It wasn't just fear holding Naruto back. If it were, Kurama would have already unleashed its hatred-filled chakra, driving Naruto into a blind rage and losing all control. If Naruto's consciousness retreated to trade places with Menma, the seal would collapse completely. The fox had already unleashed a torrent of chakra earlier, but Menma had released one layer of the Four Symbols Seal beforehand—leaving only the outer layer intact to maintain the sealed space while preventing the Tailed Beast from escaping.
Unfortunately, Kurama wasn't aware of this.
Menma wasn't in the outer mindscape but within the sealed space. If Naruto actively tried to escape again, he wouldn't be trading places with him. Previously, that exchange had happened simply because his body needed a consciousness to pilot it. After Naruto actively fled into this separated space, Menma was pulled out by his body from the unseparated subconscious.
But now, Menma had also entered this sealed space and hadn't left.
If Naruto dared to rage and escape again, only a hollow body would remain outside—driven by pure hatred, devoid of subjective consciousness. It would move solely on instinct until its chakra was exhausted.
Outside the mindscape...
With the infusion of that tiny bit of pure chakra from Kurama, Naruto instantly felt the hatred poisoning the fox's chakra dilute considerably.
Before, he could only maintain the rationality of the One-Tail state. Now, he could hold the sanity of 1.5 Tails.
Naruto didn't hesitate. He immediately pulled more Kurama chakra from the sealed space in his abdomen.
Crack!
The sand sphere binding him—constantly squeezing inward—suddenly shattered into countless openings. Crimson chakra erupted from within.
"It's no use," Gaara growled, his eyes burning with Shukaku's power. "This is my home turf now!"
He poured even more Shukaku chakra into the attack. His right eyebrow, like the left, transformed into the distinct shape of the One-Tail. More sand surged from the ground, swarming toward the rapidly breaking shell. It enveloped the already massive sphere, making it even larger.
But a second later...
Boom!
A scarlet chakra fox tail pierced through the giant sphere from the inside. It spun instantly, slicing the sand dome completely open.
Naruto emerged from the debris, stepping on the falling chunks of sand. He crouched low, legs coiling like springs, and launched himself forward. Using the collapsing shell as a launchpad, he left a red blur in mid-air, charging straight at Gaara.
Gaara's pupils constricted. He raised his hands, forming a protective shield over his chest. A sense of crisis he'd never felt before washed over him.
"Under the protection of the sand, no one can harm me!" he roared, his rage fueling his panic.
Simultaneously, the sand stopped gathering forward and instead thickened in front of him.
Sand Shield.
It was the absolute defense born of his mother's love—a wall against the world.
Unfortunately, that absolute defense was meeting an attack that had reached its limit.
Bang! Bang!
Naruto's fist, wreathed in red chakra, slammed into the shield. It didn't just stop; it shattered. Gaara's sand armor cracked. A powerful blow landed squarely on his face.
Gaara was launched backward like a rag doll, crimson blood spraying in mid-air.
"What?!" Temari gasped from her perch on a distant tree branch. Kankuro froze beside her.
They were hundreds of meters away, watching the chaos unfold. They had planned to calm Gaara down after he vented, but this?
"Gaara's defense was broken," Kankuro muttered, his voice trembling. "He's injured."
This was bad. An injured, bleeding Gaara wouldn't just get angry—he'd go berserk. He'd use the Tailed Beast Transformation or the Feign Sleep Technique.
"No, we can't let this derail the plan," Temari hissed. She exchanged a sharp glance with her brother.
They ignored the others. Leaping from the treetops, they sprinted toward the artificial desert ahead.
Up front, Naruto finally saw Gaara clearly. He cocked his head, confused.
"You... are you like me?" Naruto asked, his voice distorted by the chakra. "Do you have a monster sealed inside you, too?"
Gaara ignored him. He reached out and grabbed a handful of sand, staring at it in dazed horror.
"Mom... what's wrong?" he whispered. "And what is this... warm stuff?"
He touched the blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. A loose tooth fell into his palm.
"This is... a tooth. It's blood." His eyes widened in terror. "These are my teeth! My blood!"
"Aaaaah!!!"
Gaara screamed, a sound of pure helplessness. Instantly, massive amounts of sand covered half his body. A gigantic raccoon tail made of sand extended rapidly from his back.
"You useless brat!" Shukaku's voice shrieked from within the seal. "I gave you so much power, and you still can't beat that stinking fox's chakra? Give it all to me! Let me out, and I'll kill him in your place! You good-for-nothing trash!"
Shukaku was enraged watching Gaara get beaten. Every Tailed Beast from Two to Eight could defeat it, but Kurama—the foul-mouthed Nine-Tails—couldn't.
"Yes! Kill him! I'll kill him!"
Shukaku's piercing cry jolted Gaara awake. His face twisted with manic killing intent. He glared at Naruto and lunged forward.
Whoosh!
"Again?" Naruto scoffed.
Facing Gaara's outstretched claws, Naruto's fox tail swung forward, easily deflecting the attack. He unleashed another punch, sending Gaara crashing backward.
"No," Naruto growled, his confidence surging with the immense power. "You can't beat me now."
Meanwhile, deep in his mindscape, Menma's system continuously incremented its Corruption Points.
"Kill you! Kill you and I'll prove I exist!" Gaara shrieked.
Seeing himself knocked away again, Gaara's expression grew even more ferocious. More of his body began transforming into Tailed Beast features, stripping away his humanity completely.
"Gaara, stop!" Temari shouted, stepping in front of him with Kankuro flanking her side. Both siblings wore expressions of pure fear. "Have you forgotten the plan to rebuild the village?!"
"Brother and sister, please!" Kankuro pleaded. "Stop! You can vent your anger however you want afterward! You can even kill us!"
"Then I'll kill you both!" Enraged, Gaara's hand—now more sand than flesh—stabbed ruthlessly toward them.
---
We are currently pushing to climb the leaderboards, and your Power Stones and reviews make a massive difference. As the translator/writer, I am working hard to bring you the best experience.
If you would like to read more than 100 advance chapters, you can support the project at [email protected]/Rogue_Soul for only $5.
Thank you for your continued engagement in the comments.