"Is that true?'Strongest Genin'? That blonde kid? He doesn't look very strong."
"Well, this is the first time Konoha has officially released such news. The Third Hokage has been in that position for decades, so there must be some basis for it. If it weren't for this gimmick, and hearing that the Uchiha descendant didn't advance, I wouldn't have bothered to come all the way to Konoha."
"Hurry up and start! I want to see rivers of blood! Go! Let me witness firsthand how capable this guy, so highly praised by the Hokage, truly is?!"
In the stands, Ninja, merchants, and nobles from various countries discussed animatedly, their noisy chatter mixed with undisguised anticipation, curiosity, and doubt.
Meanwhile, most of the Konoha Jonin and some Chunin in the viewing stands stood with their arms crossed, looking composed.
However, in the ordinary Konoha Villager section on the other side, the atmosphere was particularly subdued. They looked at the golden figure in the arena, their faces showing neither anticipation nor doubt, but rather an indescribable awkwardness and unease.
This unease stemmed from past attitudes of indifference, exclusion, and even disgust.
— — — — — —
Above the spectator stands, a secluded stairwell connected the lower and upper viewing areas. Although the entire venue was almost full, this area was usually empty during the matches.
While it was possible to see the arena below from here, the view and viewing experience were clearly much worse.
Satsuki stood there alone. She was a little concerned that on this important day, with Naruto advancing to the final assessment, she was the only one from her family who came to watch.
But this was unavoidable, because today her father, Uchiha Fugaku—or rather, most of the active Ninja in Konoha—had been assigned patrol duties, dispersed throughout the Village, seemingly on high alert for any possible attacks. Satsuki was not clear about the specific reason; her mother, Mikoto, also didn't come to watch because her father had specifically instructed her to stay in the clan compound today and not go out casually.
This quiet corner of the stairwell was a spot Satsuki had painstakingly found... a place where she could cheer for Naruto without being noticed.
She simply couldn't openly shout encouragement in front of everyone like others. Even though cheering for a comrade during a match was a perfectly normal thing to do.
Satsuki's hands were clasped somewhat unnaturally in front of her, gathering courage for her next action, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
She repeated, in a volume only she could hear, very softly, "Naruto... go... go..."
Under the gaze of the entire audience, Naruto calmly walked down the steps into the arena, a familiar gentle smile on his face. However, his inner world was far from as serene as it appeared—in his mental realm, Kurama's excited roar almost tore through the sealing space.
"You stinking tanuki! I've finally been waiting for this moment! Naruto! Give him a punch to the face first! Yes, use that! Let that stupid tanuki feel our 'greeting'! You can use all of my Chakra later! Use that Ninjutsu with five Rasengan! Let him see how powerful we are!"
Listening to Kurama's suggestion, which almost had "beat him to death" written all over it, Naruto couldn't help but inwardly grumble, "How bad is your relationship, really?"
This isn't just a regular spar, is it? Perhaps for these Tailed Beasts, which are essentially Chakra aggregations and cannot be truly destroyed, this level of conflict is truly just a "minor scuffle" or playful roughhousing.
On the other side, Gaara's entrance was filled with blood and brutality. In the passage to the arena, he casually crushed two idiots hired by a certain Daimyo who tried to coerce him into "losing the match" with his sand.
The warm blood further stimulated his already almost out-of-control nerves, and his bloodthirsty desire soared to its peak!
His pupils constricted sharply, the whites of his eyes filled with bloodshot veins, and the sand in the gourd on his back uncontrollably gushed out, spreading at his feet.
"Mama... this time..." he whispered, his voice twisted and morbid, "...it will be very... delicious blood..."
When he finally stepped into the arena and stood opposite Naruto, his appearance made Temari and Kankuro in the stands incredibly worried. They had never seen Gaara show such clear signs of losing control before the battle had even begun.
"Begin!"
Shiranui Genma decisively announced, then quickly retreated, leaving the combat zone.
"Come..."
Gaara squeezed a roar from deep in his throat. The moment the battle began, his long-accumulated killing intent completely erupted! Surging waves of sand rushed towards Naruto!
The next instant.
"Swish!"
Naruto's figure vanished from his original spot. Not by Body Flicker Technique, but by pure speed! Gaara couldn't even catch his movement trajectory!
"Bang!"
A dull thud of flesh hitting flesh clearly sounded! The sand, supposedly absolute defense, completely failed to keep up with this speed.
Under the incredulous gazes of Kankuro, Temari, and Baki hidden in the stands, Naruto's fist landed squarely on Gaara's face!
"Crunch..."
Accompanied by a grating, shattering sound, Gaara's body was sent flying backward the moment the battle began. And the layer of Sand Armor on his face cracked with clear fissures under this punch!
"Next, try this... Open Gate, Release."
As the internal restrictions were quietly lifted, the first of the Eight Gates—the Gate of Opening—opened silently. Unlike Lee's magnificent display, no violent air currents surged around Naruto, nor did his breathing become disordered.
But the effect was terrifying!
"Boom!"
Just as Gaara stumbled to his feet from the ground, Naruto's figure had already approached again like a teleportation! Another simple but blindingly fast straight punch accurately slammed into Gaara's jaw!
The ordinary spectators in the stands couldn't see the specific process. They only saw Gaara, like a sandbag, being continuously struck into the air by an invisible force, and in a series of dull "Bang! Bang!" sounds, he was continuously juggled in the air without any ability to retaliate!
In the stands, Kakashi lifted his forehead protector, his Sharingan closely tracking the blurry golden trajectory. This speed, purely erupted from his physical body, made even him feel startled.
"Naruto... used the Eight Gates?"
"That's right, Kakashi. Although the flow is extremely restrained, that is indeed the first Gate of the Eight Gates."
Might Guy's voice came from behind him. He had finally returned after settling Lee. Might Guy stood with his arms crossed, analyzing the situation in the arena.
"...It seems it's still too early for Lee to challenge Naruto. The speed Naruto displayed by only opening the first Gate is already... comparable to Lee's speed when he opens the fifth Gate."
"Boom!"
The final heavy downward kick slammed Gaara to the ground like a meteor, but Naruto did not pursue. Instead, he lightly leaped backward, actively creating distance.
The dust slowly cleared, revealing Gaara's disheveled figure. His Sand Armor was shattered and largely peeled off. He knelt on one knee, breathing heavily, but his bloodshot eyes were still fixed on Naruto, filled with brutality and disbelief.
"I know very well," Naruto said calmly, his voice clearly echoing through the arena. "That relying solely on Taijutsu cannot truly defeat you. Come, let me see your true power."
Upon hearing this, Gaara let out a low growl like a wounded beast from his throat. He quickly formed hand seals, and the scattered sand on the ground responded to his call, converging towards him frantically! In just an instant, a huge, thick, completely enclosed spherical fortress made of sand completely engulfed his figure, firmly protecting him.
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