You Call This Guy the Savior?!

Three people fighting one—they had originally assumed this would be a simple, crushing victory, but in reality, it was one person surrounding and beating the three of them.

The key was that Gaara's chakra seemed infinite; even now, there wasn't the slightest sign of fatigue, which caused the trio's plan of a war of attrition to collapse.

Fortunately, Naruto and Sakura finally arrived, breaking the stalemate.

"Two more here to throw their lives away?" Gaara didn't care about the numbers at all; in fact, he hoped for more, as the more there were, the more satisfying the slaughter would be, and only then could he soothe the bloodthirsty cravings of the monster within.

"Everyone, from now on, listen to my command!" Keiichi shouted.

The group glanced at one another and realized that Keiichi was the only one they could truly trust to lead.

"Understood!" the four responded in unison.

"Naruto, use your strongest ultimate move and slam it right into him!"

Naruto didn't ask questions; he immediately unleashed Multiple Shadow Clone, surrounding Gaara.

"Sasuke, get ready in advance and use that move you've been practicing!"

Hearing this, Sasuke nodded and began to accumulate the nature-transformed chakra required for Lightning Style.

Gaara would not sit idly by; he immediately manipulated his sand to launch an attack at Keiichi. As long as he eliminated this person, the others would be nothing but scattered sand.

Keiichi had been prepared; he retreated quickly, but just as he prepared to lift his right foot, he discovered that some sand had locked his left foot in place without him noticing.

Damn it!

"Sand Binding Coffin!" Gaara spat out the three ruthless words.

"Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin!" Neji flashed in front of Keiichi and scattered the sand with a strike.

"Thanks!" Keiichi didn't look back and turned to run.

He had a very clear understanding of his role: he was the one pulling the boss's aggro in a team fight. Dealing damage wasn't the most critical part; buying time for his teammates to output damage was.

Soon, Naruto's many clones began to blow on the shuriken in their palms. As Wind Style chakra continuously attached to them, the shuriken began to spin at high speeds, and the humming sound gradually grew shrill.

On the other side, Sasuke was not to be outdone. A massive amount of lightning power accumulated in his hand, creating violent friction with the air, sounding like a thousand birds chirping in unison.

Across the entire battlefield, only these two piercing sounds remained!

Yet, facing all this, Gaara remained completely unmoved. He curled his other hand into a claw and grabbed at the air; claw blades made of sand appeared out of nowhere, destroying several of Naruto's clones in a single strike.

However, the number of Naruto's clones was simply too high, and their positions were too scattered; destroying them all was not something that could be done in a short time.

"Naruto!" Seeing the timing was right, Keiichi immediately gave the order.

"Wind Style: Humming Shuriken!"

Naruto understood instantly. All the clones launched the shuriken in their hands at once, flying toward Gaara in a swarm like bees returning to a hive.

Gaara snorted coldly. He had seen this move on the spectator stand earlier and naturally knew how Neji had countered it, so he remained unmoved. He simply retracted all his sand, forming a protective shell like an egg around himself.

"Shield of Sand!"

Sure enough, all the Humming Shuriken became embedded in the Shield of Sand, and the chakra attached to them gradually dissipated as it was worn down by the resistance.

The Humming Shuriken, capable of cutting down large trees, could not cause destructive damage to the Shield of Sand at this moment.

The reputation of the Absolute Defense was well-deserved!

However, a smile appeared on Keiichi's face—this was exactly the reaction he wanted!

This way, not only would Gaara be unable to move, but Sasuke would also have enough time to accumulate sufficient power.

"Sasuke!"

The chirping of the Chidori grew deafening. A blinding blue-purple light left a straight line on the retina, carving a deep trench into the ground along its path. Before anyone could react, half of Sasuke's body was already embedded into the Shield of Sand.

Everyone couldn't help but widen their eyes, for Sasuke's left hand, fully charged with power, had now plunged into the shield, piercing straight through it.

The Absolute Defense had actually been broken!

Only then did everyone realize just how terrifying the power of Sasuke's move was. It was no wonder Keiichi had fought so hard to interrupt his charging earlier; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Keiichi smiled slightly. Lightning Style countering Earth Style was common knowledge, and furthermore, Chidori was a ninjutsu that pursued ultimate destructive power; such a result was only natural.

Sure enough, the Shield of Sand shrouding Gaara collapsed, exposing the situation within. His chest had suffered a grievous wound, as if a large hole had been torn open, and blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth.

He kept his head lowered, making it impossible to see his facial expression.

Sasuke was panting heavily. Although this was his first time using Chidori, the previous battle had drained his stamina significantly. After unleashing this move, he was completely exhausted, so he had gambled everything on this single strike.

Now that he had actually succeeded, he curled the corner of his mouth, revealing a satisfied smile.

However, his smile suddenly froze. His eyes seemed to see something incredible, and he hurriedly tried to pull his arm away, only to find that his limb was wrapped in fine sand and could not move.

"Injured... it hurts... it really hurts... you actually dare to hurt me?!" Gaara suddenly began to breathe violently, as if he had encountered something inconceivable, his eyes wide.

From childhood to now, this was the first time he had been injured, the first time he had experienced what it meant to feel pain.

Sasuke continued to struggle, but he couldn't pull his hand out at all. The fine sand was like a python, seemingly wanting to twist his arm until it snapped.

"I'm going to kill you, I must kill you!" Gaara's tone had changed; it sounded as if two people were speaking at once, laced with a sharp, piercing voice.

This filled Sasuke's heart with fear.

What kind of monster is this?!

Fortunately, at that moment, Keiichi suddenly appeared at his side and kicked Gaara, sending him stumbling and allowing Sasuke to break free from his restraints.

Yes, in Sasuke's eyes at this moment, this was no longer a person; it was a monster!

Soon, everyone witnessed what he had seen, as Gaara's body began to undergo a massive transformation. Sand gathered around him, his arm morphed into a gruesome structure, and his volume began to swell uncontrollably.

Amidst this transformation, Gaara let out a pained wail, his consciousness growing increasingly chaotic.

"What is happening?" Sasuke stared at the transformation before him, his gaze dull.

"Sigh, it seems my guess was spot on. It really has come to this—Gaara is going berserk." Keiichi sighed helplessly.

He had bet all his hopes on Sasuke's Chidori, as it was the only means capable of piercing Gaara's absolute defense, but in the end, it hadn't been enough to completely crush him.

"Berserk?"

"A long, long time ago, there existed a terrifying monster in this world that descended like a calamity. It was scattered across the globe; though its appearance varied, it was mostly brutal and bloodthirsty. Wherever it passed, not a blade of grass would grow, and not a soul would be left behind. Countless villages and cities were destroyed, and the people suffered beyond measure. Thus, it was named the 'Calamity Beast'." Keiichi said slowly.

"And what does that have to do with Gaara?"

"The Calamity Beasts were highly active, causing unimaginable destruction to humanity. Eventually, those who could not bear to see the people suffer gathered strong warriors to hunt them down. However, they discovered that even if they paid a heavy price to slay a Calamity Beast, after three years, the same beast would descend upon the land once more to continue ravaging the world."

"But why have I never heard of these Calamity Beasts before?"

"That is because the Calamity Beasts were dealt with. Someone came up with a solution: if the beasts could not be killed, why not seal them away?"

Hearing these words, Naruto seemed to suddenly understand something. He subconsciously touched his stomach, where a seal had existed for as long as he could remember.

"Exactly. For some reason, the vessel used to seal a Calamity Beast must be a human body. I fear Gaara is the vessel for the Land of Wind's Calamity Beast. Now that we have broken this vessel, perhaps that beast is about to reappear in the world!"

The explanation was logical, and everyone couldn't help but nod. No wonder he possessed such an absurdly powerful ninjutsu as absolute defense; it was actually a lock on this cage, intended to prevent the Calamity Beast from escaping.

This was a prison built by the collective strength of an entire village, so wasn't it natural that they, as mere peers, couldn't break through it?

Keiichi, of course, could not reveal the truth about the 'Tailed Beasts.' He could only use existing folklore to explain, even blurring many key details.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to explain the source of his intelligence, as Tailed Beasts were considered top-secret information in every nation.

Naruto watched Gaara, who was struggling desperately, and suddenly felt a sense of sympathy. So you are the same as me; we are both containers used to seal 'Calamity Beasts'...

I think I can understand why you have become the way you are now...

"Damn it, Sunagakure had Gaara infiltrate the Leaf Village as an examinee; they clearly had malicious intent from the start!" Sakura seemed to realize something.

"It's fortunate that we aren't in the village right now, or the Nine-Tails incident from back then might have repeated itself." Neji sighed, failing to notice the complex expression on Naruto's face behind him.

"So what do we do now?" Naruto looked conflicted.

"If that monster is truly released, we are no match for it on our own. Even if Lord Kakashi were here, he would have to retreat." Keiichi sighed helplessly.

"Are we just going to retreat and leave him be?"

"There is only one person here who can stop the Calamity Beast." As he spoke, Keiichi turned his gaze toward Naruto.

As if realizing something, the others also turned their eyes to Naruto, their expressions very strange.

There had always been a rumor in the village that Naruto was the incarnation of the demon fox. At first, everyone dismissed it as nonsense, but hearing Keiichi's explanation now, they seemed to suddenly understand.

So...

Is Naruto the Leaf Village's version of Gaara?

At this moment, Sakura suddenly stepped in front of Naruto, glaring at Keiichi. "I disagree! I will never allow you to treat Naruto as a sacrifice!"

She assumed Keiichi wanted to release the Nine-Tails to deal with the Land of Wind's Calamity Beast.

"That's right, Naruto hasn't done anything wrong." Sasuke also stood by Sakura's side.

"No, if sacrificing one person can protect many others, then I think it is worth it." Only Neji stood on Keiichi's side.

Keiichi glanced at Neji. Have you made your decision on which side to stand?

You are actually willing to bet on me rather than Naruto, who is destined to become Hokage. It seems my words were not in vain.

However, if Naruto truly sacrificed himself to save the village from disaster, there would be no future Hokage, so is that what Neji is thinking?

Keiichi smiled slightly and asked Naruto, "Naruto, what do you think?"

Naruto looked at everyone, at a loss, his smile stiff. "I... I don't know... but if it's for the sake of the village..."

"Don't listen to him, he's using moral blackmail!" Sakura was anxious and interrupted Naruto, fearing he would make an irrational choice under the pressure of the greater good.

Sasuke even struggled to take a combat stance, even though he could barely stand.

Glancing at Gaara, who was still undergoing transformation, Keiichi made a downward gesture and said, "Relax, relax. I never said I wanted to sacrifice Naruto, but the solution really does lie with him."

"What solution?" Sasuke frowned.

"Naruto, come here. There are some things I can only tell you."

"Big Brother Keiichi..." Ignoring Sakura's attempt to stop him, Naruto walked over, though his smile was awkward.

"Remember the Summoning Jutsu Lord Jiraiya taught you? It's time to use that technique. Remember to ask that Stinky Fox to pay rent." Keiichi whispered into his ear.

Naruto's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"He's not feeding you some kind of poison, is he? Don't listen to him!" Sakura cried out in alarm.

"Rest assured, I'll give you all a huge surprise!" Naruto turned his head, flashing a brilliantly confident smile at him.

Having said that, he closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness into the deepest part of his mind, calling out incessantly: Stinky Fox, Stinky Fox...

'Who is disturbing this lord's rest?'

"I'm your landlord... your landlord... landlord..."

"Get lost! Don't annoy me!"

"You need to pay rent... pay rent... rent... rent..."

'This brat... he's absolutely infuriating!'

"Rent... rent..."

"Fine, it's just a single hair. Take it, you debt collector..."

Naruto snapped his eyes open, his entire body radiating a crimson chakra, his pupils turning red as if he were a wild beast!

"Naruto, no! Stop!" Sakura held her breath in terror, fearing that Naruto was about to become just like Gaara.

"Don't worry... watch this..." As he spoke, he bit his finger and slammed it hard against the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

"Everyone, scatter!" Keiichi's mind raced.

The crowd dispersed in all directions as a gargantuan Toad suddenly appeared in mid-air, plummeting straight toward the ground.

Konoha, in front of the ruins of the Hokage Building.

Hiruzen gripped Aburame Tatsuma's throat with a death grip. The latter's body was charred, and the Ninja Insects hidden on him fell to the ground in heaps; it was clear he no longer had the strength to resist.