Naruto: Limitless Sage

At the same time...

On Naruto's side—

Jiraiya, Tsunade, Minato, and Kushina.

The four of them had hidden among the densely packed audience seats, silently observing Naruto on the battlefield.

They were prepared.

Just waiting for the right moment—

To act!

Aside from Orochimaru and Naruto, everyone else was moving in secret.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had already been warned by Anko about Orochimaru's infiltration of the village.

He suspected the rogue Sannin would stir up trouble during the Chūnin Exams—

So, he too had prepared.

Hiruzen secretly deployed his personal Anbu squad.

But…

What the Third Hokage hadn't expected was—

Orochimaru had already initiated the Konoha Crush Plan.

He had assassinated the Fourth Kazekage in cold blood—

Then disguised himself as the Kazekage and was now sitting beside Hiruzen!

On the Field.

Naruto and Gaara stood face to face.

"I will kill you..." Gaara muttered, his murderous gaze locked on Naruto. His tone dripped with malice and madness.

Naruto simply gave a faint smile.

"Come at me, if you think you can."

He could tell: Gaara was mentally shattered—driven nearly insane by the torment of the One-Tail, Shukaku.

But Naruto also knew something else—

Someone like Gaara had no right to act arrogant in front of him.

This battle…

Would be the turning point.

Inside the exam arena, all eyes were glued to the battlefield.

The Third Hokage.

Orochimaru, in the guise of the Fourth Kazekage.

The Daimyō of the Land of Fire. The Daimyō of the Land of Wind.

Lords from other nations, jōnin from various villages, prominent nobles from all over—

Jiraiya, Tsunade, Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina.

The citizens of Konoha.

And of course—

The Twelve Rookie Genin.

All waited in silence for the duel between Naruto and Gaara to begin.

Standing between the two was the proctor, Genma Shiranui.

He glanced at both of them.

Confirmed they were ready.

And raised his hand—

"Begin!"

Boom!

In an instant, golden sand erupted from the gourd on Gaara's back, swirling across the arena in a violent surge.

He was the Jinchūriki of the One-Tail, Shukaku.

A massive reservoir of chakra surged through his body.

And when combined with his innate Sand Release techniques—

He became a terror on the battlefield!

Gaara knew from his previous encounter:

Naruto Uzumaki was no ordinary opponent.

He, too, carried a monster inside.

So, Gaara showed no restraint.

He launched his sand with lethal intent, commanding it to crush Naruto.

But…

Naruto didn't move.

He simply stood there—

Calm. Unfazed.

In the stands, those unfamiliar with Naruto—like Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, and Chōji—watched in disbelief.

Seeing Naruto stand still as the sand approached—

They couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Why isn't he dodging!?" Hinata exclaimed, her eyes wide.

Even Shikamaru looked alarmed. "Naruto's fast... but even I didn't see him move. Is he just... standing there?"

Ino and Chōji shared the same unease.

But among the crowd—

One person, though he didn't know Naruto personally, wasn't worried at all.

Orochimaru, in his Kazekage disguise, gazed coldly at Naruto and thought:

"Show me...

Show me your true strength, Naruto Uzumaki..."

He knew.

Anyone capable of forming a bond with Sasuke Uchiha—

Anyone Sasuke would recognize—

Could not be a simple Genin.

Beside him, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, also had high expectations.

Naruto had spent six years at the Ninja Academy—

Graduating at the top of his class every single year.

After that, he'd joined Team 7 under Kakashi's leadership and had excelled in every mission.

Hiruzen was eager to see the boy's true power with his own eyes.

The sand closed in—

Just as it was about to engulf him—

Naruto vanished.

A golden blur flashed—

And he disappeared from the battlefield!

From everyone's sight!

"Where'd he go!?" Hinata gasped in shock.

Shikamaru blinked rapidly. "I couldn't even see it... That speed..."

Ino, Chōji, and the others were equally stunned.

Even—

Jiraiya.

Tsunade.

Orochimaru.

The Third Hokage.

High-level shinobi all—

None of them caught how Naruto moved.

And of course—

Neither did Gaara.

The boy was gone.

Let the true battle begin.

"Later."

Suddenly—

Naruto's voice echoed behind Gaara like a ghost's whisper, chilling and abrupt.

Gaara's eyes went wide in shock.

"When!?"

"So fast!"

"Even my sand didn't react!"

Panic surged through him.

He hadn't seen it.

Hadn't sensed it.

Naruto had appeared behind him without a trace.

And Naruto didn't give him time to recover.

Boom!

With a thunderous crack, Naruto's fist smashed into Gaara's back, launching him forward like a missile.

Wrapped in his protective sand, Gaara's body hurtled through the air—

Crashing into the ground and skidding more than ten meters across the arena.

With Naruto's current physical strength—

That punch could only be described as monstrous.

A strike imbued with strange power, reminiscent of Tsunade's legendary superhuman strength.

But Naruto had no intention of killing Gaara.

He held back—controlling his force with precision.

Otherwise—

That one punch...

Could have ended Gaara's life.

Shock rippled through the entire stadium.

Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, and Chōji stared in disbelief.

They had never imagined Naruto could move that fast—

Or hit that hard.

Even Jiraiya and Tsunade—two of the Legendary Sannin—

Were caught off guard.

They hadn't expected it either.

Naruto's true power...

Was beyond their expectations.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes behind his Kazekage mask.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen, leaned forward ever so slightly.

Both had clearly seen that punch.

And both came to the same conclusion:

The power hidden within Naruto Uzumaki—

Was anything but ordinary.

So terrifying!

What made it even more frightening—

Was that Naruto was still just a Genin.

On the side of the Sand Village, Temari, Kankurō, and their supervising jōnin, Baki, stared in disbelief.

They had just witnessed Gaara—caught completely off guard—get blasted away by a single punch from Uzumaki Naruto.

Their expressions were frozen in shock.

They couldn't believe what they'd seen.

Gaara's sand was supposed to be an impenetrable defense.

Any threat that approached him would automatically trigger the sand around him to block the attack.

And yet—

This time—

Gaara's sand didn't react in time.

Naruto's speed had completely bypassed his automatic defense.

Temari and the others were still stunned by what they had just witnessed.

Naruto stood calmly, staring at Gaara lying on the ground.

His expression was cold, unreadable.

Gaara slowly pushed himself up, still trembling from shock.

He couldn't understand it.

Just now, he hadn't even had a chance to counterattack.

And the realization sent him deeper into darkness.

His already unstable eyes grew more sinister, and he stared up at Naruto with a twisted, unhinged expression.

"I live to kill everyone but myself..."

"So go to hell..."

The words echoed in Gaara's heart.

And in the next instant—

He unleashed a monstrous wave of chakra without hesitation.

Yellow sand poured from the gourd on his back like a flood, surging into the air and spreading across the arena.

In mere seconds, the golden sand covered nearly half the battlefield.

The immense power left the audience gasping in awe.

"That's a Genin from the Sand Village!?"

"Unbelievable!"

"The demon fox kid is finished!"

"He'll die today, finally!"

Cries erupted from the crowd.

Many villagers of Konoha, still holding resentment, cheered at the thought of Naruto—the so-called demon fox—being defeated.

On the high platform, the Third Hokage narrowed his eyes as he observed Gaara's power.

Even he had to admit:

"Your Sand Village has raised quite the genius, Kazekage..." he said calmly.

A Genin with this level of strength would surely grow into a formidable force.

But despite Gaara's overwhelming presence, the Third Hokage remained composed.

He had absolute faith in Naruto.

He believed—

That Naruto would one day fully master the Nine-Tails sealed within him.

Next to him, Orochimaru—disguised as the Fourth Kazekage—smiled faintly.

"No," he replied, his voice smooth.

"When it comes to geniuses, Konoha has always been full of them."

But deep down, Orochimaru shook his head.

Konoha had once overflowed with talent—

The Legendary Sannin, the famed White Fang, Uchiha Kagami…

The Fourth Hokage… and countless other prodigies now lost to time.

Yes, this generation had Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha—

But outside of them?

The rest were just typical clan shinobi from families like the Hyūga, Nara, and Yamanaka.

Not enough to restore the brilliance of Konoha's golden age.

As Orochimaru and the Third Hokage exchanged words, the battlefield was shifting once more.

Gaara had already gathered an immense cloud of yellow sand.

"Quicksand Storm!!"

he roared.

The sand surged like a tidal wave, engulfing the battlefield and hurling itself toward Naruto with devastating force.

Everyone in the arena felt the weight of Gaara's power.

It was overwhelming.

Deadly.

But—

Naruto didn't flinch.

Facing the oncoming sandstorm—

He raised his hand calmly.

And then—

A rapidly spinning sphere of chakra appeared in his palm!

It expanded with terrifying speed—

Larger…

And larger…

A Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!

Yes—

With ease, Naruto had formed a technique that left the entire audience speechless.

Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, and the others stared in disbelief.

They had never imagined—

That Naruto had mastered such a terrifying jutsu.

Just the amount of chakra required to sustain that colossal Rasengan…

Was already overwhelming!

A single hit—

Could wipe out the entire exam arena.

Watching Naruto perform the Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan so effortlessly—

Even Jiraiya and Tsunade couldn't help but turn to Minato and Kushina in surprise.

Minato and Kushina, however, said nothing.

They simply watched their son with proud, quiet smiles.

On the high platform, both Orochimaru and the Third Hokage had the same reaction.

Their pupils contracted in shock.

That technique—

It was unmistakable.

The Rasengan!

Where had Naruto learned it?

Jiraiya?

Could Jiraiya have returned to the village without anyone noticing?

No… that didn't make sense.

Jiraiya wasn't even supposed to know about Naruto's current situation.

The Third Hokage's thoughts began to spiral.

He felt like things were slowly slipping out of his control.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru silently recalled everything he had learned about Naruto since the Forest of Death.

That surname—Uzumaki.

And now this technique—Minato's Rasengan.

A chilling realization struck him like a lightning bolt.

A terrifying guess formed in his mind.

Too bold.

Too unbelievable.

And yet… it made sense.

Hiruzen Sarutobi—The Third Hokage—watched Naruto wield the Rasengan and felt a flicker of panic.

But he quickly composed himself.

He didn't know exactly when Naruto had learned it…

But if he had to guess, it was probably through Kakashi.

As the Fourth Hokage's student, Kakashi might have passed down the Rasengan.

Thinking that, Hiruzen let out a quiet breath of relief.

But at this moment—

Who was the most shocked of all?

Gaara.

He stood opposite Naruto, staring at the giant spinning chakra sphere in his opponent's hand—

Like a blue sun blazing in the arena.

He couldn't believe it.

The power radiating from that Rasengan—

Was monstrous.

Temari, Kankurō, and their jōnin instructor Baki also stood frozen.

Their jaws slack, eyes wide.

They had always believed Gaara's strength was overwhelming—

But now…

This Genin from Konoha…

He was even more terrifying than Gaara!

That was the part that made it even more unbelievable—

Both Naruto and Gaara were just Genin!

And now—

Naruto, holding that massive Rasengan aloft, charged toward Gaara's Quicksand Storm head-on.

Seeing this, Gaara gritted his teeth and poured even more chakra into his technique.

The sand roared forward like a living tidal wave.

But the next instant—

Naruto's Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan collided with the yellow sandstorm!

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion shook the entire arena!

In a blinding flash, Naruto's Rasengan tore through the storm, blasting away the sand as if it were nothing.

The shockwave shattered the storm completely.

The unleashed chakra tore straight toward Gaara.

Eyes widening, Gaara activated his Absolute Defense—

But it was no use.

Against such overwhelming power—

His sand armor and sand shield crumbled instantly.

With a crack, his protective layers shattered—

And then—

SPLURT!

A spray of blood burst from Gaara's body!

One single Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan—

And Naruto had defeated him.

Silence.

Then—

Gasps.

The entire audience stood stunned.

No one could believe what they had just witnessed.

Naruto Uzumaki… had just defeated Gaara of the Sand with one attack!

Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, and the others looked on in awe.

Naruto stood in the center of the field, calm as ever.

Temari, Kankurō, and Baki were utterly dumbfounded.

They didn't know how to react.

Gaara—

The monster of their village—

Had been overwhelmed so decisively.

Up in the audience stands, Jiraiya and Tsunade exchanged looks once again.

They had no choice but to admit:

Naruto's strength—

Far exceeded expectations.

On the high platform, the Third Hokage clenched his fists in excitement.

"Excellent! Outstanding!" he exclaimed with joy.

Naruto's display of strength would send a clear message to every nation watching.

The Land of Wind…

The other shinobi nations…

They would all think twice before antagonizing Konoha.

A Genin like Naruto was enough to change the balance of power.

And with him on their side—

The pressure on Konoha would lighten significantly.

When the Third Hokage witnessed the sheer power Naruto had just unleashed, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction—

Pleased with how his past arrangements for the boy were finally bearing fruit.

If not for the decisions he had made…

Would Naruto have ever reached this point?

Would this moment have even been possible?

However—

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi basked in the pride of Naruto's brilliant performance—

The man seated beside him, the Fourth Kazekage, let out a cold, derisive chuckle.

At that very moment—

All across the arena stands—

Masked shinobi began to emerge from the shadows.

They moved in perfect synchronization, their hands flying through hand seals.

And then—

A massive genjutsu was cast across the entire stadium!

A split second later—

White feathers began to fall gently from the sky, drifting like snow in broad daylight.

Seeing this—

Minato and Kushina, along with Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, and the others—

Exchanged quick glances.

No words were needed.

They all understood immediately:

This was it.

The signal.

The start of Orochimaru's Konoha Crush Plan.

And more importantly—

It was their signal to act.

…

TN:

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