After Sailing with the Pirate King, I Returned to Konoha - 237

Chapter 237: Fierce Battle!

That overwhelming surge of Conqueror’s Haki kept spreading outward, and even from far away, it was enough to leave Haku and Zabuza stunned in place.

They had not changed much from their original fates in terms of strength. Faced with Naruto’s amped-up Conqueror’s Haki at full blast, the only reason they were not fainting was the distance.

Kosei, unlike them, felt no fear in the face of that terrifying pressure. She actually lit up in delight.

As expected.

That Haki.

That person is Kosei’s dad.

Stars sparkled in the girl’s eyes. Taking advantage of her two caretakers being frozen by the shock, she once again sprinted toward the battlefield.

Do not misunderstand.

Kosei completely believed her dad could take down the thing controlling Dark Circles’ body.

She was rushing in to keep Dark Circles alive, so Dad would not accidentally kill him with one punch.

They had not been together long, but Kosei had already accepted Gaara.

The evil-sense and good-sense Kosei inherited from Naruto made it impossible for ill intent to approach her.

Likewise, Kosei was not someone who abandoned a friend.

Dark Circles, do not lose to that thing. You need to wake up soon.

Otherwise, Dad might really kill you.

Farther away, the tailed-beast squad also felt that wave of Haki.

Karin and Sasuke, used to it from long training and time spent together, kept their faces calm.

Killer Bee simply muscled through on strength, forcing his way closer despite the pressure.

Of the three, Karin was still the fastest. Riding the wind, she quickly overtook Sasuke and Killer Bee.

On the battlefield, Gaara—or rather the will of nature—felt that Haki smash into him. His expression did not change, but his body shifted instinctively into a guard.

That reaction was not under his control.

He had only slipped in by exploiting Gaara’s unstable mind.

And of course, there had been a friendly assist from Orochimaru.

"You do not understand. We cannot resist them."

"The only way is to damp down the energy signatures here as much as possible so they overlook this place—"

The will of nature remained obstinate—or perhaps the fear of those from beyond the stars had sunk too deep into his instincts.

It was terror rooted in the planet itself when the Ōtsutsuki planted the God Tree a thousand years ago.

It was a panic that could throw off even a being that had only recently gained self-awareness.

Unfortunately for it, before the speech finished, Naruto’s fist was already there.

A punch laced with Conqueror’s Haki and roiling with chakra steam nearly tore the air. It was so fast it might as well have been teleportation.

The instant the fist met the sage cloak, shattering the will of nature, a fine, splintering crackle filled its ears.

With a flicker of intent, endless fine sand flooded to the front. Some formed walls to block, some coiled around Naruto to slow his charge.

All of it was useless before an iron fist.

The sand spun at high speed to grind through Naruto’s outer guard.

It did not even get close before the steam blasting off him shoved it away.

The Eight Gates can look very different in different hands.

In the hands of legendary Genin Might Duy, opening all Eight Gates might at most kill or maim half of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Even that was a staggering feat.

Now, in the hands of Naruto, who was pushing past the limits of "human" life, even opening only the Four Gates was a different monster entirely.

"I changed my mind."

"For someone like you, I should have beaten some sense into you a long time ago."

Perhaps making up for regrets, Naruto abandoned the idea of a quick end and instead went with the purest method—iron fists pounding the opponent.

His fist smashed straight through the sage sand wall and into that "divine face" devoid of joy or sorrow.

The "sand-skin" shattered in layers.

Even sage-crafted copies of Gaara’s sand defense could not stop that raw, destructive power.

The will of nature was sent flying by Naruto, body hurtling into the distance.

Naruto was faster.

A golden flash, and he had surged past the flying target and appeared in its path—then hit it again.

Over and over, the will of nature became a ball swatted back and forth in midair by an invisible hand.

The humiliation sparked a surge of anger in its still-immature mind.

And anger is a fine antidote to fear.

"Enough!"

Enormous masses of sand drew in sage chakra, then sprayed out in an indiscriminate storm like buckshot.

Sage Art: Sand Drizzle.

Those grains were far faster than bullets. To anyone else, it would have been a blur of sandy-yellow streaks.

Crack—snap!

As the grit neared Naruto, it began ravenously corroding the energy coating his body.

Both Haki and chakra were eroded rapidly under the sage chakra.

Naruto had to break off, then drove a stopping front kick into Gaara’s torso, slamming him from the air into the ground.

When the dust cleared, the bedraggled will of nature stood the body up again and glared at Naruto, who floated with arms crossed above.

"Hm?"

Feeling something, Naruto glanced down at his forearm.

A faint scrape.

Blood had barely beaded before the wound was nearly healed.

Seeing it, Naruto smiled instead of frowning. "Not bad at all."

The will of nature froze.

"No matter the enemy, never declare defeat before you fight."

A stray wind snapped Naruto’s hem.

"Otherwise, you have already ‘beaten’ yourself once."

The will of nature fell silent and understood.

After a few seconds locked in place, it shook its head.

"No. It is not the same thing."

It raised a hand and began violently stripping Shukaku’s chakra.

Even the One-Tail, unconscious for reasons unknown, writhed in distress and looked ready to wake.

A familiar purple-black sphere gathered before Gaara.

A Tailed Beast Bomb infused with sage chakra.

"What a stubborn one."

Seeing Gaara still set on striking, Naruto sighed.

Maybe it was this world’s personality that had raised so many stubborn shinobi.

The thought flickered by, but his hands did not slow.

Chime—Musōkō surfaced.

"Exhale—"

This body, after one boost and with the Eight Gates behind it, was no weaker than his pirate-world self.

He had to control it as tightly as he could.

Life Return: Full Release.

Over two meters tall already, he bulked up further under the surge of life force.

Good thing he had reforged Musōkō in his body’s "Munch-Munch Factory" beforehand and lengthened the blade. Otherwise, he would not be able to wield it properly now.

With blade and hilt together at just over two meters, Musōkō no longer resembled a katana so much as an odachi or nodachi. But in the hands of a small giant like Naruto, it was just right.