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"Wow!" Naruto exclaimed as a fierce wind whipped back into his face.
His **Wind Release: Great Breakthrough** technique covered a wide area, but Gaara remained unfazed. With a simple thought, sand rose from the ground, forming a sturdy semicircular shield in front of him.
**"Bang!"**
The powerful wind slammed against the sand barrier.
**"Crack!"**
**"Crash!"**
Despite the intensity of the wind, Gaara's defense held firm, cracking slightly but not breaking completely.
"Sand? How can he control it like that?" Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. This was beyond what he had anticipated. He quickly changed tactics.
**"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he shouted.
A large amount of chakra surged through him. Even though Naruto wasn't the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki in this timeline, his Uzumaki lineage gave him chakra reserves far beyond that of the average ninja.
**"Poof!"**
**"Poof!"**
**"Poof!"**
**"Poof!"**
Dozens of white clouds puffed into existence, each one dispersing to reveal a Naruto clone. In a matter of seconds, fifty or sixty clones stood ready in the arena.
"Whoa! What is this?"
"He's using the Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Does Naruto really know such an advanced technique?"
"And how can he make so many?"
The spectators gasped in awe. Even the seasoned ninja in the stands were taken aback. On the opposite side of the field, Gaara's eyes darkened, a deadly aura emanating from him.
*'Don't worry, Mother. I'll offer you this boy's blood soon.'* Gaara's thoughts brimmed with malice as he focused on Naruto.
**"Sand Binding Coffin!"** Gaara declared coldly.
Sand erupted from the ground, surging toward Naruto's clones like a tidal wave. It wrapped around many of them, restricting their movements before they could react. Naruto, having no prior experience fighting Gaara, was caught off guard by the sheer speed and precision of the sand.
**"Sand Waterfall Funeral!"** Gaara's voice was calm, yet merciless, as he clenched his fist.
**"Bang!"**
**"Bang!"**
**"Bang!"**
The clones caught in the sand's grip exploded into puffs of smoke, one after another. But a few managed to break free and charged at Gaara.
"Got him!" one of the clones shouted, a confident grin on his face.
**"Sand Shield!"** Gaara's sand instantly formed a protective barrier around him, blocking the clones' strikes with ease.
"What?! It can block attacks too?" Naruto's disbelief grew as he watched his clones fail to land a hit.
Gaara's expression remained emotionless as he prepared to launch another counterattack. **"Sand Waterfall Funeral!"**
The ground beneath Naruto and his remaining clones began to shift and sink, trapping them in the sand.
"This is bad!" Naruto thought, his heart racing. He channeled chakra to his feet and jumped back to avoid being caught. Unfortunately, many of his clones weren't fast enough and were swallowed by the shifting ground.
**"Boom!"**
A loud thud resonated through the stadium as the ground settled. The audience watched in astonishment as the dust began to clear.
**"Crash!"**
When the dust settled, only a few of Naruto's clones remained, alongside the original, all keeping a safe distance from Gaara.
Gaara had eliminated dozens of Naruto's clones in less than ten seconds.
"This Sand ninja is no joke!"
"Can a Genin really wield power like this?"
"Is this a kekkei genkai?"
"This match is going to be brutal."
The crowd buzzed with amazement, and even the veteran Konoha shinobi looked at Gaara with new respect. His abilities clearly exceeded that of a typical Genin, perhaps even surpassing most Chūnin. The Jōnin—Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai—watched Gaara closely, their expressions serious.
Naruto took a deep breath, his eyes blazing with determination. "Alright, let's see how tough your defense really is!" he shouted.
**"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**
Naruto once again summoned his chakra. The audience gasped as more white clouds filled the battlefield.
**"Poof!"**
**"Poof!"**
**"Poof!"**
**"Poof!"**
**"Poof!"**
Hundreds of clones appeared, far more than before.
"This kid... How much chakra does he have!?" Kankuro muttered, watching in disbelief. Even seasoned shinobi would struggle to create so many clones without exhausting themselves.
Gaara's eyes narrowed as the swarm of Narutos rushed toward him. He wouldn't allow this to continue.
**"Boom!"**
Gaara unleashed a wave of chakra, causing the sand around him to explode upwards, forming a larger and more formidable defense.
The Naruto clones attacked relentlessly, charging from all directions.
**"Whoosh!"**
**"Whoosh!"**
**"Whoosh!"**
They launched themselves at Gaara, hoping to break through his sand defenses. But Gaara's barrier met them head-on, colliding with their attacks and sending waves of dust and debris into the air.
**"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"**
**"Wind Release: Air Bullet!"**
**"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"**
Each clone unleashed a different Wind Release technique, trying to overwhelm Gaara's sand shield. The arena roared with the sound of rushing wind and crashing sand as the battle intensified. Naruto aimed to break Gaara's defenses with sheer force and numbers.
The spectators were on the edge of their seats, captivated by the spectacle of hundreds of Naruto clones attacking in perfect unison. But the more experienced shinobi in the crowd saw through Naruto's strategy.
*He's burning through his chakra too quickly,* they thought. *This can't last.*
Although Naruto's tactics were somewhat crude, they were undeniably effective. With his vast chakra reserves, he could afford to match his opponent's power head-on. However, he had chosen the wrong opponent this time. Even with his immense chakra—far surpassing that of 99.99% of shinobi—Naruto faced an entirely different kind of challenge when facing Gaara.
**Tailed Beasts** were on a different level altogether. Despite being among the most powerful humans in history, even **Senju Hashirama** and **Uchiha Madara** couldn't compare to the raw chakra reserves of a tailed beast. The nine tailed beasts were originally fragments of the **Ten-Tails**, and while the **Nine-Tails** held more than half of the Ten-Tails' chakra, each of the other tailed beasts, including the **One-Tailed Shukaku**, contained chakra far beyond any human's limits.
Naruto's usual strategy of overwhelming his opponent with clones and stamina would ultimately fail against Gaara. In a battle of endurance, Gaara—empowered by Shukaku—would undoubtedly outlast him.
However, Gaara wasn't one to drag out fights with patience. His approach was always swift and merciless, aiming to eliminate his opponents with brutal efficiency. Naruto's relentless assault only fueled Gaara's bloodlust.
**"Poof!"**
**"Bang!"**
Clone after clone disappeared in puffs of smoke, only for new ones to replace them. The cycle seemed endless.
"Damn it!" Gaara growled, his patience running thin. His mind was no longer concerned with strategy—he wanted nothing more than to obliterate his enemy.
**"Sand Drizzle!"** he shouted, fury evident in his voice.
Waves of sand shot out in every direction, cutting down Naruto's clones. Yet no matter how many he destroyed, more continued to rush at him.
"This is crazy!" Naruto thought, struggling to keep up with the sheer power of Gaara's attacks. Gaara's frustration grew with each failed attempt to wipe out Naruto's clones.
**"Desert Avalanche!"** Gaara roared, clapping his hands together.
A massive wave of sand erupted from the ground, encasing Gaara in a protective dome. The sand cocooned him completely, shielding him from further attacks.
"What the hell is that?" Naruto muttered, narrowing his eyes at the enormous sand sphere.
"What's going on?"
"He's wrapped himself up in sand?"
"Doesn't that block his vision?"
"But it looks tough! Can Naruto even get through it?"
"Is this the ultimate defense?"
The crowd buzzed with a mix of awe and confusion, their attention focused on the massive sand cocoon encasing Gaara.
"This is bad. Gaara's acting on his own!" Baki, a Jonin from the Hidden Sand, muttered under his breath, his face pale. "It's not time yet, but he's moving without orders!"
The plan to destroy Konoha was timed carefully, and Gaara's premature actions risked throwing everything into disarray. Baki had hoped Gaara and Naruto's fight would drag on, buying more time. Chakra consumption wasn't a concern for a Jinchūriki, as the tailed beasts had near-limitless reserves.
Now that Gaara had acted on his own, Baki could only hope the forces outside the village were prepared to strike sooner than planned.
In the stands, Kabuto Yakushi, disguised as an Anbu, felt the rising tension. His fingers twitched as he prepared for the next phase of their operation.
In the contestants' area, Menma narrowed his eyes, noticing the unease on Temari and Kankuro's faces.
*Is Shukaku about to emerge?* Menma wondered, his gaze shifting toward Baki and Kabuto. With his enhanced sensory abilities, he easily pinpointed their locations.
The plan to destroy Konoha would begin with Gaara's rampage, followed by Orochimaru's attack on the Third Hokage. Menma's calm demeanor masked the cold, murderous intent he harbored deep inside.
*This village is about to know true pain,* Menma thought, feeling a twisted sense of satisfaction.
Back in the arena, Naruto glared at the massive sand cocoon. He had thrown everything he had at Gaara, but nothing seemed to work.
"How am I supposed to deal with this?" Naruto muttered, scratching his head. He realized that Gaara wouldn't hide himself away unless something big was about to happen. Time wasn't on his side.
"I was saving this for Menma or Sasuke, but I guess I've got no choice now," Naruto said, determination flickering in his eyes.
He called over a shadow clone. The original extended his right hand, while the clone placed its hands on top of it.
A familiar technique was about to be unleashed.
Menma's eyes widened as he recognized the jutsu. *Rasengan,* he thought, the name flashing through his mind.
A swirling sphere of chakra formed in Naruto's palm, glowing with a bright blue light. Menma knew that Gaara's defense wouldn't be able to withstand a direct hit from the **Rasengan**.
*It's playing out just like before,* Menma thought, momentarily wondering if he should even bother participating in the plan to destroy Konoha.
But before Naruto could launch his attack, something unexpected happened.
**"Nirvana Tempest!"**
A genjutsu activated, sending a cascade of white feathers down from the sky, blanketing the arena. Menma's eyes narrowed as he recognized the technique.
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