Naruto tossed a kunai.
It landed right in front of Gaara.
A flash of golden light—
Naruto used Flying Thunder God to instantly teleport into the arena.
Hands in pockets, standing tall.
His entrance was nothing short of stylish.
Gaara's panda-like eyes glared at Naruto, thick with killing intent.
"Uzumaki Naruto… any last words?" Gaara growled coldly the moment they faced off.
Last words?
Naruto couldn't help but laugh at Gaara's misplaced confidence.
Hayate Gekkō glanced at Naruto, then formally announced the match start.
Gaara didn't move—arms folded, emotionless.
He radiated an aura of complete control.
Magnet Release, with its sand manipulation, was indeed tricky against most shinobi.
But seeing Gaara's smug stance, Naruto slowly raised his hand.
"Universal Pull."
Gaara's face twisted in shock.
An irresistible gravitational force dragged him forward—
Straight into Naruto's hand.
Smack!
Naruto's long fingers clamped around Gaara's throat.
The force warped Gaara's proud expression into one of pain and fear.
From the crowd's point of view, it looked as if Gaara had willingly offered up his neck—
Only seasoned shinobi caught the nuance.
Even they were baffled—how had Naruto pulled a person into his grasp from afar?
Gaara's face turned purple.
Panicking, he commanded his sand to strike back at Naruto and free him.
But Naruto casually raised his other hand and swatted the sand aside.
Gaara's eyes widened in disbelief.
His sand—his absolute defense—was this weak?
Desperate, his gourd exploded open.
A tsunami of sand poured out, preparing to engulf both of them.
The sheer volume made even the spectators break a sweat.
"Almighty Push."
Naruto's eyes pulsed with power.
A wave of pure repulsive force erupted outward—
It scattered all of Gaara's sand like a hurricane blowing away dust.
If not for the barrier, that sand would've shredded spectators like bullets.
Even so, the barrier itself flickered wildly, almost breaking apart.
At the center of the impact—Gaara was blown unconscious, eyes rolled back.
Just a single glance and a wave of the hand, and Gaara was done.
The villagers of Konoha, watching from the stands, were struck speechless.
Their fear of Naruto deepened once more.
Until now, they'd only heard rumors of how powerful Naruto was.
But witnessing it in person…
The pressure in that moment still sent chills down their spines.
None were more shocked than the disguised Fourth Kazekage—Orochimaru himself.
Naruto's seemingly endless abilities only made him more dangerous in Orochimaru's eyes.
Inside Gaara's body, Shukaku, the One-Tail, began cackling.
"Hahaha! Finally, it's my turn!"
The reason for Gaara's infamous eye bags:
Ever since he became a jinchūriki, he hadn't had a peaceful night of sleep.
Sunagakure's seal wasn't as stable as Konoha's.
If Gaara ever dozed off, Shukaku would seize control of his body.
Now, with Gaara unconscious—Shukaku took over.
Gaara's once youthful face warped grotesquely—
Starting to resemble a bloated toad.
"Did I say you could talk?"
Naruto's Tenseigan glowed coldly.
With a mere glare, his ocular power surged into Gaara's inner sealing space.
Naruto now stood in the pitch-black seal world, facing the hulking form of Shukaku.
The massive body made of sand was etched with glowing blue runes.
Its single tail was absurdly thick, grotesquely prominent.
"Brat! Don't think just because you beat that loser Gaara that you can act tough in front of me!
Get out of my way—I'm gonna devour everyone out there!"
Naruto didn't reply—
But a familiar voice rang out.
"Shut up already, you flea-bitten raccoon.
You think that pathetic sand trick of yours is gonna scare him?"
The Nine-Tails growled from within Naruto.
Shukaku had sensed it—Naruto was a Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
But he hadn't expected the proud Nine-Tails to actually speak up for a human.
Shukaku sneered.
"Heh. The mighty fox, talking like a pet now?
Hah! So much for all those tails! What a joke!"
These two were like fire and oil.
Shukaku never accepted why Kurama had more tails—why he had more chakra.
Kurama never respected a one-tailed runt who needed to use jutsu to stay relevant.
Their personalities clashed completely.
"Who the hell are you calling a flea-bitten fox?!
Say that again, you freaky furball!"
"And who you calling a stinking raccoon?! At least I don't reek like wet fox musk!"
"Both of you—SHUT UP."
Naruto's Tenseigan pulsed again.
BOOM.
Shukaku was sent flying, slammed to the ground.
Just one glance—and it almost killed him.
The hulking body collapsed, looking downright ridiculous.
Shukaku was terrified.
"Y-Your eyes… those eyes…"
Looking closer, he saw the overwhelming familiarity in Naruto's gaze.
"It can't be… no way…"
That ocular power—
It was second only to the Six Paths Sage, the one who created all Tailed Beasts.
How could a human this young possess such divine eyes?
"Hah! What now, raccoon?" Kurama grinned smugly.
"Getting humbled, huh?"
"You damn fox! What's the deal with this kid?!
Those eyes… They're on the level of the old man's!"
Shukaku, now visibly afraid, shivered under Naruto's glare.
"Stay put, One-Tail.
Or I'll show you what happens to a disobedient Tailed Beast."
Naruto wasn't here to let them catch up.
He came to suppress Shukaku before he ruined the Chūnin Exams.
If this idiot rampaged, the exams would be done—and Naruto's mission would fail.
At his command, Shukaku fell silent.
Even Kurama had never scared him like this.
But Naruto's eyes terrified him to his core.
—
Naruto's consciousness returned.
He loosened his grip—
Gaara's limp body dropped to the ground like a rag doll.
"W-Winner: Uzumaki Naruto," Hayate announced in stunned disbelief.
The bizarre battle left the crowd in stunned silence.
—
"Kankuro… did I see that right?
Gaara—he lost? Just like that?"
Temari's voice trembled with disbelief.
Kankuro's painted face was frozen in shock.
"Uzumaki Naruto… that guy's a monster."
Temari bit her lip.
"Then… what about our plan?
Can we even move forward like this?"
Kankuro glanced at the disguised Kazekage in the stands.
"That's no longer up to us.
Proceed as planned."