The wind cut through the air towards the raging Jinchuriki. The attack should have cut right through him, ending the fight right then and there. The man had no right to be alive. Not with his wounds. This would be the final nail in the coffin.
The blade of wind sent from the Uzumaki's scythe was dispelled in a stronger gust of wind from Gaara. The Jinchuriki screeched and a powerful gale shattered Naruto's own jutsu. The blonde's eyes widened at the sight. With a grunt he sent another slash of wind only for it to meet the same effect.
'He can overpower me!'
Before he had any time to react a massive claw of boiling red chakra surged at him from Gaara's body. He grunted, spinning out of the way of the attack only for an amalgamation of sand to pour off of it towards him. The blonde was forced to pirouette out of the way, slashing down with his scythe to cut the sand in two before flying away. He wasn't given much room to breathe. Massive tendrils of sand and boiling red chakra shot after him, desperate to grab him and pin him down. He was on full retreat as he shot through the sandstorm, desperately looking for a way to break free of the prison.
He slipped through a small gap in the sand only for his eyes to widen as he saw a massive tendril shoot at him. He flew upwards only for his eyes to widen as the massive blue-marked arm from before appeared, reaching out to grab him. The blonde grunted, slashing an opening into the sand and shooting through just before it wrapped around him. He didn't have a reprieve for long. The massive sandstorm contracted, and his vision became a blur of brown. He grunted, feeling sand pelt him. There was just too much. He couldn't shred all of it.
But maybe he didn't have to.
The blonde quickly formed a handsign and four copies of him popped into existence. Each shot off in a separate direction, desperate to escape the contracting prison. It should have been easy with his speed and the sandstorm shrinking. But the sandstorm was alive. Massive tendrils and claws of sand shot through the air at blistering speeds, visible trails of air resistance following after them. Gaara's laughter echoed throughout the sandstorm. Naruto grunted. How was he able to hear Gaara when he couldn't even hear himself think in all this deafening noise?
Memories flooded his mind.
Naruto grunted. A clone had been caught it seemed.
He kept moving, desperate to find the edge. He just needed to keep travelling straight. He would eventually run into it. He was stopped by a massive wall of sand that appeared in front of him. A massive face sat in the center of the wall, looking something like a tanuki. It screeched and the force of the wind threw him backwards. Naruto grunted, raising his arms as some feeble form of protection. It didn't matter. The powerful wind shook his own control for but a moment, enough that the hundreds of bullets of sand that came with the wind were able to pierce. Naruto's body was shredded by the sandy bullets, deep gashes forming on his body. Blood trickled out before his armor reactivated.
He tried to fly forwards once more. If the wall had been erected, he must have been nearing the edge!
It was useless.
Suddenly he felt a tug and his body began to fall towards the ground, completely out of his control. His eyes widened.
'What the hell?'
Naruto slammed onto the sand-covered ground below and it was quick to work. Sand began enveloping his body, causing his eyes to widen. His wind armor was doing its best, but he needed more. First, he had to address why he couldn't move. He had perfect control of his body before this. It was only after that attack that he began to lose control of his body. But wind couldn't force the opponent to move, not like this anyway. Something else was going on. But Gaara had only revealed control over sand and wind so far.
Sand was the obvious outlier.
But how was Gaara controlling him with sand? He wasn't made of it.
Then it clicked.
The sand bullets had gotten into his body!
The blonde grunted. The sand wrapping around him was getting tighter. Soon he wouldn't be able to escape. He needed to free himself of the sand in his body and around him in one go. Chakra burned in his coils, clashing together violently. His eyes glowed a brilliant violet as chakra surged throughout them. This was risky. But it was worth it. He screamed, and wind responded. His wind armor exploded outwards, shredding the sand that covered him. Meanwhile, wind flowed into the wounds in his body, violently assaulting everything in their way. Blood spilled from his mouth at action. He couldn't control the wind in such a small area, not when he couldn't even tell what was sand and what his body was. He groaned, blood spilling from his mouth as his vision swam.
But he felt it.
He could move.
Naruto rose to his feet, stumbling briefly before he felt upwards. He bit his lip, frustration visible on his face. Gaara's laughter echoed.
"You'll never beat me like this, Uzumaki Naruto!"
Naruto continued to fly upwards, desperate from space. Memories of his clones flooded his mind. The rest had been destroyed. Gaara only needed to focus on him now. The response was clear. From the mouth of the face that sat in the wall a massive dragon of sand shot forwards, screeching as it looked to devour him. Naruto grunted, forming a dozen clones next to him. Each took off, quickly cutting the dragon to pieces. They formed a protective phalanx around him as he continued to rise. A wall of sand formed in the air before raining down countless bullets of sand at the formation.
They squadron charged directly at the assault.
They took losses immediately. The two at the sides immediately dispelled. The blonde grit his teeth and quickened his pace. The closer they got to the wall the more clones died, until eventually it was just him and one other. Before them was the mouth of the wall, a dragon of sand forming in it. It shot forwards with a screech of wind that threatened to destabilize them both.
The same attack wouldn't work twice.
The clone shot in front of the original and unleashed a slash of wind that cut right into the attack. The two jutsu cancelled each other out in an explosion of air that dispelled the clone but left the original free. Naruto and the dragon shot towards each other.
Violet eyes glowed.
The dragon's mouth clamped down.
And then it exploded in a shower of sand as Naruto punctured through it and the wall, reaching the open air outside. He flew high above the sandstorm before looking down, breathing the fresh air. From below the massive sandstorm whipped around violently and the ground churned underneath it. Slowly it opened, revealing Gaara at the center of it on the ground. A small mixture of red chakra and sand swung behind the Jinchuriki gently. A tail.
Naruto frowned.
He wasn't drawing on the full capabilities of the Shukaku, as he was rumored to be able to do, but he was certainly close to it. Naruto needed to put him down. Now.
But he'd have to brave the sandstorm to do that. He might not make it out if he did that. It would have to be a sure thing. The blonde glanced around him. He was high in the sky. Far above the mountain peaks that defined Earth. Gaara might as well be a dot to him. Naruto smirked.
His body plummeted like a meteor and Gaara's sand rose to meet it. The sand speared through the air, aimed directly at his jugular. It was truly a display of mastery that Gaara could target so precisely at such a distance. But it was for naught. None of the sand reached him. His armor and scythe cut through any sand that dared rise to meet him. He could hear Gaara scream angrily at the results of his failed attacks. Tendril after tendril failed to reach him.
"Stop blocking me!"
Naruto wanted to snort.
Then the tidal wave of sand underneath Gaara's feet surged upwards. A roaring storm of sand that completely covered the Uzumaki's vision. Naruto's eyes narrowed. Two clones formed next to him, each shooting forwards. Water surged around one's staff while wind surged around the others. They thrusted together, a massive hurricane smashing against the sand.
It was devoured.
The sand surged forwards, dispelling the clones and screeching towards Naruto. From the sandstorm three dragons of sand leapt upwards with snapping jaws at the Uzumaki. Naruto grunted, charging towards the leading dragon. A massive orb of chakra burst into life in his hands before he slammed it into the snapping jaws of the beast, forcing it backwards. The two others came from his sides, each preparing to clamp down on him. His eyes glowed with power. He spun as the massive dragons neared, his scythe spinning out wide and slashing their heads in two. From the top of one of the dragon heads emerged Gaara, a grin on the man's face.
He stretched out his arm and a massive hand of steaming red chakra shot forwards and latched onto Naruto. The blonde grunted as Gaara spun him around. The Rasengan in the mouth of the remaining dragon faded away, destabilized from the blonde's movement. Gaara laughed as he swung the blonde around.
"This is it Uzumaki! A fight to the death! Doesn't it make your blood pump! This is what it's like to fight for your existence!"
Gaara hurled Naruto back into the sandstorm below. As soon as the blonde breached the shroud hundreds of bullets of sand shot towards him, but they failed to pierce his shield. Naruto flipped through the air, his feet slamming on the sandy ground below as he came to a stop. He felt his body howl at him. His eyes snapped up at the darkness caused by the sand above.
"I'm fighting for a lot more than just the thrill of battle," he muttered.
Naruto leapt upwards, scythe spinning in his hands.
"I'm fighting..."
The sand dragon roared down at him, the same one from before. Naruto grunted and his arms flashed. A second later the sand dragon was cut in two, the blonde shooting through the gap in its body. He burst through the sandstorm, charging up at Gaara as he rode a piece of sand high in the air. Sand chased after him, firing countless bullets up at him. Naruto dodged them all expertly. Their eyes met.
"...to protect those that I care about."
Gaara grinned, leaping off of the platform towards Naruto. Sand began to swirl around Gaara's arm as the two shot towards one another, slowly growing it. Blue markings began to etch themselves on the limb as Gaara screamed. Naruto lashed out with his scythe, but Gaara blocked it with his arm. The blows slammed together, unleashing a storm of force that blew clouds from the sky. Naruto's eyes widened.
'He blocked my scythe?'
"Saikō Zettai Bōgyo (Ultimately Hard Absolute Defense)."
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
"The ultimate defense of my sand! Even your winds can't pierce it...UZUMAKI!"
Gaara flung his arm wide, forcing Naruto away. The blonde stabilized himself in the air, watching as Gaara fell back into the sandstorm below. Naruto frowned. This battle would be tedious if he had to keep poking and prodding at the sandstorm. He couldn't destroy it all in one fell swoop, he didn't have that type of firepower when he wasn't near a large amount of water. He needed to draw Gaara out once more and then completely disconnect him from the sand.
He frowned.
This would be challenging.
He shot headfirst into the sandstorm below, his grip on Trickster tightening. He heard echoes of Gaara's laughter throughout the sandstorm.
"You came to me? I didn't think you were that eager to die. Don't you remember what happened last time, Uzumaki?"
More faces of sand appeared, each beginning to unleash massive bullets of air that Naruto was forced to dodge. The blonde's eyes snapped around, but it wasn't enough. He couldn't track them all. Still, he wasn't touched. He refused to be. His senses flared outwards. He knew everything in the air. And he dodged. He kept up his display, despite the countless methods of attack. Sand, wind, chunks of earth sent hurtling at him, nothing managed to hit. The blonde was a fly in the eye of the storm, dodging everything that came for him.
Gaara's voice trembled with rage.
"Don't think you can keep this up forever!"
Sand swirled violently.
"If you'll dodge, I'll just make an attack that's unavoidable!"
The sandstorm swirled violently before countless massive claws of sand reached out to grab him. They completely covered Naruto's vision, his senses. There were no openings. The gaps between their claws were covered by other claws. It truly was an unavoidable attack. Naruto twirled his scythe once more, eyes cautious. He couldn't avoid the attack, but he didn't need to. He just needed to punch a hole through it. His scythe transformed into a spear. He made a single handseal, utilizing it as a focus as he charged forwards towards center mass. He needed to blow open as much sand as he could and charge through the gap. He thrusted his attack forwards and the world detonated on impact.
Sand flew in every direction and the wind rampaged violently throughout the sandstorm. Naruto's wind clashed with Gaara's own, destabilizing the sand around it. A strike that blew open a hole in the unavoidable attack of the Ichibi Jinchuriki instead blew the entire sandstorm wide open. A mighty column of air shot into the sky, bringing with it a storm of sand and dust. Gaara's eyes widened at the reaction, distracted.
A distraction that Naruto capitalized on.
The blonde appeared in front of the Jinchuriki, Trickster in the form of a scythe before he slashed out. The wind blade carved into the sand and boiling red chakra that surrounded his form, but despite its best efforts it could not reach the redhead's neck. Gaara screeched in shock, leaping away. A massive tail of sand shot towards Naruto to discourage any attempts to follow him, but Naruto completely shattered it into specks with a swing of his blade. The blonde grunted, feeling his body scream at him. The wounds from before were flaring up again.
A clone formed beside him that quickly weaved through handsigns before unleashing a massive dragon of wind that shot towards Gaara. Gaara slammed his hands together, causing the sand on the ground to swirl into a dragon of its own. The two elemental dragons clashed in a titanic explosion, sending powerful gusts of wind and sand flying in every direction. Fangs and claws tore at each other, until they both destabilized at the same time in a violent explosion. Gaara laughed at the explosion, sand from the ground continuing to cover his body until he was a sandy monstrosity. He looked like a miniature version of the Ichibi, with the golden eyes to match. A subtle red hue bubble underneath the sand, clear signs that the raw chakra of the Bijuu was still active.
'He's getting closer to a full release. I need to stop him. Now.'
Naruto shot forwards, desperate to cut Gaara down.
'If I don't stop him here, he'll catch up to Makino and Aika! To all the civilians! Kurotsuchi can't stop him. It's up to me!'
The sand from Gaara rose to meet the blonde, moving faster than it was before. It shot towards him like bullets, visible trails of air resistance accompanying every tendril.
'Shit!'
Naruto flew over one, his eyes never leaving Gaara's. Another came at him from his left, but he tilted his head to avoid the weapon. Another came from the left, forcing him to duck down closer to the first sandy tendril. They smashed onto the ground, kicking up sand and gravel that was quickly devoured. Naruto grunted, flashing forwards in front of Gaara and bringing down his scythe only for a mass of red chakra and sand to meet it, halting his attack.
"I know how to stop that scythe of yours now, Uzumaki!"
Naruto sucked his teeth but could do nothing as the wall of chakra forced him backwards and into the sky. Up above, the sand that had been sent into the air before descended like meteors in the forms of dragons, all blasting out massive bullets of air. The blonde grunted, forming two dozen clones behind him silently that he sent upwards to take care of the attacking creatures. He couldn't hear what happened, but he knew. The series of explosions and screeches told him before the memories flooding back into his body did. The clones had done their job, but it had cost them their lives.
'He's stronger now. At this rate, the Ichibi will give him enough chakra to overpower me.'
Naruto shot away from the mass of sand and red chakra that swarmed him, allowing it to burst high into the sky. He appeared on the ground next to Gaara, flying in from the side. Another massive tendril of sand shot towards him, forcing him to lean forwards to avoid it. He thrust his hand outwards, utilizing the Fūton (Wind Release) chakra in his hand to flip himself forwards. He lashed out with a slash at Gaara as he flew overhead, cursing as the attack was deflected once more. He landed on the other side of the Jinchuriki, sand flying in the air. He refused to touch it with his body, instead allowing his wind to displace any sand before he touched the earth. Gaara's sand was quick to reach out for him with two massive tendrils, each with claws at the end. Naruto dodged the attack, flying in closer. Wordlessly three clones of him appeared. All of them began to close the distance at varying speeds and angles, creating a massive mirage of the blonde. Gaara whirled around, desperately trying to keep track of the blonde. His sand swirled around him protectively, unsure of where the next attack would come from.
"What's the matter Gaara? Can't keep up."
Gaara snarled, opening his mouth.
"Something as simple as this won't stop me, Naruto! Fūton: Renkūdan (Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet)!"
A massive ball of air spat from Gaara's mouth, exploding almost as soon as it was released. The shockwave and air pressure blew Naruto away and dispelled his clones. Naruto grunted, stabilizing himself in the air only for his eyes to widen as he saw several massive claws with blue markings on them reach out to grab him once more. He dodged through the countless amount of sand, his eyes still but his senses flaring. It was only thanks to his mastery over Fūton that he managed to dodge the attacks. His ability to sense the wind currents around him allowed him to stay a step ahead of the sand that was just as fast as he was.
But he wasn't perfect.
Not injured.
Not in the heat of battle.
And he couldn't predict everything.
His eyes widened as he realized he was once more trapped in a prison of sand. His eyes snapped to Gaara who grinned below him before he clenched his fist.
"Sabaku Sōsō (Sand Waterfall Funeral)!"
The sand around him surged forwards, desperate to crush him underneath the pressure. Naruto's eyes narrowed and his grip on his scythe tightened. Fūton chakra surged through his arm as he tightened his armor. His chakra control strained, and his chakra roared like a mighty thunderstorm. With a cry of effort his hand moved, and the scythe smashed into the sand around it. In an explosion of sand and wind Gaara's attack crumbled, blowing away from the speed and power of Naruto's slashes. Violent blades of wind carved through the sand and into the air and ground as Naruto defended every potential direction until the entire prison had crumbled. Slowly he stopped, looking at Gaara with an air of confidence. His arm was screaming at him, clearly agonized by the intense amount of speed it had just displayed.
Gaara smiled.
"Yes. Yes. This is what I wanted! Prey that was mighty! You're the perfect target Naruto! Your blood will fill mother. Finally, she will be full."
Naruto snorted. Then, he vanished.
Gaara's eyes widened as he felt rather than saw Naruto's presence behind him. He turned, but it was too late. Naruto's arm hummed with the power from before as he slashed.
"You'll never get it."
Naruto's scythe split the man, causing him to desperately stumble away. He cried out in agony, but Naruto could only frown at the response.
'I didn't hit his body. There was no solid contact there. Does disrupting the Ichibi's chakra cause him pain? He'd be dead without it.'
Naruto smirked.
'Then I don't even need to aim for his body anymore. Cut him to bits and I'll win.'
Just as Naruto was about to pressure the attack a deafening shriek pierced the air. The blonde recoiled in pain as the sound resonated in his ears. He forced himself to stay focused, looking at Gaara as his body morphed. Sandy tendrils expanded like a sloppily put together puzzle. He looked more like a thing than a person. But he lived. The sandy tendrils snapped deep into the ground before the earth rumbled. Naruto's eyes widened as a massive boulder was ripped from the ground, held aloft in the sandy tendrils. Gaara shrieked once more, his eyes glowing with malice, before he threw the boulder at the blonde.
Naruto's scythe flashed forwards, cutting the boulder in two and leaving him protected from the attack. Gaara seemed unperturbed, launching a mass of sandy and crimson tendrils that wrapped around the blonde's limbs. Naruto's eyes widened as he felt them contract. His muscles surged and the wind around him slashed with reckless abandon as he tried to pull his limbs free. He managed to free most of them, but his injured arm was too weak to pull away in time. He howled as he felt a sickening crack and lava burn through his veins. He wrenched his arm away, looking at its twisted and mangled shape in horror.
Gaara grinned before he leapt forwards, the mass of sand following him as if it was one with his body. He slammed on the ground in front of Naruto and launched a punch directly at him. Sand and crimson chakra wrapped around his limb, swelling and contracting with power. Naruto's eyes widened. He desperately flew into the air, avoiding the punch. But he saw it. The punch shot forwards, smashing into the ground and shaking it as a massive crater surged into existence. Naruto's eyes widened even further.
'What the hell is that?'
He heard a rumble from somewhere deep within. Naruto grunted and flew further into the air, desperate to get away from Gaara. The Ichibi Jinchuriki grinned, drool trickling down his lips as his tongue rolled from his mouth. Naruto's eyes narrowed.
'Has the Ichibi...'
Gaara roared and a mass of tendrils shot from his chest to chase after Naruto. They dwarfed him in size, carving paths through the air. Naruto's eyes widened and he flew as fast as he could to avoid them. He slipped in between them as they surged at him, careful to use his scythe to clear a path before any came close to hitting him. He dove towards the ground, only to watch in horror as the tendrils tore through it like sandpaper. The Uzumaki bit his lip, quickly forming two clones that each formed a massive Rasengan that they threw at the mass of tendrils.
The wave blew right through them.
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
'My jutsu can't stop him. And his sand is strong enough to pierce my armor. My scythe is the only thing that can cut through him.'
Naruto flipped, turning to watch the attack as it neared.
'I can't increase the cutting power of my wind any more. The surface area is too large. I can't rotate the wind any faster around my body. Defense isn't an option.'
Naruto shot forwards, his scythe flaring with power. He formed another clone that charged beside him. It raised its working hand towards Naruto's scythe and closed its eyes as they ran. The mass of tendrils surged through the ground, approaching the duo, and promising nothing but death if they connected. Gaara's laughter echoed in the air. Neither focused on it. Instead, the clone suddenly unleashed a deluge of water onto the scythe. Naruto roared as the tendrils appeared before them before he lashed out with the combination. The typhoon cut through the sand, weakening it with the water before slashing through it directly.
Gaara's eyes widened as he saw his attack cut through entirely, shock on his face.
Naruto's eyes shot up to meet Gaara's, confidence flowing in them despite his shattered arm. He could feel its chakra already at work trying to heal the wound.
Gaara took a step back.
Naruto charged. He was in front of Gaara before the man could retreat, unleashing a storm of attacks with his typhoon of a scythe. Gaara desperately dodged out of the way, using the mass of tendrils he could form at will to assist him in avoiding the attack. He was fast.
Naruto was faster.
The scythe swung down, cleaving off an arm. The wound was superficial. Gaara's sand and crimson chakra reformed the limb almost immediately, but it was a sign. One wrong move and the fight could be over. And Gaara would die. Gaara was a cornered animal.
And he fought like one.
His sand swarmed around Naruto, attacking from every angle and forcing him to defend. His scythe carved through all of Gaara's attacks, but it kept the pressure away from the Jinchuriki's main body. Gaara snarled, saliva dripping onto the ground just before he launched his counteroffensive. A flurry of punches shot forth, each empowered by the power of his Bijuu within. Many were blocked as Naruto's defenses proved excellent, but it was not impervious. Slowly blows began to break through. And Naruto began to slow from the hammering. The Uzumaki prepared to leap backwards only for sandy tendrils to shoot forwards from the mass of sand that was Gaara's body and wrap around his chest. Gaara grinned, beginning to contract. Naruto snarled, quickly using his scythe to cut the sand from his body. However, before he could counter the storm of sand around him showered down on him like a deluge of rain, submerging him underneath it.
Gaara laughed, slamming his hands on the ground. With a wave of chakra, he contracted the sand around him, his laughter echoing through his air. He began to dance, a smile on his face.
"I killed him! I killed him!"
Then, a devastating Rasengan smashed into his stomach, sending him flying backwards before it detonated in a massive azure explosion. When the smoke cleared it revealed Gaara, sand bleeding off of his body like blood, staring up at Naruto who stood before him, scythe in hand.
"How? I felt a contraction!"
"Kawarimi (Substitution)."
"No! There was nothing to substitute with!"
"You didn't kill my clone," Naruto stated plainly.
The blonde flashed forwards, scythe raised.
"Rookie mistake."
Naruto swung his scythe down, only for the sand around Gaara to surge upwards before forming a massive sand construct that even Naruto's scythe could not penetrate. The blonde's eyes narrowed. He leapt backwards as the sandy monstrosity lashed out with its arms, a roar bellowing from its mouth.
"Saikō Zettai Bōgyo: Shukaku no Tate (Ultimately Hard Absolute Defense: Shield of Shukaku)!"
The sand swirled before forming a spear that quickly unified with Gaara's hand, becoming a massive weapon.
"Saikō Zettai Kōgeki: Shukaku no Hoko (Ultimately Hard Absolute Attack: Spear of Shukaku)!"
Gaara leapt forwards, spear spinning in his arm. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he watched the attack close in. Gaara lashed out with his attach only for it to meet Naruto's scythe. The clash shook the ground, causing sand to fly wildly into the air. Deep grooves formed in the sand as wind howled around the duo of Jinchuriki. The two paused, their eyes locking before they disappeared in a burst of speed. Naruto was faster, but the Bijuu chakra powering his body made sure he was able to keep up. They flowed through the ground and skies, sand and wind erupting violently from their every clash. Eventually the ground erupted once more, revealing Naruto and Gaara twirling their weapons before they attacked again. Their weapons collided, and the ground erupted in deep grooves once more.
Naruto grunted, twirling off the impact of the attack to lash out with another slash of his scythe that cut right through Gaara only for the man to dissipate into sand. He appeared behind the blonde, raising his spear, but Naruto was fast. His scythe blurred around him, forcing Gaara to dissipate into the sand once more lest Naruto's scythe cleave through him.
'Hiding within the sand with substitution?'
Naruto swung his scythe violently, unleashing a gale of wind that blew sand away from him in a massive storm. Above him Gaara appeared, spear thrusting downwards towards Naruto's head. The Uzumaki sidestepped the attack, letting it pierce the ground only to be blown away by the wave of force and sand that erupted as soon as it made contact. He stabilized himself midair, his eyes snapping upwards to see Gaara leaping at him once more. A mass of sandy tendrils extended from his back. The tendrils shot forwards, but Naruto quickly formed clones wordlessly. The clones cleaved through the sandy appendages before they shot forwards. Gaara hissed, and the sand around him swelled to form clones of himself.
Thus, the battle raged once more, with numerous copies of the duo clashing through the battlefield. It wasn't long before the clones for both had been dispelled, destroyed by their own vicious attacks. Gaara and Naruto stared at each other before they charged. Gaara leapt into the air, unleashing a series of thrusts with his spear that Naruto blocked by spinning his scythe. Gaara did not stop. He continued his series of thrusts and Naruto spun his scythe faster to keep up with the pressure. It wasn't long before tendrils shot from Gaara's back and joined the fray, but still the did not crack Naruto's defenses. The ground exploded from the force behind their blows. Sand shot into the air as violently cracks of wind carved into them deeply. The ground began to glow hot from the sheer speed the attacks were moving at, and yet the two did not slow.
Eventually Gaara pulled back, realizing he would not pierce the blonde's defenses that way. He shot forwards not long after, and Naruto readied himself to meet the blow. He lashed out with his spear and Naruto swung. The weapons collided violently. A powerful gale surged behind Naruto and a wave of sand sundered the ground behind Gaara. The ground where their weapons met exploded, deep grooves forming from their clash. Naruto leapt away, slashing downwards with his scythe, and unleashing a mighty blade of air that carved towards Gaara only to be met with a wall of sand that stopped the attack completely.
Gaara snarled, unleashing a storm of sand shuriken at Naruto only for him to effortlessly cut through the attack. Gaara snarled, leaping forwards and Naruto flew towards him. The two lashed out with their blades, crossing paths before they each skidded to a stop. They turned to face one another. Then, Gaara's shoulder exploded. He dropped the sandy weapon, screaming in pain as he clutched at the lost limb. Naruto smirked. He turned, shooting at Gaara only for another strange creature to be formed from the sand and screech at him, unleashing a devastating storm of wind that pushed him backwards. Naruto twisted through the air, slowly righting himself but the opportunity had been lost. Gaara had reattached the weapon. Red chakra bled over his sandy exterior and a small tail swished behind him. Naruto's eyes narrowed.
'He looks like a miniature Ichibi.'
Gaara screeched, unleashing a storm of sandy bullets that Naruto easily avoided. Still, the shuriken carved through all the rock formations behind the blonde, causing his eyes to widen.
'He's strong!'
Gaara leapt forwards, appearing next to Naruto with spear in hand. He lunged, but Naruto's scythe deflected the attack, pushing it to the side. With a grunt of effort, the blonde's foot smashed against Gaara's chest, sending him flying to the ground. Gaara rolled with the impact, firing off a storm of sandy spikes that failed to pierce Naruto's wind armor. Naruto's eyes narrowed.
'Can he not strengthen his sand anymore? Or-'
Drool dripped down Gaara's lips. A crazed look was in his eye.
'The more power he draws from the Ichibi the less concentration he has on his attacks. He's losing himself.'
Naruto smirked.
'This is my opportunity! He's vulnerable. As long as I don't let him let the Ichibi out I win!'
Naruto shot forwards, forming two clones next to him. The clones shot forwards, lashing out with their scythes but Gaara was able to keep up and maintain a wall of defense. Still, the clones kept up their assault, working in perfect tandem to force Gaara on the defensive. Naruto smirked as he watched them. He sealed Trickster, and instead opened his hand. He closed his eyes, trusting in his clones as he began to gather chakra. Slowly, an azure glow formed in his hands.
Gaara snarled, his spear moving as fast as possible to defend against the attacks from the clones. He tendrils joined in not long after. They swatted at the clones like flies, but their defense was impeccable. They were a unit, defending one while the other attacked. There was no opening. Gaara snarled. If the blonde thought this would be enough to defeat him, he was terribly mistaken. The sand beneath their feet rose in a mighty wave, shaking violently as hundreds of human-sized sand monstrosities charged the pair of clones. The two forms of Naruto were able to defend against them, their scythes cleaving through the army easily, but they forced their attention away from Gaara.
The Ichibi Jinchuriki grinned. He dashed forwards, his spear gouging through the chest of one of the clones and causing it to dispel. The other turned, eyes wide, only for its vision to be clouded by the storm of sand monstrosities that leapt on it, knowing full well they would be unable to pierce its armor.
But the sand clouded its vision.
Gaara's spear shot forwards, but the clones were still able to sense the air currents, shifting his scythe to block the attack just in time. Its eyes locked with Gaara's. The two snarled at one another, only for Gaara's tail to swing forwards and slash at Naruto. The blonde swung his scythe, but it failed to cleave through the tail. His eyes widened, not expecting the sand to apply to it and was blown away by the force behind Gaara's attack. The Jinchuriki turned to look at the original, only to find him no longer where he thought. The sand around him swirled, desperately reaching out to try and find where the blond was before the next attack came. He found him not long afterwards, whirling to see Naruto charging forwards with a massive Rasengan in his hands.
Gaara snarled, launching his spear forwards as it made contact with the azure orb. The two jutsu crackled against one another in a surge of power, shockwaves ripping the ground asunder from their point of contact.
And then the spear pierced through.
The weapon shattered the Rasengan in thousands of brilliant shimmering lights. The resulting explosion caused Naruto to explode into smoke, causing Gaara's eyes to widen.
'What!'
A horrifying screech filled the air, causing Gaara to wince and grab at his ears. His head snapped upwards towards the direction of the sound to see a blur of yellow hair and azure light moving towards him.
"It's over Gaara!"
The Jinchuriki's eyes widened as Naruto swung the jutsu downwards. He could feel dread fill his body as the attack descended. He didn't know what that jutsu was, but he knew he couldn't afford for it to make contact with him.
He didn't have a choice.
The sheer violence the orb rotated with obliterated any sand that neared it before the attack made contact with his body before erupting in a violent explosion. The Naruto that held the orb erupted in a puff of smoke and the scream of Rasenshuriken.
The ground erupted in a blinding light of chakra and violently wind. The explosion expanded outwards in a spherical shape, carving through the ground and sand as if they didn't exist. Gaara's screams of pain couldn't even be heard above the deafening screech. Above the orb the original Naruto floated in the air, eyes narrowed on the explosion.
"He didn't dodge," he muttered. "It's over."
At least that was what he thought before the wave of demonic chakra flooded his senses. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw the sand surge around the point of impact before a massive tail of sand with blue engravings shot into the sky. A terrifying sandstorm whipped itself into existence and Naruto was flung into a nearby mountain from the sheer force. The blonde's eyes widened, not with pain but with surprise.
'No. That hit! That should have killed him! Bijuu aren't immediately released when their host is killed!'
The screech that pierced the heavens shook the ground and filled the Uzumaki's thoughts. A mighty creature slowly began to form from the massive sandstorm. The sand on the ground surged upwards, forming large limbs, claws, ears, and fangs that formed the mighty Ichibi. Another screech filled the air as the ground beneath it cracked before transforming into a miniature desert beneath it. The creature rose to its full height, dwarfing even the towering mountains that were the hallmark of Earth Country. A small speck could just barely be seen on its forehead.
Naruto's heart sank as he felt the malevolent chakra, he was all too familiar with wash over him.
'He fully released it...the Ichibi.'
Kurotsuchi paused as she felt the malevolent chakra was over her. Her heart stopped and her lungs froze, denying her of precious air. It took a full reboot filled with harsh training for her body to start working once more. Slowly she managed to turn, looking back at the battlefield where she had left the two threats to Iwa and Earth. A horrible feeling sat in her stomach.
And it sank even deeper when she saw the creature before her.
The Ichibi was free.
And it was in Earth Country.
The woman wanted to flee. Every fiber of her being told her to run from this apex predator. Her body locked together in fear. This was what she thought she could handle? This was what she had told Monga she would willingly head off to defeat?
How could she have been so naive?
She heard a small gasp that broke her from her stupor. She looked around, seeing the civilians from the village all frozen, their eyes filled with terror. This killing intent, this pressure must have been unbearable for them. It had nearly broken her, and she was a trained shinobi. She had to get them out of here. If she didn't, they would die.
Kurotsuchi quickly gathered them up, her body refusing to her calls to use chakra. It was as if a mental block had been placed on her from the creature's presence. Her body refused to follow orders. Still, she gathered them and slowly began to drag them away from the Bijuu that stood only miles away.
"Naruto."
She glanced down at the young child, surprised that she was able to get out any words in her near catatonic state.
"Be careful," she whispered.
Kurostsuchi frowned, irritated that the girl cared for one of the vilest men in her country's history. But when she looked up at the Ichibi...and when she felt its power, she was begrudgingly forced to agree.
She couldn't defeat that monster.
So, to protect Iwa she had to place her faith in the Uzumaki. The man who killed her grandfather. The man who brutalized her father. She bit her lip as she felt a rotten feeling fill her gut at the hope that she began to place in him.
'Don't you lose...Uzumaki.'
Naruto bit his lip. What was the way out of this? He was strong but he was not insane. He knew his skillset and he could not defeat a Bijuu in single combat, especially injured as he was. His father, one of the most powerful men ever reared by Konohagakure, could only seal the Kyuubi into him at the cost of his life. The Sandaime Raikage had only managed to tie with the Hachibi.
Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju were the only men to have truly defeated one.
And he was neither.
But similarly, he couldn't just let it wander around here. It would wreak havoc. One wrong step was all the creature would need to kill Aika and Makino. He had to stop it here. He must. But the question rang in his head.
How?
Naruto felt an eye open in his head. One that had been shut for a long time.
"You know how."
Naruto froze, his eyes widened as he heard the beats voice in his head after so long. It hadn't spoken to him in years, having gone radio silent after he had left Konoha. He had thought it had grown disinterested in his life after he left the life of a shinobi. His lifelong companion that he never asked for.
The Kyuubi.
'Shut up.'
"You can't beat it without me. Use my power. It's what you were made for."
'My father did not make me to be used as a weapon of war.'
"Your father was a military dictator as all Hokage are. He would have sent you off to war regardless."
Naruto didn't reply, anger filling his body as he felt the Kyuubi's words. The beast was insufferable.
"If you don't use me those people will die. And you know that."
"I'll find a way to beat it," Naruto muttered as he ripped himself free of the mountain, he had been embedded in.
"Oh? Learn some sealing jutsu recently that I'm unaware of?"
Silence.
"Didn't think so. There's only one way you have a shot at beating Shukaku, and that's by using me."
'Shukaku?'
This time the beast inside of his mind was silent. Naruto relished in it, using his wind to cautiously fly closer to the Ichibi. The creature didn't seem to pay him any mind, instead looking around and getting familiar with its surroundings.
"Use my power quickly you idiot! Shukaku is going to turn this mountain range into a desert and then you'll stand no chance at beating him!"
Naruto buried the use of the strange name once more. Shukaku. It could be revisited at a later date.
"Then I'll just beat him before then."
"You can't!"
"Why do you even care? It's not like you'll die from the experience. You can't die."
"Believe it or not, reforming ourselves isn't exactly a pleasant experience. I'd rather avoid it if at all possible."
"So, you want to stay in this cage the rest of your life?"
"The more I listen to you talk the more appealing your death becomes."
Naruto snorted. Same old attitude as always. The Kyuubi wasn't one to change. His scythe flared to life next to him.
"No. I'll defeat it myself. Like I said back then, your power corrupts everything it touches."
The beast inside rolled its eyes. "You sure enjoyed my power when I fixed your lung and you almost died, or perhaps you forgot."
Naruto grunted.
"Whatever. It's only your funeral. If you want to throw your life away, who am I to stop you."
Naruto sighed.
"Peace and quiet. Finally."
He stared up at the Ichibi.
"Now. Time to kill this thing."
Naruto charged forwards, only to see the Ichibi turn its head to look at him. The sight of its golden eyes bearing directly into him froze him briefly, completely stunned by the presence the creature radiated. The sandy maw that was the creature's mouth split, forming a crooked smile before a deafening laughter leapt from its throat, shaking the ground and sky.
"You're Kurama's cage, eh? No wonder I felt such a drive to kill you!"
The Ichibi raised a sandy claw, the appendage several times larger than Naruto. It's shadow covered the ground as though it were night.
"I'm gonna enjoy this!"
The claw smashed against Naruto, and he flew backwards, smashing through the mountain he had just been embedded in. The blonde skipped across the ground, feeling the skin tear from his body as friction ripped him into pieces. Eventually he came to a stop, bleeding massively from the chunk of missing skin where on his shoulder. It was raw and hot. The pain brought tears to his eyes. Slowly the Uzumaki looked up, horror on his face as he saw the sand demon approaching him once more. He could feel the demon inside watching the situation with the slightest amount of amusement.
Horror filled his body as he realized just how outclassed he truly was.
"Try not to make this boring, Uzumaki!"