Naruto poured his chakra into the shuriken, guiding them with lethal precision toward the minuscule gaps in Gaara's defense. These weren't just thrown weapons; they were extensions of his will, enhanced by the cutting power of Wind Release.[3]
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
The automatic sand defense rose to meet them, but for the first time, it was too slow. The wind-enhanced blades sliced through the shifting grains, burying themselves deep into the barrier.
Gaara slammed his hand down in frustration.
"Shield of Sand!"
A massive wall erupted from the ground to intercept the remaining projectiles.
However, the true threat wasn't the shuriken. It was the gale that carried them.
The shockwave from Naruto's *Wind Release: Gale Palm* smashed into the sand wall, blasting through it with sheer kinetic force.
*BOOM!*
The impact sent Gaara flying backward, his robes snapping violently in the wind. Sand rained down around him like a broken hourglass.
"Yes!" Naruto cheered, pumping his fist. "Direct hit!"
His plan had worked perfectly. By using the Gale Palm to accelerate the shuriken, he increased their penetrating power. But the real trick was using his wind chakra to control their trajectory in mid-air, making them unpredictable. Even if the sand blocked the metal, the shockwave punched through the cracks.[3]
In the stands, Baki's expression darkened. "That Uzumaki brat... he's actually pushing Gaara back."
Temari and Kankuro exchanged nervous glances. "Gaara..."
Hinata clasped her hands together, beaming. "Naruto-kun! Amazing!"
Sasuke watched with a faint, unreadable smirk. "Hmph. All that effort for one hit?"
Kakashi chuckled beside him. "Don't be jealous, Sasuke. Naruto has been analyzing Gaara's defense this entire time. He found the weak point."
In the arena, Gaara landed on his feet, skidding to a halt.
As the dust settled, the crowd gasped.
Gaara was unharmed.
The sand armor covering his skin had cracked slightly, but his body was untouched. The sand had absorbed the impact completely.
Naruto's smile faltered. "What is that?!"
"Does he have a second layer of defense right on his skin?!"
"Damn it... he really is a monster."
Baki knew the truth, however. While the Armor of Sand was formidable, it drained a massive amount of chakra to maintain. If Gaara couldn't end this quickly, he would be in trouble.
But Gaara wasn't thinking about chakra. He was thinking about murder.
His face twisted into a grotesque mask of rage, the cracks in his armor making him look like a porcelain doll shattering from the inside.
"Naruto Uzumaki!"
He screamed, a sound that tore at the throat.
"Sand Binding Coffin!"
Instantly, the sand on the ground surged up like a tsunami, rushing to crush Naruto from all sides.
Naruto didn't panic. He and his shadow clones moved in perfect sync.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"[5][6]
Seven Narutos inhaled simultaneously, their chests expanding.
*WHOOSH!*
A massive squall of wind exploded from their mouths, colliding with the incoming sand wave.
*RUMBLE!*
The force of the wind was catastrophic. It blasted the heavy sand into the air, scattering it across the entire stadium.
Genma had to shield his eyes as a dust storm engulfed the arena. The front row of the audience coughed and sputtered, blinded by the grit.
Temari's jaw dropped. "He blew away the Sand Coffin?!"
"How is his Wind Release that powerful?!"
Baki narrowed his eyes. "It's not the technique itself. It's the volume."
"Naruto Uzumaki's chakra reserves are... unnatural."
"He might actually have more chakra than Gaara."
Kankuro choked. "What?! More than the Shukaku's host?"
"It's possible," Baki murmured. "He is an Uzumaki, after all. Their vitality is legendary. But to wield that much power at his age... it's terrifying."
Naruto didn't stop there.
While the sand was still scattering, half of his clones switched hand seals.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"[5]
This was his follow-up. While the Great Breakthrough cleared the heavy sand, the Wind Cutter sent invisible, razor-sharp blades slicing through the dust cloud.
*Slash! Slash! Slash!*
The wind blades cut through the air with a high-pitched whine, striking Gaara before his automatic defense could reform.
*Crack!*
The Armor of Sand shattered.
And then...
*Splatter.*
A drop of red liquid hit the sand.
Gaara froze. He looked down at his hand, trembling.
"What... what is this..."
"Blood?"
"My... blood?"
His eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated horror.
"Impossible..."
"I only make others bleed! No one makes me bleed!"
"NARUTO UZUMAKI! I WILL KILL YOU!"
Terror and rage fused into madness. Gaara's body began to warp, sand bubbling up to form the grotesque shape of a monster's limb. His face contorted, looking less human by the second.
He roared, and the sand in the arena exploded outward.
Half the stadium was instantly buried in a shifting dune.
Naruto frowned, backing away. "Okay, now he's really losing it..."
He and his clones leaped backward, but the sand chased them, moving like a living predator.
"Fine," Naruto growled. "If you want to play rough..."
"Don't underestimate me!"
Instead of running, the clones turned and charged straight into the sand wave.
"Wind Release: Whirlwind Fist!"
Spinning wind chakra encased their fists like drills. They punched directly into the oncoming tsunami, blasting holes through the wall of sand.
"What?!" Gaara screamed.
He clenched his fist, and the sand collapsed inward.
*CRUNCH!*
The clones were crushed instantly, popping into smoke one by one.
Even the "real" Naruto was caught, swallowed whole by the crushing pressure.
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried out.
Sasuke gripped the rail, his knuckles white. "Damn it... did he just..."
Kakashi remained calm, his eye curving into a smile. "Trust him. He's not done yet."
"After all... he is Konoha's number one unpredictable ninja."
As if on cue, the "Naruto" that had been crushed vanished in a puff of smoke.
*Another clone?!*
Suddenly, a blur of motion appeared in the air above Gaara.
"Wind Body Flicker!"
By using wind chakra to decrease air resistance, Naruto had moved faster than the eye could track. He was already inside Gaara's guard.[7]
"You've been looking down on everyone for too long, you jerk!"
"Take this!"
"Uzumaki Barrage: Heel Drop!"
Naruto spun in mid-air, bringing his heel down with the force of a pile driver.
*BOOM!*
His heel connected squarely with the top of Gaara's head.
__________________________
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