Chương 11: Chapter 11. Arrival of the Uchiha

The crowd erupted in cheers.

"The winner of this match is Uzumaki Naruto!" the referee announced, smiling.

Naruto froze for a moment, taking it all in. The applause, the cheers, the recognition—something he'd craved his entire life.

"Ha… haha, yay!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing up a peace sign and running around the arena in celebration.

____________________

Man Who Respects Equality: "Look how happy he is. I'm proud of you, Naruto. That was a great fight."

Evil Spirit: "Ara-ara~ What a cute boy. Still full of energy after all that?"

Perverted Sage: "That's my student right there. Hehehe."

____________________

Satria glanced at Esdeath, noticing her intent gaze on Naruto.

"So, what do you think? Interesting kid, huh?"

Esdeath smirked. "Can I kidnap him for my Empire?"

Satria sweatdropped. "You're serious?"

"Why not? With the right training, he could grow into a powerful leader. Maybe even an emperor."

Satria sighed. "First, he still has a role to play here. Second, we can't exactly send people between worlds yet."

"Hmph, not fun." Esdeath folded her arms but kept watching Naruto, his smile strangely warming her heart. "Fine. I'll wait. Three or four years isn't that long. Let's see how strong he gets."

Satria glanced at Naruto and sighed. Good luck, kid. You've already got one candidate for your future wife…

•

"It's buzzing, isn't it?" Kazekage remarked, amused.

"Indeed, a good match stirs the crowd," the Hokage replied.

"Speaking of matches, the next one has some important viewers waiting."

The Hokage knew exactly who he meant: Uchiha Sasuke. His bodyguard whispered to him about Sasuke's absence.

"Perhaps it's better to disqualify him," the Hokage murmured thoughtfully.

•

The referee received the order and announced, "Due to the absence of the next participant, the match is postponed. We'll move to the following match instead."

•

Kankuro forfeited his fight against Shino, earning boos from the crowd. Next, the referee called for Shikamaru Nara vs. Temari.

Shikamaru sighed, already irritated. "Troublesome…"

Naruto, grinning mischievously, pushed him into the arena. "Get in there!"

The fight proceeded similarly to canon, with Shikamaru outsmarting Temari using his shadow jutsu. He had her trapped, and the result seemed obvious.

But then Shikamaru raised his hand.

"Good grief, I give up," he said lazily.

The crowd gasped in shock.

Spectator POV

Esdeath: "This boy is a genius. I want him in my army."

Satria: "Agreed. Too bad he's so lazy."

•

Temari blinked in disbelief. "W-what did you say?"

"I used up too much chakra. Can't keep fighting," Shikamaru said, though everyone knew he was just too lazy to bother.

"Winner: Temari!" the referee declared, sweatdropping.

Naruto jumped into the arena, scolding Shikamaru. Meanwhile, Satria chuckled.

"He didn't win the match, but he might've won her heart."

The arena grew restless as the crowd demanded Uchiha Sasuke. Just then, two figures appeared.

"Sorry we're late," said Kakashi casually, standing beside Sasuke.

The crowd roared in excitement.

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "Sasuke…"

Sasuke smirked. "Hn."

"I want to fight you, too."

"Yeah."

Meanwhile, in the waiting room, Gaara's twisted grin spread as he watched Sasuke.

Temari noticed. Not good… She whispered to Kankuro, "Don't provoke him. He's in a killing mood."

Gaara casually walked out, killing two attacking shinobi with no hesitation, ignoring the horrified stares of Naruto and Shikamaru.

Sasuke entered the arena, his opponent already waiting.

The referee looked between them. "The rules are the same as the preliminaries: the match ends when one dies or surrenders. Ready?"

Neither replied, their gazes locked.

"Begin!"

The clash of the Uchiha and the monster from Suna began.

From the stands, Satria and Esdeath observed the match intently.

"So, this is the last Uchiha, huh?" Esdeath asked, her piercing gaze fixed on Sasuke.

Satria took a puff from his cigarette, smirking. "Yep. A kid with a tragic past and a bloodline that's more trouble than it's worth. Watch closely. He's Kakashi's star student for a reason."

Esdeath leaned forward slightly, intrigued. "Hmph. He moves well for his age, but his eyes... I see revenge, not ambition. That could make him both dangerous and foolish."

Satria chuckled. "You're sharp as always. But trust me, this is just the warm-up."

Sasuke darted forward, shurikens in hand, launching them with precision. Gaara's sand sprang to life, forming a wall that effortlessly blocked the attack. Sasuke used the opportunity to close the distance, appearing behind Gaara with a burst of speed.

A powerful punch connected with Gaara's face, sending him skidding back. As Gaara straightened, the cracked surface of his face revealed the sand armor beneath.

"So, that's his trick," Sasuke muttered, narrowing his eyes.

Gaara's lips curled into a sinister smile. Without a word, he raised his hands, and his sand enveloped him, forming a dense, impenetrable sphere.

'He's hiding in there,' Sasuke thought, observing the sand dome. He attacked repeatedly, but the sphere repelled every strike with sharp, sand-like spikes.

'So, it's defense and offense combined. Impressive, but not perfect.'

From the stands, Naruto yelled, "You've got this, Sasuke! Kick his butt!"

Satria leaned back, shaking his head. "Naruto's faith is cute, but Sasuke's gonna have to pull out the big guns for this one."

Esdeath raised an eyebrow. "Big guns? You mean he has more techniques? Show me."

Sasuke leaped to the arena wall, his hands forming seals. Sparks crackled as blue lightning danced around his hand, the sound of a thousand birds filling the air.

"Chidori!" Sasuke roared, descending upon Gaara's sand sphere.

The Chidori pierced the sand dome, breaking through Gaara's "absolute defense" and striking his shoulder. Blood splattered as Gaara screamed, clutching his wound.

But then, Sasuke froze. Something primal, something monstrous radiated from Gaara. His scream morphed into maniacal laughter.

"You've hurt me," Gaara hissed, his voice distorted. "Mother is angry now."

Sasuke pulled back, his instincts screaming at him to retreat. The sand began shifting wildly, twisting into monstrous shapes around Gaara.

Before anyone could react, white feathers began to fall across the arena. One by one, the spectators, shinobi, and civilians alike began collapsing, succumbing to the genjutsu.

"Genjutsu!" Kakashi shouted, dispelling it in time to protect Naruto and Sakura.

From the Hokage's seat, a loud explosion erupted. The barrier activated, encasing the Third Hokage and Kazekage in a deadly confrontation.

"This is it," Satria muttered, standing. He looked at Esdeath. "It's time to move."

Esdeath's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Finally. I've been itching for a real fight."

Naruto, unaffected thanks to Kakashi's quick action, ran to the arena's edge. "Sasuke! Get out of there!" he shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the chaos.

Sasuke, now fully on guard, backed away as Gaara's form began to morph. Sand twisted into the shape of a monstrous arm, his chakra flaring with murderous intent.

"Stay still," Gaara growled, his voice a mix of human and beast. "I'll show you… my true self."

Amid the chaos, Satria activated his dimensional barrier, protecting himself and Esdeath from the genjutsu. "Esdeath, you ready? Things are about to get messy."

Esdeath smirked, drawing her rapier. "Messy is my specialty. Let's go."

Together, they vanished from the stands, heading toward the heart of the invasion.

From above, enemy shinobi poured into the village. Explosions rocked the arena, sending debris flying. The spectators who had avoided the genjutsu began to flee, screams echoing through the air.

In the middle of the chaos, Sasuke stared down the monstrous Gaara, his hand crackling with the last remnants of his Chidori.

Naruto clenched his fists, determination burning in his eyes. "Sasuke, don't lose!"

From the shadows, Orochimaru watched, a sinister smile on his face. "Let's see how far you've come, Uchiha Sasuke."

To be continued.