Disclaimer: I dont own Naruto, D&D or Final Fantasy.

AN: Sorry for the wait guys, but as my poll demanded, here it be ^_^ There is a list of skills/spells at the bottom of the page for clarification, I know some of these are stretches for D&D spells, but just like Drizzit, the writer has the choice about what's overpowered. Though poor Salvatori is stuck with drow boy ATM because he's under contract. Friend of a friend knows him, and he REALLY wants to kill off the guy so he can write some new things...Wizards is thus far saying 'NO!'

EDIT! Forgot my shoutouts! Thanks for Whitedragon17, Fenris1872 and AvalonNakamura for looking over the fic and giving me their thoughts, go give their stories a read ^_^ You'll like them.

Shadowmancer
Chapter 2: Seeds

Silence continued to permeate the stadium up until the blond had finally disappeared from view, though almost as soon as the last wisps of blue were out of sight the spectators erupted in applause, though none were so loud than a certain, select, group of women. If he were anyone else, if he was his old self, he would have been whooping and hollering, leaping into the air in joy.

Instead he only possessed a form of detachment, one that truly seemed odd for one of his supposed age, mostly due to the fact that he was lost in thought. Why was he moving up to the fighter's box? He had finished what he set out to do, truly he didn't even remember most of the faces that had been cheering for him.

He'd remembered Neji, as that was his prime focus.

He remembered the old men, the sources of his pain, yet also those that lead to his love.

While that wouldn't be enough to keep him here, it would be enough to stay his hand.

"You were almost late..."

The blond was brought out of his musings as he turned his head to the brown haired teen before him, one with spiky hair and half lidded, lazy eyes. The boy could only shift uncomfortably as he was stared at by the blond for several long moments, the act setting his mind to motion, "A wizard is never late...Nor is he early...he always arrives precisely when he means to."

Shikamaru could only blink owlishly for a moment, part of him trying to decide if this young man, who had at one point been his friend, was just messing with him, the debate ended by the small smirk he saw from under the hat. "Troublesome..."

Naruto stiffened at that, the word seemed so...familiar..."Perhaps."

The pineapple haired teen could only give his own small smile at that, but still, he felt he needed to ask, "While it's to troublesome to really bother...what was that?"

"Hm?"

"That attack..."

"The Umbral Touch? I already explained it, and I'll not repeat myself among those I cannot trust."

That put a frown on the teen's face, "You can't trust me?" Glowing blue eyes, simply boring into his own, were all he got for an answer.

"It seems your illustrious Uchiha is a no show Hokage-sama..."

The aged Fire Shadow could only scowl, cursing the boy and his sensei, he never should have okayed the jonin's plan for training Sasuke, if he'd put his foot down at the start then none of this would have happened. "Sasuke-kun's sensei has always been known for his...lack of punctuality, however it seems as though the student has opted to follow the master..."

The 'Kazekage' looked down the row of shinobi with an invisible frown, normally he would put forward a postponement, but with the gathered Kage's here, and learning that his own godson was still alive...well his plans for an invasion were looking quite bleak to say the least. "Then I would say it was quite the boon for you that the Namikaze has returned to you, less you village be seen in such a light...though I am curious..."

"About?"

"Where is the boy's headband..."

Five sets of eyes widened as they turned back to the robed teen, after a few moments of scanning his body they all came to the same conclusion.

It was no longer there.

And for a few this actually brought them hope for something more than just a political marriage with Konoha.

The hairs of the five Kage's prickled slightly as the proctor body flickered in, quick to lean down and inform his Kage about the no-show, and to ask for instruction. "As much as it pains me...Sasuke had his chance...I cannot show favorites here. Genma...make the announcement."

"Perhaps you shouldn't be so hasty, Sarutobi-dono...I'm sure you can feel the air here...there are a large number of people who have some just to see the match between the much vaulted 'Last Uchiha' and my son...couldn't an exception be made?"

Orochimaru suddenly felt terribly uncomfortable having four Kage's eyes boring into his own.

"Lord Kazekage...I would think that you would be happy having your son advance without having to give up his techniques..."

"Indeed, Raikage-dono, however, I need to showcase Gaara's power in order to get the missions my village so desperately needs...and while this...slight to Konoha will certainly help in that regards, it's hardly a match for having our best shine, wouldn't you agree?"

That made three of the occupants of the booth give small murmurs of concession, though Oonoki looked far from convinced, "Younglings...no respect for how things are done...we learned the hard way in the last war, Sarutobi, that if your 'late' you die. If you allow this...pandering...then you are setting a terrible example for your ninja, and I know my Kurotsuchi would never stand for someone under her simply deciding to be tardy..."

That earned a round of nods from Mei and A, "He has a point Hokeage-dono. While this is your exams to host, it would set a bad precedent."

Sarutobi bowed his head slightly in thought, Mei had a point, and considering the miraculous appearance of Minato's son they wouldn't be hurting any time soon for clients... "You all make good points...However, as you say Mizukage-dono, the decision is mine...Genma, make the announcement, Sasuke Uchiha is to be disqualified, perhaps this will teach him humility in the end."

With a small nod the Jonin shunshined back to the heart of the arena, sending a slightly bored look to Gaara before speaking.

Unseen to all was the tightening grip on the Kazekage's chair.

"Well that is certainly surprising..."

Shikamaru arched an eyebrow slightly at the half whispered comment. "What? If they're not here they're disqualified, one of the few untroublesome things that will happen today..."

The burnt orange hat bobbed slightly, "Indeed...but considering how many concessions have normally been made for the boy one would have thought that they would have postponed things...I have a feeling that the other Kages had a hand in this..."

It was to troublesome to nod, but before he could comment a cry of 'I forfeit' came from the one in the cat like jumpsuit.

Part of Naruto wondered if the ears actually served a purpose...

"Troublesome...why do I have to face another girl...maybe I should forfeit as well..."

Naruto's head tilted slightly as he watched the Nara run through a few scenario's in his head, though their attention was quickly drawn to the arena when Temari, with an impressive display of her apparent element, rose her fan to the ground like a glider. The woman then, with a flourish, snapped the large weapon closed before sending a vicious smirk to Shikamaru.

And, much to the two male's surprise, a saucy wink to Naruto, "How troublesome...do you know her?"

"No...Not that I recall..."

"So no hints for your old friend eh..."

"None."

He let out a long, drawn out sigh as he half heard a taunt from Temari, his eyes turning to the clouds for a moment, "Best get this over with..."

As the pineapple haired genin moved down the steps to the tunnel, intent on taking as much time as he could, Naruto's thoughts turned inward, specifically to one woman in particular.

And unknown to him, Shino stiffened slightly, his insects starting to shiver within him at the feel of the suddenly...frigid chakra that started to grow within the blond teen.

For Naruto this was something of a novel sensation, delving into one's own mind. Not unlike the feel of vertigo one may experience while lying in bed sometimes, that little sense that your body is shutting down without you.

It was surreal, even at the best of times, or when one knew it was coming.

As his eyes slowly drifted around the expansive space, one of utter void and all consuming cold, he felt a set of hands slowly wrap around him from behind, both running across his chest before one ghosted up to his face to cradle his cheek.

"Shiva..."

A soft murmur of contentment could be heard next to the shell of his ear before a shockingly warm, pink tongue gave a playful lap to the bit of flesh, almost at once causing a small sheen of ice to form. Naruto himself let out a slight groan as he turned to claim her lips as his own, the two sharing a long kiss before Naruto turned in her grasp, his hands snaking around her waist to hold her close to him.

"What calls you here my love...shouldn't you be observing the matches...if you wish to continue of course...personally I feel it's a waste of time...you hold no allegiance to this place..."

He gave a small nod, his head coming to rest on her shoulder, "I know...though some part of me still feels an attachment to this place...I can't way why..."

A small laugh from her chilled his neck as she nuzzled him affectionately, "Perhaps it's that soup you love so much?"

That caused a throaty laugh from the 'teen', "Maybe your right...we'll have to get some before this is all over..."

Beyond the veils of darkness a slight buzz could be felt by the duo, something that caused an annoyed grumble from two throats, "Seems our time here may be over sooner than we like...you know what we're doing after this I trust..."

"Yes, we go in search of the next...your sister."

"In all but blood. Go, and summon me soon...it's been to long since I've tasted fresh air."

He gave another smile, leaning in to steal a chaste kiss from the goddess, "They couldn't stop me if they had to my love..."

With that he faded, leaving a small blush on her cheeks, and a warm feeling in her core, "They couldn't if they had to..."

Two glowing blue orbs cracked to show Naruto a stunned looking stadium, the crowd staring down at the arena in utter bewilderment.

There, at the heart of it, was Shikamaru and Temari, the duo locked in his shadow bind, however, from the shocked look on the blonds' face it seems the outcome was not what everyone had expected.

Well, save for the laughing Chouji..."

"Let me guess, he gave up?"

Shino gave a small nod, the brown haired teen trying not to feel jealous of the match, he was wanting to showcase his own skills, no matter how much he seemed emotionless, he had just as much riding on this as anyone else.

"Seems it will be my turn once more..." Not waiting for the genius to return Naruto moved down the stairs and back through the halls, giving a nod to the shadow user before he stepped back into the light. He vaguely noted the number of people that leaned forward in antisipation, though once more the cheering from the small grouping of women in the stands seemed to outshine anything around them, earning a confused looked from the blond, 'Odd...I wonder who they are to cheer me so adamantly...'

'Admirers perhaps?'

'Not likely, you know the number of people that would cheer for me already...'

'True, but you were gone for a time...and as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder.'

He smiled slightly, unknown to the onlookers, 'True, but I have no memory of any of them, so their feelings are moot.'

The goddess frowned slightly within her realm, 'That's cold even for me Naruto...'

'Yet not untrue. I have never met these people, and they know nothing of me, so if there is some form of...affection...then how can it be real?'

Not for the first time she was forced to accept his logic, though she didn't have to like it, she knew that he would listen to her, but at the same time, would he be open-minded enough to accept the other summons when he acquired them? Or would it take another eternity like it had with her? 'True...but perhaps they are eager to get to know you?'

'A moot point when we leave.'

She let out an annoyed sigh, 'Naruto, do you trust me?'

'Without question.'

'Do you love me?'

'With all that I am...where are you going with this?'

'Then please. Keep an open mind. You are no longer a part of the natural world, and with that comes some...perks...ones I'm hoping to share with my sisters...'

'Shiva...'

'I know you love me, and that is something I will never forget and will forever cherish, however, I want to share that joy with those important to me. Will you allow that?'

The teen could only frown even as he looked across the way at Gaara, the red headed boy looked to be saying something, something that he couldn't bring himself to care about at the moment as his mind focused on the goddess, 'I-I can try...'

'That is all I ask'

"Why is he just standing there..."

"I'm more concerned with the fact that that kid from Sand is waiting as well...it's almost like their studying each other..."

Anko felt a bead of sweat run down her neck, she had seen the aftermath of the psychopath from Sand...and Naruto was currently in his sights...add to that that nothing she had seen from the blond would be of use against Gaara and she couldn't help the level of dread that was welling up in her chest. "Kuro-chan...I've got a really bad feeling about this..."

The Stone ninja looked surprised at that, this was the most serious she had ever hear the woman sound, "Hey, I'm sure it'll be okay, they won't let the matches get to carried away."

The purple haired jonin could only give the brunette a deadpan, "Kuro, there were two deaths in the preliminaries, almost four. This is no game, and Gaara killed three alone in the Forest of Death according to a few witnesses before almost killing his opponent in the prelims..."

That made more than a few sets of eyes widen, most didn't know of the genin's brutality, but those that had been present could only watch in grim fascination as Naruto simply seemed to stare at the kid.

Slowly, as the seconds ticked by, the crowd began to grow restless...

"It would seem we have another battle of wills going on at the moment...wouldn't it Kazekage-dono?"

The veiled leader was leaning forward, his finger's interlaced before him. The hidden missing nin had already called off his forces, the disruption to the matches, coupled with the added Kage here ensured that he would be in a dire straits should he act, so instead he opted to err on the side of caution. "Indeed...strange, Gaara was never one to think out a strategy beforehand...your Namikaze must be quite the opponent Hokage-dono ..."

"Of course, the son of Minato wouldn't disappoint."

"However...does he have anything that can pierce my son's ultimate defense..."

"Given what we have seen thus far...I wouldn't doubt it..."

A leaned forward himself, trying to read the mood of the fighters down below. Form what he could tell Gaara was studying Naruto closely, trying to see what he may do...however...Naruto looked to just be staring blankly forward, at least from what he could tell, almost like he wasn't even seeing the teen... "Strange..."

Mei, who was seated to his right, turned her attention to the larger man, "What?"

"I think the boy is speaking to his bijuu..."

Four other sets of eyes went wide, "H-How can you tell?"

"The unfocused state he's in. My brother and Yugito will often have this look when they are turning inward...he may be asking what the best course of action is..."

"But why would he need to ask? Are Gaara's skills that formidable?"

"It is wise of him to seek council...after all...this is a fight between my son, the host of the One Tailed Raccoon Demon, and Naruto, the host of the Nine Tailed Fox..."

Sarutobi broke out in a cold sweat, a battle between jinchuuriki, at the heart of his village...

He could only hope that Naruto had a plan up his sleeve, and lived up to him moniker of 'most surprising ninja in the Leaf'.

For Gaara this was a new feeling...deep within his mind he felt Mother stir...yet she wasn't screaming for the blonds' blood, no, instead she seemed to be feeling him, sensing the power that slept within him.

'Mother...your silent...what's wrong?'

'The boy...he has changed...he is...darker...'

'Shall I kill him?'

Mother snorted, a highly unladylike sound, but he would never say as such to her, 'of course, I want his blood! But be weary, his connection to the dark could stop you like when you went to kill the green one.'

'Yes Mother...he will feed our sand...'

"Namikaze...Mother wants your blood..."

Naruto, having just returned to himself, narrowed his eyes at the red head, "What did you call me?"

Gaara's legs widened slightly as the cork from his gourde came free, the tendrils of sand starting to dance about him, "Namikaze. That is your name according to Father."

Naruto's blood chilled further if that was at all possible. Through their connection Shiva could only gape as Naruto's memories flashed before her once more. Namikaze...the name of the previous leader of the village...could that be why so many of these new women were cheering for him? That they saw a connection of potential power though a clan name? Beyond that, where were those loyal to her love's father that should have been guiding and protecting him over the years?

"You're wrong...' The audience suddenly went silent, 'I am Naruto. Nothing more."

At once the stadium erupted in harsh mutterings and a few protesting cries. Slowly that din grew, some saying he was a pretender, others that he was insulting his father, more still were wondering why it was that he would deny the great name of Namikaze. "Very well...Mother senses power in you...will you be the one to prove our existence?"

Those chilling blue orbs bored into Gaara's green as Naruto's hand rose up, his staff forming once more, "Existence is temporary...and fleeting...All things will return to the Void in time...and be consumed in shadows...shall I show you? It can be my gift to you..."

Shiva felt a shiver run up her spine...

And she smiled...

"Shall I give you despair?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed, "Your tricks won't work on me Naruto...' His sand rose before him, the tendrils sharpening to fine points, 'Mother needs your BLOOD!"

A half dozen spears rushed towards the cloaked blond, said teen turning sharply even as his staff flowed about him, small wisps of black and clue chakra dancing about the dark crystal at its head, yet still the spears came on. Suddenly ending the spin he thrust the staff into the ground before him, "Aegis of Ice."

The red head's eyes widened as the very air around the blond seemed to...condense...a thick shell of ice quickly creating a semi-circle wall before him.

"Pathetic..." His sand flowed, and the wall was ground to nothing.

To reveal nothing.

Gaara let out a low growl of annoyance as his sand began to spread throughout the arena, "Namikaze! Where are you!"

A slight shiver of chakra...the barest breath on the back of his neck, "Over here..."

Sand exploded around the teen as he sought to surround the blond, doing all he could turn him into a fine smear on the arena floor.

Still, there was nothing.

Kiba could only look on with wide eyes, there was no way that Naruto was that fast...while he certainly wasn't up to the level of Lee, he was much faster than when they had fought. But that wasn't it, it seemed as though Naruto was just winking out of existence every few seconds, like he teleporting around the arena somehow. "Wh-what...how?"

Next to him Hinata had her Byakugan activated, trying to decide if what she was seeing was real, only to come face to face with the living shadow that was Naruto.

A shadow that seemed to be...blinking...in and out of existence. It wasn't really teleporting, it was just that he didn't seem to be there half the time. From what she could tell in those moments of nothingness he was taking half steps around the red head, forcing him to send attacks where he had been, and where he thought he was, time and again. "A-Amazing..."

"Hinata?"

"H-He can make hi-himself...c-cease t-to exist..."

Kiba's eyes were not the only one to widen as, next to them, Kurenai's eyes sharpened, trying to see if the technique was a possible illusion, but even her keenly honed senses seemed to fail her every time he vanished.

She was right...he was just not there."

"Impossible!"

"Is it the Hiraishin?"

The largest among them shook his head, "No Terumi-dono...that has a yellow flash involved...this is something new..."

"Gaara's attacks look like they're just passing through him...is it some form of time/space manipulation?"

"It has to be...' The large man let out a small bark of laughter, 'Like father like son!"

"Sis...what is Nibi telling you?"

"She's...quiet...too quiet...I think she's having trouble understanding what I'm sensing..."

'Come on Nibi...you know all the secrets out there...you can talk to the dead...what the hell is going on in there!'

The two tailed cat only let out a small huff, 'Trying to butter me up won't work kitten...unless I can actually see what's happening out there I can't help you. All I know is that he's there one second and gone the next. And it's seriously pissing Shukaku off...'

The blond could only grumble as she looked to her sister, "She says she can't tell what it is unless she sees it...useless fuzz ball..."

'Oi!'

'Prove me wrong!'

The great beast could only grumble...

"Hold still Namikaze!"

The voice seemed to come from everywhere, "I told you...that's not my name. I tire of this game Gaara...it's time to step things up..."

The redhead's eyes widened as he felt a spike of chakra come from around him as suddenly the blond appeared...

Or, rather, blonds appeared.

"Are you ready Gaara...I'll reward your strength with consummate skill...You've seen my clones already...but you have no idea how fast we can really be... Kagebushin no Jutsu: Makyō Hyōshō!" Before each of the dozen blonds appeared a mirror of ice, the blonds' hands and forearms, at specific points, glowing a chilling blue as they stepped into the mirrors. Gaara looked on in confusion as, rather than his own reflection, he saw the image of the robed teen staring back at him. "Now...you will see that Lee is not the only one with speed..."

Gaara scowled as his sand rose around him, ready to defend as well as attack when the two felt it.

The slight prickling of hairs on their bodies...

A great cloud of smoke appeared in the arena drawing most of the eyes from the ice dome that surrounded Gaara, there, the two showing a pose of preparedness, were Kakashi and Sasuke, the two with their backs to one another.

Kakashi's one visible eye curled slightly into a smile, "Sorry we're late..."

Genma couldn't help the small smile that formed on his lips, not many could say they were going to put Kakashi in their place..."Name?"

"Sasuke Uchiha."

"Very well..."

"Where is my op-"

"Currently in his match, you can go find a seat wherever you wish."

Both Sasuke and Kakashi felt their blood run cold as they looked around, finally letting their eyes come to rest on the odd ice dome that held Gaara, the...numerous robed figures as well as the redhead looking at the two in surprise.

"W-what..but that's tha-"

"Impressive isn't it? Young Namikaze has made an impressive showing today. Now, your disrupting the fight, leave the arena now or I will summon the ANBU to detain you. Your disrupting an official match."

Kakashi felt his knees go weak even as Sasuke looked on in confusion, "Namikaze? The Fourth Hokage? He's dead!"

Genma grinned, here it came..."Yes, but his son is alive and well."

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock even as Kakashi looked to the robed figure with almost worshipful eyes, "S-sensei's son..."

The proctor's grin faded slightly, that was it...he could die happy now. While he didn't have anything against Kakashi officially it was more than a little grating to have your career overshadowed by a guy that only really became famous after he got his sharingan...He knew Kakashi was a good ninja, he wasn't about to say otherwise...but it did feel a bit...cheap...

"You can't! That's my fight! Gaara's mine!"

"Your right. He was yours. But you decided to be 'fashionably late' so now he's Naruto's. Now leave, your embarrassing yourself in front of the Kage's."

for probably the first time in Sasuke's life he looked dumbfounded, Naruto was the Fourth's son! But...how...

"Annoying...Gaara, shall we continue? I believe I had a gift for you..."

The redhead's eyes widened as he saw Naruto's left hands rise, primed between each of his fingers were four kunai, in of themselves not much, but with as many of them as there were...

The sound of steel cutting through the air drew all in the stands back to the battle between the two jinchuuriki.

Slowly the pile of kunai grew even as Gaara lashed out time and again against the sheets of ice, but it seemed like every time he started to make progress the things would simply restore themselves. Finally, after expending more chakra than he would like, he sent the sand out to create a thin sheet around the arena.

If he couldn't break them from the inside...

Slowly the sand rose from the ground, the shapeless mass of tan gradually taking shape, then color, before a dozen copies of Gaara stood around the arena, almost at once the copies through their hands forward, dozens of tiny balls of sand bombarding the mirrors from the outside.

It was slow, but cracks were forming.

"Gaara...you don't understand do you...the futility of your actions. Tell me...what will killing me grant you? What about my life ending will validate yours?"

His voice was deadpan, a rough calm that was enough to put most on edge, "By killing you I prove myself stronger...by killing you I can rise above everyone that wants my existence to end! I love only myself, I can rely only on myself!"

Naruto's hands slowly dropped to his sides as he looked down at the redheaded teen...his focus waning and allowing for the mirrors to start cracking all the faster. "I see...so that's what fuels this power I sense within you..."

"What else is there!"

The bottom mirrors were finally falling to nothingness, causing a few puffs of smoke to fill the area as their clones dispelled. Just beyond that invisible veil Shiva could feel his turmoil at what he had gone through, how he had felt that loneliness when he was abandoned by his sensei...abandoned by his teammates...and how it was all related to the boy below him.

How, when he had fallen into shadow he had cursed so many, and was consumed by nothing.

And how she was the one to start drawing him back out.

In all his world he had four people he could count on...those at the ramen stand, who always greeted him with a smile, and the scared instructor from his school days. They, and herself, were the only ones that really remained with him though all his changes.

Yet it seemed that this Gaara didn't even have that...

"You are all alone, aren't you...you're family isn't there for you...the villagers are nowhere to be found...and let me guess...your father did this to you..."

Gaara's eyes started to become bloodshot as his rage climbed, "What could you know Namikaze! Even my own SISTER is to be yours!"

A hat covered head cocked slightly, something mimicked by the Goddess. The final mirror was now the focus of thirteen barrages, yet this one didn't seem to possess so much as a scuff. Slowly Naruto turned to see a terrified Temari, who's eyes were locked solely on her brother as though he could change into something horrific at any moment.

"Are you afraid I will take her from you?"

"What?"

"Gaara...you don't know me...you know nothing about me...but I think I can say...that you and I are closer to brothers than you would like to admit..."

The sand bombardment slowed, "How..."

"Simple. Your father said I was a Namikaze, yes? Then my father cursed me much as yours did. Yet unlike me, you still had a family...you had a chance that I never did...to know where you came from."

Shaky green eyes turned to his brother and sister for a moment before locking on to Naruto, "No! Your wrong! They were just like the others! The-"

"They were afraid. After some of what you did they were terrified of you."

"YES!"

"And tell me...brother...what did you do...to allay those fears..."

"Wh-"

"Did you try and play with them? Did you reassure them, that you wouldn't hurt them if you could help it?"

"I-I-"

"Or did you push them away? Lash out at them after the things that your father did to you, and told them..."

"They...I couldn't..."

"I think it's time I fulfilled my promise...Gaara of the Sand..."

"What?"

"I still owe you a gift...the greatest I can give you...a glimpse of what could come!" With that the cloaked form rose above the upmost mirror, standing atop it like a platform before his staff lifted away from him, once more coming to rotate lazily over his head even as he started to make strange gestures with his hands, "Gaara...you think you are alone...but I have seen what it is to be alone...the desolation...the inevitability of all things! Everything that has shape in this world eventually decays into nothing! Let me show you!" The power swelled above him, enough to eclipse the arena with the sudden...oppressiveness of it all.

"Plane Shift, Portal of Shadows."

With those simple words the mirror fell.

And Gaara fell into it.

Skills/spells:

Blink: the bread and butter of old D&D wizards (If you wanted to live against another caster at least), for a time it makes any spell have a fifty percent chance of missing you, by making you no longer exist (For a lack of a better term, your phasing into another plane of reality) for seconds at a time. This is what Naruto uses initially on Gaara to avoid his sand attacks, I used it a bit more as a stealth trick though, it's my choice, don't be mad ^_^ It is infallible? No, it only effects things that only target one person (you) so if Gaara had tried to crush everything at once he would be caught. and to be honest, while writing the scene I was flipping a coin to see if he got caught. Never let it be said that I'm not lucky ^_^

Kagebushin no Jutsu: Makyō Hyōshō: Like in the first chapter, clones step into demonic ice mirrors for speed, unlike the first one though he just uses kunai rather than the shadow needles. As to why he can maintain it under such an assault (unlike in the first chapter) he had four of his eight materia powering it constantly. One materia can summon Shiva (For a time), so so long as he maintained his focus they wouldn't shatter (much)

Plane Shift: another classic D&D spell, this would allow you and/or target creatures to move to another plane of reality. Only downside is it's a one way trip. In this case, guess where Naruto sent him? now, normally, that doesn't send enemies, but again, writer's purgative. Gaara will face the path he is walking right now, and will have to make a choice.