Naruto: Jinchuriki of the Six Paths by X009

Chapter 12

"So, how's he doing?" Naruto asked as he entered the room.

Sakura and Ino maintained a vigil on Sasuke's bedside while Kakashi stood at its foot and Shikamaru and Chouji stood at the wall, the Nara laying against it.

"A lot better than when he first got the curse mark;" Sakura answered before looking back to the Uchiha heir, resting the back of her hand on his forehead. "He's relaxed and he's not running a fever this time."

Kakashi sighed and closed his sole visible eye. "I'll have to keep a close eye on him from here on out." He turned towards Naruto. "It may seem like Orochimaru wants Sasuke to come to him, but he's always been a fickle one when it comes to what he wants. He could easily decide that he doesn't want to wait and send someone to retrieve him." It went unspoken that it the same attention would have to be paid to Naruto.

"How long was he like this before?" Ino asked Sakura.

"He was out all night. He should be up by tomorrow."

"Well," Shikamaru began, pushing away from the wall and rubbing the back of his neck. "We're going to need to find a room of our own. Besides, Asuma-sensei will probably show up before too long. I want to hear his take on this, besides he should probably know if he doesn't already. Looks like there are some rough times up ahead." He turned to Naruto. "Anything else we should know before we head out?"

Naruto shook his head before his head jerked slightly as a though struck him. "Oh right!" His brow furrowed as he looked at Shikamaru. "Listen, you remember Gaara from Kabuto's cards? If you wind up going up against him, run, forfeit, I don't care; just get out of their fast."

Shikamaru arched a brow, regarding Naruto curiously as he was once again reminded of the change in his former classmate. "He's that dangerous, huh?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I ran into him back into the forest." Well, not him per se, but close enough. "I found out why he's never gotten hurt before. That gourd of his? It's full of sand infused with his chakra. He can control it like it's a part of him and it blocks any attack you throw at him. He likes to wrap his opponents up in it and crush them to death..." Shikamaru frowned. That wouldn't be easy to fight. Naruto shook his head, looking down at the floor, his brow furrowed. "That's not even the worst of it. He actually likes killing people. He goes out of his way for it and from the looks of it he likes being as brutal about it as possible."

His hand clenched at his side as he remembered how Gaara had directed the same hand he'd used to crush the Ame genin at his teammate. His jaw clenched. After being alone for so long, being on this team had easily been one of the best things that ever happened to him. Sure he and Sasuke tended to butt heads, and sure he was beginning to doubt if Sakura would ever see him as anything more than a friend, but the two of them, Kakashi-sensei, Teuchi and Ayame, Iruka and old man Hokage, he saw them all as his family.

To see someone treat their team that way disgusted him. "He even threatened one of his teammates..." He said in a slight growl in his voice. "It looked like they were afraid of him, so I don't think he was bluffing. I saw him take on a whole team of Ame genin on his own... it wasn't pretty." The response was varied. Ino's had shrunk back a little, quailing while her face loses some color. Chouji's eyes widened and he stopped eating while Shikamaru's frown deepened. All the while Kakashi listened, his poker face unchanging even though his mind was working furiously.

Something about what he just heard didn't sit right with the Jonin... well, even more so than hearing of a child who took pleasure in the brutal taking of life did on its own, anyway.

Finally, Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head. "Yeesh, it's just one thing after another with these exams."

"Well, at least we're safe right now." Chouji pointed out, looking at his potato chips with slight disappointment; no way he could eat after the picture that was just put in his head. With some reluctance, feeling that leaving the bag unfinished was a form of minor sacrilege, he rolled up rolled up the opening to seal it as best he could.