Infusing his chakra with Wind Release, Naruto unleashed a barrage of shuriken with everything he had. They were faster, sharper, and more cunning than any ordinary projectile. Each one screamed through the air, twisting and adjusting mid-flight as if alive, targeting the smallest openings in Gaara's defense.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Even Gaara's automatic sand shield struggled to block them perfectly.
Gaara's expression darkened. With a violent wave of his hand, more sand surged upward, forming a thick wall that intercepted the wind-enhanced shuriken. The barrier absorbed most of the impact, but the true danger lay hidden within the attack.
The power of Wind Release: Hurricane Palm permeated through the cracks in the defense.
Bam!
Gaara's body was sent flying backward through the air.
His robes fluttered violently as grains of sand scattered from his frame.
Naruto's eyes lit up. "It worked!"
This was Wind Swing—a technique combining shuriken with Hurricane Palm. Not only were the projectiles vastly faster and stronger than normal, but Naruto could still subtly adjust their trajectory even after throwing them. That made defending against them incredibly difficult.
Even if Gaara blocked the physical shuriken, Hurricane Palm's compressed wind chakra would seep through any gap and strike a second time.
And just as Naruto had calculated, it worked.
Baki, watching from the stands, frowned. "That Uzumaki Naruto… he's remarkable. If this continues…"
Temari bit her lip. Kankuro clenched his fists nervously.
"Gaara…"
Hinata's pale eyes sparkled. "Naruto-kun! You did it!"
A faint smile tugged at Sasuke's lips, though his voice remained calm and slightly dismissive. "After all that effort, he only managed to land a single hit."
Kakashi chuckled softly. "Naruto has been observing Gaara carefully. He's already figured out how to counter him."
Gaara fell from the air and landed smoothly. But something was off.
As the dust settled, Naruto and the spectators noticed that what had scattered earlier wasn't blood or torn flesh.
It was sand.
All the sand that had fallen from Gaara's body had merely been part of his armor.
His real body was completely unharmed.
Naruto frowned. "What was that?"
"Did he cover his entire body in sand to reinforce his defense?"
"Tch… this guy really is a monster."
Baki, however, understood the truth. Gaara's Sand Armor was powerful—but it consumed a tremendous amount of chakra. It was not something he could maintain indefinitely.
If Naruto could keep the pressure on…
Gaara's face twisted. The earlier blow had not injured him, but it had humiliated him. Rage simmered in his eyes. His lips curled unnaturally, splitting wider and wider, revealing pale teeth clenched in fury.
"U… Zu… Ma… Ki… Na… Ru… To!"
His scream was shrill and distorted, echoing across the arena.
"Sand Coffin!"
Instantly, an enormous mass of sand surged upward from all directions, converging toward Naruto like a tidal wave.
Naruto didn't hesitate.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Seven or eight shadow clones formed around him and released the technique simultaneously. Torrents of wind exploded outward in all directions, roaring like a storm. The currents collided violently with the incoming sand.
Boom!!!
The massive gust blasted Gaara's sand apart, scattering it violently across the arena. Spectators in the front rows shielded their faces as sand and dust filled the air. Shiranui Genma had to leap aside to avoid being buried.
Temari's eyes widened. "He blew away Gaara's Sand Coffin?!"
"How is his Wind Release so powerful?!"
Baki narrowed his eyes. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough isn't a high-level technique."
"But Uzumaki Naruto's chakra reserves…"
He exhaled slowly.
"They may even surpass Gaara's."
Kankuro jumped in disbelief. "That's impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible," Baki replied quietly. "Uzumaki Naruto is the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. Even if he hasn't drawn on its power directly…"
"He carries the blood of the Uzumaki Clan. Enormous chakra and exceptional vitality are innate to them."
He paused.
"But to possess this much power at such a young age… that goes beyond mere talent."
Naruto destroyed the Sand Coffin in a single move.
Without hesitation, half of his shadow clones formed new hand seals.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"
This was Naruto's strongest offensive move.
At the same time, other clones once again used Great Breakthrough.
The two techniques merged—one amplifying the other.
In an instant, the wind howled violently. Blades of compressed air rotated and intersected, forming a devastating crosscurrent of cutting force.
The very air seemed to split apart.
Gaara's automatic sand defense activated immediately, forming layers upon layers in front of him.
But Wind Release was fast—faster than sand.
The cutting force pierced through tiny gaps, slipping between the grains.
Whirrr—
Gaara's Sand Armor, which had only just reformed, had not fully solidified.
Cracks spread across its surface.
And then—
Blood trickled down.
Gaara froze.
He stared at the red droplets as if seeing them for the first time.
"What… is this?"
"Blood?"
"My blood?"
"No… impossible…"
"I am the one who makes others bleed. No one makes me bleed!"
His voice grew hysterical.
"Uzumaki Naruto! I'll kill you!"
Fear and rage intertwined in his heart. His chakra surged wildly, unstable and violent. His body began to change.
His facial features distorted grotesquely, as if something monstrous were trying to break free from within. His eyes became feral. His aura turned savage and oppressive.
He roared.
An unimaginable amount of sand erupted from his gourd.
In seconds, half the arena transformed into a desert landscape.
Naruto frowned as he took in the sight.
"This guy really is a monster…"
He and his shadow clones retreated rapidly to avoid being swallowed.
But the sand was endless.
Running wouldn't solve anything.
Naruto stopped.
"Don't underestimate me!"
He and his clones turned simultaneously and charged straight into the storm.
"Wind Release: Hurricane Fist!"
Wind chakra wrapped around their fists like spiraling cyclones. Each punch tore through the sand, blasting tunnels through the dense waves and advancing forcefully.
Gaara's eyes widened in shock and fury.
He clenched his hands.
More sand surged from every direction, compressing inward.
"I'll crush you to dust!"
Boom!
One by one, shadow clones failed to escape in time. They were swallowed by the sea of sand and vanished in puffs of white smoke.
Even Naruto's main body was engulfed.
From the outside, it looked as if a monstrous maw of sand had devoured him whole.
"Naruto-kun!"
Hinata cried out in panic.
Sasuke frowned deeply. "Damn it…"
But Kakashi simply smiled.
"You have to believe in him."
"How could he lose so easily?"
"After all… he's Konoha's strongest genin."
For a moment, it felt as though time itself paused.
Then—
The Naruto who had just been swallowed dissolved into a gust of wind.
A phantom.
The real Naruto reappeared above the arena in a blur.
"That's Naruto-kun's Wind Body Flicker!"
"Incredible…"
Naruto had activated Wind Body Shaking Technique at the critical moment, escaping Gaara's trap while leaving behind a wind afterimage. Not only had he avoided the attack—he had exploited Gaara's brief lapse in awareness.
His speed skyrocketed.
In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance.
"You bastard! You've been arrogant for too long!"
He leapt high into the sky.
"Take this—"
"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!"
Wind chakra intensified around his body, amplifying his momentum. Ghostly afterimages trailed behind him as he descended like a falling star.
The technique's speed didn't just make him faster—it made him stronger.
He spun downward, heel raised high above his head.
Noisy—
BAM!!!
His heel slammed violently into Gaara's head.
The impact cracked the ground beneath them.
Shockwaves rippled outward.
For the first time—
Gaara's body bent under the force.
The storm had finally struck the heart of the desert.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)