Naruto stared up at the night sky, his eyes dark. The moon's light was obscured by a large cloud, leaving only the stars to shed their light on the grounds below. He was near the border of Earth now. It wouldn't take him long until he was back in the country. Under normal circumstances he would have to worry about the smoke from the fire being a signal to any nearby Earth patrols. He had avoided using any the last time he had snuck into the country. That, combined with a transformation had allowed him to sneak in unnoticed by Earth patrols. He had avoided their forts by sneaking through the forests to avoid any checkpoints. He was already distinctly familiar with them due to the war.
Now?
Naruto didn't bother hiding.
Earth patrols were pulled back, likely desperate to protect capital city of Rikuto Tor or Iwagakure. That was the benefit of the Ichibi invading. He knew he wouldn't be the only one to take advantage of it. The other villages would send in their spies to penetrate their defenses. But that didn't matter to him. The war wasn't his concern. But protecting the town...protecting Makino and Aika...protecting Goro. That mattered to him. So, he needed the signal fire. He didn't sense the Bijuu, but any way of trying to get its attention was better than nothing. He knew that it could speed around in ways that allowed it to avoid Sunagakure forces for long periods of time. Suna forces that had experience in fighting and subduing the beast.
No, believing that he would simply see or sense the creature wasn't realistic. As such the blonde did everything possible to draw attention to himself. Destroyed the environment. Lit signal fires. Let his chakra roar outwards uncontrollably. Anything at all to attract attention. He had gotten it.
But not from the Bijuu.
Wandering shinobi, no name missing ninja that wanted to capture him.
They had failed.
He had hoped the combat would draw the creature's attention. He had let it drag on for longer than necessary because of that. Another failed attempt. He had heard rumors that the Ichibi was incredibly blood crazed. That meant one of two things. Either this level of spilling blood wouldn't attract it or, worse, it had found another area where it could spill more blood.
He just had to hope it wasn't the village.
Naruto stood in the darkness. He had rested enough. He had to keep marching. The beast had been in Earth's territory for too long. He couldn't take his time. Patience wasn't a luxury one had when trying to protect someone. No, he had to move.
So, move he did.
Sakura stared at the cold of eyes of Fuka Uzumaki. She had been expecting this visit. The woman had made it very clear how much she wanted to kill her when they first met. She was surprised it had taken as long as it had. The Uzumaki woman sat down on a chair across from her. Sakura stared back. She felt small, vulnerable. Not because she couldn't access her chakra. No, she had grown accustomed to that.
Well, as accustomed any shinobi could be with not having access to their chakra. Which was to say not very accustomed at all.
But that was not why she felt small in front of this woman. She felt small because of what she had done. How she had wronged her.
She opened her mouth to speak only for Fuka to open her mouth instead.
"I should kill you," the redhead stated. "I was planning on it."
Sakura took the pause in her speech as a sign she was allowed to talk.
"Why didn't you?"
"Karin talked me out of it. She made me realize what was important, and what's important isn't the Konoha rat that kidnapped my son. What's important, is my son."
Sakura gave a soft smile at the words. One that she was embarrassed to show.
"I see."
"Don't smile," Fuka stated. The woman stood, approaching Sakura. Sakrua stared up at her. Fear lanced through her body as she approached. Fear that bellied her instincts. Fear for herself wasn't an emotion she felt often. Few shinobi so outclassed her as to inspire the feeling. She felt more when someone was dying in her arms. But this wasn't a normal situation.
Her chakra was sealed.
And Fuka would decide her fate.
"Someone like you doesn't deserve the right to smile," Fuka stated.
Sakura watched as the woman's fists clenched. She could all but see the chakra that roared in her body. Her face steeled. She refused to show how terrified she was in this situation. Fuka placed a finger on her throat.
"I won't kill you," Fuka whispered. "You didn't want to kidnap my son after all. But you didn't stop it."
She raised her fist.
"So, I'm just gonna hurt you. Really, really bad."
Sakura's screams echoed throughout the room.
None penetrated the walls.
Makino sighed as she shoveled another clump of sand into the barrel. She placed the tool down, sweat pouring down her face in the sun. Her body shook from her heavy breaths. Before she could continue Goro approached, taking the shovel from her hands.
"Makino, I already told ya that ya shouldn't be doing this. Take care of lil' Aika, the men can handle this."
"Bah you're all working so hard already Goro. The Daimyo hasn't been nice to us after the...incident. This is the least I can do."
Goro frowned at the mention of the incident, dark memories filling his head. Their quota had been increased as punishment for harboring a terrorist, known or unknown. It had worn on the entire village.
"Ya already hafta take care of a child," Goro stated, shoveling another clump of sand into the barrel. "I can work harder to hit the quota. We all can. Ya and yers should be resting."
"Goro-"
"No ifs or buts 'bout it," the man gruffly interrupted.
Makino frowned, shaking her head.
"There's too much going on Goro. The lack of Iwa patrols or visits from the Daimyo's men for chakra metal. And then suddenly there's all this sand, and we never get sand in this area. Something's going on."
"Don't ya worry ya purty head 'bout it, Makino. I'm sure tha Daimyo has it all under control."
Makino frowned, leaving Goro to his thoughts and walking away from the man. She approached her small house, her mind racing. The Daimyo and the Tsuchikage weren't pleased with them, given their previous supposed harboring of Naruto Uzumaki. They were already an isolated village, so news from the outside world came to them slowly. If there was something going on, she had little doubt the Daimyo was petty enough to ensure that they specifically did not know.
She opened the door to her house, watching as Aika came running down the stairs towards her and into her arms.
"Makino, look what I made!"
The girl pulled on the hem of her apron, dragging her towards a small desk. Makino followed, her eyes widening as she found a drawing by the girl.
"Oh? What's this?"
"Us!" Aika stated, a smile forming on the young girls' face.
The drawing was an elderly woman and a young girl holding hands outdoors. There were large smiles on both of their faces. The little girl looked like a crude drawing for Aika, while the elderly woman was clearly supposed to be her. The sun shone brightly outdoors, lighting up the grass beneath their feet. In Aika's hand was a flower.
"What a pretty photo," Makino stated. "Did you make this yourself?"
"Mhm," the girl stated, nodding contently. "I wanted to make a drawing of just the two of us so we would never have to remember him ever again! Like he never existed!"
Makino frowned, looking at the drawing more intently. The frown on her face deepened.
"Aika, sweety, you can say his name you know?"
Aika shook her head, anger burning in her youthful eyes.
"Nuh uh! He took my daddy from me!"
"You know he wasn't the person who killed your father little one."
"Doesn't matter! He works for Konoha! He's killed people before! He killed that Iwa ladies' grandfather."
Makino frowned. It would have been pointless to point out that 'that Iwa ladies' grandfather' had killed Naruto's own godfather. Complexities like that were lost on even the oldest and most mature denizens of the Elemental Nations, it would be foolhardy to believe a child could understand it. Instead, she looked deep into Aika's eyes, a loving look on her face.
"Aika, he cared about you, you know!"
"You're wrong!"
The little girl had screamed her declaration to the world. Her words reverberated throughout the building, causing Makino to wince.
"He was using us! Using all of us! Holding us all hostage just so he could kill more Iwa shinobi! Because that's what Konoha does!"
The girl shook her head.
"Why are you so forgiving of him? He was under our house! He was around us grandma! He's just like the people that killed Tou-san!"
The little girl snatched the photo from her grandmother's hands, tears forming in her eyes.
"The things people in the village say about you are true grandma!"
The little girl ripped the photo as Makino was taken aback as if she were struck. Aika dashed upstairs, rushing to her room and slamming the door behind her. Makino frowned, a sigh escaping her lips.
"This blasted war..." Makino whispered.
"When will it end?"
Kurotsuchi frowned as she stared over the walls of Iwagakure, a frown forming on her face. The rocky towers that surrounded the village towered into the sky, some extending even further than the village walls themselves. But none extended above her. No, she stood on the central rock spire, the Stone Tower. A massive stone pillar in the center of Iwagakure that extended upwards into the clouds. A pillar that had existed since the founding of their village. The symbol of their strength. One that was mirrored by its twin in Rikuto Tor, the Earthen Spiral. It was the perfect place to be alone with her thoughts. Few came to the tower, and even fewer deigned to go to the very top instead of staying on the multiple platforms that extended from it.
But it was the most special place in the entire village to her.
"Stone for your thoughts?"
The woman looked up, surprise on her face to see the large behemoth of a man that approached her.
"Monga."
"Not just me."
"May I join you?"
Kurotsuchi nodded, leaving the bulky man to sit next to her.
"You've been up here often. You've barely visited Akatsuchi since he returned from the battlefield."
"He wouldn't want to see me. I failed."
Monga raised an eyebrow.
"You have a lot to learn about Akatsuchi if you think that really matters to him. He lost his fight to Fugaku Uchiha."
"Fugaku Uchiha didn't kill the last Tsuchikage."
Monga frowned, leaning back to stare up at the sky.
"You know, I'd think Akatsuchi understands how you feel better than most. He was Onoki's bodyguard after all."
"Tch," Kurotsuchi stated. "I know how he feels. I'm not mad at him. I'm mad at myself."
"Why?"
"Because I should be out there," Kurotsuchi screamed, throwing her hands into the air. She pointed outwards, towards the border of Iwagakure. "I should be out there fighting! Winning victory after victory in Iwa's name! But ever since I lost to that fucking blonde Konoha fucker I've been trapped here unable to do anything. How can I bring honor to Iwa's name, to grandfather's name, if I'm not out there fighting!"
Monga frowned, a smile forming on his face.
"Ah, so that's what this is. You feel inadequate. Frustrated you're not out there."
"How could I not! One of the most dangerous men on the continent invaded our lands and we didn't even know. And now a Bijuu roams the Land of Earth and we're sitting here like cowards instead of going to face it."
Monga looked at the Kurotsuchi, a smile forming on his face.
"You were always like that Kurotsuchi. So much passion. So much fire. We need that, it's what drives the village. Pushes us forwards."
"At least someone agrees with me."
"I did not say that."
Kurotsuchi looked at Monga, a frown on her face.
"Not you too."
Monga smiled.
"Tell me, what would you do in our current situation."
"Huh?"
"If you were the Tsuchikage what would you do? How would you handle a Bijuu roaming our territory?"
"I'd get an elite team together," Kurotsuchi stated. "The best shinobi the village has to offer with some of our best seal masters. It's the Ichibi, so I'd need our best Doton (Earth Release) users to try and counterattack its sand. No less than fifty shinobi. Probably bring in as many Suiton (Water Release) and Raiton (Lightning Release) users as we have to try and slow down or pierce its defenses as well. I'd lure the beast into a kill zone, and we'd all engage and bring it down. If it is controlled by its Jinchuriki we'd kill him and then seal the creature into a shinobi of our own. Boom, a defeated Bijuu and a new Jinchuriki. Iwa's strength would multiply overnight."
Monga smiled, shaking his head.
"Yes, that is a decision very much so like you. So direct."
Kurotsuchi frowned.
"I don't like your tone."
"Forgive me. It's just, when you are a hammer, every problem looks like a nail."
"What?"
"You're incredibly direct Kurotsuchi. It is an endearing quality as a friend. Not so much for a shinobi. Especially for a Tsuchikage. There are other things one has to consider."
"Like what?"
"First," Monga began. "A Bijuu is no easy feat to take down, limited by its Jinchuriki or no. They are forces of nature. Only the most legendary shinobi in history have been able to take on a Bijuu by themselves. Even elite squadrons of shinobi have been taken down by a Bijuu. That is why it often requires the force of an entire village to defeat if they do not have one such legendary ninja. For example, you had yourself, your father, Suzumebachi, and a squadron of Iwa shinobi to take down one Naruto Uzumaki. You failed. If you could not defeat him, when he was not using his abilities as a Jinchuriki, what makes you so confident that you would be capable of bringing down a Bijuu?"
"That wasn't our most elite fighting force," she rejected. "Sure, Tou-san, Suzumebachi, and I would be on it, but the rest of the squad wasn't on the level to bring to a fight! I'd be bringing Iwa's elite."
"Ah, but there-in lies another flaw," Monga began. "Assume, for sake of argument, you were able to defeat the Ichibi with such a fighting force. Then, all of our most elite troops will either be out of the village or return either dead or exhausted. There are other threats at play than the Ichibi. Konoha and Suna are watching the situation with close eyes, as is Kumo. None of them would waste a second to take advantage of the gap in our border patrols to sneak into our territory. If they push on Iwa while you are away, or just as you are getting back, with an invasion force what would you do?"
Kurotsuchi stammered, lost.
"Well...I...um..."
Monga smiled.
"Of course, this does not go into how you would have to explain away to Sunagakure that the Ichibi has suddenly disappeared. Do you think they would take the loss of their Bijuu lightly? The Kazekage is not so foolish as to be fooled by the idea that you managed to kill it and wait for it to reform. He knows how shinobi are. He would know you have a new Jinchuriki. As would all other villages. Imagine that. Iwa with three Jinchuriki. No other Great Power would stand still. Imagine the danger if Konoha and Kumo made a truce to invade Iwa to ensure we could never utilize that power? Do you believe we could handle their combined forces? Konoha does not have their Jinchuriki and yet they still repel invaders."
Kurotsuchi looked at the ground far below her, a frustrated look on her face.
"These are the thoughts the Tsuchikage must constantly be weighing when making decisions," Monga stated. "That's the job description."
Kurotsuchi frowned, but then her eyes widened as if an idea clicked in her head.
"Well, what if we sent Han!"
"Han would sooner burn Iwa to the ground than help defeat the Ichibi," Monga stated. "He only listened to your grandfather, and he, alas, is dead. The only people who even knows where he is are Akatsuchi and Roshi."
"I'm sure if we asked-"
"No, Kurotsuchi," Monga stated. "You have not met the man, so I understand why you may think this, but Han is not the type of man to listen to pleas. Han respects strength. He hates humanity. Onoki could defeat him. That is why he listened. Because he knew he could not refuse."
The frown on the Iwa kunoichi's face deepened. She felt thoroughly defeated, but for a moment. Her fire sparked once more.
"Wait, but those things could happen regardless of if I'm in the village!"
"They could," Monga stated. "But it's about odds. Make no mistake we are going to lose territory by the time the issue with the Ichibi has been handled. The other villages will not stand idle as we are incapable of defending our borders. We will have to fight for every inch of our territory back. Which means we need to be strong. We need to repel the Ichibi firmly."
"Which requires us to stay in the village."
Monga nodded.
"Yes. I know this may anger you, but you being in the village is a sign of just how much Akatsuchi values you. He believes we will need your help in repelling the beast should it arrive at Iwagakure's walls."
"But what about Rikuto Tor," Kurotsuchi stated. "I understand why he's recalling most Iwa shinobi, but what about Rikuto Tor? What about other civilian villages? What about them?"
"Rikuto Tor is safe. Akatsuchi has already sent out a contingent to scout the borders of the capital. They will know if the Bijuu comes and evacuate the civilians accordingly. If he or Roshi were healthy one of them would be stationed there to defend it as well. As it stands, the capital can be rebuilt. The populace is what must be protected."
"And elsewhere?"
Monga frowned, a dark look covering his face.
"Your average civilian village...if the Ichibi reaches them they will die."
Kurotsuchi's eyes darkened.
"That's not fair! They haven't done anything to deserve that!"
"They haven't. But that is war Kurotsuchi. You should know that by now."
The man shook his head.
"War is not heroic. War is not exhilarating. War is full of despair. It is dark. It is dreadful. It's a thing of sorrow and gloom."
The man stood.
"But it's the Tsuchikage's job to make the tough decisions in spite of that. True leadership isn't made by winning one glorious battle Kurotsuchi. 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. And that is why Akatsuchi is the Tsuchikage."
Monga placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Trust him."
Kurotsuchi frowned.
"But what if I disagree with his decision?"
Monga pondered the idea as if it were the most interesting question ever asked.
"Well...I suppose that boils down to another question."
The man looked at her, a glint in his eyes.
"Are you a true leader, Kurotsuchi?"
The sand shifted beneath his feet. The creature stumbled throughout the mountain range, its mind racing between him and it. Its head snapped in every direction in a flare of pain from the waging personalities. They had been like this ever since the Konoha force had attacked. Ever since he had released it. The creature desperately tried its hand at freedom, and just as it was about to reach it it was beaten back. Sure, it could come out when the man slept, but that was its only reprieve. Every other time it was locked in a heated battle.
The man wasn't fighting for out of duty. No, the creature knew better. This man didn't care about duty. He cared about blood. He wanted to take the blood. And he didn't want his own psyche to become a victim.
It was of a different opinion.
But alas, despite being infinitly stronger than the man the creature lacked one major advantage, one that allowed it to be forced back into its cage for the time.
It was not the resident of the body, and as such the seal would repel him back with all of its might. Shoddily made or not, a seal was still a seal.
So with a hiss the creature descended back into the darkness.
And the man took its place.
The man greedily sucked in a gasp of fresh air. How long had it been since he was in control? Since he could control his bodies own actions? He was in Earth; he had managed to gleam that much from the travels of the creature within. Far from his homeland of Sunagakure. That was fine with him. They tried to contain him far too much for his liking. Now that he was free, he had but one goal.
Blood.
To spill as much blood as he could.
He grinned, a savage look on his face. His mother would be proud of him. She wouldn't try to take over him again if he pleased her better! He just needed to please her more!
Blood!
He just needed to give her more blood!
Makino groaned as she finally pushed open the doors of her home, frowning as she saw the piles of sand, she had struggled to move in front of her. She looked around, seeing Goro and other villagers walking around confused at the sudden influx of sand that had appeared overnight. The man looked at her, a frown on his face. It seemed he was finally accepting her words. Something strange was going on. Sand didn't just appear like this overnight. It wasn't natural. It wasn't right.
Aika came running down to her, likely drawn by her cries of effort as she tried to open the door. The girl refused to look at her. Makino didn't mind. She had a lot on her mind. Aika had refused to speak to her ever since her outburst the other night. She let her remain that way. It was not the first time the two had a disagreement. It would not be the last.
"So much sand," the girl whispered, shock in her voice. Makino was inclined to agree.
This was strange. And something deep inside her told her that something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.
"Go back inside."
"But I wanna play in the sand!"
"I said go back inside," the elderly woman snapped. Aika was taken aback by the tone, stepping back as if she had been struck in the face. She glared at the woman before rushing back to her room and slamming the door once more. Makino frowned. She shouldn't have snapped at the girl. She was just worried. Something was going on and she didn't want Aika to be caught in the middle of it. Protective instinct was flaring up inside of her.
She stepped outside, closing the door. She struggled to walk on the piles of sand. She grunted as she fell to the ground only for Goro to reach down and help her up.
"Thank you Goro."
"Bah. Don't worry about that. What's goin' on with this sand 'ere!"
"I wish I knew."
"We just cleaned up tha sand from yesterday! There's gotta be some typa rockslide or somethin' we don't know about. I'll tell ya, that Daimyo sure ain't helpin' much."
Makino frowned. A rockslide causing this? No. That didn't add up. Rockslides brought dust, dirt, and sand that was true, but not in this amount. It was up to her ankles. Something strange was happening.
She was quick to learn what it was.
Screams erupted in the village, drawing both of their attention. Goro's and Makino's eyes widened as they saw people be devoured by massive tendrils of sand. They were picked up and slammed into the ground beneath them. The sand rolled with energy, pulsing as if it were a heartbeat. People clawed at the sand that devoured their bodies, their screams cut short as the sand contracted and they exploded in a shower of blood and gore. The two stared for a moment, terror, and shock on their face.
Then, the entire town erupted into panic.
They didn't know what was going on. All they knew was that something was killing them. Something was controlling the sand.
And that they were being hunted.
Makino turned to sprint back into the house, desperately heading for Aika. She had to get the girl away. She had to. If she didn't, she would die. They had to get away from here. Far, far away from here. Goro followed not far behind her.
Aika grunted as she slammed the door only a few minutes before the sand outside turned violent. Makino was being so mean to her! She sent her to her room now when she wanted to play in the sand and yesterday, she tried to remind her of him. Frustration built in the girls' heart, a raging inferno that boiled underneath. She stomped over to her window, annoyed. Makino wouldn't let her play in the sand?
She'd do it anyway. What was the worst thing she could do? Send her to her room?
The girl opened her window, looking out at the sand below. Smiling she quickly made a rope out of her bedsheets and threw it outside, climbing down onto the sand. She was free!
The girl quickly sprinted further into the sand, a smile on her face as it kicked up underneath her as she ran. She rolled around in it, giggling as the coarse material got into her shoes and her hair. Slowly she began to dig, trying to build the beginnings of a moat for her super awesome sandcastle! The girl smiled, scooping more and more sand together.
'It's gonna be awesome! And then everyone in the village will love it and Makino will have to apologize to me!'
The girl smiled, finishing her sandcastle. She just needed a flag to top it off. She searched around before she found a dull white material. She smiled, stabbing it into the top of the sandcastle.
"Done! I'll call it Castle Aika!"
She smiled, pleased with her work. But something caught her eye. The flag, the white material she had gathered, seemed...strange. There were red splotches all over it, and it looked broken at awkward angles. It wasn't any type of rock she had seen before. She poked and prodded at it until it fell over, causing her to frown.
"What are you?"
She never got her answer as the sand roared. She looked around as it trembled, eyes watching in horror as she saw people be gobbled up by waves of sand. Screams of adults filled her ears, screams of pain and death. The young girl scrambled to her feet as she saw her sandcastle melt away in an unnatural motion. Then the sand leapt at her. She jumped back, barely avoiding the sand. Tears streamed down her face before she took off in a sprint, screaming her head off.
The girl was a blur of motion through the rising tides of sand. Waves of the grainy material devoured people before her eyes. It shifted underneath her feet as she sprinted, swirling after her after every step that she took. Screams filled her ears, a cacophony of terror as everyone ran for their lives. It was chaos. Pure unadulterated chaos. The world was a blur of brown and red as she ran. She couldn't see bodies. Just a shadow of a person before they were devoured whole and red filled the skies.
She was jolted from her terror when a hand grabbed her wrist, yanking her back to reality. The small girl turned, tears streaming down her face and red eyes wide with terror. Had the sand caught her?
It was a brown-haired woman, screaming something at her. Aika didn't know what. Sand covered half of the woman's body, and she was pulling on Aika. The terrified little girl clawed at the woman's steely grasp, desperate to get away from the surging tides of sand that pulled at her legs and other arm. But she was too small. Too weak. She couldn't get away. Her grip couldn't be broken. Instead, it tightened. Aika didn't know why. She just saw blood spurt from half of her body and the woman scream. The girl watched as the blood-stained stand continued its advance. She had to get away. She didn't like that sand! It wasn't like her castle! She needed to leave!
She needed Makino.
Aika was pulled away just before the sand reached her by a firm grip. She didn't have time to register who it was, instead being placed on their back and watching as the world flowed by her. The figure stepped forwards, noise hitting the girl's ears with every step. Were they talking to her? What were they saying? She couldn't hear anything. Someone was next to them, their mouth moving. She couldn't tell what they were saying. Only see lips. Lips and sand. Sand. Death.
"Aika!"
The cool hands on her face snapped her from her stupor, allowing her to see the woman staring back at her.
"Makino?"
The voice was soft as a whisper. Terrified. As if daring to hope that her shelter of safety had come to her rescue.
The woman smiled.
"I was so worried about you Aika. Don't you ever run off like that again."
Tears welled up in her eyes, streaming down her face.
"I won't!"
Makino smiled, only for another voice to interrupt them.
"We're trapped," Goro stated, frowning as he saw the ruined bridge before them. It was the central way to leave the town, and as the two others with him turned they saw where the problem lay.
A sand-soaked man stood before them, red hair glinting in the sunlight. A devilish grin cracked his face untold quantities of sand leaked from the massive gourd on his back.
"Like lambs to a slaughter," the man whispered.
"Take lil' Aika and run Makino," Goro stated, handing the child over to the woman.
Makino nodded stiffly, a frown on her face.
"What about you," Aika cried out.
Goro smiled, looking at her.
"I'll be right behind ya!"
Aika knew he was lying.
"Thank you...Goro."
The woman turned to run away only for a wave of sand to rise up in front of her, cutting off her escape. The redheaded man in front of them laughed.
"Where's the rush! We're just starting to have some fun."
"Leave 'em alone!" Goro roared. The man charged forwards, and the red headed man smiled. A shower of sand shot forwards, blowing through his body in a shower of blood. The man's body split in two, falling to the ground. The deranged smile on his face widened as he saw Makino take a step back in horror. Aika screamed.
"Yes," the man stated, raising his hands in the shower of blood. "This is slaughter! This is blood! I'll give all your blood to mother!"
The deranged man looked at the two of them, three tendrils of sand spinning wildly behind him. His head tilted as if it was gaining some perverse pleasure from the thought.
"Die."
The tendrils shot forwards. It was all Makino could do to throw Aika from her. The tendrils speared into her body, ripping through her torso. She coughed, blood from her mouth splattering onto the sand. The sand greedily devoured the crimson as it leaked from her body. The woman fell to her knees, a shocked look on her face.
"Makino!" Aika screamed, rushing forwards only for Makino to snap at her.
"Run away!"
Aika paused, shocked at the sudden demand.
"B-but..."
"Get out of here quickly," the elderly woman stated. "I can't lose you too. I refuse."
Makino gave a kind smile to the little girl.
"I love you so much, little Aika. You gave this old woman something to live for in her last years."
"I didn't ask for you to talk," the redheaded man stated. Sand shot upwards, covering Makino's mouth, and preventing her from speaking. Another tendril of sand shot upwards, wrapping up Aika in a cocoon of sand. Makino screamed into her sand covering.
The man smiled.
"I think I'll kill her in front of you. Yes. That would be quite satisfying, wouldn't it?"
Makino's screams intensified. Pleading no doubt. Nothing that could be understand from the sand that covered her mouth. The redheaded man didn't care. Instead, he reveled in the anguish. Aika stared at him, too terrified to speak. The man smiled back.
"Now...join mother."
The sand went to constrict only for a massive surge of wind to shred it to pieces, letting Aika fall into the arms of a man as he skid above the ground. The sand underneath his feet billowed in the wind, a violent maelstrom that was barely contained. The redhead's eyes widened as the figure held Aika in one arm. The other held a scythe of violently surging wind that quickly slashed through the bonds that held Makino. The scythe disappeared in a puff of smoke before Makino was swept up by the figure.
"What? You...I know you."
The figure tilted its head back, letting frigid violet eyes meet the redhead's faded green. The redhead shivered with glee as the stare pierced his soul.
"Mother...she demands your blood!"
The figure's eyes narrowed.
"Blood will be spilled. I guarantee you that."
Then, the figure disappeared.
It took the blonde a week to reach the village. Buried deep in the mountain range was the small town he had inhabitated for such a brief time. It looked worse than when he had left it. Many of the buildings looked abandoned, and there were precious little people walking through the town.
Of course, perhaps that had to do with the circumstances he had found the town in.
He placed Aika and Makino on the ground gently before immediately looking over Makino's wounds. His brow creased in frustration as he looked them over.
"I'm sorry Makino. I am no healer. These wounds are fatal if you don't receive medical attention soon."
"Don't worry about me," she whispered. A small smile formed on her face. "You came for us. A living man."
The blonde smiled gently.
"I heard about a Jinchuriki roaming Iwa. I figured you all would need protection."
"Y-You..."
The elderly woman and the blonde turned to see the young Aika staring at the blonde with horror on her face. She stumbled backwards, looking at him as she had the redheaded demon that had previously been ready to kill her just to torture her elderly grandmother.
"You murdered my daddy!"
The blonde frowned, sitting down on the ground before the little girl. He could see the rage in her eyes. The hate in them. Sure, he hadn't actually killed her father, but he was the symbol of it. He was, in her eyes, a Konoha shinobi. A man who had tricked his way into her house and her village. A man who had fought and killed her fellow Earth citizens, even if it was in her defense. It wasn't a rational thought. Whether it could be attributed to childish naiveite or making him a figurehead for her sadness didn't matter.
What mattered was that she held the belief.
The blonde frowned. He knew what that felt like. He knew what it all felt like. He still felt like that about Iwa and Kiri shinobi.
And it was that understanding that led to him prostrating himself before the girl.
Aika's eyes widened.
"I'm sorry," the blonde stated. The sincerity in his voice rang through the air like the voice of an angel. "I'm so, so sorry for what happened to your father Aika."
The blonde's violet eyes rose to meet the child's.
"But if I don't act fast your grandmother is going to die...just like he did. If you'll let me, I'd like to try my best to save her. You can do what you want with me afterwards, I promise."
The little girl stared at the blonde with shock on her face. Her face contorted with conflict, as if she was fighting every urge in her body that told her to trust the man that had lived with them. Had protected her from the samurai of the Daimyo and the Iwa shinobi. The man that she had played hide and seek with. The man who had put her to sleep more than once.
"You have to promise to leave!"
The blonde's eyes softened. A flash of hurt shot through them before it was gone, faster than Aika would ever have been able to see it. He nodded his agreement before turning his attention to Makino. He did the best he could with his first-aid knowledge.
"It's nothing sufficient," the blonde muttered. "But it should give you enough time to get to a healer. But if you don't..."
He let the warning hang.
Makino nodded, a small smile forming on her face.
"Thank you."
The blonde shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Now stay here. I'm going to save as many people as I can."
The blonde stood, turning to look at Aika one last time. The girl stared back at him, a mixture of anger and awe on her face. The blonde gave a half-hearted smile.
"It's good to see you again."
Then, he vanished.
The blonde surged through the village, saving all that he could. He had saved two young children, twins from the look of things, and placed them with Makino and Aika. Those weren't the only people he saved. An injured man, saving him from being pinned underneath a plank of wood that had broken his arm. Another elderly man he had to rip from the lethal sand just seconds before he had been crushed to death. A young woman with raven hair that was screaming underneath the rubble of the place she had once called home. She had several cuts and scrapes on her, but otherwise was fine. Another was a man and woman, both of them running for their lives from the waves of blood-stained sand that chased after them. He felt a pang of relief escape his body as he saw that he had saved the women. She was pregnant.
But he wasn't always fast enough. There was a young boy, wrapped in a sandy cocoon that was crushed before he could reach him. Another, an elderly woman screaming for her life before her head was pierced with waves of sand. Another was a middle-aged woman, who had her midsection crushed. A young girl whose head was cut off by the sheer velocity the sand was moving at. And another middle-aged man who was submerged in sand before the sea of sand compressed and blood coated it. The redheaded Jinchuriki was faster with his kills now that he knew there was a threat on the battlefield that was trying to save people as he was trying to kill them. He couldn't revel in the kills, and he couldn't tie the blonde down long enough to force him to truly engage in a battle.
It was a sight of pure chaos.
Screaming civilians, running for their lives.
A sea of sand chasing them.
And a wind God trying to save those that he could.
The frantic pace could only continue for so long. The blonde placed the last person he found in the destroyed town gently on the ground, a young man who looked no older than twenty. He looked around, a frown forming on his face as he looked at the saved civilians. He had failed to save so many. There were so many dead. Some of them he didn't recognize, likely having come after his events at the town. But others he knew, and they knew him. They were naturally hesitant towards him, even if he had saved their lives. He understood. Here were two incredibly powerful shinobi showing up to their town, it must seem suspicious. One who had started killing indiscriminately and the other who had killed a war hero of your country.
He wouldn't trust him either.
He heard their disapproval in their whispers.
"Why is he here?"
"Who is that?"
"He's a Konoha shinoi!"
"He killed the previous Tsuchikage!"
"But he just saved us."
"He's probably with that redheaded devil!"
"I saw him kill an Iwa shinobi with my own eyes!"
"We can't trust him."
"We need to get away from him right now!"
"The Daimyo will punish us if he finds out that he's here again!"
The blonde frowned at the words. He wanted to reassure them. He had come to protect them from the very threat they were facing now. But no words came to his mind. They couldn't. He knew all too well that he couldn't convince them to trust him.
But he still had to try to protect them.
"You all need to run," he called out. His voice silenced them instantly. "I'll kill Gaara, but this place isn't safe for any of you. Get as far away as you can. Go to Rikuto Tor or Iwagakure, it should be safe there. They'll take you in."
The murmurs continued.
"Why should we trust him?"
"Well, he's right, we can't just stay here."
"But he's a Konoha shinobi! Rikuto Tor or Iwa could be invaded by Konoha as we speak! We'll be captured!"
"He even knew the devils name! They must know each other. That means we can't trust him."
The blonde would have laughed to himself at their words if it were any other situation. These were the words of people who did not know the politics and shinobi of the world. But he couldn't blame them. How could they? They were isolated here. They wouldn't know the difference between Kumo's Jinchuriki and Suna's if they both stood in front of them. To their minds distrust was rational, considering who the advice was coming from. He did not fault them.
But he did need them to move.
"There you are!"
The blonde turned, a frown on his face as he saw Gaara slink up the mountain where he had rested the Earth civilians. Instantly the blonde was shrouded in a storm of wind, the second stage of his armor whipping wildly. His scythe appeared in his hands, and he stood in front of the civilians to stare down the threat before him.
"GO!"
"They're not going anywhere," Gaara hissed, a grin forming on his face. The ground underneath them transformed into sand, sinking all but the blonde's ankles in the substance. the blonde's eyes widened. He shot back, desperate to free the citizens only for a wave of sand to rise before him. He slashed through it with ease, only to pause as he heard the pregnant woman from before scream in pain. Gaara grinned.
"No. You stay right there, or I shatter all of their ankles like I did hers. They won't be able to run then."
The blonde frowned, turning to glare at the redhead.
"Bastard. Let them go."
"Oh no," Gaara stated. A perverse glee resonated in his voice. "How else could I force the great Naruto Uzumaki to fight me! What better way is there to prove my existence to the world than to kill a fellow Jinchuriki!"
Naruto's eyes narrowed and his grip on his scythe tightened.
"Fine, you want me? You got me. We can fight it out, just let them go."
Gaara grinned and his hand twitched.
"No."
Before the sand could crush their ankles it quickly transformed back into earth before ejecting them all into the air into multiple copies of the same kunoichi. Both Jinchuriki's eyes widened at the sight as they saw an Iwa kunoichi standing there, a frown on her face. Beside her were clones of herself that held the injured civilians.
"Kurotsuchi," Naruto whispered.
The girl's eyes blazed with hate, directed at both him and Gaara.
"Both of you in my territory? And here I actually believed the claim that you were a rogue ninja know Uzumaki."
"I am. I came here to protect them."
Kurotsuchi laughed.
"You? You came here to protect Earth civilians? Forgive me if I don't believe that. I'll be taking you both into custody."
Gaara grinned, sand pouring out of his guard in waves as he looked upon the two shinobi standing before him.
"More blood! More sacrifices to mother! I can do it! I can kill them all!"
Naruto frowned, turning to look back at Kurotsuchi. The girl seemed slightly disturbed by Gaara's deranged cries.
"Look," the blonde stated. "Believe me or not the fact of the matter is if all three of us fight here those civilians will die. Maybe you don't believe I want to protect them, but I know you do. Take them and get far away from here. Leave Gaara to me."
"Why should I trust you? You're a murderer. I wouldn't doubt you led him here to attack us or are working with Konoha to take territory from us while he's rampaging."
"Why would I be here if that were the case Kurotsuchi," Naruto countered. "I'd have let Gaara kill them all and gone about my mission or joined him."
Gaara screamed out, frustrated he was being annoyed.
"Enough talk. DIE!"
Hundreds of bullets of sand shot towards the group, only for Naruto to appear in front of Kurotsuchi and the gathered civilians. His armor erupted into its final stage as he swung his scythe, a massive storm of wind preventing the bullets of sand from connecting. As the attack ended violet eyes turned to look back at Kurotsuchi through the heavy winds that clouded his form.
"GO!"
Kurotsuchi frowned, biting her lip. She wanted to fight. She wanted to pound both of them into a pulp for daring to attack Earth. For killing her grandfather. For attacking civilians. But the words of Tonga rang through her mind. True leadership. Was she a true leader? The girl's eyes glanced between the Uzumaki and the raging Jinchuriki before them that stalked forwards, giggling like a madman. She bit her lip in frustration until blood dripped down her chin and onto the ground.
Kami knew she wanted to kill the Uzumaki. Everything in her soul demanded she murder him. Avenge her grandfather. Prove herself.
But everything else in her knew what the right choice was.
Everything else knew why she had come out here in the first place.
"I'm collecting you after you kill him."
Naruto smirked.
"I expected as much."
The girl turned, rushing away with her clones and the civilians they carried. Gaara screamed, sending dozens of tendrils of sand to stop them only for Naruto to cut them all down, a smirk on his face. He spun his scythe before pointing it at the Jinchuriki before him.
"Come now Gaara. Didn't you say you wanted my blood?"
The blonde grinned, not that Gaara could see it.
"Come get it."
Gaara's frustrated gaze turned to one of euphoric glee as sand curdled around him.
"Gladly!"
The sand shot forwards. The wind roared to meet it. Naruto shot forwards in a blur, not bothering to defend against the tendrils of sand as they neared. They exploded against his wind, completely incapable of bypassing his defenses. Gaara's eyes widened at the sight, his legs tensing in preparation to leap away. Naruto was too fast. The blonde appeared in front of him, scythe ringing out and slashing off an arm of the Jinchuriki with ease. The sight of blood should have been what he was greeted with, but instead the wound spurted sand that began to surround him. Naruto cursed as he realized the man was a clone, spinning on his heel to look at the closing sand dome around him. Just outside he could see the man's green eyes glinting, a devilish smile on his face.
The civilians! Naruto refused to let them die. With a roar his scythe spun, and the tornado was born. The sand dome around him shattered like glass against the vicious blades of wind. His eyes scoured the battlefield, only to see Gaara sliding down the mountain after Kurotsuchi and the civilians using his sand. Massive spikes of sand were forming behind him, ones that none could survive.
Naruto cursed and leapt into action. The ground shook as he flew overhead, his winds creating deep grooves as he flew. Tendrils of sand reached up, desperate to slow him down but none were able to pierce his shroud. Violet eyes pierced the storm as the first sand spike flew. Cursing he stretched out his hand, his chakra coiling tight. Slowly he guided the wind around him. His chakra screamed at him. His control had improved but it was still fragile.
But it was enough.
A blade of wind appeared directly in front of the sand. It wasn't sharp enough to cut the sand down. No, he didn't have the control for that yet. But he did have the control to forge the blade. The control to slow it down. The sand slowed as it barreled through the blade of wind, allowing him to catch it and rip it to pieces. Gaara's eyes widened as Naruto glared at him, his scythe swinging upwards. A slash of wind shot forwards, carving through the earth towards his fellow Jinchuriki. The host of the Ichibi desperately raised a wall of sand only for the wind to slash right through it and him. The man's arm, his real arm, fell to the ground this time. Blood shot from the gaping wound and Gaara howled in pain.
Gaara's remaining hand clutched at the wound as his howls reached out towards the heavens. Tears filled his eyes as the pain seared through his body. It felt like he was being boiled alive. Every nerve on his body was alite. It was as if his nervous system had been laid on hot coals.
Naruto didn't care.
Naruto lashed out with a kick, the blow cratering Gaara's chest. Blood spat from the Jinchuriki's mouth onto Naruto's wind armor before it was flung to the ground by the wind. Gaara shot backwards, skidding against the ground violently from Naruto's blow. The Uzumaki grunted, shooting forwards to appear next to Gaara. His eyes glowed as a brilliant azure orb appeared in his hand. He smashed the Rasengan into Gaara's side, causing him to screech. He felt his shoulder and ribs crack from the blow before he was blown wildly into the air. The blonde shot up to Gaara, lashing out with his scythe and violently ripping off a leg from the Jinchuriki.
Gaara's screams were deafening as the limb flew throughout the air. Naruto ignored them. He stomped downwards, his foot smashing into Gaara's face and shattering the redhead's nose. The Jinchuriki crashed into the ground with a violent quake. The blonde stared down at him, a dispassionate look on his face.
"It's hard to believe someone as weak as you killed him."
The blonde made a singular handseal.
"I suppose you were in the desert then. And he was old."
A massive blast of air spat from his mouth towards the redhead only for a massive wave of sand to stop the attack and its subsequent explosion. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he looked down to see Gaara screaming up at him, eyes blind with rage as blood leaked from his body into the sand. A sandy leg had replaced his lost limb, and the shoulder wound was already steaming. Gaara's chest expanded and contorted in unnatural ways, a clean sign that it was healing. Naruto's eyes narrowed. The Ichibi. Impressive. He knew all Bijuu accelerated the healing rate of their Bijuu but he was of the belief that the Kyuubi's was the most impressive. Apparently the Ichibi's wasn't too bad itself.
Rivulets of sand poured from Gaara's gourd, certainly more than could physically be contained within. He was undoubtedly producing more with his own chakra. It smothered the ground, digging tendrils throughout it. Naruto's eyes widened as he watched the rocky terrain begin to sink. He was eroding the ground! But that wouldn't help. He'd be dead long before it could make a difference. The blonde shot forwards, scythe swinging downwards to execute the Jinchuriki. The blade would have carved through the Jinchuriki if the gourd behind his back didn't explode, throwing the Jinchuriki back. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he watched as Gaara's sand carried him to the top of the mountain.
Gaara grinned down at him, some sand beginning to cover the wound where his arm once was, forming a new arm. It was a strange coloration. Blue markings ran along the length of it, and it was disproportional to Gaara's size. It looked like it belonged on a creature twice the redhead's size.
"The generals of Suna always said I should run if I was to see you in combat," Gaara stated. "That you would be too much. A true shinobi. My worst matchup they called you."
Gaara angled his head, grinning as the sun glimmered brilliant behind him, casting a shadow that swallowed Naruto whole.
"But that's what makes you perfect. You're strong. Your blood is more valuable than any others!"
Gaara giggled.
"You're a monster. Just. Like. Me."
Naruto frowned, clenching his fist.
"I'm nothing like you."
"Oh," Gaara cried out. "Are you sure? I know of your exploits Uzumaki Naruto! I've heard of the massacres you've carried out. The blood that soaks your hands!"
Gaara giggled again.
"How many Konoha shinobi died when you released your Bijuu I wonder? Oh, what it must have looked like. What it must have felt like. The screams of agony. The pleasure in killing them. It must have been beautiful."
Naruto recoiled in disgust, the dark memory flooding his mind. Gaara...wasn't wrong. He had killed many the day Hinata died. The rampaging Kyuubi had massacred everyone, Kiri and Konoha shinobi alike. It was only thanks to his father he hadn't completely obliterated the entirety of the forces. He had lost the battle for Konoha when he lost control. They had to retreat, and Kiri was able to quickly regroup and take control of Wave. Countless shinobi died that day. His own allies had died at his hand. And he had never been punished.
Because Hiruzen empathized.
Because the village knew what he had lost that day.
But that didn't change what happened.
And he couldn't even remember.
He heard a dark chuckle somewhere deep within and bit it back with an iron will.
"You're sick."
"Sick?"
Gaara shook his head.
"No. I'm only doing what we were born to do. What we were bred to do. I am a shinobi! I am a Jinchuriki! I am the Power of Human Sacrifice! You and I are the same. We are the apex of the shinobi world. The true monsters. And as such none can defy us!"
Gaara ripped his shirt off, revealing a scar right above his heart. Naruto's eyes narrowed at the sight.
"Time after time they tried to kill me. They almost succeeded. I am a relic they want to get rid of, so why do I exist and live? In order to exist, you need a purpose. To exist for no reason is the same as being dead. So I came to the conclusion that I would love only myself and fight for only myself. If all other people exist to magnify that love, then there is no more splendid a universe than this one. My existence will not vanish. I will carve it into every body. Into every man, woman, and child. I will bathe in their blood. Only then will my existence be proven. Only then will I eternally exist!"
Gaara screamed to the heavens, the deranged look on his face magnifying more and more.
"I'm only doing what I was taught. A shinobi! A monster."
His eyes shot downwards, and he grinned.
"And as monsters, we get to decide who lives and dies."
Gaara grinned.
"And when two apex predators meet...only one can walk away."
Gaara's giggling intensified as the ground began to shake. The sand on his arm began to stretch even further.
"Killing you will be the beginning of my campaign of blood on the world. The man who was my counter. Dead."
Naruto frowned. The man before him was insane. Even bothering to understand his ramblings was a waste of his time. Who could make sense of the mad? No, Gaara had to be put down, like a rabid dog. Like the monster he was.
"You're just a murderer," Naruto muttered. "A deranged lunatic who suffered and takes it out on everyone else. You think being a shinobi is being a monster? I say you're right."
Naruto's eyes snapped upwards.
"Shinobi are monsters. We kill. We conquer. We take. I know that. How many lives were lost in the conflict between shinobi? How many lives am I personally responsible for ending? How many people have suffered as a result?"
Naruto shook his head.
"Countless. Because that's what shinobi are. That's why I swore to never be one again."
The blonde's violet eyes gazed up at Gaara.
"But running doesn't get rid of what I did. People are still dead. People have still suffered. I can't bring them back. I can't ease their pain."
Aika flashed through the blonde's mind. Makino. Konohamaru.
Himself.
"But I can try to make up for it. One step at a time. No more running. No more avoiding the world asking to be left alone. Not while monsters like you exist. You say a shinobi is a monster! I said damn straight! But don't you ever think that gives you the right to dictate who lives and dies."
Violet eyes billowed in the storm.
"Because I am the monster who hunts monsters."
The storm around Naruto grew more violent.
"And you will be my first victim."
Gaara grinned.
"Then come! Let's see who is stronger between you and I!"
Naruto shot forwards, scythe spinning in his hands. Gaara's eyes narrowed as he approached, sand roaring around him.
"I'll kill you! I'll prove my existence to the world!"
The ground erupted. Sand billowed from the cracks in the rock, forming a gigantic tsunami that dwarfed what Gaara had utilized before. Sand was everywhere. The sky, the ground, the air. It was eroding it all. Naruto cursed, letting his scythe fly as massive tendrils and spikes of sand came at him from every direction. He was in the center of the storm, completely forced on the defensive. No matter how many grains of sand he cut down another took its place. He couldn't erase them completely. They simply reformed. Slash after slash. Blow after blow.
It didn't change the result.
And slowly, centimeter by centimeter, the sand wormed its way through his wall of wind. No matter how fine he cut it, Gaara's control extended further. Naruto's eyes widened as he felt sand began to latch onto his skin, weighing on him. It dragged on his body. His arms began to move slower. Sure, the sand couldn't deactivate his armor, but there was simply so much. His scythe came to a standstill as the sand covering his arms became too heavy. The blonde grit his teeth watching as storm of sand began to form a massive sphere around him. His eyes narrowed as he watched it seal, trapping him in darkness.
'He's going to try to crush me all at once and hope I can't stop it all.'
The blonde's hypothesis was proven correct. The sand began shrinking down instantly. Naruto grit his teeth, his eyes glowing as chakra surged throughout his body. This was dangerous. But not enough. He exhaled air, his chakra roaring in his body. He didn't need much control. He just needed to release the jutsu. A massive pulse of wind shot from his mouth. The chakra wasn't controlled. It was a bastardized version of his Fūton: Fūryūdan no Jutsu (Wind Release: Wind Dragon Bullet Technique).
The massive would-be dragon of wind was instead a massive blob of pressurized wind. It expanded, pushing against the contraction of the sand. It cut as the sand squeezed, cutting just fast enough that it slowed the motion. It was good, but it wasn't enough. Just like the sand had penetrated his shield it would eventually penetrate the wind. But he didn't need it to stop the constriction.
He needed time.
He looked at his arms, anger on his face. His wind armor narrowed, getting ever closer to his skin and beginning to slash his arms free of the sand particles that surrounded them. It wasn't long before his arms were free. He quickly spun his scythe, the wind around it shifting into the form of a spear. He shot forwards, aiming towards the top of the sand prison as the sand finally bypassed his swirling amorphous blob. His body pulsed. He felt his muscles surge with strength as he thrust his weapon upwards.
The wind around his staff spun.
The blonde drilled through the prison of sand. The sand at the top of the prison exploded outwards violently, revealing the Uzumaki. He stared down at Gaara, a smirk on his face as he saw the redhead's eyes widen. Sand swirled around him like a miasma, making only his eyes visible. The sand swirled, and a violent maelstrom of the material erupted. The entire area around them was sand. Naruto spun his spear, eyes scanning the battlefield.
'He's turning the soil around him into sand. But there has to be a limit.'
The blonde's eyes widened as massive arms of sand shot towards him. His dodged between the two before he lashed out with his spear, only for his eyes to widen as his spear failed to cut through the sand. Gaara grinned. Another massive arm of sand shot towards the blonde from above. Blue markings crisscrossed along its body. Naruto's eyes widened before the arm smashed into him, sending him flying towards the ground. The blonde cursed as the blow made contact, feeling his body shudder.
'Is he strengthening his sand? Or is there simply so much that my wind can't cut through it fast enough!'
The blonde flipped, stopping his descent. Rivulets of sand spun around him from the air currents that quickly shifted into spikes that descended towards him. Naruto grunted, his spear transforming back into his scythe. He spun it rapidly, a flowing wall of wind that carved into the massive sand spikes. With every slash a massive groove was cut into the spikes. But they were not destroyed. The blonde flew away just before they landed, eyes narrowing as he watched them explode in a torrent of sand that shot towards him in the form of countless bullets of sand.
"Suna Shuriken (Sand Shuriken)!"
Naruto grunted, spinning Trickster.
"Fūton: Ōkakeami (Wind Release: Great Cast Net)."
The layers on layers of wind met the countless bullets of sand, resulting in a violent cacophony of eruptions that filled Naruto's vision. Sand was everywhere. He had lost sight of his opponent in the maelstrom. He had to get out. Staying in the eye of the storm was just asking to be overwhelmed. He shot upwards, but the sand was there. Two more massive arms shot towards arm, each looking to grab him. Naruto grunted, his hair extending to cover his body just before they made contact. They smashed against the hair violently, exploding in a storm of sand that quickly surrounded the blonde. He cursed. Quickly he allowed the wind around his scythe to rotate, slashing right through the sand only for his eyes to widen as he saw Gaara directly in front of him, a grin on his face. Naruto's eyes widened as he realized what was occurring.
'He's already tapping into the Ichibi's power.'
"Die."
A massive hand of sand snatched Naruto before he could react. The blonde's eyes widened at the action. His armor was still active, yet he couldn't move. His brain made the connection.
'It's not simply too much or too strong. It's both.'
Gaara grinned.
"I'll kill you," he stated as he floated towards Naruto on a platform of sand. "I'll kill you...I'll kill you..."
The man grinned. Sand covered half of his face and one of his eyes was a brilliant gold, giving him a deranged look. Drool trickled down his mouth.
"I'll crush you 'till your blood soaks my sand. I'll prove my existence to the world! I'll kill you...NARUTO UZUMAKI!"
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
'He's using his chakra to increase the density of his sand and eroding the ground to increase the quantity. An effective counter to my wind. He isn't some lackluster Jinchuriki after all.'
The blonde's eye twitched.
'I have to operate like he has no limits.'
The blonde's chakra roared as he felt the sand try to constrict and turn him into a bloody paste. His wind was fighting, but it wouldn't be enough as is. His wind couldn't move fast enough. Not as it was.
The blonde smirked.
The sand around him erupted, flying in all directions as a gust of air blew from Naruto. The force sent Gaara flying away, cuts forming along his face from the air Naruto released. The Jinchuriki's eyes widened at the sight. Naruto stared down at him, violet eyes glowing from the center of his maelstrom.
"I shouldn't be treating you so kindly."
Naruto spat. The wind around him distorted his words, carrying them in all directions. The tornado that he was was deafening. A grandiose display of power. One that none other than a Jinchuriki could perform. Gaara used his chakra to increase the density and quantity of the sand he utilized. Naruto had done something similar. He had increased the speed at which the wind circulated his body and rotated it at the same time. He was surrounded by a virulent buzzsaw of wind.
The blonde shot forwards, and the air went with him. It roared out violently, pushing the sand in the air away from him. Gaara made a handseal, rage cracking his face. He slipped into the sand underneath him, causing Naruto to curse. The violently swirling sand that surrounded him would have made it impossible for him to track the air currents Gaara made even if the man wasn't underground. He had lost him completely. He would have to break Gaara out of his cocoon.
Two clones formed next to him, each shooting towards the ground as violently spinning chakra swirled in their hands.
"Odama Rasengan!"
The orbs of chakra smashed against the sand, grinding against it. Rivulets of sand spilled into the air, but they simply weren't causing enough vibrations to reveal the redhead. He was deep. Too deep. Blades of sand arose underneath the clones, slashing them to pieces and putting an end to their attack. That was fine. They had revealed enough. Naruto ran through one handed handsigns, but Gaara was not sitting idle. Four more massive hands of sand shot to clasp at him. He cut three down, although their pressure forced him to stop his jutsu. The fourth was more complicated.
From the fingers of the massive hand, countless tendrils of sand fired off swarming at Naruto. The blonde cut them down, twisting throughout the air with his scythe spinning around his body. None could pierce his defenses. But he couldn't launch an offensive either. He was further pushed back when bullets of sand descended from above, forcing him to defend that angle as well. Small creatures stared out at him from the top of the sandy monstrosity, firing sand bullets. The blonde grunted, spinning his scythe even more rapidly.
Outpacing the sand was an impossibility, even if he could cut through it once more. He couldn't focus on the defensive. So, the blonde forsook it, instead dashing into the massive hand of sand and burrowing into it. His armor protected him from the coarse material as he dove deeper into the sandstorm. Darkness quickly overtook him. The sand blotted out all light. Naruto frowned. The longer the fight went on the more the Jinchuriki would convert the earth into sand by accelerating its erosion process. A battle of attrition was not in his favor. His head snapped around, desperate to find any sight of the redhead to no avail. He was impossible to find in such a gigantic sandstorm.
His problems magnified.
Dozens more of the small creatures from before began to swirl around him, Gaara's laughter echoing from them in a demonic cacophony. Naruto grunted.
"This is it! Your blood is the one mother has wanted for so long! No other shinobi could give me this!"
A disfigured, blurry figure appeared above the blonde, causing him to narrow his eyes. He couldn't see much of it, but it was clear it was Gaara. The man's entire torso was covered in sand. Spit flew from his mouth as he spoke, and his golden eyes were riddled with sickening joy.
"You are the perfect canvas to carve my existence into the world! I'll bleed you slowly, Naruto Uzumaki!"
Countless bullets of sand fired from the creatures, visible trails of air resistance behind all of them. Naruto grunted, spinning his scythe to stop them. He cut through many, but not all. There were too many. Normally he wouldn't worry. His armor would handle the rest. He already knew it could cut through Gaara's sand.
But they moved so fast.
They smashed into his body, battering him from all directions. His armor was enough to stop them from piercing his body, but the concussive force still made him stumble, which only let more smash into him. The blonde grunted as blood began to dribble from his lips. Fighting in the center of the sandstorm was the same as trying to fight against the sand prison he had been caged in earlier. It wouldn't work. The entire environment was in Gaara's benefit. He needed to escape.
Dozens of clones formed around him, each of them dashing outwards at the creatures Gaara had created. They slashed through sand, destroying as many of the creatures as they could to briefly relieve pressure. It didn't last long. Gaara had given up on the pretense of the creatures and instead just lashed out with hailstorms of sand from the storm. His clones were being ripped apart.
So, he acted.
The blonde formed two clones, and all three of them quickly began to weave through handseals. There was so much sand, and it was moving far too quickly. He needed to slow it down. Create openings.
"Suiton: Suigadan (Water Release: Water Fang Bullet)!"
"Suiton: Suidanha (Water Release: Water Severing Wave)!"
"Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)!"
The explosion of water that filled the sandstorm stretched out like a dam bursting. Water drenched sand everywhere it touched, weighing it down. Slowing it. And Naruto moved. He slashed through any sand bullets near him before he zeroed in on Gaara, shooting forwards at rapid speeds. His scythe spun in his hands. His eyes glowed with power.
This monster couldn't be allowed to live.
His scythe reached out, slicing right through Gaara's torso and unleashing a shower of blood into the air. He wasn't done, slashing off the overgrown sandy arm on Gaara's body. Gaara screamed in pain, but Naruto didn't stop.
"Goodbye, Sabaku no Gaara."
A brilliant azure glow illuminated the darkness.
"Odama Rasengan!"
The blow impacted against Gaara's chest, cratering it in its entirety. Blood poured from his mouth before he rocketed backwards towards the ground, the spiraling orb of chakra still grinding against his body. He hit the ground as the orb detonated, devouring him in a massive explosion. Naruto stared down at the destruction, eyes looking for any sign of life.
Then, the sand began to fall. Naruto gave a sigh of relief. He had killed him.
He let his wind armor dissipate, a smile coming to his face. He turned from the battlefield only for his eyes to widen as he felt a terrible shudder race through his body. A shudder lanced through his body. Waves of demonic chakra billowed through the air and suddenly the sand began to rage more violently than ever. The blonde quickly activated his armor once more, whirling to look at the rising form of Gaara on the ground below. Crimson chakra shrouded his form, forming limbs that carried his body. Steam shrouded his form, clear signs of the accelerated healing of the Bijuu inside of him.
Rivulets of sand poured out from his body in all directions. His red and golden eyes stared up at the blonde. His mouth twitched constantly, as if barely controlled. His head snapped from side-to-side, as if he were having a seizure. A death convulsion perhaps? Was the Ichibi breaking free? No, it was doing its best to keep Gaara stitched together despite the critical wounds. This wasn't a death seizure.
"This is..."
"No mother! I can kill him I promise! I'll do it. You don't need to lock me away again. I can do it. Yes, yes. I can kill him. Think of how his blood will taste when I offer it up to you."
Gaara looked up at Naruto, with a mixture of terror and blood curdling rage in his eyes.
"I'll kill you yes!? Kill. KILL. I mustn't let you get away or mother will be mad. Very, very mad. Mother puts me in a box when she is mad. I don't want that. Then I can't prove my existence. I'll devour you. Kill you yes-yes?"
Naruto recoiled at the brief display of insanity. What was wrong with the redhead? His body was twitching violently. The crimson chakra that surrounded him was twitching. Then, it all stilled. Gaara looked up at him, a devilish grin on his face.
"Yes...I'll kill him mother. I'll kill him! I'LL KILL HIM. HE HAS TO DIE!"
Gaara screamed and the sand erupted. A massive windstorm joined the sand, blowing Naruto backwards. The blonde's eyes widened.
'He can control the wind now!'
Gaara laughed.
"And then I'll kill those civilians!"
Naruto frowned, slowly pushing against Gaara's windstorm. The redhead had grown even more powerful in that bout of insanity. The Ichibi had approached him. Offered him power.
'If he gets out of here...who knows when he'll be stopped. If he'll be stopped. I have to stop him here. I must. Or else...'
Duty glowed in his mind.
Was this what he felt when he joined the battlefield at his old age? A sense of profound duty?
"Do you remember the name Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
Gaara tilted his head, as if trying to remember.
"No..." he said tentatively after a while.
The wind erupted.
Violet eyes glowed.
"Sabaku no Gaara," Naruto stated, raising his weapon. "You killed my grandfather."
His voice echoed, distorted in the maelstrom.
"You made Konohamaru suffer."
A screech filled the air.
"You harmed Aika and Makino. And everyone else in this poor village."
Violet eyes glowed, and a strange sound filled the air.
"For them, and for everyone else you've killed..."
The sound was strange. Unusual. It sounded almost like a God's.
"I will kill you."
And the scythe fell.
Heyo! Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter. I've been very much so looking forward to this fight. Please review, review, review. Let me know what y'all are thinking.
Also for anyone who was reading the recent JJK chapters or watching the Bleach TYBW anime, please let me know. Especially Bleach, because the new content we're getting about what the Blood War should have been like is just, fantastic.