Sakura vs. Naruto (Part 3)

The third wave of attacks.

The final battle to seal the throne!

The Namikaze- style attacks caught everyone off guard, while the second wave of Shadow Clone stretched the battlefield and bought time. Then, in the third wave, taking advantage of the time gained, hundreds of Shadow Clones were summoned in one go, attempting to overwhelm Sakura with sheer numbers!

Countless Shadow Clone filled the water's surface, the air, and underwater, surging towards Sakura in a mighty torrent!

The girl narrowed her eyes slightly.

As far as the eye could see, hundreds upon hundreds of Naruto filled her entire field of vision, leaving not a single gap.

It blocked out the sun, making it completely dark!

The Shadow Clone at the front drew their ninja tools and shot out, Shuriken and Kunai flying towards Sakura like a torrential rain!

"Are you taking advantage of me because I can't clear the area...?" The girl stood on the water, muttering to herself.

"Doesn't Sakura have any Ninjutsu that can clear the field?" The same question arose in the minds of every spectator watching the match.

"It's not that we don't have the time, it's just that it's too late!" Shikamaru watched the battle below the field with a serious expression, quickly analyzing the situation in his mind.

Traditional Water Release rely on impact to unleash their power, often resulting in a massive and time-consuming attack. Sakura's earlier massive Water Dragon Bullet was a result of prior preparation, allowing her to gain the upper hand. However, to counter a 360-degree attack, she needs to utilize advanced Water Release. But with Naruto's relentless offensive, Sakura has no time to unleash her advanced Water Release!

As for the Water Gun Technique, it is acceptable as a linear penetrating Ninjutsu for fighting enemies on the same plane, but it is inadequate against attacks that are distributed three-dimensionally.

The Ultra-Pure Water could indeed defend against Naruto's attack. The only problem was that the water shield formed by the Ultra-Pure Water was still hovering not far away, blocking the Wind Release, and probably didn't have time to unfold into a water sphere to protect his entire body!

Moreover, simply playing defensively will only make you more and more passive...

Shikamaru glanced at Naruto had endured Sakura's punches and kicks, and was still able to suppress his injuries and unleash powerful Ninjutsu one after another. Naruto's willpower and desire to win were truly amazing!

What's even more terrifying is that he managed to push Sakura, who was flawless on both offense and defense, to this extent...

To be honest, before this, Shikamaru himself had never thought of any strategy that could defeat Sakura in full condition!

Now, although Naruto has made himself look terrible, and almost completely exhausted his amazing Chakra and stamina, he seems to have successfully driven Sakura into a corner?

Sakura, what should you do in this situation...?

Shikamaru stared intently at the composed girl on the sidelines, who seemed confident of victory!

"Sakura's Chakra is fluctuating violently!" Hinata, standing next to Shikamaru, opened her Byakugan in anger, but she saw something that Shikamaru couldn't see: the turbulent waves hidden beneath Sakura's calm exterior!

"She created such a massive amount of Chakra; it couldn't possibly be using Ultra-Pure Water and Water Gun Technique! Nor could it be Water Release; Water Release wouldn't be available in time!" Based on her understanding of the girl, Hinata came to the same conclusion as Shikamaru.

"What exactly is Sakura trying to do?!"

It's been a month since I last saw her. Has Sakura been practicing a new special move?

For no apparent reason, Hinata thought of the girl named Haku who was standing next to her.

Her eyebrows were like spring mountains, and her eyes were like autumn waters—a stunningly beautiful face.

Hinata chuckled softly. Why did she think of that person? She shook her head and refocused her attention on the sidelines.

Off the field, the girl had already completed her Ninjutsu.

Ice Release: Frost Ice Burial!

A bone-chilling cold filled the entire area as the Ninjutsu was completed!

Crack.

The water is freezing.

The murky yellow water that had been flowing quietly just moments before instantly froze solid, forming sharp, exquisitely translucent ice blocks. Under the pressure of the layers of hard ice, countless Shadow Clone hidden underwater and partially exposed on the surface could not withstand the high pressure and collapsed, dispersing into wisps of white smoke.

The ice is growing.

Water flows at will, cold air solidifies form.

Under the girl's manipulation, a seamless ice wall instantly grew on the ice surface, as solid as a rock, firmly protecting her. The ninja tools thrown by the Shadow Clone struck the ice, producing a crisp metallic clang, leaving only shallow craters!

This is just the beginning.

Then, the cold intensified. In the boundless frost, knives, spears, swords, halberds... even the simplest icicles, stretched endlessly from the ice surface and from the air, either extending, breaking through the ice, or freezing in mid-air, growing wildly like bamboo shoots after a spring rain!

Sharp and pointed blades, gleaming with a chilling light, were instantly shaped by the cold air, stretching far into the distance. Countless swords, spears, and halberds filled the entire area in just a second or two, reaching high into the sky!

Bang bang bang!

The remaining Shadow Clone were immediately engulfed in a vast ocean of ice weapons. The clones, who had relied on sheer numbers, now experienced the feeling of being overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Under the relentless pursuit of the mountain-like ice blades, ice peaks, ice shards, and ice lances, the Shadow Clone, despite their desperate resistance and attempts to escape, were overwhelmed and quickly wiped out.

Before long, the entire arena was transformed into a sparkling, frozen wonderland.

A magnificent sight unfolded before the audience, eliciting another round of cheers and applause from the stands.

At this moment, Naruto's Shadow Clone army had vanished, leaving only the original Naruto making a final struggle.

However, how could Naruto, exhausted and covered in wounds, possibly evade Sakura's Ninjutsu?

Several transparent water snakes danced gracefully under the direction of a pair of fair, white hands. Naruto by enemies, was caught off guard and the water snakes wrapped around his waist and shoulders from his feet.

The girl remained calm, then suddenly clenched her open fist.

A chilling aura rose up, freezing the water snake into a hard block of ice, binding Naruto tightly in place, rendering him unable to move and leaving him completely at their mercy!

The situation has reversed once again.

Whew! The girl breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Naruto surprised her quite a bit; his Wind Release technique really startled her, and his subsequent combos were very targeted. If she hadn't trained with Haku for a month and learned a few new techniques, she might have been in a tough fight!

After all, Naruto had trained with Jiraiya for a month, and his progress was clearly visible to the naked eye.

However, if both stamina and Chakra are exhausted, even Naruto, with his unpredictable nature, wouldn't be able to turn the tide in such a desperate situation, right?

It's over...

The examiner Genma Shiranui, was somewhat surprised, yet also somewhat expected.

He could see it clearly: in terms of strength, Sakura Haruno was obviously superior, and Naruto Uzumaki had almost no better way to deal with her, so he could only use the extremely Chakra- consuming Multi Shadow Clone to fight her. It was truly remarkable that Naruto could fight to this extent.

However, that's all he can do.

Standing on the rest platform, Shikamaru was certain of his opinion.

He devised several plans for Naruto to feign weakness and catch the enemy off guard, but all of them failed due to a lack of Chakra and stamina. Even the best cook can't cook without rice; no matter how good the plan is, it needs the strength to implement it.

Naruto did indeed lose.

Hinata let out a soft sigh. Although she knew before the match that Naruto's chances of winning were slim, she was still somewhat disappointed when the result was announced. However, with the person she liked on one side and her best friend on the other, it wouldn't be good to favor either side... She was still very happy that Sakura had advanced.

Yes, she should be happy, otherwise Sakura will laugh at her for prioritizing romance over friendship!

The spectators in the stands knew that the match was probably about to end.

Then everyone started discussing it.

Experts see the intricacies, while laymen just enjoy the spectacle. To ordinary people who don't understand ninjas, this spectacle was quite exciting and intense, enough to keep them talking for a long time.

However, there was still one person on the sidelines who refused to give up.

"Naruto... you lost!"

Sakura gazed indifferently at Naruto was trapped inside the ice.

"No, I haven't lost yet!"

Naruto's azure eyes were filled with an indomitable fighting spirit!

"How can you fight without Chakra and stamina? You have no chance!"

No, I still have a chance! Naruto recalled Jiraiya's training—

Hey, you stinky fox, lend me your power!

The ice layer spread upwards along Naruto's body, completely sealing Naruto inside the thick ice pillar.

New Chakra suddenly surged from Naruto's body!

Manic, enormous, and cold.

It was unsettling, terrifying. That chilling sense of oppression was so clear even from hundreds of meters away!

Even though it was sealed inside an ice pillar, it stirred up gusts of wind!

"H-How is this possible!" The ninjas present were all incredulous at what they were seeing!

"He clearly had no strength left, how did he manage to generate such a massive amount of Chakra!"

"No, this Chakra... could it be...!" Hiashi, sitting upright in the audience, unconsciously leaned forward slightly, staring in shock at the scene below!

"This is the Nine-Tails 'Chakra..." Even the Third Hokage in the center of the stands was moved. "When did Naruto learn this technique?!"

Off the court, the girl's previously composed demeanor finally changed.

A massive amount of Chakra, almost tangible, pulsated violently within the ice pillar.

Hai, Xu, You, Shen, Wei...

"Ninja Art: Summoning Technique!"

Boom--!

The icicle exploded with a roar, scattering debris everywhere.

A massive cloud of smoke, formed from the diffusion of Chakra, filled the entire arena.

Through the mist, a colossal object, tens of meters tall, stood prominently on the field.

Its shape was indistinct, only Naruto could be seen standing high above it.

"Hey kid, it's you again!"

The enormous creature opened its mouth!