Although it seemed like a long time had passed in Naruto's spiritual world, in reality, only a brief moment had gone by in the ninja world.Just seconds earlier, Orochimaru had mocked Naruto for overestimating himself. But in the blink of an eye, Naruto revealed the overwhelming power of the Perfect Nine Tails.Orochimaru's eyes widened in disbelief as he gazed at the chakra surrounding Naruto. It burned like a golden flame, flickering wildly with divine energy. For the first time in a long while, even Orochimaru felt a chill run down his spine."Damn it… what is this feeling?""How can someone have such a powerful chakra?"Naruto didn't bother responding. Instead, he smiled faintly, a calm, almost playful expression on his face."Kurama… is this really your power?""I feel like I can do anything right now!""Heh, of course," Kurama replied arrogantly, his voice echoing in Naruto's mind. "I'm the strongest of all tailed beasts in the ninja world!"Naruto slowly opened his palms and looked at the glowing chakra pouring from them. The sensation was exhilarating. Power surged through every inch of his body. This incredible feeling... it was just too amazing.The last time he felt anything like this was during his early-morning training with Yūhi Kurenai at sunrise. But now, it was on an entirely different level.Suddenly, a familiar voice interrupted the moment."You damn fox! You actually came out too!"It was the One-Tailed Shukaku.Sensing Nine Tails' annoying chakra from a distance, Shukaku didn't hesitate. Without any warning, he launched an enormous chakra bullet straight toward Naruto.This was why Shukaku hated Kurama so much. Not only was the Nine Tails arrogant, but he also had the audacity to judge the strength of other tailed beasts solely by how many tails they had.But even with that resentment, Shukaku had to admit—Kurama was indeed powerful.Because of this, Shukaku didn't hold back. He used every ounce of chakra he could gather. This attack wasn't a warning shot. It was a full-force, all-out blast meant to overwhelm.The massive chakra sphere hurtled toward the Chūnin Exam venue like a meteor. It was several times larger than any of Shukaku's previous attacks.If it landed, the destruction would be catastrophic. The arena—and everyone inside it—would be annihilated.Naruto's friends flashed through his mind—Hinata, Sakura, Ino… they couldn't die here.He still needed them. He still wanted to protect them.The enormous chakra sphere roared across the sky, heading directly for the exam grounds.Everyone looked up in horror.Sakura, Ino, and the others turned pale. With their current speed, evading the attack was impossible. Even experienced jōnin like Kakashi and Might Guy were powerless.Sasuke clenched his fists tightly, despair clouding his vision. He had trained so hard under Kakashi. He had improved so much and entered the Chūnin Exam full of confidence.And yet, without even having the chance to fight… was he really going to die here?"I can't accept this… I refuse to go down like this!"Just when all hope seemed lost, a golden figure suddenly flashed in front of everyone."Naruto!!""Naruto-kun!"Hinata and Sakura cried out, their voices filled with relief and joy. Even Kakashi, normally calm and collected, was visibly moved by the sight of Naruto's back shielding them all."Is that really… Naruto?""How did he become this strong?" Kakashi muttered. "This chakra… even I'm afraid of it…"In that moment, as he stared at Naruto's golden chakra cloak, Kakashi saw an image overlap with Naruto's back—the silhouette of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato."Sensei…"Naruto turned his head slightly and smiled."Let's go, Kurama!""Hmph. I've been waiting for this!"A massive golden chakra claw burst out from Naruto's body, stretching high into the sky."Drink!!!"With a thunderous roar, Naruto swung the golden claw through the air.The massive projectile—Shukaku's chakra bomb—was instantly knocked off its path.The redirected sphere now sailed toward Orochimaru and his summoned beast, Manda, who were watching from afar."W-What!?""That idiot Shukaku just attacked you!" Naruto shouted mockingly.Orochimaru's face twisted with panic."What the hell!? This has nothing to do with me!!"BOOM!!!The massive chakra bomb slammed directly into Manda's enormous body. The snake barely had time to react.The explosion was devastating. Gale-force winds from the blast swept across the entire arena, rustling Naruto's golden chakra cloak like a flag in a storm.Hinata gazed at Naruto's profile, her heart fluttering. Overwhelmed with emotion, she fainted on the spot.Luckily, Naruto caught her gently before she hit the ground."Hinata, now's not the time to faint," he said with a soft smile. "Wait until we're done here. Then you can faint again.""Y-Yes… Naruto-kun…"As the smoke and debris began to settle, a furious roar echoed from the battlefield."You damn brat!! How dare you tease me like that!!"It was Manda—still alive, but heavily wounded. His once-pristine scales were now covered in blood. Even a beast as mighty as the summoning king snake couldn't withstand Shukaku's full-power assault.Meanwhile, far away…Deidara: "This is insane! Naruto's too strong. If this continues, how is the Akatsuki supposed to capture the Nine Tails?"Sasori: "That's not your concern."Kakuzu: "I wonder how much a perfect Jinchūriki would sell for on the black market?"Deidara: "Are you trying to die?"Hidan: "Kakuzu and I are immortal, idiot. Even a Perfect Jinchūriki can't compare to the evil god I worship!"Kisame: "These guys are all talk when they're not on the battlefield. Right, Itachi?"Itachi: "For Sasuke's sake, I need to find a way to meet Naruto."Konan: "Don't worry, Nagato. Naruto isn't that strong. Besides, I'll help with my paper bombs."Nagato: "Paper bombs? You think those will work on tailed beasts? How many do you have?"Konan: "Just a few…"…Back on the battlefield, Manda let out another furious roar."You little brat from the Uzumaki clan, I'll eat you alive!"Despite Manda's terrifying threat, Golden Naruto remained calm and unbothered.He raised a hand, pointing at Manda with amusement."Don't be in such a rush, little snake. Your turn is coming soon.""W-What!? Who do you think you're talking to!?"Before the enraged snake could react, Naruto vanished.A golden streak flashed through the air.The next instant, Naruto was standing on top of Shukaku's massive head.Gaara was still asleep inside, seemingly unaware of the chaos unfolding.Without hesitation, Naruto raised his hand and delivered a sharp slap.SLAP!The sound echoed across the battlefield.Naruto looked down at Gaara, a mix of annoyance and pity on his face."Seriously, Gaara… who sleeps at a time like this?"
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