Naruto was a blur of motion as he desperately tried to avoid the rampaging Bijuu behind him. The beast sent massive storms of sand with its mere gaze, forcing Naruto to stay on the run. The blonde could make no movement to penetrate the creature's defenses. The sand that had been fast and hard when Gaara manipulated it was no longer sand.

It was death.

His scythe could not cut through it.

His armor could not protect him from it.

And he could just barely outspeed it. And he was certain the Bijuu was just playing with him.

Yes, the Uzumaki knew the truth.

He was outclassed.

Naruto shot around the battlefield, briefly ducking underneath another tree far from the desert the Bijuu had created. He didn't stay there, instead shooting forwards almost instantly. The tree served as a millisecond worth of protection from the storm of sand that quickly devoured it, peeling bark from it before it was eroded completely by the grains. Naruto kept moving, the tsunami of sand following behind him to devour anything that stood in its way. The desert was growing, and the gales of wind that followed it caused a titanic storm that shrouded the Ichibi. Only its glowing eyes could be seen in the distance, radiating the sheer power of the beast.

Naruto grimaced as he flew. He couldn't keep up this speed for long. He had titanic reserves. He knew one person that had more natural chakra than he did in the entire world, and yet he would run dry quickly if he maintained this level of effort. Perhaps that was the biggest advantage the Bijuu had over shinobi. The sheer amount of chakra they had. Everything stemmed from that. The overwhelming strength, the insane pressure that took away your breath. It was impossible to overpower them and impossible to outlast them.

They were Gods.

Another blast of sand that just narrowly passed by his head and completely eroded the mountain that was before him quickly changed that notion. They were not Gods.

They were Devils.

Naruto turned, flying upwards in the sky. He needed the additional dimensionality. The cover the ground provided was little to nonexistent, so instead he opted for visibility. It mattered little. The entirety of the sandstorm surged towards him, dwarfing Gaara's own sandstorm he had previously been trapped in. Naruto desperately flew away, but it was pointless. The wind surrounding the sandstorm was too powerful and quickly pulled him into it. The blonde quickly tightened his wind armor, desperate to decrease the surface area it had to protect. He swung his scythe as the sand moved towards him.

It was pointless.

The sand roared forwards, blowing through his scythe and smashing into him. Naruto wheezed, feeling several ribs crack underneath the pressure. He was flung through the air as his body burned like fire. His armor had done nothing to protect him from the attack. He hadn't even seen it coming. He skid across the sand covered ground, only to stop roughly as tendrils of sand snapped around his wrists and ankles. He grunted as his body rattled from the sudden stoppage. His eyes opened to see golden eyes peering down at him from on high, a savage grin on the creature's face.

"Don't die on me yet. There's more fun to be had!"

Naruto bit down the urge to vomit as he was suddenly spinning courtesy of a massive sandy tendril that swung him around. The Ichibi's laughter echoed in his ears before he was flung towards the ground. The impact formed a massive crater, and he felt a horrendous SNAP in his body. He groaned, trying to crawl to the top of the crater and ignoring the blazing pain that lanced through his right leg. He couldn't focus on that. Just as he reached the top, he saw a small creature rise from the sand before him, golden eyes peering up at him.

"What?"

The creature grinned savagely before its arms shot forwards, forming massive, bulky masses of sand that lifted him into the air. Naruto grunted, desperately fighting against his restraints but it was useless. He lacked the ability to overpower a Bijuu.

'Tou-san,' the blonde thought as he was sent flying once more, smashing into the ground to form another crater.

'You defeated something like this?'

A tendril of sand shot upwards, slamming into his jaw and sending him flying. Blood shot from his mouth as he flipped through the air, only for a mass of sand to shoot down from above and smash him into the ground. Naruto wheezed, blood flying from his mouth. The sand didn't stop there, assaulting him from all angles. Naruto howled underneath the pain.

The beast snorted.

"You're boring me."

The Bijuu picked up Naruto with its hands, bringing the man close to its face. Lacerations covered Naruto's body, and there was a giant cut going across his right eye that forced it shut. If it had the chance to heal it was certain that it would scar. The Bijuu tilted its head, somewhat surprised at the look of the blonde.

"Eh. Why is the fox so quiet?"

The Ichibi pulled Naruto closer, to the point the blonde was right before its eye.

"Who the hell are you brat?"

Naruto's eyes slowly opened, showing a fierce purple. The Ichibi's eyes narrowed. The human was still so defiant despite having been beaten and broken with ease. What a surprise. Those eyes weren't something most people had.

Defiant eyes.

It annoyed him.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto raspily got out. "And I'm going to beat you."

The Ichibi's eyes burned with rage. Beat it?

Please.

The beast snorted.

"Your blood will be delicious," the beast stated.

Naruto recoiled from the rank breath of the monstrosity, giving him time to analyze its full head shape. What was that strange protrusion on its head? It looked...red? Before the blonde had any time to continue the thought he was hurled into the air. The blonde's world became a blur from the sheer force behind the action. He could feel his skin blistering from the sheer speed he was thrown at. The Ichibi cackled up at him before its stomach expanded. Naruto watched the sight with wide eyes. He knew what jutsu that was. He could utilize it himself.

Which let him know he had to avoid it.

The blonde quickly created a clone behind him that he kicked off of, fighting the urge to scream as his broken leg protested the movement. He fueled all the chakra he could into his feet to shoot forwards and avoid the massive sphere of death that shot upwards. The Fūton: Renkūdan (Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet) destroyed the clone instantly and kept going before it detonated high in the sky. The explosion was deafening. The shockwave through Naruto from the air back onto the ground outside of the sandstorm, while the blast decimated mountains for miles. The sky itself parted, ripping clouds from the sky to reveal nothing but the setting sun. The sandstorm of the Ichibi blew open wildly, revealing the towering monstrosity as it searched for its target. There was no shower of blood. It knew the blonde was not dead.

Naruto took the brief freedom to get away, using his wind to fly to not have the sensation of him running alert the beast behind him but similarly not flying to high as to draw its gaze. He hid behind a large mass of rocks, taking the time to recuperate.

'There has to be a way to fight this thing. Tou-san fought the Kyuubi and it is more powerful than the Ichibi.'

Naruto struggled to come up with an answer. The beast's sand was practically indestructible. He couldn't slash through it with his wind. His armor was completely useless against it. He couldn't out speed it and he couldn't outlast it. What was the method of defeating such a creature?

Was there one?

His father had been a master of fuinjutsu, a skillset Naruto had no particular interest in. Fuinjutsu historically had been the method of defeating Bijuu. Large casualties with a fuinjutsu expert to seal the powerful creature. But he couldn't seal it because it was technically already sealed by Gaara's own seal.

It was as if a light went off in Naruto's head.

Gaara.

The Jinchuriki wasn't dead. The Kyuubi had all but confirmed it took time for a Bijuu to reassemble themselves after their death. Which meant Gaara was alive. Naruto didn't need to beat the Ichibi. He just needed to kill Gaara. But that posed two harsher questions.

The first, where was the redhead? The Ichibi would likely spare no effort in making him hard to find. Locating the man would be challenging and require significant effort. The safest method to do so would be from above in the skies. But even if he could find the redhead the second question posed itself.

The Ichibi would be incredibly protective of the man. It was a well-known weak point, so all of its offensive and defensive might would be guaranteed to be centralized in that area. Naruto would have to break through that to strike a killing blow at Gaara, and he would likely only have one shot at doing so. Which meant he needed a way of killing Gaara.

Naruto nodded. The Rasenshuriken. That was his best chance at killing the redhead.

He just needed to locate him.

He floated upwards; eyes careful to make sure the Ichibi did not notice him. The beast was still swirling around, sending massive tendrils of sand flying around. They smashed into the ground and mountains, kicking up clouds of dust and debris in the air. Naruto took advantage. Using the debris as cover he shot upwards, desperate to get above the beast. The Ichibi whirled, seemingly instantly knowing where he was, before sending massive tendrils of sand at him. Naruto's eyes widened as he desperately began to move to avoid the storm of attacks. The entire might of the sandstorm from before was upon him, threatening death.

Questions burned in his mind. How had the Ichibi known where he was? Could Bijuu sense chakra? No, otherwise why wouldn't it have attacked him before? It moved to attack him when he entered the debris storm. Could it have sensed him inside of it?

His eyes narrowed.

Sand.

Gaara had shown the ability to place sand inside of his body and control it. There was no reason the Ichibi would be less skilled with the manipulation. It likely placed sand particulates in the air to help its detection. It made sense. The redhead could sense where the blonde was in the sand in much the same way. In a way it was similar to what he was able to do with air currents.

That was fine.

That was something he could handle.

In a puff of smoke dozens of copies of himself filled the air, each splitting off to move in different directions. The original moved throughout the crowd, desperate to lose the sand in the storm of copies. The Ichibi snorted and the sandstorm grew more violent. More and more masses of sand chased after the clones, destroying them in massive waves to create storms of smoke in the sandstorm. Suddenly a massive gale surged through the smoke, blowing it wide and revealing a hole in the sandstorm itself. Naruto dashed towards it with an army of clones at his back, desperate to breach the skies.

The hole snapped shut. Violent gales churned with the Ichibi's laughter destroyed clones with sharp, violent shockwaves and pulling the original deeper into the elemental disaster. Sand churned in the skies above, like millions of raindrops ready to fall.

Naruto's eyes widened.

The sand descended.

Naruto was battered to the ground underneath the heavy rain of sand, his clones dispelling as they violently collided with the ground. Naruto grunted, rolling to his side and flying as fast as he could before a massive dragon of sand descended on the ground where he once was. He was not free for long. The ground itself rolled from the Ichibi's power. Hands of sand reached upwards, eager to grab the blonde. Naruto swung his scythe in every direction, but no matter what it collided with it failed to pierce it. His eyes narrowed and he increased his speed, desperate to avoid them. The Ichibi's laughter echoed in his ears.

"Boy."

'Shut up.'

Naruto grunted, weaving through one handed handseals before unleashed a massive Fūton: Fūryūdan no Jutsu (Wind Release: Wind Dragon Bullet Technique). The invisible wind dragon smashed into the sandstorm, causing the sand to churn but not piercing through. Naruto grunted, charging forwards with his scythe transforming into a spear. Naruto roared as he thrusted forwards, only for the spear to fail to pierce the veil. The blonde's eyes widened.

A massive wave of sand battered Naruto high into the air, flipping him. He groaned feeling a rib crack from the blow.

"Shukaku's sand can't be pierced by your wind. You don't have the requisite pressure-below!"

Naruto's head snapped in accordance with the Kyuubi's warning to see a massive missile of sand firing up at him from below. Naruto grunted, wind funneling around his body. The missile impacted and Naruto flew upwards, but further than the Ichibi expected. The beast tilted its head confused, only to see Naruto smirking through blood-covered teeth. The blonde curled in the air and rocketed forwards, flaring his senses out. He needed to find Gaara before he pierced the veil. And to do that required getting close to the beast.

He had a target first, and that was the top of the beast's head. There was a strange red protrusion there. It was not a stretch to assume it was Gaara's hair, which meant that was where the Jinchuriki was located. He had moved with the missile of sand to not only weaken the force of the attack but also to make sure he got above the beast to be able to confirm his hypothesis.

It was a dangerous gamble, getting so close to it. The creature could clearly kill him any time it desired, and its laughs alone had the power to produce gales that completely overpowered his own control over wind.

But if he didn't take the gamble he would die anyway.

His eyes scoured the beast, desperately looking for the red spot he had seen before. All he saw was a mass of sand, swirling and raging. It was the foundation of the creature. There was nothing. Naruto's eyes narrowed. Had he been wrong?

The wind roared.

And the sand peeled away, revealing the red hair it previously covered. And from the red hair he saw the upper body of the Jinchuriki.

Gaara.

Naruto smirked as he saw his slumped over form. He was right. Gaara was there. Which meant that was where he needed to aim.

Before he could capitalize a storm of sand shot towards him, blowing him away and ripping into his body. He screamed as he flew backwards from the force. A dragon of sand shot upwards, smashing into his body and shattering his already injured arm. Naruto howled, feeling the limb hang loosely at his side. He flipped through the air, soaring higher into the sandstorm. The beast grinned, unleashing a wail of a laugh. The blades of wind generated from the storm ripped across his skin, shredding his clothes and unleashing a crisscross of lacerations across his chest.

Naruto's eyes went white.

The Ichibi snorted.

"You can't defeat me, insect."

The Bijuu watched Naruto fall, smashing against the sand covered ground pathetically. Naruto lay on the ground, his consciousness slowly returning to him after the punishment he had endured.

"You're going to die."

Naruto ignored it. But it wasn't the only thing speaking to him.

"He's right you know."

The voice was deeper. Both from where it come from and in tone. The Kyuubi was talking again.

"You can't defeat a Bijuu. You're not like them. Shukaku is a Bijuu. You're just a human."

Naruto forced himself to a knee, breathing heavily as he looked up at the monster. Golden eyes peered back at him. A dark smile formed underneath them as the beasts' chuckle shook the ground.

"I don't need to beat him," Naruto whispered jaggedly. The world swam and he lost his balance. He caught himself with his uninjured arm.

"I just need to kill Gaara."

Naruto shot forwards, circling around the beasts' legs. It was far too fast for him, so he needed to disperse the sand as much as possible. Make it just a hair slower. A clone appeared next to him, water swirling around its fake version of Trickster. The two collided their weapons, unleashing a deluge of water and wind that seeped into the sand. The blonde smirked, watching as the sand quickly began to loosen, weighed down by the sudden addition of weight. He wasn't about to let up there either. The two weaved handseals, unleashing a respective elemental dragon that smashed together. The resulting typhoon soaked the sand on the base of the desert.

Naruto smirked.

He shot upwards, confident in his ability to reach the Bijuu only for the sand below him to instantly snap up and wrap around him. His eyes widened. How? He had soaked it in water, it shouldn't be able to catch him so easily!

He felt the answer when the sand touched his skin. It was already dry. The devilish grin on the Ichibi's face was enough of a tell. It had simply drained the water from the sand. How, the blonde had no clue. The redheaded Jinchuriki was likely completely incapable of such a maneuver. Sure, he had expected the Bijuu to be more capable with its own power, but to shrug off such an obvious weakness so easily was unnerving. It was only thanks to a quick Kawarimi (Substitution) with his previously created clone he was not crushed to a bloody mess via the beast.

The blonde grunted, creating a mass of clones around him, each unleashing a dragon of Suiton (Water Release). The goal was obvious. If that amount of water wasn't enough, he just needed more. It was simple math. He couldn't produce water at a faster rate than the Ichibi could drain it, not that was impossible. Skill and endurance didn't favor him in such a matchup. But if he could just make it take longer it would be effective. He just needed it to be long enough for him to close the distance to Gaara.

The deluge of water poured onto the ground and onto the beasts' feet. Naruto didn't bother looking to see if the water was settling in, instead shooting upwards as fast as he could. Below his clones continued to pour chakra into their techniques, desperate to slow down the beast by any means necessary.

It was ineffective.

The memories of the clones being violently ripped apart were the only warning the blonde got. They were the only warning he needed. The fraction of a second advantage they gave him let him quickly shoot away from the dozens of spikes that shot through the air where he once was. Naruto floated away, frustration forming on his face. That plan had failed, and it had almost taken him with it. It seemed like utilizing water to slow down the sand wouldn't be an effective strategy at all. He needed something else.

He weaved through handseals, desperate to find whatever it was that could give him a fighting chance against the monstrosity before him. He was outclassed in every way. But there had to be something. He refused to believe there was nothing he could do in the face of such a domineering enemy. The beast was not inclined to give him a reason to think, sending another storm of sand at him. It was ready to crush him, flatten him into a bloody paste with no one there to witness his death.

Naruto shot upwards, desperate to escape into the sky. Going closer to the ground was a death sentence. The sky was his only safety net. The air.

His sensory technique. It wasn't designed for active use when in combat. Mostly for quick flare ups, but against an opponent of this magnitude he could afford no less. The jutsu stretched out for longer than desired and his chakra burned. It was painful. He felt like vomiting. He did not have the control for this, and his chakra network was reminding him of that.

Violently.

But it was working.

He weaved between lurches of the sand, feeling them out only milliseconds before they struck thanks to his chakra flowing into the air surrounding him. The Fūton: Ten No Kankaku (Wind Release: Heavenly Sense) was the only thing saving him. Never before had he been so happy to have been forced to learn a new jutsu thanks to the prodding of Hiruzen.

He would be sure to give the resting man a toast if he survived this.

Naruto continued to shoot upwards, his reaction time impressing the beast that was hunting him. A human that was capable of avoiding it, at least in some fashion, wasn't something most were capable of. Perhaps it was to be expected of Kurama's host. However, that speed was the only thing the paltry human had going for it. It lacked the power to even register as a threat to him. Gaara had struggled against him mightily, but the gap between Gaara's strength and his own was as vast as the seas. The blonde was no doubt an S-class shinobi, but he had been trained to specifically take on human opponents.

And he was no human.

To him, the S-class shinobi was a fly. A particularly fast one, but a fly nonetheless.

So, the Ichibi increased the speed of its sand, and Naruto was caught and flung back towards the ground. The blonde spun through the air, steadying himself before he touched the sand on the ground that greedily desired his blood. He looked up at the shining golden eyes of the monstrosity that towered over him and the world around him. He cursed. It was as if he was dealing with an almighty being.

But that did not mean he could simply give up.

Wind swirled around Naruto before he shot upwards like a rocket. The sand was quick to react, reaching up with greedy tendrils to pull him back down once more. They were fast, but Naruto was desperate to outrace them. He was moving faster than before, his sensory technique flaring out further than before. A miraculous development for the blonde. Spurred by the threat to his life he was pushing more chakra into his techniques. Developing faster than he had ever thought possible. And it was working! For a moment it looked like he would escape the sand. That the following tendrils couldn't catch him!

And then they sped up.

Again.

Naruto's hands were instantly bound by the sand, and he was lifted up to the Bijuu once more. The Ichibi stared back at him, glowing eyes pulsating with a power Naruto could never hope to match. The Uzumaki fought the urge to vomit as the rank breath washed over him. The beast raised a clawed finger, lightly tapping it against Naruto's chest. The force alone caused him to spew blood from his mouth. The Ichibi frowned.

"I'm in a pickle you see brat," the beast began. "Blood tastes the best when it squirms. When it fights. When it rages against the inevitability of its death with all its might. Gaara is good for that. I can savor the kill. But what happens when he can't get the job done? When he fights someone like you? When he fights someone like those Sarutobi brats? Well then I have to come out and finish the job. And that's no fun. You humans can't defeat me. It takes the fun out of it. You quit. You back down. The blood is stale. Worthless."

The beast shook its head. It snatched the staff from Naruto's hand and flung it high into the sky. Naruto watched as Trickster flew before it was carved into pieces by a wave of sand. The blonde's eyes widened, horror on his face.

"Looks like you're going to end up just like that old Hokage I killed. A waste of a meal."

Naruto's eyes flashed with life at the mention of the Sandaime, but the Ichibi did not notice. It flung him into the air, forcing him high into the sky. The blonde sailed beyond the clouds. Naruto's eyes were sharp the entire time. He gazed out at the world he soared above, watching it get further and further away. He saw the sandstorm below become nothing but a dot below him.

The beast inside of him grunted.

Naruto's eyes flashed with memories of his adoptive grandfather. The man who let him leave Konoha just so he could heal his wounds. So, he could grieve for the loss of his precious people. The man who knew what the cost of him laying down his burden was and did so anyway. That was why he had come. To fix it. He had come here to protect. To bear the burden of protecting others once more.

To bear the burden once more.

"Worthless," Naruto roared. "How can you say that...when I'm just getting started!"

Wind roared around him.

The brown dot below surged towards him at rapid speeds. It promised death. The Ichibi's open maw screeched at him from above.

Naruto rose to meet it.

The blonde descended down, and the wind followed. The clouds swirled as a deadly screech filled the air. The jutsu he had given his blood, sweat, and tears to master actualized.

Massive tendrils of sand shot forwards, ready to spear him through. Naruto weaved through them all. The orb of death in his hands screeched out. The Ichibi's eyes narrowed. The blonde was moving faster, even in this injured state. How?

The man twirled, his eyes locking on Gaara's position on the beast's forehead.

"Let's get something straight bastard!"

Naruto's arm was shrouded in wind before he thrust forwards. The wind carried the jutsu forwards towards Gaara, ready to detonate.

"I don't quit, and I don't back down."

The jutsu neared Gaara's open head, screeching death. Then it detonated.

"Rasenshuriken!"

The vortex of wind roared to life, ripping into existence with a deafening screech. Sand flew in every direction as the vortex howled. Wind surged, creating a miniature tornado as it drew in the air around it. The force of the detonation blew Naruto backwards, flipping him through the air. The sandstorm around the blonde destablized, causing sand to shower to the ground like rain.

Inside the blonde the Kyuubi's crimson eyes widened at the sight. The blonde had actually managed to surprise him. He had landed a move against his little brother. One that managed to force Shukaku to truly defend against it. Sure, the move wouldn't hurt the beast if it aimed at him directly, it lacked the necessary power for that. But to force him to dedicate his focus to protecting his Jinchuriki was something the Bijuu didn't believe the blonde was capable of. Something he didn't believe that jutsu was capable of.

He had forced Shukaku's sand to split.

That was something the fox had never seen a human do before outside of his own father.

'He's better than I gave him credit for. But...not good enough.'

The vortex cleared, revealing a shredded shell of sand on the Ichibi's forehead. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw the sand peel away, collapsing back onto the beast to reveal Gaara's injured and unconscious form. A wicked grin split the Ichibi's face as Naruto felt dread form in the pit of his stomach.

"Nice try kid! Gave me a scare! That jutsu is some powerful stuff. But, not strong enough to kill little old Gaara here."

Internally the Bijuu did not quite feel as confident. The blonde had quickly deduced the flaw in this transformation and had aimed for it with a technique that had actually worried him for a brief moment. The fly was growing. Becoming more dangerous. Even if he only had to worry about one particular move that was still a worry he had to have against a human.

Maybe the fly was becoming a mosquito before his eyes.

In contrast, the blonde Jinchuriki's hopes were dashed as the Bijuu began to raise its guard.

Naruto's remaining good arm dropped. The Kyuubi could feel the hope drain from his body. That was his strongest attack. His best bet at killing the Jinchuriki and thereby dispelling the beast inside of him.

And he failed.

"To pay you back I'll show you something special!"

The Ichibi opened its mouth, and slowly white and black balls began to float from its mouth and coalesce into a small dark orb in front of its gaping maw. Naruto could only stare, caught up in his own despair and confusion.

The Kyuubi was not.

"Move! Now! Do not be anywhere near that when he lets it loose!"

The shout from the Bijuu seemingly snapped the blonde from his trance, causing him to stutter pointlessly in response. The monster he held inside wanted to scream at him.

"I said move damn it! Up! Go up!"

Naruto didn't hesitate any further. He shot upwards, flying as fast as he possibly could as the orb in front of the Ichibi's mouth grew larger and larger. He only stopped when it became hard to breathe.

"Keep going higher!"

'I'll die from lack of oxygen!'

"You'll die if you get hit with that! You'll die if you're anywhere near it!"

'What even is it?'

"The strongest attack us Bijuu have...the Bijuudama."

'Ah. Well then coach what do I do?'

The Kyuubi's words were absolute.

"Run."

So, Naruto did. He created an army of clones that split in every direction. They scattered as fast as possible. He couldn't go up any higher, but he could go wider. Make the shot even harder for the beast. Give it multiple targets. That was his best bet. But from the grumbling he could hear inside it seemed like it wouldn't matter. He kept moving, trying his best to increase his speed. He didn't stop even when the Ichibi became a small dot behind him. The Kyuubi didn't seem satisfied yet. That was in it of itself was curious.

'Why do you care so much? I thought you were fine with me dying.'

"I am. I'm not fine with Shukaku rubbing it in my face for the rest of my life that he killed a Jinchuriki of mine."

Naruto grunted in response and continued his flight. The world around him began to squeeze, as if being forced together. The blonde's eyes narrowed as he saw the ground speed forwards. His eyes widened.

'Am I being pulled back in?'

"GET DOWN!"

Naruto dove as fast as he could, his eyes whizzing up to look at the Bijuu in the distance. The orb in its mouth shot forwards, ripping the ground and sky apart as it shot forwards. Large rock formations in its way were atomized in an instant by the attack as it careened forwards. A devastating wave of energy rushed from it, pulling everything towards it like a black hole. Naruto stared into the orb, watching as it grew closer.

It was mesmerizing.

The Rasenshuriken was the peak of his ninjutsu capabilities. A ball of tightly compacted chakra that has the uncontrollably sharp wind chakra rotating around it. It was the apex of his skill. But he could tell just by looking at this technique that it was nothing compared to the density of that orb. If the Rasenshuriken was a granite rock that orb was a neutron star. It was in an entirely different realm.

So if it exploded...

And then the world went white.

Naruto's eardrums burst instantly as the shockwave blew into him. Searing heat scorched his body and the ground below, unleashing a wave of fire that surged outwards for miles. The ground simply vanished, atomized underneath the sheer weight of the attack. A pillar of smoke shot into the sky, blocking the sunlight and forcing darkness onto the world. Then it cleared, revealing a charred sky. Naruto flew backwards, his sense of balance and hearing completely gone as he slammed into the massive crater of sizzling rock below. He didn't even hear the crack of his shoulder as it shattered from the force.

The blonde could only lay there, almost entirely unconscious. He was unable to move. Unable to think. Pain flooded his body like a million needles in each of his nerves. It took all of his concentration to stay looking straight forwards. Slowly he began to hear again, feeling the unnatural heat of the Kyuubi's chakra work its way through him like an elixir. As if connected he finally heard the beast shouting at him from within.

"Don't move a muscle! You're lucky you were on the outskirts of the blast radius or else you'd be dead. Sit here and let me heal you!"

Naruto couldn't respond. His throat was too burnt. The Kyuubi didn't particularly care. His chakra was going overdrive as he pushed through as much of his chakra as he could through the seal. It wasn't much. Without the blonde in an emotional state or actively reaching for his chakra he couldn't force enough to instantly heal his wounds. The blonde was in shock, but it wasn't enough for him to force-feed him more chakra. He needed anger or fear.

The blonde felt neither.

Just the depths of despair.

The Kyuubi frowned. It had never seen the human like this. But the human had never had to face such an overwhelming enemy. He had never been outclassed in such a manner, even against the Sannin. That was the difference between their species. One was a Bijuu. A walking natural disaster. A construct of chakra created by the most powerful man the Kyuubi had ever known.

The other was a mere human.

A powerful human.

A descendant of the Uzumaki Clan, giving him direct lineage to the Sage.

But a human, nonetheless.

"This is the best I can do in a short time. Now get up and run. If Shukaku sees you he'll fire off another Bijuudama."

Naruto didn't move. The Kyuubi's eyes widened.

"What are you doing! Move!"

A tear fell from the blonde's eyes and the Kyuubi realized the problem. The blonde's legs were healed enough to move. His body was. His broken arm, leg, and shoulder had even been repaired. But it wasn't his body that was the problem.

It was his spirit.


Kurotsuchi grunted as the violent shockwave sent her and her clones flying. As a result, the civilians themselves tumbled, all of them roughly splattering onto the ground. A quick check-up revealed that no one was seriously hurt, but her clones had dispelled from the force while protecting the civilians. That raised several questions for the Iwa kunoichi. The first and most important one was what had caused that shockwave?

She turned, seeing smoke spill into the sky. Her eyes narrowed, and just as she took a step towards it she felt the ground shake. A powerful earthquake ripped through the Land of Earth, and the mountain they were on began to collapse. The kunoichi acted quickly, creating more clones and carrying the civilians away from danger as fast as possible. The ground split, trees fell, and harrowing rockslides composed her vision. Her ears were bombarded with the screaming of her charge.

"It's going to be okay Aika," Makino whispered to the child, holding her in her arms as a clone of Kurotsuchi held her as if she was a paperweight.

The little girl did not take the reassurance well. She continued to scream, as did all the other children. Kurotsuchi could not focus on them. The original was busy casting jutsu as fast as she could to stabilize the ground and create escape routes. An earthquake wasn't dangerous to her, even one of this magnitude. The Land of Earth had plenty. To her this was just another Tuesday.

At least it would be if she was alone.

Protecting the civilians was the most troublesome part. But she accomplished it. When the earthquake ended the mountain had collapsed, with the group standing atop the rubble completely unharmed. Kurotsuchi was panting, having used significant amounts of chakra in rapid succession to protect them. But they had survived. She smiled as the screaming stopped. The children were calm. She had clearly put on so successful a showing that they gave her their upmost faith.

She looked up, expecting to see nothing but a smile on their faces only to be disappointed. The horror on their faces was a complete unknown to her. She frowned, turning to see what they were looking at.

The look of horror quickly etched itself onto her face as well.

The ground behind them was gone. Completely evaporated, as if it were water or had never been there in the first place. All that remained was a massive crater that spanned for miles. In the distance, beyond the massive trench that carved its way towards the crater she could see a looming feature. She could see a massive environmental disaster swirl through the air. It was barely visible from their distance, but she knew exactly what it was.

"Bijuu..." Kurotsuchi whispered in horror.

Many thoughts ran through her head. How had Gaara released the Bijuu? Was this a coordinated attack by Sand? How had it dealt this amount of damage without her knowing? Was Naruto involved? If he wasn't had he lost?

Each question left her more terrified at the thought of a potential answer.

If Naruto lost her object for vengeance was gone, snuffed out by someone who wasn't her.

If Naruto lost that meant she had absolutely no way of fighting against such a monster.

If this was a coordinated attack by Sand Iwa couldn't respond effectively with their own Jinchuriki either out of comission or outright refusing to help in the war effort.

If Konoha was involved...Iwa was doomed.

If Iwa had followed her plan...would they have lost?

Kurotsuchi dropped to her knees as tears fell from her eyes at the sight of her beautiful country being ripped apart by the beast before her. A savage monstrosity. One that she could never defeat.

The clones of her followed suite. They were not the only ones. The civilians also feared, crying out and dropping to their knees. It was almost religious reverence of the power they had just seen displayed.

"Naruto-nii," a small girl whispered. Aika.

The group stared at the carnage, confused.

The screams of terror filled Kurotsuchi's ears. Terrified civilians who believed that death was staring them in the face.

Could she confidently tell them it wasn't?

Kurotsuchi bit her lip as a violent anger bubbled inside of her like a poison. A rage she had only ever felt directed at one man, only this time it had a new source.

The Ichibi.

The Iwa shinobi forced herself to rise to her feet, a defiance of the deity that stood before her. She felt the massive weight rest on her shoulders. Whether it was the aura of a god on her shoulders or the weight of the responsibility she was about to bear, she didn't know.

But she knew she refused to let what happened to her grandfather happen to her home.

And she charged.


Naruto stared up at the sky, defeated in the face of the foe before him. He was crushed in entirety. The Ichibi had brushed aside his strongest attack with ease. His crowning achievement. The jutsu he had inherited from his father.

Powerless.

"You'll end up like your father if you stay here!"

Naruto ignored the raging of the beast inside. Its voice was distant to him, an abstract thing he could barely hear. And why should he? The beast locked inside him had not helped him throughout his life. It only wanted him to win for its own petty competition with another of its kind. It wasn't like it was going to die anyway.

The blonde stared up at the sky, ignoring its yells of protest. His eyes were listless, vaguely searching for something that the heavens could not give. How had he gotten in this predicament? Not long ago he had been resting comfortably in his tiny home in the woods, safe from all of the trouble and conflict of the world. He had just wanted to be left alone. To mourn the loss of his wife, child, and mentor in peace. But that had been ripped from him.

The ROOT had first arrived at his door. Then it was Neji, Sasuke, and Shikamaru. He fled, seeking to be left alone only for Iwagakure and Kurotsuchi to pull him back in. He was able to escape once more, but this time it was Kakuzu who found him, by order of the Raikage. He had fended him off, only to be greeted by Sasori and Zabuza also by order of the Raikage. When Kakuzu made himself known for a second time...if it wasn't for Kisame he would be dead already.

Then he had been brought to Ame. He had met family he didn't know existed. The hole inside of him began to feel filled for the first time in history.

And then Konoha reared its head again. It threatened to take it away from him almost as soon as he had received it. By the hands of Konohamaru no less. By the hands of a man, he had grown up with.

Who he had abandoned.

The shame that had flown through him at that moment was unparalleled. He did not regret leaving Konoha. But Konohamaru was right. He had given everyone in the village significantly more responsibility when he left the village. He had chosen to abandon that responsibility, and they hadn't. They had to make up the slack. It was selfish. And he was sorry.

But he would do it all over again if he had the choice.

Which made his decision to come here all the stranger. This was not Ame. The people here were not family. They were not even the few friends he still had remaining in Konoha. These were from people who by all intents and purposes had willingly drove him out of their village. He was risking his life and taking up the responsibility of their lives for people had had not even known for a year.

Why?

He had decided to bear the burden of holding one's life in his hands. He had raced off to fight one of the most dangerous men on the planet.

A Jinchuriki.

And he had been outclassed.

Not by Gaara, but by the beast within. And now he was going to die.

And it felt...good?

Dying didn't seem too bad. He would get to see Hinata again. See Jiraiya. See Hiruzen. His child, Hitomi.

Finally, truly, meet his parents.

Yes, dying did not seem too bad at all.

But why did he feel that slight hint of hesitation?

The slight hint of regret.

What was holding him back?

A bird flapped its winds high in the sky. Its children followed it, much smaller and stumbling in the air. The bird circled around them, taking the time to fly underneath them and bolster them higher into the air when they failed to maintain their flight.

The blonde stared up at them. A parent taking care of their children. Sworn to protect them with all its might. Even when a battlefield raged below it, and the troubles that rattled the world. Even with a deity so close to it, it did not care. Its entire focus was on the ones it was sworn to protect.

The blonde's jealousy erupted within him. For a brief flash in time, he felt himself jealous of the birds and its family. They were free, free of all this fighting. Free from the suffering in the world. All they had to worry about was protecting each other. Why couldn't he have his freedom? What had he given it up for? His head hurt. His body felt like a million needles were stabbing into him all at once. But what had he been fighting for? Why would he give up his own freedom to protect people he barely knew?

Why?

The reason eluded him. He could only see the burning sky above.

Who was responsible for this?

What was he fighting for?

Why was he here?

Aika's and Makino's face flashed through his brain.

Something inside the blonde snapped.

He grunted, pulling himself to his feet as he felt fire pump through his body. Energy he had never felt before coursed through him and his chakra surged. The world became bright, and his senses flared.

And then he could see.

"Aika...Makino..."

Naruto's eyes snapped upwards, looking hard at the beast before him. The Ichibi was still looking around, trying to find any trace of the blonde.

"I'm fighting because I have to protect them!"

The blonde rose to his feet, his eyes hard. More faces flashed through his mind. The faces of Ashino, Nagato, Karin, and Fuka.

"I have to protect all of them!"

His body screamed at him, protesting the action. It was exhausted. Fighting the deity before him had taken a toll. One that could not simply be taken lightly. It was a burden that it was forced to wear. A chain he had bound to himself. A chain, he realized, that the parent so many miles above him had also bound to it.

The bird was not free. And neither was he. They were both bound. They were sworn to their duty. And that was...

Naruto's eyes flashed with power and his eyes glowed.

"...To protect!"

The beast inside smirked approvingly.

"Good. You're up."

Naruto frowned, clearly upset at the voice in his head having made another appearance.

"I'm not fighting for you," Naruto muttered. "Our goals just happen to align this one time."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," the Kyuubi responded. "So, you'll use my power."

"No."

The Kyuubi frowned, shaking its head. "You idiot! You just saw the gap in power between the two of you! How do you plan on fighting him without my power?"

Naruto thought of the bird he saw. Of the wind that carried it high into the sky.

And smiled.

"Nagato..he uses Suiton so freely. I only just barely grasped it with wind before but...I get it now. Water is...directed destruction. It can be directed, but only in short bursts. Over time it will erode everything, even your control. Wind...you can guide it but at the end of the day that isn't what wind is."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Wind is freedom," Naruto stated, snapping his head. A massive gale surged around him, lifting him into the sky. His armor did not form, but the gale continued. His eyes pulsed with power and the wind flew far out in the distance.

"If I want to use Fūton as freely as Nagato uses Suiton I have to find my own way. Not by guiding the wind. But by asking. I can't demand its help. Its freedom itself. It does what it wants."

The Kyuubi was silent, eyes narrowed. It watched as Naruto rose even higher into the sky, yet no violent gale followed him as normal. Instead, the wind flowed with him in a loving embrace. His ascendance finally caught the attention of the Ichibi. The beast turned to face him, grinning with glee as it saw him.

"There you are! You actually managed to survive that! You're made of stronger stuff than I thought! Maybe your blood will be worth taking after all!"

Sand swirled around the beast.

"DIE!"

The sand shot towards Naruto. The Kyuubi's eyes narrowed.

'You say you've found the essence of wind. Well show me then...Naruto.'

Naruto felt the sand coming before it ever moved. He smiled. It was like his senses had been magnified. He could sense further than he had ever been able to before. He had been able to use the wind currents to detect where attacks were coming from, but it was not constant. The Ten No Kankaku took active effort and was not something he could rely on consistently in battle. It was mostly a passive technique to not be surprised when travelling. His utilization of the technique before was a desperation play that paid off.

But now it felt as natural as breathing.

He easily slipped away from the massive storm of sand that shot towards him. The sand turned as it passed him, shooting forwards to spear through his back only for him to flip above it with ease. Tendrils shot forth from the mighty wave, reaching up to grab at him, but they were too slow. He effortlessly dodged them, feeling the disturbance they caused and knowing their exact target before they had the chance to get close to him. It was if he could see the future.

The Kyuubi's eyes widened at the sight.

'This level of mastery...a regular human attained it?'

The Ichibi's eyes narrowed.

"Hold still you bastard!"

The sand moved.

And the sand never touched him.

The Kyuubi's eyes widened at the sight of the blonde gracefully closing the distance between the Ichibi.

'He understands the essence of wind in such a short time span? That shouldn't be possible! The last person to realize the essence of an element was...'

But try as it might the beast couldn't deny its eyes. The blonde was doing the impossible before his eyes.

And it was only going to get worse.

The blonde shot forwards, moving at speeds that dwarfed what he had previously been capable of. The Ichibi's eyes widened at the sudden increase in speed. Sand flew up in a defensive response, cutting off the blonde's angle, but he quickly adjusted and shot towards the head of the creature. The beast recoiled, bringing more sand to bear as a defense against the blonde, eventually cutting off all possible angles of attack. The blonde stared down, frustrated.

The Kyuubi couldn't believe it's eyes. Naruto had cornered a Bijuu?

The Ichibi couldn't believe it either. He was being corned by a human? Him!? The very thought was infuriating, insulting. He refused to accept it. A mosquito did not hunt the dragonfly! He let the cocoon of sand that held him explode, rage pouring from its body like a tangible force. Thousands of bullets of sand shot forwards in all directions, but none laid a hand on the blonde. The Uzumaki stood above it all, untouchable.

And to the blonde, it felt good. He felt the best he had ever felt in his entire life.

He didn't understand what was happening. One second, he was ready to die, and the next he felt ready to take on the world. Ready to defeat the deity that stood before him. It was as if he finally, truly, understood the power of his wind. And for once in throughout this battle he looked down on the Bijuu before him and did not see a deity, but rather a thrashing child. A being of pure anger and malice, and a powerful one at that, but nonetheless a child.

And he would have to be the one to discipline it.

The blonde reached out. His wind always worked by two contrasting air currents. The first, a mass of rapidly rotating air currents around his body and the core of his scythe. This was what allowed him to move rapidly. The second, the outer layer, a slower moving layer of air, squeezed tightly over a small area. The slow flow rate and tightly compressed area created massive amounts of pressure on small areas, and thus he could cut almost anything.

His Rasenshuriken worked slightly differently. The idea of the jutsu was simple, a mass of Fūton chakra rotating around the Rasengan core. That was where the simplistic nature ended. The jutsu created a massive casing of chakra and then pushed violently rotating Fūton chakra into it. It reached the brim of the Rasengan and then kept going. That formed the spillover effect in the form of those fuma-shuriken protrusions in the jutsu. That spill-over was what created the awful screeching sound. The air inside the actual jutsu moved incredibly slow and was incredibly compacted, created an immense amount of pressure and in turn density that made the jutsu unwieldy. The rapidly rotating air externally created the awful screeching and windstorm.

Once the jutsu detonated all of that slow moving air erupted in a mass of extremely deadly wind blades that ripped through anything they came into contact with.

That at its core was the foundation of wind. Pressure. That was what the element thrived on. All jutsu in its branch came back to that simple principle. He had utilized his staff and the Rasengan as a catalyst to force the wind into creating the correct amount of pressure for his desired jutsu. But he didn't need to.

If wind simply needed to be guided to create the correct amount of pressure why couldn't he simply use his chakra as a template for it? The lines in a coloring book. Wind simply detailed the image.

He clenched his hand as his scythe formed. It hummed softly. This one was stabilized not from Trickster's base, but rather from his own control of the element. This one had no rapidly rotating wind as its core. No, he didn't need it. He could move the scythe quickly by shifting which air molecules he was controlling with his chakra. Trickster had been his crutch.

This was the final evolution of his scythe.

He looked down at the beast and smirked. Sand rushed up to meet him. A wave of sand that would have crushed him into a red haze if it hit him.

The blonde slashed downwards with his scythe, full of confidence.

And for the first time in his battle against the Ichibi the sand split.

He had cut it.

The sand split, roaring by him and around him. The Ichibi's eyes widened and Naruto grinned.

The blonde shot forwards, his mind singularly focused on his goal. All he had to do was carve a path and he would win! Sand rose to meet him.

Sand fell before him.

He appeared before Gaara, a devilish grin on his face. He slashed only for the sand to rise up. The Ichibi howled in outrage, the sand taking on a distinct golden hue as it finally blocked Naruto's scythe. The blonde's eyes narrowed. So, the beast could create sand that could withstand his immense pressure? That was...unexpected. For a brief moment Naruto had to marvel at the sheer power of Bijuu. They truly were natural disasters. He understood why the very concept of war had been changed when Jinchuriki had come to exist. If one could control this type of power...well it was the biggest sword and the biggest shield.

Naruto was forced back as more sand shot towards him, threatening to skewer him whole. The blonde winced, sweat pouring down his brow. Ah, there was the cost of his technique. All jutsu had one. The Rasenshuriken could not be used in close quarters without harming himself. His flight had given him a strong case of vertigo the first time he had even utilized it.

Some could be overcome. Some could not.

But his chakra evaporated under the strain of utilizing his scythe. Wielding his armor using the same template was completely impossible for him. Using any other jutsu would have been impossible for him. The jutsu was simply too demanding. Was it due to lack of chakra from the length of the battle or lack of control? The blonde could not tell. But he knew that he could not simply let attacks wash over him like usual.

No, in this instance his best defense was his offense.

The Uzumaki charged, slashing through more dragons of sand as they reached out to ensnare him. His eyes narrowed. Why wasn't the Ichibi stopping his sand like he had before? The only possible answer was that there were limitations to such a technique. There was no need to not overwhelm the blonde if he could do such a thing. The thought brought a smile to his face.

For the first time in the battle, he had seen that Bijuu did have limits.

For the first time in the battle, he realized he could win.

Naruto was about to shoot forwards and carve his way to Gaara. He would force the limitations of the Ichibi to come to light and would capitalize instantly to win the battle. That was his plan.

And he put it into action. His scythe carved forwards and he was a dance of death. Sand grains floated around him helplessly, completely unable to reach the blonde. All the attacks the Ichibi had tried before failed. A sandstorm? Split in two. Dragons of sand? Shredded. Massive tendrils to grab and crush the blonde? Destroyed. The gales it could create were overpowered.

The roles had switched. The Ichibi was now the fly.

The beast wanted to scream at the insanity of it all. This blonde human had been nothing but a plaything for his own amusement. Now it was something that scared him. Something it did not understand.

Naruto surged forwards, carving a path to Gaara and raising his scythe. The Bijuu's incredibly dense sand rose to meet it from its own body, blocking Naruto's own scythe. That was when everything clicked.

"Ah! The sand you create with your chakra or manipulate with your environment can't stop me! Only the sand that composes your form can!"

The Ichibi snarled, irritated to have been found out by the blonde. It slashed out with its claws, but it was too slow. Naruto knew he could not cut the limb off, no he lacked the power for that. But with his senses flaring he was still fast enough to dodge it. Three jutsu.

His scythe.

His flight.

And the Ten No Kankaku.

That was all he could rely on to defeat this monster before him. And judging by his chakra levels it would have to be quick.

That was why the situation went from good to horrible when the battling titans heard a voice from below. Below both of them, on the ground was Kurotsuchi, unleashing a storm of elemental jutsu against the Ichibi. The Bijuu grinned, flinging a wave of sand at her only for Naruto to appear before her. The Iwa kunoichi's eyes widened as the blonde slashed through the sand with ease, his nigh-invisible scythe humming next to him.

'I didn't even see the attack, much less see him move!'

She fell onto her ass, ignoring the fact she was technically sitting on sand, the Ichibi's domain. She was completely stunned. Was this the gap between their two levels of power?

"What the hell are you doing here," Naruto roared. "I told you to escape with the civilians!"

"B-b-but...that blast...I thought..."

Naruto grunted, quickly realizing what happened. The Bijuudama had made her belief he had been defeated and she had come to try and stop the beast. It was a stupid effort. If he truly had died in that attack she would have died just as easily. The correct decision for her in that instance would be to notify the Tsuchikage as soon as possible.

But he understood the desire to fight against what threatened what was yours better than most.

Sand swarmed the duo from all sides, forcing the blonde to have to protect the Iwa kunocihi. Her eyes widened at his masterful movements. His speed. The subtle twists of his wrist. The sand that split in two whenever it neared him. It was like watching two elementals fight. For the first time in her short life, Kurotsuchi felt indescribably small. Like she was just getting in the way.

Naruto voiced as much.

"You need to get out of here! I told you to let me handle this, so let me handle it!"

Kurotsuchi stared at the blonde, shock on her face. It was as if her brain needed a moment to process his words.

"GO!"

Kurotsuchi took off running, desperate to escape, only for her eyes to widen and her body to stop. Naruto glanced back at her, irritation on his face only for his eyes to widen not long after when he saw the sight.

The civilians.

They were coming.

They were holding nothing but rocks and their fists, but they started throwing it at the sand. The Ichibi turned to them, a distorted smile forming on its face.

"Oh...what do we have here?"

Kurotsuchi and Naruto realized with horror at his plans.

"No," the kunoichi whispered. She charged towards the civilians, weaving through handseals as she approached them.

"What are you doing! Get out of here!"

"No," came the call from Aika. "We can't run anymore! We want to defend our home too!"

Kurotsuchi shook her head. Those idiots were going to get themselves killed. They all were because they didn't listen to what Naruto advised. The sand shot towards them like a missile, but Kurotsuchi's jutsu had already activated. An earthen dome quickly enveloped the group, only to shatter instantly upon contact with the sand. Kurotsuchi's eyes widened in horror. All she had done was prolong their life by a fraction of a second.

That fraction was all the time Naruto needed to reach them, blowing the sands away with a powerful gale. His scythe howled through the air, cutting any sand that got within one hundred meters of the group. Their eyes widened in amazement at his power, but the Ichibi grunted with irritation. The Ichibi roared, and a sandstorm erupted to life. The lone pocket of protection from the violent winds and whipping sand was in Naruto's own pocket of protection on the ground. Kurotsuchi looked up at the blonde with a mix of fear and awe in her eyes.

"What do we do? We cannot escape through this storm!"

Naruto grunted, twirling his scythe in his hands. She was right. They needed something to escape this weather, something that the scythe could not provide. So, he let it fade and for a brief moment felt his chakra network relax. The technique was extremely draining, something he would have to work on later. But that could wait. His chakra network constricted once more, and lava lanced through his system. He grunted, the pain almost blinding.

This was worse. Much worse than the scythe.

But it would give them an opportunity.

"The second I unleash this jutsu run," Naruto whispered to the group. "Run as fast as you can!"

Naruto locked eyes with the Iwa kunoichi behind him.

"Promise me. Promise me you'll protect them with your life."

Kurotsuchi stumbled, somewhat unsure of what words to use. Here she was, working together with the man who killed her grandfather and had beaten her father half to death. She hated him, and she felt it deep within her core. But here he was, a murderer, a butcher fighting to save her and her countrymen? People who, by all rights, he should hate.

What would her father think?

What would the Tsuchikage think?

What would her grandfather think?

And yet the words spilled from her mouth before she could register them. And yet, she meant them from the core of her being, from a place deeper than even her hate for the blonde shinobi.

"On my life as an Iwa shinobi, I swear to you Uzumaki Naruto that I will protect these civilians with my life. If a single one of them dies...you may have my head."

Naruto smirked.

'How dramatic.'

A small girl approached the blonde, staring up at him despite the gales that surrounded her. Her soft voice eked out, but pierced Naruto's ears even through the booming of the Ichibi's laughter.

"Naruto-nii," Aika called out.

Naruto smiled out to the girl.

"Hello little one."

She hugged his leg, a fierce frown forming on his safe.

"Kick his ass."

Naruto snorted. When had she learned such language?

"Of course."

The girl retreated to Makino, who looked at him with kind eyes. The entire group did. Naruto smiled. His heart song. For the first time in a long time, his heart felt full. Then, he turned his attention back to the roaring Ichibi above.

"You can't protect them and defeat me Uzumaki! Blow away my storm if you want! You'll be easy pickings afterwards!"

Naruto grunted, clapping his hands together. He refused to allow that outcome. He would blow away the sand, help Kurotsuchi bring the civilians to freedom, and defeat the Ichibi.

'I swear it...on my nindo way!'

"Fūton: Fūryūdan no Jutsu (Wind Release: Wind Dragon Bullet Technique)!"

The gale that was unleashed was different than his normal dragon. No, the flow rate was slow.

And the air was concentrated.

The wind erupted outwards, shredding at the sand and defying the titanic winds of the Ichibi. Naruto dove backwards, ignoring the seizing pain of his chakra network as he used Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough) to give the Iwa nationals just the tiniest boost away from the violently clashing elements and the destruction they unleashed. The world erupted into a violent gale of sand and sound as they ran. Naruto watched them with a smile on his face as he felt his chakra network constrict. He spat up blood, gripping his sides in pain. He was lower than he would have liked. He would only be able to use a handful of jutsu. Certainly not enough to utilize the enhanced version of his scythe.

He fell to the ground as the sandstorm cleared, and the Iwa nationals continued their sprint. The Ichibi ignored them, its attention entirely focused on the blonde before it. The beast smiled, reaching down to pick up the blonde and bring him to its eye level. It chuckled, and the blonde flopped like a dead fish in its hand. He was too tired to even thrash out in protest. Instead, a comfortable smile lay on his face.

"They're gone...Ichibi."

The Ichibi snorted, a powerful intake of breath that drew Naruto slightly closer.

"You idiot. I'm a Bijuu. I'll destroy this entire environment and send them to join you in death soon enough."

Naruto glared at the beast, but it smirked.

"All you did was prolong their death."

Naruto could say nothing before he was flung into the air. He twirled, vertigo forcing bile to his throat before he stilled in the air. He looked down, his eyes widening as he saw massive tendrils of sand surge up towards him, ready to gore him. The blonde ignored them, his eyes focusing on the red speck that was Gaara atop the Ichibi's head. That was his target.

This was his final chance. His death throws.

The Ichibi seemed to realize it, increasing the amount of sand that surged through the air towards the blonde. It did not matter. He weaved through all the tendrils, avoiding them by the skin of his teeth. His body felt the disturbance the air before it reached him. That combined with his flight gave him the slimmest of margins to avoid the attacks, and it was working. The Ichibi roared in outrage, launching a massive attack at the blonde that would be impossible to avoid. The Uzumaki raised his hand, as if to cut through the attack. The Ichibi's eyes narrowed and the attack split, causing a massive grin to crack its face.

"I got you! Now die!"

Naruto smirked as the sand shot towards him in a deluge of spikes on either side.

"You messed up," he stated, shooting forwards at an even faster speed. The Ichibi's eyes widened as the blonde shot through the spiky hazards, barely avoiding them.

"You overcompensated because of my technique!"

Naruto screamed his victory as he neared, ignoring his speed beginning to slow as his chakra began to run dry. The spikes were faster now, one spearing through his arm. His downwards momentum carried him forwards regardless, ripping the limb clean off. Naruto bit through the pain, ignoring the streaks of black that began to cover his vision. Instead, he whipped a kunai out and covered it in Fūton chakra. The Ichibi realized his plan and the sand converged, beginning to wrap around the blonde like a thick blanket. He was too slow. His chakra too dry.

He couldn't avoid it any longer.

Naruto didn't care.

He screamed and with his remaining arm hurled the kunai directly at Gaara's face right before his body, bar his head, was enveloped in sand. The kunai sailed through the air, and for a moment it looked like it might reach the redhead.

And then sand quickly swallowed it up.

Naruto's eyes widened and the Ichibi's eyes glistened with happiness. The blonde's last-ditch effort had been defeated.

It had won.

"Pathetic human," the beast drawled. It laughed manically, the force shaking the very ground it stood upon. "You thought you could defeat me! I am Shukaku the Sand Spirit! The Ichibi! A Bijuu! You could never conquer me!"

Naruto stared at the beast, defeated but not broken. His eyes held defiance in them still. He glared at the beast, his eyes simmering with rage and frustration at the beast before him. He had come so close. And yet he still failed. Just like he had when he had tried to protect Hinata. When he had tried to defend so many that he cared about.

And it burned at him.

So in one final act, one final petty attempt at victory, the blonde spoke.

"Oh. It must stab at you huh? Knowing that this pathetic human had the mighty Ichibi running like with a tail between its legs for even a second. Say what you want beast, but you know as well as I what happened this day."

Naruto smiled smugly.

"For a brief moment in time, I was your better."

The smile grew into a grin, revealing blood-soaked teeth.

"And you have to live the rest of your life with that."

The Ichibi stared at the defiance with a look of disgust. The words evoked a cocophony of emotions that swirled in its mind before it settled on one lone feeling.

Hate.

It was simple.

This human continued to defy him. It had put them on even ground, if only for a brief period. It infuriated the creature to no end.

This human had dared to speak to him in that manner?

There was no logical reason for what happened next. The Bijuu had won. Its opponent was defeated in its grasp. A mere trifle of chakra would be all it took to crush its foe into a bloody pulp and drink on his blood as the beast did so often to shinobi. The words of the human should have bounced right off it as mere shots at one's ego in the face of death. A logical mind would have concluded that the Ichibi would have won in a battle of endurance. It was an ocean of chakra, and the human was merely a large lake. The difference in their power was large. The energy it took the blonde to cleave through his attacks was far more than it took him to launch them in the first place. But in its rage, in its fury, it was blind to it. No, the blonde had enraged the beast.

For humiliating it, for being the greatest challenge that had been posed to it in quite a long time the blonde had achieved a place of hate in the Bijuu's mind that had previously only been occupied by Hashirama Senju.

And that very status warped the creature's mind.

At that moment in time the beast did not care for blood. For the first time since that accursed Mokuton (Wood Release) wielder, a singular human had managed to rival it.

In that moment, with its sense abandoned for pure rage, all the Ichibi cared for was an overwhelming victory.

"I'll show you," it hissed. "I'll show you the overwhelming difference in our power!"

Black and white orbs began to float in front of the Bijuu's mouth as it glared up at the human before it. Naruto's eyes widened in horror.

It could fire another one of those?

A moment of grim realization dawned on the blonde. A realization of his own inadequacy. He had thought himself on equal footing with the creature. But without a way to counter that technique he realized just how foolhardy he was.

He was a failure.

And now he and the Iwa nationals would die.

All because he failed to defeat the titan before him.

The blonde felt a vile taste spring to his mouth. The taste of bitter disappointment. Of failure.

Because he was too weak. Just like he had been before.

'No,' the blonde hissed, his eyes regaining that defiant spark as he looked at the beast before him. 'I refuse to fail someone! Not again!'

The blonde's hair flipped wildly in the wind as the power continued to coalesce in front of the Ichibi's mouth. The orb was steadily growing in size, but Naruto paid it no mind. He had enough chakra for one last jutsu.

And he would rather fight than look death in the face.

The wild whipping of red hair drew his attention. The blonde's eyes widened. Gaara's hair was whipping. He couldn't see the man's body, but he didn't need to! He could locate it from his hair alone. But he couldn't move his hands to create a jutsu, and even if he did it would just be blocked by the Ichibi. He needed something that would strike fast enough to kill the Jinchuriki before the Ichibi could react.

He needed speed or surprise.

He didn't have the chakra for speed.

Naruto's eyes flashed. Nagato could use Suiton freely.

Why couldn't he?

Naruto's eyes flashed with power as he concentrated.

'Guide the wind.'

Naruto shook his head.

No.

The blonde closed his eyes.

'Ask the wind!'

A screech could be heard for a moment before a cry of pain erupted and a gurgle broke the silence. Naruto opened his eyes, watching as the light in the Ichibi's eyes began to dim.

"You...bastard..." was all the creature was able to eke out before it began to crack. The massive orb of chakra before it began to flicker apart, returning to its natural state. The constructs disappearance revealed the truth of the matter.

Gaara's body slumped over, with a massive hole through his head where blood and brain matter leaked.

Naruto's eyes widened as he felt the chakra in the sand dissipate before the Ichibi and all of the sand that composed it and it controlled dissipated.

And the blonde fell.

"I...I did it..." Naruto whispered, a small forming on his face. A tear left his eye as he fell.

"I did it...Hinata."

Deep inside of him the Kyuubi was silent, but its eyes were attentive.

'You defeated Shukaku. Heh, even I must admit that's rather impressive...for a human.'

The Bijuu closed its eyes once more.

"Perhaps you're more interesting than I thought. Uzumaki Naruto.'


Kurotsuchi felt it before she saw it. The pressure that had rested on her shoulders ever since the Ichibi had been released, one that she had just become accustomed to bearing, left. Her lungs expanded a little more and the world become a little brighter. She turned, hope spilling onto her face. The civilians turned with her, color returning to their faces. They had been more affected than she.

But all rejoiced at the sight they saw.

The sand monstrosity was crumbling to the ground, a sight that ensured one outcome.

Victory.

Cheers erupted from the group, mostly coming from the civilians. Kurotsuchi heard their praises as the sun glinted down on them. They cheered for their freedom, the defeat of the monster that had threatened their home. They sang the praises of Uzumaki Naruto.

'He really did it.'

His fierce eyes piercing deep into her soul flashed in her mind. The confidence in them. The resolve.

The Iwa kunoichi fought back a smile at the thought.

She slowly started walking, watching as the mass of sand spread out over the ravaged territory of Earth. It moved like a tsunami, dying down just before it reached her. The Iwa kunoichi slowly stepped onto the sand and continued her run, unaware that she was being followed. She was too emotionally drained to notice. She was looking for any trace of the blonde. She was desperate to see him. To resolve the war of emotions inside her chest.

She found him after only a few minutes of searching. The blonde was lying in a rather large pool of sand. The Jinchuriki of the Ichibi, or rather the former Jinchuriki of the Ichibi, was not far from him. Blood and brain matter leaked out from his skull, dying the sand. Kurotsuchi raised an eyebrow. He had pierced his head, in turn dispelling the Bijuu instead of defeating it outright? Impressive.

The Iwa kunoichi looked down at the blonde, looking at his ravaged form. He was covered in bleeding wounds and missing his left arm. Blood poured from his body at an alarming rate, despite the steam that hissed from all of his wounds. She frowned. It was likely the Kyuubi healing his wounds, but they were severe. Even with its healing properties she was unsure if he would live to tell the tale of this battle.

"You won."

She spoke, her words echoing into the void. She wasn't sure if the blonde was conscious or not. His eyes were completely closed, and his breathing was shallow. If anything, he was on deaths door, rather than awake to hear her words.

"I have to admit I'm impressed," Kurotsuchi whispered. "You singlehandedly did something my entire village thought was impossible. The rumors they tell about you throughout Earth...they're deserved. Not because you killed my grandfather, but because you truly do accomplish the impossible."

Kurotsuchi glanced up at the sky.

"The Son of the Yellow Flash. And now look at you, a hero of Earth. The world works in mysterious ways wouldn't you say?"

She got no response. The blonde couldn't hear her. She could tell now. He was unconscious.

The Iwa kunoichi glanced down at him.

"But that power, that ability to will miracles into existence...it makes you a threat."

A frown creased her mouth and her stomach rolled. Something about this felt deeply unsettling to her.

"You're an enemy of Iwagakure. You've killed Iwa shinobi. You've assaulted my father. You've killed the Tsuchikage."

Kurotsuchi shook her head.

"You killed my grandfather!"

She pulled out a kunai, emotion building in her eyes. The world began to burn as she stared down at her savior before her.

Her enemy.

The man she hated more than anyone else.

"But...you also saved my life. Saved these Iwa nationals life. And for that...I thank you."

The kunoichi thought back to her words with Monga. About her plan to defeating the Ichibi. It was a costly strategy. Many shinobi would have died if she had gone through with her plan. If she had a group of Iwa shinobi around her when they stumbled upon Gaara and Naruto...perhaps they wouldn't have fled. Perhaps they would have joined the battle. What would have happened? Would they have killed them both? Would they have died in the crossfire? Would their interference have stopped the blonde from accomplishing something only the most legendary of shinobi had done? Would she have been able to convince other Iwa shinobi to protect the civilians like she had?

Ha, what a joke. She had barely been able to convince herself.

What would the outcome have been?

The thought bit at her. She didn't know the answer. And perhaps she never would. So, she avoided the topic. She avoided the confliction that burned in her stomach. She ignored the tears that began to flow down her cheeks. She ignored it all, her eyes analyzing the face of the man before her. She seared it into her memory, promising herself to never forget it.

Because she knew one thing. That this man was a threat. Anyone who was capable of defeating a Bijuu in single combat, by killing the host or not, was someone who possessed strength that could only be rivaled by the most powerful shinobi.

"True leadership is made by making thousands of tough decisions every single day and having the convictions to live by them. That is what a leader is."

Kurotsuchi bit down the bile in her throat that told her she would regret this decision. That this wasn't how she wanted to settle things between the two of them. Because at the end of the day it didn't matter. She had many plenty of tough decisions today.

What was one more?

She raised the kunai, tears flowing down her face before she lunged.

"Stop!"

Kurotsuchi paused, the tip of the kunai centimeters from the blonde's thoat. She turned, her eyes wide as she saw the Iwa civilians standing in a group behind her, each of them with horror in their eyes.

"What are you doing," the little girl cried out, tears flowing in her eyes. "Naruto-nii protected us! You can't kill him!"

"Yeah," came more cries from the crowd.

"If he wasn't here, we'd all be dead!"

"He saved us from that monster!"

"You would have died if it weren't for him too!"

"Stay away from him!"

Kurotsuchi couldn't believe her eyes. Iwa civilians were defending a Konoha shinobi? It was preposterous. This man should have been like the devil to them. He was the son of their most infamous war criminal. He had killed their Tsuchikage. She made herself known.

"He's a murderer! He's killed so many Iwa shinobi! He's a threat to our very way of life! He is an evil Konoha shinobi!"

The obvious rebuttal sprang to life in her mind, but she bit it back with a vengeance. She refused to follow that line of thought.

Unfortunately for her, Makino wasn't so kind.

"He saved our lives," the elderly woman stated. "He fought a Bijuu for us. By himself. A fight like that is almost assuredly a death sentence, yet he sent us away all so we would have a chance of escape."

The elderly woman smiled. Her gaze shifted to Naruto.

"I can't imagine how scared he was. The emotions that must have roared in his gut. To resign yourself to an almost sure death, all for people you barely know. There's a lot of things I'd call him, but evil is not one of them."

The woman turned her gaze back to the Iwa kunoichi.

"I'd call him a hero."

Kurotsuchi spat, fighting down the conflicted emotions she felt. She refused to be persuaded from this.

"He's a Konoha shinobi."

"He is not," Makino stated. "He is a living man. A man of conviction and ideals. Do you truly believe a Konoha shinobi would give their life so willingly to protect ours?"

Kurotsuchi was silent.

"Besides, even if he was, he defended our lives. Any Konoha shinobi who does something like this is alright in my book."

Kurotsuchi's eyes burned with a conflict of emotions. At first, acknowledgement. She could not deny the elderly woman's words. It made no sense for a Konoha shinobi to give their life to protect Earth and Iwa. What would be the goal? To broker peace? But letting the Ichibi rampage across Earth would give Konoha valuable ammunition to broker a peace deal that heavily favored them. Sending a shinobi like Naruto and risking his life to defeat the beast by himself? It didn't make sense. No, she couldn't fault the logic. The woman was right. It was just as he had said the last time she had seen him.

He was not a shinobi of Konoha any longer.

But that didn't stop the rage that burned deep within.

"I don't care!"

The rage in her voice was palpable. Killing intent radiated off her, forcing the civilians to take a step back, unfamiliar with such a power.

"He's a criminal! And if any of you defend him then you are traitors too!"

Kurotsuchi raised her kunai.

"And the punishment for treason is death!"

The threat stopped the protests from the civilians. It was as if the realization of exactly who they were talking back to, and for who they were doing it, finally hit them. This was the former Tsuchikage's granddaughter. And that was the man who murdered him. Of course, she would hate him. That and the fear for their lives swiftly brought an end to the protests, causing Kurotsuchi to smirk.

"Like I thought."

She turned, preparing to stab the kunai into Naruto's throat once more only for Aika to step in front of the woman. The Iwa kunoichi's eyes narrowed as she saw the little girl, frustration on her face.

"Move."

Aika shook her head.

Kurotsuchi's eyebrows creased with rage.

"Move out of the way girl! I won't warn you again."

Aika stood there, eyes determined. Kurotsuchi grunted, hesitation flashing across her face.

"What you're doing is a serious crime girl!"

"I won't let you kill Naruto-nii!"

The words struck Kurotsuchi like a slap on the face. Her eyes widened in outrage. Aika, unafraid in the face of the woman, continued.

"He...he played hide and seek with me. And protected me from the evil man. And stopped me from working away from Makino! And...and promised me everything would be okay!"

The little girl's eyes were fierce.

"I won't let you hurt him!"

Makino approached her granddaughter, a smile on her face. She stood next to her, pride filling her heart.

"And if you want to kill her, you'll have to get through me."

Kurotsuchi looked taken aback at the decision, but it wasn't long before all the other civilians joined in, seemingly motivated by the familial duo.

"Me too!"

"Yeah!"

"No way am I letting you kill the guy that saved us."

"I don't care who he is, he saved my life. You want him, you gotta come through me!"

Kurotsuchi stared at the gathering of civilians, rage simmering just below the surface. It wasn't long before it boiled over. Her killing intent flooded outwards, freezing all of them as she raised her kunai.

"Fine," she muttered. "Treason it is then."

The Iwa kunoichi dashed forwards, prepared to take the life of the civilians. They had no defense, no hope. It was a trained killer against miners and field workers. There was no defense. There was no hope. Only their resolve.

And as if their resolved willed the world to respond a massive sword wreathed in bandages stopped the kunai from piercing through Makino's chest. Kurotsuchi's eyes widened to see a massive figure towering above her, blue skin glinting in the light.

"W-what?"

"Let's not get too hasty yeah?"

Kurotsuchi leapt backwards, taking in the two new arrivals. The first was a redheaded kunoichi who seemed to completely ignore her presence, instead rushing over to the Uzumaki who lay on the ground. She quickly rolled up the sleeve of her arm and forced him to...bite down on it? What exactly was she doing? But before she could analyze any further the large man stepped in the way of her vision. She frowned.

She didn't know the redhead, but she certainly knew him.

Kisame Hoshigaki.

She felt a pit form in her stomach. Things had just gone from bad to exponentially worse. Why was he here? Defending Iwa shinobi? What was with all of these shinobi from other villages today intruding on Earth borders? What were the border checks doing?

And why the hell were they here!

The thought infuriated her to no end. It was as if some divine presence refused to let her take her vengeance.

"Sorry, he's under my protection and by extension so are they."

Kisame turned back to look at Karin.

"He gonna be-oh you're fun!"

He had been interrupted by Kurotsuchi. The Iwa kunoichi had lashed out at him the second he turned his neck, only for Samehada to block her kunai once more. Her eyes widened. She had crossed that distance in less than second and yet he had stopped her attack with such ease. She leapt away, hands weaving through handseals only for Kisame to flash in front of her. Her eyes widened before she was instantly pinned to the ground, the massive man sitting on her back. The Iwa civilians stared at the man in shock and distrust. They looked ready to bolt.

The man raised his free hand placatingly.

"Woah woah, hold on. We're all friends here."

He leaned down.

"Right. Tell 'em we're friends."

"Why are you here?"

The man blinked, as though the answer was obvious before he gestured to the Uzumaki whose eyes were beginning to flicker.

"That should be obvious."

Naruto recoiled as soon as his eyes opened, shocking the civilians. Pain rattled through his body, and he quickly spat out Karin's arm from his mouth.

"What? Karin?"

"It's not just me," she stated kindly.

The blonde turned, his eyes widening as he saw Kisame.

"Kisame? But I thought you were near Suna's border with Ame?"

"Nagato called me back," the man claimed. "Reports of the Ichibi going up towards Iwa meant I didn't need to protect the border and he said you went up north. Told me to accompany her to make sure you were alright. Asked me to help you out if you needed it."

Kisame looked around, a smirk on his face at the piles of sand and the corpse of Gaara not far from the blonde.

"Looks like you didn't."

"I wouldn't go that far," Karin stated, rubbing her belly. Her stomach was more pronounced than ever. "He's missing an arm."

The blonde glanced down at the missing limb, a frown on his face. That was a serious loss, but it felt like a light punishment for what had been so close to happening.

"I did my best to heal you. You're still in a bad way. If you didn't have the fox in your gut you'd be dead. If I hadn't been here, you'd be dead."

"I'll manage."

Karin frowned, forcing the blonde to look her in the eyes.

"No, there is no manage Naruto. This is a debilitating injury. You lost an arm. I cannot reattach that. We don't have an iryonin here who can even if we could find it here. Do you understand that? You would be dead."

Naruto smiled, the action looking painful with how shrunken his body looked. For the first time he felt the exhaustion of the battle rattle through him like a wrecking ball. Still, the smile on his face was as genuine as the light of the sun.

"But I did it."

He looked over at the Iwa civilians.

"You're all okay..."

"Naruto-nii!" Aika screamed, rushing over to him and slamming into him with a hug. He coughed in pain but smiled weakly at the girl.

"Hey Aika."

"I was so worried about you," she whispered into his side. He smiled.

"We all were," Makino continued. The nods of everyone around her confirmed the claim. "But you did it. And for that..."

The elderly woman bowed, followed suit very quickly by everyone else from the tiny village in Earth.

"Thank you!"

A soft chuckle escaped his lips. "Anytime."

"I'm sorry," Aika whispered into his shirt. "I'm sorry for screaming at you."

Naruto saw the tears stream down the young girl's face. His heart ached for her. For a moment he wondered if this would be what it would be like if he had a daughter. If his child had been born.

And in that moment, he swore to himself he would never let her cry ever again.

"You never have to apologize to me."

"Well let's get them back to their village," Karin stated. "You need a place to rest also. We can't get you to Ame like this. Nagato's the only one who could possibly get you back to top shape."

"Actually," Makino muttered. "Our village was completely destroyed by the Bijuu. There's...nothing left."

Karin opened and closed her mouth before muttering out a dumb "Oh," as if the answer were something she should have thought of.

"We can bring them to Ame," Naruto suggested. Karin's head snapped to him; an eyebrow raised.

"Kidnapping Iwa civilians, are we? You're just begging for trouble."

"They were almost killed by a Bijuu. They have lost their homes. I think they deserve a place where they'll be safe."

"And Ame was your first choice?"

"If it's any consolation she did just try to kill them," Kisame pointed out, gesturing to the kunoichi still pinned underneath him.

"Good point."

Makino heard the murmuring of the civilians around her. Here these shinobi were effectively deciding their fate. As appreciative as they were she could see the tensions rising. Leaving Earth was something few of them had ever dreamed about, much less seriously considered. It wasn't likely to be popular. They voiced as much.

"Thank you but, I don't think I can leave Earth. I can find work elsewhere."

"I have family that lives in the capital. They should be able to take care of me and my wife."

More and more denials popped up, quickly snuffing out the idea before it gained any traction.

"Well, there's that," Karin stated.

Naruto looked at Makino, eyes curious.

"And you?"

Makino smiled, approaching the blonde and kneeling next to her granddaughter.

"Well, I don't know. How do you feel about moving out the country for a while Aika?"

The girl looked up at her grandmother, eyes hard.

"I wanna go wherever Naruto-nii is!"

The two laughed at her declaration.

"Well, seems like it's decided. We'll go with."

Naruto smiled.

"What about this one," Kisame muttered. "I could kill her."

"Do not do that."

"She attacked me first."

"Are you trying to draw us into the war," Karin screamed.

Kisame pouted but nodded, nonetheless. Naruto stared at Kurotsuchi, their eyes locking. A tense silence filled the air before he spoke.

"You tried to kill them."

"They were trying to protect you."

Naruto frowned.

Kurotsuchi seemed to realize the error of her words.

"Tch. I wasn't actually going to do it."

Naruto stared at her, a frown on his face. The look intensified for a moment before he sighed.

"Let her go."

"What?"

"You can't be serious."

"What would you rather us do? Kidnap the Sandaime Tsuchikage's granddaughter? Besides, she didn't harm anyone and kept them alive during my fight with the Ichibi. Let her go."

"But she'll report this to Iwa," Karin claimed.

"And say what," Kisame muttered. "Naruto Uzumaki unleashed the Ichibi that she defeated? Yeah, fat chance anyone buys that."

"Let her go Kisame."

The large man stared at the blonde for a moment before sighing and letting the kunoichi up. Kurotsuchi stood as fast as humanly possible, her eyes switching between the three shinobi before her rapidly. She was like a rabid dog backed into a corner, trying to assess who posed the most threat to her. Trying to decide her next course of action.

"Attacking us would be very foolish," Kisame muttered. He smiled, his shark-like teeth glinting. "Please do it."

Kurotsuchi stepped back hesitantly. She was angry but she wasn't stupid. Fighting Kisame Hoshigaki was a death sentence. He was far above her. Besides, there was valuable information to be told to the Tsuchikage here. Information he needed to know.

That the Ichibi would be reforming soon for one.

She turned to leave, before glancing back at the blonde briefly.

"I won't say thank you."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

She turned to leave only for his voice to call out to her from behind.

"And Kurotsuchi...be careful what you become. A shinobi's role...no...the role of those who have power is to protect those that don't. Even if it comes at a cost. Otherwise, you're just another monster."

Kurotsuchi said nothing, staring back at the blonde. Something flashed in her eyes before she leapt away.

"Well, there's that," Karin stated. She turned her attention back to the blonde.

"Let's get you somewhere safe."

The blonde could only nod, losing the ability to talk. He felt his body beginning to drift into unconscious. The only thing he heard before he vanished into a realm of rest were the voices of Karin explicitly telling him not to do that.


"Well, that was unexpected. He actually beat it. And you said he couldn't do it."

"I overestimated the abilities of the Ichibi."

"Or you underestimated him."

The masked man glanced at his partner, a harsh look in his lone glowing eye.

"Mind your tone."

The creature raised its hands, one black and one white.

"I'm just making observations."

Internally the masked man couldn't help but agree. The blonde had proven himself more than what he had thought he was capable. To defeat a Bijuu in single combat, by the skin of one's teeth or not, was no easy feat. Sure, the Ichibi had plenty of times to kill him without playing with its food, but hypotheticals didn't change reality. It did play with its food, and the Uzumaki did win the battle.

Unexpected. But not a major issue.

"Why aren't we killing them and taking the Kyuubi right now?"

"You see the group with them."

"Please. We could kill everyone there."

"Kisame Hoshigaki would not be easy to defeat. It's not about what we can do, but about the best move available."

"Don't give me that. You could defeat him without much trouble. What's really eating you?"

No response.

"Oh, come on! You set up this whole incident. Leaving a trail of people for the Ichibi to follow north. Assisting it in killing the Kazekage and his entourage. Leading it to the specific little town that Naruto Uzumaki once stayed. You drew this whole thing up, and now you don't want to capitalize?"

"If we kill them, we attract his attention," the masked man stated. "We can't afford that. Not now. The preparations are almost complete for the plan to begin."

The strange creature rolled its eyes. "Bah. We were delayed because of him long enough."

"Frustrated as you may be I cannot defeat him in single combat. These are the methods we must resort to."

The masked man stared at the blonde being carried off by the swordsman. His red eye glowed even brighter in the light.

"Besides, today was not a total failure. The Ichibi is free, and we cannot collect the Kyuubi until last regardless. The world will shake when it learns of this news."

The man turned, a hint of mirth echoing in his voice.

"Imagine this. 'Naruto Uzumaki, Ame Jinchuriki, kills Gaara of the Sand, unleashes Bijuu in Earth.'"

The man gestured with his hands as he spoke as if regaling a legendary tale of battle from the past. The mirth became joy as he continued.

"Yes. Imagine how the world will burn at that."


And with that the final battle comes to a close. I have to be honest...it was a mixed bag for me. Writing this fight was really tough. I don't like humans vs massive enemies, much less when they're so much more outclassed, but it was necessary for several reasons that Naruto fight an immovable object for this battle.

I hope you guys like this take on Naruto vs Shukaku. He didn't win by being stronger than the beast which I hope I showcased. Naruto isn't stronger than a Bijuu. He won because Shukaku was angry, overconfident, and Gaara was exposed for just long enough for him to capitalize and even then he almost died and lost a limb in the process. He defeated an immovable object, but only because it had one massive Achilles heel.

Who was that masked man at the end of the chapter? And what the hell are their plans?

Anyways, the story is in its final stages. Only like a chapter left before it ends. That leaves me with a question for the rest of you. When I continue the plot of this story (as you can tell there's several overaching plot threads that aren't settled), would you prefer it to be in this fanfic or a new one? It's really just a matter of bookkeeping, but I wanted y'all opinion on it.

Review, review, review. Let me know what y'all think! The good, the bad, and the ugly!