Vol.11 Chapter 97 – A Reason for Continuing to Exist…!!

Naruto and Shikamaru ask why Gaara wanted to kill Rock Lee, but he has no specific reason. Gaara threatens to kill them too if they try to stop him. Naruto is not afraid of the threats, as there is a monster inside of him. Gaara responds by saying that he and Naruto are similar, as he too has a monster imprisoned within him – the Spirit of Sand. He was placed in Gaara’s body before he was born, causing the death of his mother but granting him control of the sand. All the years that followed, his own father tried to kill him because the boy was too dangerous. He wonders why he exists, and later answers that he lives to kill, as this is the only way he feels he lives. Naruto realizes that he and Gaara are very similar, but Naruto has managed to escape from the abyss of hatred and fear, while Gaara has not. From this Naruto concludes that he cannot defeat him. As Gaara prepares to attack, Maito Gai appears and forces Gaara to leave. Before leaving the chamber, Gaara says that he will surely kill them.