What if Series: What if I was in...Naruto/Naruto Shippuden??

Naruto vs Garra! The Jinchuriki Showdown!

Gaara, who has partially transformed into Shukaku, has dramatically increased his strength and speed, as well as the level of difficulty Sasuke faces fighting him. Sasuke uses his Chidori to slice the Shukaku arm off; however, the sand reassembles his arm. I use my Fire Ball Justu to burn Garra's defenses...Wounded once more and in pain, Gaara only becomes more determined to kill Sasuke and me. Unable to use the Chidori on his own anymore, as he can only use it twice per day, Sasuke and I resort to using Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique along with a Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, but the attacks do no damage to Gaara. Realising that his Chidori is the only technique in his arsenal capable of taking down Gaara, Sasuke is forced to use his cursed seal, which grants him additional chakra, so that he can attack Gaara with another Chidori. I was losing chakra by the second, I use my Lightning Hummingbirds to attack and stun Garra for Sasuke to deliver the Chidori. However, the Chidori again only manages to destroy the Shukaku arm, which Gaara is able to regenerate using the sand. Sasuke collapses due to the use of the cursed seal, unable to move. As Gaara rushes forward, prepared to kill Sasuke, Naruto arrives, kicking Gaara in the face. Sakura and Pakkun also arrive.

Seeing Sakura's determination to protect Sasuke, Gaara remembers his childhood with his uncle Yashamaru. They talked about pain — with Yashamaru explaining to him that the pain dealt to the heart takes the longest to heal and the only cure to such wound is love. Gaara, in time, made a deep bond with his uncle, feeling the pain going away with Yashamaru's love. One night, after he accidentally killed a drunk who looked at Gaara as if he was a monster, Gaara was attacked from behind by an assassin. Gaara's sand protected him as always and he in turn attacked the assassin. After taking out the assassin, Gaara went to check on his attacker's identity, shocked to discover that it was none other than Yashamaru.

In the present, Naruto is now standing in front of Sasuke, ordering Gaara to let her go. When Gaara asks who Sasuke and Sakura are to him, he states that they are his friends, and that he will pulverize Gaara if he continues to hurt them. Gaara responds by hurting Sakura, and asks why Naruto hasn't pulverized him yet; Naruto clenches his fists and rushes towards Gaara.

"Sakura, get Sasuke up here now!"

I order Sakura to get up in the tree to safety. I use my remaining Chakra to make a Lightning Clone, It won't last as long but at least It can help Naruto in the fight while the rest of us fall back. 

Garra's POV...

As Gaara continues to reminisce about Yashamaru, he remembers Yashamaru's defeat and attempted suicide bombing. Yashamaru tells him that Gaara's father, The Fourth Kazekage, ordered him to kill Gaara. He also adds that while he could have refused the order, he wanted to kill Gaara because he hated Gaara for causing his sister's death. Yashamaru then opens his flak jacket and reveals explosive tags on his torso, which detonates. Although he was able to survive the blast, Gaara lost the only person who he thought ever cared for him, who revealed that he never did love him at all. From that point on, Gaara came to love and care about only himself, and starting living off of killing others, believing that to be the purpose of his existence.

"Sakura, look out!" I say as Garra's sand hand flies towards her. 

Returning to the present day, Gaara quickly restrains Sakura with a claw made of sand and slowly squeezes her. He detaches the arm holding Sakura and regenerates it, and continues to transform further into Shukaku. Now having no more humanoid features, Gaara resolves to kill Naruto as well, all the while telling Naruto that he must fight for himself and not for his friends. Determined to save Sasuke and Sakura at all costs, Naruto attempts to summon Gamabunta, but ends up summoning Gamakichi, a smaller toad who is unable to fight. Gaara then launches Sand Shuriken at them; Naruto manages to save Gamakichi as the shuriken pummels him. Naruto realises that Gaara is lonely, just like how he used to be before he met Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi and Iruka, and wonders if he would have ended up like Gaara had he not met them. Thinking back on how meeting his friends gave him happiness and saved him from darkness, Naruto resolves to save them from Gaara, even at the cost of his own life. My lightning clone comes out to help.

"Jin?" Naruto says looking at me. 

"No, I'm only just a clone. I'm not going to be here for long, I'm already probably falling back to keep Sasuke safe... Now, let's take him down Naruto!"

Naruto and I attack Gaara, Naruto using his shadow clones and performs the One Thousand Years of Death with a kunai and explosive tag, damaging Gaara's form. Realising that Gaara is just like him and remembering his conversation with Haku, Naruto produces nine hundred and ninety-nine shadow clones, which all attack Gaara at once. Gaara responds by fully transforming and attempting to crush Naruto, but he escapes by summoning Gamabunta. 

"Summoning Justu!"

The toad identifies Gaara's form as Shukaku of the Sand, and agrees to fight alongside Naruto and the Lightning Clone after learning that he protected his son, quickly severing Shukaku's right arm. Emerging from Shukaku's head, Gaara uses the Feigning Sleep Technique and falls asleep, handing over control to Shukaku and drastically increasing its power. Realising they stand no chance unless they wake Gaara up, Gamabunta tries to grab hold of Shukaku. After the initial attempt fails, Gamabunta tells Naruto to use the Combination Transformation to transform them into something that has fangs and claws. Charging toward Shukaku, Naruto manages to transform them just in time, becoming the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox.

As they transform, and while Gamabunta holds Shukaku in place, Naruto wakes Gaara up by delivering a hard punch in order for Gaara to suppress Shukaku. Meanwhile, Konoha shinobi begin the counter-attack on the invading forces. At the site of the Third Hokage's battle with Orochimaru, the Third realises that he doesn't have enough strength left to fully seal Orochimaru's soul, and instead opted to seal his former pupil's arms successfully to make Orochimaru unable to use any ninjutsu. Wishing his student a fond farewell, the Third dies after reciting one last proverb. At this time Naruto and Gaara leap at each other, and Naruto succeeds in delivering the winning blow.

"...He did it..." At a far distance, Naruto won the fight against Garra and the clone dispersed...

Critically damaged, Orochimaru calls off the invasion and flees the village with his forces. In the forest, Naruto and Gaara both lay on the ground, devoid of chakra. Naruto sympathizes with Gaara for his childhood but threatens to kill Gaara if he should ever bring harm to his friends again. Sasuke  and I come to Naruto's side and informs him that Sakura was going to be all right. Realizing that Naruto's strength came from the desire to protect others, Gaara begins to reshape his view of the world as his siblings take him home, and apologizes to Temari and Kankurō, much to the two's surprise. The next day, the ninja of Konoha mourn the deaths of those who died during the invasion, especially the Third Hokage. Naruto wonders why people sacrifice themselves for others, and Iruka says that it leaves behind a legacy to others, and they are remembered forever. At the same moment, two shinobi are standing outside the village. One asks the other if he feels sorry for his old village. The other hesitates a little but eventually says "no", and moves his head up a little, revealing the eye of a Sharingan.