Kakashi's Daughter! Book One: The Struggles of Becoming A Ninja!

[20]

Drawing is Shiori's new look~ listen to the music for the feels

Naruto jumped at Gaara and tried to punch him but his tail pushed him aside. "Naruto!" I shouted. "He's too strong for us! Don't go in too recklessly!"

Gaara cackled at us. "As long as you fight for the sake of others, you'll never advance past this level. Only one can be undefeated and only he will feel whats it like to truly exist! Forget your friends, fight for yourself!" Gaara told him.

"You're insane,"Naruto glowered. "Forget my friends?"

"Friendship and loyalty clouds your focus; you'll die."

"Oh yeah? Keep talking while you can cause I'm about to shut you once and for all." Naruto said. He pulled out a kunai and leaped towards him but his tail whipped him away.

"What's the matter?! Why don't you attack? Don't care what happens to your friends?!" Gaara mused. Letting go of Sasuke, I decided to go over and try to find a way to break Sakura from Gaara's grip. "You! You're in my way!"

I tried to dodge his impending attack but I wasn't fast enough so he slashed me in the arm. My eyes widened and I cried out in pain, gripping onto my arm. Falling down, he struck his tail against my stomach causing me to cough out blood.

"Shiori!"Naruto yelled. "Stop hurting my friends!"

Expecting to fall hard onto the branch, I landed into someone's arms. I looked up right into Sasuke's eyes. He saved me but he's still in pain. I clenched my teeth, fighting back the pain as my wound stung.

"S-Shiori, you're wounded, we have to take you-"

"No!"I interrupted. "I'll be fine. We can't leave just yet. Not until we rescue Sakura and once Naruto beats Gaara."

"........." Sasuke silently placed his hand over mine which I had on my wound to try to stop the blood. I gave him a reassuring look and glanced over at Naruto. 

He bit his finger, slid his blood on his hand and slammed it down.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Instead of a large Toad, a tiny orange and purple one appeared. I sighed. Maybe I should try summoning instead... "I'm really starting to hate you stinking frogs!"

"Anti-amphibian, huh?! Take that you big bigot!" The toad stuck out his tongue at him.

"Listen," Naruto said. "I don't have time to play games, slimy little squirt!"

My eyes widened in horror as I looked over at Gaara. He was turning more and more into a monster. His body was almost completely covered by thick sand. He separated part of his arm from Sakura while keeping her stuck to the tree.

"Only by defeating me can you free her and you should hurry; with each passing second, the sand will harden until it crushes her to death, "Gaara affirmed. "Sand Shuriken!" Naruto leaped up but was still hit.

"N-Naruto.."I tried to call out but it hurt too much to talk. "D-Dammit.."

"Shiori,"Sasuke said. "Don't try to talk too much. You're already losing blood."

"What's the matter?"Gaara asked Naruto. "Are you afraid of me? Are you still thinking about how to save your friends? Fool, forget them! Think of only yourself! Love only yourself! That is what it means to be the strongest. What's the matter? You were so bold and cocky before. Show me your strength! Attack, you coward! Fight me or I'll kill the girl right now!"

"Okay! You asked for it! Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"Naruto called out. Gaara shot out sand, blowing them away. Then, he shot out sand shuriken.

"What is this?! You come at me and that's all you got? All that effort and you couldn't ever hit me. What a joke!"