"Is this the backbone of a Hidden Sand Ninja? Do you just shrink into the sand like a turtle when you can't win?!"
"Get out here and fight me head-on, coward!"
Seeing Gaara hide inside an impenetrable sand sphere, and even the shuriken and kunai Naruto tentatively threw were precisely parried by sand spikes that instantly protruded from the sphere's surface, some excited spectators immediately erupted in dissatisfied shouts, angrily denouncing Gaara's 'turtle tactics' of avoiding battle.
"Strange..."
Kakashi, however, frowned slightly, gazing at Naruto who remained still in the arena. He had personally witnessed Naruto perform five-element Ninjutsu. Although this sand sphere's defense was thick, with Naruto's abilities, there should be several ways to forcibly break through it. Why was he hesitating?
Naruto's silence at this moment was not due to a lack of ideas, but rather deep thought. He knew that Gaara hiding in the sand sphere likely meant he was preparing to use the 'Feigning Sleep Jutsu' to completely hand over control of his body to the One-Tails Shukaku within him.
However, to truly defeat Gaara, he would inevitably have to confront the One-Tails Shukaku. Even if Gaara were killed now, the sealed One-Tails Shukaku would still break free.
No matter what, a confrontation with this 'big tanuki' seemed unavoidable... Thinking of this, Naruto could feel Kurama in his mental world rubbing his fists, letting out excited, impatient growls.
However, to avoid affecting innocent bystanders outside the arena, Naruto absolutely could not allow Gaara to fully release Shukaku here. He had to break this shell before Shukaku fully awakened, throw Gaara out of the arena, and then continue the fight.
With his thoughts set, Naruto quickly formed hand signs in front of his chest, his chest puffed up, and then he exhaled sharply.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A seemingly ordinary B-rank Fire Release Ninjutsu, but what erupted from Naruto's mouth was a scorching sea of fire, surging like a tidal wave! The orange-red flames, carrying terrifying high temperatures, instantly swept across more than half of the arena, engulfing Gaara's sand sphere!
The stands immediately erupted in even more fervent cheers.
"Good! Beat him to death in one go!"
"Let me see the power of a Konoha Ninja!"
Temari, who had been worried that Gaara's loss of control would disrupt the plan, now saw her brother's sand sphere completely engulfed by towering flames. Her heart almost leaped out of her chest, and she cried out in alarm.
"Gaara?!"
Inside the scorching sand sphere, Gaara was enduring unimaginable torment. The high temperature permeated through the sand layers, and the air became scalding and thin.
"Mommy... it's so hot... what's happening..."
He painfully curled up, his consciousness gradually blurring under the intense heat. His hands, forming hand signs, trembled violently, unable to complete the final steps of the 'Feigning Sleep Jutsu'.
Anxiety finally broke through the dam of his reason, transforming into a roar that was utterly inhuman, a mix of madness and despair, momentarily overpowering the clamor of the entire audience!
"No... I'm sorry... Waaah... Aaaahhhhh—!"
Seeing this, Naruto decisively stopped his Fire Release. The scorching flames slowly dissipated, revealing the sand shell, its surface vitrified by the heat, yet still maintaining its spherical shape. It seemed the jutsu had been interrupted. So, next...
"Bang—!!!"
However, in the very next moment, an anomaly suddenly occurred! A giant, hideous monster claw, formed of ominous dark yellow sand and materialized Chakra, burst forth violently from a crack in the sand sphere's surface!
Immediately after, the entire sand sphere was torn apart as if by an internal explosion, shattering into pieces with a loud bang, scattering sand everywhere!
"...How could this be? This is too reckless!" Temari recognized the source of the claw in horror—it was the power of the monster inside Gaara! Was it coming out early?! But... the signal to attack hadn't come yet!
She anxiously looked towards the main platform, at the 'Kazekage' seated beside the Third Hokage, but saw that 'father' remained calm and composed, showing no reaction. Temari could only suppress the panic in her heart and continue to closely watch the situation in the arena.
As the dust slowly cleared, Gaara's figure reappeared. But it was no longer a human form—his right arm, along with the gourd on his back, had completely merged, transforming into that giant, ominous dark yellow monster claw.
Half of his face was also covered with Shukaku's sandy patterns, his eyes became savage like a beast's, and his mouth stretched into an inhuman grin.
"I'll kill you..."
A hoarse voice, filled with endless killing intent, squeezed out from his half-human, half-monster throat.
Naruto gazed at Gaara's current state, quickly assessing in his mind, 'This is... a forced partial Tailed Beast transformation? Or, more accurately, a 'Jinchuriki' form.'
Although his appearance was terrifying, the Chakra fluctuations he emitted, compared to Naruto's power level when entering Tailed Beast Chakra Mode, were probably less than one percent.
"What... what is that monster?!"
"The Hidden Sand Village didn't send a human at all, did they?!"
As Gaara was in a semi-uncontrolled state, an intense, almost tangible killing intent mixed with the Tailed Beast's violent aura spread outwards like a cold tide, engulfing the entire arena. Some timid spectators, looking at his terrifying half-human, half-beast appearance, began to tremble uncontrollably, and some even wanted to flee their seats.
"Come... let your blood make me feel my existence!"
Gaara, his voice now sharp and distorted, wielded the massive dark yellow giant claw like an out-of-control battering ram, sand and stones scattering beneath his feet, as he charged furiously at Naruto!
However, facing this charge, Naruto not only did not retreat but also stepped forward, meeting him head-on!
Even more perplexing was that as he charged, he seemingly casually flicked his right hand forward, throwing a uniquely shaped triangular kunai. The kunai spun, tracing an arc, and flew towards Gaara.
Most of the Konoha Ninja in the stands frowned, puzzled by this seemingly weak long-range attack. What good was throwing a kunai in a confrontation of this level?
But at the same time, the 'Kazekage' seated on the main platform, upon seeing that kunai, imperceptibly trembled slightly.
He completely ignored the Third Hokage's questioning gaze beside him, his breathing unconsciously became heavy, and he stared intently at the arena.
In a flash, the distance between the two rapidly closed! After throwing the kunai, Naruto's free left hand instantly condensed a brilliant, rapidly rotating sphere of Chakra—the Rasengan!
Gaara was completely insane, his mind filled only with the thought of tearing the person in front of him to shreds, completely disregarding the seemingly harmless kunai.
He didn't even notice that the kunai, which should have been blocked, passed unimpeded over his massive Shukaku claw and flew behind him.
"I'll kill you..."
He roared, and the giant Shukaku claw was about to completely engulf Naruto's figure!
Just at this critical moment.
"Swish!"
Naruto's figure vanished from his original spot! Gaara's certain strike completely missed, and the huge momentum made him stumble forward.
"Boom—!!!"
In the next instant, an irresistible, terrifying impact came suddenly from above Gaara's head! Naruto had appeared on the special kunai that had already flown behind Gaara. He caught the kunai with one hand, and with the other hand, the already prepared Rasengan, he mercilessly slammed it onto Gaara's defenseless back!
The violent explosion and the roar of Chakra echoed throughout the arena.
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