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Shukaku dispersed the oil-covered sand from its body, and its tail also disintegrated before reforming. However, with no sand nearby, Shukaku had to use its own supply, making it look significantly slimmer [lit. like it had lost two circles].
"Hahaha..." The fat orange fox continued to slap the ground, roaring with laughter.
Naruto shot it a contemptuous glance. What's so funny? Now that it's slimmed down, you're the fattest one.
"Little insects, you've enraged me!!" The furious Shukaku was nearing the brink of madness. These two little insects had humiliated it time and time again, causing it to completely lose face. Moreover, the stinking fox had been watching the entire time; it could already picture how that fox must be laughing right now.
A Tailed Beast Bomb gathered at Shukaku's mouth, much larger than the previous one. Shukaku poured all its chakra into it; to kill these two insects, it wouldn't hesitate even if it meant falling into slumber for several months afterward!
"What incredible power!" Sasuke exclaimed in amazement. He had thought the previous attack was the opponent's ultimate move, never expecting something even stronger. The previous one was about the size of Shukaku's head, but this Tailed Beast Bomb was slightly larger than Shukaku itself.
"Let's go, Sasuke." Naruto opened the portal again.
This technique's long preparation time made it useless against opponents with fast attacks and high frequency, like Zabuza or Orochimaru, who allowed no time to prepare. But against the Tailed Beast Bomb, which required charging time, it was surprisingly effective.
"Hn." Sasuke glanced at the purple door; he had never realized how useful this technique could be before. Sasuke had always considered this skill merely for transportation; today was the first time he had seen Naruto use it effectively in actual combat. He now understood the monster's abilities – controlling sand for attacks, much like Gaara – but Naruto had lured it out onto the ocean, severely limiting it. And that world-destroying attack was rendered completely useless simply because of this purple door. For the first time, Sasuke began to truly appreciate [lit. developed thoughts about] this kind of spatial transportation ability.
"Die, insects!" Shukaku pushed the Tailed Beast Bomb, intending to crush the two insects.
Then, under its astonished gaze, the Tailed Beast Bomb passed right through the two insects, one of whom even waved goodbye.
————
Many years later, Tazuna sat on the Great Naruto Bridge, telling his great-grandson the story of that day: "To this day, I still don't know the name of the fireworks I saw that day."
"It brought abundant marine resources to the Land of Waves, and it also brought hope, so everyone calls it the Flower of Hope."
Of course, he wouldn't mention the part about watching the fireworks while lying flat on the ground.
————
When Naruto teleported Sasuke back to the battlefield, the surface of the sea was covered with countless floating dead fish. The fishy stench in the air was overpowering, impossible to block even by pinching one's nose.
Shukaku had fallen into despair. The first time, it had fired the Tailed Beast Bomb from behind its Shield of Sand, and the blast itself obscured its vision, so it hadn't seen how the two disappeared. This time, it had seen clearly: the Tailed Beast Bomb passed right through them. Then, a moment later, they reappeared out of that purple light.
It couldn't swat the two insects, the Drilling Air Bullets couldn't hit, the Tailed Beast Bomb couldn't hit, and there was no sand nearby – this was a terrible experience.
"Stinking fox! If you've got guts, fight me in the desert next time!" Shukaku spat out the threat as its sand body began to disintegrate.
"Fine! This old man will oblige!" the fox spirit shot back with its own threat.
"Brat, next time go fight it in the desert," the Nine-Tails immediately turned and delegated the task to Naruto.
Leaning against the wall [inside Naruto's mindscape], the Nine-Tails chewed on a skewer, picked up a cup to drink cola. This old man is living too comfortably; who wants to waste time fighting with you miserable lot for fun?
"Hic~" (Burp).
Naruto gazed towards the heavens [internally]. Going by the fox's eating habits, it was debatable whether it could even fit through the gate in the future. When Naruto needed to transform into the Nine-Tails mode, he might have to tear down the walls on either side first.
"He's out." Sasuke's Sharingan fixed on the red-haired youth revealed as the sand disintegrated.
"Let's go check."
Gaara, who had lost consciousness due to Shukaku's rampage, lay floating on the sea surface. Just as he regained consciousness, he saw two figures looking down at him.
"You're awake."
He tried to move, but alas, he had no strength left in his body. Incredulously, he asked, "You... defeated it?"
Although his body was weak, Gaara felt a sense of ease he had never experienced before. The beast that constantly gnawed at him felt dormant, completely still, as if asleep.
"Can you still control the sand?" Naruto asked.
"???" Gaara didn't understand.
"Can the monster inside you still move?"
Naruto had just asked the Nine-Tails why Shukaku had vanished. The Nine-Tails had disdainfully explained that it had exhausted its chakra and fallen into slumber, adding something dismissive about 'one [Tailed Beast Bomb] wasn't enough' and 'fewer tails means trash,' which Naruto automatically filtered out.
"???" Gaara still didn't understand.
Naruto lightly kicked Gaara. The water-soaked sand on Gaara's body still gathered to protect him.
"Why is it still protecting you?" Naruto kicked away the damp sand.
Gaara froze. Why?
Naruto took a brick out of seemingly nowhere² and smack! slapped it onto Gaara's stomach.
"Does it hurt?"
Hiss— Gaara sucked in a sharp breath.
"When your mom gave birth to you back then, it hurt more than this!"
Gaara clenched his jaw tightly, sweat beading on his forehead from the pain, unable to speak.
Smack! Naruto slapped another brick onto Gaara's stomach, shattering the brick.
"It hurt more than this too!"
Smack!
"Even though it hurt this much, she still gave birth to you!"
Smack!
Smack!
Naruto slapped brick after brick.
The last thing Gaara heard before losing consciousness was: "Do you feel her love for you now?"
"It hurts that much?" Sasuke didn't care why Naruto was suddenly hitting Gaara; he only asked what he wanted to know.
"How would I know? I haven't given birth," Naruto rolled his eyes. Your focus is so weird.
Naruto figured he didn't possess the original protagonist's 'Talk-no-Jutsu' needed to reform Gaara, this 'terminal-stage mental patient'. But having no Talk-no-Jutsu didn't matter. He had bricks. Bricks cure all ills.
Of course, for types like Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Madara, who were solely obsessed with their virtual worlds, Sasuke's Chidori was required.
Those two needed electrotherapy.
"Let's go," Sasuke said. Now that Gaara was knocked out, it was time to head back.
"Oh."