The end of Uchiha Shinji and Yakumo's fierce battle did not mean the conclusion of this confrontation exam. All across the Forest of Death, many teams were still locked in brutal combat.And right at the edge of where Shinji and Yakumo had first clashed, another fight had become everyone's new focus.
The stars of this battle were none other than the Jinchūriki of the Hidden Leaf Village and the Hidden Sand Village.
On the battlefield—
"Ahhhh!"
With that cry, countless clones of Naruto surged toward Gaara, who stood at the very center.
Gaara's face twisted into a savage mask, his eyes darting back and forth as he hunted for Naruto's true body among the sea of shadow clones. His sand shielded him on one side, while the rest of his sand lashed out in counterattack.
Thud… thud… thud…
Under Gaara's relentless onslaught, one by one the clones were crushed, vanishing into puffs of white smoke.
"Numbers mean nothing to me!"
A cruel grin spread across Gaara's face as the Tailed Beast chakra around him flared ever stronger—just the sight of it from afar struck terror into everyone's hearts.
In the nearby shrubbery—
Sakura clenched her fists. "He's too dangerous… I'm not sure Naruto can hold out!"
Tenten, her own bravado shaken, piped up, "Don't panic! As soon as Neji, Shinji, and Sasuke get back, everything will be fine!"
Because Shinji and Yakumo's battle had raged so fiercely, they couldn't get close enough to see how Gaara was faring.
Lee, brow furrowed, said, "That guy facing Naruto… I get a really dangerous vibe from him. I'm worried Naruto might not last."
Bai's expression turned grave as well—he too felt a menacing aura radiating from Gaara.
Back on the field—
As Gaara's sand swept away clones by the dozens, his excitement grew. A hunter's smile curled on his lips, as though he were about to finally snare his prey.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, one clone slipped through the sand's barrier and lunged at Gaara from the side. With a swift wave of his hand, sand rushed in to envelop it, tearing it apart in an instant.
But Gaara's pupils contracted. Behind the clone he had just destroyed, another clone crouched—this one clutching a Chakram glowing with chakra.
Without a doubt, Naruto had sacrificed seven or eight clones just to shield this one clutching a Rasengan.
"You!?"
Surprise flickered on Gaara's face for the first time.
Before he could react, the clone with the Rasengan leapt in front of him and drove the spinning orb straight at Gaara.
Woosh!
Gaara's sand sprang up into a hastily fashioned wall—but the Rasengan tore through it with a thunderous blast, slamming into Gaara's face.
Boom!
Gaara staggered under the impact.
In the brush—
"Nice!"
"Did it hit?"
"Naruto is amazing!"
Sakura and the others cheered—everyone knew the power of the Rasengan. A direct hit that strong would put anyone in the hospital for weeks.
But one second later, their smiles froze. Gaara, shaking off the blow, steadied himself without injury. Worse, he was enraged. With a mighty gesture, he sent up wave upon wave of sand, swallowing Naruto's remaining clones.
Still, a handful of clones broke through, each bearing a Rasengan, hurtling toward Gaara.
Now prepared, Gaara's absolute defense stood firm—even the Rasengan couldn't breach it. Only his half-buried head peeked above the sand as he scanned the field, maddeningly murmuring to himself:
"Not this one… not this one… Where is it? Where is it?!"
Gaara's sand swept again and again, thinning Naruto's ranks until only eight or nine clones remained, scattered at the fringes.
He bared his teeth and snarled, "Die!"
Suddenly—
Crack!
The ground beneath Gaara's feet splintered open. From the crevice sprang a clone of Naruto holding a Rasengan, driving it into Gaara's abdomen with relentless force. The impact threw Gaara high into the air.
"How… how can this be?!"
Suspended mid-air, Gaara was stunned. Unlike the earlier hit—which the sand wall and his Sand Armor had mitigated—this blow struck him directly. Even with Sand Armor reducing its force, the remainder still sent searing agony through him.
"So this is pain… I'm… I'm hurt?!"
Anger flared in Gaara's chest. Straining to lift himself, he thrust out a hand, causing sand to surge forth and wrap around the triumphant clone.
"Die!"
He clenched his fist, preparing to crush it—
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
—but before he could strike, several figures descended into the clearing.
Jiraiya landed beside Naruto, sweeping the sand aside with a wave of his hand and pulling the shaken clone free.
Chiyo of the Hidden Sand dropped beside Gaara, pressing a hand to his shoulder as she barked, "Stop this!"
Gaara, furious, spat, "Why are you holding me back?"
Chiyo replied coolly, "Snap out of it—this is the Hidden Leaf!"
Gaara's eyes flicked to where Shizune was tending Naruto, and where Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Tsunade stood circling him with concerned gazes. A surge of inarticulate jealousy rose in Gaara's heart.
"By what right?!"