(In Gaara's mindscape.....)
Naruto groaned as his mind began to receive some of Gaara's memories. Kurama hadn't said anything about that when he taught him the jutsu. The constant memories and emotions being forced into his own mind felt like a hot, searing knife cutting his brain. He fell to his knees as he grabbed his head and groaned in pain. He didn't even know when tears had began to fall from his eyes. It was probably the mixture of Gaara's emotional turmoil and his own pain that forced the salt water out of his tear ducts. When it finally stopped, Naruto panted as he gripped at nothing. He was trying to calm his racing heart and throbbing head. It took the blond a couple of minutes to recover before he finally opened his eyes.
With glazed eyes, Naruto looked around at the jinchuriki's mindscape. Gaara's mind was dark. Naruto could barely see anything as he had to use his fire to get some form of light. He slowly stood up and began walking into what seemed like and endless abyss of darkness until he felt sand at his feet. Looking ahead, he was a dim glow that reminded him a lot when he first entered the sewer he called a mindscape. He continued to walk toward the dimly lit room before the sand began to move violently around him.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" a voice roared.
Naruto turned in the direction of the voice, bringing his arms of to shield the wild swirling sand. He walked toward the direction he heard the voice from. When he finally arrived, he had to dodge the incoming claw that tried to crush him. He finally looked up and was met with the sight of an enraged Shukaku who was unleashing a great amount of his killing intent. Naruto narrowed his at the bijuu as he jumped in the air to evade the swing of the tanuki's tail. Golden red chains burst from Naruto's back as he landed not far from the bijuu. Shukaku was surprised when the golden chains began to wrap around him, restraining him by his limbs and suppressing his chakra. He roared in frustration and fury as he black and gold eye landed on the orange rat.
"RELEASE ME!" his voice boomed through the mindscape.
Naruto just stared at the bijuu. He didn't say anything as his eyes traveled to the collar that was around his neck. The collar was connected to a metal chain that seemed to disappear into the darkness behind him. Naruto narrowed his eyes at the seal on the collar. It was incomplete and poorly done. 'Who in the hell did this shit?' the thought as he rolled his sleeve and bit his thumb, drawing blood. He smeared his blood over a seal on his arm before the seal began to glow. A large scroll appeared beside him. He unrolled the scroll, revealing a blank space and summoned ink and a brush.
"LET ME GO, MORTAL, SO I CAN CRUSH YOU LIKE THE INSECT YOU ARE!" Shukaku barked.
The bijuu suddenly found himself pinned to the floor, feeling his restraints tightening. He growled as he glared at Naruto. Naruto took menacing steps toward the bijuu. When he was finally face to face with the Ichibi, he grabbed his collar, staring at the seal before looking at the bijuu fearlessly. Shukaku inwardly gasped as he watched the boy's eyes change into the eyes that had lead to Kurama's capture and sealing. 'He has eyes like that boy?!' he inwardly yelled as he looked into those eternal mangekyou sharingan. He shifted uncomfortably under those eyes that stared at him.
"Now, now, Shukaku. Given your current situation, it would be smart of you to play nice." Naruto said. "If you don't want to be stuck in a cookie jar for the rest of your life, I suggest you shut up and listen to what I have to say."
Shukaku was speechless. This kids had some serious balls to talk to one of the great bijuu like that. He could only stare at the boy as he continued to inspect the seal. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he barely caught the boy's question.
"How does the seal make you feel?" Naruto asked as he traced over the seal that was on his collar.
Shukaku stared at the child before he finally snapped out of it. He glared at him. "And why should I tell you?" he said stubbornly.
It was Naruto's turn to glare at the bijuu, surprising Shukaku once more. "Just answer the damn question." he snapped.
Shukaku growled at him before turning from him. How dare this boy talk to him that way?! Naruto sucked his teeth as he walked away from the stubborn tanuki. 'He's worst than Kurama....' he thought exasperatedly. He kneeled in front of his open scroll and grabbed his brush before dipping it in ink. He began to working on a seal to modify the seal. His eyebrows furrowed as he completed the seal that was supposed be placed on Gaara. 'What in the hell?' Naruto frowned as he pressed his thumb against the paper, erasing the seal that had once been there. He was so glad when he learned how to do the technique. It saved him a lot of paper and time. His clan's adeptness in fūinjutsu never ceased to amazing him.
Shukaku watched the boy work from the corner of his eye. There was no doubt that the boy was from that clan. He may not have looked like them, but watching him work and be able to copy a seal just from studying it only solidified his heritage in his opinion. Not many people could do that. The blonde stayed there for several minutes before he finally stood. He rolled the scroll before putting it on his back and walking back toward him.
"Where is Gaara?" Naruto demanded.
Shukaku just glared at the blonde. "Again, why should I tell you?" he asked.
Naruto snapped as he tightened his restraints. Shukaku groaned at this. Naruto was glaring at him fiercely. "I don't have time for your shit, Shukaku! Tell me where he is or I will make sure that you never be free!" he roared with his sharingan blazing in fury.
"Behind me." Shukaku groaned out, felling the chains begin to eat away at his chakra.
Naruto stared at the bijuu before turning around. He walked around him and began to walk. He was a few meters behind Shukaku when he finally found Gaara curled up in a corner. The boy looked miserable. His body shook and he held his head. Naruto heard mumblings of 'mother' amongst other things. The blond walked to the crouching boy and lightly touched his shoulder. Gaara slowly turned to around until his eyes landed on the blonde. His eyes widened and he scurried back with a haunted look on his face.
"YOU!" he yelled as he moved away from him.
Naruto rolled his eyes in irritation before he disappeared, he reappeared in front of Gaara and grabbed him by the collar. Gaara suddenly felt a sharp sting to his cheek, causing him to look at Naruto, who looked at him with an annoyed expression. His patience was really running thin and he still hadn't finished his assignment.
"Snap out of it, Gaara!" he yelled at him.
Gaara was shocked and his mouth gaped like a fish. "You....." he finally said. "You're the one who defeated mother."
Naruto grabbed the bridge of his nose at this. "That...." Naruto said, pointing at the currently restrained bijuu, much to its annoyance. Gaara followed where Naruto was pointing and his eyes widened. "is not your mother. That is an oversized rodent." he said.
"HOW DARE YOU?!" Shukaku roared indignantly as he tried to fight his restraints. "I WILL RIP YOUR HEART OUT AND PAINT MY SAND WITH YOUR BLOOD, YOU FOOLISH CHILD!"
Naruto smirked smugly at the bijuu before turning back to Gaara who looked scared. Naruto sighed as he offered Gaara his hand. Gaara looked down at his hand in confusion.
"Get up." Naruto ordered.
Gaara slowly took his hand and allowed the blonde to help him stand. Naruto tried to let go of his hand , but Gaara held it with an iron grip. He looked back at the boy and saw the fear and panic in the boys eyes. He sighed as he began to pull Gaara toward the bijuu. When they finally made in front the bijuu, Shukaku grinned at Gaara and began leaking killing intent. Horror marred Gaara's features as he tried to hide behind Naruto.
"ENOUGH!" Naruto roared at the bijuu.
The killing intent stopped and Shukaku turned to glare at the blonde. "Who do you think you are to demand anything from ore-sama, the Ichibi of the Great Nine?" he said as his glare intensified.
Naruto narrowed his eyes at the bijuu. "You know what, Shukaku? That cookie jar is sitting right on my counter at home, waiting to be filled. I do not mind stuffing your big ass and sealing you in there. Permanently." he threatened. "You can ask you older brother if you'd like."
Shukaku narrowed his eyes at this. "What are you talking about?" he asked, leaking killer intent.
"I'm not telling you anything until you agree on a few conditions I have for you." Naruto stated.
"What makes you think you are in any position to negotiate with me?" Shukaku said with a glare.
"And you are?" Naruto replied as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You are really trying by patience today, tanuki. At this rate, I will put you in a cage and make it so you have no freedom in this vessel. Now I suggest you cooperate before I remind you of why my clan was wiped out of existence in the first place."
Shukaku looked away from the blonde. After of few moments, he turned back to the blond with a growl. "Fine." he said reluctantly.
"Great." Naruto chirped. "Number 1, I want you to stop torturing Gaara. He didn't ask for you to be sealed inside of him and he was not responsible for sealing you. He is seen as a weapon because of you and has lived a shitty life because of it. I don't give a damn how you feel, he doesn't deserved to have a fucked up mind because your issues."
"Number 2, let the boy sleep. I know you are the reason he deals with insomnia. I also know that the current seal makes you highly uncomfortable and if you cooperate, I do not mind modifying and loosening it so you can have a bit more freedom. As long as you agree not to harm Gaara in any way." he continued.
"And lastly, you need to apologize to Gaara for what you've done to him. It wasn't right despite of your situation. I know your crazy, but that doesn't mean you need to make your host the same. If you would have simply talked to him, you could have found a more creative outlet for your mental issues." he stated bluntly.
Shukaku growled indignantly. "Tch. Why do I have to apologize to this brat? I don't recall you humans apologizing to me for my imprisonment." he said.
A tick mark formed on Naruto's head. "What the hell do you want me to say, you damn tanuki?!" he said in annoyance. "I'm sorry? Fine. I don't know what the hell happened, but I'm sorry Shukaku. I know humans can be selfish, inconsiderate, and have a superiority complex, but I'm sorry Shukaku. I'm sorry the First Hokage imprisoned you and your siblings and I'm sorry that they shoved you inside the embryo of a human child. What more do you want me to say?!"
The mindscape went deadly silent. Shukaku just stared at the blonde child before his eyes traveled to the red head behind him. He stared at Naruto again and said nothing. 'Who in the hell is this child?' he thought as he turned away from the humans.
"Thank you." Shukaku grunted out.
Naruto grabbed the bridge of his nose again. Taking a couple of breaths, he finally turned to Gaara who was speechless. "Lift up, your shirt." he said as he unrolled his scroll.
Gaara just dumbly nodded as he did what he was told. Naruto grabbed his paint brush and began to finish the missing parts that had faded on Gaara's seal, finishing the initial seal. He then put the paint brush down before going through a few hand seals that Gaara nor Shukaku had ever seen before. He then placed a hand on Gaara's stomach before placing his other hand on the seal on the scroll.
"Fūinjutsu: Recombination Transfer!" Naruto said.
The seals on Gaara's stomach and on the scroll both glowed before they both began to shift and the formulas began to change and adjust. Shukaku's collar glowed as well and the chain that was connected to it broke before disintegrating. The seal on Shukaku's collar changed and the word 'SEAL' appeared on it. There was a sense of relief that fell upon Shukaku as he oddly felt calm and was subdued. The seal on the scroll eventually disappeared and the seal on Gaaras stomach finally stopped shifting and glowed blue before disappearing into his skin. When it was finally done, Naruto panted a little as he removed his hand from Gaara's stomach and the scroll. He re-rolled the blank scroll before resealing it into his arm.
He stood up and looked at both the bijuu and his container. Gaara pulled down his shirt while Shuaku was know lying down, his eyes never leaving Naruto. Naruto finally re-summoned his chakra chains, freeing Shukaku from his restraints. Gaara watched in slight awe as the golden red chains disappeared into the boy's back. 'What was that?' he thought as the chains were no longer visible.
"My job is done." Naruto said as he started to walk away.
"Wait!" Gaara cried out, grabbing his arm.
Naruto turned to face the boy. "What is it?"he asked.
"What about my existence?" Gaara asked him. "What does this mean?"
Naruto stared at the boy for a moment before placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "Gaara." Naruto stared. "No one can prove your existence. Your existence is something only you can prove and define." he answered.
Gaara's eyes furrowed at this. "I don't understand." he said.
"You want to now know what gives our existence value?" Naruto asked.
"What is it?" Gaara responded.
"Purpose and vision." Naruto said. "The two are co-existing forces that cannot function without the other. Without vision, there is no purpose and without purpose, a vision can not be fulfilled." he stated. "My purpose is to protect those I consider precious to me. However, my vision is to create and provide for them, so that they can stay protected and thrive. You only have something to fight for when there is something precious to you. That, Gaara, is what makes us truly strong."
Gaara was silent, allowing the blond's words to sink in. "So how do I find what's precious to me?" he finally asked.
Naruto chuckled as he removed his hand from his shoulder. "Your brother and sister love you Gaara." he said, causing Gaara's eyes to widen in surprise. "They may be afraid of you, but they try. And they have never left your side, despite of everything. Perhaps, that is a good place to start."
Before Gaara could ask anymore questions, he was suddenly knocked unconscious. Naruto stared at the sleeping genin before turning to Shukaku who was watching the whole thing. "Take care of him, Shukaku." he said.
Shukaku huffed at this. "Whatever." he said.
Naruto only shook his head at this as he prepared to leave.
"Wait!" Shukaku called out, causing the Uzumaki to pause.
"What is it?" he asked in annoyance.
"Who are you?" Shukaku asked honestly.
Naruto stared at the bijuu before he answered. "I am Naruto Uzumaki. Jinchuriki of the Kyubi no Kitsune." he answered as he disappeared from the mindscape.
Shukaku eyes went wide as he watched the boy disappear. 'So that's how he knew him!' he exclaimed inwardly before he frowned. 'Then why couldn't I sense his chakra......?' he thought as his eyes traveled to the sleeping boy not far from him. He growled in annoyance as he rested his head on his arms. 'I hate humans......'
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(In the real world....)
Naruto groaned as he returned to the land of the living. He rubbed his temples as he recovered from the jutsu. He would be dispelling a few minutes so there was no use to delaying anything. He looked down at the boy that was currently asleep. He sighed. 'Good thing I'm just a clone.' he said as he looked in the direction of the village. 'Boss is sure in for one hell of a headache.' he was about to dispel himself when the other two Sand genin dropped down into the opening not far from him. He stepped back and held out a kunai, ready to defend himself.
"He's only sleeping." Naruto said, shocking Sand siblings.
Temari narrowed her eyes at him. "What did you do to my brother?" she said drawing her own kunai.
"Temari!" Kankuro called out to his sister, catching her attention. "We have to go."
Temari looked at Kankuro before turning back to look at Naruto. Her grip around the kunai tightened as she looked at the boy. "But...." she started.
"We have to go now, Temari!" Kankuro exclaimed. "Everyone is retreating!" he said, casing Temari to pause.
She looked back at Kankuro before her teal eyes traveled to Gaara. She gritted her teeth before she reluctantly put away her kunai and moved to help their sleeping brother up. Kankuro grabbed his arm and wrapped it around his neck while Temari did the same with the other. They both turned to the face the blonde who was just staring at them. Temari sent him a glare before the Suna team disappeared an took off into the trees.
Naruto chuckled to himself as he put his kunai away and wiped the sweat off his brow. He looked at the sky that was clear from his point of view. He could feel Sasuke's chakra signature coming toward him and sighed. When Sasuke finally landed in the clearing, naruto was already turning to face him. The two stared at each other as a gentle breeze blew into the clearing.
"Dobe." Sasuke finally said.
"Teme." Naruto spoke.
Before Sasuke could speak again, the clone dispelled causing the Uchiha to blink for a couple of moments. When he finally snapped out of his shock his eye twitched as he clenched his fists. 'You mean to tell me that that was a clone the whole time?!' he mentally roared before he looked toward the village. 'Then where was the real Naruto?!' the Uchiha looked around the clearing at the amount of damage the landscape had taken. He didn't know what happened there, but whatever it was, it was big. After being lost in his thoughts, the Uchiha took to the trees toward the village with narrowed eyes. Someone was going to have some explaining to do.