DreamersGN Chapter 256 is too different.
Chapter 256 is too different.
"Really? 'Strongest Genin'? That blond kid? He doesn't look that strong."
"Well, after all, this is the first time Konoha has officially released such news. The Third Hokage sat in that position for decades, so there must be some basis for it. If it weren't for this gimmick, and the fact that I heard the Uchiha descendants didn't advance, I wouldn't have planned to come to Konoha specifically."
"Get started now! I want to see rivers of blood! Charge! Let me see for myself just how capable this guy, so highly praised by the Hokage, really is?!"
In the audience, ninjas, merchants, and nobles from various countries were discussing among themselves, their clamor a mix of undisguised anticipation, curiosity, and skepticism.
Meanwhile, the Konoha Jonin and some Chunin in the stands mostly crossed their arms, looking quite composed.
However, in the area inhabited by ordinary Konoha villagers on the other side, the atmosphere was unusually somber. They stared at the golden figure in the center of the arena, their faces devoid of expectation or doubt, replaced instead by an indescribable unease and anxiety.
This unease stems from past attitudes of indifference, rejection, and even disgust.
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A secluded staircase above the stands connects the lower and upper levels. Although the entire stadium is almost full, this area is practically empty during the match.
While you can still see the playing field below from here, the view and viewing experience are clearly much worse.
Satsuki stood there alone. She was a little bothered; it was supposed to be the important day of Naruto's final exam to advance, but she was the only one from her family who had come to watch the match.
This was unavoidable, because her father, Uchiha Fugaku—or rather, most of the active ninjas of Konoha—had been assigned patrol duties today, scattered throughout the village, seemingly on high alert for any possible attack. Satsuki didn't know the specific reason; her mother, Mikoto, hadn't come to watch the match because her father had specifically instructed her to stay in the clan compound today and not go out unnecessarily.
This quiet corner on the stairs was a spot that Satsuki had finally found... a place where she could cheer for Naruto without being noticed.
She simply couldn't bring herself to shout and cheer like the others in front of a huge crowd, even though cheering for her teammates during a game was perfectly normal.
Satsuki clasped her hands together somewhat awkwardly in front of her, gathering courage for her next move, her long eyelashes fluttering gently like butterfly wings.
She repeated it in a whisper, barely audible to herself, "Naruto... good... good luck..."
Under the spotlight, Naruto calmly walked up the steps into the arena, a gentle smile on his face as usual. However, his inner world was far from tranquil—in his mental realm, Kurama's excited roar almost overturned the sealed space.
That stinky tanuki! We've finally waited for this moment! Naruto! Let's give him a punch in the face first! Yes, that's it! Let that stupid tanuki feel our 'greeting'! I'll use all my chakra in a bit! I'll use that five-rasenjutsu! Let him see how powerful we are!
Hearing Kurama's suggestion, which practically screamed "beat him to death," Naruto couldn't help but think to himself, "Just how bad is your relationship?"
This is no longer a normal sparring match... Perhaps for these tailed beasts, which are essentially aggregates of chakra and cannot be truly destroyed, this level of conflict can only be considered a "minor skirmish" or playful fight.
On the other hand, Gaara's appearance was filled with bloodshed and violence. In the passageway to the arena, he casually crushed two fools who were employed by a daimyo and tried to force him to "lose the match" with sand.
The warm blood further stimulated his already volatile nerves, pushing his bloodlust to its peak!
His pupils contracted sharply, his eyes became bloodshot, and sand uncontrollably gushed out of the gourd behind him, spreading around his feet.
"Mom...this time..." he murmured, his voice distorted and morbid, "...it will be...very delicious blood..."
When he finally stepped onto the field and stood opposite Naruto, his appearance worried Temari and Kankuro in the stands. They had never seen Gaara show such obvious signs of losing control before the battle even began.
"Battle begins!"
Genma Shiranui made a decisive announcement and then quickly retreated, leaving the battle area.
"bring it on……"
Gaara forced a roar from deep within his throat, and the moment the battle began, his pent-up killing intent exploded completely! A surging wave of sand rushed towards Naruto!
The next instant.
"Whoosh!"
Naruto vanished from his spot. Not with the Body Flicker Technique, but with pure speed! Gaara couldn't even track his movement!
"Bang!"
A dull thud of flesh colliding with flesh was clearly heard! The sand, which was supposed to be an absolute defense, was completely unable to keep up with the speed.
Under the incredulous gazes of Kankuro, Temari, and Maki, who was hiding in the stands, Naruto's fist landed squarely on Gaara's face!
"Crack..."
With a sickening cracking sound, Gaara's body was sent flying the instant the battle began. The sand armor on his face shattered beneath that punch, revealing clear cracks!
"Next, let's try this... Open the door, open."
As the restrictions within his body were quietly lifted, the first gate of the Eight Gates – the Opening Gate – opened silently. In stark contrast to Rock Lee's imposing aura, Naruto's body did not generate any violent air currents, nor did his breathing become disordered.
But the results were horrifying!
"boom!"
Just as Gaara staggered to his feet, Naruto's figure closed in again as if he had teleported! Another simple yet incredibly fast straight punch landed precisely on Gaara's jaw!
The ordinary spectators in the stands couldn't see the specific process at all. They only saw Gaara being repeatedly struck into the air by an invisible force, like a sandbag, and being continuously launched into the air with no power to fight back amidst a series of dull "bang! bang!" sounds!
In the audience, Kakashi lifted his headband, his Sharingan intently tracking the blurry golden trajectory. The sheer speed, achieved purely through physical bursts of energy, was astonishing even to him.
"Naruto... used the Eight Gates?"
"That's right, Kakashi. Although the flow is extremely restrained, it is indeed the first gate of the Eight Inner Gates."
Might Guy's voice came from behind him; he had finally returned after settling Lee in. Guy crossed his arms and analyzed the situation on the court.
"...It seems that it's too early for Lee to challenge Naruto. The speed Naruto showed when he opened the first gate is already...on par with the speed Lee showed when he opened the fifth gate."
"boom!"
With a final, heavy downward kick, Gaara was slammed to the ground like a meteorite. Naruto, however, did not pursue him. Instead, he used the momentum to leap lightly backward, creating distance between them.
As the smoke and dust slowly dissipated, Gaara's disheveled figure was revealed. His sand armor was shattered and large pieces had peeled off. He knelt on one knee, breathing heavily, but his bloodshot eyes were still fixed on Naruto, filled with violence and disbelief.
"I know very well," Naruto said calmly, his voice carrying clearly throughout the arena. "Taijutsu alone cannot truly defeat you. Come on, let me see your true strength."
Upon hearing this, Gaara let out a low growl like a wounded beast. He swiftly formed hand seals, and the scattered sand on the ground was summoned, frantically converging towards him! In just an instant, a huge, thick, completely enclosed spherical fortress made entirely of sand completely engulfed his figure, firmly protecting him.