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"Brat."
"Hm?"
"This old man senses the presence of that tanuki."
"What tanuki?" Naruto asked, confused. I have an orange cat and a black cat, where's a tanuki?
"The one you fought last time." The fox demon, biting the straw at the corner of its mouth, spoke telepathically.
"Shukaku?"
"Mm."
"Shukaku's nearby?" Naruto asked in surprise.
"Brat, go fight it."
"You want me to fight Shukaku in the desert!?" If I could beat Shukaku in the desert, I'd have gone to the Akatsuki's doorstep and shouted 'I'll fight ten!' long ago. Why would I be dragging iron here?
Hmm, including Obito, Akatsuki currently has exactly ten members.
"This old man said last time he'd fight it in the desert; how can I go back on my word?" The fox demon took a sip of cola.
"You go then, I'm not going."
Are you crazy? Can Shukaku even be fought here?
Currently, in the ninja world, only Nagato could pin Shukaku down in the desert. Everyone else would have to stand aside, unless they had a counter-ability or overwhelming power. Otherwise, no one would fight Shukaku in the desert. Sage Mode Jiraiya could try, but he's too slow to enter Sage Mode. Sharingan wouldn't help either.
Shukaku: Fighting in the desert doesn't require sight at all. I'll fight you with my eyes closed.
"I'm kinda busy, you know."
"Then don't watch! You watch for a whole day straight, can't you pause it? Didn't you say you wouldn't watch it in the first place?"
"This old man is merely observing what you humans are thinking."
Speaking of the Nine-Tails' personality, eighty percent is tsundere, and the remaining twenty percent is the "Tastes good!" principle.
"I, Kurama, would rather die than do anything for you humans..."
The result, as expected, is that it's now addicted to watching shows, and it watches everything. Normally, everyone has their own preferences: some like American dramas, some like family dramas, some like anime, philosophy, romance... etc. But the Nine-Tails isn't human; it watches everything. Even if it's "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf," it can watch it intently for a whole day.
"You're just lazy!"
"This old man isn't lazy, just doesn't like to move."
Though Kurama is tsundere, it never lies. As the saying goes, a broad mind makes for a plump body, and the plumper the body, the broader the mind. A fox that used to be competitive and would fight anyone it saw has become increasingly peace-loving after becoming a couch potato. Every day it eats, drinks, plays chess, and watches shows, living a life that couldn't be better.
"You guys fight, this old man will just pass by and watch without lifting a finger."
So, not only do rumors stop with homebodies, but even wars stop with homebodies. If everyone in this world were couch potatoes like the Nine-Tails who hated going out, it would be a peaceful world without war. They were all already hanging on the trees by Kaguya, playing with the "Playful Red Moon," so where would there be war?
"Hello everyone, I'm Princess Kaguya. 'Playful Red Moon' is a brand new game you've never played before. Play it once, play it for life. Equipment is all in your imagination, no money needed. Play now and also receive a thousand years of corpse preservation and a 'from African to European' (good luck) function!"
"I'm not in good shape right now; I can't fight."
I've been dragging iron all this way, I'm as tired as Shunfeng. You want me to fight Shukaku? Are you kidding me?
The Nine-Tails controlled its Snow Country clone, checked how many episodes were left, and said, "Then you hold on for two hours and forty-seven minutes, and I'll go in."
Why is it so specific?
A few seconds later, Naruto reacted and shouted, "Big Fox, you!"
The Nine-Tails looked down at Naruto, who was sprawled on its belly, and said with a firm tone, "Brat, I believe in you!"
One person and one fox met gazes. At this moment, Naruto felt like his soul had been infused, his body filled with power.
You've been buffed, go forth!
He lowered his head, pressed against the fox demon's belly, and took a deep breath. "Alright, let's do it!"
It's just a tanuki that plays with sand. Will I, a cheater, be afraid of you? Today, I'll unleash my true power and show you what a dead-last genin of Konoha can do!
On the other side, Shukaku within Gaara was unusually excited. It sensed the Nine-Tails nearby.
You stinky fox, you really came to the desert!
Although the Nine-Tails was seen by other Tailed Beasts as a very unfrank fox, there was one thing they highly respected about it — it kept its word.
"I, Kurama, make my living by my word. If I said I'd fight you in the desert, I'll fight you in the desert. That's how much I value my word."
Shukaku began to invade Gaara's operating system. Temari exclaimed, "Gaara, it wouldn't at this time..."
"Ahhh! It's waking up..."
Although Gaara was somewhat prepared, he had been exhausted from working day and night for his career recently. So, when facing Shukaku, a powerful entity that had been accumulating power for a long time and constantly performing invasions, he was suppressed and steadily retreated.
The two parties could now see each other in the distance. Jiraiya looked at the constantly expanding figure in the distance and the violent chakra in the air, greatly shocked. He had seen that thing before!
How unlucky must one be to encounter Shukaku of the Sand after only half a day in the desert?!
"Roar!!!"
A mighty roar was followed by a Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet. Shukaku had learned its lesson. Last time, the Tailed Beast Bomb was dodged, so this time, it wouldn't use it. Instead, it switched to the faster Drilling Air Bullet. Naruto grabbed the charging husky, hugged it, and leaped out of the Drilling Air Bullet's range. Huskies are just like that; they want to try the texture of everything they see. However, by grabbing the dog, he also missed the optimal time and the Drilling Air Bullet grazed his foot, knocking off one shoe.
Jiraiya pulled out two terrified, trembling cats from his chest and said, "What kind of creatures do you raise?!"
A stupid dog that wants to play with Shukaku, and two silly cats that burrow into his chest whenever something happens. Are these the kinds of creatures a human can raise?
Another Drilling Air Bullet exploded not far in front of them.
"Cough, cough... What did you do to it last time? Why does it hate you so much?"
When a Tailed Beast goes berserk, it usually attacks whoever is closest. But Shukaku ignored the two people right beside it whom it could easily kill with a flick of its hand, choosing instead to attack this side. What else could it be but a grudge?
"I grilled it in the sea."
Old man, you might not believe it, but Tailed Beasts have grudges against each other too. It wants to fight the Nine-Tails.
Jiraiya shook the sand out of his hair and glared at Naruto, "Look at that wretched dog you raised!"
It crossed the Land of Fire from the Land of Waves, thousands of miles, to lead its owner to the desert, right to its enemy Shukaku.
Why didn't you stew this dog when it had its birthday the day before yesterday?
"Let's go, there's no way to fight this thing," Jiraiya said, not out of fear of Shukaku, but simply because he didn't want to fight.
Naruto handed the dog to Jiraiya, picked up his fallen shoe, and put it back on. "Go? When have you ever seen me retreat?" He removed his burdens, unfastened the Kusanagi sword from his waist, and solemnly threw it at Jiraiya's feet. "Pervert Sage, whatever you do, don't touch this sword!"
I'm afraid if you touch it, you'll enter the fight.
A weapon the size of Kusanagi would only be a toothpick to Shukaku; it would be useless to him. Grabbing the chain of the Mo Xie Treasure Brick, Naruto dragged the brick and walked step by step towards Shukaku.
"Come on, Shukaku, the sacred Princess Kaguya connects you and me with chakra. Today, let's go all out."
Looking at the approaching person from a distance, Shukaku did not attack. It only did that earlier to make the stinky fox come out and fight. The 'stinky fox' in its mind had already used its clone to press pause. Compared to watching a movie, it preferred to watch his battle. That kind of fearless combat was as if it was born for him. Perhaps it would never find a Jinchuriki more to its liking in this lifetime.
Facing Shukaku, Naruto was also somewhat afraid, but his steps remained firm and composed, because he had courage.
What is courage?
Maintaining grace under pressure.
Jiraiya, comparing the immense size difference between the two sides, stroked the orange cat on his chest and muttered, "This child... he's a madman!"
Unless they had a counter-ability, no one would fight Shukaku in the desert. Such a person, what else could he be but a madman?
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