The Konoha Crush plan erupted, and the stands instantly transformed into a battlefield.
Hundreds of Naruto Shadow Clones, operating in tactical groups of five, quickly spread throughout the venue. They moved in unison, shouting perfectly synchronized slogans.
"Clear out the invading enemy, protect Konoha civilians!"
"Clear out the invading enemy, protect Konoha civilians!"
Their voices lacked any personal emotion but carried an iron-like discipline, forcefully tearing open a breach of order amidst the chaotic screams and clashes.
"Is that... that Naruto?" A Konoha Chunin, in the midst of forming hand signs, caught a glimpse of this scene from the corner of his eye, almost fumbling his Jutsu.
"What a joke! How could that Loser possibly..." His companion's words were cut short as a Naruto Shadow Clone swept past him.
The clone put force into its elbow, striking a sneaking Otogakure's throat bone with a precise, tricky angle.
"Crack!"
The sound of bone snapping was crisp.
The Otogakure's Ninjutsu was interrupted; his eyes wide, he clutched his neck and fell to his knees.
Before he could even collapse, the Chainsword in the hand of another Shadow Clone buzzed as it slashed, cutting him down along with another Sand Shinobi behind him who was preparing to fill in.
Blood and gore splattered, but the Shadow Clones did not stop, nor did they even glance at the results of their attack, immediately turning to the next target.
The Konoha Chunin stared blankly, his mouth agape enough to fit an egg.
"I take back what I said earlier... Is this really a Genin? Is this right?"
In a corner of the venue, several Otogakure, sneering, were about to kill civilians who had fallen into a genjutsu-induced slumber.
Suddenly, a high-speed rotating Chainsword whistled through the air, carrying an ear-splitting roar, and sliced the leading Otogakure, along with the kunai in his hand, into several pieces.
A Shadow Clone squad immediately arrived.
"Number Two, Number Four, clear out remaining enemies. Number Three, establish a cordon. Number Five, evacuate civilians." The squad leader issued commands using the most concise words.
A Shadow Clone immediately dragged a man, who was scared rigid on the ground, behind a safe pillar.
The man, still shaken, stammered incoherently, trying to express his gratitude: "Tha... thank you."
The Shadow Clone merely glanced at him coldly: "Stay here, don't move around."
After speaking, he turned, sword in hand, vigilantly observing his surroundings.
The man was stunned; that cold tone was completely different from the mischievous boy he remembered who used to splash paint on the Hokage Rock.
Just then, his young daughter in his arms began to cry loudly, frightened.
The vigilant Shadow Clone paused, looked back, and seemed to hesitate for a second. He walked to the little girl, extended his hand that wasn't holding a sword, and somewhat stiffly, ruffled the little girl's hair.
"I apologize; it is our dereliction of duty to make you cry."
His voice was still flat, but the little girl's crying miraculously stopped.
The Shadow Clone withdrew his hand, re-gripped his Chainsword, and once again transformed into a cold killing machine, charging towards the sounds of fighting in the distance.
In the back rows of the distant audience, Hyuga Hinata had just dispelled the genjutsu on herself. She witnessed all of this with her Byakugan.
In her vision, each of the golden-haired boy's Chakra clones was like an indestructible fortress. They acted decisively, cooperated seamlessly, and protected the unarmed villagers in the most direct way.
Naruto-kun... is already this powerful.
She looked at her slightly trembling hands, then suddenly clenched them firmly.
I also... cannot be a burden anymore!
On the other side of the Village, three giant snakes summoned by Orochimaru were rampaging, each swing of their massive bodies leveling rows of houses.
A "heavy firepower squad" composed of ten Shadow Clones arrived.
"Numbers One to Five, attack the optic nerves. Numbers Six to Ten, sever the tail muscles, destroy balance." The squad leader issued instructions through simple tactical hand signals.
Ten Chainswords simultaneously emitted a deafening roar.
Five Shadow Clones ghosted onto the snake heads, their Chainswords precisely slashing across the giant snakes' eyes. The other five moved at high speed along the ground, their weapons cutting deep into the giant snakes' tails, shredding the muscles and tendons within.
"Hiss—!"
The giant snakes let out painful roars, their massive bodies thrashing wildly in agony, but having lost sight and balance, they could only writhe on the spot, crushing the surrounding architectural debris even further.
The Shadow Clones completed their mission and immediately withdrew, seeking their next target.
They did not completely kill the giant snakes, but merely incapacitated them, turning them into immobile live targets.
Moments later, Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi arrived at the scene with a squad of Jonin, preparing for a fierce battle, only to see three giant snakes writhing and wailing on the ground.
"What... what's going on?" A Jonin stared dumbfounded.
Asuma exhaled a puff of smoke, looking at the grotesque wounds on the giant snakes, clearly cut by some sharp weapon, and fell silent.
"It seems... someone helped us complete the most troublesome steps." Kurenai Yuhi's expression was equally astonished.
"More than just troublesome," Asuma chuckled wryly, extinguishing his cigarette, "This is like having the vegetables washed and chopped, just waiting for us to cook them. Let's go, don't let that kid steal all the thunder!"
Meanwhile, in the tournament arena.
"Sasuke, Sakura, go after Gaara." Kakashi issued the command, "Shikamaru, you go with them; your judgment is essential."
Nara Shikamaru yawned, a "this is such a pain" expression on his face, but still followed.
Sasuke's heart was filled with a craving for power and an obsession with defeating Gaara.
He had to prove that he was no less than that monster Naruto.
Deep in the forest.
Temari and Kankuro supported the injured Gaara, moving rapidly through the trees.
"Damn it, that Uchiha Sasuke..." Kankuro gritted his teeth, "Gaara, how are you?"
Gaara did not answer; he clutched his shoulder, pierced by Chidori, his body trembling violently from the intense pain and mental shock. The character for "love" on his forehead was so red it looked almost ready to drip blood.
"Mother... Mother is saying... it's not enough... it needs more blood..."
His voice became hoarse and strange, no longer entirely his own.
An ominous, vast Chakra surged from within him, and uncontrolled sand poured from his gourd, rapidly coalescing on his body's surface.
"This is bad!" Temari noticed the change, "Shukaku is coming out!"
"Roar—!"
Gaara let out an inhuman roar, and a giant sand arm suddenly extended from his back, sweeping through the forest, snapping dozens of towering trees in half.
Sasuke, who was in pursuit, was forced to stop, narrowly dodging the devastating blow.
"What is this..."
Sasuke looked at the grotesque monster before him, half its body already covered in sand and distorted in form, feeling an unprecedented pressure.
"Sasuke, be careful!" Shikamaru shouted from behind, "That guy's not right!"
"I know!"
Sasuke growled, and instead of retreating, he charged forward.
He wanted to defeat this monster.
He moved at high speed around the partially Tailed Beast-transformed Gaara, continuously throwing kunai, trying to find a weakness. But all attacks were blocked by the thick, shifting sand armor.
"Too slow! Too weak!" Gaara, or rather Shukaku, mocked in a mixed voice, "Your blood must be delicious!"
Another sand arm extended from his back; two giant arms, one left and one right, slammed towards Sasuke.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Sasuke spat out a massive fireball, temporarily blocking the sand arms' attack, and used the opportunity to create distance.
His Chakra was already considerably depleted.
This won't do.
Sasuke looked at the monster laughing maniacally in the sand, a flicker of determination in his eyes.
He extended his left hand, and the piercing sound of electricity rang out again.
Then he would forcefully break through again with Chidori!
"I will surpass you, right here!"
Although Naruto was not present, these words were directed at Naruto.
Sasuke roared, his body transforming into a blue-white bolt of lightning, charging towards Gaara at an even faster speed than before.
"It's useless!"
Gaara manipulated the sand arms, smashing them fiercely towards the lightning bolt.
But Sasuke, mid-way, forcefully changed direction at an incredible angle, bypassing the frontal smash of the sand arm, and plunged his lightning-infused hand fiercely into Gaara's relatively vulnerable abdomen.
"Pfft!"
Chidori tore through the sand armor, deeply piercing into him.
"Ah ah ah ah—!"
Gaara let out an even more agonizing scream than before, and the sand covering him began to crumble.
It worked?
Sasuke's heart swelled with joy, but the next second, a powerful force pushed back from where Chidori had pierced.
Gaara's distorted face revealed a crazed smile.
"Got you!"
Countless grains of sand surged from the wound, instantly entwining Sasuke's arm and spreading upwards along it.
Sasuke tried to pull his hand free but found his arm firmly pinned, unable to move.
His Chakra had been completely exhausted in that last attack.
"Your flesh and blood will become a part of me!"
A giant sand arm lifted high, aimed at the restrained Sasuke, and slammed down fiercely.
"Tch..." Sasuke frowned, and the sharp cry of Chidori once again emanated from his hand.
At this rate, his Chakra would soon be insufficient.
Just as he prepared for a desperate struggle, five figures silently appeared around the battlefield.
They formed a standard five-pointed star formation, surrounding the rampaging Gaara in the center.
The buzzing Chainswords, in the shadows of the forest, emitted the characteristic metallic sheen.
One of the Shadow Clones standing beside Sasuke spoke indifferently, his voice devoid of any inflection.
"Target confirmed out of control. Executing A-rank suppression protocol."
Sasuke painstakingly turned his head and saw five identical faces of Uzumaki Naruto.
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