The strength displayed by Naruto undoubtedly lived up to the expectations of his father, Minato.
The course of this duel, taking place in the Chunin Exam arena, unfolded exactly as one might have predicted.
Gaara's sand techniques—capable of seamless transitions between offense and defense—ultimately proved ineffective against Naruto's agile, lightning-fast movements and his endless array of tactics.
This was especially true regarding Gaara's signature "Absolute Defense"—a sand barrier reputed to withstand any attack; in the face of Naruto's "Rasengan," the "absolute" nature of that defense seemed suddenly precarious.
This is not to say that a single burst of the Rasengan could easily pierce that massive wall of sand.
What Naruto relied upon was his staggering reserve of chakra.
When a single Rasengan failed to break the defense, he would unhesitatingly unleash a second, then a third!
If a standard Rasengan still fell short, the vast chakra within him would surge instantly, condensing into the far more powerful "Big Ball Rasengan"!
For Naruto—whose chakra reserves were nothing short of monstrous—dismantling Gaara's seemingly impenetrable defense was no difficult task, provided he possessed an effective offensive technique.
On the sidelines, Sasuke—who had regained some strength after a brief recovery period—watched the battle with intense focus.
Witnessing Naruto dominate Gaara stirred little emotion in his dark eyes.
Naruto was the ultimate goal Sasuke was determined to surpass; had Naruto lost a fight like this, that would have truly shocked and deeply dissatisfied Sasuke.
In his mind, he absolutely could not afford to lose to anyone else before he had surpassed his rival.
At this moment, what truly unsettled Sasuke was the fierce battle he had fought earlier against Neji.
The failure to secure a victory left him deeply frustrated, even though he inwardly acknowledged Neji's formidable strength. He knew full well that without relying on the secrets of the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist and Byakugan—knowledge he had gained through his familiarity with Hinata Hyuga—he would likely have struggled to secure even a draw.
Sasuke was also keenly aware that, setting aside his own trump card, Chidori, Neji Hyuga's overall strength was indeed superior to his own.
This realization stung his pride; aside from Naruto—whom he found difficult to catch up with for the time being—he absolutely refused to lose to any peer, even one a year his senior.
His resolve to grow stronger only deepened; one day, he would surpass everyone—Naruto included.
Meanwhile, Neji Hyuga, who was also watching the match, kept his activated, pure-white eyes locked on the Rasengan that Naruto was unleashing in rapid succession.
Through the extraordinary insight of his Byakugan, he could clearly sense the destructive power contained within that high-speed spinning sphere of chakra; its might was certainly on par with Sasuke's air-rending Chidori.
Yet, what truly made Neji's scalp tingle was the unfathomable ease and stamina Naruto displayed while performing the technique.
Naruto conjured Rasengans effortlessly, one after another like a rapid-fire barrage, as if he had an inexhaustible supply of chakra to spare.
More importantly, the method of forming the technique appeared far more streamlined and efficient compared to the precise control and sprinting charge-up required for Sasuke's Chidori.
It required only a single hand to shape the sphere while closing the distance...
Witnessing this, a sense of relief washed over Neji.
Thank goodness he hadn't faced a "monster" like Naruto head-on during the exams.
Otherwise, his own match would never have ended in a draw!
Naruto's relentless barrage of Rasengans slammed solidly against Gaara's "Absolute Defense," the violent impact nearly shattering the barrier completely.
Ever since Gaara had sealed off his heart and resolved to become an Asura living solely for himself, he had never encountered an opponent capable of so thoroughly overwhelming him on every front. Every move anticipated, every defense effortlessly shattered—an unprecedented sense of defeat washed over him like a freezing tide.
"No! It cannot end like this!" Gaara roared inwardly.
He looked down at the blood staining his clothes; his eyes, laced with terrifying red veins, suddenly widened as if he wanted to tear Naruto apart with his bare hands.
Humiliation and bitter defiance burned fiercely in his chest, threatening to incinerate the last remnants of his sanity.
A crushing defeat in front of everyone? That was more unacceptable to him than death itself!
Finally, the thread of his restraint snapped completely.
Even if the price was unleashing the terrifying monster within, even if it meant inviting an unpredictable catastrophe, he refused to fall here!
He had to prove that he—Gaara—possessed value, that he was far from the useless waste others saw him as!
"Urghhh!" A roar, suppressed to the absolute limit, erupted from deep within Gaara's throat.
In an instant, a pulse of chakra—so immense it was heart-stopping—exploded outward with him at the center!
Energy reeking of destruction swept across the entire Chunin Exam arena.
This sudden upheaval forced the referee, Gekko Hayate—who had been on the verge of loudly declaring Naruto the winner—to freeze mid-action; his outstretched right hand hung suspended in the air, his face a mask of shock and wariness.
In the center of the arena, Naruto's azure eyes narrowed instantly, locking onto the red-haired figure slowly climbing out of the crater.
Tangible, dark-red chakra churned and rose like flames around Gaara's body, while fine grains of sand swirled and danced wildly, no longer under control.
A familiar, dangerous aura washed over him...
"This feeling...?" Naruto's brows furrowed deeply, and his heart sank.
The Nine-Tails' chakra within him seemed to react to a stimulus of the same origin, stirring restlessly.
There was no mistake! That violent surge of chakra bore a striking resemblance to the "fox" lurking within his own body!
It wasn't just Naruto; the experienced Jonin in the stands also saw their pupils contract in shock at this sudden turn of events.
That signature sand, that inhumanly vast volume of chakra, and that oppressive aura unique to Tailed Beasts—the answer flashed into their minds instantly.
"The One-Tail... Shukaku!" Naruto recognized the opponent's identity.
His earlier doubts vanished in an instant; he finally understood why he had felt such an inexplicable, strange sensation when he first met this boy from the Village Hidden in the Sand!
So that was it—it was the subtle resonance between Tailed Beasts!
"Hiss..."
The watching Jonin exchanged glances, their eyes filled with a mixture of stunned disbelief and furious shock.
"Sunagakure... how dare they?!"
Even in this so-called era of peace, to brazenly send a "Jinchuriki"—the embodiment of the village's ultimate military might—into the heart of another village for the Chunin Exams?
Minato's expression turned grave as he looked toward the Fourth Kazekage beside him.
"I see... So the Fourth Kazekage came to Konoha in person—was his true objective to ensure the safety of the 'One-Tail'?"
Just as Minato's thoughts raced, the elite Sunagakure ninja at the edge of the arena could no longer maintain their disguises.
Their eyes turned resolute and manic.
They had been exposed! The One-Tail Shukaku's chakra erupted uncontrollably, acting like a signal flare for the final phase of their operation.
The second stage of the plan had to be launched immediately!
In the arena, the roar of the crowd had not yet subsided when the crisis exploded in the blink of an eye!
Amidst the spectators, an unremarkable "commoner" dressed in coarse hemp robes suddenly stood up without warning.
He formed hand seals:
"Temple of Nirvana Technique!"
As the incantation was uttered, a bizarre phenomenon unfolded! Countless feathers—pure white and soft as down—seemed to emerge from the void, swirling to fill the air above the exam arena and drifting down with an eerie serenity.
This dreamlike spectacle was, in fact, the prelude to a lethal hypnotic spell.
Just as the unsuspecting spectators in the stands began to glaze over—their consciousnesses dragged into deep illusions and their bodies swaying and collapsing in waves—
A piercing whistle tore through the brief silence!
Hidden in plain sight, ninjas from the Village Hidden in the Sand—who had been lying in wait like coiled vipers—suddenly sprang into action from the spectator stands.
They cast off their civilian disguises, revealing cold forehead protectors and deadly ninja tools; an aura of murderous intent instantly pervaded the air.
Yet, the moment the Sand ninjas' assault began, they were met with an even swifter interception.
Almost simultaneously, countless agile figures appeared silently across the arena.
Clad in uniform black tactical gear and animal masks,
They were the elite force of the Village Hidden in the Leaf: the Anbu.
Clearly prepared for this very moment, they firmly contained the Sand ninjas' offensive.
At the edge of the arena, Kakashi leaned against a wall, his visible eye calmly scanning the chaotic battlefield.
The scene before him did not faze him in the slightest.
"Just as I thought..." he mused silently. The clues gathered beforehand—the unusually large size of the Sand delegation and their peculiar movements—all pointed to a single conclusion.
The Village Hidden in the Sand harbored a subversive, malicious plot behind this Chunin Exam.
The Sand ninjas charging out now had created chaos, but against a fully prepared Konoha, they were merely obstacles to be cleared; dealing with them would not be difficult.
The real trouble lay in whatever incidents might be unfolding elsewhere in the village at this very moment. There were those five suspicious individuals accompanying the Daimyo whose identities remained unknown, as well as the external ambush force—inevitable in the Sunagakure plot—waiting to swarm in once the signal was given...
Fortunately, the Hokage and the strategic command had anticipated this; corresponding contingency plans and defensive forces had already been quietly put in place.
Just as the fierce battle raged in the arena below, the true confrontation was already unfolding in the VIP box at the very top of the stands!
Minato immediately locked onto the heart of the conspiracy: the figure seated in the central seat—the "Fourth Kazekage."
Minato's tactic was clear and direct: capture the leader first!
He would then use the Fourth Kazekage to force a halt to the plot.
Given his Flying Thunder God Technique—unrivaled in the ninja world—this was not arrogance, but confidence born of absolute strength.
Moreover, while watching the matches earlier, he had discreetly marked the "Kazekage's" magnificent robes with his unique Flying Thunder God seal!
No sooner had the thought formed than he acted!
A barely perceptible flash of golden light—Minato's figure seemed to tear through the fabric of space itself, vanishing instantly from his spot and appearing without warning right beside the "Fourth Kazekage"!
His speed defied the eye's ability to track!
However...
Just as Minato's hand was about to touch his target—convinced of his impending victory—a bone-chilling warning signal pierced his nerves!
Something was wrong!
The warning hit with sudden, violent intensity!
Almost the instant he sensed it, the body of the "Fourth Kazekage" seated before him began to swell rapidly in a bizarre, grotesque fashion!
The skin stretched until it was translucent; the robes bulged as if about to burst; and violent, unstable energy fluctuations—resembling the rumbling of the earth before a volcanic eruption—surged wildly from within that "body"!
"What is this?!" Minato's pupils contracted to pinpricks as alarm bells screamed in his mind!
BOOM!!!
No words were needed to explain!
A deafening, terrifying explosion provided the answer!
A blinding flash of light instantly swallowed everything! Centered on the spot where the Fourth Kazekage stood, a devastating shockwave instantly engulfed the entire VIP viewing platform at the summit of the Chunin Exam arena!
Sturdy masonry structures crumbled like paper before this immense power, pulverized into dust amidst a deafening, earth-shattering roar!
"Lord Hokage!!!"
This heart-stopping scene left every ninja present—those not incapacitated by the genjutsu—pale with shock and horror!
Of course, the commotion surrounding Minato did not last long.
After all, most ninjas simply could not believe that their Hokage would come to harm.
Kakashi and Naruto, in particular, held unwavering faith in him.
Takuno lazily stretched his body; after watching the Chunin Exams for so long, the critical moment had finally arrived.
His casual gaze swept toward the distance, to the spot where Minato had just weathered a violent explosion.
As expected, at the final, crucial instant, the "Yellow Flash" had used his signature Flying Thunder God Technique to calmly escape the blast's epicenter.
To this, Takuno thought: Orochimaru... was simply too greedy.
The detonation delay on that meticulously designed bomb had been just a fraction too long.
That tiny margin gave Minato ample time to react—more than enough to unleash his space-time ninjutsu to its full potential.
However, Takuno could also surmise why Orochimaru had orchestrated it that way.
After all, without an explosion of such magnitude, how could one hope to finish off the Fourth Hokage in a single stroke?
Of course, Orochimaru himself likely hadn't held high hopes for it succeeding.
It was, for the most part, merely a speculative gamble.
Perhaps Minato had grown sluggish and slow to react after being bogged down by the trivial administrative duties of the Hokage?
Yet, the lightning-fast speed with which Minato had activated the Flying Thunder God Technique just moments ago completely shattered that faint possibility. Far from showing any signs of decline, the keenness and speed of Konoha's "Yellow Flash" seemed to hint at an even greater level of mastery.
Takuno had lost interest in how events would unfold from here.
With Minato standing unscathed on the battlefield, the outcome was already a foregone conclusion.
What other variables could possibly arise?
Even if those Tailed Beast Bombs caused Konoha some troublesome complications, they would amount to nothing more than a minor nuisance—trivial in the grand scheme of things.
With that thought, his figure quietly faded from the spot, as if he had never been there at all.
The very next moment, he reappeared elsewhere.
A fox mask—the symbol of his identity—covered his face, concealing every trace of emotion.
His gaze fell upon the red-haired woman before him; the look of unconcealable astonishment on her face was clearly visible.
"Hello there, Nine-Tails Jinchūriki—Uzumaki Kushina!"