You're Late [Thanks to the Great Lord Xiaolei of Xiaolei for the Great God Certification]

"..."

Sasuke could tell that Gaara was not quite in his right mind, but he more or less understood what had happened.

When Gaara appeared earlier, Shukaku inside him had reacted violently, even breaking free of the First's Wood Release sealing for a moment and allowing him to escape.

When Sasuke set up the barrier and released Amaterasu, it must have allowed not only the Ōtsutsuki to sense the tailed beasts, but also the tailed beasts to sense the Ōtsutsuki.

And the moment they drove the Ōtsutsuki back, Shukaku seemed to recognize Adult Sasuke. Without explaining anything, he had Gaara relay his request, asking Sasuke to absorb his chakra and fight.

The immense chakra now coursing through Adult Sasuke was almost all of Shukaku's power—

Sasuke had no idea how powerful it was. All he knew was that the instant Adult Sasuke finished absorbing it, he briefly assessed the chakra, then suddenly proposed taking on the Ōtsutsuki alone.

And the expression on his face said nothing but, Don't hold me back.

As another Sasuke Uchiha, Sasuke did not think he could possibly have misread his meaning—

Besides, he had seen that same expression a few times on the face of a certain blond Uzumaki who would remain nameless.

But before Sasuke could ask anything else, he saw that Gaara had already fallen into a deep sleep. His sleeping face was peaceful, as though his mind had finally been put at ease.

"..."

Sasuke had no intention of waking him. Looking at Gaara, he then glanced at the Two-Tails and Three-Tails bound in wood nearby.

"They didn't react like that..."

Just as Naruto had said, there was something special about this One-Tail...

Hidden inside the Tsukuyomi Barrier, Sasuke had no way of knowing what was happening outside.

Based on Adult Sasuke's