บท 85: Chapter 85
Sasuke, who had initially appeared extremely formidable, was swiftly defeated by Kaze, even without using Nine-Tails' power.
The area fell silent as Kaze ended the fight by opening the Fourth Gate, and the golden-red chakra on Sasuke receded.
"My Sharingan couldn't even track his movements," Sasuke muttered in disbelief.
He realized the immense gap in their abilities after just one exchange.
If they continued to fight, Sasuke would be the one getting beaten while relying solely on the protection of the Tailed Beast chakra.
Furthermore, Kaze hadn't even utilized the Nine-Tails chakra. If he had, that single kick could have severely injured or even killed Sasuke.
On the other hand, the spectators, including Shikamaru, Choji and Ino, were in awe of Kaze's power.
They had initially been impressed by Sasuke defeating an S-rank criminal, but now he had been effortlessly defeated by Kaze.
"Amazing! Kaze beat Sasuke, who defeated an S-rank criminal, in one move," Choji marveled.
Ino, who had been caught off guard by Kaze's incredible display, remarked, "Just as Naruto said, Kaze is like an unbeatable god."
As for Kiba, Hinata and Shino, they were all stunned in place like wooden figures.
They had already been amazed by Naruto's incredible display of power during his rampage, and now Sasuke, who had been hailed as even stronger, was defeated by a transformed Naruto.
It was all too much for their brains to handle.
Meanwhile, Sakura had squeezed her way into the group.
Seeing the battered Hinata and the others, she said, "I'll treat your injuries while explaining what happened. We still have to continue the exams later."
Sakura started to provide medical attention to Ino and Choji while explaining the situation to them.
Even though Ino and Choji knew some basic medical ninjutsu, they let Sakura take care of them, knowing she was the most skilled in the field.
Yamato, who had been stunned, finally approached Kaze. "Can I ask you something? Was that Tailed Beast chakra?"
Kaze hadn't called out any jutsu like Might Guy did when he used the Eight Inner Gates, so Yamato wasn't sure if it was related to that.
Kaze glanced at him but didn't respond, walking to a nearby clean area and sitting down. He then focused his mind on entering the seal space.
Sasuke followed suit, sitting down next to Kaze. He stared at the ground, lost in thought.
Seeing that Kaze didn't acknowledge him, Yamato, who had prepared himself for this possibility, didn't push further.
Instead, he updated Anko on the situation regarding Orochimaru and the other members of ANBU Black Ops and left the area with his team.
In the serene atmosphere within the expanded and illuminated seal space, Naruto sat before Kurama, lost in thought. Kurama lay lazily on the ground, half-closed eyes observing Naruto.
Anko, the second-stage proctor, cast a profound glance at Kaze as he rested with his eyes closed before departing for the central tower in the forest.
She had to continue overseeing the exams now that Orochimaru's situation was resolved.
As the seal space became brighter and more spacious due to the opening of the seal, Naruto sat there, his mind adrift in contemplation.
Kurama, half-awake, observed Naruto with a mischievous grin and teased, "Hehehe, looks like you've got it all figured out. Kaze, This little guy is back to being all introverted again."
"I'm not introverted!" Naruto retorted upon hearing Kurama's words. He had been deep in thought, pondering various matters.
"I've just been thinking about some stuff."
Naruto hadn't yet begun explaining when Kaze spoke calmly, "Not bad, Naruto. You've grown."
Naruto's thoughts were abruptly interrupted, and he looked up, puzzled.
Kaze's expression remained unchanged as he continued, "The method of actively sinking your consciousness into the seal space, allowing me to take control and become the killer, is quite clever."
"After all, I've killed countless people, so a few more wouldn't matter. You wouldn't have to bear the emotional burden, and you could shift the blame for the previous rampage to me."
"Furthermore, you could even accuse me of killing your comrades, which would further diminish your guilt."
"Ultimately, you could stand on the moral high ground and distance yourself from my actions."
"Even if I were to kill again, it wouldn't be a reflection of your character. You'd still be the gentle one, right?"
With each word from Kaze, Naruto's complexion grew progressively more dispirited.
He hunched his body, hugged his head, and tears began to flow.
"No, it's not like that. I never thought that way. I never intended to shirk responsibility," Naruto sobbed.
"I'm just not capable of solving problems and can only rely on someone as reliable as my brother."
As Naruto spoke, he lifted his head, his self-blame shifting to determination and remorse.
"But I just wanted to try to save Hinata. I never thought about shifting blame."
"I felt guilty because I suddenly understood your actions. I felt that I was stupid and despicable."
"That intense hatred-filled heart is beyond control, and all I can do is blame you and lash out at you."
"Even though I met you for the first time, I could feel that intense resentment that was even scarier than hatred."
"Why didn't I understand that sooner? Why did I become so wretched?" Naruto lamented.
As he watched Naruto bury his head in self-blame, Kaze couldn't help but think, "This is so like Naruto."
Kaze had sensed that Naruto's attitude toward him was off from the very beginning. In the original series, Naruto was known as a gentle and compassionate saint, capable of transforming those around him.
However, when it came to Kaze, Naruto often behaved like a saint with his words but a total jerk in his actions.
Now, the divergence in their personalities had resulted in a change in Naruto's attitude.
Kaze's growing understanding of the situation began to alleviate his confusion about Naruto's unusual behavior.
This change had gradually emerged due to Naruto's increasing reliance and trust in Kaze and his impressive growth over the past few months.
The inherent contradiction between their primary and secondary personalities, as well as Naruto's shift to a more mature mindset, had led to the current situation.
***
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