Gaara's mind was a blank slate unlike anything he had ever experienced.
The pain that gnawed at him day and night, the confusion that led him to destruction, the anger that sustained him until now... all the heavy and dark emotions were, at this moment, quietly soothed and dispelled by an invisible and warm force. What remained was only shock, sweeping over him like a tsunami.
"So-called love is to sacrifice for those around you, to protect their thoughts with a compassionate heart."
That gentle phrase, long sealed in the deepest recesses of his memory by blood and betrayal, resurfaced uncontrollably, accompanied by the unforgettable feeling of abandonment and the tearing pain he felt at the time.
"Love..."
He recalled that last, complex and indecipherable gaze, the warm blood splattering everywhere, and the pupils that gradually lost focus and blurred before his eyes.
Since then, the familiar scenery in his memories lost its color. The world he knew became a cruel gladiatorial arena, filled with endless malice towards him.
Unable to sleep, every time he closed his eyes, he might face a fatal assassination. Unable to rest, even if he did nothing, his mere "existence" was enough to draw the cold killing intent of his companions.
He had pleaded, begged, prayed to gods he didn't know existed, humbly wishing for even a tiny shred of goodwill... but all he received was deeper despair.
Until the end, all softness was worn away, leaving only the sole thought of tearing apart everyone who wanted to harm him.
I cannot receive anyone's goodwill... My mother died because of me... I should not have come into this world... This was the cold cornerstone Gaara firmly believed in, the foundation upon which his entire world was built.
Perhaps... after personally killing the last bit of warmth in that cruel world, and after receiving the definitive answer that 'no one ever loved me'... what exactly was he still thinking?
The answer was self-evident—to become an Asura who loved only himself, filling the void in his heart with the fear and blood of others, proving the value of his existence.
Until now—
Until this blond youth, whom he could not kill and whose strength far surpassed his own, made such an incredible vow to him.
He said... he would protect me?
He said... my value doesn't need to be proven by killing?
He said... he would become my... bond?
"Gaara!!"
Only after the familiar shouts grew closer, and after confirming that the two colossal, disaster-like creatures had finally disappeared, did Kankuro and Temari summon all their courage and rush to where Shukaku had vanished, anxiously searching for their brother.
When they saw the scene before them, their hearts nearly stopped. The youth enveloped in a brilliant golden Chakra cloak—Uzumaki Naruto—stood there.
Recalling the world-destroying power they had just witnessed, far beyond their comprehension, neither of them doubted that if this person wanted to take their lives, it would probably be easier than crushing an ant.
However, given the current situation, this was a war, and Sunagakure was the invader. Logically, Gaara, who had just nearly caused massive destruction in the Village, had no chance of being spared.
Could it be... that even their father had fallen to him? Both of them simultaneously thought of the fleeting glimpse of the Gold Dust Ninjutsu, and the subsequent complete disappearance of his presence. A chill rose from the bottom of their hearts.
But even so, looking at their brother, who appeared exceptionally weak, and despite their legs trembling slightly from fear, Temari and Kankuro gritted their teeth and rushed forward, firmly blocking Naruto with their trembling bodies.
Even though this brother had once made them fear him, and even brought death threats, the protective instinct that stemmed from their bloodline, which had never truly extinguished, outweighed everything at this moment.
Was I really... always alone...? This thought once again rippled through Gaara's chaotic mind. Naruto had people constantly pulling him towards the light... but what about him? Did he really... never have anyone?
Or was it... that he had actively closed his eyes, rejected all faint lights, and unhesitatingly chosen to fall into darkness?
"The war is about to end," Naruto said calmly to the tense, battle-ready siblings, his intensely oppressive golden Chakra slowly receding somewhat. "I won't kill Gaara."
He looked at Gaara, who was protected behind them, "Before that, please take him to a safe place."
"...!"
This completely unexpected answer made Temari and Kankuro both freeze, then a sense of relief, like surviving a disaster, swept over them. To get such a result was a stroke of luck!
Kankuro took a deep breath, trying to calm his wildly beating heart, and turned around. When he saw Gaara's current state, he couldn't help but be stunned—those eyes, always filled with bloodlust, madness, and numbness, were now incredibly clear, and even... held a nearly fragile confusion he had never seen in Gaara.
Seeing his brother like this, even though fear still lingered deep inside, an indescribable feeling of heartache quietly overshadowed other emotions.
He carefully bent down, gently helped up the weak and powerless Gaara, draped his brother's arm over his shoulder, and supported his weight. Temari immediately stepped forward to help as well.
The siblings looked deeply at the blond youth who had given them a way out, no longer hesitated, and immediately used the Body Flicker Technique, quickly leaving this troubled place with Gaara.
The three Sunagakure siblings sped through the dense forest, searching for temporary shelter before receiving news of their defeat. The wind whistled in their ears, and the scenery around them rapidly receded.
This scene of escape slowly overlapped with certain deliberately ignored, suppressed fragments in Gaara's memory.
It wasn't all cold killing intent and betrayal... It seemed that, even earlier, there had been vague figures trying to approach, but he had mercilessly pushed them away with deeper indifference and savagery.
"Temari... Kankuro..."
Suddenly, Gaara, leaning on Kankuro's shoulder, spoke in an extremely faint, yet no longer chillingly cold voice.
This unusual tone made both of them, who were rushing at full speed, pause simultaneously and turn their heads to look at him in confusion.
Gaara didn't meet their gaze, only lowered his head, and then squeezed that heavy sentence out of his throat.
"All these years... I'm truly... sorry..."
"...?!"
Temari and Kankuro froze completely, their minds blank. Was this... was this really something Gaara would say? Their brother who regarded all emotions as nothing and believed only in killing?
"...? Oh... No, it's okay."
Kankuro was the first to recover, his voice a bit dry, with obvious bewilderment, responding almost instinctively. Temari also subconsciously nodded beside him, her eyes filled with shock.
— — — — — —
One minute ago.
"Well done... descendant of the Uzumaki Clan..."
Her body completely covered in black sealing runes, Uzumaki Mito spoke in a tone of relief and satisfaction.
Through the Kagura Mind's Eye, clearly sensing the familiar Chakra of her husband, Senju Hashirama, being controlled from afar, Uzumaki Mito instantly understood the current situation.
Although the young man before her did not have the distinctive red hair, the resonance from deep within their bloodline, and the brilliant and proficient Adamantine Sealing Chains behind him, all confirmed his identity to Mito.
In the moment before her consciousness was completely dragged into darkness by the seal, she used her last strength to make an earnest request.
"Please... don't let that despicable wretch continue to toy with... Hashirama's soul..."
As her voice faded, Uzumaki Mito's figure, along with Rasa and Kushina, was completely sealed, transforming into three giant cocoon-like objects, wrapped in black runes, silently standing on the ground.
Menma slowly turned his head, his gaze traversing a great distance, looking towards Konoha Village. In his sight, the brilliant golden Nine-Tailed was forcefully throwing the rampaging Shukaku out of the Village with absolute power.
However, his mood was not lightened. Despite successful sealing, as long as the caster, Orochimaru, did not voluntarily release the Edo Tensei, the souls of these three would remain bound within the Edo Tensei bodies.
Unable to find true rest. The face full of loving concern and reluctance, and that final phrase, flashed through his mind again... Menma silently raised his hand, and a new fox mask appeared in his hand. He gently placed it over his face, and at the same time, his brilliant golden hair, as if fading, quickly transformed into a deep, inky black. A strong Wind Release Chakra rose from his feet, enveloping his entire body.
"Whoosh—!"
The next moment, he transformed into a blurry blue afterimage, speeding towards Konoha Village!
Beneath the mask, his cold eyes were already firmly locked onto the twisted and sinister snake still battling the Third Hokage on a distant rooftop.
The target was clear and unmistakable.
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