Disclaimer- I don't own anything.

What...the hell...

Bankotsu was pissed off as hell. He kept twitching and glared at Shikamaru, who only tried to get some sleep.

How dare this bastard give up!! We barely fought five minutes! And then, after he gives up, that bastard down there comes out of no where and all of a sudden he gets to fight! What the hell!?

Bankotsu kept on fuming but decided it's not worth it.

...well, I suppose surrendering was a smart move... Damn it. I wanna fight...

Bankotsu looked at the stands. ...my brothers still aren't there...

Bankotsu wasn't a moron. He already knew his family wasn't there and right away, he knew something happened. He decided to just see what would happen, no point in getting worked up over it.

Kagome and Hakudoushi not being here means they realized it. They just needed to know what 'it' was.

Bankotsu was the kind of person who would be interested in any kinds of fights, especially ones with power-hungry people...however, he wasn't paying attention to the fight. He stared straight ahead at the battle lost in his thoughts...

Let's see... Kiri has no connections with Konoha or Suna, so I don't see the point of the Mizukage wanting Konoha to owe them something... Argh! I don't have more evidence! That's all I can think of! Something else...I'm missing something... Let's everyone's personality...did it ever change? Hakudoushi...well, I guess he changed the most but I already know it's cause of us, so...then, Kagome...well, I don't remember how she was before our meeting. I barely noticed her...and she was sitting beside me all the time. She always had good grades, but that stopped for some reason...

Bankotsu groaned. Too confusing. Next person.

Kikyou-sensei...well, all I know is that Kagome is her sister...let's move on. ...There's that girl...Sango. Kagome's friend... Hmmm... Well, I remember that...no, I don't remember...

"Aaaaaaaaah! Am I so anti-social?! When did that happen!?"

"Shhhhhh!! Shut up, you."

Bankotsu turned towards the voice and saw Shikamaru on the ground staring at him.

"...man. You were so deep in thought, you didn't realize that the genjutsu was placed on you... is that even possible?"

Bankotsu blinked at him. "...genjutsu?"

Bankotsu quickly turned to the fight with Sasuka and Gaara. "Huh? Where'd they go?" The audience looked like they fell asleep. Wait...those guys over...Oto-nin?

"...you were really out of it...and it looked like you were seriously into the fight, too..."

Bankotsu turned back to Shikamaru. "What...so what's going on?"

Shikamaru sighed and motioned him to come over. "Lie down on the ground before someone spots you."

Bankotsu did as he was told. "What's going on?"

"I have no idea. I just said for you to lie down so I don't get spotted."

"Huh? Why would you get spotted? You're already--"

The door that led to the box slammed opened."Shikamaru! I know you're here and awake."

The door revealed the pink-haired girl...what was her name, again?...Sakura.

She noticed Bankotsu leaning over Shikamaru, pretty close for comfort. "...what are you doing? I mean, nevermind!"

She went over to Shikamaru and kicked him. "Come on! I know you're awake! Let's go! Kakashi-sensei said we have to go after Sasuke!"

Bankotsu's mind was in turmoil. Sakura looked at him and nodded. "Come with us. We're going to need your help."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. What the hell's going on!?"

Sakura blinked. "...how could you not know what's going on? You saw everything, didn't you?"

"Er...about that..."

"...nevermind. I'll explain on the way. Naruto! I found Shikamaru! We're going!"

"Aw man...I told you to lay low...How troublesome..."

Bankotsu growled. He could practically hear Hakudoushi's voice in his head.

"This is why you should never use your brain."

"Screw you, Hakudoushi!" Bankotsu yelled out, surprising the others.

"So...Sasuke's going after Gaara who for some reason is running away and Suna and Oto are allies and now attacking Konoha, while me, who is from Kiri, has absolutely nothing to do with it, am I correct?"

Naruto nodded. "Yup!"

"That means I don't really have to do anything, right?"

"Yup! I mean no! I mean...come on! You want to help us right?" said Naruto.

"Not really besides I have my own problems to deal with...like where the hell my friends are...and what the hell's going on..."

"We already told you what's going on!"

"Not that! I meant why everyone from my village is gone...including Kagome's family..."

"Huh? What do you mean? There were people from your village here?"

Bankotsu nodded. "They were supposed to be spectators...but now they're gone. Kagome's family are probably somewhere safe. My family, I have no idea. Hakudoushi's..." He trailed off.

Wait a minute... Hakudoushi ran off from the beginning of his fight without a word. He would no way in hell ever do that... Unless Kagome was in danger but she was safe...then, his family...if they were here...

Bankotsu stopped at a tree branch. "That...shouldn't be happening...why would they come here?"

Naruto stopped and looked back. "Hey, Bankotsu! Hurry up--"

Right after he said those words, Bankotsu ran after them with his full speed until he reached Shikamaru.

"Hey, you guys said you need my help right?"

Shikamaru nodded. "We have no choice. We have a dog, an idiot, a kunoichi with no special skills, and the number one laziest shinobi in the world--me."

Mentioned people glared at the one with the title of 'laziest shinobi.'

Bankotsu let out a laugh. "Then, what am I categorized as?"

Shikamaru stayed silent for awhile. "I guess...a battery."

Bankotsu almost tripped. "Huh!?"

"Which way, Kagome?"

"Left!"

Hakudoushi nodded and sped up.

The two, Kagome and Hakudoushi, ran into each other and without explaining to each other, they both ran into the forest.

"You know what's going on, right?"

Kagome nodded. "I'm still trying to fill in a few blanks...but I know enough."

"Before we do anything, we should find where everyone went to."

Kagome stopped and looked at Hakudoushi with confusion. "Huh? I thought we were going to help Konoha."

Hakudoushi turned around and with a sigh, he replied, "We are. By everyone, I meant Baka and the other genins. Now, hurry up...Baka isn't a complete...baka. He probably figured out what's going on by now and teamed up with the genin teams. Now hurry up." Having said that, he pushed off the ground and jumped from branch to branch.

Kagome smiled as she caught up to him. "Haku-chan...you know... You really did grow up..."

Hakudoushi raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? I'm older than both you and Baka-tsu."

Kagome giggled. "Yeah, yeah."

The two spoke no more until they reached their destination.

Hakudoushi held an arm out for Kagome to stop.

"What is it..."

"Quiet."

The two landed behind the leaves of a tree. Kagome looked over Hakudoushi's shoulders and with eyes widened, she asked, "...is that...a bakemono?"

Hakudoushi didn't nod nor shook his head.

A few meters away from their hiding spot was a...creature. Yellow eyes, huge limbs, sand pouring down, growling, looking this way and that...

A shiver went down Kagome's spine. "What is that...?" She asked, whispering.

Without his eyes turning away, Hakudoushi answered. "...Sabaku...no Gaara..."

Kagome looked at him with confused eyes.

"Ara? Gaara? The red-head? But that thing doesn't look like him at all... Wait...he's not a...Is he a...what was it called..."

"Jinchuuriki."

Kagome nodded and turned back to the scene. She noticed Sasuke clutching his arm behind another tree.

"That's Sasu-chan!" She said in a hushed whisper.

"...yeah..."

"He's hurt!"

"...yeah..."

"We should do something!"

"...yeah..."

"...it's amazing how calm you are in these types of situations..."

"...yeah...It's pretty easy. You should try it; now, shut up I'm thinking."

Kagome looked at him with worried eyes.

Bankotsu...you better get your butt here quickly.

Damn, damn, damn! Too much time's wasted!

Bankotsu started to sprint faster.

They're near... I can sense them...Kagome's chakra...

He looked back at Naruto and Sakura.

"Oi! I'm going ahead!"

Sakura looked at him in confusion. "Wha... How? We need Pakkun to help us find them!"

Bankotsu sent her a smirk. "Don't worry! I know where they are! See you guys there!"

Charging more chakra to his feet, he jumped from tree to tree, disappearing out of sight.

Heh...Kagome, Hakudoushi...I knew you guys wouldn't be able to do anything without me.

"Argh!!"

A crack was heard from the impact with the tree.

"Hakudoushi!" Kagome jumped up to catch him from falling. The attack was random. Gaara was going berserk.

"Are you okay?"

He let out a cough and wiped the blood off his mouth. "I'm fine... I didn't think he would find us that quickly..." He glanced at Gaara. I think I cracked a rib...

Hakudoushi only slightly moved and Gaara was able to find him already...

With no time to think, he grabbed Kagome's wrist and jumped out of the way of another sand attack. The sand was able to catch a piece of his clothes. He was getting slower.

I don't think we can do anything against something like that...

"Where are you going? Don't you want to play?!"

"Yabe..." muttered Hakudoushi, as what-was-once-Gaara followed after them. "At least this way, he's not gonna go after the Uchiha..."

"But what can we do? We're still genins ourselves!"

Before Hakudoushi could reply to that, his eyes widened as Gaara whipped its sand at them. "Move!" Quickly he pushed Kagome out of the way, and jumped up in the air.

He reached into his pocket and grabbed out a scroll. Biting his thumb and opening the scroll, he slid his blood down unto the paper. With a few hand signs, he mumbled, "Summoning technique..." In place of the scroll was his true weapon- the Naginata.

Hakudoushi started to spin his weapon, as the sand came up to him once more.

"Kido: Hado- Shakkaho!"

As soon as he finished, Hakudoushi pointed his weapon down and a burst of red light formed from the blade and struck down on the demon.

Hakudoushi landed beside Kagome, who gave him a look of confusion.

"Haku..." she started. "Wasn't that a..."

"Aa..." he interupted. He grimaced and took a deep breath. "Kido...'the way of the demon.' It doesn't matter, it works for me better than any ninjutsu would."

Kagome looked at him strangely. "Are you...okay?"

He didn't reply and only looked down to Gaara.

She followed his gaze and quickly made hand signs of her own. Making a circle with her hands, she placed them over her mouth. "Suiton: Ryuuhyoudan!" Out of her mouth came bullets of ice leading straight to Gaara.

Sounds of impact were heard.

Without wasting a second, Hakudoushi dived in towards the cloud of dust and whipped out several kunai while Kagome went for Sasuke. He landed on the side of the tree and charging the kunai with his own chakra, he threw them with force.

The dull sounds of metal hiting tree echoed.

The cloud cleared and Gaara disappeared.

Damn! A waste of chakra...I'm running out...

"Behind you!" came Kagome's cry.

He turned his head quickly and saw the glowing eyes filled with bloodlust. Before he was able to react, Gaara's arm swiped him off the tree.

"Argh!" coughed Hakudoushi. He was able to see his own blood come up, once more. He tried to gather chakra to his feet. Not good...ran out. I've got no more energy...

He felt himself go head first down. He closed his eyes waiting for the pain but it didn't come.

"Che! I knew you guys couldn't do anything without me."

Hakudoushi opened his eyes weakly and smirked when he saw his savior. He couldn't help but mutter one more thing before blacking out, "Che...you took too long."

Bankotsu scoffed. "You're welcome."

He placed him down and looked over Gaara.

"...I have to admit, I liked his human look better and...is he growing?"

...that can't be good.

"Cheh! Bet you guys couldn't do much, huh?" He took his Banryuu out of its scabbard and let out a grin. "I can go crazy now, right?" He asked to no one in particular.

"Alright, Banryuu! Your number of killings is gonna go up!"

TBC

A/N- Okay. I'm gonna admit it. This wasn't the greatest chapter in the world but I had no idea how to go with this...XDD

The next chapter is gonna be the last one for this story. Don't worry, there is gonna be a...sequel which I am working on. I'll explain more about that in the final chapter.

Thank you for your reviews and reading this! I'm sorry I'm so worthless for putting this up so late and it's a crappy chapter to begin with but I still hope you'll read this anyway.

Stay cool, yeah!