Team Harmony

Konoha Crush 42: Team 7 vs Gaara/Shukaku

Hinata landed near Sasuke, a few feet to his left, just a second after Naruto and Shikamaru. All Suna nin were guarding Gaara, their Jonin sensei glaring harshly at them.

"Hinata, did you get to the Hokage?" Naruto asked, his eyes never leaving the enemy; something Minato and Kushina quite literally beat into them. She nodded. "Then Grandpa Third'll be fine."

"Kakashi-sensei and a few other Jonin are protecting the spectators. They were all caught in a genjutsu," she explained.

"The people are fine, too, then. And the Uchiha Police Force is on it as well, which means we just have to focus on bringing these guys down. Especially Gaara since he's clearly not completely human and somehow important to whatever they've got planned," Sasuke added.

"About that," Naruto sighed. "He's...like me, in a way."

Hinata and Sasuke gave him a nod, understanding quickly what he meant. Until now, they never thought a person, let alone an entire village, would manipulate a jinchuuriki—a child —into being their weapon. It disgusted them. Seeing Gaara so unstable before their eyes solidified their suspicions that he was, in fact, manipulated. However, when doing something for a shinobi village, ninjas could never turn down or even question their orders.

Just then, they all felt a menacing aura wash throughout the arena and Hinata watched with her doujutsu as four Oto shinobi created a powerful barrier, enclosing the Third Hokage and the Kazekage inside. When she got a closer look at the four nin, she instantly recognized the belts they were wearing.

"Orochimaru," she all but spat. Directing her attention back to her enemies, her gaze stayed hardened. "You're working with him?"

"That dude molested me with his tongue and sucked on Sasuke's neck!" Naruto exclaimed in distaste.

Sasuke grimaced. "Don't put it like that, you idiot! He didn't suck on my neck!"

"We have more pressing matters at the moment. Like figuring out what they're gaining by working with the likes of that snake," Hinata said curtly. When it came to the Sannin who marked one of her best friends, she was all business and didn't have time for anything else.

"We're not working with him. These orders come directly from our Kazekage!" The Jonin argued.

Sasuke scoffed. "The reason didn't matter as soon as they attacked a village they had a long-standing peace treaty with."

Before anyone could comment, Gaara took a step forward. "I need to kill him," he grunted. Temari attempted to calm him, reminding him of the mission but it was clear the boy was too far gone.

"You can't forget the mission!" Temari pleaded. Gaara then clutched his head as though something was trying to break loose.

Their sensei made a move to fight by pulling out a kunai and that is when Genma got in front of Sasuke, Suddenly Gaara dropped to his knees, groaning in pain.

"You idiot!" The Suna Jonin scolded. "You were supposed to wait for the damn signal before transforming." He thought for a moment. "Get him out of here. He's going to play his part no matter what. Heal what you can and bring him back here once he's got enough chakra!"

They lifted up the redhead. "What about you?"

"I'll deal with these guys," he replied.

"You certainly don't look stupid," Genma said, shifting the toothpick in his mouth. "You're outnumbered here, and there's no way your brats are gonna just leave like that."

The Suna genin team quickly made their way over to the high arena walls with Kankuro supporting all of Gaara's weight.

"Get moving!" Genma commanded them. Team 7 and Shikamaru didn't need to be told twice and were zooming after their enemies, paying no mind to the Suna Jonin who attempted to stop them. They trusted Genma.