AN This has a TV Trope page now!

Shikamaru felt it long before they arrived.

The trembling of the earth beneath their feet.

"Are those footsteps?" one of the ANBU asked cautiously.

"No, no they're not," Tsunade said with a frown.

"That is the feeling of fists shaking the very earth," Gai said with a smile of approval. "Steady, controlled punches. I believe Naruto has the situation contained."

That hung ominously in the air for some of them, despite Gai's good feeling about the situation.

Shikamaru squinted his eyes as he saw the sight ahead. Tsunade came to a stop at the rather unnatural end of the forest.

"Looks like Naruto did a number on the place," Shikamaru murmured as he surveyed the area, same as the others.

The forest was desolated and ravished for miles, reduced to ashes and dirt far and wide. Barely any trees remained in the area. What wasn't burned or crushed had been overturned or fallen away with great crevices dotting the landscape.

The shaking beneath their feet drew their attention to the last landmark: a giant crater that had to be half the size of the village in diameter.

"So, that's why we couldn't see him," Tsunade realized out loud, nodding to everyone before they all took off to the sight.

Shikamaru quickly changed his mental choice of words. This wasn't a crater, it was a hole, a sheer drop that went down too far that even Naruto couldn't reach the top of it on his hind legs.

"He did this...?" one of ANBU asked in disbelief. "Such power."

That was an appropriate reaction, Shikamaru decided as he peered down into the darkness, illuminated by the familiar giant fox, who was striking a pinned Hakaju over and over again. No matter what the creature did, it couldn't escape.

"Hmm?" Naruto's ear twitched as he looked up. "Granny, watch out! He'll probably use the skeletons. If he still can."

The warning was calm as if he was commenting about the weather.

"Naruto, where is the grave?!" Tsunade called down.

"Don't yell, I can fucking hear you just fine!" Naruto said with a tick mark on his head. "Grr, one moment."

The Hakaju tried to squirm away while Naruto was distracted, but Naruto quickly forced it back down.

"The Grave is within the creature."

Everyone turned to see Gaara hovering down on his sand. "Gaara of the Sand," Tsunade recognized. "Did you come to help Naruto?"

"If needed, yes," Gaara answered honestly. "However, the issue is that someone placed a barrier seal around the Hakaju's grave. It can keep it within itself, requiring Naruto to exhaust its ability to sustain itself."

He paused as a rather loud snap of bones was heard.

"A barrier that Naruto can't just brute force through?" Gai asked with a frown. "That is not some standard barrier."

Tsunade frowned. "Naruto! Can you throw the grave up here?!"

Silence greeted them.

"Naruto?!" Tsunade called out.

"Shut up, I'm thinking! And trying!" Naruto snapped as he plunged his hand into the Hakaju, grasping the protected grave, even as the bones tried to encase and stab him.

Naruto tried to weigh the pros and cons. On one hand, Tsunade and her group might get the seal broken and end this faster. On the other...

"No, bad idea. He'll vanish and steal the grave back the moment he can! He can't disappear as long as he's got the grave within him!" Naruto called up.

With a primal grunt, he slammed the Hakaju and its grave against the wall of the hole, shaking some stones loose. He ignored the stones rolling off him. They were annoying but they really didn't hurt.

He twisted his hand and he was pretty sure the rattling bones were meant to be screams of some kind now. He kept twisting it as he lodged it into the wall.

"Any idea what he's doing?" Shikamaru asked with a furrowed brow.

"I can barely make anything out from this point," one of the ANBU answered.

Gaara silently observed the fight with Shukaku, wondering just what Naruto intended.

Naruto pulled his hand back, and the Hakaju covered the caved-in chest with its arms, more and more bones growing collectively around it.

Naruto reeled back his fist and slammed it forward. It snapped through the skeletal defenses, barely slowing his fist down as it hit the grave.

With a sickening crack, great spikes of bones erupted all over the skeleton. Most barely even scratched Naruto, except for one.

One lodged directly into his right eye.

"FUCKING HELL! I'M GETTING TIRED OF REGROWING MY EYEBALLS!"

"...Not a statement you hear every day, even in our line of work," one ANBU remarked, and none could disagree.

'Yeah, that was never fun at first. And the others wonder why I prefer being sand most of the time,' Shukaku mused, more to himself than Gaara.

Naruto tore the bone out of his eye, ignoring the pain and the blood as he slammed his fist into the grave once more. And again, and again, even as his eye regenerated.

"I see! Naruto is keeping the weak point pinned in one place, so he can focus all his might on tearing through its defenses," Gai realized with a hum as Naruto continued to beat his fist into the barrier.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the ground as it shook. "Be prepared to retreat if the ground gives way. This might collapse in and bury them both."

Shikamaru only paid her warning some mind as he focused on Naruto.

"Just die already!" Naruto roared in frustration as his whole body glowed a bit.

Shikmaru inhaled sharply. "Shit."

That was all he could say before Naruto launched his next attack.

A great groaning crack was heard in the air, the earth shaking violently now. The ninjas watched in shock as the impact from Naruto's fist caused the ground to explode a mile away, a cloud of dust forming as chunks of earth rained down. It was like a small volcano erupting but without the lava.

True to Tsunade's worry, the lip of the hole started to give way and cave in. The Hokage's legs tensed but looked down in surprise as the ground didn't give away beneath them. She then looked over at Gaara with a knowing look.

"My sand should keep this area secure," Gaara said, glancing off to the side as a large piece of earth slid in. "Or afloat, at any rate."

Tsunade nodded as they struggled to keep eyes on Naruto, but he didn't seem or sound too worried.

"...Okay, everyone gets back! I'm just going back to burning him out!" Naruto roared, half in annoyance and half in warning.

"Ah, shit," Shikamaru said, having a good idea of what Naruto was about to do.

"Everyone, move!" Tsunade said as they all disappeared in body flickers, the ground giving way the moment Gaara left the area.

Naruto stared into the strange light within the skull socket of the Hakaju. He wondered, was that the souls of those stuck in this thing? If so...well, he hoped they'd get a better chance to rest after this.

But if it was just whoever was controlling this thing? He hoped they felt a bit of this.

Even as the pit began to cave in and bury them, Naruto smirked while his tail tips grinded against the walls, catching fire.

"Infernal Tsunami."

From outside, it was like a portal to Hell itself had just spewed out of from the massive hole. A massive pillar of fire erupted high into the sky, bathing the land in the terrible heat and being seen for miles away.

"That idiot is lucky he's a Bijuu, or he might have killed himself doing that," Tsunade said with a sigh.

Shikamaru was a bit bothered by how calm the elder Ninjas were but realized they had probably seen similar spectacles. Awe-inspiring, yes, but not enough for them to freeze up over.

Just as quickly as it began, the inferno ended. In its place, the crater and the area around it had been turned to glass and half-melted stone.

The ninjas approached cautiously as they heard something climbing out of the pit. It wasn't until they saw a massive golden hand emerge did they allowed themselves to relax a bit.

Naruto grunted as he weakly pulled himself up, flopping onto the ground.

"Naruto!? Are you alright?" Tsunade called up.

"Yeah! Yeah! Just inhaled a lot of smoke. I don't need to breathe, but that still feels really weird!" Naruto answered, giving them a grin.

"Is the Hakaju defeated at last?" Gai asked with a furrowed brow.

Naruto held up his other hand and opened it, letting the contents drop. Tsunade saw a collection of five corpses falling to the ground, all burnt to a crisp. "The bony bastard is down and out."

"And whoever was controlling it?" Tsunade asked with a frown.

"Probably survived," Naruto answered, taking the time to pull himself up and look at his handwork. "Well, I certainly did a number on the place."

"Naruto, why didn't you tell anybody why you had figured out where the grave is?" Tsunade asked, wanting to confirm her suspicions.

Naruto growled thoughtfully as he glanced to the side. "I was pretty sure that this thing was still loyal to Orochimaru in some way. I knew if I could figure out who the Hakaju was, he definitely could. So I had to deal with it before he figured it out and tried anything."

"Are you sure it wasn't him controlling it?" Shikamaru asked doubtfully.

"Trust me, I know that snake's scent, it wasn't him," Naruto grumbled before yawning. "Granny, I'm going to drag my ass back to Konoha and sleep for a day or two, just in case something happens."

Tsunade nodded. "Just try not to fall asleep before you get there," she advised.

"Obviously," Naruto said, weakly getting to his feet.

"And Naruto?" Tsunade called, making him pause. "Good job. Really."

He nodded absently and headed off. Once he reached undestroyed lands, he glanced over. "You both enjoy the show?"

Gaara returned his stare while floating on his sand. "Shukaku says you did good, considering this was a...stranger case for the Hakaju."

"Thanks, I guess," Naruto said with a yawn.

"He also says you tire out like you're still a baby Bijuu," Gaara added in.

Naruto rolled his eyes but didn't have the energy to retort. "He have any idea who or what was behind this?"

"No," Gaara answered. "But he says that this probably means that the Hakaju aren't spawning normally as they did long ago. So, unless whoever is behind this makes another-"

"We shouldn't have any popping up at us naturally," Naruto concluded. "Good. Really, that's good."

Gaara was silent for the moment.

"You should probably head back to your village before they wonder where you flew off to," Naruto recommended. "Thanks for being my backup if things went south."

Gaara nodded. "Until next time, Naruto," he said before taking his leave.

Naruto waited until Gaara was well out of earshot before retorting. "What do you want? Angry I kept you from a new pet?" Naruto asked as he kept walking.

A figure chuckled on his head. "I am somewhat annoyed, but I have only myself to blame. I was so curious about understanding how this creature functioned, how it might be recreated, I didn't stop to put together the obvious clue about its connection to poor Kimimaro," Orochimaru mused.

"You ever get tired of sending clones to talk to me?" Naruto asked flatly.

"I prefer to remain among the living still," Orochimaru answered casually. "Still, congratulations on your victory, Naruto. Or victories, I should say. It's no small feat to beat the illusive leader of the Akatsuki."

Naruto growled in thought.

"In any case, I merely came to congratulate you. And thank you. I managed to get plenty of samples during your battle," Orochimaru said smugly.

"Of course you did," Naruto said with an eye-roll. "Now kindly fuck off so I can get this glass out of my fur. It is in places every you wouldn't enjoy."

Orochimaru just chuckled and allowed his clone to disperse into the mud.

Right on Naruto's head.

The golden Kyuubi found his eyebrow twitching. He was going to clean himself off in a second, but that still annoyed the hell out of him.

On the subject of being possibly immortal, he did not like the idea of Orochimaru as a long-term company. He was pretty sure that snake would become very annoying over time.

Back at the sight of the battle, Tsunade finished checking over the corpses. "Right. These seem to be safe for transport. Put them in a sealing scroll," Tsunade said as she walked away.

"Ma'am!" one of the ANBU said before getting to work.

Tsunade turned her attention to their Taijutsu master. "Gai, head to the Daimyo and give them the news that Naruto has dealt with the Hakaju. We need to get Jiraiya over here to see if he can uncover anything," she said, glancing at the devastation around them. "Anything that might remain, at any rate."

"I'm on it, Lady Tsunade!" Gai saluted with a grin before taking off.

Tsunade sighed and let her shoulders untense. They had to be thorough, but she had a good feeling this issue was finally dealt with. She glanced over and saw Shikamaru examining a large shard of glass sticking out of the ground, formed from Naruto's flames and Gaara's leftover sand. "Something on your mind, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru scratched his head. "A lot of things, but most of them I'm sure you already thought of, Lady Tsunade."

She nodded in understanding. "This incident definitely had a mastermind behind it, and Naruto believes they are still at large," she mused with a frown. "To what end, though?"

"Testing Naruto's power seems like a safe bet, trying to make a Bijuu might also have something to do with it," Shikamaru said with a scowl. "Lady Tsunade, you remember I was supposed to observe Naruto when he was training? Try and take stock of any problems he might be having on that end?"

"That is starting to feel like years ago, but yes," Tsunade admitted curiously, crossing her arms as she gave him her full attention.

"There was a...theory I left out of my report at the time. I wasn't sure at the time if it was even right," Shikamaru said carefully. "But after this fight, I think it might be."

"And that would be?" Tsunade pressed.

Shikamaru looked up at the clouds. "Back at the village, when Ino felt Naruto fighting this thing? She said it didn't feel like Naruto was cutting loose at all."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"When I first started watching Naruto training at the beach, sparring with Gamabunta? I thought at first his biggest problem would be obvious, that he would rely too much on his overwhelming power. That he would just brute force every issue," Shikamaru summarized. "I think Naruto has the opposite problem."

Tsunade furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Ever since he's become a Bijuu, Naruto has been constantly aware of how...fragile everything is next to him. From people, to buildings, to even the landscape. Even summon bosses are far below what he can dish out," Shikamaru reminded grimly as he looked at the Hokage. "I don't think Naruto has trouble controlling his power. I think he has trouble remembering how to let it loose anymore. Which hasn't been a problem...until he fights something on the same level as himself."

Shikamaru looked to the side and Tsunade followed his gaze. The other crater Naruto had created, with a single powerful punch, strong enough to cause a small eruption.

If Naruto had been throwing punches like that repeatedly, few if any barriers could stand against it.

"You might be right," Tsunade said with a frown. "The trouble is, any attempt to train him to unleash his full power will probably rewrite the geography wherever he is."

With the destruction all around them, Shikamaru was keenly aware this was not an exaggeration.

Meanwhile

Naruto made it back to the village without incident. He had used a lazy burst of chakra to clean himself of everything. Dirt, glass, mud, scorch marks, and everything else that he might have been dragging along.

He wasn't hurting or anything. He was just really tired. So tired that he didn't really acknowledge anyone trying to talk to him. He just lazily waved to them all as he let out a mighty yawn that probably scared more than a few of them.

But today, Naruto couldn't care. Just as he had done when he first returned to Konoha as a Bijuu, he merely made his way to the back of the Hokage monument and allowed himself to fall asleep as he made himself comfortable.

Sleep came quick and easy, despite the sun still being high in the sky.

End of Chapter

Well, the Hakaju is dead! The mastermind got away, but the monster has finally been put down! Naruto can now relax, and Shikamaru is speculating that Naruto has trouble letting loose rather then keeping himself in check. But for now, everything winds down a bit.

Happy Halloween!

Early viewing of chapters 31-32 avaliable on my pat-reon:

p a treon . com (slash) akumakami64