Desert Flower

A Deal with Gaara

  "End of the line. Now, return Matsuri." Gaara kept an even tone as we neared the man carrying Gaara's student on his back.

  "You really think you've got me cornered? You might want to reassess that. The only one trapped here is you."

  "What?"

  "Gaara, you may very well be called the ultimate weapon, but unless I'm mistaken, you used up all your chakra in that earlier fight."

  "Wow, guess I'm invisible." I popped off.

  "Sayuri." Gaara looked at me from the corner of his eye.

  "What? I'm standing right here, out in the open, and he's acting like I'm not here and full of chakra right now." I gestured with both of my hands to where I stood.

  "Hmph. Somehow, a ninja without a weapon doesn't scare me-"

  "No weapon?! Bitch, I am a weapon!"

  "Sayuri, please. Remain calm."

  "You look more like a foul-mouthed little child." The man dropped Masturi from his back and drew a black sword. "Come, Infinite Kujaku Armor!" The man shouted, and he was surrounded by light before the beast from the earlier man's breastplate appeared on his chest. "Fang release! Airborne Dark Sword!" Two more weapons appeared on him, one another sword and the other three snake-like blades on his back.

  "Oh, shit...."

  "A shinobi fighting with his bare hands is no match for a mighty ninja tool forged by The Village of Artisans." He roared while swinging the smaller sword, sending a tornado our way. Grabbing Gaara, I jumped out of the way but also noticed how I was able to do so without the sand's automatic response.

  Just how much chakra did that man actually take from Gaara?

  "Dragon Eye: Fang Release: Dark swords!" I had to dodge again as the triple snake blades shot out. "I'm told you have a monster inside of you, isn't that so? Well, it's about time you unleashed that Shukaku of yours."

  "Gaara, you might not like this, but I want you to let me handle this guy."

  "But-"

  "I was able to grab you. You're almost completely out of chakra." I glanced at him before locking my gaze on the enemy. "You get to Matsuri while I've got him distracted. Can you do that?" The redhead nodded, and I cautiously let him go. Taking in a deep breath through my nose, I held it while feeling chakra surge through my pathways and coat my limbs in a red glow. Letting the breath go, I lunged forward while Gaara went for Matsuri.

  "Weren't you listening? My armor absorbs chakra-" The man's laughter was cut short when my foot landed on his chest and sent him flying back. The beast sucked up only a small amount of chakra when I made contact, and I bounced on the balls of my feet while waiting for the man to crawl out of the crater his impact had created.

  The snake blades shot out, making me jump back to avoid getting cut. My back hit the canyon wall since the blades kept coming, and the man chuckled.

  "It's the end of the line, little girl."

  "I've had it up to here with you judgemental old men." I growled before hopping onto the canyon wall to springboard right through the snake blades and get to the man at the other end. It looked as if his armor took most of the damage from the kick before, so either the open-mouthed beast gave the stolen chakra to the wearer, or I'd just have to aim for exposed parts.

  Like his head.

  Or his throat.

  He swung the wind sword, sending me flying back as a tornado swept me up.