"Don't worry, watch me finish him off in one move," Kankuro said confidently, his fingers glowing with a light blue Chakra line, ready to activate his puppet.
Whoosh! A stone whizzed past and struck Kankuro's hand.
"Don't bully the tail of the crane in our village," came an indifferent voice from the distance.
The audience turned, curious.
There, casually perched on a tree, was Sasuke. He nonchalantly tossed a few pebbles in his hand, wearing a grim expression, as he locked eyes with Kankuro.
"You think you're strong? Want to fight? I'll gladly oblige," Sasuke said, barely raising an eyebrow.
"Arrogant little—" Naruto grumbled, glaring at Sasuke up in the tree.
"Pretty cool," Temari observed, a slight smirk on her face as she watched Sasuke, who was clearly trying to look extra aloof and dramatic.
Kankuro rubbed his aching hand, glancing at Sasuke with irritation. When did he show up? And how in the world did I not notice him? This guy is probably stronger than I thought.
"You're so full of yourself," Kankuro sneered. He shifted his fingers slightly, and the Chakra thread tightened around his puppet. Bandages unfurled from the marionette like a monstrous snake uncoiling, preparing for battle.
Boom! The ground trembled, and a massive wave of sand erupted from the earth, rolling and crashing, wiping out all of Naruto's Shadow Clones in an instant.
"S-Sand?" Naruto stammered, taken aback by the sudden onslaught.
"Enough, Kankuro. Stop embarrassing yourself," a calm voice cut through the chaos.
The audience froze. From behind the rolling sand, a red-haired figure emerged, upside down, hanging casually from a tree trunk, his emotionless gaze sweeping over the crowd.
It was Gaara.
Sasuke's expression darkened. When did he get there? The guy's presence is... unsettling. I didn't even feel his chakra.
Kankuro's eyes widened with dread. He slowly retracted his Chakra line, letting Konohamaru fall to the ground. The fear in his eyes was unmistakable.
Konohamaru scrambled away from Kankuro and dashed over to Naruto, clutching him tightly, sniffling. "Big bro Naruto, I'm so scared…"
Naruto, clearly flustered, pushed the kid off him, frowning. "Stop rubbing your snot on my clothes!"
"Master Naruto, you're too embarrassing. Sasuke looks way cooler," Konohamaru whined, scrunching his face in disgust.
"Damn it!" Naruto growled, glaring at Sasuke and then at Gaara. "I was gonna save you, Konohamaru, but now all the attention's on these bastards."
"What's your name?" Gaara asked flatly, still hanging upside down, his eyes fixed on Sasuke.
Sasuke raised his chin, his voice icy. "Sasuke Uchiha."
"Gaara," the redhead replied with a dull indifference. "Sasuke Uchiha. I remember you."
"Hmph," Sasuke scoffed, then turned his attention away.
Naruto, who had been totally ignored in the exchange, looked from Sasuke to Gaara, trying to make sense of what just happened. "I—Uh, what about me? Hey! My name's Naruto Uzumaki! I'm gonna be Hokage one day!" he shouted, jabbing a finger at Gaara.
"Who cares, idiot," Kankuro muttered as he turned to leave, taking his puppet with him.
Gaara didn't even acknowledge Naruto. Sand flowed around him, cocooning his body in an impenetrable shield.
"Stop being such a pain!" Naruto shouted, feeling humiliated.
"You're a loser," Konohamaru muttered.
Naruto, seething, threw his hands into a seal. Here it comes.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof!
A dozen copies of Naruto popped into existence.
"Alright, time to show these guys the power of Rasengan!" he declared, pumping his fist.
"Wait, Rasengan?" Temari raised an eyebrow.
Naruto held up his hand, and his first Rasengan began to whirl into existence. Then, with a dramatic flair, two clones created their own Rasengans, one in each hand.
"Why is he... making three Rasengans at once?" Sasuke frowned, observing the spectacle. "What is he, a chakra factory?"
"Just what is this idiot doing?" Kankuro muttered, eyes widening in disbelief.
"It's called 'Rasengan,' taught to me by Gojo-sensei!" Naruto bellowed, charging forward, his Rasengan spinning with reckless power.
Gaara and the others stopped, staring as Naruto neared with his spiraling chakra attack.
"Idiot," Sasuke muttered, watching in disbelief. "Before the Chūnin exams even start, and this fool is already showing off all of his tricks."
"Stop it, you idiot!" Kankuro warned. "You don't know what you're messing with!"
The sand around Gaara began to swirl, forming an impenetrable ball of defense around him. Naruto wasn't deterred.
"Gaara, you better remember this name Naruto Uzumaki! This is the Rasengan, and I'm going to use it to beat you!"
"Rasengan?" Gaara's voice was devoid of emotion, his hands folding in front of him. "Just try it."
Boom! Naruto's Rasengan collided with the sand ball, sending vibrations throughout the arena. The sand spun wildly but didn't break.
But Naruto wasn't done.
BOOM! Two more Rasengans slammed into the sand, shattering the surface and sending the sand ball flying.
"What...?" Kankuro gasped, his jaw dropping. "How did he—?!"
Even Sasuke blinked in surprise.
"Okay, now that's impressive," he muttered under his breath.
The sand ball shattered entirely, leaving Gaara standing there, unscathed, but clearly on edge. He looked back at Naruto, then slowly raised his hand.
"Stand back," Gaara said in his usual monotone. "I'm not holding back anymore."
Sasuke took a step back, his eyes narrowing. "This isn't over, Naruto. You better not screw this up."
The battle between Naruto and Gaara was just getting started.