Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

Seeing that his regular attacks were ineffective, Gaara let out a low shout, "Sand Drizzle!"

This is his signature technique in single-target.

By gathering sand above the enemy's head, he could release a downpour of sand while simultaneously using sand on the ground to bind their feet, or even form sand bullets for further attacks.

"Hmm?"

Naruto made a small noise of surprise as his ankles were bound by sand on the ground, rendering him immobile.

Countless needle-like sand shards descended swiftly toward his head.

For any other opponent, this attack would have left them full of holes.

But Gaara's opponent was Naruto.

Whoosh!

With a swift flicker of movement, Naruto broke free from the sand's grip, dodging nearly twenty meters to the side.

"What kind of movement technique is that?"

Everyone in the audience was stunned.

They didn't understand how did Naruto escape with the sand restraints still intact.

The answer is actually simple: It is the Flying Thunder God's mark that Naruto put in advance.

Through the mark, he could teleport instantaneously, making it a spatial jump rather than a normal speed move.

Even if he'd been buried underground, as long as he had a Flying Thunder God's mark, he could escape easily.

Gaara, always observant, noticed the glowing mark on the ground. While he didn't understand the specifics of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he knew he had to destroy the mark.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand and shouted, "Quicksand Waterfall Flow!"

This technique was truly fearsome, capable of transforming the entire area. In an instant, the formerly solid ground was turned to sand.

"Sand Waterfall Funeral!"

This move is used in conjunction with the Quicksand Waterfall Flow, crushing everything within the sand-covered zone.

In the blink of an eye, a violent sand wave consumed and obliterated all of Naruto's Flying Thunder God's marks.

The entire arena immediately transformed into a vast desert.

Just now, Naruto jumped up in advance when he saw the ground transforming into sand, so he was about to fall to the ground at this moment.

He knew very well that once he landed, he would be bound by the sand again, and it would be difficult to break free at that time.

A quick idea lit up in his mind, and he smirked, "In that case, let's shake things up. Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

Naruto's hands turned into afterimages as he formed hand seals, and just as he was about to touch the ground, he finished the final seal.

Immediately afterwards, he spat out a massive volume of water from his mouth, using the force to propel himself back into the air.

The water didn't form a dragon, but instead acted like a high-pressure water cannon, drenching the entire arena.

The previously sandy terrain, disrupted by the water, turned into a field of mud, just as Naruto had intended.

Landing deftly, Naruto channeled Chakra into his feet, enabling him to stand on the muddy ground without sinking.

"Well, now how are you going to use the terrain to attack?"

Naruto chuckled.

Using mud to perform sand-based techniques would be nearly impossible, even for Gaara. To use his sand, he'd need to remove all the water and restore the desert terrain.

But it was clear that Naruto would continue using Water Dragon Bullet Technique to maintain the muddy ground.

Against anyone else, Gaara would have easily controlled the terrain, but Naruto was a unique opponent. After all, both are Jinchuriki, with immense Chakra Reserves.

Normally, Chakra would be Gaara's advantage over others, but against Naruto, it had become a disadvantage.

It can't be helped, who told him to only has Ichibi while Naruto has Kyubi...

"It looks like this is as far as I go." Gaara admitted bitterly.

Unable to rely on terrain for his advantage, Gaara was forced to rely on the sand in his gourd.

However, with only a small amount of sand left, how could Gaara possibly restrain Naruto? Continuing would likely be futile.

After unleashing his techniques freely and having them directly countered, Gaara had to admit defeat. He lost, but it was a loss he could accept.

But Gaara's defeat didn't mean the match was over. After all, Shukaku was eager for his turn.

'Alright, Shukaku, it's all yours now. Don't embarrass us!'

Gaara said in his heart.

"Don't worry, leave it to me!"

Shukaku replied confidently.

At the next moment, Gaara formed a hand seal and used the Feigning Sleep Technique.

This time, Gaara fully relinquished control, leaving Shukaku with unrestrained command over his body. With Naruto around, Gaara knew Shukaku would have to return control after the match.

"Kyahaha!"

An unpleasant laugh came out of Gaara's mouth, and then sand started enveloping him completely.

At this moment, Shukaku's control over his body far exceeds that in the original work, allowing him to act recklessly.

A large amount of Chakra turned into sand and covered Gaara's body, layer by layer.

Gaara's human form gradually turned into the shape of a monster.

Bang!

After a puff of white smoke, Gaara's figure disappeared from the arena, replaced by a towering creature covered in intricate markings… a colossal tanuki.

It was the Ichibi, Shukaku!

"Haha, I'm finally free!"

Shukaku cheered happily, but the people in the audience only felt the devilish sound filling their ears.

"Alert the Anbu to protect the audiences and prevent panic." Sandaime shouted in a deep voice.

He never expected that things would develop to this point, but looking at Naruto's calm expression, he knew that everything was still under control.

"Yes, Sandaime-sama!"

The Shinobi beside Sandaime flickered and organized the Anbu's members to protect the audience and soothe the panicked audiences.

However, just as the Anbu's members were racking their brains to soothe to the audiences, another massive figure appeared.

'Shukaku's causing such a scene. Isn't it about time for you to join in?' Naruto said in his heart, speaking to Kyubi.

That's right, Naruto wasn't planning to fight directly, but let Kyubi takes action.

He understood his own abilities well and knew that using the Eight Gates to defeat Shukaku wouldn't feel satisfying.

It would be better to release Kyubi and let him fight against Shukaku. It would be more interesting for him to watch the duel from a special seat.

Kyubi and Shukaku were not on good terms, and seeing Shukaku enjoying his freedom, Kyubi was already filled with resentment.

This was the perfect opportunity for Naruto to let Kyubi have some freedom, which could also ease the resentment in Kyubi's heart.

He can't let Kyubi 'work' every day. As a boss, he must give his employees free time.

Sure enough, just as Naruto expected, when he suggested that Kyubi go into battle, Kyubi seemed very happy.

The moment Naruto released control, Kyubi eagerly unleashed his Chakra, enveloping Naruto's body as he expanded into a massive orange fox with nine tails.

"Shukaku, I should thank you for this rare freedom. But for the sake of earning even more freedom in the future, I'm definitely winning this fight. Good thing you've only got one tail!" Kyubi said in a deep voice.

Shukaku laughed wickedly, "You think you are so great because you have so many tails? Do you really think you are invincible? I'm the one who's going to win today!"

Shukaku had the same idea as Kyubi. He also wanted to win this match to make Gaara happy, so that he could roam free again in the future.

In other words, both Biju, driven by an old rivalry for supremacy and the current desire for more freedom, were determined to go all out and display their strongest forms.

And so, the most extraordinary clash in the history of the Chunin Exams began: a Biju Showdown...