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Seeing that familiar figure, Gaara shouted excitedly, "Naruto!"
As the number one Narubuki (Naruto fanboy) in the shinobi world, even within the Infinite Tsukuyomi dream of his previous life, Gaara had dreamed of Naruto visiting him as a child. That was how deeply Naruto's friendship had touched him.
So when he saw someone wearing Naruto's face attacking the shinobi of Sunagakure, Gaara refused to believe it. After the brief confrontation, he was even more certain it wasn't him.
Now, the real Naruto had appeared—finally clearing up the misunderstanding.
Kankurō eyed the approaching Naruto, then glanced warily at the distant figure. "If you're the real Naruto, then who's the fake over there?"
Temari furrowed her brow. "It must be that masked man. Didn't you mention that only someone called Madara has ever used this kind of intangibility technique before?"
Gaara turned to Naruto with relief in his eyes. "Why are you here?"
Naruto smiled. "I originally came to talk with you about something, but it looks like I came at just the right time. Someone actually dared to impersonate me!"
He turned to Gaara with a grin. "Stay here. I'm gonna go beat this guy down real quick!"
Without waiting for a response, Naruto dashed forward. Kankurō and Temari instinctively prepared to follow, but Gaara raised a hand to stop them.
"No. Naruto said he's got it handled. That means he definitely can."
They remained behind and observed the battle.
Naruto launched himself at the imposter, a Rasengan spinning in his palm. He drove it forward—but passed straight through the man.
Naruto landed, smirking. "So it really is you."
On the other end, Uchiha Obito took advantage of the moment and seized Naruto's arm, instantly activating Kamui—his Mangekyō Sharingan's space-time ability—trying to pull Naruto into his personal dimension.
"It's me. So what?"
Naruto scoffed and narrowed his eyes. "Tch."
With a subtle movement, he released a wave of repulsive force—Shinra Tensei—flinging Obito away.
Obito groaned as he skidded backward, momentarily stunned.
Naruto chuckled. "I don't even need Flying Thunder God to deal with you. Don't think just because you reclaimed your other eye and awakened dual Kamui, that you've suddenly become untouchable."
Obito, now fully exposed, dispelled the Transformation Technique. His true face was revealed, and all six of his Shadow Clones vanished instantly.
Seeing this, Naruto smirked. "So, you got your eyes back, huh? But there's still a giant hole in your mask. Stylish."
Obito gritted his teeth. "Naruto, don't get cocky. You're just barely holding me off using the Rinnegan's power."
Naruto's expression turned colder. "Which version of me do you think you can beat? Nine-Tails Chakra Mode? Sage Mode? And on top of that, I still have the Hiraishin no Jutsu. How exactly do you plan to win against me?"
"You bastard!"
Obito's hatred surged.
Ever since Naruto had reappeared, every single plan he'd set into motion felt like it had been choked at the throat.
Now he glared at Naruto, suspicion creeping in. "How did you know I was here? Don't tell me…"
He remembered he had erased the Flying Thunder God mark from his body. But back in Konoha, one of Naruto's Shadow Clones had slipped into his Kamui dimension. Could it be… that clone had planted another marker inside?
Obito's face darkened.
This guy, just like his father—Minato Namikaze—insisted on marking everything like a damn dog. How annoying.
Naruto raised his hands innocently. "What can I say? We're destined to meet. I originally came to see Gaara, and then I just happen to find you running around wearing my face? You're begging to be destroyed!"
Naruto turned to glance at the devastated streets of Sunagakure, smoke and rubble everywhere. His expression hardened as he glared at Obito. "Obito. Do you really think you can just tarnish my name like this? Running around in my skin, causing destruction, making people think I've gone rogue?"
Obito sneered. "You don't need my help ruining your reputation. As far as the Five Great Nations are concerned, you're already a rogue ninja of Konoha. That alone is infamous enough."
Hearing this, Gaara stepped forward, his voice steady. "Konoha hasn't issued any official statement labeling Naruto a traitor. And as for the international proposal to place him on the wanted list—Sunagakure rejected it. So did several of the other major nations."
He pointed directly at Obito. "On the other hand, you have already declared war on the Five Great Nations and are considered a global threat."
Naruto shrugged and smiled smugly. "See?"
Obito's eyes narrowed. He opened his Mangekyō Sharingan once more and activated Kamui, beginning to warp space around himself. "Fine, Naruto. Let's see how long you can keep this up."
With that, he vanished into the vortex.
Naruto didn't bother chasing him.
There was no point. He could defeat Obito now, but keeping him alive served a greater purpose.
Obito's presence helped solidify the alliance of the Five Great Nations. His threat forced certain key players to unite. That would be valuable for Naruto's long-term goals.
More importantly, Obito's continued existence would also contribute to Sasuke's growth—and to the eventual evolution of the Rinnegan.
In many ways, Obito was a pawn—not just for Black Zetsu's plan, but now for Naruto's as well.
As long as Obito remained within his sphere of control, there was no significant danger.
With the enemy gone, Naruto returned to Gaara. The Kazekage greeted him warmly, though his gaze shifted with concern when he noticed Naruto's eyes.
Those purple ripples—the Rinnegan.
"Your eyes… feel strange to me, Naruto," Gaara said softly.
It was said that the eyes were the windows to the soul. In the past, Gaara could always see the sincere warmth in Naruto's blue eyes—the deep love for his friends and unwavering determination.
Those were the eyes that had saved him… warmed his lonely heart.
But now, with the Rinnegan, Naruto's eyes felt distant. Cold.
Naruto gave a bitter smile. "It's not what I wanted. But it's something I had to do."
Gaara nodded. He didn't press the issue. He trusted Naruto had his reasons.
"Earlier, you said you came to talk with me. About what?"
Naruto's eyes flicked briefly toward Temari and Kankurō.
Gaara understood immediately. "Let's take a walk outside the village."
Temari immediately stepped forward. "No, Gaara. You're the Kazekage now. You can't just leave without protection. If you must go, we'll come too."
Kankurō added firmly, "Yeah. If this was the past, I wouldn't have minded. But Naruto… given everything lately, we can't take chances."
The implication was clear—they weren't entirely sure of Naruto's motives.
Gaara turned to them with a small smile. "You both saw how that masked man fled the moment he saw Naruto. Do you really think someone like him, with this much power, would need to use deception if he meant harm?"
He added pointedly, "Even if you're with me, can you really protect me if someone like that attacks?"
Temari paused. "That's…"
Kankurō said nothing.
Gaara waved his hand. "Go calm the village. Assess the damage and begin rebuilding what was lost. I trust you both to handle things."
With that, Gaara turned and left with Naruto, leaving behind Temari and Kankurō, who could only sigh helplessly as they watched the two disappear into the desert beyond the village.
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