Chapter 25: Hinata vs Gaara – The One-Tail Has Been Forced Out!
"Why hasn't Gaara made a move yet?"
Up in the spectator stands, Kankuro frowned, looking puzzled as he muttered.
Then he turned his head toward Temari.
"Temari.
Why did you hold back just now?"
"Didn't you already forfeit?"
Temari stared expressionlessly at the arena below.
"I've had this bad premonition the whole time…
It feels like today's going to turn into a really tough fight.
So…
It's better to keep some strength in reserve."
For some reason, Temari had been feeling uneasy since morning.
It was as if something huge was about to happen, and the feeling made her chest feel tight and uncomfortable.
...
"That woman was holding back on purpose…"
Shikamaru leaned against the railing, eyes on Gaara, but his mind was replaying what happened earlier.
"Why hold back?
Why did Kankuro forfeit?
Are the Sand ninja planning something?"
He thought for a long time but still couldn't figure it out.
"Too little information…
Can't come to any useful conclusion.
What a drag…"
...
"Gaara, huh?"
Right now Sasuke was feeling extremely smug.
After training under Byakuya for a while, he felt his strength had improved tremendously.
It was countless times better than doing missions with Kakashi.
The feeling of growing stronger so quickly
made him intoxicated… and extremely arrogant.
"Hmph~
You should be the strongest one in this exam, right?
Perfect timing.
I'll test my newly mastered Chidori on you!"
...
Down in the arena.
Hinata had already activated her Byakugan long ago. She stood in a gentle fist opening stance, quietly watching Gaara.
Although her strength had changed dramatically compared to before,
her personality wasn't something that could change so easily.
So she didn't rush to attack.
She simply observed Gaara's reactions.
At this moment Gaara was in a state of mental fragmentation.
One second calm, the next second twisted with malice.
From time to time he even muttered to himself.
The reason for this abnormal state was simple—
he had realized the girl in front of him was terrifyingly strong.
After a long while…
Gaara finally moved!
The cork on the gourd behind him popped out violently.
Immediately afterward, a massive amount of sand poured out like a waterfall.
Once the sand hit the ground, it quickly formed a ring, surrounding Gaara completely.
When enough sand had gathered,
Gaara controlled it and sent the wave surging toward Hinata.
However… Hinata was simply too fast.
The sand couldn't touch her at all.
Not only that—
she even closed the distance and struck Gaara several times.
In the end he was directly blasted away!
Fortunately, the sand armor covering his body blocked Hinata's Gentle Fist chakra points strike and paralysis effect.
Otherwise he would have lost the ability to fight already.
"Kukuku…
Kill her…
Kill her…"
Gaara crawled up from the ground.
When he looked at Hinata again, his face had become completely savage.
He stretched out one hand.
The sand on the ground instantly formed a sand clone.
Then he sent the clone charging toward Hinata.
Hinata's brows furrowed slightly when she saw it.
She wasn't afraid of the sand clone.
What troubled her was Gaara's sand armor—it was too annoying.
Although her strength had improved greatly,
relying purely on physical power to shatter that sand armor…
was still not quite enough.
"In that case…"
Hinata took a deep breath, then her hands flashed through seals at high speed.
She began to use a technique that Pikachu-sensei had taught her.
The reason Diamond Cards were called Diamond Cards
wasn't just because they could greatly enhance the user's power—
it was also because the spirit beasts inside could personally guide their jinchūriki!
Just like how Karin had learned Wood Release.
Hinata too… had learned many things.
"Discharge Mode!"
BOOM!
The moment she completed the technique,
countless terrifying electric arcs instantly erupted around her entire body.
Zzzzt… zzzzt…
Surrounded by lightning, Hinata's hair and clothes fluttered wildly even though there was no wind.
Her aura became extremely frightening.
...
"This is…
Lightning Release Chakra Mode!?"
The audience in the stands all froze in shock.
Almost everyone immediately thought of the Raikage's signature technique.
However, the more experienced shinobi simultaneously frowned.
"It looks very similar to Lightning Release Chakra Mode…
but there are some differences."
Hiruzen showed a gratified smile on his face.
"Looks like this is another one of Byakuya's originals, huh?
I wonder how it compares to the real Lightning Release Chakra Mode…"
...
BOOM!
While the audience was still lost in thought,
Hinata stomped the ground hard. With a huge noise she instantly appeared right beside Gaara.
"So fast!!"
Gaara's pupils shrank violently.
If Hinata's speed was 1 before, right now it was 10!
Too fast for him to react at all.
He could only watch helplessly as Hinata's palm slammed him flying into the air.
"Lightning Release · Gentle Fist Art · Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
With Hinata's soft shout,
her palms began striking Gaara's tenketsu points at high speed.
Every time a palm landed, a bolt of lightning shot from her hand, instantly piercing through Gaara's absolute defense!
While electrocuting him,
it also ensured every strike accurately hit his chakra points!
Not only did she seal Gaara's chakra,
she also paralyzed his body.
Terrifying currents rampaged wildly, instantly shattering any sand that tried to approach!
Zzzzt~
BOOM!
Zzzzt~
BOOM!
Accompanied by the continuous crackling of lightning,
Gaara was beaten like a piece of fish on a chopping board.
BOOM!
The full set of Sixty-Four Palms ended quickly.
With Hinata's final flat palm push,
Gaara was blasted far away once again.
"Haa…"
Hinata took a deep breath to calm herself,
then turned to look at the referee, Genma Shiranui.
However… Genma was completely stunned by the scene and forgot to speak for a moment.
...
Not just Genma.
Almost everyone watching was dumbfounded.
"When did the Hyūga clan produce such a genius!?"
A curious glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.
However…
even though Hinata was powerful,
in his heart, she was still far less important than Uchiha Sasuke.
...
"In terms of pure attack power, it's already not inferior to Lightning Release Chakra Mode."
Hiruzen smiled gently.
"Very impressive taijutsu indeed."
...
"Nee-chan…
Nee-chan is so amazing!"
Hanabi was panicking a little.
"Father…
When Nee-chan fought me back then, was she really going all out?
She didn't… hold back on purpose, right?!"
"Uh…"
Hiashi didn't know what to say at all.
He could only stay silent.
...
"Amazing… so amazing!!"
Naruto and Shikamaru stared with wide eyes and slack jaws.
They understood better than anyone just how terrifying Gaara was.
Not to mention the fight with Lee—
just a while ago they had accidentally witnessed two Grass ninja trying to threaten Gaara into throwing the match.
The result?
Those two were instantly killed by Gaara.
His face never changed expression once.
"I really didn't expect…
Hinata…
to be this strong!!"
...
"Gaara…
Gaara got beaten into that state!?"
Kankuro and Temari were both stunned speechless.
They understood Gaara's strength the best.
No one had expected
that seemingly cute, soft-looking little girl could explode with such terrifying power!
"This is bad!"
But after the initial shock, panic appeared on their faces.
Because they knew—
once Gaara received this kind of stimulation…
he would go completely berserk!
"If Gaara goes berserk, what happens to our plan!?"
...
Just as Kankuro and Temari had feared—
After receiving such intense stimulation,
Gaara completely lost control!
Coupled with his chakra being sealed and his body fully paralyzed,
the power of the One-Tail instantly broke through the seal!
"ROOOOAR!!"
Accompanied by an inhuman roar,
Gaara's body began undergoing violent changes!