Chapter 257: Flying Thunder God Second Strike
"So this is the Sand ninja's backbone? Can't win so you turtle up in a sand ball?!"
"Get out here and fight face-to-face, coward!"
Seeing Gaara actually hide inside an airtight sand sphere—even the shuriken and kunai Naruto threw experimentally were precisely blocked by sand spikes that instantly protruded from the sphere's surface—some spectators who'd been watching with great interest immediately erupted in dissatisfied clamor, angrily denouncing Gaara's "turtle tactics" of avoiding battle.
"Strange..."
Kakashi frowned slightly, staring at Naruto who stood motionless in the arena. He'd personally witnessed Naruto deploy all five elemental styles. Though the sand sphere's defense was thick, with Naruto's abilities, there should be several methods to forcibly break through. Why was he hesitating?
Naruto's current silence wasn't from lack of options, but from deliberation. He knew that Gaara hiding in the sand sphere was very likely preparing to use the Feigning Sleep Technique, completely surrendering bodily control to the One-Tail Shukaku inside him.
However, if he wanted to truly defeat Gaara, he'd have to face the One-Tail Shukaku regardless. Even if he killed Gaara right now, the sealed One-Tail would still break free.
No matter what, confrontation with this "big tanuki" seemed unavoidable... Thinking this, Naruto could feel Kurama in his mental realm rubbing his paws together, his excited growl full of impatience.
However, to avoid harming innocent bystanders, Naruto absolutely couldn't let Gaara fully release Shukaku here. He had to break this turtle shell before Shukaku fully awakened and throw Gaara outside the arena before continuing the fight.
Decision made, Naruto's hands rapidly formed seals at his chest. His chest expanded, then he exhaled forcefully.
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
An unremarkable B-rank Fire Style jutsu—yet what erupted from Naruto's mouth was a surging sea of scorching flames like ocean waves! The orange-red blaze carried terrifying heat, instantly sweeping across most of the arena, devouring toward Gaara's sand sphere!
The stands immediately erupted in even more fervent shouting.
"Yes! Finish him in one go!"
"Show me what Konoha ninja are made of!"
Originally worried that Gaara losing control would disrupt the plan, now seeing her brother's sand sphere completely engulfed by towering flames, Temari's heart nearly leapt from her chest as she cried out involuntarily.
"Gaara?!"
Inside the scorching sand sphere, Gaara endured unimaginable torment. The high temperature penetrated through the sand layers, making the air scalding and thin.
"Mother... so hot... what's happening..."
He curled up in pain, his consciousness gradually blurring under the searing heat. His trembling hands forming seals couldn't complete the final steps of the Feigning Sleep Technique.
Anxiety finally broke through the dam of reason, transforming into a completely inhuman roar mixed with madness and despair that momentarily drowned out the entire audience's clamor!
"Can't... I'm sorry... uwaa... AAAAHHH—!"
Seeing this, Naruto decisively stopped the Fire Style. The scorching flames slowly dispersed, revealing the sand shell whose surface had vitrified from the heat yet still maintained its spherical shape. Looks like the jutsu was interrupted, so next...
CRASH—!!!
However, the very next moment, an unexpected change occurred! A massive, hideous monster claw composed of ominous dark-yellow sand and materialized chakra suddenly burst out from cracks in the sand sphere's surface!
Immediately after, the entire sand sphere seemed to rupture from power exploding within, shattering into pieces with a tremendous sound as broken sand scattered!
"...How is this possible? This is too reckless!" Temari recognized the claw's origin with horror—that was the power of the monster inside Gaara! Was it coming out early?! But... the signal to launch the attack hasn't been given yet!
She anxiously looked toward the main platform, at the "Kazekage" seated beside the Third Hokage, but saw that "father" figure still calm and composed, showing no reaction. Temari could only forcefully suppress her inner panic and continue watching the situation in the arena intently.
The dust slowly cleared, revealing Gaara's figure anew. But it was no longer a human form—his right arm had completely fused with the gourd on his back, mutating into that massive, ominous dark-yellow monster claw.
Half his face was also covered with Shukaku's sandy patterns, his pupils becoming savage like a beast's, his mouth stretching into an inhuman arc.
"Kill you..."
A hoarse voice filled with endless killing intent squeezed from his half-human, half-monster throat.
Naruto stared at Gaara's current state, quickly assessing internally. This is... forced partial Tailed Beast transformation? Or more accurately, a possession form.
Though the appearance was horrifying, the chakra fluctuations it emanated—compared to the power level when Naruto entered Tailed Beast Chakra Mode—probably didn't even reach one percent.
"Wh-what is that monster?!"
"The Sand Village didn't send a human at all!"
Since Gaara was already in a semi-out-of-control state, killing intent as thick as substance mixed with the Tailed Beast's violent aura spread outward like icy tides, covering the entire arena. Some timid spectators looking at his terrifying half-human, half-beast appearance began trembling uncontrollably, with some even wanting to flee their seats.
"Come... let me feel my own existence with your blood!"
His voice becoming shrill and twisted, Gaara wielded that massive dark-yellow claw like an out-of-control battering ram, sand and stone flying beneath his feet as he launched a berserk charge toward Naruto!
However, facing this charge, Naruto didn't retreat but instead strode forward, rushing to meet him head-on!
Even more puzzling, during his charge, his right hand seemingly casually flicked forward, throwing a distinctively shaped tri-pronged kunai. The kunai spun through the air in an arc, flying toward Gaara.
Most Konoha ninja in the stands frowned, confused by this seemingly feeble ranged attack. In this level of confrontation, what good would throwing a kunai do?
But at the same time, the "Kazekage" seated on the main platform trembled almost imperceptibly the instant he saw that kunai.
He completely ignored the questioning look from the Third Hokage beside him, his breathing unconsciously becoming heavy as he stared fixedly at the arena.
In a split second, the distance between them rapidly closed! After throwing the kunai, Naruto's now-free left hand instantly condensed a brilliantly glowing, rapidly spinning sphere of chakra—Rasengan!
Gaara had completely lost his mind, his brain containing only the thought of tearing apart the person before him. He paid no attention whatsoever to that seemingly harmless kunai.
He didn't even notice that the kunai which should have been blocked passed unimpeded by his massive Shukaku claw, flying behind him.
"Kill you..."
He roared, the massive Shukaku claw about to completely engulf Naruto's figure!
At this critical moment.
Whoosh!
Naruto's figure vanished from its original position! Gaara's certain strike completely missed, the massive momentum making him stumble forward.
BOOM—!!!
The next instant, an irresistible force of terrifying impact struck down from above Gaara's head! Naruto had appeared at that specially-made kunai that had already flown behind Gaara. Catching the kunai with one hand, the Rasengan already prepared in his other hand mercilessly slammed into Gaara's completely undefended back!
The violent explosion and chakra's roar echoed throughout the entire venue.
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