Naruto chuckled, giving his shoulder another friendly pat before looking back toward the field where the fight continued to rage.
Just then, Sasuke's lightning-clad fist shattered through Gaara's sand barrier, scattering golden grains into the air like sparks from a firework.
CRACK!
The explosion of force sent a shockwave rippling through the arena.
BOOOOM!
"OOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!"
A roar erupted from the crowd. The cheers shook the entire stadium, echoing across the walls like thunder.
Shino turned away from Naruto mid-conversation, his stoic face finally breaking into a flicker of interest as he looked down at the field.
"NICE GOING, SASUKE!" Naruto shouted inwardly, his grin widening as he leaned over the railing, eyes burning with excitement.
Below, Gaara slid backward, a faint streak of dust following his motion. His usually unshakable composure showed a hairline crack as he stared at the faint mark on his cheek, the first sign of damage.
Sasuke straightened, lightning chakra still crackling around his arm like a living storm.
"Is that the sand armor?" He asked with a mocking smirk.
Gaara didn't reply. His pupils narrowed slightly, but his face remained eerily calm.
"I'll tear it off," Sasuke declared coldly, his Sharingan glinting with challenge.
Still, no response. Only the faint whisper of sand shifting around Gaara's feet.
"If you're not coming," Sasuke growled, lowering his stance, "then I will!"
Bzzt! Bzzt!
Blue lightning wrapped around his fists, the ground sizzling beneath his feet as the chakra's hum filled the air.
'Here he comes…' Gaara thought, eyes sharpening.
Sasuke's expression hardened, his muscles tightening in anticipation. "Hmph!"
In a blur of motion, Sasuke launched forward.
Whoosh!
The audience barely caught sight of him, a flash of black and blue lightning slicing through the dust.
'I'll no longer hold back then,' Gaara thought as his sand sprang to life.
With a flick of his wrist, a massive cloud of sand shot forward, swirling like a desert storm.
Whoosh!
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his feet barely touching the ground as he dashed toward it.
'He's finally attacking. Good. Let's see if that sand can keep up with me now.'
He twisted his arm back, transforming his fist into a sharp, spear-like slash coated in lightning.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sand split midair into dozens of smaller orbs, whirling toward him with deadly precision.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each orb collided against his blows and exploded into dust, only to reform again, persistent and predatory.
Sasuke's movements were sharp and fluid, each step leaving afterimages. Yet even he couldn't outpace the sand completely.
One of the orbs slipped through.
Bang!
It hit his shoulder, the force spinning him slightly off balance.
"Damn it!" He hissed, gritting his teeth.
Before he could recover, the other blobs reformed and streaked after him like a swarm of bullets.
Whoosh!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sasuke zigzagged across the field, the ground cracking beneath every kick-off. The blobs trailed him relentlessly, reforming again and again, no matter how many times he dispersed them.
'There's no way I would've been able to dodge them all…' Lee thought, his eyes wide in admiration and disbelief.
'It's not enough…' Gaara's eyes glowed faintly, and he realized. The sand was fast, but not fast enough. He needed to trap Sasuke, not chase him.
Whoosh!
He sent a ripple of sand deep into the ground, veins of gold spreading across the arena floor like roots.
At his silent command, the sand orbs stopped their pursuit and darted back toward him.
Whoosh!
They merged into a single thick cloud hovering protectively at his side.
Meanwhile, Sasuke landed hard, one knee to the ground. His breath came ragged, sweat dripping down his jawline.
"Hah… hah…"
Gaara tilted his head, his tone calm and cold. "Looks like you're already tired, Uchiha Sasuke."
The crowd stirred restlessly.
"AWW COME ON!!! SHOW US THE POWER OF THE SHARINGAN ALREADY!!!"
Someone from the stands yelled.
Sasuke's gaze snapped up, his crimson eyes narrowing toward the heckler in the audience. His irritation was palpable, the flicker of lightning across his body flaring hotter.
"Are you giving up?" Gaara asked, voice soft but taunting.
Sasuke's smirk returned, sharp and arrogant. "Hmph! I haven't shown you anything yet."
Gaara's brow twitched. His hands slowly came together. "Then I take it… you wish to continue this match?"
"Yes," Sasuke said without hesitation.
Gaara's lips curved faintly, not a smile, but something darker. "Then… vanish."
He raised one hand.
BOOM!
The entire ground trembled violently. The dust shot upward as the earth beneath Sasuke's feet began to shift.
"What—?!" Sasuke looked down just as the solid floor melted into golden sand.
'No…!'
The grains coiled around his sandals, crawling upward in seconds. He tried to leap back—but his legs refused to move.
The sand thickened, rising like molten glass.
Whoosh!
Gaara's sand cloud responded to his gesture, rushing toward Sasuke's legs and binding him completely from the knees down.
Sasuke struggled, lightning crackling angrily around his body, but the sand only tightened, as if mocking his efforts.
From above, Naruto gripped the railing, eyes wide. "Sasuke!"
Down below, Gaara's expression hardened into a cold, detached, and in control.
"You can't run from my sand," He said softly, his voice barely audible over the wind. "No one ever does."
The arena fell utterly still; even the wind seemed to hesitate as Gaara's cold, unfeeling voice cut through the tension.
"Give up now, and you will be able to retreat without any harm."
The words were calm, almost merciful, yet they carried a promise that chilled even the air around them.
"Tsk!" Sasuke gritted his teeth. His leg twisted and strained against the sand's unrelenting grip. The grains only tightened in response, pulling him deeper, like the jaws of a predator that had finally caught its prey.
From the stands, murmurs rippled through the crowd. Even the loudest spectators held their breath as the tension climbed like static before a storm.
'Looks like he will not give up easily…' Gaara's pale green eyes narrowed. He tilted his head slightly, his gourd shifting behind him. 'Maybe I'll turn down the power of the sand burial, just enough to crush his body lightly. He'll be forced to retire, but he won't die…'
He raised his hand. "Sand Shower."
The sand obeyed like a living creature, slithering up Sasuke's body in a spiral. It coiled around him, covering him from head to toe until his figure was almost gone, a statue sculpted from gold and grit.
Gasps erupted around the arena.
"No way… is he really—?" Someone whispered.
Up in the stands, Naruto's eyes narrowed as he stared at Gaara on the ground. 'No… he's not actually going to kill Sasuke here… right?'
The oppressive silence pressed down on everyone's chest as Gaara's fingers curled inward.
"Sand Burial."
The command cracked like thunder.
Bzztt!
"Chidori Stream!" Sasuke's voice roared out from within the cocoon of sand. A blinding flash of blue lightning burst forth, shredding through the golden prison in an instant.
The air sizzled, filling the stadium with the sharp scent of ozone and scorched earth.
The sand that had moments ago imprisoned him now collapsed in lifeless heaps, the particles blackened and still smoking where the lightning had kissed them.
For a few seconds, no one could see through the thick veil of dust and smoke that cloaked the battlefield.
The crowd waited in utter silence.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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