Thawing an Icy Heart

Annihilation.

Naruto's rage had completely taken over him, as the nine tails chakra bubbled to the surface. "So that's the one, the nine tails...." Sasori said in a monotone way, as he eyed the others that were before him. "Even Granny Chiyo has joined you, how touching a reunion this must be." Sasori said in an almost mocking tone, before speaking again. "Deidara, you take Kakashi and the Jinchuriki I'll deal with these two." Deidara looked at Sasori, before sighing to himself. "Fine, but you owe me for this." Before Deidara could move however, someone's fist came flying at him, and slammed into his jaw sending him into the wall. This took everyone by surprise, and as they looked towards the entrance they saw Taka Yuki, surrounded by jets of water, stepping through entrance and into the Akatsuki's hideout. "So you decided to show up after all." Sasori said before turning his attention to Deidara. "Get moving, or you'll ruin the plan."

Deidara had finished creating his bird when Sasori gave the order, as he took off with Kakashi and Naruto in hot pursuit. Though Taka remained unmoved. "Listen carefully, I can deal with this clown and his puppets. You need to get Gaara out of here." His tone was icy in nature, as his attention focused itself on Sasori. "No way! I'm not leaving you to fight him alone, and neither is Lady Chiyo." Taka gritted his teeth, grinding them together before throwing his hand up behind him, and raising an indestructible ice wall. "This isn't up for debate, I'm making amends for the mess I've caused. I should've killed these two when I had the chance, and now Gaara is dead because of me." There was that glint of emotion again, his heart hasn't truly frozen yet, which meant there was still hope. "Very well, we'll do as you ask. Come along Sakura, I believe I know a way to save Gaara." Chiyo spoke softly and calmly, but what she had said made Sakura give her a quizzical look, before they both left Taka to it.

"Taking me on alone is rather foolish, but then again you Yuki's are used to working alone." Without saying a word, Taka shot a jet of water at Sasori, that pierced his puppet exterior with ease, having transformed into ice, as the temperature began plummeting on them. "Time to stop hiding, and fight me like a man." Taka was calm and assured, as Sasori's exterior shell was removed, and revealed the boy puppet master within. "You better give me a challenge Sasori, I'd hate to be disappointed." Meanwhile in a separate location, Naruto and Kakashi had been battling against Deidara, and had him cornered. But Naruto's anger almost overwhelmed him, forcing Kakashi to use a sealing tag on him that he had gotten from Jiraiya. But seeing this as a chance to escape, Deidara prepared to make a move, only to be stopped by Team Guy, who had heated a clone Kisame elsewhere.

Seeing he had no chance of escape, especially when Sakura, who was carrying Gaara and Chiyo had arrived, he decided mutually assured destruction was the way. So he swallowed up what was left of his clay, and detonated himself in front of everyone. Everyone would've died, if not for the quick thinking of Kakashi, who used his Kamui to send the detonation elsewhere, though it left him exhausted after the battle. They then realised Taka hadn't joined them yet, and now all rushed to make it back to the Akatsuki hideout, when they arrived they found Taka sitting on a rock, dripping with blood from his own wounds, as well as being covered in the blood of Sasori, who was now pinned to the back of the hideout by his puppets own swords, with the bodies of his puppets and puppet parts, laid out all over the place. Taka had thoroughly decimated what was left of Sasori, and looked like he had barely broken a sweat, despite his injuries. Sakura quickly approached Taka, and began healing his wounds. Taka gave her a look of thanks before he slowly stood up, having felt that he had been healed enough.

"S-Sakura, is there anyway you can...." Before Naruto finished, Sakura gave him a look and shook her head, before Lady Chiyo moved herself closer to the corpse of Gaara, and began using some sort of Jutsu on him. Sakura looked at her, and knew immediately what she was doing. Whilst Naruto had no clue. "H-hey? What're you doing to him? Leave him alone!" He shouted at Chiyo, who didn't waver from her actions, and before Naruto could do anything Taka stepped in, and placed his hands on the blondes shoulders. "Listen to me, she's.....gonna bring him back alright? Gaara's coming home."