Chapter 42: A Brief Clash
"Ah! It's Naruto!" In Ino's vision, Naruto stood on a branch overlooking the clearing, his back to her, his blond hair stirring in the breeze. For a split second, her heart did a funny little flip.
Naruto glanced back with a quick smile. "Ino, you okay?"
"I'm… I'm fine. Naruto, thank you." His warm, familiar grin momentarily stunned her. She quickly gathered herself. "He's really dangerous, Naruto! Be careful!"
Gaara, meanwhile, was staring at Naruto with a look of electrified fascination. "If I killed you… I think that would be very interesting."
Naruto frowned. Gaara, driven by unstable, violent emotions, was a problem he didn't need right now. "Gaara, can you dial it down a bit? We'll meet in the exam arena soon enough. If you want to try killing me then, go for it. For now, can I take them and go?" He gestured to the six terrified Konoha genin.
Gaara's expression darkened with petulant anger. "I want to kill you now. Since you've appeared before me… you can only blame your own misfortune!" As he spoke, a wave of sand surged from his gourd, shooting toward Naruto like a golden-brown tsunami.
But before the sand could close in, Naruto moved. Not away, but toward it.
"Naruto, no! It's too dangerous, come back!" Ino shrieked, her voice raw with panic.
On the other side, Hinata's hands flew to her mouth, her heart clenching. But deep down, a stubborn faith held: Naruto-kun wouldn't do something reckless. He has a plan.
Sasuke and Sakura arrived at the scene just then, taking in the gathered Konoha teams with surprise before their eyes locked on Naruto's charge. They didn't cry out or look worried; they simply watched, a quiet confidence in their bearing.
The sand was inches from engulfing Naruto. It seemed inevitable.
Then, Naruto's body twisted in a move of impossible grace. He spun on the ball of his foot, a leaf on the wind, and slipped through a narrow gap in the onslaught. In the next heartbeat, he was right in front of Gaara.
Gaara's eyes widened in shock. He willed the sand to recall, to form a shield.
A kunai flashed in Naruto's hand, arcing toward Gaara's exposed throat.
Schlick! The sand, acting on autonomous defense, interposed itself just in time. The kunai sliced through a chunk of it, sending gritty particles spraying into Gaara's face.
Naruto didn't pause. He pivoted, becoming a blur of motion, circling behind Gaara. The sand chased him, a sluggish, granular serpent trying to catch a darting hummingbird. Gaara's control was precise, but Naruto's speed was simply on another level. For a moment, the battle became a dizzying dance—Naruto a flickering gold streak, Gaara's sand a frantic, defensive swirl, unable to mount a proper counterattack.
The onlookers stared, jaws slack. This speed… it's unreal! For Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino, this was a Naruto they'd never imagined. Only Sasuke and Sakura watched with a sense of grim familiarity.
Temari and Kankuro were the most shaken. They knew the terror of Gaara's Shield of Sand firsthand. For Gaara to be put purely on the defensive, forced to react instead of act, was unheard of. And that speed… it rivaled a dedicated taijutsu specialist's.
"Incredible…" Kankuro muttered, his voice a complex mix of awe and dread. "Gaara's actually being pushed back."
"I want to know," Temari whispered, her eyes glued to Naruto, "how he got this strong."
Naruto, however, was growing impatient. Dancing around an impenetrable shield was pointless. In a flash, he disengaged, putting distance between them. Then, in the space of a single step, he vanished from his spot and reappeared in a low crouch directly behind Gaara. His right hand was already extended, a roaring, blue sphere of chakra—the Rasengan—whirling violently in his palm.
"What?! What kind of jutsu is that?!" Temari gasped, feeling the potent, gathering energy from across the clearing.
BOOM!
Naruto's hand drove forward. At the same instant, Gaara's sand, sensing the lethal threat, condensed into a thick wall between the Rasengan and its master's back.
The impact was deafening. A cloud of dust and sand exploded outward, obscuring the two figures.
Temari and Kankuro stared, hearts in their throats. "Gaara…!"
The dust settled slowly on a stiff breeze. Gaara stood perfectly still. Naruto's right hand was pressed against his back… but not with the Rasengan. It was just an open palm.
"Let's call it a draw," Naruto said suddenly, his voice calm. He gave Gaara's shoulder a light, almost casual pat, then turned and walked back to where Sasuke and Sakura stood.
Scene Nine: Aftermath
Gaara remained frozen, uncomprehending. When Temari and Kankuro rushed to his side, he finally stirred. His face contorted into a mask of bestial fury, a guttural roar tearing from his throat. "YOU! You actually…! Such power! I MUST KILL YOU! I WILL KILL YOU!"
When his sand had blocked the attack, the Rasengan had shredded through his proud defense as if it were paper. The residual force had vibrated against his spine. For a ninja, exposing your back was fatal. In that instant, a foreign, terrifying feeling—fear—had spiked through him. Would he lose? But just as he braced for devastating impact, the overwhelming chakra vanished, replaced by that harmless touch. The message was clear: Naruto had held back.
To be spared. To be shown mercy. It was an alien, intolerable concept that left him reeling with confusion and a raging, unstable humiliation.
Naruto watched his struggle, a slight frown forming. I shouldn't have triggered him. He'd pulled the punch precisely to avoid injuring Gaara and risking an early awakening of the One-Tail. A rampaging tailed beast here would endanger everyone. He'd underestimated Gaara's emotional volatility.
Temari, seeing the dangerous flicker in Gaara's eyes, leaned in close, her voice a sharp, urgent whisper. "Gaara! Not now! Remember the plan!"
The word 'plan' acted like a bucket of ice water. A shred of remaining rationality fought its way through the frenzy in Gaara's mind. The wild light in his eyes receded, replaced by a cold, simmering malice. "Let's go," he grated out. The three Sand siblings turned and melted into the forest without another word.
A collective sigh of relief swept through the Konoha genin. The immediate danger had passed, replaced by a stunned fascination directed squarely at Naruto.
"Naruto! When did you get so strong?!" Kiba blurted out, bounding over with a mix of admiration and competitive envy. "Have you been holding out on us all this time?"
Naruto just smiled awkwardly, unsure how to answer.
Sakura stepped in, puffing out her chest with pride. "Of course Naruto's strong! He's been receiving personal training from the Third Hokage himself!" She said it as if the achievement were partly her own.
Naruto, feeling increasingly cornered by the curious stares, sought an escape. He caught Hinata's gaze from across the clearing—her pale eyes were wide with worry and a quiet pride. He gave her a small, reassuring smile, then addressed the group. "Everyone's safe, that's what matters. We should all get to the tower. We'll… catch up properly inside." Without further ado, he motioned to Sasuke and Sakura, and the three of them quickly made their exit.
"Eh? Leaving already? I didn't even get to thank you properly, Naruto!" Ino called after him, a note of genuine disappointment in her voice as she watched his retreating back.
"Whoa, Ino, don't tell me you're falling for him!" Kiba teased, elbowing her lightly.
Ino's face flushed bright crimson. "Shut up, dog-breath! Don't talk nonsense!"
In the main observation lounge of the central tower, the Third Hokage sat surrounded by Konoha's elite Jonin—Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, Might Guy, and others. The atmosphere was grave. They had just finished hearing Anko's frantic report.
"So, Orochimaru's target was Sasuke after all," the Third said, massaging his temples wearily. "That man is utterly without restraint. Has Sasuke's team reached the tower yet?"