Chapter 98: I'll Just Love Myself!

"Tsk, tsk~ You say that, but actually, you just think it's hard for you to handle, so you're dumping this troublesome thing on me! Sasuke, you're so sneaky! I'm not doing it~"

Naruto turned his head away in a huff. Sasuke was always like this, dumping the things he didn't like to do on him!

When they were kids, Sasuke didn't like natto and sweets. Every time under Aunt Mikoto's stern gaze, he'd act all well - behaved, but as soon as she turned her back, he'd push those things onto his plate!

It was so unfair! He wasn't a trash can, always having to take the things Sasuke didn't like.... He was a person too, and he had to stand up, fight back, and say no to this unfairness!

Temari had no interest in watching these two clowns bicker. While they were distracted, she helped Gaara up, glanced into the distance, confirmed the escape route, and then turned and ran.

"Thud!"

A kunai flew through the strands of hair by her ear and the kunai was deeply embedded in the tree ahead. It was a warning!

It seemed they couldn't move forward until they dealt with these two. Temari took out the big fan from her back, put it down heavily on the ground, and grabbed the edge of the Tessen to wave it vigorously.

"Annoying guys, chasing us like this won't win you any girls' hearts!"

"Huh?"

"Wind Release: Sickle Weasel Technique"

After the Tessen was waved, wind blades swept up the surrounding branches and slashed at Naruto and Sasuke.

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage"

Wasn't it just Wind Release? Naruto was also good at it. The two different Wind Release techniques collided. A powerful tornado was whipped up at the center of the attack and moved back and forth.

Now it was a contest of who had more Chakra Reserves Amount. As both sides kept pouring out Chakra, Temari was sweating profusely. Her Chakra was running low. Frowning, she looked at Naruto, who seemed to be handling the situation with ease.

Although she had consumed some Chakra in her fight with Shikamaru, how could this guy still have so much Chakra after his tough fight with Neji Hyūga? It was terrifying!

Temari was running out of strength, and her Wind Release was getting weaker, while Naruto's Wind Release was mercilessly overwhelming them.

The two of them were torn apart by the strong wind without any resistance. Their bodies were covered in many small cuts. After the wind pressure subsided, they fell heavily to the ground.

She tried to prop herself up, but there was no strength left in her body.

Gaara lay on the ground, shaking his head in an attempt to relieve his dizziness. Seeing Temari lying on the ground, Gaara became even more furious.

Why did Temari risk her life to protect him? In Temari's heart, he shouldn't just be a heart - less killing machine, the terrifying being that everyone feared.

They had ignored him for so many years. At this moment, there was no need to be pretending to be a united and loving family with harmonious siblings.

After all, they never were!

.....

Gaara's emotional breakdown allowed Shukaku inside him to transform into a more complete tailed - beast form.

The sand that originally covered only half of his body spread all over his body. With black pupils, a long tail, and a big sandy mouth, he looked a bit comical for a moment.

"You... are seeking death! Wind Release: Air Bullets!"

Gaara took a deep breath. His belly puffed up and he spat forcefully in Naruto's direction.

"Naruto, dodge quickly!"

His attack was so fast that it reached Naruto almost in the blink of an eye. He was yanked in the opposite direction by Sasuke quickly and barely managed to avoid it.

Naruto looked up in shock at the place where the Air Bullets had passed.

A piece of the ground had been cut off, and the cut edge was incredibly smooth. He actually had such strength!

"Naruto, stop sitting there in a daze. Get up quickly!"

"Sasuke..."

This was the first time Naruto had felt Gaara's power. If Sasuke hadn't pulled him just now, he might have lost his life by now. Gaara's appearance, combined with that terrifying strength, really deserved to be called a monster.

...

Ah! It was this kind of look, this kind of look of fear. Ever since he was a child, he had been treated with cold looks like this.

When he was young, not only did the personal guards who had always been by his side want to kill him, but even his father didn't care about their father - son relationship at all.

Since none of you are willing to love me, then I'll love myself!

"Wind Release: Air Bullets!"

A dozen high - pressure air currents were spat out one after another. Sasuke dragged the still - dazed Naruto to dodge quickly.

Getting hit by an attack of this level would be disastrous, but this idiot still had the time to be in a daze here.

Taking advantage of the gap between Gaara's attacks, he raised his fist and gave a hard blow to that dazed head.

"Ouch! Sasuke, why did you hit me?"

"Why? This is the battlefield. There won't be a referee to call a halt. If you keep being in a daze like this, you might just be the next one to die!"

"Sasuke..."

Naruto felt a bit wronged. Both of them were hated by everyone in the village and were the most disliked and cursed ones. From that look, he could understand how miserable Gaara's life had been.

And he himself used to live like that too, but one day, a young boy reached out his hand to him and led him into the light.

He met many warm - hearted people, starting with Teacher Iruka whom he first met, then Sasuke, the gentle and beautiful Aunt Mikoto, the a bit strict Uncle Fugaku, the always mysterious Aniki Itachi, and Uncle Ichiraku from the ramen shop.

He met so many warm - hearted people, and gradually his heart changed. He was living a happy life under the sun, instead of becoming a killing machine like Gaara.

He was really happy!

...

"Gaara, maybe there are many reasons that made you what you are today, but that's definitely not a reason for you to attack Konoha. I will definitely defeat you!"

Naruto stood up, his eyes firm. He glanced at Sasuke.

Humph! This brat finally came to his senses.

"Naruto!"

"Don't worry, I get what you mean!"

The tacit understanding between the two of them over the years didn't require words to communicate. Just a glance was enough to know what the other was thinking.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu"

Naruto's clones were standing on the lush forest branches. Their agile figures shuttled back and forth in the forest, disturbing Gaara's line of sight.

Gaara waved his huge paws, trying to swat these annoying clones to death, but they kept coming one after another, endless.

Gaara made Hand Seals, and the sand grains around him condensed into round balls that floated around his body. Then, with a roar from him.

The round balls shot out like bullets from a gun.

"Puff! Puff! Puff!"

All of Naruto's clones were knocked down!

............

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