After the viewers had endured yet another agonizing "seven-year" wait, a new episode finally aired.
But to the audience's disappointment, the opening didn't pick up from the last-minute rescue in Sasuke's battle, nor did it cut to Naruto and Hanabi. Instead, it focused on other characters outside the main stage.
This included Shikamaru's father, Shikaku Nara, among others—their battles offered a side-angle look at the Road to Ninja world's setting, along with various ninjutsu and plot details.
Then, at last, the view cut back to Naruto's side.
After entering the "one body, one mind" state with Kushina, Naruto's fight against Gaara had reached a fever pitch.
"Rasengan!"
The Rasengan formed in his hand, its howling winds propelling it straight at Gaara.
Now that he could form the Rasengan one-handed, Naruto's combat effectiveness had jumped by more than a full tier.
Without needing Shadow Clones to help, Naruto could conserve far more Chakra—and unleash even stronger ninjutsu.
Sand surged up before Gaara, forming a solid barrier that caught the Rasengan's impact head-on.
"Your attacks are useless against me. This is the power of protection."
Gaara's sand defended automatically—the power of Karura.
"What a pain. That child's mother's Chakra keeps protecting him at all times." Kushina could feel it clearly now.
The other one was the same as her—a mother.
"Hey, we're no slouches either!" Naruto wiped the grit from his face.
Kushina blinked for a second. "Ah—right!"
[What's going on?]
[Mother and son recognized each other?!]
[Naruto probably figured it out a while ago. He just didn't want to admit it]
[The closer you get, the harder it is to face them]
[Plus, Kushina was literally fighting Kushina Yuki before that. My actual mom defeated the woman who could've been my mom—not exactly the right moment for a family reunion]
[Naruto's mom was probably thinking the same thing, which is why she never brought it up]
[All mental blocks cleared—onward and upward!]
[This is what I'm here for! THIS is what I'm here for!]
"If that didn't work, then how about this—Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Chains erupted from the ground, lunging to bind Gaara.
"Hm?!"
Gaara hadn't reacted in time, but Karura's sand had already moved to protect him.
Gaara shot backward at high speed and began forming hand signs.
"Sand Shigure!"
Countless grains of sand rained down like a downpour, pelting toward Naruto.
Naruto rolled immediately, dodging as though he could feel exactly where each grain would land.
"This guy's perception is incredible!"
Gaara saw it clearly—Naruto's sensing ability had reached the point where he could "pre-read" incoming attacks.
"Then how about this! Quicksand Waterfall Flow!"
A massive torrent of sand bore down like a tsunami.
"Hey, hey—does this guy still have that much Chakra?!"
Even Naruto was stunned.
"Not as much as you, but he's started tapping into a small bit of Shukaku's Chakra…" Kushina looked a little sheepish.
"Huh?!"
"Ahem—anyway, it's our turn to go on the offensive!"
"Right!"
Gaara was planted in place, "turret-mode" casting—this was the perfect opening. Naruto drove his chains into the ground first to anchor himself, then locked onto Gaara once more.
"One more time—Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Countless chains burst from the earth, weaving into a massive net that descended upon Gaara.
"Heh heh—this one's my own invention! Adamantine Sealing Chains: Chain Net!"
Naruto was rather proud of himself.
"I can't believe it—Naruto can really use the Adamantine Sealing Chains to this degree already…"
The Chakra powering the chains still came from Kushina. But Naruto didn't need to refine the Chakra—he only had to focus on reshaping the chains and applying Nature Transformation.
At this level, Naruto could pull something like this off.
[It's over, it's over—Naruto's mom has become the president of the Naruto praise-cult]
[Hikari is the praise-cult leader for Hanabi, Naruto's mom is the praise-cult leader for Naruto—so who's Sasuke's?]
[Grass (a type of exclamation), even THIS is grounds to bully Fair-Weather Pillar?]
[Lmao, what did Fair-Weather Pillar ever do to you people?]
The audience was lively as ever.
But unsurprisingly—Naruto's "highlight moment" was a success.
Faced with the chain net, Gaara's brow furrowed. He had no choice but to halt his offense.
Both hands swept outward. Sand rose around him into a towering wall, blocking every chain. But Naruto's chains seemed to have a life of their own, slithering around the sand wall and reaching for Gaara from every angle.
The Shield of Sand intercepted the attack once more. The sturdy barrier held the chains at bay.
"Heh heh—now's the time!"
Naruto's chains tightened, pressing against the Shield of Sand.
—If I can't get past the Shield of Sand to hit Gaara directly, then I'll pin them both down—Gaara and his shield together!
"Eat another Rasengan!"
Naruto closed the gap and drove a Rasengan straight into the Shield of Sand.
Predictably, it didn't break through—but then Naruto's left hand slammed a second Rasengan into the sand!
[Naruto: Surprise—someone else made my Rasengan for me!]
[If the Rasengan can really be used like that, it's actually insane]
[Too bad Naruto normally needs Shadow Clones, which basically cancels out the convenience]
[Mom helping him form Rasengan is a special case. Probably won't see it again]
Pinned in place, the Shield of Sand began to crack under the dual Rasengan assault. Gaara was knocked back several steps, and a thin line of blood seeped from his mouth.
Gaara had sensed something was off, which was why he'd raised his own defense before the automatic Shield of Sand could activate. And it still wasn't enough.
"Didn't expect you had that up your sleeve."
Gaara wiped the blood from his lip.
"No matter what—I can't afford to lose here."
Naruto held his chin high.
"Big talk just gets you laughed at!"
Gaara raised both hands slowly. Sand gathered around him, assembling into a towering Sand Giant.
It wasn't Shukaku, but the pressure was comparable.
The giant's enormous fist swung down at Naruto.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains… uh… right—Adamantine Sealing Chains: Chain Blade!"
Naruto almost blanked on the technique name, stuttering for a beat mid-air.
The chains condensed in his hand into an enormous bladed edge, sweeping toward the Sand Giant.
The Chain Blade struck true, scattering sand in every direction—but the giant refused to disperse.
"So that's how he's countering the chains." Kushina saw through it.
The Sand Giant was an improvised technique, but its massive frame and flowing-sand body rendered the Adamantine Sealing Chains completely ineffective.
Like trying to cut water with a knife.
"Let me see what else these chains can do. I remember Hanabi taught me that thing…"
Naruto's muttering left Kushina momentarily speechless. "Naruto, remember—the Adamantine Sealing Chains aren't just a tool for restraining enemies. They can become an extension of your arms, letting you sense an enemy's movements."
"Extension of my arms?" Naruto's eyes lit up.
"Yes—sense the enemy's movements."
Wait. What was Naruto thinking?
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
And just like that, Naruto fired off Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu again.
"Fool! Sand Waterfall Imperial Funeral!"
Gaara had been waiting for Naruto to waste his stamina like this.
He immediately used the sea of yellow sand blanketing the terrain to intercept the clones.
But the clones kept coming—wave after wave, an endless tide.
Gaara's brow creased. Both hands swept outward, and sand rose into a massive wall around him, blocking every clone. But Naruto's real body burst from underground, Rasengan in hand, aimed straight at Gaara's midsection.
Except Gaara dissolved into sand—Naruto punched empty air. Gaara reformed at Naruto's flank.
"This is my sand!"
Every move Naruto made within the sand, Gaara could see.
But just then, chains appeared behind Gaara—and nestled among them was a sphere.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains: Rasengan!"
This was the real killing blow!
The leading chains swept aside the Shield of Sand, and the trailing chains delivered the Rasengan directly into Gaara's back.
A heavy hit.
But Gaara didn't panic, because Naruto's real body was right beside him.
"This time, I've caught you too. Sand Binding Coffin! And then—Sand Waterfall Funeral!"
Sand coiled around Naruto's body.
"Naruto!"
Kushina improvised, wrapping her chains around Naruto in a protective cocoon.
The Sand Waterfall Funeral struck nothing.
"Cough cough—cough cough cough." Naruto crawled out of the sand.
He was gasping, his stamina at its absolute limit.
Gaara was no better off. For someone who had never been injured before, the damage was severe.
The two of them had reached the final, cutthroat stage of their battle…