The arena was obscured by smoke and dust.
Temari and Kankuro looked down with tense expressions, their hearts filled with immense worry.
They were worried about Gaara's safety, and also worried that Gaara would fully undergo Tailed Beast Transformation here, causing a hitch in their plan.
Sunagakure and Otogakure's plan was that during the finals, ninjas lying in ambush outside would launch an attack, and then Gaara would undergo Tailed Beast Transformation, coordinating from inside and outside, rendering Konoha unable to defend both fronts.
But plans can't keep up with changes.
They never imagined that aside from Jokichi, there was another Konoha Genin who could push Gaara to this extent.
Just as the Kazekage had said.
Sunagakure's Tailed Beast sealing technology was imperfect, causing Gaara to be unable to sleep, his mental state extremely unstable.
Once he was injured and his mind further stimulated, it wouldn't be surprising what he did.
Moreover, he seemed to be particularly agitated emotionally toward this Konoha Genin.
Gradually, the smoke and dust cleared.
The figures of the two in the arena returned to everyone's view.
Gaara lay in the caved-in, cracked wall. His body was covered in dense cracks, and in some places, it even turned into fine sand and flowed down. From the broken areas, fresh blood could be seen flowing down.
And Naruto was supporting himself on his knees in front of him, panting heavily.
"Ohhhhh..."
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the spectator stands.
The Konoha ninjas who knew the inside story even secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Being able to defeat Gaara like this without any accidents occurring was the best possible situation.
However, a few people looked at Gaara with tightly furrowed brows.
They all felt that a powerful chakra was gestating in his body; this was the prelude to an outburst.
Hayate looked at the status of the two and also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then, the winner of this match..."
Before he finished speaking, a powerful chakra erupted from Gaara's body.
The sand falling from his body, and the sand that had already fallen to the ground, seemed to possess consciousness again, swirling around Gaara.
The fierce wind swept, the sandstorm howled.
When everything returned to calm, Gaara's entire body was enveloped in sand, forming an existence resembling a human-sized tanuki.
In the arena, those who had seen Shukaku all gasped.
Because Gaara's current posture was exactly like a human-sized Shukaku.
The cheers and applause came to an abrupt halt.
The sudden change stunned everyone, including Naruto.
Gaara did not let the opportunity slip by.
He reached out his hand toward Naruto and clenched it. A massive amount of sand shot up from the ground, tightly entangling him, and then constricted tightly.
Naruto struggled with all his might, but not only could he not break free, it grew even tighter.
"Hahaha..."
Gaara dragged his left arm, tilted his head back, and laughed wildly. "What's wrong?"
"Didn't you say you were going to save me?"
"Is this it?"
"Ah?"
"Ah?"
"Ah?"
Gaara mocked, his inner anger growing ever fiercer.
"Clearly a monster just like me, yet you have friends. Clearly a monster, yet you have a heart that wants to save others. Clearly a monster, yet you have the looks of those who reject us, the looks I hate. Clearly a monster, yet you pursue the things humans possess."
"We are monsters!"
"We should detest everything, hate everything, destroy everything. You are crushed in my hands, ending up like this, being so weak exactly because you, a monster, are pursuing a human life!"
Gaara appeared to be denying Naruto, but in reality, he was venting his past tragic experiences. That roar originating from the soul echoed in the sky, making everyone stare blankly in deep thought.
Just as Gaara viewed himself, they had also viewed Naruto like this in the past, thinking he was just a monster.
But Naruto was different from Gaara.
Although he always played pranks, caused trouble, and wasn't liked by people.
But at most he was just a bratty kid, completely different from a monster or anything like that.
Even if he turned into a monster, it wouldn't be because he himself was a monster, but a monster created by people's prejudice.
Thinking of this, these adults all felt heavy-hearted and guilty.
Without comparison, there is no contrast.
Gaara's appearance let them see another possibility for Naruto.
Fortunately, Naruto wasn't Gaara.
"No." Naruto said with difficulty.
"I'm not a monster or anything."
Naruto took a breath, his voice rising in pitch. "I am me, I am Uzumaki Naruto, the man who will become Hokage in the future!"
Gaara froze for a moment, his tanuki-like face contorting even more.
"Then go die! Sand Binding Coffin!"
The sand suddenly tightened, preparing to crush all the bones and internal organs in Naruto's body.
Naruto suddenly raised his head, his scarlet vertical pupils chilling.
Gaara felt a jolt in his heart, and the binding sand loosened a bit.
Naruto took this opportunity to form a seal.
"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Densely packed clones pushed open the sand, holding kunai, and charged toward Gaara.
"Damn it!"
Gaara swept his large hand, clearing away a swath of Narutos.
But even more Narutos charged over one after another.
He hurriedly scanned the arena. It was densely packed, completely filled with Naruto's shadow clones. There were even Narutos standing on the walls.
The referee, Hayate Gekko, had even been squeezed into the spectator stands.
Such a massive number made Gaara panic inwardly.
"Damn it, am I going to lose?"
For the first time, Gaara doubted his own confidence.
But thinking of his past tragic experiences, and then thinking of Uzumaki Naruto, who had identical experiences yet walked a completely different path in life.
His existence completely denied him, denied his past.
"I'm not afraid of winning or losing, I just absolutely don't want to lose to this guy. Come out! The monster inside my body!"
From all directions, densely packed Uzumaki Narutos pounced on Gaara.
Seeing Gaara's figure submerged, Naruto felt joy inwardly, directing the rest of the shadow clones to press the attack, not giving Gaara a chance to turn the tables.
The next second, a hand of sand rose like a pillar supporting heaven.
The hand of sand supported itself on the ground. The rocks and soil of the earth connected to it dried up and turned into sand, then were drawn over, finally forming a 20-meter-tall One-Tailed Tanuki whose massive body occupied the entire arena.
The One-Tails, Shukaku, officially made its appearance.
A moment of silence, then screams erupted everywhere.
In the VIP area, the accompanying guard ninjas escorted the Daimyos and leaders to retreat.
In the ordinary spectator stands, the common people fled in all directions.
Many Oto ninjas and Suna ninjas suddenly popped out, killing toward the surrounding guards.
"Protect the safety of the Daimyos, cover the civilians' retreat, Jokichi..."
Hiruzen stood up to direct.
However, halfway through his words, the Kazekage used a Body Flicker Jutsu to appear behind him, taking him hostage with a kunai.
The Hokage's guards immediately surrounded the Kazekage along with his guards. "Release Lord Hokage!"
"Don't act recklessly!"
Hiruzen raised his hand to stop the guards' next move, casting a glance at the arena.
After Shukaku came out, it made no move.
Jokichi's side was blocked by a person wearing a cloak.
And the surrounding Police Force and Anbu were simultaneously covering the safe evacuation of the civilians and Daimyos, while engaging in battle with the suddenly appearing Suna ninjas and Oto ninjas.
They had to delay for time to let the audience retreat safely.
From the corner of his eye, Hiruzen glanced at the figure behind him, saying calmly, "Lord Kazekage, is there any problem that can't be discussed at the table? It's still not too late to stop now."