Gaara seemed to be muttering in a mysterious manner, as if speaking to an invisible presence.
Kankuro stared at Gaara's current state with a heavy expression. "Gaara has started talking to her—it's getting serious now."
Temari was also troubled. "Every time Gaara enters this state, it means the opponent is formidable. Could that seemingly dumb blond kid actually be this strong?"
Beside Shindai, Pakura frowned. "The sand inside his gourd feels different from that boy's chakra."
Hikaku Uchiha, his Sharingan activated, observed Gaara and the sand within his gourd. "You're right, Pakura. That isn't his chakra at all—it belongs to someone else entirely."
Pakura and Hikaku simultaneously turned their gazes toward Shindai.
Shindai sighed helplessly. "Looking at me won't help either—you think I know? I left Sunagakure long before you did, Pakura. If anything, you should have known better. Those brats weren't even born when you left the village."
Both Pakura and Hikaku nodded slightly. "That's true."
"But," Shindai added thoughtfully while stroking his chin, "I noticed it back when I beat up that little brat last time—the sand in his gourd wasn't his own. It seemed like those sands had their own will, protecting him automatically."
"That little brat is a Magnet Release kekkei genkai bearer too. So the sand in his gourd must have been given by another Magnet Release kekkei genkai user."
"Another ninja with the same Magnet Release kekkei genkai as you, Shindai?"
Now both Pakura and Hikaku were intrigued by Gaara and turned their attention to watching the battle between Naruto and Gaara.
Shindai sighed inwardly—weren't they supposed to be hunting the spy together?
Oh well, he would just handle it himself then.
Naruto sensed the intense malevolence radiating from Gaara and frowned. "What exactly are you?"
"I fight only for myself and exist through self-love! My existence is meant to make everyone tremble with fear! This thought alone proves how perfect this world really is! Can you feel it—the terror I bring? Then… die. Die in fear!"
Gaara controlled his sand to surge toward Naruto like a tidal wave.
Naruto flipped backward several times to dodge the sand before beginning to form hand seals.
[Shadow Clone Jutsu!]
He created over a dozen shadow clones rushing toward Gaara.
[Sand Hail!]
Gaara gathered his sand above and transformed it into projectiles, unleashing a wide-range barrage.
Naruto's clones were continuously shattered by these attacks.
Meanwhile, Naruto's true form stealthily maneuvered behind Gaara, aiming to strike from the rear.
However, Gaara's sand morphed into a Sand Clone to block Naruto's punch.
Naruto tried to pull back his hand but found that Gaara's sand clone had already entangled his arm.
With a punch from his left fist, Naruto shattered Gaara's sand clone and then executed a sweeping kick along the ground.
However, Gaara's sand automatically formed a defense, blocking Naruto's sweeping kick.
Naruto threw several kunai, all of which were also blocked by Gaara's sand.
But those kunai carried explosive tags.
"Boom! Boom!"
Two explosions erupted, blowing a gap into Gaara's sand shield.
"A weak spot appeared!"
Rushing through the opening created by the blast, Naruto threw another punch at Gaara. Gaara sneered slightly, as the sand began swiftly gathering again, aiming to wrap around Naruto's arm.
But just at that moment, Naruto vanished in a burst of smoke.
Gaara paused, confused.
"I'm over here, you idiot!"
Appearing behind Gaara's left side, Naruto landed another punch. Gaara replied coldly, "Naive."
Once again, the sand automatically defended itself, blocking Naruto's punch.
To Gaara's surprise, however, behind this Naruto appeared yet another one. During the brief interval when the sand was repositioning itself for defense, Naruto launched a punch right where there was a gap in the sand coverage, successfully striking Gaara's face. The impact immediately sent Gaara flying backward.
Striking a proud pose with one hand on his hip and the other rubbing his nose, Naruto said, "You idiot, I already knew during the preliminaries that your sand could defend automatically—but if I make your sand unable to react, then I win!"
Shindai shook his head in exasperation, muttering, "Naruto, you idiot—still wasting time explaining your moves? Finish him while he's down!"
Gaara stood up as though nothing had happened, though cracks now showed across his face, tiny grains of sand falling away.
Naruto exclaimed in surprise, "So you've even covered your skin with sand? You really are a pain-avoiding brat!"
Tauntingly gesturing toward Gaara, Naruto shouted, "Come on, come at me!"
Naruto created numerous shadow clones again, charging straight at Gaara.
Gaara manipulated his sand continuously, destroying each of Naruto's clones.
Just as Gaara smashed three Naruto clones clustered together, the real Naruto broke through the smoke left behind from the dispelled clones, his right hand clutching a swirling maru.
[Rasengan!]
Gaara raised his hand and erected a wall of sand to block it.
On the spectator stand, Sasuke's lips curled upward slightly: "Looks like the fight's over. Naruto wins."
Easily shattering Gaara's sand wall, Naruto's Rasengan struck Gaara squarely.
Gaara's eyes widened instantly—the armor of sand couldn't protect him, as he spat out a large mouthful of blood and flew backward from the impact.
Kankuro and Temari stared in disbelief. On the spectator platform, Rasa also furrowed his brow, his body stiffening as he glanced sideways at Minato Namikaze sitting beside him.
Gaara lay on the ground, glaring at Naruto with a twisted expression. Sand from around him gathered rapidly, forming a mechanical sphere around him.
Standing behind Rasa, Baki watched anxiously as Gaara became fully enclosed within the sand sphere.
The operation hasn't even begun yet—if things spiral out of control now, they'll lose the element of surprise completely.
Baki instinctively turned his gaze toward Rasa.
At that moment, however, Rasa's eyes were locked intensely onto Minato Namikaze.
Given Gaara's current state, they had to initiate the plan immediately—there was no time to waste.
If Gaara transformed into Shukaku now, the whole purpose of launching a surprise attack would be ruined.
Just as Minato glanced toward Rasa, Baki realized it was time to act. Instantly, he retrieved a smoke bomb, pulled the pin, and threw it hard. A thick cloud of smoke erupted, enveloping Minato, Shisui, Rasa, and himself.
The commotion from the spectators' stands drew everyone's attention in that direction.
The Sunagakure ninjas seated among the audience sprang into action immediately, launching surprise attacks against the Konoha ninjas.
Shindai, Pakura, and Hikaku Uchiha reacted instantly, countering the Sunagakure ninjas who charged at them from all sides.
The sudden outbreak of violence sent the entire arena into chaos.
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