The Fox Sage

Ch. 7 : Rescue Gaara

"Sasori" Lady Chio glared at the puppet, "Granny Chio" he responded blankly. 'It didn't occur to me but this must be the grandmother Sasori use to speak of' Ray looked to Lady Chio then back to Sasori. A conversation between the two of them went back and forth for a moment, "I'm beginning to grow impatient!" Sasori finally stated. At this point Ray had sat on the ground drawing in the dirt being bored by their reunion, although she respected it so she butted out. "Ray I'll have you know our leader is not happy with you" Sasori turned his attention to Ray, Ray looked up at him lazily she took no notice that Lady Chio had heard this statement as well. "I don't really care" Ray stood up dusting herself off. "What does he mean by that Ray?" Lady Chio looked to Ray keeping on edge for an attack from Sasori, "Is now really the time to explain that?" Ray sighed. "And Sasori shut your damn mouth" she snapped at Sasori, "how dare you speak to me that way" he growled. Ray stood up slowly, "I think you forget my strength" she snickered. She then appeared behind Sasori destroying his puppet Hiruko that he resided in, in an instant, Lady Chio's attention was drawn to this commotion, "you brat!!" Sasori stood covered in the Akatsuki cloak still. 'How did she do that so quickly' Lady Chio looked toward the broken pupped shocked. "I don't know if you remember but I can wipe the floor with you" Ray appeared next to Sasori who swung in her direction, "You destroyed many of my puppets you brat" he swung at her once again as she appeared on the other side of him. Ray then backed off to Lady Chios side once more, "how?" Lady Chio questioned, "let's say I had strong teachers" Ray shifted her weight onto one of her legs. Lady Chio grew tired of Ray not answering her questions. "Grandmother why are you even here with this traitor!" he shed his cloak revealing that he had not aged at all to Lady Chio, of course Ray already knew about this. This began another conversation that annoyed Ray once more, so she sat back down playing with the dirt once more. After a while the conversation went quiet, "are you two done?" Ray stood up once more. "I've heard enough!" Lady Chio shouted as she began her assault, 'foolish old woman, I like her spunk though' Ray thought amused. The two of them continued battle for a while, Ray would step in now and again to assure Lady Chio's survival. Once again Ray grew tired of this, Sasori had successfully startled Lady Chio with his human puppet of the 3rd Kazekage, and used his 100-puppet army or whatever he called it, Lady Chio had brought out puppets that looked like his parents, and revealed she had modified herself as a puppet as well. 'I'm done playing around' Ray thought to herself.

Ray took action, the cave began to fill with water Sasori immediately looked to Ray while Lady Chio was simply confused. Ray faced her palm to Lady Chio placing her in a case she made of wind chakra, Ray didn't want her to get caught up in her next few attacks. Sasori took to the top of the cavern as Ray filled the water with lighting, she groaned in frustration. "You really think it would be that easy?" Sasori laughed menacingly, "Yes" Ray smirked as a shadow clone grabbed what looked like a scroll out of his chest, "I have chosen a new life" Ray looked into his eyes as she crushed the scroll that had replaced his heart as a puppet. It was over, she released Lady Chio from her protective bubble she was clearly exhausted. "You know you could have done that sooner" she chuckled, "I thought you wanted some family time" Ray began healing wounds she had gotten from the battle. "You should go back to the village" Ray stood up ready to summon some assistance for her, "because I'm going to help Kakashi and the others." Lady Chio responded with her own plan quickly "no, I will go with you there's something I need to do" Lady Chio stood up slowly, "but your injured" Ray watched her get up. "I don't care" she steadied herself, "ok" Ray sighed. "Summoning Jutsu" Ray exclaimed, then a large wolf appeared before Ray and Lady Chio.

This wolf was one of Ray's summoning associates, his coat was a solid jet black, while his eyes were a brilliant silver, and his back stood about four and a half feet tall. "Loki would you mind carrying Lady Chio here, she's awfully injured and we need to make hast to the others" Ray explained, "I suppose so" he stood in front of Lady Chio, "thank you Loki" she smiled at him before taking off in the direction where her three comrades had taken off to, with Loki carrying Lady Chio behind her. "So why can't you carry her yourself?" Loki asked, "because I need to be ready to battle" she continued ahead, "you would be just fine, your being lazy" he scoffed, Ray responded with grief that she had been figured out. They finally made it to Kakashi and the others who seemed to have wrapped up their battle as well, but she felt Deidara's presence still. Kakashi was sitting knelt on the ground next to an exhausted Naruto, while Sakura

healed his wounds. Two of Naruto's shadow clones were holding Garra's lifeless body in place on a tree branch nearby. Ray stood near Sakura ready for Deidara to attack, "Have you finished it?" Kakashi looked to Ray and Lady Chio as Loki landed near them with her still on his back. "Yes" Ray kept her concentration, she felt Deidara was weakened but she wanted to keep her comrade's safe. She then heard commotion where she sensed Deidara, the other team was finishing him off but things took a turn for the worst and Deidara turned himself into a clay bomb, 'I never trained against this' Ray stood ready she began to act when the explosion vanished, 'what?' Ray looked around confused, when Kakashi grew weak. 'Kakashi? His sharingan, wait when did he get sharingan?' Ray began to confuse herself, 'I'll figure it out later' she sighed. She knew Deidara wasn't dead, she still felt his presence but faintly, he had fled.

"Garra" Naruto's clones were crying as they placed him on the ground in the open field on the other side of the tree line nearby. Everybody gathered around his lifeless body, Lady Chio climbed off Loki, after she had planted her feet on the ground he poofed away. She made her way over to Garra, "leave him..." Naruto began to yell when Sakura held her arm out to stop him, "show a little respect, that's her Kazekage." She began to perform some jutsu on him, Ray knew immediately what she was doing, Sasori had told her about this forbidden jutsu back when she trained with him. A few of the other ninja gathered around knew what was happening as well, she was giving her life up to give Garra his back. She began to grow weak but Naruto jumped in helped giving her chakra, even though he didn't realize he was helping her end her own life. More ninja began to show up including Kankuro and Temari, soon Garra opened his eyes to everybody's delight, everybody began to cheer, leaving Garra confused. It was also explained that Lady Chio had given her life before everybody began to return to the sand village. Excitement for Garra's survival was ringing through the group but also sorrow for Lady Chio's death. This same mood rang through the sand village as they awaited Garra's return. The leaf shinobi soon left the sand village after a small ceremony for Lady Chio was held.

"Well I suppose we will see you another time" Naruto smiled awkwardly, Garra held out his hand to shake Naruto's and for some reason Naruto was embarrassed, 'what is he gay' Ray joked to herself. Garra used his sand control to help Naruto through his embarrassment, they shook hands and all the leaf ninja head back for home. Kakashi had wiped himself out during the battle using his sharingan so Guy was carrying him. Ray didn't want to tell Naruto and Sakura about her past without Kakashi there for support, so she waited.