"Arrg!"
Gaara's angry mood seemed to attract the attention of the monster sealed inside him.
"Are you angry too?" Gaara suppressed his voice and muttered.
"However, the blood this time will satisfy you~~"
"This is bad. Gaara started talking to it before the match started!" Kankuro looked at Gaara worriedly.
"I've never seen Gaara like this before a battle. It appears that Uzumaki Naruto poses a significant threat to him," Temari commented, her brows furrowing in concern. She worried not only about Gaara's ability to maintain control but also about the potential impact it could have on Shukaku and their overall plan.
"That guy…what's going on with him?" Sasuke looked at Gaara in puzzlement, feeling that his state was very strange.
Kakashi didn't answer, just glanced at the Anbu behind the auditorium, who was standing against the wall and wearing a mask. He thought, "Is the Third Hokage preparing to confront the One-Tail Jinchūriki, or did he foresee the possibility of someone exploiting the Chunin exams?"
*****
"I'll make you understand; we can't be friends with monsters," Gaara raised his head abruptly. With a swift motion of his right hand, the large gourd on his back opened, and a torrent of sand erupted, launching a violent assault on Naruto.
Reacting swiftly, Naruto skillfully evaded the incoming attack, gracefully evading the onslaught of sand.
"Only love yourself, fight only for yourself, live only for yourself..."
"Only when you view others as beings capable of evoking such emotions will the world become a truly perfect place," Gaara spoke coldly, fixing his gaze upon Naruto.
"It is evident from this display that Shukaku's influence has greatly tainted Gaara's character, leading to the emergence of a formidable force," Naruto shook his head, feeling that the broken-mouthed Shukaku is annoying enough, and he doesn't know what the scene will be when he stays with Kurama.
Swoosh!
As Naruto contemplated his next move, he forcefully stomped on the ground, causing his figure to vanish instantaneously. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared directly in front of Gaara.
Reacting swiftly, Gaara's sand instinctively surged forward, forming a defensive barrier to intercept Naruto's incoming fist.
Initially, Naruto could immobilize the sand, but he refrained from doing so, as it would risk exposing his true capabilities. After all, only Gaara himself and Baki had witnessed that particular incident. If others were to suspect that Naruto was responsible for Gaara's disappearance, it could have adverse consequences.
Gaara maintained his indifferent gaze as Naruto approached closely, but in the next moment, his expression shifted abruptly.
"He vanished!"
Before he could process this realization, a powerful blow struck his left cheek, sending him hurtling through the air. The force behind the strike reminded him of the devastating kick delivered by Rock Lee during the preliminary exams.
"Gaara! Damn, it, the speed of the Uzumaki Naruto is so fast!" Kankuro stood up and looked at the field in disbelief.
"Gaara is going to go crazy now."
"As expected of Naruto! My strongest opponent!" Rock Lee clenched his fist excitedly!
Guy also thought of Naruto's strange strength that could make Kakashi's arm red and swollen and immediately felt relieved.
"Naruto is so strong!!"
"As expected of someone who is called number one in actual combat!!"
"Yes, that's it! Give him a thorough beating!"
Naruto's performance immediately made everyone excited.
"This speed, as well as that strange power, are the same as before," Kakashi laughed, the stronger Naruto was, the happier he was.
After all, I wish to support Naruto's aspiration to become Hokage. If he doesn't deliver an impressive performance, how can I convince the public of his potential and capabilities?
But although Kakashi knew that Naruto was great, he still thought that he was not as good as Orochimaru.
"Where is this place? If Naruto-kun uses that perfect-level Jinchūriki mode, even the Hokage will be scared to death. "
"Hehehe~~," Orochimaru thought in his heart.
"Why is this guy laughing? He is happy after seeing his son being beaten? Sure enough, the whole family has brain problems," Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at Rasa, who was laughing in a low voice, with suspicion on his face.
"Is it that physical technique that enhances speed and strength?" Gaara questioned, rising to his feet, attempting to make sense of the situation.
To his surprise, Gaara noticed that Naruto lacked the same green aura exhibited by Rock Lee. This meant that Naruto's strength itself was naturally formidable!
"Yes, Gaara," Naruto responded calmly.
"What!?"
Boom!
"Cough..." Another blow hit Gaara's stomach, causing his sand armor to shatter continuously.
Boom!
Gaara endured a relentless barrage of attacks, propelled through the air before landing with a thud. However, as he soared, the sand surrounding him swirled and coalesced, encasing his entire body in a protective sphere.
"Absolute defense!" Gaara shouted.
Undeterred, Naruto swiftly evaded, evading another punch. Yet, in that instant, the sand transformed into deadly spikes, hurtling toward Naruto.
Frowning, Naruto vanished from sight, reappearing several meters away, narrowly avoiding the piercing assault.
"How did he do it? Can move in the air?!" Temari was shocked to see that Naruto almost got hit but was still able to avoid it.
"Flying Thunder God Technique? No, it shouldn't be..." Sarutobi Hiruzen muttered to himself, his mind racing to comprehend this new level of ninjutsu displayed by Naruto. It was evident that what Naruto was utilizing went beyond the conventional understanding of a Body Flicker Technique.
Even Shisui couldn't use it!
After all the Third Hokage knew that mastering such an advanced technique in just a week was highly unlikely, even for someone with Minato's lineage.
"It's amazing. This speed is comparable to Flying Thunder God. It's a pity that Naruto can't learn that technique, otherwise, he will be even more powerful," Kakashi said in admiration.
"Isn't Naruto using Flying Thunder God?" Sasuke next to him asked strangely.
"Huh? You said Naruto can use Flying Thunder God?" Kakashi's eyes widened, looking at Sasuke in disbelief.
"You do not know?" Sasuke was skeptical.
"I..... don't know..... Then, can Naruto also use Raikiri?" Kakashi suddenly asked. If Naruto can learn Flying Thunder God just by looking at the ninjutsu scroll, did he also learn Raikiri?
"Yes," Sasuke replied.
Kakashi was speechless. It turns out that Naruto said at the beginning that he could learn just by looking, was it true?!
"Snake, Monkey, Rat, Monkey... Third Eye!" In the ball formed by the sand, Gaara made seals with both hands and activated Third Eye which could observe the outside world.
"Oops... I think Gaara forgot about the plan..." Temari was extremely worried.
"How could this be…? Gaara… We may have to send out a signal at any time!" Baki was sweating coldly, feeling extremely helpless.
"Looks like he's just fooling around," Kankuro analyzed, contemplating the situation. "I believe it would be wise for us to make a swift retreat."
Kankuro looked at the ninjutsu that Gaara was about to launch, his face turned pale, and he recalled some unbearable memories.
"Absolute defense…? Then Chidori should be very suitable."
Naruto smiled as he swiftly formed hand seals. In an instant, a brilliant burst of thunder crackled within his right hand.
…