บท 28: The Konoha Crush [3]
Naruto and Temari found themselves frozen in disbelief as they faced a creature where Gaara once stood. It was an intimidating entity that bore an uncanny resemblance to a tanuki, constructed entirely of sand.
"What is that?" Naruto spoke, his voice a blend of confusion and awe as he stared at the beast before him.
"That's the one-tailed beast inside him. It's fully unleashed now..." Temari responded anxiously. Their plan had been to free the tailed beast within the confines of Konoha to aid their assault, but it had already been released here.
Naruto scanned the area for Sasuke, his gaze landing on a tree branch where Sasuke was kneeling, gasping for breath after his intense battle with Gaara.
Observing the beast preparing to assault Sasuke, Naruto promptly teleported in front of him, blocking the attack with his limitless...
[Wind Style: Expansive Wind] The atmosphere filled with wind chakra, Naruto at the epicenter, executing hand signs [Wind Style: Wind Dragon!]
As Naruto commanded, the surrounding wind converged into the form of a dragon. This offensive pushed the tailed beast further away from them, unable to dodge the attack despite its efforts, and bearing the brunt of the strike.
Eventually, as the wind dragon technique lost its strength, the creature was forced back and sustained significant damage.
Naruto, perched on the tree branch, took deep breaths. Using this technique had taken a toll on him, but he recovered swiftly and headed towards Sasuke, who was still winded from his fight with Gaara.
"Sasuke, are you alright?" Naruto asked, keeping a watchful eye on the beast.
"Yeah, I'm okay..." Sasuke responded, attempting to stand but failing miserably.
"Hey, take a rest for now... You've fought valiantly and did an amazing job... It's my turn now," Naruto spoke calmly, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.
"But..." Sasuke attempted to speak, but his body throbbed with pain, silencing him.
"No need to say anything. Just stay here, I'll be back," Naruto assured, swiftly teleporting himself to a nearby tree near the beast.
Naruto surveyed the creature and spotted Gaara, who lay unconscious at that moment.
"Alright, this is the perfect opportunity for this technique," Naruto muttered to himself. "Adamantine Sealing Chains," Naruto declared, and chains began to emerge from his back in large numbers.
As the beast realized the predicament, it launched an attack against Naruto, but its strikes were effortlessly countered with Naruto's limitless technique.
Naruto's Adamantine chains wrapped around the entirety of the beast's body, effectively immobilizing it.
Naruto quickly reached Gaara's unconscious form and wasted no time. With a sense of urgency, he performed the Eight Trigram Sealing Technique, resealing the one-tail beast inside Gaara and reinforcing the seal with his own power. Gaara stirred and slowly regained consciousness.
"What did you do?" Gaara's voice carried anger and confusion, his eyes scanning the scene of the defeated beast and Naruto and Sasuke standing strong.
"I don't have time to explain everything, but in short, I resealed the beast inside you," Naruto responded, his tone brimming with confident and carefree personality.
"Why did you seal the beast again?" Gaara demanded, his anger fueling his words.
"Because you were losing control, Gaara. And trust me, we can't afford that. That beast is a part of you, just like the Nine-Tails is a part of me," Naruto explained, his voice laced with a hint of amusement.
"I don't need your help! I don't need anyone!" Gaara's frustration was palpable.
Naruto chuckled, his voice exuding nonchalant demeanor. "Yeah, I used to say the same thing, you know. But let me tell you, going it alone... it's overrated."
"You... you don't understand! You could never understand what it's like to be me!" Gaara's anger surged.
Naruto's response was filled with unwavering confidence. "Actually, Gaara, I think I do. We're more alike than you think. We both possess these inner monsters, and we've both been treated as outcasts. But listen, that doesn't make us monsters. It just makes us unique."
Gaara's anger intensified, denying any similarities. "Different? I am nothing like you!"
Naruto's voice remained calm but carried playful tone. "No, we're not the same in every aspect. But in the ways that truly matter, Gaara, we are. I used to be just like you. Angry at the world, thinking I was alone. But then I realized something important. I wasn't alone. I had people who cared about me, and I cared about them. And that... that made me stronger."
Gaara, driven by fury, attempted to attack Naruto. Yet, Naruto effortlessly evaded the attack, showcasing agility and skill.
"Gaara, stop! Listen to me," Naruto urged, his voice echoing commanding presence. "When you have people to fight for, they fight for you in return. It gives you a reason to be strong, stronger than any tailed beast out there."
Gaara hesitated, anger momentarily subsiding. "You... you really believe that?" he questioned, his voice tinged with doubt.
Naruto's response carried unwavering conviction. "I do, Gaara. And I think deep down, you can believe it too. But hey, it's your call. You're the one who decides your path. Just remember, Gaara, you're not alone anymore. And that... that kind of strength is unparalleled."
Naruto addressed this as Gaara collapsed to his knees. He began to saunter away. "Hey, why not help your teammates up? One of them is lagging a bit behind. I just lulled him into a brief slumber," he nonchalantly told Temari as he strolled by her.
"And one more thing - abandon this village and don't even dream of returning with the same agenda. Because next time, I won't be as lenient with you and your squad..." Naruto declared.
Naruto transported himself to Sasuke. "Looks like we're done here. Time to head back to the village and check if everything's okay," he stated.
"Why did you let them go?" Sasuke inquired, his voice a blend of vexation and confusion.
"Well, because I felt like it... Now, no more questions. Let's return to the village first... hand me your arm," Naruto responded.
"Why?" Sasuke questioned.
Naruto grabbed his arm, and in an instant, they were in the village, standing next to Sakura.
Sakura was taken aback by Naruto and Sasuke's sudden appearance.
"I apologize, Sakura, but can you explain what's going on here? I can't seem to find anyone in the entire stadium," Naruto queried, looking around the empty space.
"I'm not entirely sure... I was battling the enemies when one of their attacks blindsided me. I couldn't react in time and... I think I blacked out. Next thing I know, I'm here..." Sakura recounted the series of events to Naruto.
"Then let's head outside and figure out what transpired..." Naruto suggested as they all exited the stadium. Outside, they spotted Kakashi, Jiraiya, and other shinobi standing around.
Team 7 sprinted towards them. Naruto was about to interrogate them when his eyes landed on Hiruzen's prone form. The harsh reality of what had occurred hit him.
Jiraiya placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder, observing the mix of emotions on Naruto's face.
Hiruzen had been the only one who truly cared for Naruto from the very beginning. Memories of shared meals and countless lessons flooded Naruto's mind. He felt a deep sadness, but also a burning anger and frustration for not being there to protect his mentor.
Naruto had always been punctual, but the one time he arrived late, he lost someone precious to him.
"He was a true hero, Naruto. He sacrificed himself to save the village..." Jiraiya attempted to console Naruto.
Naruto simply nodded, his anger and rage boiling within him. "Orochimaru... I'm coming for you..." Naruto thought silently to himself.
The next day...
A special ceremony was held to honor and mourn Hiruzen Sarutobi. Many Konoha ninjas attended, paying their respects.
However, Jiraiya chose to reminisce about Hiruzen privately instead.
Everyone, including Naruto and Asuma Sarutobi, the Third's son, gathered at the ceremony. They placed flowers on the grave of the Third and mourned his loss.
Naruto tried to console Konohamaru, who had lost his beloved grandfather, the person he always admired.
The ceremony ended on a somber note, but time continued to move forward. Time doesn't stop for anyone. Each person had to carry their pain and sadness and move on.
That's the way life works. No matter how sad or hurt you feel inside, you must keep going and continue playing the game of life.
After few days of the incident, Konoha started to rebuild itself from the devastating attack, though the attack didn't affected most part of the village as it ended real quick.
But it still created a lot commotion and destruction and entered fear in the heart of the villagers.
The elders of the village called upon a meeting , as the 3rd was no more the village required a new Hokage ....
Their first choice was Jiraiya as he was one of the strongest and prestigious shinobi and giving him the role of Hokage would bring reassurance to everyone in the village.
But Jiraiya respectfully rejected the offer , he didn't wanted to be Hokage, rather he suggested another name for the Hokage position.
1 weeks passed ...
Jiraiya met Naruto in the training ground, After that day Naruto was either in his apartment alone or sitting in the training field alone looking at the sky.
He didn't speak much with anyone without Jiraiya and Hinata. Even that was just a little talk .
"Naruto...." Jiraiya called Naruto as he was focused on his training, mostly Taijutsus.
Naruto looked back "Do you have anything to say sensei..." Naruto spoke without any expression.
Jiraiya for a second thought something than spoke "I'm going outside village for some work, wanna go with me ?" Jiraiya asked Naruto with a small smile.
"I don't want to go Sensei..." Naruto spoke.
Jiraiya sighed and walked up to Naruto's side and sat beside him.
"I think you know that sitting here alone like this won't solve anything, for that you need to train yourself and become Stronger that the next time you can protect everyone precious to you." Jiraiya said.
"It's not just about power, Sensei..." Naruto's words trembled, brimming with feelings.
Drawing a deep breath, Naruto admitted, "If only I...
With a heavy heart, Naruto expressed, "If only I hadn't been such a fool, wasting time on showboating. If I had reached there earlier, I could have done so much more. But my inability to save even a single person... How can I aspire to become Hokage and protect everyone?"
"Do you think wallowing in remorse will alter the past or fix the issue?" Jiraiya challenged.
"But.... " Naruto began, but stopped.
"No buts, Naruto ... We need to absorb the lessons from our history and strive to improve in the future. Regrets alone won't assist you in that... " Jiraiya advised.
There was a moment of silence as Jiraiya comforted Naruto.
"So, are you ready to accompany me now?" Jiraiya queried.
"To where?" Naruto inquired.
"Oh, I forgot to mention, our village is in desperate need of a Hokage, so we're off to recruit a certain individual for the role, in a nutshell. " Jiraiya clarified.
"Who's this particular person?" Naruto questioned.
"She's a dear friend of mine.... " Jiraiya responded.
"So, when are we departing?" Naruto probed.
"First thing tomorrow morning will be ideal... So make sure you're prepared... " Jiraiya suggested as they both exited the training field.
They shared a meal and bid each other farewell, with Naruto returning to his living quarters.
Back at Naruto's Apartment....
Naruto informed Karin about his impending departure from the village with Jiraiya for a critical mission, reminding her to take care of herself and his home.
The following morning...
Naruto rose early and set off to rendezvous with Jiraiya.
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