Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

He was completely shrouded in a wide divine robe and veil, revealing only a pair of golden vertical pupils, making him appear mysterious and majestic.

But Sasuke could clearly sense that emanating from that body was a chilling aura just like Orochimaru's, one that was also nauseating.

"The Kazekage, huh..." Sasuke scoffed inwardly.

It seems the true Wind Shadow is probably long gone, his body nowhere to be found.

Orochimaru seemed extremely confident in his disguise, and when he met Hiruzen Sarutobi, he couldn't help but make a sarcastic face.

Even more ironically,

The daimyo from various countries who came to watch the match seemed to treat it as a gambling game for fun, placing heavy bets on the genin they favored in advance.

The first match was between Nara Shikamaru and Sunagakure's Temari.

The battle was unexpectedly exciting.

Shikamaru displayed astonishing tactical wisdom on the field, exchanging blows and maximizing his otherwise unremarkable strength, even pushing Temari to the brink of defeat at one point.

"Truly clever," Sasuke thought to himself, "but unfortunately, he's too weak."

The Nara family has always been known for its wisdom, but someone as intelligent as Shikamaru is extremely rare.

In the end, Shikamaru forfeited with his signature line, "I'm out of chakra, this is a real pain."

But this battle of wits undoubtedly set a good precedent for the entire final.

Though Konoha was defeated, it still holds glory.

The second battle was the most anticipated part of the entire exam.

Naruto Uzumaki faces off against Gaara.

Naruto stood on the scorching sand, feeling the cheers coming from all directions, and his fighting spirit was completely ignited.

He looked at the gloomy-eyed red-haired boy opposite him, and the huge gourd behind him.

Around the arena, members of the Konoha Police Force stood ready, maintaining order.

But in those more hidden corners, Sasuke clearly caught glimpses of several ANBU ninjas flashing by.

They appeared relaxed, but their atmosphere was actually heavy, clearly indicating that they were on guard against something.

"Did you find something?" Sasuke's lips curled into a cold smile.

It seems that not all of Konoha's higher-ups are incompetent; they have already noticed the anomaly behind this exam.

He waited quietly, awaiting the inevitable chaos.

......

"Your scent..."

Gaara's hoarse voice broke the noise, "Just like that black-haired guy, delicious."

A morbid excitement began to appear on his face. The sand in the gourd, drawn by chakra, poured out and flowed slowly around his feet like living things.

"I've wanted to make a move against you for a long time, but I just haven't found the opportunity."

Naruto was taken aback by what he heard.

The black-haired guy? Are you talking about Sasuke?

He grinned, revealing a confident smile: "I'm really sorry to have kept you waiting!"

"The match begins!"

At the examiner's command, Naruto did not hesitate at all and quickly formed hand seals.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"

"Bang bang bang—!"

Dozens of Narutos instantly appeared in every corner of the arena, charging towards Gaara from all directions with a roar!

Faced with this overwhelming human wave tactic, Gaara simply stood still, without moving an inch.

"Sand-bound coffin!"

With a thought, the sand beneath his feet, like a giant, living python, instantly shot into the sky, transforming into dozens of ferocious sand arms that precisely seized each of the shadow clones that rushed towards him.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The shadow clones, squeezed by the sand, exploded one after another into white smoke and disappeared.

"Is that all?" Gaara's voice was filled with disappointment.

Just when he thought he had dealt with all the enemies, a figure silently appeared above his head!

It is Naruto's true form.

The human wave tactic we just used was nothing more than a feint!

"Spiral pills!"

In Naruto's right hand, a bright blue chakra ball had already taken shape, and he pressed it hard against Gaara's skull.

Faced with this sudden attack, a hint of seriousness flashed in Gaara's eyes for the first time.

"Sand Armor!"

A thick layer of sand instantly covered his entire body, attempting to withstand the blow.

But the destructive power of the Rasengan far exceeded his imagination!

That seemingly indestructible sand armor shattered inch by inch under the terrifying rotational force of the Rasengan!

"Ugh!"

Gaara let out a painful groan as he was slammed into the ground by the force, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The entire venue was deathly silent.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the scene. They never expected that the seemingly insignificant blond kid would be able to knock down the monstrous Gaara right at the start!

However, from within the sandstorm, a hoarse voice, filled with endless madness and killing intent, slowly rang out.

"My blood...it's flowing out..."

"Mother......"

"I'll kill you!!!"

A burst of chakra, more terrifying than ever before, erupted!

Just now.

A strange fluctuation of chakra was born in the sky without warning.

At the highest point of the stands, Sasuke slowly shifted his gaze from the two figures facing off in the arena, raised his head, and his dark eyes narrowed instantly.

Amidst the clamor of the crowd, something unusual had begun to emerge.

A few pure white feathers, like the fine snow of early winter, drifted silently down from the sky.

Then came more, denser feathers.

Illusion!

Moreover, it's an illusion with a massive range, enough to cover the entire arena!

"Ok?"

In the VIP section, Orochimaru, disguised as the Kazekage, revealed a playful smile.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing beside him, had a sudden change in expression the moment the feather fell.

"Are they here...?"

The audience in the stands, their faces still flushed with excitement and fervor, fell asleep one after another.

Most of the genin and chunin were also affected and fell to the ground.

"Illusion Technique: Nirvana Abode Technique..."

The few remaining Jonin who remained conscious wore solemn expressions. They immediately dispelled the spells on their bodies and warily scanned their surroundings.

From the shadows of the high platform, Sasuke glanced coldly at the chaotic scene below.

He knew his opportunity had arrived.

He glanced at another shadow not far away.

Kakashi emerged from the shadows and nodded slightly at him.

Just as the two were about to move, Kakashi paused slightly as his gaze caught a white figure leaping into the arena.

It is Jiraiya.

Upon seeing the appearance of this legendary Sannin, Kakashi's tense nerves finally relaxed slightly.

With him there, Naruto's side is safe.

Without any further hesitation, he flashed away, following Sasuke, and silently left the area.

......

"What's going on here?!"

Naruto was slapped awake by Jiraiya and looked around blankly at the spectators who were all over the place, his mind a complete mess.

"What does Sunagakure want to do?" Jiraiya ignored Naruto's question, his voice becoming serious as he stared intently at the three figures leaping down from the Kazekage's seat.

Gaara's two teammates in the same squad, Temari and Kankuro, along with a Sand Village Jonin wearing a dark vest with his head and half his face covered in white cloth, were none other than their squad's instructor, Maki.

The four landed steadily in the center of the field, facing off against Jiraiya and Naruto from afar, the atmosphere tense and fraught with danger.

The Sand Village Jonin turned his head and ordered, "Gaara, continue with the plan."

"We'll provide cover."

Gaara slowly raised his head, his gaze falling on Naruto Uzumaki not far away.

Immediately afterwards, the sand in the gourd behind him surged out like a flood bursting its banks.

The surging sand gathered around him, eventually coalescing into a giant sand ball that completely enveloped him.

The Sand Village Jonin's face was gloomy; the oppressive aura emanating from the composed man before him made it almost impossible for him to breathe.