Naruto looked at Shukaku ahead, deflated like a punctured ball, unwilling yet somewhat fearful, and steadied himself. Good! While I have the chance, I'll use physical means to "persuade" this big guy back into Gaara's body!
Golden light flashed around him as he prepared to use the Body Flicker again and close in. Yet at that very instant—
A sudden, intense palpitation seized his heart without warning! His breathing caught, even the flow of Chakra faltered, and he staggered, nearly falling from the treetop.
"Urgh...!"
Naruto clutched his chest with one hand, fine cold sweat beading at his temples. What... was that feeling?
A powerful enemy stood before him, and he sensed no new threats nearby, so why was his body suddenly sounding such a fierce alarm?
He could not make sense of this abrupt anomaly, but his instincts were screaming wildly—this was absolutely not a good sign!
He forcibly suppressed the unease in his heart and regained his balance. The moment he focused his senses and went on guard, the corner of his eye caught several unnatural objects glimmering with strange golden light as they silently scattered from high above.
Boom—!
A piercing whoosh abruptly rang out! Naruto pushed off hard, turning into a golden afterimage as he darted forward!
Almost the instant he left his original position, the area where he had been standing, along with a vast stretch of forest behind it, was completely buried beneath a heavy golden "sea of sand" with a metallic sheen. The tremendous impact made the ground quake violently as smoke and golden fragments shot into the sky.
Naruto landed lightly at a safe distance and whipped his head around.
"This is... Gold Dust?!"
He immediately recognized the signature ninjutsu—wasn't this the technique of Gaara's not-quite-right-in-the-head father, Fourth Kazekage Rasa?! What was