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Meanwhile, Kankuro and Temari are still struggling to defeat their enemies; Ryugan and Kujaku. Thankfully, Shikamaru and Ino, including Kiba and Choji arrived just in time to save their asses with Shadow Possession and Fang Over Fang techniques, whereas Gaara tries to kill Suiko, using his Sand Barrel jutsu.
"That was very refreshing," the robust man said in relief.
"But how could you break out?" The red-headed ninja asked in confusion.
"It's my armor that absorbs chakra. It feeds on it," he answered as they continued to finish off their fight. He began to swing his giant mace around in a circular fast motion, saying. "If your chakra isn't built up, your sand is no big deal at all. It's only be useful for blinding me at best!" He swung it towards him, but the sand caught its grasp. Though, his armor started to keep swallowing his chakra through the rope of his weapon.
However, Gaara was setting the sand in the gourd aside and began to form his sand underneath his feet, making a tall tower, which drags the enemy upwards.
Elsewhere, the leader of the Four Celestial noticed the three separate battles that was occurring in different areas and Matsuri noticed his teacher facing his opponent. The red-headed ninja held his arm out in the front and clenched his fist, controlling his sand to rotate him in the mid-air calmly.
"Just what I expected from Gaara of the Sand. He's not called the ultimate weapon for nothing..." The leader stated.
"The ultimate... weapon?" Matsuri repeated slowly.
"However, he cannot exceed our Ninja tools forged in the village of the Artisans," he finished explaining as he observes him.
From that moment on, Naruto and Lee finally caught up with Gaara and saw him spinning his enemy around.
"Hey, he's totally got the edge," the blonde-haired said impressively.
"Do we have a chance to return the favor?" Bushy-brows asked.
At that time, Gaara let go of the Suiko, who is currently falling down to the ground with a huge thud. The robust man gets up on his feet and was impressed by his amount of strength and power that the red-headed ninja was wielding.
Somewhere near their distance, the leader decides to pull out his sword and raise up to signal the enemies to create a triangular formation, surrounding Gaara as a way to trap him using the waterways.
"Behold the terror of Ninja tools our village created," he declared as he plunged the sword down beneath the ground, much to everyone else's dismay.
Suddenly, the water dragon charges towards Gaara, thus stumbles him off the sand, leading him all soak and wet.
"Gaara-sensei!" Matsuri cried out behind the leader's back.
"Hehehe. The aim of the Reverse Scale Formation was a single point, Gaara from the start. Our swords accurately pierce a water vein and summon that dragon. The sand has sucked up a large amount of water and has become heavy as a lead. Now, he can no longer use his sand," he finished explaining with amusement.
The sand tower started to collapse onto the ground and the red-headed ninja couldn't move an inch or so. Therefore, the robust man was about to assassinate him with his giant mace to his delight.
But luckily, Lee stopped him with his Leaf Hurricane technique from attacking Gaara, much to his shock.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Naruto exclaimed and smiled. "It seems you rushed to everyone during the Sasuke incident. This time, we've come to return the favor from that time. So we'll take that guy on! You go hurry and save your student now."
Gaara gets up but drops down onto his knees, grunting in pain.
Lee caught up on the arm, saying. "To think he'd corner you this far..."
"Hey!" A voice called out, which made the others turn around to see who it was.
"Sakura!" Naruto and Lee grinned in unison.
"Leave Gaara's treatment to me. You go with Naruto!" The pink-haired kunoichi informed bushy-brows as he understood it. She started to heal the red-headed ninja's wounds and thought in mind as she gazed at him sadly. "You had me worried... I'm glad you're safe."
"Then, I'll be going first!" The green beast ninja said as he prepared his position to confront the robust man with his taijutsu techniques.
"Be careful. His armor sucks up chakra," Gaara panted breathlessly while watching them fight in combat with the enemy and his giant mace. His eyes moved towards her as she was curing him gently with her hands and smiles faintly. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine... Really..." she said with a quick beam look she gave him.
"Sakura... I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to open up to you at that time after Sasuke left. I just don't know how I'm going to be able to discuss this matter with you and-" Gaara apologized sincerely but got interrupted.
"That's alright. No need to worry. We'll talk about this later, okay? Promise," Sakura glanced at him with a warm smile.
The red-headed ninja nodded in agreement as she focuses on healing him properly. A few minutes later, Sakura was able to treat his body around, now that Gaara is finally getting back to his normal state. But the depletion of chakra is overwhelming.
The bugs arrived at their sight, much to their surprise.
"Contact from your friends?" Gaara asked.
"Ino's hurt?!" Sakura was astonished.
"Go!" The red-headed ninja stood up on his feet, which made her turn around.
"Wha-?! But in your condition..." the pink-haired kunoichi looked at him worriedly.
"I'm okay now. Go. Save your friend," Gaara ordered firmly.
"Okay. But please, don't push yourself. I don't want to see you get hurt," Sakura nodded.
"Alright," Gaara said as he watches her ran off to the forest trees, heading to a different direction where Shikamaru and Temari are.
"What're you doing?! Hurry up and go after your comrade!" Naruto said.
"I'll help my comrade. I'll settle this once and for all," the red-headed ninja noted.
The robust man hit Lee with his giant mace that sets him off, now that Naruto and Gaara are about to confront the enemy.
Shikamaru and Temari use a combination to wipe out Kujaku with their strategy that they devised. She used her fan to change the direction of a nearby waterfall, allowing him to increase the reach of his shadow by using the waterfall's shadow. After Shikamaru trapped Kujaku, Temari blew her off by summoning Kamatari; giant, white-furred weasel with a dark green eye-patch covering his left eye. Kujaku falls off the waterfalls, henceforth; she quickly dies in the process.
"This one's done," Temari grinned happily, which made Shikamaru blushed a little at that.
In the meantime, Akamaru drags the pieces of Kankuro's broken puppet together to surprise attack the second enemy, caging him again inside and stabs him with the needles, killing him off as well.
Lastly, Gaara began to form his sand as a spear to take out the third member, much to Naruto and Lee's surprise.
"He smashed the Sand Armor," bushy-brows said.
"No way! But the sand heavy with water like that. If I just suck up the chakra..." the robust man mumbled in a protest.
"This is my weapon!" Gaara stated as he gripped on the sand spear in his hand and then strikes him in the heart. He collapsed down, panting tiredly.
"Ahh! Gaara-sensei!" Matsuri cried out for help.
"Hurry! Leave the rest to us!" Naruto informed as the red-headed ninja ran off to save his student right away.
On the other hand, Neji and Hinata watches him go after the leader of the Four Celestial. Everyone else is heading for the valley where Gaara is going to be facing the final enemy. He holds onto the rope javelin on his hand and started to think.
Later on, the leader stopped in his spot and noticed that the area that he's in is a dead end.
"This is as far as you go. Give Matsuri back," Gaara commanded sternly.
"You think you've got me cornered now? Don't get the wrong idea. You're the one who's been cornered," Jin said slyly. "You may very well be called the ultimate weapon, but have you not used up all of your sand in the fight earlier?"
"Indeed, I have used up almost all of the sand with chakra built up inside. But..." Gaara recalled in mind logically and said. "No matter what jutsu you use, I must not lose in a one-on-one battle."
"There's nothing scary about a shinobi with no weapon!" Jin stated in a smug as he threw Matsuri down on the ground beside him and pulled out his sword. He summoned a Infinite Kujaku Armor, along with the rest of the Fang Release: Dark Sword and Flying Double Edge Sword. "You'll realize that the likes of a mere ninja is no match for the ninja tools created by us artisans. Now die!" He attacks him fully with his transformation, but Gaara quickly dodged his attacks with his sand.
Though, the red-headed ninja got sliced off over his right shoulder and he stepped back for a while.
"It seems your own body's chakra has run out. You're carrying a monster inside you, right?" Jin asked cunningly, much to Gaara's dismay. "Now, isn't it about time you used the power of Shukaku?"
Naruto finally arrives at the scene of the battle and noticed that Matsuri was laying on the ground. He cracks the wooden barrel open to let her out, saying. "Listen up, you hide in a safe place somewhere."
"Right," Matsuri nodded as she hid behind one of the huge rocks.
"Although Gaara received Sakura's treatment, he's still not yet recovered..." Naruto muttered to himself.
Gaara kept dodging the sword attacks from Jin and reached his back on the rocky hill, helplessly.
"That's as far as you go, ultimate weapon of the Sand Village!" Jin remarked evilly.
The red-headed ninja sat down in irritation until Naruto confronts the enemy.
"Hold it right there!"
"Who are you?"
"I'll be your opponent from here on," The blonde-haired ninja declared.
"Pfft. Get out of my way. Kujaku Hurricane!" Jin slices the wind attack towards him that sends him flying back to the ground. "Leaf shinobi, you watch. The era of control by the Five Great Nations will end. No, it won't be just that. If the ultimate ninja tool created by the Artisan Village is completed, the existence of the Ninja will no longer be necessary."
"What're you talking about?" Naruto questioned further in puzzlement.
"We are people from the Village of Artisans who for many years have equally shared exceptional ninja tools with you in the Five Great Nations. However, each time relations worsened between fellow villages, the Village of Artisans would be attacked over fear of ninja tools crossing over to the other village. You ninja of the Five Great Nations have forgotten that you are kept alive by our power, and have returned the favor with vengeance time and again. Although we the people have advanced skills, we have had to survive by currying favor from the Five Great Nations! Unfortunately, that era will now end! First, I will take out the Leaf village. Fang Release: Dark Sword!" Jin exclaimed out loud as the three swords were charging towards the blonde-haired ninja, who back-flipped away from the attack. "How long can you run away for?" He then slices a fire that smashes him off the rocky hill in pain. "I'll stake you out like a shrike!" The water dragons were dashing to him, but Naruto was shielded from Gaara's sand.
The red-headed ninja held his hands together to maintain his control of his chakra that he has left. "That dome created with hard minerals in the ground mixed with sand can't be smashed by such junk. I'll protect him until the end with my power!" He stated boldly, much to Matsuri's concern.
"Gaara-sensei..." she murmured sadly.
"You, who are called the greatest creation of the Sand, a terrifying weapon, are going to protect someone else? And you're going to use what little chakra you have left for the sake of a comrade? But that will be your death!" Jin remarked snidely as he traps Gaara in a metal sphere that starts draining his chakra. "With this, all preparations are complete."
"Damn it," the red-headed ninja cursed under his breath as he glared daggers at his opponent.
The sand dome quickly dissolves down, now that Naruto was finally able to see what was happening at this point in time. He noticed that his friend is imprisoned. "Gaara!"
Jin laughs wickedly as he approached the red-headed ninja. "What we wanted was the Shukaku's chakra."
"What did you say?" Gaara's eyes startled in shock and was caught off guard by what he's trying to say.
"How we've waited for this time. Now Gaara, turn into the Shukaku now and infuse me with that power," Jin instructed maliciously.
"Gaara! I'll save you now," Naruto made his way towards them, but the metal sphere was being locked in.
The red-headed ninja quickly throws the rope javelin to Matsuri to catch it. Then, he summoned his Third Eye while he sat down calmly. "The optic nerves have connected. Open..."
"Hey, you. What the heck do you intend to start?" Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes at Jin.
"I'll show you. The ultimate ninja tool created by Lord Seimei, the founder of our Village of Artisans," he explained, looking over his shoulder.
"Ultimate Ninja tool?" The blonde-haired ninja repeated.
"Now is the time of its completion," Jin said as he made a few hand signs to perform the technique as a way to force Gaara to transform into a beast.
The red-headed ninja dropped onto his knees, grunting in agony as he was gripping on his head to stop it, whereas Jin then performs a ritual and sacrifices his own body to replace it with Seimei's corpse. Consequently, he allows Seimei to be reincarnated back to life.
"The dead body..." Naruto muttered blankly.
Seimei quickly takes up the weapons of the Four Celestials, therefore, he becomes the "ultimate weapon" of Takumi Village. "My long-awaited wish has at last come to fruition. My Village of the Artisans will reign over the Shinobi apex." He glanced behind him and noticed the metal sphere being held near him. "I see... So the monster from the Sand village became the source of my power."
"Say what?" Naruto interrogated angrily.
"Jin said this. There is a monster lying within the body of the one called Gaara from the Sand village. Once that person is in a cage, soon he will become a complete monster, the Shukaku. I will take away what you could consider infinite chakra from the Shukaku," Seimei displayed his arms out in delight.
"I won't let you do that!" Naruto pointed in irritation as he threw a few kunai knives at him, but got his shoulders sliced off by the swords. But, he managed to get back on his feet and hopped on top of the metal sphere. "Just wait, Gaara. I'll get you out now." He uses his kunai knife to stab it open, but was blown away by the Vortex Wind technique. He began to charge at Seimei and landed on top of it once again, yelling out desperately. "I'll get you out. Gaara! Can you hear my voice?! Answer me! What's going on in there?! Gaara! Gaara!"
Inside the metal sphere, the red-headed ninja was still crying out in pain as his right eye turns into one of Shukaku's.
On the way, everyone else was catching up to go and find Gaara, Naruto and the others. They all know what will happen if there was an extreme sudden outbreak.
Matsuri was watching anxiously at the blonde-haired ninja being beaten up.
Naruto got up on his feet and said in declaration. "We won't give our power to the likes of you."
"Why go this far? What is the monster of the Sand village to you?" Seimei asked curiously.
"Gaara... Gaara is an important comrade to me!" The blonde-haired ninja answered, much to Matsuri's astonishment.
She remembered the time when Gaara mentioned about someone fighting for those important to him and that was him. He was the one. She thought of using her rope javelin to envelop the swords tightly together from attacking Naruto.
"What are you doing, little girl?" Seimei interrogated.
"I finally figured out what Gaara-sensei taught me. Weapons took away the lives of my mother and father. But I can also protect those important to me with a weapon!" Matsuri stated.
"Foolishness," Seimei commented as he swungs her off onto the ground.
"Damn it!" Naruto cursed.
"Heh. It has finally begun, huh...?" The enemy said.
All of a sudden, Seimei continues to force the chakra from Gaara, who currently bursts out of the metal sphere, partially transformed into the One-Tailed Shukaku.
"Gaara..." Naruto smiled at him in relief, but frowned when he noticed that his friend is not himself.
"So this is Shukaku. It's the first time I've seen the real thing," Seimei smirked in amusement, whereas Matsuri trembled in fear at the sight of her teacher's horrifying form.
"It's dangerous here. We have to get away," Naruto informed her.
"But, Gaara-sensei..." she protested softly.
"Listen... Gaara is trying to protect you. So hurry!" The blonde-haired ninja demanded until Shikamaru, Temari and the others arrived at the scene.
Sakura's eyes widened in shock at her best friend, who is a tailed-beast. Then, she quickly noticed that her teammate is injured as she check up on him first.
Naruto got up and walks away slightly to the battle.
"Just what are you think you're doing?! You're badly hurt! I'll give you some first-aid treatment," the pink-haired kunoichi advised.
"This is bad... It's a matter of time," Temari said.
"I knew it," Shikamaru noted. "Sakura! Hurry! We don't have much time!"
"Got it! Naruto, put your hands together first," she instructed.
"R-right..." He held them out as she heals them quickly. "I must help them... At least, a bit amount of my chakra."
On the other hand, Neji was observing the chakra between Gaara and Seimei and noticed the difference with his Byakugan. Matsuri explains that the enemy was revived from Jin.
"I didn't figure on fighting against the Shukaku... However, this is fun. As great as the Shukaku may be, I can prove that it's no match for the ultimate ninja tool of the Village of Artisans," Seimei said smirking.
The half tailed-beast form Gaara reminisces from the moment where he fought against Naruto and then was immediately stopped by Sakura, who saved him from darkness.
FLASHBACK:
"You want to know why I still kept your sand bracelet that you've given me back then?" She cupped both sides of his cheeks with tears streaming down her face, saying. "Because you are my best friend and you mean so much to me... that's how much I love you, Gaara," she concluded happily, which traumatized him to finally know it unexpectedly.
"And that's why Sakura is one of the people who acknowledge my existence, including yours," Naruto stated wholeheartedly.
Gaara remembered what his uncle Yashamaru said to him.
"Needing those close to you. An affectionate heart that gives all of itself for those important people, and is watching over them. That is love," the words resonated in his mind.
"Love... So that's what made these guys so strong," Gaara gazed at the two birds flying by in the sky that reminded of him and Sakura back then.
END OF FLASHBACK
ANOTHER FLASHBACK:
Young Sakura smiled contently at him, saying. "I'll always be here, no matter what."
Young Gaara's cheeks turned into pink as his eyes were glistening back and forth in surprise and said heartwarming tone. "Me too."
Both of them watched the sunset together peacefully as if there was no tomorrow.
END OF FLASHBACK
Back in the present time of where Gaara's current state he is in, he tries to control his Shukaku form altogether as he closed his eyes to concentrate on the memories he has with Sakura and the others. With every inch of his strength, the form was beginning to dissipate down on the ground slowly, much to everyone's amazement.
"Gaara!" Naruto called out.
"What's that? Gaara-sensei is returning back to normal?" Matsuri said.
"What happened to him?" The blonde-haired ninja asked peculiarly.
"Gaara might be suppressing Shukaku of his own volition," Temari said, furrowing her brows in realization.
"Why? Wouldn't he end up weakening his own battle strength?" Shikamaru questioned.
"Even, so he chose to fight with his own strength and will, not Shukaku's power, which he can't control," Kankuro explained logically in thought out.
Once he released his form out, he opened his eyes in determination, ready to fight Seimei.
"So you couldn't maintain the Shukaku body with that chakra?" The enemy mocked.
"I'll... help the friends important to me with my own power..." Gaara announced while Sakura was watching him worriedly and praying that this battle would be all over.
"A shinboi doesn't need emotion. It is those who suppress their emotions who can obtain great power. Great power. That power is the only justice," Seimei answered evilly. "You're finished now." He then attacks him with the three swords, but Gaara performs his Sand Tsunami technique.
Eventually, all the rocks from the hills dropped down as the sand was spreading across the area, which everyone jumped up in alarm. They stood there frozen in spots, watching what happens.
But then, Seimei came out of the sand and attempts to suck Gaara's last chakra out of his body.
"Damn it," Naruto muttered in frustration.
"Stay out of it," Shikamaru said.
"Look, you're only be getting in the way," Temari pointed out.
"She's right... Naruto, we all have a little faith in him. Trust me, he can win this. He's strong," Sakura said positively with a smile as she turned her head towards the battle that is about to end.
"I hope so," the blonde-haired ninja said softly.
Gaara slowly performs his final technique, crying out. "Extreme Tempered Ultimate Attack: Shukaku's Pike!" He holds his giant weapon and narrowed his eyes as he strikes the enemy directly without missing it.
Thus, Seimei grunted out as he is dying. "Why... How could you...?"
"Someone who gave up on being human and was reborn as a ninja tool could never understand anyway," Gaara concluded.
"Why is this... It can't be... It can't be!" Seimei cried out, now that his body was being swallowed by the sand.
Overall, Gaara performs his last final technique, which is the Giant Burial that kills him off, leading his spirit back to where it is.
"Gaara-sensei won!" Matsuri declared happily, along with the rest of the ninjas who were glad to see him in victory.
They all ran up to him but the red-headed ninja collapsed down on the sand ground.
"Gaara!" Naruto and Sakura called out in unison.
The pink-haired kunoichi came over to his side and quickly checked both of his pulses. She smiled in relief, saying. "He's alright. He's just extremely fatigue on account of using his chakra all at once."
"Gaara completely suppressed the Shukaku on his volition," Temari noted.
"Yeah..." Kankuro said quietly as he looked back on his memory of his younger brother's words.
FLASHBACK:
"I want to work hard. I thought that looking at Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno. Ties with other people. For me, until now, that was just hate and murderous intent. However, there's something I've understood just a little about the ties they goes so far for and talks about. Suffering, sorrow and happiness can be shared with someone," Gaara explained it sincerely with a whole-halfheartedly smile.
Both of them watches the sunset as Kankuro continues to listen to him talk.
END OF FLASHBACK
Back in the present time, Kakashi and Jiraiya came on top of the rocky hill and saw that the mission has finally been completed.
"So I guess this is it," the copy-haired ninja said.
"Yeah. You could say that again," the white-haired sanin chuckled as they continue to head back to the leaf village.