As soon as Naruto shouted, "Seal Release!" he pulled out the Undying Totem once again.
Naruto had calculated the strength he used earlier, ensuring he wouldn't accidentally kill "Pikachu" this time.
Swinging the massive golden totem around, which was even taller than him, Naruto wielded it effortlessly, like it was a mere toy in his hands. The wind generated by his movements sent ripples of energy across the arena.
Hayate Gekkō, fearing that blood might splash onto him, quickly shuffled to the side.
At the same time, Kankurō finally realized something...
The guy in front of him was indeed using a puppet as a weapon. He stared at Naruto's actions, completely dumbfounded.
This... This is not how I learned puppetry!
Naruto's method of using a puppet as a weapon seemed off—completely off—but Kankurō couldn't pinpoint what exactly was wrong. In his training, puppetry involved staying hidden behind the puppet, analyzing the opponent's moves, and seizing the right moment to strike.
But today, Uzumaki Naruto had opened Kankurō's eyes.
Kankurō didn't understand it, but he was absolutely shaken.
At that moment, Naruto swung the Undying Totem with a 'whoosh' and knocked "Pikachu" to the ground. He then began pounding Kankurō relentlessly, each strike accompanied by Naruto silently yelling to himself:
No sleeping in the duel arena!!
Boom!
"Ahh!"
Boom!
"Ahh!!"
Naruto was exceptionally precise in controlling his strength, making sure each blow drew blood from Kankurō but without going too far. He had even found a rhythm, and the melody? Kankurō's screams of pain.
The sight was so savage that everyone present couldn't help but shiver.
Especially the foreign shinobi who had initially mistaken Naruto for a puppeteer. Each thundering blow seemed to resonate in their very souls.
The mocking smiles they had worn just moments earlier froze on their faces.
"You're telling me this is a puppeteer!?"
"That thing on him before… was just a weight?"
"What kind of monster is this blonde kid?"
"If he hits us like that, we'd be dead, right?"
The foreign shinobi swallowed hard, their fear growing by the second. It was only now they understood why the Third Hokage had suggested they could confront Naruto if they had grievances.
But with this totem smashing down on them...
Even they, a group of experienced jōnin, would be knocked senseless.
What the hell is up with this kid!?
If he had shown this level of strength from the start, who would've dared to storm the Hokage's office?
And judging by the previous exams… Uzumaki Naruto was clearly the type to hold a grudge.
The foreign shinobi were already mentally preparing themselves, terrified of being remembered by this vindictive blonde.
"Naruto, that's enough."
Finally, the Third Hokage couldn't bear to watch Naruto mercilessly thrash the foreign shinobi any longer. With a look, he signaled Hayate Gekkō to intervene and call off the fight.
Hayate Gekkō, still wary of Naruto's vicious energy, kept a cautious distance, standing five meters away while yelling for over a minute before Naruto finally stopped.
Naruto didn't stop just because he was asked, though—his totem had cracked once again, and it conveniently healed "Pikachu" in the process.
Lying peacefully on the ground, his wounds miraculously healed, Kankurō stared blankly at the ceiling, eyes wide open.
For a brief moment…
He felt as though he had glimpsed the boundary between life and death.
Moreover…
Kankurō felt like he had unlocked the secrets of the ultimate puppet technique.
Lady Chiyo!
I finally understand the true path of puppetry!
It turns out, the ultimate secret of puppetry is to use it the way Naruto does!
Having gained this profound realization, Kankurō no longer felt any pain from his injuries.
After some time, he slowly got back on his feet. Though his body was healed, his puppet and clothes were completely destroyed, leaving him looking no better than a wandering beggar.
Despite this, Kankurō's spirit was soaring. He glanced at Naruto, his eyes gleaming with admiration. Bowing deeply to his opponent, he shouted with all the gratitude he could muster:
"Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Th-Thank you so much!"
"I've finally grasped the true essence of puppetry!"
Naruto, hearing "Pikachu" speak, couldn't help but wear an expression akin to that of a confused old man on the subway.
Wait, what? Dude... what exactly did you figure out?
I literally just killed you twice.
Up on the observation deck, Kakashi placed a hand over his face with a soft 'slap.'
Great. Another kid corrupted by Naruto.
The Third Hokage, meanwhile, looked down at Kankurō bowing to Naruto, and a strange sense of satisfaction crept into his heart.
Finally...
Finally, someone else can experience the same suffering I've gone through.
Standing off to the side, Gaara observed his brother Kankurō with a twitching brow, his veins bulging as if ready to explode.
Kankurō, you disgrace to the village!
The reactions of the surrounding shinobi were equally perplexed.
Wasn't Kankurō the one who had been completely thrashed? Why on earth was he now bowing and thanking Uzumaki Naruto?
"Lee! How moving! This is what it means to embrace youth!"
"Guy-sensei!"
The green-clad master and student duo once again cried tears of joy at the sight, while Tenten quickly pulled Neji away, as if silently telling the world that she had no idea who those two embarrassing individuals were.
Naruto, feeling conflicted, walked back to the spectators' area. Throughout his return, Kankurō repeatedly expressed his thanks, and if the shinobi world had cell phones, Naruto was certain Kankurō would've asked for his contact information.
"Ahem... The second match…"
Hayate Gekkō cleared his throat as he returned to the arena, a bit of a cough in his voice. Behind him, the screen displaying the next combatants spun rapidly.
"The second match will be... Uchiha Sasuke versus Tenten."
Sasuke glanced down at the frail, coughing proctor, already contemplating whether he should team up with Naruto later to ambush the guy with a sack.
But upon hearing the name of his opponent, Sasuke's eyes lit up with an unusual excitement.
Good, good, good!
Tenten, is it?
Today, I, Uchiha Sasuke, will wash away the disgrace of that day!
"Yo, Brother Thin Ice."
Tenten greeted Sasuke casually, waving with a playful smile before sticking out her tongue.
Hearing the nickname "Thin Ice Brother," Sasuke's fists clenched in frustration.
"Enough talk."
Crackling with lightning, Sasuke's body flickered forward, closing the gap in an instant. Tenten responded quickly, flipping gracefully into the ring, while Neji watched from the sidelines, reminding her:
"Tenten, be careful."
"Don't worry, Neji," she replied confidently.
Sasuke, dressed in his black robe, locked eyes with Tenten from across the arena. He had gathered plenty of intel on her before the match.
Apparently, she was a regular ninja with average skills, but excelled in the use of ninja tools. Sasuke couldn't help but scoff at the thought.
No matter how skilled she is with weapons, can she possibly surpass the might of the Uchiha clan?
Today, Sasuke had decided he would beat her at her own game.
Both combatants completed the seal of confrontation, and Tenten immediately widened the distance between them. She pulled out a massive sealing scroll, but Sasuke was even faster. In the blink of an eye, he had unsealed five scrolls, his hand speed so quick that even Naruto was impressed.
Poof! Poof! Poof!
A series of summoning sounds echoed across the battlefield, and in an instant, the arena was littered with ninja tools.