Naruto One Man Team by Ackdam

Chapter 19: Invasion Naruto versus Gaara

Haku cheering for her later was because they had all worked on strategy for their initial opponents together. Having known that the goal was humiliation, it was more entertainment for her and Naruto than watching a skilled fight between kunoichi.

Anyhow, here is chapter nineteen. I know some people will be upset because the Naruto/Gaara fight is so close to canon, but I had other parts I wanted to write and really couldn't think of the fight going much of a different way. I mean, come on, he's up against a released bijū. I think I made up for that in the other parts though...we'll see.

Gaara, in all his grotesque glory, leapt from his perch towards his prey. 'Soon mother, soon you will have blood.' He stalled slightly recalling an old memory of a time when someone else had the same expression on their face when protecting others again. Shaking the thought aside he was about to smack the girl away but was stopped as a foot implanted itself in the side of his face.

"I'm sorry Gaara-san, but as much as I despise these two I can't just let you kill them." Naruto said as he landed on a branch between Gaara and the other two genin.

"Hn, like I needed your help to beat him dobe. The Uchiha are the most powerfu..." Sasuke never got to finish as Naruto backhanded him away into the forest behind him.

"Hey! Don't you Hi...!" Then sent his faithful banshee sailing right behind him.

"Like I said, can't let you kill them, but you could have knocked them out. Such a pain in the ass..."

Meanwhile Gaara was watching the scene, not quite sure what to make of the boy in front of him. Normally people would run in fear from the sight of him. They would run even faster when they saw his sand come out, but when he started to transform they tended to become sniveling piles of flesh that he would feed to 'mother'. "You...entertain me greatly Uzumaki Naruto!" Gaara flung himself forward much faster than he had against the Uchiha, but apparently not fast enough as his target disappeared from sight, only to reappear with an ax kick to his head. Gaara plummeted through a couple branches before he was able to catch and right himself as he landed on the third one. Seething with anger and excitement he let some more sand slip out and cover the other half of his body.

"So this is how you transform..." Naruto looked on curiously as bumps formed all over the surface of Gaara's new body.

"Suna Shuriken!" Gaara watched Naruto's eyes widen a bit as the sand projectiles shot out. There were far too many over too large of an area to dodge. To his annoyance though Naruto did manage to dodge all but three hits, and even those were negligible. "Mother is getting impatient Uzumaki Naruto. She wants to taste your BLOOD!" Another round of projectiles shot out, but the blond was prepared this time and those that he couldn't block were sliced from the air.

"Gaara-san if you don't calm down you are going to make me have to get serious..."

"Come Uzumaki. Let us prove our existence against one another!" Gaara shot out at the boy who simply jumped over the charge. "Stop dodging Uzumaki! Stop running like a coward and face me!."

Naruto ignored the other jinchūriki for a minute in favor of another task. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" In a small puff of smoke two little toads appeared.

"Heya Naruto. What's up?" Gamakichi looked around a little before laying eyes on Gaara. "Umm...Sorry boss but I think I'll sit this one out."

"Oh can it Gamakichi. Take Gamatatsu and head over in that direction. You'll find two Konoha-nin, probably unconscious. Do what you can to wake them up and get them out of here, got it?"

"Can I have some candy?" The lighter of the two toads asked, completely ignorant of the situation. Ok, not completely, he saw Gaara and waved to him with a happy smile while Gamakichi slapped his forehead.