After working on it for a long time, this is what Orochimaru wants to say? Trying to use his life experience to sow discord? If Naruto still wants to talk nonsense with Orochimaru, he will probably say, "This topic has long been over."
Following the previous steps of sealing Edo Tensei Body, the sealing runes completely covered Orochimaru's body, eventually forming a giant airtight cocoon made of chakra, wrapping and sealing his entire body.
At the last moment before his consciousness was swallowed up by the darkness, Orochimaru's face finally showed that the plan was completely out of control, and he was truly in disbelief. He could not understand why this blockbuster failed to cause the slightest ripple.
But now, let alone Hand Seals's resistance, he can't mobilize even a trace of chakra.
Let's just let this guy live in this 'cocoon' for a while.
Naruto turned around and met the astonished eyes of Third Hokage and Jiraiya. They were obviously extremely surprised and puzzled by Naruto's too calm reaction.
It seems... I will have to spend some time explaining it soon... Naruto feels a headache, how should I explain it?
At the moment, he was more worried about Gaara's condition. Recalling Gaara's pale face and empty eyes, as if his soul had been taken away, Naruto was a little concerned.
"I'm going to check on Gaara," he said casually to the two of them, trying to avoid questioning for the time being. "We'll talk about Konoha later."
"Naruto, wait!"
However, Flying Thunder God Formula had already activated. With a flash of golden light, Naruto disappeared from the spot in an instant. The next moment, it had appeared not far away, right in front of Gaara, who was sitting under the tree.
Gaara still maintains that worrying state. It's not like the eyes that rekindled hope after listening to Naruto's encouragement, and it's no longer as cold as before, but as fragile as... cracks on porcelain.
He didn't cry, but his green eyes were filled with sadness that was almost overflowing.
Naruto put his hand on Gaara's shoulder, and golden chakra was slowly injected into it, repairing some small scratches and bruises on his body.
"...Orochimaru has been defeated and sealed by me, and everything is fine." Naruto slowed down his voice, "Let's go back first... Tell me, Orochimaru, what did he say to you? What did he do?"
"I'm sorry..." Gaara's voice was so weak that it was almost inaudible.
"Isn't this the time to apologize?" Naruto tried to interrupt his negativity with a relaxed tone, "I don't think you did anything that warrants an apology to me."
"... But," Gaara's voice was trembling. "Everything I touch will die because of me... Mother...Yashamaru...Temari...Kankuro... Even... you may die because of me..."
"A monster like me... doesn't deserve to be treated like that by you... doesn't deserve to have anything...!"
"Bang!"
Before Gaara finished speaking his self-deprecating words, Naruto suddenly made an unexpected move - he leaned forward suddenly and hit Gaara's forehead hard with his forehead!
The sudden impact and pain instantly "knocked" Gaara out of the abyss of self-loathing.
He groaned in pain, and his body that had fallen to the ground fell backwards due to the impact. He supported the ground with his hands, raised his eyes, and looked at Naruto in shock and confusion. What came into view was Naruto's face with obvious anger.
Reminiscent of the previous discovery that Temari and Kankuro were poisoned and on the verge of death, combined with Gaara's collapsed state at this moment, Naruto instantly understood the vicious tricks of Orochimaru.
He wanted to use the "death" of his loved ones as the final blow to completely destroy Gaara's will to resist and make him willingly become an experiment!
"I definitely don't agree with that wrong perception!" Naruto's voice rose with anger, "We are just Jinchuriki! We have never been monsters abandoned by the world! We are vessels to bear the pain of important people!"
He saw Gaara flinching from his roar, which made his heart tighten, but the words pierced his core more directly.
"You say you don't want to be expected, understood, or known by anyone, and you close yourself off... but despite this, you will still feel sad for the lives lost due to conspiracy and betrayal!"
"I will be in pain and despair because someone I care about is hurt! With such a heart, how could I abandon you?!"
This was a mixture of anger and sincere shouting. Feeling the strong emotions generated by him in Naruto's words, Gaara subconsciously wanted to apologize. He was afraid of hearing disappointment from this anger, and was afraid that the only light would be extinguished due to his "mistake".
"... But, Temari... and, Kankuro and the others..." His voice was choked with sobs, almost speechless. This was his deepest self-blame.
"They're still alive."
"... Alive... Alive?!" Gaara suddenly raised his head, his green eyes trembling violently at the sudden news.
"Yes." Naruto nodded affirmatively and softened his tone, "Before I found you, I found them first. I have removed the poison from their bodies and there is no life-threatening danger now. Moreover, it was they who told me that you were kidnapped by Orochimaru and begged me to save you."
"... That's it... it turns out... that's it..." Huge happiness and fear surged up like a tide. Gaara wanted to take a long breath of relief, but found that his heart was blocked by various complex emotions, and even breathing became difficult.
He was like a child who had done something wrong. He lowered his head in shame and did not dare to look directly into Naruto's eyes.
"Shukaku indeed gave you great power, and made you feared by many people." Naruto continued, "However, its power does not include the kind of Sand Shield that will automatically appear every time you are attacked or your life is threatened, and will protect you at all costs!"
Seeing Gaara completely stunned by these words, with huge shock and confusion on his face, Naruto knew that it was time.
He must completely tear up and clean up the lies about the "mother's curse" forced upon him by Gaara's bastard father now!
"I will not lie to you." Naruto stared into his eyes and said word by word, "I sealed Shukaku with my own hands, and, in your inner world, I sensed the true source of the power that has been protecting you..."
"... Where... where did it come from?" Gaara's voice was trembling uncontrollably, seeking the answer with both desire and fear.
"That was the power that existed deep in your body a long time ago, even before Shukaku was sealed into your body..."
"If you become Jinchuriki as soon as you are born, then the birth of this power can only be the moment you first come to this world... That power is not a curse at all!"
He took a deep breath and revealed the long-buried truth.
"That's a person who can't let you go. The obsession she left behind! It's an obsession that can't be stopped even by death, and she wants to continue to protect you!"
"!!"
Gaara closed his eyes suddenly, and strange, warm liquid poured out of his eyes uncontrollably.
If... if it was when she was born... if someone dies because of her, but still can't let go of herself... then it can only be her...
The one he had never met, but who had been carrying the name of "resentment" for more than ten years - [Mother].
"... In Konoha, the names of heroes will be engraved on Memorial Stone." Naruto's voice carried distant memories, "At that time, no one cared about me. I occasionally think... if one day my name is also engraved on it, will it... will someone leave a small place for me in their heart?"
But when Gaara heard this hypothesis, he shook his head violently, with clear resistance in his eyes. He didn't want to see such a scene, even if it was just a hypothesis.
Naruto saw his reaction, a warm smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and the conversation immediately changed. "But, later I understood. What is important is not just existing in the hearts of others."
He gently pressed his hand on his chest, feeling the powerful beating. "In my own heart, the beating person is no longer alone."
"There are other people's expectations, cherishment, care and trust... and," he looked deeply into Gaara's eyes, "The weight of your choice to live."
"... Why..." Gaara's voice was choked with sobs, and his words were vague and out of tune, "Why... can you... accept me like this..."
He couldn't understand why someone could embrace his heart that was full of cracks and considered a disaster so unreservedly.
"Because we are Jinchuriki."
"There is another huge creature living in our body, so from birth, we are destined to have twice the ability to feel pain than ordinary people."
"But this ability, in turn, also means that we can also carry double doses of warmth, double doses of hope, and double doses of Bonds!"
Finally, he took a step forward and firmly held Gaara's cold and trembling hand. An indescribable warmth slowly poured into Gaara's frozen heart through the palms of his hands.
"... Life is beautiful, right?" Naruto said softly. "Someone sincerely hopes that you will live and hope that you can see the sun tomorrow. Your existence has never been a curse, but a miracle that allows important people to continue breathing and smiling."
His eyes held disdain for the darkness.
"How can a guy like Orochimaru, who always hides in the shadows and dare not look directly into the sun, understand this kind of mood? His so-called 'value' is just treating living people as props that can be dismantled and used at will. It is cold and pathetic."
"True strength is never perfect, let alone ruthless. It is that despite being tortured by fate, you still choose to use this broken heart to feel the remaining warmth, and... use this hard-earned warmth to embrace other people who are also cold in the darkness."
The golden chakra light becomes more and more brilliant, like the rising sun, warm and full of hope, as if it wants to dispel all the gloom and despair in the world.
"So, from now on, you no longer need to grope alone in the endless darkness, and you no longer need to bear this heavy fate alone. I will share your pain, fight alongside you, and illuminate your future!"
"I want everyone Ninja World to know that in the deepest part of this seemingly barren and cold sea of sand, lies the gentlest, toughest and most cherished oasis in the world."
"And that is you, Gaara."
"Ugh...!"
The hot tears finally broke away the thick layer of ice that had been frozen in Gaara's eyes for more than ten years, and fell uncontrollably. In this unprecedented warm golden light that almost melted him, he raised his arms tremblingly but firmly, and for the first time, he took the initiative to respond to the long-awaited hug.
Through the blurred tearful eyes, he seemed to see a vague but extremely gentle outline in the dazzling light behind Naruto - that was his mother's smile with relief and blessing.
And in the center of the light, he seemed to see a brand new reflection - no longer a ferocious monster, but one who was understood, accepted, and deeply loved by the whole world - himself.
"I... am really weak..." He rested his forehead on Naruto's shoulder, his voice hoarse and fragile after crying, "If you do this... I... will definitely not be able to help... completely rely on you... and never... be able to live without you..."
"Well, it doesn't matter." Naruto patted his back gently, "If you are scared to move forward alone, then share the burden with others. Like now, what do you think?"
"... You..." Gaara's voice was filled with fear derived from trauma, "You... will not be like Yashamaru... tell me in the end... everything is fake... everything is just a mission..."
"Well, no." Naruto made a firm promise without any hesitation, "I will never become your new nightmare."
He tightened the hug and made an eternal vow:
"Because I will never leave you."