Chapter 274: Memory
The golden Nine-Tails displayed astonishing agility completely disproportionate to its massive body. Its hind legs explosively pushed off, and its huge body leapt up lightly as if weightless, steadily landing in an open area not far in front of Shukaku outside Konoha Village.
Kurama gazed at Shukaku ahead, baring fangs and brandishing claws while releasing impotent furious roars, an inexplicable fire rising in its heart.
Never expected this stupid tanuki would be controlled by someone! Moreover, that familiar ocular power wrapped around it... came from the same source as the power that controlled it to attack Konoha over ten years ago!
If not for that skulking bastard... the Nine-Tails thought resentfully, how would he have done such things to Naruto's parents?!
It selectively ignored the fact that without that attack, it might not have been sealed within Naruto's body at all.
Someday, it would definitely make that bastard who toyed with it using ocular power pay the price!
"ROAR—!!!"
The golden Nine-Tails released a roar. Just the shockwave formed by chakra leaking from this roar pushed forward like a substantial tsunami, forcibly driving back Shukaku's massive charging body several steps, its sand-grain surface violently shaking.
Though both were Tailed Beasts, the gap in strength between the Nine-Tails and One-Tail was unmistakably revealed at this moment.
"Naruto," Kurama's voice sounded in their shared consciousness. "Because this is our first attempt at complete Tailed Beast transformation, our coordination isn't perfect enough—chakra consumption is faster than expected. The situation isn't great. We can probably only maintain this state for two minutes at most."
"Mm, I understand." Naruto's consciousness responded quickly without the slightest panic. He knew well the Nine-Tails' power absolute advantage. "Don't worry, I'll resolve the battle within half a minute."
His gaze through the Nine-Tails' vision locked onto the still-berserk Shukaku, and deep within, Gaara's consciousness.
"Sorry about this, Gaara, Shukaku." Naruto murmured softly. "Fighting in this state could easily affect the village and others. So... I have no choice but to use the fastest and most crude method!"
The golden Nine-Tails charged toward Shukaku with unstoppable momentum, each step making the earth tremble!
Seeing this, Shukaku's massive claws actually formed seals at speeds unsuited to its size!
"Flowing Sand Violent Stream!"
RUMBLE—!
The entire earth beneath it instantly turned to sand. Countless sand grains surged skyward, transforming into a massive, continuously rotating sand ocean surging toward the Nine-Tails, attempting to wrap around and bind its massive golden body!
However, facing this sand sea sufficient to devour everything, the golden Nine-Tails didn't even slow down! It merely released a disdainful low growl. Those hind legs entangled by the sand flow explosively erupted with terrifying power, its massive body swiftly spinning in midair!
CRACK—SNAP!!
The sand tendrils wrapped around it were forcibly broken and ground to pieces under this violent twist! Sand grains like golden rain showered down from the Nine-Tails' shining body.
BANG—!!!
A mountain-colliding boom exploded! The golden Nine-Tails' claw transformed into a massive golden fist, solidly and plainly hammering into Shukaku's giant face!
"Wuaaoh—!"
Shukaku released a pained wail. The tremendous impact made its entire head cave in, its massive body once again uncontrollably flying backward off the ground, crashing heavily into the distant forest.
However, Naruto had said—this time, he'd instantly resolve the battle!
Not giving Shukaku any breathing room, the Nine-Tails' massive figure followed like a shadow, charging forward again at astonishing speed! The instant it approached the fallen Shukaku, the nine massive tails behind it like heavenly pillars simultaneously rose high, covering the sky!
The next moment—
BOOM!!!!!!!
Nine giant tails carrying power to destroy all creation simultaneously slammed viciously onto Shukaku's not-yet-risen massive body!
The earth released an overwhelmed wail, as if a violent earthquake had erupted! Terrifying shockwaves spread outward in rings like crazy, uprooting surrounding trees, rubble shooting everywhere like bullets! Just the affected area was already completely devastated.
Kurama sensed Naruto's flowing, decisive combat style—that bit of worry in its heart instantly dissipated. This kid, using complete Tailed Beast transformation for the first time, performed so excellently!
The gap in strength was just that despairing. Under this strike, Shukaku's sand-grain body showed large-scale collapse and cracks, like a shattered clay figurine collapsed in the massive crater's center, completely losing all movement, even its berserk chakra weakening.
"Good! Naruto!" Kurama's voice carried approval. "Now this stupid tanuki has completely lost ability to resist! Take advantage of this—inject your chakra mixed with my power into its body together, find and break down that genjutsu imposed on its spirit! Once the genjutsu is lifted, this battle is over!"
"Mm, I understand!"
Naruto had exactly this intention. He controlled the Nine-Tails to slowly raise one giant claw. He also had another thought—might as well use this opportunity to add a more solid "insurance" to Shukaku.
He seriously suspected that Shukaku being able to whisper incessantly in Gaara's ear every day was largely because the Hidden Sand Village's sealing techniques... were truly too terrible!
Naruto's chakra and the Nine-Tails' power jointly flowed into Shukaku contained within Gaara's body as vessel, penetrating the violent Tailed Beast chakra surface layer, exploring toward that suppressed, sealed deep consciousness.
---
"Where... is this..."
The boundless darkness slowly receded like tides, fragments of consciousness struggling to piece back together. The last memory was blurry, leaving only berserk chakra and ear-piercing roars.
Gaara murmured, bewilderedly surveying his surroundings, completely unclear why he'd appeared in such a place.
Clearly, this wasn't the Hidden Sand Village where he'd grown up. The surrounding architectural style was quaint and unfamiliar, the air also permeated with moisture and freshness completely different from the Land of Wind.
However, in Gaara's trauma-filled memories, the so-called "hometown" was merely a cage where everyone wanted to kill him.
The street bustled with coming and going pedestrians, noisy and full of vitality, yet no one directed their gaze toward his incongruous existence.
What made him feel even more bizarre was when someone approached head-on, they passed "through" his body without obstruction, as if he were merely a mass of insubstantial air.
Was this... a dream?
The moment this thought surfaced, it was drowned by profound grief. The word "dream" was such a strange and distant concept for Gaara, who found even peaceful sleep a luxury, tormented day and night by Shukaku's whispers and killing desires.
Unable to understand his current state, his heart felt an unprecedented deathly silence. That day-and-night ceaseless killing impulse gnawing at his reason had now completely disappeared. This relaxed feeling left him somewhat at a loss, only able to wander aimlessly like a lost child through these unfamiliar streets.
However, this brief peace didn't last long.
A sharp shout full of disgust and fear, like a poisoned spike, suddenly came from a shop entrance nearby, viciously stabbing into Gaara's ears.
"I won't sell to you! Why did you enter my shop?! Get out! You monster!"
****
80+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces