Hidden Underneath the Underneath

Chapter Sixteen

Shikamaru took eight kunais from his pocket and flung them at the eight sound nin, however, they were all deflected.

"So that's where he is..."

"It's useless. We know how your technique works. It seems as if you have reached your limit! Prepare to die!"

"So this is it, huh..." thought Shikamaru. "I used to want to be an average shinobi and make an average living...marry a girl who's not super pretty or super ugly...have two kids, a girl and a boy...retire when my daughter got married and my son became a successful shinobi...then spend rest of my days playing shogi or go...a carefree and leisure retriement...dying of old age before my wife...and yet I exerted myself then find myself ending up in such a troublesome situation like this."

"It's time for you to come out, and take that kid's head off while at it!" ordered one of the sound nins.

Shikamaru's eyes widened in shock as he felt someone touching his back. It was Asuma! And he was hoisting the ninth sound nin over his shoulder!

"Finally caught up to you!"

"Asuma wh—"

Before Shikamaru could finish, Asuma had already knocked out all the sound nins.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sasuke was thrown against the tree and Gaara laughed as he saw him defeated.

"You're too soft. Your hatred isn't strong enough. To hate you kill. To kill you avenge. Your hatred is weaker than mine! You know what that means?! It means that you're weaker than me!"

Sasuke ignored him and charged at him again. His head was pounding and his whole body was shaking and it seemed as if he was going to be obliterated by Gaara's sand arm but...

BAM!

Gaara was kicked away...by Naruto.

Sasuke fell onto the ground. Quickly, Sakura and Kimi tended to his wounds. Gaara didn't care that someone kicked his face. Uchiha Sasuke was the one he wanted and he lunged at Sasuke, but Naruto was to fast for him and kicked him back again.

"I'll give you a battle, brother," said Naruto calmly, going into a stance.

Gaara growled. "What are they to you?" he asked, glaring at Naruto.

"My precious comrades!" exclaimed Naruto resolutely.

Gaara transformed even more.

"Sand shuriken!" screamed Gaara as Naruto dodged them with ease.

Seeing that he failed, Gaara pulled out another jutsu out of his arsenal: "Wind Release: Great Infinite Sand Blast Breakthrough!"

Naruto teleported behind a couple of trees with his special Hirashin kunai until the attack was over. It was silent.

"Where are you?" growled Gaara. "Are you scared to fight me?!"

"Not at all."

Naruto came flying out of the trees with a bunch of shadow clones. As Gaara tried dispelling every one of them, the real Naruto pulled out a senbon from his pocket and plunged it into Gaara's rear. Gaara roared in fury.

Finally, it was the final form. "Desert Coffin!" he screamed.

Naruto smirked. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Sasuke, Sakura, Temari and Gaara stared at him in surprise: Naruto was standing on top of a giant russet fox with nine tails.

"Kurama-sama!" exclaimed Kimi happily.

The large fox stared down and caught sight of Kimi, then smirked. "Nice to see you again, Kimi," he yawned. "Anyway, Kit, is that Shukaku I sense?"