Chapter 87: Konoha
"Sakura Haruno and Kankuro, please come down."
Shiranui Genma looked up and spoke.
Hearing her name, Sakura took a deep, shaky breath.
She was a bit nervous.
Kankuro's strength in the preliminaries had been quite formidable.
Moreover, he was a Puppeteer.
The Genjutsu she excelled at wouldn't work on a puppet.
Although she had strengthened her Taijutsu under Kakashi Hatake's special training this month, she wasn't sure how effective it would be.
"Good luck, Sakura!"
Ino Yamanaka pumped her fist.
Although the two of them fought over Sasuke, since he wasn't there, they were still good sisters.
If he were there, they'd have to add two words before 'good sisters'—'plastic'.
Sakura nodded and glanced at Naruto.
Damn it!
Just who exactly is your teammate!
I want to be like that too.
Drinking unknown liquids and snacking on melon seeds with Sasuke.
"Sasuke-kun, give me strength."
Sakura muttered to herself as she prepared to head down.
"I withdraw."
Kankuro raised his hand and said.
He needed to conserve Chakra for the upcoming plan.
Besides, they never intended to become Chunin in this exam anyway.
Whether he fought or not didn't matter.
"Eh?"
Sakura looked surprised.
Did Sasuke-kun's spirit answer her prayer?
Naruto wasn't surprised; Kankuro withdrew for the same reason in the original series.
Next was Sasuke.
But this guy still hadn't arrived.
It was one thing to learn Kakashi's Chidori and Lightning Blade, but how did he even learn the habit of being late?
The situation was quickly reported to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He pondered for a moment, originally intending to announce Sasuke's disqualification.
But Orochimaru disagreed.
Sasuke was one of his targets.
He wanted to see his exceptional strength.
With Orochimaru's reasoning and everyone's desire to see the Uchiha's performance, Hiruzen Sarutobi postponed the match.
"Is it Naruto's turn next?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi habitually reached for his pipe.
But in front of so many people, he had to restrain himself.
Otherwise, it would damage Konoha's image.
"Naruto-kun, good luck!" — From his wife.
"Hmph, don't you die!" — From his sister-in-law.
"Naruto, be careful. Gaara isn't that easy to deal with." — From his father-in-law.
"Naruto, hit him! Hit him! Beat him so hard his own mother won't recognize him!" — From Kurama.
It was exceptionally excited right now.
Shukaku hadn't given it face earlier.
Now the chance for revenge had come.
It, Kurama, held a serious grudge!
Naruto was speechless.
Isn't Shukaku's mother your mother too?
You're nine babies from one litter.
Looking at Kurama's excited state, Naruto couldn't help but think of a phrase.
A dog acting fierce because of its master's power.
He couldn't help but chuckle.
Gaara clutched his head in pain.
"Don't be in a hurry, he will definitely die!"
It was the first time he felt Shukaku so irritable.
But he wasn't afraid; instead, he felt excited.
The stronger the enemy, the more value they had.
Killing him would prove his own existence.
Meanwhile, on the encrypted channel of Shukakuand Kurama, they were trash-talking each other like elementary schoolers.
Gaara wasn't pulled into the channel.
His relationship with Shukaku was terrible right now.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been unable to sleep for all these years.
Naruto could understand Gaara.
If it were him, he'd go crazy after not sleeping for two or three days.
What was most messed up was that his old man would periodically send people to assassinate him.
Naruto suddenly had the illusion of playing league of legends.
In his past life, he had countless times transformed into a Canyon Pianist, frantically typing greetings to parents while smashing keyboard skills.
As if the louder the sound, the higher the damage.
Gaara's killing intent erupted.
Shukaku was causing a literal storm inside him.
He watched as Naruto raised his hand in a beckoning gesture.
Sand Binding Coffin!
Countless quicksands leaped from the ground, filling Naruto's vision and blotting out the sky.
Naruto didn't care at all.
His response was extremely simple.
He threw a punch directly.
The quicksand scattered.
Gaara looked down in disbelief.
His stomach was sunken in.
The Sand Armor had already cracked.
Intense pain.
"Ah!"
Gaara was sent flying back.
The whole stadium was shocked!
Kankuro and Temari were both trembling.
Not because of Naruto's overwhelming strength.
But because Gaara was injured.
The monster inside him was about to come out.
In the stands, Hiruzen Sarutobi almost pulled out his white beard.
Sage Mode?
He looked at the familiar eye shadow on Naruto's face.
Jiraiya actually taught him this too?
And most absurdly, Naruto had learned Sage Modein just one short month.
He knew very well how difficult Sage Mode was.
In the entire Konoha, only Jiraiya could currently use it.
"Interesting!"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.
He seemed to have guessed Naruto's identity.
Surname Uzumaki, blond hair, Sage Mode—isn't this Minato Namikaze's son?
He didn't expect him to have survived back then.
In that case, he might also be the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
This is a bit troublesome.
Orochimaru watched Gaara scream; it wouldn't be long before he completely lost his mind and transformed into Shukaku.
The plan had to be moved up.
He looked up and gave a signal to his guards.
The message was quickly passed along.
Yakushi Kabuto, who had infiltrated the Anbu, muttered to himself.
Incredible.
Naruto.
Because of Orochimaru's orders, he had always focused on Sasuke.
But now it seemed Naruto was even more powerful than Sasuke.
Is this the Sage Mode Lord Orochimaru mentioned?
"Stupid cat, come out! You have the guts to trash-talk me, why don't you dare come out? This old man is going to break down the door and come in!"
Kurama's arrogant tone echoed in the channel.
Outside, Naruto was also using Talk-no-Jutsu.
"Gaara, remember this feeling of pain. If it weren't for your mother's protection, you should have felt it long ago."
He smashed a punch down on his head.
Gaara's face immediately cracked.
"Recognize clearly who the person who truly loves you is!"
As he spoke, Naruto threw another punch.
Gaara and Shukaku, having suffered a double blow, reached a reconciliation in the true sense for the first time.
Countless sands quickly gathered, forming a shiny, bright egg.
Naruto raised his hand.
Blue Chakra surged out and began to rotate.
"This is?"
Shiranui Genma was stunned when he saw the familiar Ninjutsu.
He had once been a guard for the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
Rasengan!
How did Naruto know it?
Orochimaru thought to himself, "As expected."
Not many people knew the Rasengan technique.
Those who could learn it basically had close ties with Minato Namikaze.
Sage Art: Rasengan!
Naruto's body vanished, pressing it directly onto the sand sphere.
It was as if a bomb had suddenly exploded.
Powerful rotational force.
Caused the quicksand to fly outwards, revealing Gaara inside.
The abundant Sage Chakra was all smashed into his body.
Faint ringing sounds echoed one after another.
Blood bloomed into a spiral-shaped flower.
Gaara felt an unprecedented pain.
"Ah!"
He roared like a wild beast.
The ground shook.
A massive body made of yellow sand emerged from Gaara's body.
Shukaku kicked him offline and prepared to take the field personally.
At that moment, smoke rose from the stands.
Yakushi Kabuto in the audience began to weave signs, performing a Genjutsu.
"Lord Kazekage, what is the meaning of this?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked calmly as Orochimaru held a Kunai to his neck.
"Sensei, it's been a long time."
"You..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes suddenly narrowed.