NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11: Gaara vs. Uchiha Sasuke
Konoha Hospital
"Did Naruto-kun… really defeat Gaara?"
Lee's eyes were filled with disbelief. He couldn't comprehend how it wasn't Neji, wasn't Sasuke…
But Naruto? The same Naruto who was called a loser like himself?
His thoughts drifted back to the Chūnin Exams, to Naruto's defiant words during the first test:
"Don't underestimate me! I won't back down!"
"Even if I stay a genin forever, I'll still become Hokage!"
"I say what I mean—that's my ninja way!"
Lee gripped his bandaged fists tightly. "How… why?"
The one he couldn't beat—Gaara—had been defeated by Naruto.
"Why? Why wasn't it me? Why am I the one stuck here?" His body trembled with frustration as fresh blood seeped through his bandages.
Elsewhere in Konoha, Shikamaru, on his way to visit Chōji, stopped in his tracks.
"That guy, Naruto?" he muttered, staring at the sky screen.
Shikamaru knew the type of power Gaara possessed—something beyond what an ordinary ninja could handle.
Even Kakashi and the others were stunned.
"How… did Naruto do it?" Kakashi wondered aloud. Then a troubling thought struck him. Was it because of the Nine-Tails?
If anyone could rival the One-Tail's power, it was the Nine-Tails itself.
"That idiot… when did he get this strong?" Sasuke muttered through gritted teeth. His Sharingan spun with two tomoe, reflecting his growing frustration and envy.
Kakashi noticed Sasuke's tension and sighed. His student's competitiveness and jealousy were only deepening his internal struggles.
But beneath his concerns, Kakashi also felt a glimmer of hope. He couldn't help but anticipate just how much Naruto, the son of his former sensei, could grow.
Meanwhile, in other corners of Konoha…
"Naruto? Beat Gaara? That has to be a joke!" Kiba exclaimed, his tone laced with disbelief.
"He's just the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, right? How could he take down someone like Gaara?"
"Well, things are about to get interesting," Shino said, adjusting his glasses.
Hyūga Compound
"Naruto-kun is amazing," Hinata whispered with a look of awe.
In contrast, Hanabi pouted in a corner. She couldn't understand why her sister admired Naruto so much.
Why does she like that guy? Hanabi thought bitterly. He's taken all her attention away from me…
In the Sand Ninja Quarters
No one was more shocked than Gaara's siblings, Kankurō and Temari.
Naruto had always seemed like nothing more than an ant to them.
Even Kankurō was confident he could easily defeat him.
But now? The same Naruto had defeated Gaara?
"Uzumaki Naruto…" Gaara muttered, his face dark and unreadable.
[Ding!]
The sky screen went black.
Then, a new scene began to play.
[Onscreen]
The setting was a dense forest. Two figures stood atop tree branches, glaring at each other.
One of them was Gaara, his body half-covered in sand. His face was twisted in a terrifying snarl, with drool dripping from his mouth. A single tail swayed ominously behind him.
Facing him was not Naruto but Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke's face was tense as he stared down the monstrous form before him.
"That's Gaara? He looks terrifying! Is this the power of a tailed beast?"
"Wait, is that boy… Uchiha Sasuke? The last of the Uchiha clan?"
"I thought this was about Naruto. Why are we seeing Sasuke?"
"The pressure coming off Gaara is insane. Not even a jōnin could compare to that!"
The Twelve Young Shinobi watching the screen grew uneasy, especially those with feelings for Sasuke.
"Be careful, Sasuke-kun…" Sakura whispered anxiously.
[Onscreen]
Gaara roared and charged, swinging a massive claw made of sand. The strike shattered trees as it missed Sasuke by inches, leaving a deep crater in the ground.
"Are you scared, Uchiha Sasuke?" Gaara sneered.
Sasuke hid behind a tree, his heart pounding. That attack had been too close. If he hadn't dodged in time, he would have been crushed.
Memories flashed through Sasuke's mind—his first encounter with Gaara during training, and the chilling words Gaara had spoken to him:
"You know the look of true loneliness."
"The pain of isolation, the emptiness of knowing you're alone in this world."
"You and I… we're alike."
"You have the eyes of someone who wants to kill the person who threw you into that hellish solitude."
Sasuke's expression darkened as he thought of that night.
The night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre.
The night he saw him.
A pair of Sharingan eyes flashed in his memory.
"Uchiha Itachi…" Sasuke whispered.
Back on the screen, Gaara taunted Sasuke again.
"What's wrong? Are you scared?"
"Your hatred and bloodlust are so weak. Is that all you've got?"
"If you want answers, fight me!" Gaara roared.
Sasuke stayed silent. Slowly, he formed hand signs, his face filled with grim determination.
He left me alive on purpose, Sasuke thought, recalling the massacre.
He let me live so I'd be consumed by the guilt of surviving while my clan perished.
But now, I understand.
Electric sparks erupted from Sasuke's hand, crackling like a thousand chirping birds.
He left me alive so I could kill him.
"Chidori!" Sasuke yelled.
The two charged at each other, their attacks colliding in a flash of light and sound.
Sasuke's Chidori pierced through Gaara's sand arm, making him scream in pain.