In the next instant, Sasuke appeared directly above Naruto. With a fierce dive, he charged downward, the Kusanagi sword in his hand radiating with both red and blue chakra.
Everyone thought Naruto was doomed this time. But the moment the blade pierced him, Naruto's body suddenly exploded into a Wind Style Rasengan, detonating right in front of Sasuke's eyes.
Caught off guard, Sasuke's pupils widened in terror. Never before had he felt such despair. Naruto's power, his speed, his chakra, his stamina—all of it overwhelmed him.
This wasn't the dead last from Konoha anymore. Naruto had grown into someone who far surpassed his peers.
Gaara's strength was already acknowledged by the Sand. But Naruto? In Konoha, nobody ever recognized him. On the contrary, because of the Nine-Tails inside him, most people only wished for his death.
That malice… Sasuke understood it well. As a member of the Uchiha, he knew what it was to be hated and rejected. For him, there was only one thing in his mind—growing stronger and taking revenge on Kaede.
He thought the Chunin Exams would be his chance, the stage for his vengeance. Yet now, he couldn't even defeat Naruto.
Even with the cursed seal activated to its fullest, he found himself cornered. The last attack had forced him into desperate evasion, and still he had been struck down by the Wind Style Rasengan.
Naruto's technique looked like nothing more than a compact orb of swirling chakra. But Sasuke knew—if it had struck him directly, it would have exploded inside his body, shredding his organs into pieces. Survival would not have been an option.
Now Naruto was gone from sight. Hidden in the shadows, circling him like a predator stalking prey.
Sasuke dropped to one knee, his wings drooping from exhaustion. He had spent too much chakra just to stay alive.
Naruto looked at him, his heart tangled with conflicting emotions. But mercy wasn't on his mind. He wasn't going to give Sasuke a chance to recover.
Before Sasuke could move, Naruto hurled a kunai at him.
The blade cut through the air and stopped right before Sasuke's eye. In that instant, Naruto appeared, seizing the kunai's hilt.
Behind him, six fox tails of burning chakra swayed in the air. His eyes had completely fused with the Nine-Tails' bestial pupils. Golden chakra surged around his body, radiant and overwhelming.
At this moment, Naruto looked like a smaller version of Minato. No—perhaps even stronger, for he was not only his father's son, but also the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.
On the stands, the audience held their breath, unable to look away. Not a single person dared to blink, afraid they would miss even a second of the clash.
Naruto's face no longer carried its usual playful grin. His gaze was sharp, his expression deadly serious. Every ounce of him radiated one truth—this fight was far from over.
(End of Chapter)
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