Naruto had almost no sense of belonging to Konoha.
He cared about people, but there were very few of them.
If the invaders hadn't insisted on going after his little brother Sasuke, he would've pretended to faint like the kid beside him, Nara Shikamaru.
He watched.
Even now, with Hiruzen Sarutobi locked in a fierce battle and that idiot Gaara blocking his way, yammering on about depression and other things Naruto couldn't understand, he still felt that someone was hiding nearby, waiting to make an appearance.
The ANBU, for example.
The ANBU stationed in the arena had all been impostors. So where were the real ones?
In their own home base, leaving the Hokage to fight alone? What kind of person would do that?
Gaara's face was twisted in a crazed, wicked grin. When Naruto didn't answer for a long time, yellow sand burst from the gourd on his back. He shouted, "You're just like me! You have the same eyes! You need to prove that you're worth something! Do you hear me?!"
Naruto wrapped his left arm around the sleeping Hinata and slapped the sandstorm to pieces. "Shut up already! What the hell are you yelling for?!"
Gaara suddenly looked terrified. As if he were having a breakdown, he clawed at his hair. "Mother, don't be angry. I'll kill him right away and avenge you."
Naruto looked thoroughly disgusted. He picked Hinata up, stepped onto the railing, and leaped off the high wall.
As soon as he left, Shikamaru sprang up from the ground and followed him, not wanting Gaara to go berserk and kill him.
Gaara threw his head back and roared. Yellow sand exploded through the entire corridor of the competitor stands. A massive brown-and-white patterned arm replaced his left one, his right eye became coin-shaped, and fangs sprouted from half his mouth.
His teammate and older brother, Kankuro, trembled with fear. Sweating, he muttered, "Terrifying, so terrifying. No one can hurt Gaara. The first time I saw him turn into that thing, I was too scared to eat."
His sister Temari looked equally solemn. "We have to get out of here before he loses control and becomes complete."
Like a mad dog, Gaara hooked his patterned arm around the railing and leaned back. The arm stretched out with incredible elasticity, like rubber. When he let go, his whole body shot forward, lunging at Naruto.
"Are you ever going to quit? Whale Killer Hegemonic Fist!" Naruto turned and planted his feet, then slammed a merciless punch into Gaara's patterned arm.
The arm exploded into a shower of yellow sand, which the force of the punch swept back into Gaara's chest.
The gourd on Gaara's back appeared in front of him almost instantly, changing shape into a thick sand shield. It shattered completely, but just barely managed to stop the punch.
As the gourd burst into a curtain of sand, Gaara's pupils dilated.
Naruto, holding Hinata at his side, crashed through the sand curtain and drew back his fist like a bow. "Pick a better life next time."
Gaara sensed that the power that had always protected him, ever since he was a child, could no longer continue.
He had no choice but to control his Chakra himself. "Desert Wave!"
Sand enveloped him in layer upon layer, condensing into a spiked sphere. But before it could fully take shape, a hardened fist broke through the sand, letting light into its dark interior.
The punch struck Gaara squarely in the head, and his Sand Armor cracked apart piece by piece.
Countless memories flashed through his mind in an instant.
Killing his father. Killing his uncle. Hating his mother.
He hated this world so much. There were so many people he wanted to kill. How could he accept dying now?
He wanted to defeat anyone who could hurt him, take everything from them, and feel, with certainty, that he was alive!
"Feigning Sleep Technique! Shukaku!"
Wild Chakra surged out of Gaara, rapidly reinforcing his Sand Armor and swelling it to five meters tall. It became a real monster: a brown-and-white, tattoo-patterned tanuki, with a massive tail drooping behind it.
It sprang up, stretching out its claws, and pointed excitedly at Naruto. "Yahoo! Hahahaha! I'm finally out! And the first thing I see is someone I want to kill! Freedom, freedom! Grow bigger!"
"What an ugly thing. Five Elements Seal!" Naruto dropped from the air, Chakra burning across his five fingers as he slammed them down onto Shukaku's swelling head.
Shukaku's laughter came to an abrupt halt. "I just got out! I don't want to go back!"
The little Chakra it had released rapidly withdrew, revealing the blood-red "love" symbol on Gaara's forehead once more.
Naruto was sure of it now. Gaara was a Jinchuriki too, and that monster was clearly a Tailed Beast.
Looking at the unconscious Gaara, Naruto wasn't sure what to do. If he killed Gaara, would the Tailed Beast be fully released?
If it was anything like the Nine-Tails, its power was clearly beyond the limit.
Not far away, two Jonin, Baki and Kakashi, were engaged in a battle of wits.
Seeing Gaara captured, Baki panicked. Distracted, he let Kakashi slice off his face mask with a shuriken, adding another scar to his ugly, half-disfigured face.
The most crucial part of their plan was Shukaku inside Gaara. Only if Shukaku was released in its complete form could their invasion of Konoha succeed.
Naruto, standing completely idle as he stared at him, put Baki under tremendous pressure.
He had to be ready for Naruto's attack at any moment.
And the attack came soon enough.
Kakashi formed a Lightning Blade and charged straight at him. With nowhere to dodge, Baki used his Whirlwind Blade Technique.
As the two clashed, Naruto rushed behind Baki. His right hand became a Hell Sword, piercing through the sand and crushing Baki's heart.
The entire sequence flowed seamlessly. The veteran who had served two generations of Kazekage died on the spot.
In the stands, the fired-up Might Guy was fighting more than a hundred Sound Ninja, each punch blasting through a wall.
Inside the barrier on the roof, where a gnarled tree had burst through, Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi were locked in battle.
Explosions rang out around the village from time to time, while giant snakes, dozens of meters long, hissed as they demolished buildings.
The chaotic scene felt strangely familiar to Naruto.
Yakushi Kabuto, who had been fighting Gekko Hayate in a chase, had already escaped from the arena.
Naruto had a feeling that Kabuto was hiding his true strength, just to make them think Gekko Hayate could keep him occupied.
Naruto suddenly felt Hinata stir slightly in his arms. He looked down and saw her eyes squeezed shut, her face flushed as she leaned against his shoulder.
"Are you awake?"
Hinata opened her eyes and nodded gently, then reluctantly pulled away from his arms and stood.
"I'm going to help Hayate and rescue Sasuke." Kakashi rubbed his temples, then suddenly looked at Naruto with a serious expression. "Naruto, you may be the only one who can save Lord Hokage."
Naruto didn't answer. "I'll go take a look."
Kakashi gave a brief nod and followed the trail in the direction Yakushi Kabuto had fled.
Naruto knew what Kakashi meant. He was a Jinchuriki too. Perhaps, like Gaara, he could summon the Nine-Tails—and actually break through that purple barrier.
He instructed Shikamaru, "Keep an eye on Gaara. Don't let him wake up. If he does, knock him out again."
"Hinata, can you get home by yourself?"
Hinata nodded firmly. After years of being kidnapped, she had more than a dozen escape routes planned out at home.
Naruto said no more and climbed back onto the platform.
He didn't know why the powerful members of Konoha's many clans weren't showing up, or what kind of conspiracy was unfolding behind the scenes.
But he could still feel the genuine kindness Hiruzen had shown him when he was young, even if the old man's eyesight had grown a little blurry.
He had to go take a look. If he could save him, he would. If not, he'd at least see him off, so he wouldn't die all alone, with no one close to him nearby.
When Naruto reached the outside of the barrier, he saw two coffins standing upright. The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, were working with Orochimaru to beat Hiruzen Sarutobi, who wielded an Adamantine Staff, down to his knees.
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