Chapter 219: Naruto vs. Kankurō, an Upright Victory
Kin Tsuchi, who had been sent flying, was immediately controlled by the classic genjutsu, Tree Binding Death, the moment she landed.
She quickly formed a hand seal and bit her tongue, trying to dispel it. But just as she succeeded, a series of water bullets pelted her body.
The power of the Water Style: Water Hail jutsu was actually quite average, but that depended on whose hands were casting it.
With her Advanced Water Release talent and superior chakra control, Haruno Sakura easily made each water bullet she shot have the power of an average genin's punch. Although it still didn't sound like much, it was as if she had punched Kin a dozen times in a row, beating her until she vomited blood and lost consciousness.
"Hmph—that wasn't so hard."
Sakura stretched, and only then did she realize that many people were staring at her, shocked by her seal-casting operation.
One-handed seals were already an operation that many people couldn't learn. But now, she could actually cast an elemental jutsu and a genjutsu at the same time, and release them almost simultaneously. This skill was even more shocking.
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but ask, "Anko, you're quite close to them. Did she research that move herself?"
"She probably did... Sakura is actually very outstanding, especially with her talent for chakra control."
Anko told a half-truth. Hiruzen then asked about Sakura's chakra affinities. Upon hearing that she only had Earth and Water, he sighed. "What a pity."
It was clear that his "talent-cherishing" heart had been moved. Sakura was from a civilian background and was skilled in chakra control and elemental jutsu. If she had also been skilled in either Earth or Lightning, he would not have been stingy with his guidance.
Sakura didn't know that she had just missed a good opportunity, but she probably wouldn't have cared even if she did. She knew very well where all this strength came from. Therefore, after Gekkō Hayate announced her victory, she turned triumphantly and waved enthusiastically at Akiyama Makoto.
Only after he helplessly waved back did she leave, at Hayate's urging.
Now, even more people were looking at him. Even Hayate couldn't help but shoot him a few more glances. They all seemed to be wondering why he had such great charm.
"Who on earth is that guy? Do you have any intel on him?"
Temari couldn't help but ask Kankurō.
He replied coolly, "I'm not in charge of intelligence. Besides, he's not even a ninja. How would I know?"
"You were beaten so badly by him the other day, and you didn't even bother to gather any intel on him afterward?"
"I, your little brother, got beaten up. Why didn't you, my big sister, go and get revenge for him?"
"Is that any way to talk to your big sister?"
"Big sister, you've been secretly staring at him. Don't tell me you also like his type?"
Temari was just about to give her stinky little brother a harsh lesson when Gaara said indifferently, "Stop arguing. It's your turn, Kankurō."
Kankurō looked up, and as it turned out, it really was him.
He walked onto the field resignedly and looked at his opponent. Then his brow furrowed.
It's this guy?
Naruto wiped his nose and walked up smugly. He even pumped his fist at Sakura, signaling that he would definitely win.
As for Sasuke, he was no longer in the arena. Kakashi was probably applying the Evil Sealing Method on him right now.
Even Orochimaru had disappeared without a sound, clearly having gone to "persuade" Kakashi not to mess with his precious Sasuke.
Makoto stroked his chin, thinking about the rationality of this matchup.
Naruto vs. Kankurō. Are they trying to make Naruto lose?
Well... apart from Misumi, all the remaining opponents were pretty tough. But Kankurō was a bit too much for him.
Unless—
His eyes lit up slightly. He understood.
"Hey, you! I'm here to avenge Konohamaru and Moegi for what you did! I'm their big brother!" Naruto pointed his thumb at himself.
Kankurō's originally calm expression immediately began to twitch. Although he hadn't been fatally injured that day, he had still been laid up for several days. At the same time, that incident was a humiliation in his eyes. He didn't think the power gap between him and that guy was so huge. He was a puppet master. He hadn't even used his puppet at the time. Once he did, everything would be different.
He then slammed his newly repaired 'Crow' onto the ground. "Alright! Then I'll just have to scrap you, his little brother, first, and then go and get my revenge on your 'big brother'."
Kankurō pointed his thumb at Makoto. The ninja who knew what had happened that day smiled knowingly. Those who didn't, looked at him again. How are you involved in everything?
He looked at Kankurō with interest. This guy had just touched Naruto's reverse scale.
Sure enough, Naruto glared at him furiously. "He's not my big brother! You bastard, don't you know how to read people?! I won't acknowledge anyone as my big brother!"
"It seems I'll have to beat you to the ground to make you understand how stupid your words were!"
During the bell-snatching test, he and Sasuke had lost a bet about Kakashi being late, and had been forced to call him "Big Brother." However, they both regarded this as a humiliation and were holding a grudge, wanting to defeat him in the future. Now, Naruto's emotions had clearly exploded.
Kankurō stopped talking nonsense and revealed his puppet, Crow.
The appearance of the ferocious puppet startled Naruto. He had never seen such a terrifying ninjutsu.
Kankurō then manipulated the puppet to charge, and it grabbed him in an embrace. It looked as if the match was about to end.
With a poof, the Naruto in Crow's arms turned out to be a shadow clone.
Kankurō's pupils shrank. When—? No, the question is, where is the real Naruto?
The next second, the kunai on the shadow clone's hip transformed into the real Naruto. He had originally wanted to use this move to launch a sneak attack, but now he was forced to appear next to the puppet, which put him in an awkward position.
But it didn't matter. He formed a hand seal, then unleashed a ninjutsu he had recently learned.
Wind Style: Gale Palm!
He clapped his hands together, and the wind was compressed into a violent gale, tearing at the puppet.
Kankurō had wanted to take the opportunity to attack him with the hidden daggers and poison needles on Crow, but under such a strong hurricane, his puppet was uncontrollably sent flying. As a user familiar with Wind Style, he knew that in the face of this jutsu, poison needles and mist were useless.
He frowned and quickly retracted his puppet, preparing to pull back and stall for time. After all, manipulating his puppet and its mechanisms didn't consume much chakra, but it was a different story for Naruto to release a wind jutsu. Although Gale Palm was only a C-rank jutsu, it was quite powerful and consumed a lot of chakra. Or rather, almost all wind jutsu were of this nature. He didn't believe this genin could cast such a powerful jutsu many times.
And then, he realized he was in trouble. He had run into a Wind Style user even more absurd than his sister.
Naruto, surprised to see Kankurō's "on-guard" appearance, grinned triumphantly. He had said a lot of good things to Kakashi to learn this jutsu. He hadn't expected it to be so powerful. Since this guy who controlled a "mechanical doll" was afraid of his Wind Style, then he would just blow him away with it.
Then, to everyone's astonishment, he used the Shadow Clone Jutsu, splitting into ten versions of himself that surrounded Kankurō from all sides.
And then, to Kankurō's "I've-seen-a-ghost" expression, all ten Narutos began to cast.
Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!
Wind Style: Gale Palm!
Six of them used the two different wind jutsu, while the rest threw kunai and shuriken at him. Although Naruto's shuriken skills were almost non-existent, who cared when there was a wind jutsu blowing them from behind?
At this moment, Kankurō was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Which had more mechanisms: his puppet, or the moves this guy was releasing?
Helpless, he could only use his life-saving move, protecting himself inside Crow, and trying to use its hard exterior to resist the wind.
But then, Naruto painfully took out a Fragmentation Kunai.
"Wait! I surrender!"
Kankurō quickly drilled out of Crow and chose to surrender. It wasn't that he was out of options, or that the kunai could destroy his puppet. It was that he still had to save his strength for the Konoha Crush. Crow couldn't be broken again.
Seeing his firm attitude, Hayate could only declare Naruto the winner.
Naruto ran around the arena in excitement, and his performance even earned applause from Hiruzen. Compared to the original story where he had won with a fart, the current Naruto, although still very naive, already had some real strength.
His excitement hadn't even passed when he was attracted by the new round of the match on the field.
Temari, with a look of dissatisfaction, slammed her giant fan on the ground. Kankurō's defeat had made her feel humiliated. She decided to teach the next ninja a good lesson.
And her opponent was, once again, Tenten.
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