Abused, But Never Used

Ch 34: Suna

Surprise! The story and I aren't dead!

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Sasuke couldn't have been more wrong when he said everything was going to be okay. When they got to Suna the city was in flames. Skeletons charred black marring the streets. Skin singed away from the bones of the victims.

"Suna...it's destroyed..." Sakura gasped as she stood balanced on the staff of her scythe to get a higher viewpoint. Hand over her eyes as she scanned the city. But there was no movement. It didn't look like anyone was alive.

"We're too late." Sasuke looked down at the ground fists clenched eyes closed tightly shut turning away from the scene before them. "Father was already here."

"Sasuke.." Itachi hesitated, wanting to tell him their father was dead but he remembered what Obito said about coping. Maybe it was best to let Sasuke think he was still alive.

"Gaara!" Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs running towards the flames. "Gaara we're here! We brought help! Gaara! Answer me! Gaara!"

"He's not there little blonde. Your friend, I'm afraid he is gone." Pain looked apologetic. Nothing could have survived a fire that size in a climate with no water. There was just no way.

"No...no, no, no." Naruto dropped to his knees. The sand shifting under his weight, hands covering his ears as he cried. As if he could unhear what pain had said. The nine tails chakra was bubbling. Anger and sadness swirling together inside of him.

"Shit! The kids gonna lose it again!" Kakazu exclaimed backing up from Naruto.

Sasuke moved towards him. Kneeling beside him. He was whispering something to him, not that anyone else could make out the words. Ever so slowly the nine tails cloak was starting to recede. Sasuke looked to Shikamaru and the Nara nodded in reply.

"Naruto, Sasuke, let's take a look around inside." Shikamaru swallowed, doing his best to be strong but inside his heart was shattering a million times over. Temari couldn't be gone could she? "They might still be-"

"Are you crazy!?" Deidara protested. "No one could have survived that attack. Just look at the place. I know my blasts and this is unsurvivable."

"That settles it." Sasuke's eye twitched. "We're going."

"Perhaps it would be best if you kids waited out here and we all looked inside instead." Itachi protested doing his best to keep his voice gentle not wanting to trigger his brother.

"You don't know them like we do." Sasuke shook his head.

"They trust us." Naruto agreed.

"And they don't know your on our side yet." Sakura added.

"It's better if we go." Shikamaru finished.

"We'll be careful." Choji munched on some dried out fruit. "If any of our friends are still out there we'll find them."

"Obito and I will go with the kids. Everyone else stays out of the village in case whoever did this comes back." Kakashi pushed his hiatè up. "I don't like the looks of this." 

"I don't either, and if you really think about it I'm seeing it twice!" Obito pulled down his goggles as Kakashi summoned Pakkun. The dog sniffing around for Gai's scent.

"You should try to find a body we can shove Sasori into." Konan advised. "He isn't useful to us like this."

"Your going to shove Sasori's heart into an actual corpse? I don't think he'd appreciate that." Obito frowned.

"She means a puppet you imbecile!" Deidara snapped.

"Oh." Obito blinked, laughing as one of Kakashi's dogs took a piss on Deidara's coat. Kakashi had those mutts perfectly trained so that had been deliberate.

"Let's move out." Kakashi ordered with that they were splitting away from the rest of the akatsuki to search for survivors. Surprisingly it didn't take them long. Naruto's loud screams for Gaara having been enough to reach Lee's and Gai's highly trained ears.

"Kakashi! I don't believe my eyes. I'm sorry my dear student." Gai placed his hand on the worried Lee's shoulder. "But it appears we are dead after all!"

Kakashi sweat dropped as he looked at the other man. "Gai, you're alive."

"No, no I am most assuredly dead. I see Obito standing next to you. Do scars like that really carry over to the after life?" Gai tilted his head bowl cut splitting from the action.

"Shut up beast face! They better not!" Obito snapped in reply, face turning red. "I'm very much alive!"

"No, no, no I remember it like it was yesterday Kakashi mourned you for years." Gai recalled.

"This is going to take a while." Kakashi sighed looking down to the kids nodding at them to go with Lee.

"Sakura! My cherry blossom, thank goodness you're here." Tears were already streaming down Lee's face. "Please, you must help him! He is in a bad way."

Sakura was tugged down a pathway into a deep underground cavern of sand. The boys rushing after her not wanting to lose her in all the sand.

"Temari..." Shikamaru breathed in relief racing over to hug her as he set eyes on her. She winced as he jostled her injuries pushing him back. "Sorry...I just..."

"Thought I was dead? Not a chance...I wish I could say the same about my brothers." Temari sighed looking to the dying Gaara.

"Kankuro's-" Choji began voice full of regret.

"Dead. Yes." Temari nodded. "He stayed behind with Tenten so we could get Gaara out. They're both...gone."

"We should have gotten here sooner." Sasuke swallowed.

"You got here as fast as you were able, I'm sure." Temari consoled him.

"Gaara...Gaara we're here." Naruto knelt by his side putting his head in his lap. "Sasuke and I. We're right here."

"Sakura, can you save him?" Sasuke repeated Lee's question as he looked at her.

"I.." Sakura hesitated, as she took in the state of him.

"Please Sakura." Lee begged taking Gaara's free hand squeezing it tight in his own. "I love him, you must save him. If anyone can do it...it is you."

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Well that was chapter 34! I'm alive and so is this story. High time I give it the attention it deserves once more.

1. Suna's destroyed! Thoughts?

2. What do you think Sasuke whispered to Naruto?

3. What do you think Kakashi's going to do to convince Gai that he's alive?

4. Will Sakura save Gaara? Or will she fail?

5. Are you still interested in reading this story after all this time?

6. Whats relationships would you like to see more of in this story?

7. Anything else you want to ask, rant and or tell me!