Chapter 276: Reinforcing the Seal
Is that her?
Though the girl in the footage was just a short little bean sprout, Gaara still recognized her at a glance—it was that Uchiha girl, something like Uchiha what's-her-name.
Gaara had a deep impression of Satsuki. Besides the sharp strength and Sharingan she'd displayed in the preliminaries, the main reason was that every time he saw Naruto, this girl was almost like conjoined twins, following closely at Naruto's side, those black eyes always vigilantly surveying the surroundings.
Then, in this memory segment, Gaara saw little Naruto receiving for the first time from a peer pure goodwill without any impurities or fear.
This black-haired, black-eyed girl didn't scream and run away like other children, nor did she cast disgusted or distant looks.
Little Naruto seemed somewhat happy, saying something to this girl as pretty as a doll. And little Satsuki showed no signs of disgust either. Just like that, these two tiny figures actually began training together on that training ground, clumsy yet earnest...
First that powerful old man, then that ramen shop owner, now... is it her again? Gaara thought silently.
He watched memory fragments flow, just finding it somewhat strange when little Naruto learned little Satsuki's name—that abnormally odd reaction as if confirming something didn't seem like merely the joy of making a friend.
Memory's flow began accelerating, like flipping pages. Simultaneously, some extremely brief, blurry black fragments interspersed throughout, flashing past. Gaara couldn't see clearly what those were.
Were they... secrets he didn't want outsiders to know? The secrets deepest in Naruto's consciousness that he least wanted others to know were protected by his heart.
Gaara was like watching a film on fast-forward, watching days pass one by one.
From that day forward, Naruto's life trajectory completely changed. After learning about those malicious rumors regarding Naruto in the village, Uchiha Satsuki not only didn't distance herself but became furious at those groundless slanders, even nearly coming to blows with several children who spoke ill of Naruto once. Moreover, Satsuki was different from that old man and the ramen shop owner before.
Little Naruto and little Satsuki agreed to train together at their secret little base whenever free, or simply stay together. From initially meeting three times a week, four times... to five times... until finally, they met almost every single day, inseparable.
Gaara clearly saw that—though probably even Naruto himself never noticed—that disappointment and detachment permeating his eyes toward "hometown" was gradually fading and melting away under that black-haired girl's day-by-day companionship. Those blue eyes were reinfused with radiance, ignited with anticipation and longing for each brand-new tomorrow...
I see... Gaara seemed to somewhat understand now—understand why Naruto ultimately didn't fall into darkness like himself but instead grew into his current sun-like warm appearance.
It was because... there was always someone pulling him back, pulling him toward the light...
"..."
Just as Gaara immersed himself in this unprecedented tranquility, attempting to sort through the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
"Stupid fox! You spineless coward! You've actually fallen so low as to collude with despicable humans! Have you forgotten our nearly hundred years of imprisoned suffering? You're simply a disgrace to us Tailed Beasts!"
A massive, hoarse roar full of unwillingness and humiliated rage suddenly exploded beside Gaara's ear! Hearing this familiar voice, Gaara's heart suddenly contracted, ice-cold fear instantly crawling up his spine throughout his entire body.
It... woke up? Was he... going to return to that lightless, desperate state filled with killing desires and endless whispers again? Was this brief tranquility ultimately just reflected flowers in water?
The next moment, those warm memory scenes around him shattered like torn photographs, rapidly disintegrating and dissipating into darkness. When Gaara's consciousness broke free from this torrent and "opened" his eyes again, what entered his vision was another scene.
Gaara didn't know where this was. This was his first time arriving at his own seal space—this was a spacious area pervaded with water vapor.
A massive Nine-Tailed Fox with orange-red fur emanating fierce oppressive power was using one giant claw to firmly press another constantly struggling, relatively short and pudgy tanuki constructed of sand grains—Shukaku—onto the rippling water surface.
"Shut up, stupid tanuki." The Nine-Tails' massive eyes were full of disdain, its tone carrying condescending mockery. "What does a waste with only one tail, controlled by genjutsu like a puppet on strings, understand? I never expected that after so little time, you'd completely forgotten the old man's words."
"What?! Don't tell me you really think this brat is the person from the old man's prophecy?! Stupid fox! After being sealed so many years, has your brain gone bad?!" Pressed to the ground, Shukaku still roared unwillingly, its sand-grain body violently twisting.
"Hey, watch your words." The Nine-Tails' claw exerted slightly more pressure, making Shukaku's struggles futile. "Reasoning with a stubborn idiot like you is purely wasting my time. Forget it." It seemed to lose patience, turning its head toward another direction in the consciousness space. "Alright, Naruto, I've temporarily 'persuaded' this guy. Don't waste time—reinforce the seal now."
"Damn it! Stupid fox! I'll definitely kill you!!"
Shukaku released an impotent furious roar, but no matter how it mobilized chakra, it couldn't shake the suppression under the Nine-Tails' absolute power.
The Nine-Tails seemed somewhat annoyed by its noise. The claw pressing its head suddenly added several degrees more force.
"Wugh—!"
Shukaku's massive body suddenly stiffened, limbs instantly stretched taut straight, even its voice pressed back into its throat by this tremendous force, then finally completely went limp, leaving only rough, resentful panting sounds, temporarily "quiet."
Meanwhile, nearby, Naruto appearing in youth form here watched the Nine-Tails' nearly "bullying" suppression of Shukaku with somewhat helpless sigh. He didn't say much, his hands rapidly forming a series of complex seals before his chest.
"Eight Trigrams Seal!"
With his shout, powerful sealing force began permeating throughout this consciousness space.