This is no ordinary ninja, not even a typical elite Shinobi could possess such an aura.
The intensity was palpable, as if a real blade had struck him.
Kankuro gritted his teeth, flexing his fingers: "Stop boasting, kid!"
Two puppets darted forward, closing in from the front and back.
They maneuvered, leaping with lethal intent.
Naruto's expression remained calm as he drew his blade.
A single flash.
The two puppets clattered to the ground.
Kankuro stared at his hands, threads so fine they were invisible to the naked eye danced.
The chakra strings had been severed.
But he had no time to worry about that now, an overwhelming pressure bore down, forcing him to the ground, half-kneeling with his back outward, head lowered.
What is this?
It's just sheer aura.
Is standing even impossible before him?
Not only him.
"Clang," Temari's enormous fan slammed heavily to the ground, serving as her support so she could barely remain standing.
The Shinobi from Sunagakure couldn't believe what they saw.
Taking a deep breath, chakra surged, striving against this massive pressure.
Fighting against the deadly pressure emanating from this blond youth before them.
So, it turns out,
That aura we felt earlier was like a sheathed blade, now truly revealing its edge?
"I only just drew my sword, and you can't even stand," Naruto said, positioning his blade horizontally, eyes on them.
The Shinobi from Sunagakure gritted his teeth, painstakingly raising his hands to gesture Kankuro and Temari away: "You two retreat, he isn't someone you can face."
"We must wait for Gaara to unleash the Slumbering Technique and harness that creature's power to stand a chance against him."
As he spoke, several Konoha ninja hurried over.
Shiranui Genma was in the lead.
Their landing was somewhat clumsy as they hadn't expected a pressure field surrounding Naruto that made their chakra stagnate and hard to mobilize.
"Uzumaki Naruto," Genma spoke, only managing to call Naruto's name without knowing what to say next.□
His intention was to make Naruto retreat.
But now.
This guy was undoubtedly stronger than himself.
"Leave this to me," Naruto turned back with a smile, saying to him, "Go help the others."□
"Understood," Genma nodded, exchanging a glance with the others.
They slowly retreated out of the oppressive field.□
"Oh, by the way," Naruto added, "The one who cast the genjutsu earlier is a Konoha ninja named Kabuto Yakushi.
Be careful of him."
"He's about Jōnin level in skill."□
Genma wasn't surprised by the name "Kabuto Yakushi." At such a crucial moment, a genin who consistently "withdrew" during the exams over seven years was suspiciously noteworthy. They had long been investigating him. However, upon hearing Kabuto might have the strength of a Jōnin, Genma was taken aback.
He nodded, "Got it."
"Naruto, be careful too."□
As he retreated, his gaze lingered, captured entirely by Naruto's golden-haired silhouette.
Twelve years had passed.
Such a figure once again stood before him.□
Maki's forehead was already damp with sweat.
"With your hands so heavy, can you still perform jutsu?" Naruto's gaze returned to him.
"Back off."§
Maki lifted his hands, forcing a smile, still trying to act tough, "What are you talking about? My hands aren't heavy at all."
"And my chakra flows just fine."□
"Just a bit intimidating with that aura."
He formed hand seals, channeling chakra. The air began to spin rapidly at the fingertips brought together, creating a gust of wind.
In an instant, he dashed forward, bringing his blade up towards Naruto.
His speed was even slightly faster than Zabuza's.
However, the technique that once allowed him to hunt down Konoha's special Jōnin, Gekkō Hayate, didn't quite have the same effect on Naruto.
The wind blade clashed with Naruto's blade.
Lightning flashed.
After a few exchanges, Maki suddenly paused, looking downwards.
At some unnoticed moment, Naruto's deep crimson blade had slipped through and pierced his chest.
His chakra dissipated, and the "Wind Blade" he held vanished.
He turned his head back.
Sand began to boil, a foreign chakra violently fluctuating.
This gave Maki a shred of relief.
Indeed, facing such a powerful opponent, his own capabilities were still somewhat lacking.
He hadn't managed to stall for as long as he'd hoped.
Naruto didn't look at the One Tail being released.
His senses picked up something more crucial.
He suddenly looked up, gazing towards the observation tower where Orochimaru's chakra had first erupted. That rooftop was now enveloped in a translucent purple barrier, enclosing only Hiruzen Sarutobi, Orochimaru, and two unfamiliar chakras.
These two chakras were not the focus.
It was how they appeared.
It seemed like he sensed an alternative to "chakra"—a wave more akin to "soul energy."
Souls?
Spiritual presences?
It was new "souls," creating new "chakra."
He stared fixedly in that direction, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Despite being in Konoha for so long, he had never seen a spirit.
Even in the Forest of Death, where so many people died, he had never seen a soul drift out from a corpse.
Yet just now, he clearly felt it in a fleeting moment.
He could not be mistaken.
That was the power of the 'soul'.
Inside the sphere of sand, two enormous tanuki claws ripped it apart, emerging amidst an unrestrained, gleeful laughter: "Hahaha, I've finally come out."
"Damn humans, sealing me for so long."
It was releasing its power.
Shadows lengthened and grew rapidly, overwhelming the entire stadium.
The tanuki bared its teeth fiercely.
The ninja who hadn't managed to escape the arena yet looked on in terror, letting out piercing screams.
Even those embroiled in battle couldn't help but turn and stare.
Naruto's attention snapped back.
So this is... the true form of a tailed beast?
First, he needed to deal with this creature.
Sheathing his blade, he clapped his hands together.
It was time to test what he had just learned.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Dozens of golden chains surged from behind him, shooting forward to wrap around the massive tanuki's body.
Shukaku looked down at the chains binding it.
The scent was familiar.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains?" it screeched, writhing.
The enormous body strained against the chains, producing a cacophony of rattling sounds. The more it struggled, the tighter the golden chains constricted around it.
With a thunderous crash—
The chains slammed it forcefully into the ground.
Its head grazed the dirt.
Shukaku's hateful eyes fell upon Naruto. "A Uzumaki with golden hair?"
"How does a brat like you have such an immense chakra reserve?"
Naruto clapped his hands and performed the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
"I intended for Kurama to have a chat with you."
"But sorry, there's no time. I have something more important to witness."
"Please, return to where you belong."
A few shadow clones together executed the "Tail Sealing Technique." Cursed seals spread from their palms, covering Shukaku's gigantic form.
Its form writhed, with sand-like chakra surging backward into Gaara's body.
"Damn Uzumaki brat!"
Shukaku cursed.
It had only just emerged and hadn't even fully solidified its form.
Barely had it tasted the fresh air.
Yet, it was caught off guard and overwhelmed by such a restrictive power.
Gaara, who had just fallen asleep, opened his eyes in confusion.
Temari and Kankuro, who hadn't left, stared in horror.
Shukaku, the source of their headaches, released only to be sealed back in the blink of an eye, without causing the devastation to Konoha they had planned?
What sort of technique was that?
***
The story seems to be moving towards a critical point as we skip two recommendation rounds.
If all goes as expected, it should officially launch by the second week of July.
The urban narrative has been crafted with exceptional depth and stylistic flair!
(End of Chapter)