"It seems you also have people who care about you."
Naruto's words brought Gaara back to his senses, and he temporarily gave up thinking about why the sand inside him had taken the form of his mother.
"Why are you so strong?"
Gaara asked, puzzled by Naruto's strength.
"Because for those who care about me, for my friends, I must never hesitate and always charge forward!"
Naruto's answer was completely nonsensical, yet it still made Gaara ponder seriously.
Talk no Jutsu was never anything particularly miraculous; as long as you could beat someone senseless, they would listen to whatever you said, believe it deeply, and fill in the blanks themselves.
"The people who care about me… does he mean Mother?" Gaara recalled the fleeting glimpse he had just seen, muttering to himself.
"I don't have any friends."
Gaara said to Naruto.
"Is that so? Then let me be your first friend. But only after I defeat you!"
Naruto, with a smile he had practiced for years, said softly to Gaara.
Be my friend?
Gaara stared blankly at Naruto, as if wanting to deeply engrave the golden, brightly smiling Naruto into his heart.
However, in the next instant, Gaara lost consciousness.
"Bang!"
Naruto punched Gaara hard, and the Sand Shield was late once again.
This was simply because, throughout their encounter, even when striking, Naruto had no ill will towards Gaara, only empathetic pity and care.
"I'm sorry, my friend!"
Naruto added in his mind, then raised his hand and said,
"Referee, the fight is over. My opponent has lost the ability to fight!"
When the referee blew the whistle and announced Naruto's victory, the arena erupted in thunderous cheers.
Many people were also shouting the winner's name.
"Uzumaki Naruto! Uzumaki Naruto! Uzumaki…"
As the match ended, spectators who had not purchased tickets for the next match began to rise from their seats and head towards the exit.
Tomoki waved his hand, and immediately a Ninja from the Uchiha Clan emerged from the wall behind the Shinobi Village leaders on the Presidential Platform, coming to Tomoki's side.
After whispering a few words in his ear, the Ninja left.
Ōnoki and Darui also each summoned someone, quietly giving instructions.
Rasa's hand started to lift but then fell, finally leaving a puddle of gold dust on his seat before disappearing.
10:50 AM.
The audience for the second match had already entered and settled down, and the disappeared Rasa reappeared in his seat.
His gaze was no longer as sharp as before, appearing much calmer; perhaps something good had just happened.
The second match quickly began.
Kurotsuchi vs. Kumogakure's 20 Million.
The battle was almost a one-sided affair; Kurotsuchi had no power to resist against Kumogakure's 20 Million 'Genin'.
The entire match was purely a Cloud Ninja's personal show, featuring various Lightning Release Ninjutsu that dazzled ordinary people and brilliant swordsmanship.
This caused bursts of cheers in the arena, marveling at the strength of the Cloud Ninja.
No one wondered why such a powerful Cloud Ninja had not defeated their opponent in over twenty minutes.
No win, no win—the audience was happy with that; as long as the match was entertaining, what else did they want?
Did they want to see a one-hit knockout? Most people were just there for the spectacle.
Finally, thirty minutes after the battle began, at 11:30 AM, the Cloud Ninja defeated Kurotsuchi, who had been put on a show for half an hour, with a single strike.
The clean and decisive final blow caused bursts of applause in the arena.
The audience began to leave in an orderly fashion, with only those on the Presidential Platform and in the private viewing rooms remaining.
Ninja from various villages delivered food to Tomoki and the other Kage, as well as to the viewing rooms where the Daimyo were located.
At 1:00 PM, the matches began once again.
The third match was an Iwagakure civil war.
The Kage and Shinobi Village leaders on the Presidential Platform all stared intently at the exhibition match in the arena, feigning great interest.
In reality, their thoughts had long drifted elsewhere.
For instance, Tomoki was wondering when Obito planned to act; during the match was the best time.
Ōnoki was the same; no one had contacted him yet about the start of the operation, and after this match, there were only two left.
"Could it be that those two guys chickened out?"
The match in the arena continued, with endless Ninjutsu offense and defense, and various unexpected tactical designs.
This made the faces of those who came to watch the spectacle flush with excitement, their hearts rising and falling with each reversal.
This pure Iwagakure Ninjutsu show was only considered incredibly exciting by those who came for the spectacle.
All the Ninjutsu and tactics displayed were meticulously recorded in the archives of the other Four Great Shinobi Villages, excluding Iwagakure.
After all, the Ninja World had already experienced several great wars, and the things shown were all things Iwagakure had previously displayed on the Battlefield.
The five Kage, including Ōnoki, had almost no interest.
Some leaders of smaller Shinobi Villages, although they knew it was an exhibition match, watched and felt the power of Iwagakure.
The boring time passed little by little, and soon the fourth match arrived.
[Uchiha Natsuri vs. Chōjūrō]
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