"Because—the answer was inside you all along."
In that moment, Gaara finally understood those words.
The view cut to a flashback.
It was the day Gaara was born.
He had been premature—so small when he first came into the world.
It had been so long ago, yet his mother's smile, his mother's voice, were impossibly vivid. And that feeling—so familiar, so tender.
Because she had been by his side all along.
[Holy crap, Gaara's mom is gorgeous]
[Ma'am, I am in love]
[Karura—oh man, I suddenly get what Gaara's name actually means]
"Mom… so you really were by my side this whole time… so you really were protecting me all along."
Gaara had once been targeted for assassination by the Kazekage—and fed false information in the aftermath.
He had always believed his mother despised him.
But with Shukaku's power sealed away, Gaara could finally, clearly, feel that warmth.
As if a hand were reaching out to touch him.
A mother's warmth.
Gaara rose to his feet.
Shukaku's power had been sealed.
Or rather—Kushina's Four Symbols Seal had reinforced Gaara's original seal, preventing Shukaku from breaking free easily. It was just that the seal had only just been applied, and Gaara hadn't adjusted to it yet.
But another power had not vanished.
This was the power of Gaara's mother, Karura.
Shielded by her sand, Gaara stood before Naruto.
[Grass (a type of exclamation), phase two]
[Where'd this Moon Knight come from]
[Ludwig's Holy Blade, is it]
[Now that you mention it, it really does look like it]
[Love was by Gaara's side all along]
[Adding to the above—Gaara's name probably means "a child I love"]
"That should do it."
From a distance, Hikari dispelled her Shadow Clone.
She had left her dōjutsu and Yachihoko placed on Gaara.
If Hanabi's gamble had gone sideways, she, the true mastermind, would have had Hikari secretly intervene behind the scenes.
Such practices are also well-documented in the Korean sports world.
Except Hanabi's motives were purely for the audience's benefit—to give them a better show.
As for Hikari, she hadn't actually done anything to Gaara just now.
All she'd done was let Gaara genuinely feel his mother's love for him.
After all, not everyone had the Uzumaki clan's absurd level of Chakra perception.
Still, as she dispelled the clone, Hikari thought that perhaps her little push hadn't even been necessary. Perhaps Gaara could have connected with his mother's heart on his own.
"Your aura… feels different."
Naruto rose to his feet as well.
"Yeah… maybe you were right, all of you. I'd been ignoring the people closest to me all this time. Mom—she really did love me."
Gaara looked at Naruto.
"You're the same, aren't you."
"Are we still fighting?" Naruto asked. "You wanted to destroy Konoha—but that wasn't what you really wanted, was it? You were trying to force me to go all out."
Somehow, Naruto felt that he didn't need to gather Chakra to understand Gaara right now.
This person had been feared since childhood, but deep down, he had never wanted to hurt anyone.
Naruto understood that completely.
"Yeah." Gaara closed his eyes, as if absorbing it all—feeling it, processing it.
"Then our fight—"
"Will continue, of course."
Gaara opened his eyes.
"Wha—but you don't have a reason to fight anymore!"
Naruto couldn't believe it.
"No. Precisely because I understand now, I have a reason to fight. Sunagakure is in a difficult position. Though Jōnin Baki rallied enough people to recognize the Kazekage's mistakes, the man himself insisted on his course."
[But that's Orochimaru]
[So where's the actual Kazekage?]
[Probably dead already]
[The Vanishing Facial Copy Technique is used on dead people—Fourth Kazekage's almost certainly gone]
[Holy crap, Orochimaru is Kage-level]
[??? Were you watching the previous chapters with your ass?]
"But—isn't the Kazekage your father?!" Naruto remembered Gaara saying the Kazekage was his father.
"Yes. And that's exactly why he has to die." Gaara's resolve was firm.
[Honestly, Sand does need a scapegoat—a Kazekage who's already dead is the perfect candidate]
[Hold on, you all just decided the Kazekage's dead?]
[Definitely dead]
[Even if he wasn't, he'd need to be—all those daimyō are watching]
"And besides, if Sand merely admits fault, things will only get harder down the road."
It was true. If Sand caused this much chaos and had nothing to show for it, fewer daimyō would commission them in the future.
"So even if Sand loses, we have to demonstrate our strength. For the village—for my mother's village—I can't back down. Besides, the Chūnin Exams aren't over yet."
"I see…"
Naruto steeled himself.
"Leave the rest to me." Kushina's voice came through.
"No—this is my fight." Naruto stared hard at Gaara ahead.
"No. This is a mother's fight."
"No—this is our fight together. I'm going in too."
Kushina had seen Karura's power.
This time, she didn't channel the Nine-Tails' strength. Instead, she manifested primarily with her own power.
"Hm? Transformation Technique? What's the point of—ah, wait."
Watching Naruto's appearance gradually shift, Gaara realized what was happening.
"I see. So you're the same."
Gaara understood.
"Yeah."
Two voices.
Kushina's and Naruto's.
It wasn't just Kushina's power manifesting—Naruto and Kushina were both present simultaneously.
"Mom—I'm sorry, but please lend me your strength one more time!" Gaara entered the fray as well.
"Ninja Art: Repeated Sand Drizzle!"
Countless sand bullets descended like a storm upon Naruto.
"Too slow!"
Under dual perception, she found the gaps in the barrage effortlessly.
She dodged with the smallest possible movements, slipping through the attack like it was nothing.
"Sand Hand!"
When that failed, Gaara switched to Sand Hand, trying to grab her.
But she sprang onto the sand appendage and fired a chain straight at Gaara.
Bang!
A Sand Wall materialized on its own, blocking the chain.
"Absolute defense, huh. What a pain." Kushina clicked her tongue.
Naruto smiled lightly. "Then let's use something that can break through absolute defense!"
"Exactly!"
She stretched out her hand.
No Shadow Clones needed—a Rasengan formed directly in her palm.
This was Kushina's power assisting Naruto.
The battle entered its next phase.
And then…
Then the Stage cut away to Hanabi and the Third Hokage's "Summit War" on the rooftop…