Chapter 326: Sealing Sasuke
When Shukaku threatened to tell all the tailed beasts about this, the Nine-Tails' expression immediately darkened.
A lie repeated a thousand times doesn't become the truth, but everyone will start treating it as if it were.
At that point, for the Nine-Tails, it wouldn't matter anymore.
Especially since Shukaku was such a loudmouth.
Even worse, it seemed that Shukaku had also reconciled with its jinchūriki.
Among the nine tailed beasts, both Kurama and Shukaku ranked near the top in terms of bad temper.
Back in the original story, during Deidara's capture of the One-Tail, Shukaku had been extremely stubborn and refused to utter a word.
Although part of the reason might have been that Shukaku thought the Akatsuki only wanted its power, believing it was just being transferred from one prison to another, not realizing they intended to sacrifice it to the Gedo Statue.
Kurama understood Shukaku's personality well. If Shukaku hadn't reconciled with its jinchūriki, there might still have been some room to maneuver.
But now that it had, there was no way around it.
Shukaku would definitely spread this everywhere.
"Damn Shukaku, I'll deal with you first…"
The Nine-Tails, controlling Naruto's body, lunged toward Gaara.
What a great opportunity.
Shukaku understood Gaara's thoughts. Facing the Nine-Tails' attack, Gaara reacted like a succubus encountering a rogue lover, exactly what he wanted.
He simply gave up resisting.
"Hmm?"
The Nine-Tails sensed something was off and immediately stopped.
It couldn't figure out why Shukaku had chosen not to resist.
After all, it hadn't heard Gaara's earlier words from the other side.
As for anything else?
The Nine-Tails only remembered that during the Chūnin Exams, Naruto had once used explosive tags for a "Thousand Years of Death" attack on Gaara.
Surely Gaara hadn't developed feelings for Naruto just because of that?
If that were the case, the ninja world would be far too dangerous.
Or was it because the Sunagakure Village was so dry that people there had… peculiar preferences?
Did the "Konoha White Fang", who invented that technique, discover this during the war and decide to exploit it to farm affection, only to accidentally overdo it and kill Sasori's parents while trying to win them over?
In any case, the Nine-Tails didn't understand Shukaku and Gaara's intentions, but it did understand one thing: whatever the enemy wanted, it must not give them. Whatever the enemy supports, it must oppose.
So it slammed on the brakes.
Then it turned its attention back to Sasuke.
"Shukaku, think of something, quick!"
Gaara grew anxious.
[...I am not in peak condition today. I'll let that damn fox win this round, I…]
Shukaku was clearly weaker than the Nine-Tails, but still stubbornly tried to save face.
Halfway through speaking, it seemed to feel a bit ashamed.
It had promised to reconcile with Gaara, yet it hadn't been able to help at all.
If the Nine-Tails could control Naruto's body and act as a strategist, then why couldn't it?
Shukaku racked its brain, and actually came up with an idea.
[It seems I, Shukaku, also possess the makings of a great strategist… Kid, follow my lead,]
Shukaku whispered instructions in Gaara's mind.
"…This might actually work."
Gaara hesitated for a moment, but for the sake of stopping the Nine-Tails, he acted.
With a wave of his right hand, sand surged toward "Naruto", who was about to act against Sasuke.
Given the strength of that sand, the Nine-Tails could easily disperse it with a single wave of its chakra cloak.
But Gaara's target wasn't "Naruto."
He knew that he and Shukaku were no match for Naruto and the Nine-Tails combined.
So instead, he shifted his focus to Sasuke, who was unconscious and completely defenseless.
"Is he trying to take Sasuke away? Probably… He wouldn't try to kill him, right?"
Watching from above, Sakura grew tense.
In her mind, Gaara was still the same unhinged person from the Chūnin Exams.
Even though his personality had changed before leaving Konoha, that impression was hard to shake.
"Killing him? Probably not. Gaara's the Kazekage now. As for taking him away… It's unlikely."
"Or rather, he wouldn't be able to."
"In Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, Naruto's speed is so fast it's almost impossible to track with the naked eye. Gaara and Shukaku aren't known for speed, they specialize in defense…"
Shikamaru analyzed the situation below.
But after all that thinking, he still couldn't figure out what Gaara and Shukaku were planning.
He didn't need to keep analyzing, the answer soon revealed itself.
Gaara's sand split into two streams: one blocked a critical area, while the other sealed the mouth.
"I see. As long as the cave entrance is blocked, no matter how strong the Nine-Tails is, it won't be able to act."
"Unless it has something like the Tsuchikage Ōnoki's Dust Release, and the precision to control it, there's no way out."
"Brilliant. Truly brilliant."
Shikamaru couldn't help but praise the plan.
The Nine-Tails was stunned.
It hadn't expected Shukaku to be this clever.
But…
"If the entrance is blocked, what about the exit?"
"Oh no!"
Shukaku and Gaara immediately realized the problem, their thoughts aligning in an instant.
Just as "Naruto" was about to act again, Gaara's sand rushed in: "Desert Layered Imperial Funeral Seal!"
A pyramid covered in black sealing patterns sealed off the exit completely.
It cut off all of the Nine-Tails' plans.
The Nine-Tails was furious.
All it wanted was to help Naruto and Sasuke confirm their relationship. Was that really so difficult?
Why was everyone trying to stop this pair of star-crossed lovers?
"Roar!"
The Nine-Tails let out a helpless roar as the golden chakra cloak around Naruto dissipated.
Since this was Naruto's first real use of the Nine-Tails' power, he couldn't sustain it for long.
Once it faded, Naruto also lost consciousness due to the anesthetic.
"Thank you, Shukaku."
Gaara sincerely expressed his gratitude.
That sealing technique hadn't been his own, "Desert Layered Imperial Funeral Seal" was Shukaku's unique sealing Technique.
"Hehe, Shukaku beat that stupid fox! Shukaku wins!"
Seeing the Nine-Tails "cry out" and disappear, Shukaku felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and began cackling gleefully.
It didn't even respond to Gaara's thanks.
Gaara didn't mind.
For over a decade, every time he tried to sleep, Shukaku would chatter endlessly in his mind.
He was used to it.
Gaara walked toward Naruto, intending to carry him back to rest.
However.
"Stop! Don't go near Naruto!"
"Killer Bee-sama, he's the Kazekage, Naruto's friend."
"Idiot, he's not just a friend. He's that kind of friend."
Killer Bee scolded his teammate.
"But that gave me an idea. I'll use it too."
As he spoke, Killer Bee twisted his body, and the Eight-Tails' tentacles emerged behind him.
In his view, Gaara's feelings toward Naruto went beyond friendship.
To prevent a "mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind", Killer Bee flung out three octopus tentacles.
Just like how the sand had sealed things off earlier, the tentacles completed a blockade around Naruto.
(End of this chapter)