The joint Chunin Exams officially kicked off, with the first day's assessment location set in the Mist Forest in the eastern part of the Land of Water.
This forest is shrouded in gray-white mist year-round, making it difficult for sunlight to penetrate. Not only is visibility less than five meters, but it also contains a special miasma that interferes with Chakra perception. A slight misstep could lead to getting lost.
The examiner, Shikaku, stood on a high platform at the forest entrance, holding a megaphone. His voice cut through the mist, echoing across the entire area.
"The rules for this assessment are simple: cross the Mist Forest and reach the Mist Fortress located in the center of the forest to advance to the next round. Be aware, reasonable competition is allowed within the forest."
Upon hearing this, candidates from various countries clutched their ninja tool pouches, their eyes filled with both vigilance and anticipation.
Naruto stretched his wrists, then raised an eyebrow at Sasuke beside him. "Sasuke, this time I'll definitely reach the fortress before you."
Sasuke glanced at him indifferently. "Just don't get lost and expect me to find you."
Hinata stood nearby, gently reminding them, "Naruto, Sasuke, the forest is very dangerous. You must be careful."
With a command from the examiner, hundreds of candidates surged into the Mist Forest like a tide.
The mist instantly enveloped everyone. All they could hear was the sound of their own footsteps and the chirping of birds in the forest. Occasionally, shouts from other candidates could be heard in the distance, but the mist interfered with their ability to determine direction.
Kurotsuchi from Iwagakure led her team in a fan formation.
Shito, holding an Earth Release scroll, vigilantly observed his surroundings and said, "Everyone, be careful. Akatsuki's people will definitely try something. Maintain formation and don't get ambushed."
Atsui and Yurui from Kumogakure, on the other hand, used Lightning Chakra to dispel the surrounding miasma.
Karui followed closely beside them, holding a specialized sensing ninja tool. "There's a Chakra fluctuation to the southeast. It should be Akatsuki's people."
Sure enough, not long after, Oboro, Kagari, and Mubi from Akatsuki appeared in a clearing in the forest.
They were attempting to use Ninjutsu to dispel the mist, unaware that ninjas from Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure had quietly surrounded them.
Mubi was the first to sense something was wrong. Just as he was about to make a hand sign, Kurotsuchi slammed her hand onto the ground.
Earth Release: Earth Flow River!
The surging mud instantly trapped the three of them. Mubi struggled, trying to use Water Release, but was struck by Atsui's Lightning Release: Lightning Fang, instantly paralyzing his body.
"Do Akatsuki's people even deserve to participate in the Chunin Exams?"
Akatsuchi's voice sounded from the mist, his eyes coldly staring at the trapped trio. "Your country occupies our Land of Earth's territory, so all of you deserve to die."
Mubi's face turned pale as he shouted, "We're here to take the exam, you can't..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he was buried dozens of meters underground.
The other Akatsuki Genin team also encountered Gaara's attack.
Gaara suddenly raised his hand, and sand instantly condensed into a giant palm, smashing fiercely towards the three.
Sand Tsunami Funeral!
Bang... Bang... Bang...
Mud and sand splattered everywhere. The three Akatsuki Genin were crushed into a pulp by the sand before they could even scream.
Naruto, who happened to be passing by, witnessed this scene.
He had been following Sasuke, looking for direction, when he heard the loud noise and immediately ran over. Seeing the tragic sight before him, his eyes instantly widened in fury.
"Gaara! What are you doing? The examiner said intentional killing is forbidden. How can you just kill people so casually?!"
Gaara slowly turned around, sand flowing beneath his feet, his tone cold. "The Land of Akatsuki occupies the Land of Wind's territory, so Akatsuki's people are all bad people. What's wrong with killing them?"
Naruto clenched his fists, Chakra beginning to surge around him. "It's wrong! No matter who they are, you can't just take away someone else's life. I absolutely won't allow you to kill indiscriminately again."
"Such an annoying fellow. Then I'll kill you too!" Gaara snorted coldly, raised his hand, and flung three sand blades at Naruto.
Naruto quickly dodged to the side. The sand blades grazed his shoulder, leaving three deep marks on the tree trunk behind him.
Before Naruto could regain his footing, Gaara flicked his arm, and dozens of sand bullets rained down.
Naruto's eyes sharpened as he quickly made hand signs.
Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!
With a series of bangs, hundreds of Narutos instantly appeared. Some held Kunai to block the sand bullets, while others charged towards Gaara. The original, under the cover of the Clones, gathered Chakra in his right hand.
Rasengan!
A pale blue Rasengan spun in his palm, emitting a humming sound.
Naruto's original body leaped up, smashing fiercely towards Gaara, while shouting, "Clones, hold him back!"
Hundreds of Clones immediately pounced on Gaara, attempting to restrict his sand manipulation.
But a cold smirk was present on Gaara's lips as he quickly made hand signs.
Magnet Release: Sand Shuriken!
The sand around him instantly condensed into hundreds of shuriken and flew out, spinning with a sharp whirring sound that cut through the air.
"Scatter!"
Gaara roared, and the Sand Shuriken shot towards the Clones and Naruto's original body.
The Shadow Clones at the very front couldn't dodge in time and were instantly sliced into pieces by the Sand Shuriken, turning into wisps of white smoke.
Following that, one Sand Shuriken after another bore down on Naruto's original body. Naruto's pupils constricted. He could only barely turn to the side, and the Rasengan collided with a Sand Shuriken.
With a "crunch," the Rasengan was shattered by the Sand Shuriken. Shard-like sand splattered onto Naruto's arm, leaving several bloody scratches.
"How is that possible?"
Naruto staggered back a few steps, looking at the wound on his arm, his eyes filled with shock.
He hadn't expected Gaara's sand to not only have powerful defense but also such astonishing offensive power.
Not far away, Sakura saw this scene, her heart instantly leaping into her throat.
She couldn't help but tug on Sasuke's sleeve. "Sasuke, Naruto's injured. Let's go help him quickly."
Sasuke frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on the battlefield, yet he still didn't move. "Wait a bit longer. Naruto hasn't shown his true strength yet."
He knew that Naruto would never give up so easily, especially when upholding his beliefs.
Sure enough, Naruto took a deep breath, wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, and his eyes became firm.
He closed his eyes, made hand signs, and a faint golden Natural Energy began to emanate from his body. The miasma in the mist seemed to be dispelled by this energy.
Sage Mode — Activate!
A faint golden Chakra cloak enveloped his body, his hair slightly spiked, his pupils became vertical slits, and his aura instantly became calm and powerful.
"What mode is this?"
Gaara felt the change in Naruto's body, a hint of vigilance flashed in his eyes, and he quickly made hand signs.
Magnet Release: Sand Binding Coffin!
A giant sand sphere instantly enveloped Naruto, attempting to trap him within it.
But the moment the sand prison formed, Naruto slammed his fist into the sand wall. Golden Chakra adhered to his fist, smashing a large hole in the sand prison.
"This is impossible! His destructive power has increased several times!"
Gaara's face changed. He manipulated the sand to attack again.
Magnet Release: Sand Tsunami Grand Funeral!
Sand from dozens of meters around instantly surged up like a giant wave, crashing towards Naruto, as if to bury him completely.
Naruto's eyes sharpened as he quickly made hand signs:
Shadow Clone Technique!
Sage Art: Ultra Big Ball Rasengan!
Several Sage Art: Ultra Big Ball Rasengan formed in the palms of the Shadow Clones and the original body, each with a diameter of three meters, generating immense destructive power as they spun.
"Hmph!"
A Shadow Clone of Naruto roared, slamming the Sage Art: Ultra Big Ball Rasengan fiercely into the Sand Tsunami, while the original body charged towards Gaara.
Seeing that he couldn't trap Naruto, Gaara condensed a giant, sturdy statue of Shukaku, placing it in front of himself.
The giant Rasengan collided with the Shukaku statue, creating a deafening roar. The shockwave instantly dispersed the surrounding mist, and a huge crater was smashed into the ground.
The Shukaku statue was churned into dust under the power of the Sage Art: Ultra Big Ball Rasengan.
Gaara was sent flying by the shockwave, crashing heavily into a tree trunk, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and the sand around him scattered across the ground.
Naruto panted, released Sage Mode, and walked in front of Gaara, his tone serious. "Gaara, you lost. Don't kill people indiscriminately anymore. Life isn't something you can trample on as you please."
Gaara lay on the ground, looking at Naruto, his eyes filled with unwillingness, but he was too weak to get up.
Seeing this, Kankuro secretly used a puppet to rescue Gaara.
He hadn't expected to be beaten so badly by Naruto, nor had he expected Naruto to be so ruthless with him for the sake of Akatsuki ninjas he didn't even know.
Not far away, Sakura quickly ran over to treat Naruto's arm wound. "Naruto, are you okay? That was too dangerous."
Naruto smiled. "I'm fine. Good thing I won in the end."
He looked at Sasuke, raising an eyebrow. "Hey, Sasuke, did you see that? I beat Gaara."
Sasuke stood up, and brushed the dust off himself, a faint smile on his lips. "I know, you idiot. But don't push yourself so hard next time. If you lose, I won't save you."
He turned and walked forward. "Don't waste time. If we don't go now, someone else will take the fortress."
Naruto pouted and followed him. "I know, wait for me."
Naruto and Sakura exchanged glances and quickly followed the group.
The mist in the forest was still thick, but the aftermath of the battle had not yet dissipated.
In the distance, ninjas of Iwagakure and Kumogakure watched this scene, their eyes filled with shock.
An Iwa ninja whispered to Kurotsuchi, "Kurotsuchi, that Naruto kid's strength... it's terrifying. Especially that last giant Rasengan, its power practically exceeds the Jonin level."
Kurotsuchi narrowed her eyes, looking in the direction Naruto had left, her tone grave. "The Land of Water has hidden many trump cards these past few years. This Chunin Exams will probably be even more exciting than we imagined."
Deep within the Mist Forest, the battles continued.
Candidates from various countries began to compete with each other to advance, with the sounds of colliding Chakra and exploding Ninjutsu rising and falling.
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