Chapter 171: The Frightened Demon
Disclaimer:
Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto.
I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 171: The Frightened Demon
The One-Tail beast had just demolished the village gates, rushing away with reckless abandon, when suddenly, it stopped.
Someone was standing in its path.
Naruto Uzumaki had changed quite a bit over the past two years, and now he was just a few months shy of turning eighteen.
He was taller, his face was sharper and more defined, and his hair had grown long enough that it was reaching down his back.
His attire, however, remained as simple as usual. He wore a black martial-artist tunic paired with ninja sandals. A large storage scroll was tied to his lower back, and a long blade hung securely at his waist.
Despite his physical changes, the One-Tail immediately recognized him immediately. The trauma from their last encounter ensured it would never forget this man.
"Nooooo!" Shukaku, the Sand Racoon, screamed in pure terror, its expressive face twisted in horror.
"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head, mildly surprised by the outburst. He hadn't expected the demonic beast to welcome him with open arms, but this reaction seemed... excessive and exaggerated.
"And where exactly do you think you're going?" Naruto asked, his piercing gaze scanning the sand construct.
It was obvious that it was attempting to escape Konoha, and it didn't take long for Naruto to notice something else that was unusual...Gaara's body was nowhere to be seen, leading him to believe that this escape attempt was made by the Chakra Beast was acting completely of its own volition, and had not been Gaara's idea at all.
Shukaku growled in frustration, realizing escape was impossible. Feeling trapped with no other option, it prepared to lunge at Naruto.
" You have learned to hide your weakness, I see…" Naruto didn't need to see the boy with his eyes to find its exact location.
Now that he had recovered the use of his Divine Sense, he could scan its surroundings with much more clarity and find any sources of energy inside its range. It was going to be very difficult for others to catch him by surprise again.
Sure enough, Gaara was encased within the sand construct, positioned near the upper part of the head.
Shukaku roared, unleashing a barrage of sand bullets at him.
Naruto calmly stepped into the air, his movement seamless. Using the second stage of his Red Lotus Shift, he maneuvered with ease, treating the air itself as a platform.
But now, he had something even better.
The One-Tail paused, scanning the area in confusion. It had lost track of Naruto's position entirely.
Its confusion turned to alarm when it felt something land on its head.
Now Naruto had finally unlocked the third stage of his movement technique, which allows him for limited flying. It was just a quick levitation and not fit for traveling long distances yet, but more than useful for combat situations.
The size of his oponent was no longer a problem for him now that he could use this move.
In an instant, he flew all the way above the chakra beast's head, avoiding its attacks, and then proceeded to land close to where Gaara's real body had been hidden.
"Get off me!" Shukaku bellowed.
Dozens of sand spears erupted from its surface, aiming to impale Naruto.
However, Naruto anticipated every attack. By observing the chakra patterns flowing through the beast, he could predict its movements with pinpoint accuracy.
The spears missed him by mere inches as he gracefully sidestepped them, advancing closer to Gaara's hidden form.
Once he reached his target, Naruto knelt down and plunged his hands into the sand.
He wasn't sure if this particular creature was able to feel pain, but it did scream a lot when he opened its head half.
His blue eyes looked down at the sleeping figure of Gaara. Other than his longer hair and thinner frame, he had not changed much.
" You don't look too good though…" It was probably expected from a prisoner, but he could not have this boy dying so soon.
He grabbed hold of the redhead boy and pulled him out of the sand while the demon continued to complain.
Whole holding Gaaraa by the scruff of his neck, he took them both into the sky and away from the One Tail beast.
"I don't want to die!" Shukaku screamed, desperately trying to repair the gaping hole in its head.
Naruto stared at the beast, his expression thoughtful. It wasn't going to die from this...it was a chakra construct, after all, and had no vital organs. Yet the terror in its voice was undeniable.
Knowing that the demon must have been referring to something else, an idea came to his mind. "You've felt something, haven't you?" Naruto asked quietly.
'Can they all be connected somehow?' He thought.
Shukaku's only response was a furious glare, its rage masking whatever it feared.
Naruto sighed. "I suppose talking to you is pointless."
Shifting his focus, he tore Gaara's shirt open, revealing the intricate black-ink seal on his abdomen.
"Let's put you back into your cage for now," he muttered.
Shukaku roared one last time, extending its claws in a desperate attempt to grab Gaara and stop him from completing his next move.
Naruto's right hand began to glow faintly. In one fluid motion, he pressed his fingers into Gaara's flesh, precisely around the seal.
"Sealing Jutsu: Restriction of the Five Elements."
A new formation appeared, pulsing with power. It disrupted Shukaku's control over Gaara, forcing the beast to revert back into pure chakra.
With a final agonized scream, Shukaku's form collapsed into a swirling torrent of energy, which was swiftly reabsorbed into Gaara's body.
"Go back to sleep, demon," Naruto whispered. "I'll deal with you soon enough. Don't be in such a hurry."
As the sealing process ended, Naruto began descending, Gaara slung over his shoulder.
"Naruto!"
Several familiar voices were already calling out to him before he even reached the ground.
Looking down, he saw a group of familiar faces waiting below, their expressions a mix of shock and relief.
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