Gaara's eyes grew even more crazed.
Terrifying chakra erupted from his body.
The sand inside the gourd poured out wildly—
Several times more than before.
Sweeping across the field like a tsunami.
"I'm going to… kill you!"
"Offer your blood… to Mother!"
Gasps rang out from the audience.
"That red-haired kid… has he gone insane?!"
"That chakra… it's terrifying!"
"It's completely different from before!"
On the battlefield—
An overwhelming mass of sand surged forward like a colossal wave.
"Sand Coffin!"
Sasuke immediately activated Lightning Release: Cell Activation.
His speed skyrocketed as he dodged at high speed.
But both the speed and the quantity of the sand far exceeded before.
It chased after Sasuke relentlessly.
"Damn it… there's too much!"
He kept dodging, his ninja blade slicing apart portions of the sand.
But even more sand surged in, blotting out the sky and the ground.
"Sand Drizzle!"
Sand fell from above like rain.
Dense and all-encompassing, covering the entire field.
The space Sasuke had to evade shrank rapidly.
"This can't go on…"
He retreated quickly, forming hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball burst forth—
Over five meters in diameter, carrying searing heat.
Boom!
The fireball slammed into the incoming sand.
But—
Only the surface layer was scorched into a glass-like shell.
The sand beneath was completely unharmed.
As the flames died out, the sand continued to surge forward.
"Fire Release is useless…!" Sasuke gritted his teeth.
He continued dodging.
His Sharingan spun rapidly, clearly reading the sand's attack trajectories.
Lightning Release Cell Activation kept his movements lightning-fast.
Yet the sand's assault only grew fiercer.
"Sand Waterfall Funeral!"
More sand burst up from the ground.
Closing in on Sasuke from all directions.
Sasuke leaped into the air.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Several fireballs shot from his mouth, striking part of the sand.
But the quantity was overwhelming.
It still rushed forward like a raging tide.
Sasuke landed and immediately rolled aside.
"Damn it… the attack range is too wide…"
He kept moving, searching desperately for an opening.
Meanwhile, Gaara remained standing in place.
Massive amounts of sand automatically shielded him,
While continuously launching attacks at Sasuke.
"Kill you… kill you…"
Gaara muttered madly.
The sand's assault grew denser and denser.
In the spectator stands—
Kakashi opened his Sharingan to observe carefully.
"Gaara's chakra is becoming increasingly unstable…"
"The One-Tail's power is rampaging."
"Sasuke… you have to end this fight quickly."
Kurenai said anxiously, "Sasuke is barely holding on…"
"The sheer amount of sand is overwhelming."
Might Guy said gravely, "Sasuke needs to find a breakthrough!"
Asuma exhaled a cloud of smoke. "That Gaara… he's already lost control."
"If this continues, things will get dangerous."
On the battlefield, Sasuke kept dodging.
His breathing grew ragged.
"Lightning Release Cell Activation consumes huge amounts of chakra and stamina…"
"I can't keep this up forever…"
He stared at the endless waves of sand.
"And Gaara's chakra reserves… are far too vast…"
"Fire Release isn't effective against sand…"
"Normal sword techniques can't break through its defense…"
"I'll have to use that move!"
Sasuke suddenly changed direction.
Instead of charging straight at Gaara,
He sprinted toward the arena wall.
"What?!" Gaara froze.
"Is he running away?"
Confused murmurs spread through the audience.
"What is that Uchiha doing?"
"Why is he running up the wall?"
But in the next instant—
Sasuke stepped onto the wall, chakra clinging to the soles of his feet.
He stood vertically against the surface.
Drawing his ninja blade,
He began gathering chakra into his right hand.
Zzzzt—zzzt—
A sharp, piercing electrical screech filled the air.
Lightning crackled along the blade.
Growing stronger.
More dazzling.
"Chidori Blade!"
Blue-white lightning erupted around the sword.
Kakashi's eyes lit up.
"Good… charging from the wall."
"This way he avoids the sand while accumulating maximum power for the Chidori Blade."
Kurenai exclaimed in shock, "That chakra…!"
Sasuke continued charging.
The lightning surrounding the blade intensified.
The sword, wrapped in electricity, shone with blinding brilliance.
"Now!"
Sasuke kicked off the wall violently.
Lightning Release Cell Activation surged to its limit.
His speed reached its absolute peak.
Like a bolt of lightning, he shot straight toward Gaara.
His Sharingan spun rapidly,
Capturing every movement of the sand.
Flash left—!
Dodging a torrent of sand.
Flash right—!
Dodging another wave.
His speed was extreme.
To the audience, all they saw was a streak of lightning weaving through the sandstorm.
"So fast!"
"I can't see him at all!"
"That speed…!"
Gaara's expression changed drastically.
"Damn it…!"
He forced all the sand to surge in front of him.
Layer after layer.
Forming an enormous sand barrier.
"Absolute Defense—Shukaku's Shield!"
An even stronger defense than before.
All the sand was condensed together—
Over a meter thick, with terrifying density.
"Block it!"
Sasuke was already upon him.
His Sharingan analyzed the structure of the sand shield—
But—
It was far too thick.
The Chidori Blade could pierce ordinary sand defenses,
But this Shukaku's Shield…
"Damn it…!"
Sasuke clenched his teeth.
Yet he did not slow down.
Instead, he accelerated even more.
Every last drop of chakra in his body poured into the blade.
"Chidori Blade… Shape Transformation!"
The ultimate technique Kakashi had taught him.
By extending the Lightning Release chakra,
The attack range was drastically increased.
In an instant—
The Chidori Blade flared brilliantly.
Lightning stretched outward from the sword—
One meter… three meters… five meters… ten meters!
"What?!" Gaara's eyes widened in horror.
The lightning blade extended to a full ten meters!
It pierced straight through Shukaku's Shield!
ZRAAAK—!!
Lightning tore through the sand barrier,
Stabbing directly toward Gaara.
"No—!"
Pshhk!
The Chidori Blade pierced through Gaara's left shoulder.
Blood splattered into the air.
Gaara screamed in agony as he was sent flying,
Crashing heavily into the ground.
Silence fell over the entire arena.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Sasuke landed heavily, gasping for breath.
The Chidori Blade dissipated.
He dropped to one knee, his chakra nearly exhausted.
"It… worked…"
The audience was completely stunned.
"It pierced through?!"
"That lightning… it extended all of a sudden?!"
"It broke through such a thick sand shield?!"
Kakashi nodded in satisfaction.
"The Chidori Blade's shape transformation…"
"Sasuke can already use it."
"Well done."
Kurenai said in disbelief, "Kakashi… just how many techniques did you teach him…?"
"That move… it's incredible."
Might Guy laughed heartily. "Hahaha! Youth has exploded!"
"What a magnificent battle!"
Shiranui Genma raised his hand, preparing to announce the result.
"The winner is—"
But at that very moment—