102. Little Tanuki

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Gaara's head plunged into the ground, and Shukaku roared in pain as he struggled for control.

The Tailed Beast's chakra surged wildly, causing Gaara's body to further desertify.

Naruto should have taken this chance to restrain Gaara with his Shadow Clone Jutsu and bring him back to the village, but Kurama had been waiting to fight Shukaku for so long.

Ending it now would have been anticlimactic, and Naruto felt it might strain their budding friendship.

In the sealed space, Naruto sat at the top of Kurama's back, patting the big fox. "Just this one-time, okay?"

"What are you talking about?" Kurama asked, puzzled.

"Letting the enemy complete their transformation is the stupidest thing ever. He's not using some invincibility jutsu or freezing time. It's better to take him down before he's fully ready."

"Hmph, even if Shukaku is at full power, I could take him down in no time," Kurama scoffed, though he wasn't entirely sure.

Transformations in the anime feel long, but they're actually over in a few seconds.

"Hahahaha, I am finally out!" Shukaku's voice was sharp and harsh as he emerged fully transformed.

"Go on, say hello," Kurama nudged.

What could Naruto do? He had to start with something flashy.

"Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave!"

A massive wave surged forward, but Shukaku, towering dozens of meters high, was unimpressed. The water, several meters deep, barely covered his feet.

Still, Naruto managed to catch Shukaku's attention. "A pesky little bug!"

Shukaku swatted down, trying to crush Naruto.

"I'll show you soon enough that this bug isn't so easy to squash…" Naruto muttered.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall!"

A giant water column slammed into Shukaku's face. The attack didn't deal much damage but was certainly insulting.

"Annoying brat! You've angered this beast!

Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!"

Shukaku bellowed, his voice echoing through the desert as he launched a volley of high-speed air bullets.

As a creature of sand, Shukaku despised two things most: water and the Nine-Tails and here was this little brat, mocking him with both. Now he is determined to crush Naruto for good.

The barrage of sand and wind struck Naruto like a hailstorm. Dodging and weaving, Naruto was puzzled. "Where did he get all this sand from in a desert covered with water?"

It was disgusting to think about, so he decided to be cautious. "Water Release: Water Wall!"

He summoned a protective barrier of water, then layered two more on top, each thicker than the last.

"Better safe than sorry," Naruto murmured, hiding behind his triple-layered defence.

He considered summoning ten shadow clones but realized that would be disrespectful to Shukaku. So instead, he turned to Kurama.

"Hey, Kurama, lend me some chakra!"

"Do it yourself," Kurama replied with a grin, clearly enjoying Shukaku's fury.

Naruto grabbed a handful of Kurama's chakra, and his body was instantly cloaked in a thick layer of red chakra bubbles.

When all the sand bullets were blocked by his water walls, the sandstorm finally subsided.

Naruto leapt out, creating a thousand shadow clones. In an instant, a thousand versions of himself, each with fox ears and tails, surrounded Shukaku.

"Water Release: Thousand Water Dragons!"

With a synchronized shout, a thousand water dragons rose up. Each dragon, empowered by Kurama's chakra, was much larger than usual.

They merged in mid-air, forming a massive tidal wave that surged toward Shukaku from all directions.

Shukaku looked around in bewilderment. "Who am I? Where am I? And what the heck is that?"

The chakra smelled like the Nine-Tails, but why did it feel like facing Isobu, the Three-Tails? And why was there so much water?

"What kind of Water Jutsuu is this supposed to be?" Shukaku muttered in Kankuro's voice, bewildered.

Despite his confusion, Shukaku wasn't going to stand still. He pounded his belly and unleashed a massive gust of wind in all directions. "Wind Release: Sand Bullet!"

Naruto, watching from within the sealing space, wondered if he should learn Shukaku's Drilling Air Bullet technique. But then again, the downsized version resembled Danzo's Vacuum Bullets, and that seemed redundant.

The Air Bullets collided with the water dragons, creating a chaotic storm. But there were too many water dragons for the sand bullets to intercept.

The combined force of the water storm crashed into Shukaku, soaking him thoroughly.

"Stupid fox! Get out here and face me!" Shukaku roared in frustration as the water drenched his sandy form.

Kurama snickered from within Naruto. "Little Tanuki, you've gotten weak over the years, haven't you?"

Naruto's clones, seeing an opening, formed Rasengans and rushed in. Some clones raised their middle fingers before attacking, while others charged silently.

Shukaku thrashed wildly, his claws and tails swatting away countless clones. But each time he struck one down, another would leap onto him, planting Rasengans on his limbs and body.

Frustrated, Shukaku roared and unleashed a massive gust of wind, scattering Naruto's remaining clones.

"Brothers hit him with everything you've got!" Naruto shouted, his voice echoing through the battlefield.

The clones complied, swarming Shukaku from all directions. The air was filled with the sound of countless Rasengans colliding with Shukaku's sandy form, leaving craters all over his body.

"Damn brat… damn fox!" Shukaku cursed, desperately trying to shake off the clones. But the damage was done. His chakra was rapidly depleting as he repaired his battered form.

Realizing his position was dire, Shukaku gathered his chakra for one last attack. "I'll crush you all in one go! Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet Barrage!"

Naruto watched as the giant raccoon gathered chakra in his mouth, forming a massive purple-black sphere.

Kurama, still in control of Naruto's body, wasn't fazed. He grinned and burst out more tails, the chakra cloak thickening as it reached five tails.

"Let's see who's got the better ball!" Kurama roared, gathering his chakra for a Tailed Beast Bomb.

The two attacks collided mid-air, creating a massive explosion that rocked the entire area.

The shockwave flattened trees and sent water spraying everywhere.

For a moment, the entire battlefield was engulfed in a blinding flash of light and a deafening roar.

When the dust settled, both Naruto and Shukaku stood panting, the ground around them scorched and cratered.

Shukaku had lost a layer of sandy skin and looked worse for wear, while Naruto, now in his six-tailed form, was still raring to go.

"Had enough, tanuki?" Kurama taunted, his voice dripping with mockery.

Shukaku roared in defiance, but before he could launch another attack, he faltered.

Gaara, buried deep within, was losing consciousness, his control over Shukaku slipping.

"Stupid fox…" Shukaku growled, his voice fading as his massive form began to crumble. He shrank rapidly, revealing Gaara, unconscious and severely drained, lying in the sand.

"Well, that was anticlimactic," Kurama muttered, retracting his chakra. "All that power and you still went down like a chump."

Naruto, back in control, grimaced as the pain hit him. His body was scorched and battered from the intense chakra, but he managed a grin.

"Four to eight tails… never again," he muttered, his voice strained.

Kurama huffed, clearly annoyed. "You're too weak. Can't even handle full power for long. How am I supposed to have fun?"

"It's not all my fault," Naruto retorted. "We just need more practice."

He limped over to Gaara, summoning chains of chakra to bind him securely. He wasn't taking any chances. After sealing Gaara's chakra, Naruto heaved a sigh of relief.

"You'll be fine, Gaara. You just need some rest."

He glanced around, making sure there were no threats left, then began the long walk back to the village, carrying Gaara on his back.

The battle wasn't over yet, but this skirmish had been a good warm-up. With Shukaku subdued, Naruto was ready to face whatever came next.

He just hoped that others were holding their own. There were still battles raging all over the village, and he needed to be there.

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Naruto hurried back toward the village, his mind focused on the remaining battles.

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