced to acknowledge her presence when the woman asked, "While it seems your explanation is indeed the correct one. You failed to make mention as to why Kabuto is going to such great lengths to isolate Naruto."

Aware that the woman might be gauging her responses, she told as much of the truth as she dared, "Kabuto most likely is after Naruto's Kyuubi chakra. He made a similar play in Konoha recently. Therefore the last thing the Hokage would do is send Naruto on a mission that she thought Kabuto might be involved in. As a result, he needed to come up with a plan to make Naruto come to him."

"Yet, surely he couldn't possibly know that Naruto would throw everything away to save the Kazekage."

Temari felt disappointed in herself that a bastard like Kabuto apparently did, while she had believed Naruto would listen to her and Gaara about remaining out of the matter lest his ambition suffer. Looking at the woman she said, "There are people that like to call him the number one most hyperactive unpredictable, knuckleheaded ninja of the Leaf. The thing is, what makes him unpredictable is that where most people in the shinobi world ask how they will personally benefit or lose out from a given action. Naruto acts despite how it might negatively affect him, and as such manages to protect what is most important to him, his friends."

"Still to think he would cross the Daimyo..."

"You don't get it," Temari said, letting some of the disdain for the woman and her master enter into her voice, "Naruto doesn't care about what the Daimyo wants or his message for Gaara. He only saw a friend in peril and so acted."

"Such a reckless way of acting will earn him many powerful enemies," Senjumaru said.

Temari wanted to tell the woman to bring them on as they would have to get passed her first, but settled for replying, "It'll earn him many more powerful friends as well."

Senjumaru studied her for a moment before saying, "I suppose only time will tell which is the stronger force."

"I suppose so," Temari replied confident she would be on the right side of that equation.

She was pulled back to the present as Kankuro said, "Temari, I think we should call a rest break." Although not tired in the least, which surprised her considering they had run throughout most the night, she looked back to see the rest of her fifty-man squad was looking like they needed a break, although Naruto's other lovers appeared to be willing to continue.

"We can keep going," Sari said despite her face saying just the opposite.

Temari gave the signal to stop and felt a little smugness that the mighty Senjumaru Shutara appeared winded as well. Sari tried to push how they should keep moving, prompting Temari to reply, "I know the will is willing, but it won't do us any good to push on if we arrive in the middle of a fight and are too tired to be of use. We'll rest here for thirty minutes before moving again."

Sari bit her lip but nodded and groaned in relief as she sat down. Temari tried to call out to Naruto with her foxmark, but wasn't surprised when his presence remained stubbornly absent from the network that connected him to his lovers. She didn't doubt he could feel the concern she was directing his way, but doubted he'd appear for such a reason.

But then she suddenly felt a spike of alarm from him, and from its sudden appearance she knew something had surprised him. With a general idea of how close they were, she was about to order everyone moving again when she was forced to leap from the spot she was standing as several kunai buried themselves in the ground. Pulling her battle fan as the rest of her shinobi reacted to similar attacks against them, she watched as a large force of shinobi came charging at them from behind a sand dune. Seeing the headbands of every shinobi village in the group and the dark eyes they possessed, she knew Kabuto was springing his trap on her lover.

"Get out of my way," she shouted sending a wind scythe flying into the ranks of the shinobi. She was surprised that most of them didn't manage to get out of the way of the jutsu. Wondering why, but needing to direct the battle she said, "Assault teams. Concentrate your jutsu on the biggest groupings of enemy shinobi. Sealing teams, bind the shinobi before they can recover from the damage. Defense teams, protect the sealing units."

She received a chorus of acknowledgments which was swiftly followed by her shinobi leaping into action. She frowned as the enemy barely put up a fight and cursed as she realized that Kabuto was using what she could only describe as bottom of the barrel fighters to not so much stop them, but slow them down. Smashing her closed fan on the head of one shinobi that had manage to close despite the barrage of jutsu hitting them, she stepped back as Maki quickly wrapped the man in bandages before applying a seal to bind him. Spreading her fan, she fired another jutsu as she worried about the fact that Naruto was no longer bothering to hide his presence, telling her that either he knew it no longer mattered or needed all of his concentration for the fight he was currently engaged in. Sensing it was the latter, she and his other lovers tore into the second wave of Edo Tensei shinobi that appeared with an unbridled fury.

*****

Naruto that morning had activated his Sage mode to get a sense of where any potential obstacles to his and Gaara escape from Wind Country might be lurking. He was pleased to find that except for one shinobi that appeared to be following them, there didn't appear to be any others. Still, something about the one shinobi bothered him, which showed on his face as he wondered if that was what had Temari so concerned for his safety. Able to feel her and his other lovers closing with Gaara and him, he wondered what had happened in Suna for such a large force to be sent two days after their escape

"Is that shinobi still behind us?" Gaara asked, prompting the jinchuriki to nod.

"Yeah, it doesn't look like he's planning to keep his distance any longer. He's heading straight for us."

Gaara frowned, as he stood with his arms crossed before asking, "We could make a run for the border, but there is no guarantee he'll stop his pursuit."

Naruto agreed as he suggested, "It might be the guy that framed you? If his goal was your death, he's probably none too pleased you skipped out on it."

"Probably not," Gaara said stoically.

Naruto smirked as he asked, "Should we go ask him?"

Gaara inclined his head and then a platform of sand rose from the ground with the two men on it before flying in the direction of their pursuer. Naruto crouched down, as Gaara guided their ride in the direction that he had indicated. The jinchuriki spotted a lone shinobi running along the shifting dunes, and pointing him out to Gaara held on as the Kazekage brought their platform to a stop in front of the man.

"A Kiri-nin," Gaara said surprised at the insignia on the man's bandana.

Although just as confused, Naruto sensed some other presence take over and growled, "Kabuto," as he leapt from the platform. His fist smashed into the ground where the Kiri shinobi had stood, but wasn't surprised that the man had managed to leap out of the way.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Naruto." Kabuto said assuming full control of the undead shinobi. Indicating said control he added, "Relatively speaking, of course." The smug man continued, "Tell me, was it those Sage abilities of yours that gave me away. Or did you perhaps recognize Chukichi here from your run in with Hiruko?"

Naruto was confused for a moment before recognizing the man as one of the shinobi that Hiruko had killed by absorbing him into his incomplete perfect form. Realizing that it had been Kabuto that had dispelled the clone he had left behind before he desecrated the corpses that had been there as well as had ransacked the missing-nin's lab, he said, "You bastard. How can you be so smug about using people's deceased friends and families like they're your personal playthings?"

"Perhaps you should ask your second Hokage the same thing," Kabuto said amused. "He did invent this jutsu after all."

Naruto ignored the taunt to ask, "Why'd you set up Gaara? Are you a part of the Daimyo's plot?"

"Hardly," Kabuto said preparing to summon his trump cards. "The Daimyo was merely interested in reminding Gaara, who held his leash. I put all this in motion to arrange for another face to face, between you and me."

"Speaking of faces, why don't you show yours so I can rearrange it for you?"

"How drool, Naruto. Although truthfully, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you did prefer to jump straight to the action. Well then let's get to it, shall we?"

Kabuto leapt away as the sand beneath his feet erupted in an attempt to grab him. Summoning a thick mist as he landed on the ground, he slammed his hands to the ground causing five caskets to appear. He heard Naruto say, "Shit Gaara, he just summoned some powerful reinforcements. Watch yourself."

Stepping to the cloaked form of Karura, he handed her a device he had prepared for the encounter, and watched as she sunk into the ground. Letting the mist disappear since it would hamper his warriors more than Naruto he said, "Have fun you two. Let's meet up again real soon." Kabuto then recalled Chukichi causing a casket to appear and pull him back in before disappearing.

The mist fully disappeared leaving four men standing before Naruto and Gaara. The Kazekage grew concerned as he instantly recognized them as they had all once held the position that he now did. Naruto though didn't, but commenting on one's looks said, "Hey Gaara, that guy kind of looks like you."

"He should, he's my father," Gaara said prompting Naruto to do a double take.

"Then would that mean..."

"Yes, they are all of the previous Kazekage," Gaara confirmed.

"What Sand Shinobi does not recognize his former leaders?" the bald-headed Second Hokage inquired.

"He isn't a Sand Shinobi," Gaara's father said recognizing the older boy as the nine-tailed jinchuriki. "He is the jinchuriki of the nine-tails, and a shinobi of the Leaf."

"I knew Hashirama was holding out on us," the First Kazekage said. "He said Konoha didn't have the nine-tails."

"You must be the money hungry bastard that cheated at cards to get Mito to provide you with Shukaku," Naruto said recalling the description that Mito had used when she had explained why she had helped Suna capture the One-Tails well before her husband had gathered the others.

"I didn't cheat," the First said annoyed, "that woman just didn't have any luck with cards."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto said in a disbelieving tone.

The Third Kazekage watched the two men before him before asking, "Still it makes me proud to see Leaf and Sand standing together. This was the hope that the Third Hokage and I dreamed of when we signed the peace treaty between our villages."

"That treaty nearly ruined us," The Fourth said. "As a result of the unfavorable terms the Leaf stuck into it, we were tittering towards bankruptcy and dissolution. It was for those reasons I was forced to work with Orochimaru and his Sound Village to destroy Konoha."

"No," Gaara said stepping forward, "you could have turned to your allies in the Leaf and asked for them to rewrite the treaty."

"Do not speak of things you do not understand," the Fourth said angrily. "If you were Kazekage, you'd..."

"I am the Kazekage," Gaara said causing a look of shock to appear on his father's face. "I suppose I should thank you for choosing the path that you did. It was during that attack that I met my first friend, who showed me a better way to live. Konoha and Suna stand tall as allies in more than name now. You have been brought back to this realm to harm my friend, Naruto. I will stop you."

"Hey, don't act like I'm some helpless bystander," Naruto said coming up next to his friend. "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

"Well it looks like you're going to have to show us," the First Kazekage said sensing his body tensing to attack. He charged forward a moment later as two scythes appeared in his hands from seals located in his gloves. Naruto met the charge, ducking below one of the weapons, by a thin enough margin that it grazed the top of his hair. He struck out with a palm strike that hit the man in the chest causing him to fly back until he was caught by the Second Kazekage. "Watch out," the First said, "he's stronger than he looks."

"It would appear he has studied and mastered the Sage arts," the Second informed the man he had followed for years before Suna's founding as a mercenary and eventually succeeded as Kazekage. "His striking range will be deceptively large also."

"Well, while I don't like being controlled against my will. At least I'm not being wasted on some small fry," the First said. Charging at Naruto again, he leapt into the air at the last second to avoid the young man's charge. He smirked as the Second Kazekage following in his wake, channeled chakra into his skin causing it to grow dense like Iron.

Naruto having followed the First movements, was almost caught by surprise, but still managed to catch the large man's fist and retaliated with a punch of his own to the Second's head. The blow staggered the Second even as Naruto shouted, "Ah dammit, what is his skin made out of?"

Naruto leapt back as the Second tried to connect with a backhanded blow from his kneeling position. The blond landed near Gaara, who had been forced to leap away as well as the mixture of gold dust and iron sand blasted a hole through a sand wall he had created. The current Kazekage said, "The Second Kazekage was able to harden his skin to make it almost impenetrable. He and the First made names for themselves as mercenary shinobi before founding Suna. When the Wind Daimyo announced he planned to follow Fire Country's example and allow a Hidden Village to be built, they gathered other mercenaries to their banner. It's the primary reason Suna isn't comprised of Shinobi clans. Back then they were known as the Hammer and Sickle."

The First spun the weapons that had given him that name as he said, "It's good to see Suna is teaching its Shinobi about the elders that came before. While I always was one to put his trust in money and power, good comrades are always worth pursuing even at double the cost."

Naruto grinned as he said, "On that we can agree."

Gaara watched his comrade leap at the First Kazekage as he pulled out a pair of chakra blades, but was forced to contend with his own problems as The Third Kazekage held his hand in front of him causing grains of his Iron sand to gather before him. The grains gathered together as they took on the shapes of small round pellets which began to spin before launching themselves at the former jinchuriki. His sand erupted from his gourd and made a shield in front of him, which caught the small iron projectiles.

The Third Kazekage arched an eyebrow surprised his attack was blocked by regular sand. Commenting on it he said, "You must be quite skilled to condense your sand enough to block that attack."

Gaara didn't have time to respond to the compliment as he leapt into the air and created a platform of sand which absorbed the impact of several golden spikes which his father created beneath his feet. Gaara held one hand down on the platform to stop the spikes from penetrating further and was forced to use the other to summon more of his sand to block another volley of projectiles from the Third which had doubled in size from the previous one.

Sensing his father ending his attempt to push the golden spike into the barrier at his feet, Gaara stood and folded his arms across his chest as his sand moved to a ready position behind him. The Fourth Kazekage watched his son and was surprised at his calm manner as well as the fact that he could so masterfully control so much sand to block two attacks without calling on Shukaku. "Gaara, how have you subdued the One-Tails?"

"I am no longer the jinchuriki that you created, father," Gaara said dispassionately. "It was extracted from me by a group called the Akatsuki."

"Then how is it you are still alive," the Third Kazekage asked. "Jinchuriki that have had their tailed beasts extracted die."

"I did die," Gaara answered, "But thanks to my friend Naruto, my body was recovered and the Lady Chiyo sacrificed her life to bring me back."

"That woman did," The Fourth thought in shock that the elder that had stopped caring what happened to the village would give her life for anyone.

The Third Kazekage was also surprised by the revelation, but for different reasons. His body began moving against his will as a wall of sand erupted from the dessert floor and moved towards the two Kage to bury them beneath it. The Fourth Kazekage moved forward and held up his hand causing a wave of gold dust to rise up and smash into his son's jutsu as the Third dashed around the edge of the jutsu so that he could move to a position from where he could attack Gaara.

*****

Taken aback by how Gaara had explained it was a Leaf shinobi that had saved him. He let his body move on its own as he recalled a private meeting he had attended with his counterpart the Third Hokage. "This was not what we agreed to, Hiruzen," he had shouted angrily having finished reading the treaty that would make the Leaf and Sand allies. "This is looking less like a treaty and more like a surrender."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed heavily as he said, "I know, my friend. But unfortunately the clan council refused to be swayed by my arguments. Danzou has managed to convince the majority of the councilors that it is our right as the victors to force Suna into the weaker position. He has made the case that to do otherwise would be to invite you to attack us again once you recover."

The Kazekage watched his counterpart's knuckles grow white as he held his pipe indicating that the Hokage was upset about something. "There's more isn't there?"

Sarutobi took a long drag from his pipe and exhaled before saying, "He also knows that you almost have to sign it, and has made that fact known to the council. Although we weren't working together, both Iwa and our forces did make use of each other's presence within your country. It wouldn't be wrong to say that if not for Iwa needing to call forces back to Earth Country due the Kumogakure exploiting a weakness in their border forces to open a new front, that Suna would have been destroyed."

The Third Kazekage smiled as he said, "I wonder how they learned of such a weakness."

"I imagine a little bird may have mentioned it to the leader of Grass in passing. Those Grass Shinobi always seem to know how best to profit from such slips of the tongue," Hiruzen said smiling around the end of his pipe.

The Third Kazekage shook his head amused before saying, "Funny I imagine it was likely a monkey." The Kazekage sat back in his chair and rubbed his forehead as he grew serious. "What you say is true, Hiruzen. But even so, how can I in good conscious sign such a treaty? It would be better to die in battle being crushed by Iwagakure then to suffer a slow lingering death as Konoha poaches our prime jobs leaving us the scraps."

The Hokage dumped the ash in his pipe into a tray before replying, "My friend, if you truly believed that then you wouldn't even be here. I am as unhappy with this travesty of a treaty as you. Unfortunately, with the political realities that we face it is the best either of us can hope for. Ever since the First Shinobi war, Suna and Konoha have been at each other's throats. When the villages were first founded there was a small path to peace that the First Hokage tried to build. Unfortunately the tides of war quickly swept it away. Here we are at the aftermath of the Second Great War and those tides are still growing stronger. Already in my village are the rumblings that we should strike at our enemies first to wipe them out before they can recover." Hiruzen held his hand out over the document that the Kazekage had tossed onto his desk after reading as he said, "This document is far from perfect and is everything that you described. But it is also a small stepping stone to rebuilding a new path to the peace that both you and I desire. It is very small, and hardly stable, and carries with it the risk that those who step on it may find themselves tumbling head first into the next Great War. But even such a stone can lead to a bigger and sturdier one and the next, until we find ourselves at the place we want to be."

"Forgive me, Hiruzen. But I see no such stone before me," the Kazekage said indicating the document.

"Then perhaps you are not looking hard enough," the Hokage said standing and turning the paper to his friend before putting out one of the paragraphs.

The Kazekage read what was pointed out and scoffed, "A joint Chunin Exams. I'm sure the only reason that's in there is so Danzou can spy on Suna jutsu and combat techniques."

Hiruzen smiled as he said, "Oh that is no doubt why Danzou agreed to it when I suggested it."

Surprised at the idea of Suna and Konoha creating a joint chunin exam had been his friend's idea the Kazekage said, "You suggested it? Why?"

Hiruzen chuckled as he explained, "Because it would be my hope that one day some promising Konoha genin would meet an equally promising genin of Suna, and although they would at first likely communicate with their fists. It would be through those fists that they realize that they are not as different from one another as they might think. Through that understanding they might even become friends, and one day meet each other as Kage. Where they will pick-up, where we leave off."

"But in the meantime I will be remembered as the man that signed Suna away," the Kazekage said.

"And I will be remembered as the man that took advantage of those in need of assistance," Sarutobi replied, "not exactly something I am envious of myself. But if there is even a small chance to pull this off I will let history judge me as it will."

The Kazekage sighed but held out his hand as he remembered encountering the young Sarutobi on the battlefield many times and through those meeting eventually learned he yearned for the same thing as him. With that in mind he said, "Then so too shall I." Sarutobi grasped him by the forearm as they shook over the document that would one day be the link that brought two jinchuriki face to face.

*****

Naruto gasped as he received a kick to the stomach from the First Kazekage. The blow caused Naruto to stumble back as the man used the kick as a means to leap into a backwards flip. The reason for the move became apparent as the Second Kazekage charged beneath his predecessor. Naruto recovered enough to avoid the punch the man aimed for his jaw, which as a result of the man's iron like skin would have seriously rattled his cage.

Naruto retaliated by spinning into a crouch and tried use a chakra blade to severe the man's leg at the knee. Despite his tough exterior the Second jumped back as he didn't wish to test his defense against the blond's wind chakra enhanced blade. Before Naruto could move to keep the pressure on the man, the First Kazekage leaped over the Second forcing Naruto to block his scythes with his blades. The First attacked wildly keeping Naruto on the defensive, until he seemed to miscalculate the distance between them as he did a backhanded swing which presented the jinchuriki with an opening he could exploit as the Kazekage brought his second blade around.

Naruto leapt back to create some more room between the two of them instead, and was glad he did as a moment later a cut opened on the front of his jacket. The First inclined his head that his opponent wasn't suckered in as he said, "Not bad, what gave it away?"

"Your blades," Naruto answered keeping his guard up, "Despite the fact that you weren't extending your reach via using wind chakra. The fact that they haven't incurred so much as a single chip is pretty telling. You swing the first blade slower, hoping to lure your opponent in so that as they try to reach you before the window closes; they end up skewering themselves on the suddenly longer reach of the second. That you cut me even though I leapt means the attack works even if they stand still."

"Do you mind if I ask you one more question?"

"Sure."

"Who taught you how to fight with those blades? The reason I ask is that while I definitely see the Leaf's techniques, there are flashes of Kirigakure here and there."

"I'll never tell," Naruto said aware that the Second was positioning himself to attack again. However his focus was split as Gaara with his jutsu was still battling his father's, suddenly found himself under attack by the Third Kazekage. However, rather than attack the red-head directly, he sent a wave of Iron Sand flying into the gold spikes the sand platform was resting on. The Iron sand smashed into the soft gold causing it to break which began to topple Gaara's platform. Naruto quickly pulled one of his tri-prong kunai and tossed it at Gaara's back. His automatic defense caught the blade as the Third's Iron Sand turned into a spear which shot up to impale Gaara, as the Fourth's Gold Wave over powered the sand blocking it due to the red head's attempts to correct his fall.

Naruto, Hiraishined and appeared inside Gaara's defense where grabbed his friend and kunai, which he quickly tossed. He then teleported them to the thrown weapon which admittedly hadn't gone far, but took them out of the path of the two types of sand closing in on them. The jutsu smashed into each other which Naruto watched for a moment nearly to his own detriment as the Second Kazekage appeared behind him. Rearing his fist back to smash it into the back of the jinchuriki's skull he shouted, "You shouldn't leave your back so exposed."

Naruto didn't react as he said, "I hate to break it to you. But my back is never exposed." Naruto's reason for remaining calm revealed itself as a large fist of Sand from the kneeling Gaara's gourd slammed into the Second. The fist smashed him into the ground, which it did so several times after the first impact.

The fist remained buried after the last blow, but began to be pushed up as the Second said, "It'll take more than this to keep me down."

Naruto was already preparing the next shot, so that as the Second managed to fully push the fist over his head, he spun and threw the Rasenshuriken that hit the man in the chest. The jutsu sent him flying, and caught the First, who tried to pull the Second out of the way, just as it expanded, releasing its full power on the two.

Naruto knew it wouldn't keep them down for long, but still spared a moment to help a kneeling Gaara to his feet. "Thank you," the Fifth Kazekage said referring to the blond pulling him out of the bad situation.

"Don't mention it," Naruto replied brightly despite the situation, "What are friends for? Besides you returned the favor. I doubt that will keep those two down for long. Let's take this chance to seal the other two." Gaara nodded as they both faced the Third and Fourth Kazekage.

*****

The Third watched the two men turned to face him and having witnessed their camaraderie felt the need to attack them lessen. Finding something within his soul was shifting he asked, "Tell me boys. You come from separate villages, yet consider each other friends. But you must know that someday you may need to face each other in battle should the politics between your villages change."

"I won't let that happen," Naruto said steadfastly. "Besides, I decided to become a missing-nin to prevent Gaara from being executed despite what it could mean to my village. My goal is to unite all the shinobi villages to end the cycles of violence and bloodshed. I'll keep fighting for that, and won't let politics cost me a great friend."

Gaara nodded as he added, "I will do all in my power as Kazekage to aid him."

Seeing the culmination of what both he and Sarutobi had hoped would be the end result of their treaty, a weight was lifted from his soul causing his body to begin to crumble. As he was called back to the pure world he asked, "Where did you two friends meet?" Advertisements

"The Chunin Exams," Naruto answered and was surprised as the Third Kazekage began laughing before his body collapsed into ash revealing the sacrifice that had been used.

*****

The Fourth was surprised by the Third's sudden removal from the battlefield as well as by the fact that it appeared his son had found a friend in the Chunin Exams when he was to be the weapon to destroy the Leaf Village. Wondering if the nine-tail's jinchuriki was the catalyst that set Gaara on the path to becoming the Kazekage, he felt like an utter failure, not only as a father, but as a husband and even Kazekage. Seeing the chance to at least make up for it in one small way, he was about to tell Gaara the truth about his mother, when suddenly he felt as if everything that made him aware was being drained away. Understanding that the man that had summoned him and the other Kazekage was erasing his personality to prevent whatever had freed the Third from repeating he shouted, "Boys, you must stop us now. M-my...my will is being suppressed..."

Focusing on his son, he said, "Gaara...what you were...t-told about your mother... was... order... she... always loved..." Fighting against the jutsu with everything he had, he managed to say, "Your mother always loved you, Gaara. I was the one that...who put... your uncle..."

*****************************