The Pantheon of Nine
By: Finn Mertenz
A/N: I want each tailed beast to be unique. They will all have their own specific chakra-color and a unique way they transform (I.e how they morph into verison 2 and stuff like that.)
I will be creating a verison 3 chakra-cloak, which is basically a fully-empowered mini tailed beast condensed into the body of a jinchūriki (Like the form Gara used in his canon fight with Naruto). The main reason I am doing this is because I don't like the concept of a jinchūriki just transforming into a power ranger boss.
I love the idea of a wild tailed beast being the original height, shape and size due to its lack of control and insight, which is partially why jinchūriki are stronger than normal tailed beast. However, it's because of this very reason that I want to funnel and condense that power into a jinchūriki, which prevents a power ranger battle, that is what summonings are for.
In canon, Shukaku hates Kurama for always looking down on him, which is why I've written the constant headaches and pain for both Gaara and Naruto.
Side-note: In terms of this story, I like to think of Gaara and Naruto's childhood as completely different. Naruto had no one since he was born until he was 6 and adopted by Iruka while Gaara was born with Yashamaru before the latter was ordered to kill him at age 6 - and failed.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. I DO NOT CLAIM TO OWN NARUTO.
Chapter 38: Naruto's Ninja Handbook! Battle Of Sorrow.
5:12pm, Friday June 9th 58SSP
"Hey, boss... Do you, love anyone?" Konohamaru asked as he stood beside his Sensei and friend atop the Hokage Monument. Following this question a heavy gust of wind blew in from the south, forcing multiple Leaf's to float and swirl around the pair of Leaf Shinobi.
"Love... I did love someone, once." Naruto replied as he glanced up towards the setting horizon.
"Do you mean Iruka-Sensei, boss?" Konohamaru questioned only to be met with silence.
"Ebisu-Sensei hasn't told me anything about that boss, said it was a high-ranked secret or something... But you can tell me, right boss?" As he spoke, Konohamaru's voice rose in pitch and tone as he tried to earn Naruto's favor.
"I failed him..." Naruto answered in a low tone.
"No way boss, how could the great Naruto Uzumaki fail?" Konohamaru retorted with a chuckle.
"I've asked myself that more times than I can count... Why did he have to die?" Naruto exclaimed, clearly effected by Konohamaru's words.
"Why couldn't I save him... I know I could have." After speaking, Naruto then downcast his face as he stared out across the village.
"Some times there are things no one can fix... You're not all powerful boss." Konohamaru mumbled.
"Well I should be... Some day I will be... I will be the most powerful Shinobi ever, I will even learn to stop people from dying." Naruto proclaimed as his voice grew louder in volume.
"B-boss..." Konohamaru stuttered as his saucer-like eyes bulged with shock.
"I was once like you, Konohamaru, I was young and playful - I even pulled pranks on the village... But then I found someone who accepted me for who I really am, do you know how that feels?" Naruto asked, causing his student to abruptly nod his head in approval.
"Find someone like that, Konohamaru, find someone who loves and protects you, find someone you look up too - find your purpose." As he spoke, Konohamaru's eyes once again grew wide with shock.
"M-my purpose, boss?" Konohamaru mumbled.
"Your goal is to be Hokage... You want to become the Hokage so people see you as something other than the 'Honorable Grandson' but that isn't a purpose, Konohamaru." Naruto replied.
"It's hard to explain what a purpose is... I've been looking for mine for awhile now, but try to think of someone you love or something you care about... Maybe, someone who isn't with you anymore." As he spoke, Konohamaru could do nothing but idolize his Sensei and friend.
"A-and when I get a purpose... I become strong, right boss?" Konohamaru asked, creating a wide grin on Naruto's concealed face.
"Yes, Konohamaru... Some day, you will become a strong Shinobi." Naruto answered as he once again glanced up towards the setting horizon, determined to guide and protect his student, just like Iruka.
11:47am, Thursday June 15th, 58SSP. The Chunin Exam Arena.
The screams and loud cries of multiple children could be heard resonating from the audience, screams that fueled Shukaku's sadistic laugh. Even though a tailed beast had broken loose during the exam, all ninja were forbidden from intervening, except the proctor.
You first have to grow up Naruto, if you apply yourself and work hard... One day you'll figure it out all alone! The joyful voice of Iruka echoed inside Naruto's mind.
Father, this is my moment... The moment I prove myself worthy of your love. Naruto concluded as he tore his tattered left sleeve loose before dropping it to the ground, revealing his pale-skinned left arm and shoulder.
"Forgive me, Sensei... Against such a foe, I can use no restraint." Naruto mumbled too quietly for anyone to hear.
Shukaku then abruptly slammed both hands atop the ground, forcing a cascading amount of sand to swirl and spiral upward. After twirling through the air multiple times it soon took on the shape of a sand tornado before surging towards Naruto.
This action caused Naruto to jump 5ft forward before kneeling down and clapping his hands together, instantly dispelling the tornado as it approached. This left hundreds of sand particles in the air that soon began molding and merging together, forming dozens of floating sand spikes.
As Shukaku began to laugh once again, the spikes then launched down towards Naruto who was forced to physically dodge the attack since his eyes couldn't react in time. Although Naruto was able to deflect and dodged multiple of the spikes, several of them still puncture his back and arms, staining his outfit red.
"I WILL NOT FAIL!" Naruto screamed, causing all of the sand surrounding him to abruptly dissolve before being flung back by some unseen force. This power was so great that the surrounding ground cracked under it's weight.
This revealed several streams of steam that poured out of Naruto, seeping off of every wound as they healed almost instantly. This left multiple holes in his outfit as blood stained the once purple tunic.
At this moment, Naruto raised each of his hands to his chest while holding them apart from one another. During this, his left hand weaved through the Tiger, Ox, Monkey, Rabbit, Ram, Boar, Ox, Horse and finally Monkey Seals.
At the same time, Naruto's right hand danced through the Tiger, Dog, Tiger, Snake, Tiger, Ox, Monkey, Rabbit and Bird Seals. After preforming theses seals Naruto then clapped his hands together while overlapping his fingers atop one another.
Naruto then inhaled a staggering amount of air as he arched his back slightly while he cheeks puffed out. Out of the hundreds of ninja that watched this feat, very few could believe a 12 year old had such mastery of Hand Seals.
"Water Style: Giant Waterfall Jutsu!" Naruto proclaimed as he leaned forward before a jet of chakra-filled water shot out from his mouth.
This water slowly flooded Naruto's feet and the surrounding area before surging out in all areas, submerging the sand or making it completely useless. This amount of water was so vast that Naruto was soon standing upon a wave of water.
This water soon began to flood the entire 60ft wide arena with ankle deep water, accomplishing a feat of Water Style that very few others could. During this, Hayate managed to escape the fissure before hiding in a distant tree.
Suddenly, Shukaku dragged multiple boulders up from underneath the earth before launching them towards Naruto, forcing the blond to cancel his jutsu as he calmly stood atop the water.
Naruto used his hands to crush and smash through several pieces of rock before he was forced to jump over a large boulder. After landing, Naruto then crouched down just in time to avoid a rock thrown towards his face.
After raising his gaze, Naruto noticed a large 10ft boulder sliding across the ground towards him, forcing the blond to cross his arms in a 'X' fashion infront of his chest. This action caused the boulder to instantly shatter on impact before all pieces of rock and debris harmlessly fell around Naruto.
Once this debris cleared, Naruto's violet eyes bulged with shock as they realized Shukaku was running at full speed towards him. Shukaku then arched his left fist back before hurling it into Naruto's mouth, forcing the blond the fly back over 10ft.
As he was launched back, multiple drops of blood and several teeth littered the arena floor. Soon, Naruto began using his hands to preform backflips in order to regain his balance.
Naruto then jumped into the air before twisting and spinning in multiple directions to avoid the streams of approaching sand. Naruto was so focused on his battle that he failed to notice when new teeth began to grow out in his mouth, replacing those that had fallen out.
Once Naruto landed on atop the water, a large 5ft wide boulder was suddenly raised from underneath him, raising the blond into the air. This boulder then abruptly crumbled and dissolved into sand, absorbing Naruto into the sand before it then hardened, sealing him into place.
Naruto's violet eyes then instantly bulged, causing the blond to float out from the rock and stone, as if some unseen force pulled him free. During this, Shukaku began to once again laugh hysterically.
"Woah! Nice one! Let's see how you deal with this - HAHAHAHAH!" Shukaku joked as several dozen red and blue chakra orbs protruded and popped out from his body.
What's this...? Naruto wondered as the multi-colored chakra orbs began to float in the air around Shukaku.
"Is that... Chakra?" Sakura asked only to be met with silence.
That's... Guy noted while his eyes narrowed.
Shukaku then sat down while raising his tail and head up, causing the nearby chakra orbs to funnel towards his mouth. These orbs then began merging together, transforming the previous blue and red orbs into a large dark purple one.
This orb then shrunk and condensed into a bite-size ball. This caused the water underneath Shukaku to ripple and rupture violently under the weight. This display of power greatly alarmed Naruto once he realized his friends were also threatened.
Naruto's violet eyes then glanced to the left before observing a large section of the deserted and empty 'Fire' section. Naruto then slammed his hands together with such force that the sound echoed across the arena.
At this moment, multiple cracks and splinters then erupted throughout an empty column inside the 'Fire' section. The walls, ceiling and floor were all instantly dislodged and broken from the main section of the arena.
Don't tell me... Naruto has something even greater!? A shocked Lee panicked internally.
Suddenly, a 35ft tall and 20ft wide section of arena jolted upward, breaking apart from the earth before it slowly rose into the sky. During this, Naruto unclenched his hands before directing both palms towards Shukaku.
This action caused the massive piece of rock, stone and metal to crash upon Shukaku, crushing him under 2 tons of weight. This forced the technique Shukaku was casting to explode in a 30ft wide event, showing the entire arena with a blinding light.
At the same time, heavy gusts of wind streamed out from this attack, hitting many of the audience members directly in their faces as they attempted to get a better view. While this happened, Naruto quickly shank down into the water, some how managing to fit his entire form into the ankle-deep liquid.
Naruto, how are you doing that... Sasuke asked himself while his hair and cloths blew in the breeze.
Naruto... Lee thought while his hair rustled violently in the breeze. This gust of wind was so strong that Kiba and Hinata couldn't even keep their eyes open. At the same time, while Asuma and Kurenai were struggling to watch the fight, Kakashi and Guy weren't even affected, suggesting their power was far greater than the others.
As this volume of wind increased, so too did the struggle to stand and watch as many Genin and children in the audience could barely open their eyes. During this, Lee's mind began to drift back to his last day at the Academy, a day that happened over 1 year ago.
-Flashback-
8:03am, Wednesday May 3rd, 57SSP.
"Hey, Guy! What are you doing here?" Iruka asked as he slowly escorted his son and student to the frontdoor of the Academy.
"Oh, Iruka - I've heard much about your burning youth!" Guy proclaimed as he dramatically hurled a thumbs up towards Iruka, causing the latter to chuckle in response.
"Heh... It's nice to meet you... Naruto is attending this academy, I was hoping our students would get along together." Iruka replied with a grin wide upon his face.
"I'm afraid that will be impossible." Guy declared while resting his left hand against his waist.
"Huh? What a think to say! Are you... One of those crazy-strict parents?" Iruka stuttered as multiple beads of sweat began dripping down his face.
"No, Sensei... Lee graduated this year, he won't be coming back anymore." Naruto explained as he downcast his face, clearly depressed with this piece of information.
"Oh... Pardon me! I just assumed since you were in front of the Academy..." Iruka spoke sheepishly while using his left hand to rub the back of his head.
"Hahahah... Don't worry about it!" Guy chuckled out in response.
"Uh... I don't think this is anything to be laughing about." Naruto complained with his still downcast face, unhappy with the idea of Lee leaving.
"Hey, Naruto... Don't be rude." Iruka mumbled as he began rubbing the top of Naruto's scalp with his left hand.
"But... You were alot ruder than me just a minute ago, Sensei." Naruto replied, causing Iruka to sigh while he shook his head from side-to-side.
"Anyway, we should get going before we're late to class... Excuse us please." Iruka spoke as he and his student both walked past Guy and Lee.
"Naruto... Thank you for your support!" Lee screamed while he turned around before directing his left hand out in a thumbs up fashion. This caused Naruto to turn around midstride before directing his own thumbs up towards Lee while smiling.
During this, both Iruka and Guy were grinning from ear-to-ear as they watched their students. After several moments, Iruka and Naruto then turned around before continuing their journey into the Academy.
"Lee... Don't slack off just because you graduated from the Academy." Guy ordered, confusing his student with his words.
"Huh? What's wrong Sensei?" Lee asked.
"You didn't see it, did you...? It's Naruto, at the rate he's training... That boy will become stronger than you." Guy explained as he thought about the endless stains, bruises and scuffs of dirt that covered Naruto's hands and feet.
"St-stronger than me...?" Lee mumbled out.
"They haven't announced the graduates for next year yet... But the Academy isn't dumb, Naruto will pass and I want you to remember this day - Lee." Guy requested, causing his student to instantly stand-at-attention.
"Yes, Guy-Sensei!" Lee yelled while his teacher knelt down beside him.
"You think Neji is a good rival... But let me tell you, Lee... One day, you will find your eternal rival." Guy explained as he rested his right hand atop Lee's head.
"M-my eternal rival?" Lee repeated, causing his Sensei to chuckle slightly.
"Someone you will chase after your entire life, someone you want to surpass and battle... It's a feeling I can't explain, but when you meet your true rival - you will know." Guy spoke, causing Lee to stare at the Academy entrance.
"My... Eternal rival." Lee mumbled while the image of Naruto floated throughout his mind. Although Lee understood what Sensei was saying, it would take over a year for him to learn the true meaning.
-Flashback ends-
Dirt, rock and debris continued to blow out from the center of the battleground while a blinding light prevented hundreds of people from opening their eyes. During this, Lee held his right bandaged forearm horizontally infront of his mouth, blocking debris while his eyes narrowed.
Eh? Oh... Your match, well Naruto jumped in and saved you at the last moment - don't you remember? The voice of Shikamaru spoke inside Lee's mind.
Are you alright, Lee? The memory of Naruto asked during one of the many times both Shinobi had trained together.
You actually have perfect timing for once... Hahah. Naruto's voice spoke inside Lee's mind as the latter thought back to one of their training sessions.
"Sensei... It ended up exactly like you said." Lee mumbled underneath his breath as pieces of rock of debris struck his arms and face.
These words caused Guy to grin from ear-to-ear while he stood completely still, unaffected by the gusts of wind and dirt. Guy already knew what Lee was talking about but he was happy that his student finally saw it too.
During this, the missing wall in the arena allowed the small lake of water to rush out before flooding the nearby houses and parks. At the same time, Naruto jumped out from underneath the ground before landing firmly on his feet.
This process revealed that the entire left portion of Naruto's tunic had been burned off, showing a significant amount of his pale-skinned chest and stomach. This skin was covered in scuffs of dirt and mud, suggesting his outfit had been removed by Shukaku's attack instead of hiding underground.
This allowed many of the audience members to directly see the black seal inscribed upon Naruto's stomach, a seal Sasuke and Sakura had never seen before. The previous explosion was so vast that it shook the entire village and even more, alerting Shinobi who hid outside of Konoha.
Meanwhile, Outside the walls of Konoha.
A group of 4 Leaf Anbu dashed through the surrounding forest with such speed that they to on the appearance of shadows. At the last moment, 3 of these Anbu continued to move forward while 1 stopped before glancing and observing the surrounding trees.
This Anbu wore the iconic Leaf Anbu outfit with a short-sleeved tunic and sword strapped in a slanted vertical fashion to his back. These short sleeves revealed the trade mark tattoo for all Leaf Anbu sprawled across the mans left bicep.
He wore a bird mask with a large beak that extending 3 inches out from his face. His hair was dirt-brown and extremely spikey as it shot out in all directions. For several moments this Anbu stood alone while turning around and glancing from side-to-side multiple times.
"Hey, is something wrong?" A lizard-masked Anbu member asked as he and 2 other Anbu appeared atop a nearby treebranch.
"No... It must have been my imagination..." The bird-masked Anbu replied before chasing after his teammates as they continued to patrol the perimeter of Konoha. After the Anbu disappeared, a pale-skinned hand rose out from a nearby bush.
This signaled for dozens of Sound and Sand Shinobi to reveal themselves as they all hide behind bushes, trees and even the ground itself. This raised-hand then turned in a counter clockwise manner, forcing the dozens of Shinobi gathered to abruptly scatter and disappear.
Meanwhile, inside the Chunin Arena.
Is it... Is it over? Naruto asked himself as he violet examined the large pillar of rock, stone and metal that rested atop Shukaku's previous location. Unlike the Byakugan, the Rinnegan was unable to see through solid objects like rock or stone.
For several moments a tranquil silence fell over the arena while birds could be heard singing in the distance. During this, a series of applause could be heard erupting from the thousands of foreigners that sat in attendance, giving Naruto something his village never would - approval.
At this moment, Shukaku's brown chakra tail shot out from the ground before wrapping and contorting around the large pillar of rock. Every portion of rock and stone that Shukaku's tail touched instantly dissolved into sand before he crushed the pillar under the weight of his chakra.
As these pieces of rock and stone fell through the air, almost all of them crumbled into sand that began swarming towards Naruto. This process changed the pillar of stone into a massive 10ft tall sea of sand, using Naruto's attack against him.
"Hmph..." Naruto sighed once he noticed all of his Kunai were shallowed by sand, preventing him from using the Flying Thunder God technique. This realization caused Naruto to turn around before he began running away from the approaching sand.
"Yea... I'm going to tear him apart before I drag them out... What you ask? The insides of course - HAHAHAH!" Shukaku joked as he erupted out and stood atop the approaching sand.
As Naruto ran he tilt his face to the side, allowing his violet eyes to notice sand pouring out from Shukaku's chakra body. This action caused Hiruzen to pull his hat down slightly upon realizing the danger this represented.
Th-the... The perfect possession...!? A panicked Kankuro thought as his arms trembled while his eyes bulged.
Once Naruto stood infront of the large wall gap in the arena he quickly turned around to face the sand. Naruto knew that he couldn't retreat any further, he had to stop Shukaku soon.
"Summoning Jutsu!" Naruto screamed while slamming both hands atop the ground as he knelt down, instantly surrounding the blond with a 10ft wide smoke cloud.
A jet of foam-like bubbles that shot out from the smoke before crashing against the sand. This force of this foam was so vast that it completely overwhelmed and washed over the one deadly amount of sand.
At the same time, a jagged yellow beak jolted out of the smoke before soaring over 30ft into the air, revealing a large multi-legged bird that Naruto stood upon. As this purple-eyed bird drifted through the air, Naruto's spikey hair and purple tunic rustled in the breeze.
Na... Naruto - How... How on earth can you do that...!? A shocked Sasuke panicked internally, unable to believe his eyes. During this, the cloud of smoke dissolved entirely, revealing a large crab with the same violet eyes as Naruto.
Those possessed by Shukaku the sand spirit are no longer able to sleep during the night, the terror is too great. Naruto thought back to one scrolls he kept hidden in his room, a scroll he barely managed to get from the library.
"Here we go! I hope you're ready to die - HAHAH!" Shukaku joked as he swiped his left arm through the air in a horizontal fashion, creating multiple torrents of sand-infused wind that surged up towards Naruto.
At this moment, a surge of foam completely overwhelmed and sealed Shukaku, proving the foam was to great too withstand. This action left half of the arena completely concealed and covered with dense foam-like bubbles.
"Water Style: Raging Waves!" Naruto declared while clapping his hands together into the Dragon seal before weaving through the Tiger and Hare seal as he inhaled a vast amount of air.
Once Naruto exhaled, he began spewing water out of his mouth in a waterfall-like fashion, completely washing over the approaching wind torrents before raining down on the ground below.
Ma-Man... Maybe I should just run away... Just thinking about that thing gives me the chills, I couldn't eat for 2 days after I saw it last time. Kankuro remembered as he thought back to one of Gaara's nightly rampages inside the Sand Village.
Meanwhile, Outside the walls of Konoha.
A group of 3 dozen Sand and Sound Shinobi all crowded together inside one of the countless forest-clearings that dotted the land around Konoha. In the center of this clearing was a large summoning seal with Kanji scribbled across the mixture of grass and dirt in a 10ft wide radius.
Around this seal sat 6 elite jonin from the Sand Village, all of which had an unrolled sealing scroll in their laps as they preformed the necessary seals to begin the summoning.
"How are things?" One of the remaining Sand Shinobi asked as a group of new Sound Shinobi entered the clearing.
"Everything is going as scheduled, please continue with the summoning." The leader of this Sound group spoke. Unlike the Sand Shinobi, all of these Sound ninja wore identical outfits and masks, concealing their identities.
"We will be moving out any moment now." As this Sound ninja spoke, the leader of the Sand nodded in approval.
"Understood." This Sand Shinobi replied.
"I will leave things here to you then." This Sound ninja replied before both his group and the other Sound ninja all began dashing and leaping across the treeline.
At this moment, the 6 seated Sand Shinobi all began funneling chakra into their Hand Seals. This action caused the large seal across the ground to abruptly glow and hum with a bright green aura, signaling that the time for invasion was soon to come.
Meanwhile, inside the Chunin Arena.
The large purple-eyed bird carrying Naruto gently landed on the foam-like ground before the blond jumped off and began walking across this foamy landscape. During this, both summons created by Naruto erupted into a large puff of smoke, removing them from the battlefield.
"Hey, hey... Not bad, not bad at all - let me kill you HAHAH" Shukaku's half-perfect possessed body joked. Large clumps of sand covered Shukaku's legs, tail and lower torso, giving him the true appearance of the Sand Demon.
Usually Shukaku could mold his own chakra into sand, creating the material out of nothing but air. However, the large field of foam that decorated the battleground completely restrained Shukaku and prevented the creation of more sand.
After several moments of walking, Naruto finally stood directly infront of Shukaku, barely 2ft away from the most feared demon in the Sand Village. This act, the action of standing infront of Shukaku was something no Chunin or even Jonin of the Sand Village would ever do.
Aslong as the jinchūriki for Shukaku is awake, then the Sand Demons true power is held at bay. Naruto recalled the last line from the Shukaku scroll he owned. Usually, scrolls detailing the jinchūriki were extremely rare but due to Shukaku's frequent rampages in the Sand Village he was well-known.
"Oh, oh... Tough guy HAHAHA... I like your eyes, kid - HAHAH" Shukaku continued to joke before some unseen force gripped his body. This force completely tore Shukaku free from the foam before Naruto's right hand abruptly grasped down upon his chakra throat.
"I've had it with you!" Naruto screamed as he slammed his forehead against Shukaku's, causing Gaara's bright red seal to once again become visible while it throbbed with pain.
This action caused the metal section of Naruto's headband to partially crumble into sand while 3 streams of blood began running down the blonds face. During this, the red seal on Shukaku's forehead began to glow brightly while sand crumbled and fell off his body.
At the same time, the brown chakra of skin that maintained Shukaku's body began to crack and splinter in multiple places.
As this happened, Gaara's internal world was in a meltdown while he let Shukaku control the entirety of his body. Gaara's purpose was clear, he needed to kill Naruto so he could prove his existence, but what if he failed?
-Inside Gaara's mind-
"Gaara... Gaara!" A strange yet familiar voice echoed through Gaara's lonely mind, a mind filled with an empty and barren desert.
"Who is that...? Whose calling me... Who is it?" Gaara mumbled as he sat atop a patch of dirt with his knees against his chest while his stared down at his left hand for an extensive period of time.
"This hand... Oh, it's just my hand... Again... My hand, me" As he spoke, Gaara's tone was low and timid, nothing like his outward appearance.
"Who am I...I..? What am I..." After speaking, his entire body began to tremble and shake, unaware of both his purpose and meaning.
What are you doing!? I told you not to talk to it! The voice of a parent from the Sand Village spoke out, one of many that warned kids against playing with Gaara as a child.
Lets get out of here... A group of scared children whispered as they began running away from Gaara.
Watch out...! It's... It's him again... A teacher at the Sand Academy warned his students as Gaara walked past the playground.
Why don't you just go away...?! Go away you... Freak! The voice of a shopkeeper inside the Sand Village screamed.
Freak! The voice of over 20 individuals all repeated themselves inside Gaara's mind, each of their voices clearly filled with hatred towards the red-haired boy.
Freak! Why don't you just die! A 16 year old boy yelled at Gaara while the latter was eating lunch.
He's a monster, don't even look at him. A concerned mother ordered both her children as she dragged them away from the playground.
I told you to stay away from him. A concerned father reminded his son.
Go away! A group of child screamed at Gaara when the latter tried to return their kick ball.
"Gaara!" The scream of Naruto resonated across Gaara's mind, causing the latter to finally regain his senses after passing out earlier in the fight.
-Gaara's train of thought ends-
Once he opened his pale-green eyes, Gaara could barely see anything due to the intense bright light of the sun. Gaara felt his right arm draped across someone's shoulders while that individual used their left arm to help him stand.
"Wh... What is this...?" Gaara mumbled while his eyes finally adjusted to the light, allowing him to stare directly into Naruto's violet eyes. Eyes that showed genuine concern and worriment, feelings Gaara hadn't felt in years.
"Naruto..." As he spoke, Gaara's tone was low and hushed due to the amount of chakra he had used. At the same time, Gaara was unable to understand why the same person he threatened to kill was now helping him.
"I don't really understand the tactics of a headbutt... But look at the results! He won Sasuke!" Sakura screamed before she wrapped both arms around Sasuke's waist while squeezing tight.
Naruto fought against the same opponent as me... Yet he won while I lost. A humiliated Lee noted to himself.
"I'm glad you're finally awake again... You had me worried, Gaara." Naruto exclaimed as he began to smile at the stunned red-haired Shinobi.
"Why... Why would you do this...? Why would you worry about anyone other than yourself?" Gaara pleaded to know the answer. This question caused Naruto to tear his gaze away from Gaara before glancing up towards the cloudless blue sky.
"Because we're the same... I know how you feel, Gaara. You feel lonely and it hurts inside... And someone should have been there for you, but I'm here for you now." Naruto explained while each of his words caused Gaara's eyes to tremble with shock.
"When my father died... I used to think my life would just stop entirely. How could my world progress without the man who raised me... That's when I realized I had to go on living, without him." As he spoke, the watching audience members went deathly quiet in an attempt to hear his words.
"But even then... I knew that something else had been taken from me, something even more important, and that is when I truly became lost. It was the fear of my purpose, the idea that there was no one left in this world who needed me... The realization that I was unnecessary." As Naruto spoke, Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, knowing full well that this wasn't the life Minato planned for his son.
"It's almost unbearable... Isn't it? The feeling of being all alone, I know that feeling - I've been there... In that dark and lonely place." After speaking, Naruto once again glanced into Gaara's pale eyes.
"But now there are others... Other people who mean alot to me, and I care more about them then I do myself." This statement caused Gaara's mouth to fall open, unable to comprehend the words he was hearing.
"But why...? Why would you do this for anyone other than yourself?" Gaara asked while his pale-greens eyes bulged with shock.
"Because they saved me from myself. They rescued me from my loneliness. They were the first to accept me for who I am, their my friends, Gaara." Naruto explained as a kind smile bloomed upon his whiskered-face, causing Gaara to glance up at the bright sunlight in the sky.
Well love is... The hearts desire to serve someone who is precious to you, to watch over them... Like my sister did, for you Gaara. The voice of Yashamaru gently resonated inside Gaara's mind.
Love... Is that what makes him so strong? Gaara asked himself as he continued to stare into the bright light. Gaara was so focused on his thoughts that he barely noticed when a rainfall of white feathers began hailing down upon the arena.
These feathers quickly hypnotized and entranced the thousands of audience members in attendance, forcing them to all fall unconscious before they could even applaud.
While normal citizens were overwhelmed, the elite and average Shinobi quickly identified this as Genjutsu before preforming the necessary Seal to break it.
"Huh...? What's going on?" Naruto asked as he turned his head from side-to-side to examine the hundreds of falling feathers. To any normal person, this act would have caused Naruto to instantly fall asleep but his eyes prevented any Genjutsu from affecting him.
This was the moment, the moment that years of planning and preparation had led up to. The moment when Konoha and the 'Fire' nation as a whole would be wiped off the map, the moment of Orochimaru's victory.