章 8: 8. Manipulation? No Tactics..
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**Naruto POV**
As I chased after Gaara, my mind was in turmoil. The guilt of letting Jiji die was eating me alive. *I feel horrible for letting someone who treated me with nothing but kindness since I came to this world die.*
I remembered the small yet warm talks I had with him, the way he looked at me with strange eyes. Back then, I didn't understand, but now I get it. They were the eyes of an adult looking at their child. Even if he showed that warmth to me because he saw me as Naruto, I couldn't ignore it.
The overwhelming grief I felt soon turned into determination. *No matter how you lived your life, no matter how dark your path was, it's undeniable that you did everything you could for Konoha's betterment.*
*No one is perfect. Even if I had to let you die for Konoha's sake, I promise I'll become the cornerstone that Konoha can rely upon. I'll ensure no harm comes to the village. This is my last word to you, my atonement for your death. And I'll make damn sure to see it through. Believe it.*
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**Shikamaru POV**
Naruto seemed distracted; he didn't even respond to my words. He must be worried. He was really close to the Third, and the Third always looked at him with the eyes of a grandfather.
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**Third Person POV**
As Naruto and Shikamaru chased after Gaara, Temari and Kankuro intercepted them. They had no idea how big a mistake they had made.
Naruto, already in a state of heightened determination, was prepared to kill if necessary. He had decided to deal with Gaara as quickly as possible and rush back to the village to provide support.
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**Naruto POV**
As I saw Temari and Kankuro standing before me, a flicker of annoyance crossed my face. Drawing on my abnormally large chakra reserves, I augmented my body and took off.
Moving at a speed too fast for their eyes to follow, I knocked Temari out quickly—because hitting girls isn't cool—and then used a Rasengan to send Kankuro flying. Shikamaru stared at me, dumbfounded.
Without sparing them a second glance, I rushed toward Gaara at blinding speed.
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**A/N:** As you can guess, I'm not a fan of Sakura, so I won't include her much in this fanfic.
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**Sasuke POV**
This guy had turned into a monster. Gaara was launching relentless attacks, and my chakra reserves were down to their last 10 percent. I couldn't even use Chidori anymore. The physical exertion was finally taking a toll, and I could barely keep up with the intensity of his attacks.
As my Sharingan deactivated due to lack of chakra, I couldn't dodge his onslaught. *Is this the end? Am I going to die before I kill Itachi?*
I was about to accept my fate when a blur of blond kicked Gaara away at blinding speed, sending the monster flying. The kick was precise, powerful, and impossibly fast. Even I wouldn't have been able to dodge it.
As I tried to thank him, my words got caught in my throat. I whispered, "N-Naruto?"
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**Naruto POV**
I didn't pay Sasuke much attention—I had no time for him. This fight had to end as quickly as possible. I absolutely couldn't let Gaara release Shukaku.
As I formulated my plan, I heard Gaara scream.
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**Gaara POV**
"Namikaze, you're finally here. Mother wants your blood. If I kill you with your strength, I'll prove my existence to everyone! I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you! Die!"
With a roar, I unleashed hundreds of sand shurikens at him.
To the average observer, this attack would have meant certain death, but I knew better. The person Mother warned me to stay wary of wasn't simple. And I was right—before I knew it, he was behind me, a giant Rasengan in his hand.
I quickly created a sand defense. Though it couldn't withstand the destructive power of his Rasengan, it bought me enough time to retreat.
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**Naruto POV**
*Interesting. He survived. But I already have a plan.*
I created shadow clones and charged at him with Rasengans. As expected, his sand defense crushed my clones, but they weren't the point.
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**Gaara POV**
As the fight dragged on, I noticed him summoning clone after clone. At first, I was worried—what was he planning? But as time passed, I realized they were nothing more than distractions. They posed no threat to me. *I can see it—my victory.*
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**Naruto POV**
*He's fallen for it.*
Gaara had dropped his guard against my clones, letting them rush in only to be destroyed by his sand shield.
When the time was right, I quickly formed hand seals, creating 100 new clones.
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**Gaara POV**
"Have you gone stupid, Namikaze? I've seen through your trick. Your distractions are useless, even an academy student wouldn't fall for them. If this is all you have, I'll rip you apart and offer your blood to Mother."
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**Naruto POV**
I smirked as Gaara continued his monologue, watching my clones get closer to him.
When the moment came, I created 10 shadow clones, each forming a giant Rasengan. They rushed at Gaara from all sides. His sand slowed the Rasengan's rotation, disrupting the jutsu, but it couldn't fully stop them. The sand defense crumbled under the impact, buying enough time for my 100 explosive clones to close in.
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**Gaara POV**
*"𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗠!"*
The explosion was deafening. Although I survived, I was too injured to release Shukaku. Even Mother must have understood that if she took over my body now, I wouldn't survive.
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**Naruto POV**
I spared Gaara one last glance before rushing back to the village.
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**Third Person POV**
Unbeknownst to Naruto, Sasuke had witnessed everything. Naruto's strength, far greater than expected, amplified the jealousy brewing in Sasuke's heart. It was clear—this jealousy would push Sasuke toward deserting Konoha for power.
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**A/N:** Please share your thoughts on the Naruto vs. Gaara fight!
**Peace* *
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