Chapter 10: Second Fang – The Beast Within
The trees blurred past as Naruto sprinted through the forest, the scent of sand and blood heavy in the air. Every step echoed with urgency. He could feel it—Gaara's unstable chakra, Sasuke's dwindling strength. They were close.
He burst into a clearing just in time to see Sasuke hurled into a tree, his body crashing with a sickening thud. Blood trickled from his mouth as he groaned, barely conscious.
In the center of the clearing stood Gaara, his body already halfway transformed. One arm had become monstrous and tan, covered in markings and clawed fingers—the beginning of Shukaku's influence. His eyes were wild, filled with hate and madness.
"You… hurt them… you made me bleed," Gaara growled, voice distorted and thick with bloodlust. "You'll make me feel more! I'll kill you all!"
Naruto didn't waste time.
He dashed toward Sasuke, scooping him up and placing him gently against a tree, checking his pulse. Still alive. Good.
Then he stood, eyes hard, and faced the beast before him.
"I won't let you hurt my friends," Naruto growled.
Gaara shrieked and launched forward, claws slashing the air.
Naruto's foot slammed down.
"First Fang!"
His chakra flared violently, killing intent blasting through the clearing. His body moved with predatory precision as he intercepted Gaara mid-charge, fists and feet colliding with monster flesh. Chakra strings lashed out, wrapping around Gaara's monstrous limb and jerking him into a brutal spinning kick.
Gaara screamed but retaliated, sand crashing like a wave, but Naruto dodged—ducking, weaving, moving like an animal in the hunt. Blow for blow, he tore into Gaara, breaking chunks off his transformed arm.
For a while, it seemed like Naruto had the upper hand.
But then, Gaara roared, slamming both his hands into the ground.
"Mother… protect me… transform!"
The ground quaked as sand exploded upward, engulfing his body. When it settled, Gaara stood fully transformed—towering above Naruto, his body now a monstrous version of Shukaku, though not yet complete. His voice was no longer his.
"I'LL KILL YOU!!"
Naruto's breath hitched. Even in First Fang, he couldn't match that power. Every movement felt slower, heavier. He narrowly avoided a sand fist that cratered the earth behind him.
Blow after blow, he was driven back. His arms bled from blocking sand-laced strikes, and his body trembled.
But he refused to fall.
He thought of the promise he made—to protect his friends. To prove everyone wrong. To never be left behind again.
His teeth clenched. Blood dripped from his brow.
"I didn't come this far to lose!"
His chakra surged—wild, untamed—and suddenly, something within him broke through. A new sensation, deeper, hotter than before.
Naruto's eyes glowed emerald, brighter than ever.
"Second Fang… Predator's Howl!"
Chakra erupted from his body in a shockwave. His muscles pulsed, veins glowing faintly. This wasn't just instinct—this was pure survival mode, pushed beyond limits. His killing intent turned suffocating, even the air around him seemed to ripple.
From high above, Gaara hesitated.
Naruto vanished from view—and reappeared mid-air, slamming his foot directly into Gaara's face, shattering part of the sand armor. The beast roared.
The forest shook with the force of the battle. Naruto struck faster, sharper—each hit driving Gaara back. He used chakra strings to swing through trees like a predator in motion, landing heavy, calculated blows.
But it was taking a toll.
His breaths were ragged, and his limbs trembled. The Second Fang was ripping his body apart from the inside—but he pressed on.
Finally, he burst through the sand armor and landed a fist directly on Gaara's human body buried deep in the transformation. The impact sent shockwaves through Gaara's soul, disrupting the link with Shukaku.
Gaara's eyes widened. "Why… are you… so strong?"
Naruto, panting, replied, "Because… I fight to protect… not to hurt."
In that moment—Gaara's transformation crumbled, his monstrous form collapsing as he lost consciousness.
Naruto landed beside him, staggering.
The forest was quiet.
He smiled faintly, seeing Gaara breathing, unconscious but alive.
Then, with a final breath, his legs gave out. The backlash from the Second Fang overwhelmed him.
He collapsed beside Gaara, eyes fluttering closed.
The last thing he saw was the treetops swaying gently above, and a thought echoing in his fading mind:
I did it… I protected them…