"Naruto!"
"Sasuke!"
In the depths of a dense forest, a blonde-haired boy and a black-haired teen charged forward through a hailstorm of sand arms, smashing them apart with Rasengan and Chidori. Their target: a monstrous, humanoid figure ahead.
More precisely, it was a tailed beast partially manifested through its Jinchūriki host—Gaara.
At this moment, Gaara's entire body was encased in sand. His arms were bulky, his torso massive, and even his head was completely engulfed, making him resemble a giant tanuki. A thick tail dragged behind him, and violet patterns covered his entire form.
If it weren't for the fact that his feet still vaguely resembled those of a human, it would've been impossible to tell that this creature was once a boy.
"Die! Die! Die!"
Gaara howled, drooling at the corners of his mouth. His expression was wild—manic even—yet tinged with pain.
Countless streams of sand surged toward Naruto and Sasuke under his control.
Crack! Like a flock of birds shrieking in unison, Sasuke's blue-white electric Chidori flashed through the air, shattering the oncoming sand claws in an instant!
"Naruto!" Sasuke called out as his Chidori dissipated, turning toward his comrade beside him.
"Yeah!" Naruto immediately understood. He reached out his hand toward Sasuke, who grabbed it, spun on his heel, and hurled Naruto straight toward the massive wave of sand claws coming at them.
"RASENGAN!"
With a roar, Naruto thrust forward his spiraling chakra sphere, smashing away another wave of claws!
But there were simply too many of them. A single Rasengan couldn't deal with all of them.
As more claws surged in to overwhelm him, Naruto showed no fear. In fact, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
CRACK!
A flash of lightning!
Sasuke appeared behind him, ninja blade in hand. Moving faster than sight, he launched himself skyward, diving straight into the ocean of sand claws, slicing dozens apart with a single sweeping arc.
Graceful and deadly, Sasuke's movements resembled a butterfly fluttering through a thorn bush, dodging every attempt the claws made to trap him.
But nothing escaped the gaze of his crimson Sharingan.
"Nice job!"
"Naruto!"
Seeing Sasuke rescue him at the critical moment, Naruto clasped his hands together and formed a hand seal. His blue eyes burned with determination.
No matter what, he wouldn't allow anyone to destroy the village!
Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!
POOF! POOF! POOF! POOF!
In a single moment, Naruto's immense Uzumaki chakra erupted into a flood of clones!
Not hundreds—but thousands of shadow clones burst into existence, encircling Gaara's monstrous form from all directions!
The tide had turned!
While Sasuke advanced toward Gaara, shattering sand claws as he went, the corners of his mouth lifted at the sight of Naruto's sheer tenacity.
Heh. Not bad at all.
But…
I haven't been standing still this past month either!
With that, Sasuke's swordplay abruptly changed.
Where once his movements had been flashy and elusive, like a butterfly among flowers, now they were brutal, efficient, and calculated.
He was no longer dancing—he was hunting.
Each movement was small, controlled, and devastating. His ninja blade became the fang of a beast, tearing through everything in his path.
---
"Where are Sasuke and Naruto?" Kakashi asked, surveying the battlefield littered with paper scraps and two unconscious bodies recently flung aside by Katsuyu.
He recognized them immediately—Sakon and Tōu from the Sound Village.
Sakura jolted as she heard his voice, snapping back to reality.
Oh no!
Naruto and Sasuke went off to fight Gaara!
Rasa would never allow Gaara to be captured by Konoha!
They're in danger!
"I'm going after Naruto and Sasuke!" she shouted, not waiting for a response from Hiruzen, Tsunade, or Kakashi. She leapt into the trees and took off toward the distant forest.
Tsunade watched her go without speaking. Then, turning to the exhausted Kakashi, who was now slumped on the ground, she quipped:
"Seriously? You're already drained after such a short fight?"
Kakashi met her gaze with his trademark dead-fish eyes.
Yeah, right. Like anyone could compare to you…
The Senju clan was known for their massive chakra reserves and immense physical endurance. And Tsunade—well, she also had her Yin Seal storing chakra.
Compare my chakra with hers? No, thanks…
Meanwhile, Sakura had already entered the forest.
The Sky Covering Array activated around her. Under its guidance, she followed the obvious trail of destruction left behind.
---
Back at the battlefield, Naruto and Sasuke had pushed Gaara into a corner.
If Gaara had no trump card left, he was destined to fall here.
Gaara was going berserk, demolishing clone after clone. His face twisted in madness and rage.
The omnipresence of Naruto's clones was driving him insane. And Sasuke—lurking within the sea of clones—was like a dagger waiting to strike. Each time he appeared, Gaara felt death brushing against his skin.
Panting heavily, the beast-man's breath came in ragged growls.
Then—something changed.
In that moment of desperation, his left eye's pupil shifted, becoming circular like a coin.
Gaara had made his decision.
He would unleash the One-Tail.
"ROAAAAR!!"
Wild.
Chaotic.
Terrifying.
This was the power of a Tailed Beast—one of the greatest weapons in the ninja world.
With just a single roar, Gaara blasted away the closest shadow clones like dry leaves in a storm.
"What… what is this…?" Naruto gasped, stunned.
He could feel it.
Gaara was the same as him.
A Jinchūriki—someone who had a tailed beast sealed inside.
That chakra… he'd never forget it.
It was just like the nine-tailed fox within himself.
As Gaara prepared to fully release the One-Tail and summon Shukaku, a shadow descended from the sky.
Rasa landed beside his son with a grim frown, eyes shifting between Gaara and the sea of shadow clones surrounding them.
A murderous glint flashed in his eyes.
That boy…
He remembered him—the one who used the Nine-Tails' chakra during the match against the Hyuga branch family.
The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki of Konoha…
If he could kill or capture him now…
The temptation was real.
Just as Rasa was about to act, a thunderous boom echoed across the battlefield.
A blur of pink approached at incredible speed, smoke and dust trailing in her wake. Each footstep she took cracked the ground like thunder.
It was… Haruno Sakura.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's personal student.
Before the Chūnin Exams, Rasa had dismissed her—thinking she was no more than a barely competent jōnin-level kunoichi.
But after the chaos at the exam arena, he had seen her strength.
She had proven herself.
Another Minato Namikaze in the making.
But…
Minato only became Minato after growing into his power.
Rasa wasn't interested in taking down Sakura here and now.
No.
He would wait.
And in the war to come, he would crush this dazzling cherry blossom into the mud—stamping her out like the dirt beneath his heel.
(End of Chapter)