Naruto: From Extra to Savior

Just as Orochimaru, Kabuto Yakushi, and the Sound Four fled in disarray, Naruto and Gaara's battle had reached its climax.

Gaara, the jinchuriki who had lost one arm, finally used [Feigning Sleep Technique]. As Gaara fell into slumber, Shukaku's consciousness, long hidden deep within, fully awakened.

Yet beneath its massive frame, Shukaku possessed an unexpectedly comical personality. Its unpredictable nature made it one of the most difficult tailed beasts to read.

The ensuing battle between Gamabunta and Shukaku created waves so intense that the surrounding area seemed to have endured a massive storm—destruction on a catastrophic scale.

[Air Bullet] projectiles flew everywhere, resembling lawnmowers mowing down entire forests like fragile blades of grass.

Such power and brutality naturally scared Temari so much she immediately fled for her life.

Mizuki felt extremely relieved he hadn't acted recklessly earlier. If he had approached too closely, those broken tree trunks and branches would've been his fate.

The explosive clash between [Wind Release] and [Water Release] chakra attacks unleashed terrifying pressure, obliterating everything nearby.

Fortunately at this moment, aside from Mizuki—who had personal reasons to approach closely—there were few others around.

"What level of power is this?" Sasuke Uchiha stared in shock at the distant battle, completely forgetting the tornado-like storm approaching him. "Ninjas can actually reach such levels? This kind of strength might actually be able to kill...that person."

After hearing Sasuke's involuntary muttering, Sakura Haruno replied thoughtfully, "Sasuke-kun, actually a whole month ago Teacher Mizuki already said Gaara was the strongest contender in the Chunin Exams—nobody else combined could match him."

"A whole month ago, the gap was already this obvious? Everyone already knew?"

"I can't really explain, but Teacher Mizuki mentioned things might change after a month."

"A month later? That means now..." Looking enviously toward the giant Gamabunta and the faintly visible figure of Naruto riding atop the beast, Sasuke murmured, "Such a huge difference...someone has already caught up, yet here I am, what exactly have I been doing all this time..."

With these words, Sasuke angrily punched the tree trunk beside him, so hard that his hand bled from the impact.

In truth, Sasuke's current abilities were quite impressive—he had enhanced speed through Lightning Release chakra stimulation, precognition improved by Sharingan, Chidori piercing techniques, strong potential, and even decent genjutsu skills. Altogether, he fully deserved being called top student of his class. Though he still fell short of prodigies like Kakashi Hatake or Itachi Uchiha, his potential was undeniably strong.

However, strength only becomes apparent through comparison. Just months ago, Naruto—a rival he barely considered serious competition—had already caught up, possibly even surpassed him. For someone whose very purpose revolved around revenge, such a reality was utterly unacceptable.

"Sasuke-kun, you're injured," noticing this, Sakura immediately moved forward intending to treat his wound.

Unaware of his injury himself, Sasuke turned his head and asked, "Sakura, have you ever heard what people say about me?"

Sakura decided to answer honestly after some thought. She simply couldn't bring herself to lie to Sasuke: "Teacher Mizuki said a month ago that Teacher Kakashi is currently the best fit for you because your potential is the highest..."

"Currently? That means it might not be the case in the future? Potential means I'm not there yet?" Given Sasuke's sharp mind, grasping the hidden meaning was effortless.

Hearing Sasuke's murmur, Sakura quickly explained, "But now a whole month has passed, and you've become much stronger, Sasuke-kun. Under Teacher Kakashi's guidance, you'll surely grow even stronger."

"Hn," Sasuke mumbled with an ambiguous nod.

Damn it, how much longer do I have to wait before I can kill him?

As Sasuke brooded, Gaara and Naruto's battle neared its end. Using [Combination Transformation] with Gamabunta, Naruto subdued Shukaku, then took the opportunity to knock Gaara awake, breaking his Feigning Sleep Technique.

With Shukaku's will fading and no more chakra from One-Tail to sustain it, Gaara's exhausted body—already worn from prolonged fighting—could no longer support the massive sand avatar. Soon, the colossal figure crashed down violently. Gamabunta had also used up nearly all his strength and returned to Mount Myoboku as his summoning time expired. What followed was simple: both fighters, at the end of their ropes, collapsed from each other's [Finishing Touch] punches and couldn't rise again.

[Time to reap the harvest.]

Mizuki, who had disappeared earlier, suddenly emerged from some unknown corner, cautiously approaching where they had fallen.

Naruto seemed relatively okay—just heavily drained. After fighting Neji Hyuga fiercely, his wounds hadn't fully healed yet. Now having faced off directly against a Jinchuriki of One-Tail, reaching this point already proved remarkable.

Gaara, however, fared far worse. Compared to the original storyline, he had taken several extra hits from Chidori. Although nothing serious in itself, for Gaara—who already suffered from chronic lack of sleep and poor physical condition—this became a significant problem.

After checking on Naruto's condition and finding no major issues, Mizuki felt relieved. Nothing particularly troublesome had occurred.

Turning toward Gaara, Mizuki extended his right hand hovering above Gaara's abdomen.

Suddenly, Mizuki swiftly scooped up the unconscious Gaara and quickly dodged aside. Immediately afterward, a powerful Wind Release jutsu slashed through the exact spot where Mizuki had stood moments before.

[Close one. Quite a nice attack indeed.]

"Return my Gaara!"

It was Temari, the Sand kunoichi.

What a devoted sister—rushing here immediately despite the danger.

Mizuki couldn't help but admire the power of familial bonds. Wasn't it the same for him too? His thoughts always turned to Tsubaki instantly in critical times?

Seeing Temari standing guard with an expression of grim determination, Mizuki smiled and said, "Right now Suna is our enemy, and Gaara is still a Jinchuriki. You really think I'd hand him back and release Shukaku again?"

"We're withdrawing immediately..."

Putting on a show of disdain, Mizuki replied, "I don't believe you."

Actually, the Suna forces were already past the point of saving. Although Mizuki wasn't as persuasive as Naruto, holding hostages gave him a solid chance of convincing the young girl to stop resisting.

Still, Mizuki decided to fight. When it came to stealing the tailed beast chakra, he didn't want to have any witnesses or interference—at least not yet.

'Need to win—and fast...'

Temari wasn't the kind of opponent Mizuki wanted to face. Wide-area Ninjutsu was his least favorite—especially against someone who excelled in precision techniques like himself. Her Wind Release was incredibly destructive, her ninja tools were both offensive and defensive, and she even had an impressive Summoned Beast.

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