Gamabunta vs. Sakura

The orange-yellow, lantern-sized eyes were clearly visible through the smoke. Through the mist, the sound was as loud as thunder, as awe-inspiring as if someone were drumming right next to your ear.

This must be an unimaginably enormous creature.

Just looking into their eyes and hearing their voices is enough to send shivers down your spine!

The smoke dissipated quickly.

The enormous spirit beast finally revealed its true form to everyone.

--A Toad as tall as a four-story building stood on the ice!

He had a pipe as tall as two people dangling from his mouth, wore a black cloak the size of a playground, and had a giant sword over ten meters long hanging at his waist.

And... the abyss-like amount of Chakra within his body.

Just by looking at its indifferent, towering presence, the girl felt an aura as deep and oppressive as a hell pressing down on her!

The stands fell silent for a moment, as if everyone was intimidated by the giant beast and dared not utter a single word.

"They actually summoned Jiraiya's summoning beast— Gamabunta!" The Third and one of the Anbu behind him muttered in shock.

Sakura covered her lips tightly and remained silent.

She recognized the giant beast as Gamabunta.

One of the summoning beasts of the Sannin, its combat power is extremely terrifying.

The last time I fought a giant creature was in the battle against Orochimaru in the Forest of Death.

That time, she faced an Orochimaru. It was equally enormous, but its aura and the quality of its Chakra were far inferior to the giant Toad before her. If a comparison had to be made, the feeling it gave Sakura was closer to that of Orochimaru!

However, Gamabunta, as a summoning beast, is far less threatening to Sakura than Orochimaru.

After all, Gamabunta too big, making it difficult for him to grasp a delicate target like a young girl. Conversely, Sakura has a significant advantage in dealing with a target Gamabunta.

Therefore, although she was shocked by Gamabunta, Sakura still had a lot of confidence in herself.

She was just annoyed. Even after fighting to this extent, Naruto could still use his powers... How could that be reasonable?! It felt like the real Hokage world had suddenly turned into a shonen manga, where the protagonist just unleashed his special abilities!

Hmph, do they think we supporting characters have no human rights?!

After making a brief complaint, the girl quickly turned her attention back to the battle.

Naruto's ability to unleash his full power isn't due to any protagonist's halo, but rather because he has a wonderful father who sealed the Nine-Tails inside him, lending him his own Chakra when he senses danger or Chakra out. He's like a player born with a cheat code, unmatched by anyone else—especially a girl from an ordinary family like her.

Sakura's unusual lapse in concentration during the battle was because the two clowns opposite her actually started fighting amongst themselves right in front of their opponent.

"You stinky brat, what are you yelling about on my head for! Get off me right now!"

"You bastard, I was just being so humble, and you made me feel worthless. You're really taking advantage of me!"

"Hmph, brat! Who do you think you are, and why should I respect you!"

"I'm so angry! You were summoned by me, Naruto Uzumaki, so I'm your master! You have to listen to me!"

"You bastard, do you know who you're talking to? How dare you call yourself the master of Gamabunta... You want to die?!"

Sakura was speechless to discover that Naruto had actually succumbed to Gamabunta's imposing manner in just a few words, and was almost ready to become Gamabunta's younger brother.

This shouldn't be the first time Naruto has summoned Gamabunta, right? It seems like he didn't communicate with Gamabunta beforehand. Did something go wrong during the first summoning?

As a ninja who summons summoned beasts, he actually has to become the summoned beast's younger brother...

This is a disgrace to ninjas!

The girl secretly grumbled to herself.

She couldn't stand it anymore. The match wasn't over yet! Was it really appropriate for them to start fighting amongst themselves like this, oblivious to everyone else? The intense and exciting battle just moments ago had suddenly turned into a farcical, comedic affair...

"Cough cough."

The girl stepped forward, raised her hand, and used an icicle to poke Gamabunta's toe, interrupting the comical conversation between the two.

"Hey, you're Naruto's newly signed summoning beast? You don't seem very capable, but you've got quite the big mouth!"

The girl gave a mocking laugh.

"Naruto is my brother... You want to take him away from me? Did you even ask me first?!"

She couldn't stand Gamabunta's arrogance anymore. Gamabunta was bullying her brother!

Gamabunta finally looked directly at Sakura—the opponent he had been summoned to deal with.

Gamabunta didn't take the girl, whose Chakra reserves were average and whose aura wasn't particularly imposing, seriously. He had seen plenty of ninjas like her; during the Fourth Shinobi World War, he could kill several of them with a single slap.

Its mere presence was enough to scare away those mediocre figures. Unexpectedly, someone actually dared to provoke it...

Even Jiraiya wouldn't say that to him.

"You've got some nerve, you idiot! How dare you question my abilities? Do you want a beating?"

Gamabunta's face was long and gloomy as he spoke.

"You were summoned by spirits to fight me, right? Stop refusing to train! If you're so capable, beat me to a pulp!"

The girl retorted defiantly, seemingly unconcerned.

Gamabunta narrowed his eyes dangerously. This seemingly frail girl had such a big mouth... He was already getting angry.

"Hey, you're Naruto, right? From now on, you'll listen to me obediently. I'll treat you like my little brother!"

"This time, I'll help you defeat this person!"

Since she's Konoha Ninja... I'll just scare her a bit!

Gamabunta took a deep breath.

Water Release...

Cheeks puffed out!

"Iron Cannonball!"

Suddenly, it opened its mouth and spewed out a huge water ball as tall as three people, which roared and smashed towards Sakura!

A water sphere brimming with Chakra was launched like a cannonball. A dangerous blue light flickered on its surface; this Chakra- enhanced water sphere was probably harder than steel!

Facing the indestructible water sphere, the girl neither flinched nor dodged, but stood calmly on the ice.

"He didn't even move aside..." Gamabunta's eyes narrowed into slits as he stared intently at the girl not far away.

Boom!

Amidst a deafening roar, ice shards scattered and fragments filled the air, and a sudden cloud of white mist engulfed the girl's figure.

The girl walked gracefully out of the icy mist, her steps light and airy. The expression on her face was a half-smile.

The pale blue protective shield swayed faintly in the wind.

Gamabunta's expression remained unchanged, but he stared at the girl with a slightly solemn look, without saying a word.

That shield actually blocked my Iron Cannonball... Gamabunta was shocked, and his perception of the girl quickly rose from that of a nobody to that of an elite.

Little did they know that the young girl shared the same admiration.

Perhaps my verbal sparring was too simplistic, but neither my deliberate provocation nor my show of force had affected Gamabunta's composure whatsoever. Sure enough, these veterans, renowned on the battlefield, even in anger, wouldn't lose their composure; their emotional fluctuations wouldn't affect their combat effectiveness at all...

So, why does Naruto's talk-no-jutsu always work? That's a real mystery...

In short, continuing to argue with it will only lead to an endless cycle.

Afterwards, Orochimaru will launch the Konoha Crush Plan. She must leave enough room for maneuver and cannot use all her power in the competition.

Therefore, to catch the thief, first catch the king.

The girl shifted her gaze to Naruto. After barely managing to unleash his full power, his stamina had dropped to its lowest point; one more strike would be enough to defeat him.

But he was standing on Gamabunta's head. How could he get over?

The girl leaped forward, seemingly determined to force her way through!

So Gamabunta took another deep breath—

"Water Release: Iron Cannonball!"

He unleashed seven or eight enormous water balls at the girl who had jumped into the air!

Even if your shield is unharmed after being hit by a water ball, it's still a hassle and difficult to control.

The girl then used her Water Walking puddles and change direction in succession. Her nimble and dodging figure was like a butterfly fluttering up and down, her delicate steps exquisite and unparalleled.

Gamabunta's water balloons didn't hit her at all!

However, the girl's nimble leaps and light footwork not only dodged the water spheres but also greatly reduced her speed, allowing Gamabunta to lock onto her.

Gamabunta drew his sword.

Having slain countless infamous ninjas and drunk the blood of those ferocious and unruly ninja beasts, this is a ruthless blade!

He said it in a low voice.

"Toad Short Sword Slash!"

Gamabunta pushed off the ground with all his might, his body leaping up, and his short sword slashed horizontally through the air!

Boom!

The ice beneath their feet could not withstand the sudden force of Gamabunta's exertion, and it cracked layer by layer, emitting a deafening roar as if it could not bear the weight!

Call out!

The short sword in Gamabunta's hand accelerated wildly, and the tip of the blade broke the sound barrier and reached supersonic speed. The tearing of the air formed a visible white mist, and the sonic boom was as deafening as thunder!

A snow-white, cold light traced a perfect arc in the air.

Gamabunta's swordsmanship was not particularly fancy.

It was just a simple slash.

A simple, powerful slash, drawing all the body's strength into the blade.

Fast, accurate, and ruthless.

The essence of Gamabunta swordsmanship lies in these three simple words.

With just a simple horizontal slash, the girl had absolutely no way to dodge.

The giant blade, carrying the full force of Gamabunta's body, struck the pale blue shield. Even the water shield, made of Ultra-Pure Water, was severely deformed and deeply dented!

Even Sakura's expression changed drastically at this moment.

A standard layer of Ultra-Pure Water Shield can easily block several tons of force, and even tens of tons of force will only slightly deform it. However, when Gamabunta unleashed hundreds of tons of force and concentrated it on the tip of his blade, he shattered the Ultra-Pure Water defense!

Puff, puff, puff!

Hearing three consecutive low thuds, Sakura broke out in a cold sweat, watching helplessly Gamabunta shattered three layers of water shield! Luckily, her sense of crisis had kicked in, and she had unhesitatingly added several more layers...

Thankfully, Gamabunta didn't manage to break through the entire shield!

However, the immense, unreleased power of the short sword slammed the girl in mid-air, sending her crashing into the high protective wall of the arena, where she sank deep, instantly filling the air with dust.

"Although the slash was positioned slightly high, Gamabunta clearly went all out... He couldn't even break through a single water shield! What amazing defensive power!" The Third Hokage watched the battle intently, inwardly praising him. Watching a rookie's fight was truly nerve-wracking!

The Fourth Kazekage, standing nearby, took a sip of green tea, glanced at the Third Kazekage, and said meaningfully, "The newcomers of your village... are all quite strong!"

It seems to imply that the Third is already very old.

"You flatter me, Lord Kazekage!" The Third Hokage replied calmly and in a deep voice.

While the ordinary spectators, unable to see the battle clearly, were still arguing about whether the girl had been killed with a single Gamabunta and Naruto, as well as from their Chakra perception of the scene.

The game... is still going on!

"How is that possible! How could she continue the match after being hit by such a blow?" Hanabi, who was still not used to having Hanabi Byakugan open for so long, said indignantly from the stands.

"But that's the truth!" Neji's face contorted with rage, his Byakugan wide with fury as he stared intently at the crowd below, without turning his head.

On the field.

Gamabunta's face darkened.

It aimed at the top of the shield, intending to shatter it and glide past the girl's scalp, but unexpectedly, even with its full power, it couldn't break through a single shield.

It felt as if I had struck a solid block of iron!

Its hand was so numb from the reaction force that it went numbed.

I only meant to scare her, but I ended up surprising myself.

Having slain Jonin and cut down Ninja Beasts, Gamabunta was always confident and never imagined that his sword would fail.

Who exactly is she?

Consequently, Naruto's image in its mind also grew considerably larger.

To be able to fight such an opponent and still have the energy to summon me, Naruto is no ordinary demon!

While Gamabunta was pondering, a sudden change startled him!

"You'll take this cut too!"

A clear shout came from above.

In mid-air, an unharmed girl leaped out of the dust, brandishing a huge ice blade and shouting as she slashed at Gamabunta!

The ice blade was over ten meters long, and in comparison, the girl's figure was not even as wide as the blade. The stark disparity in proportions was amusing to look at.

It makes one wonder if she could actually wield that massive blade.

However, she actually started wielding the ice skates.

The power of her Chakra burst, combined with the propulsion of the Ultra-Pure Water, allowed her to manipulate the ice blades with complete ease and composure.

Moreover, its momentum is by no means weak!

Gamabunta dared not be negligent, holding his sword horizontally in front of him and keeping a close eye on the girl approaching from the sky.

The gazes of the man and the beast met in mid-air.

The Toad's large, cloudy, orange-yellow eyes conveyed a heavy, sluggish expression, a resolute yet oppressive force.

The girl's emerald eyes were confident and clear, sharp and lively, bright and clear like a cool moonlight.

Under the blazing sun, Gamabunta seemed to see a bright moon.

Clang!

The ice blade clashed with the short sword, producing a resounding clang that seemed to shatter clouds and split rocks.

Gamabunta grunted, and a powerful force struck his short knife, making his fingers ache.

A sense of relief washed over it. The girl's charging momentum almost made it mistake her for another woman... that person's Monstrous Strength Technique even made it take notice. If it were her, it probably wouldn't just be suffering from a sore finger by now!

The ice blade in the girl's hand, being a temporary conjuration, shattered instantly under this attack, breaking into two pieces!

One piece of ice blade spun and bounced up and down, while the other remained in the girl's hand.

The girl's attack failed, and she used the rebound force to jump far away.

What exactly do you want to do?

Gamabunta watched the girl leap away quickly, his expression a mixture of doubt and seriousness.

Meeting those cold, clear eyes again, Gamabunta felt a chill run down his spine.

Knowing full well that this kind of forceful attack wouldn't work on me... your eyes don't betray the kind of person who would engage in pointless venting! What exactly do you want?

The girl's subtle upturn of the lips made it sense something was wrong.

Something must have gone wrong.

Gamabunta adjusted his stance, waiting for the girl to make any sudden move before striking!

But then they saw the girl's fingers leaping like threading a string, quickly Hand Seals.

"Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!"

The other end of the ice blade sliced through Gamabunta's head, and the Ninjutsu was completed simultaneously.

Gamabunta the instant he sensed the Chakra fluctuation in the head, Gamabunta drew his sword and slashed.

"Toad Short Sword Slash!"

Unable to turn around to deal with the threat to his head, Gamabunta aimed at the spellcaster in front of him.

A strike as swift as lightning.

But suddenly, the strike landed in empty air!

The girl's figure had long since vanished into thin air.

A mirror of ice remained in the sky, only to be shattered by a fierce strike.

Without a second thought, Gamabunta knew where Sakura had gone and cried out urgently, "Naruto, Shin!"

Ultimately, it was too late.

The broken blade of the ice blade was transformed into a magic mirror by Chakra, connecting the two spaces. The girl then plunged into the ice blade she held and emerged from the other magic mirror that had passed over Gamabunta's head.

A swift blow struck the unsuspecting Naruto on the back of the neck, completely stunning the exhausted man.

The match is over.

Gamabunta watched silently as the girl lifted Naruto like a cat and landed him on the ice.

It was summoned by Naruto to play in the match, and now that the match is over, there's no need for it to stay here any longer.

Before returning to Mount Myōboku, it carefully examined the graceful girl standing on the ground.

Strange Ninjutsu, and Ice Release too... Is Konoha about to see another powerful female ninja?

Gamabunta sheathed his short sword and took a long drag on his cigarette.

"It seems the outcome is already decided... there's no need for us to continue fighting."

Wisps of smoke slowly escaped from its mouth, Gamabunta's powerful voice came through the smoke.

"You demons are truly formidable youngsters. I hope that next time I'm summoned, I'll have the chance to fight alongside you! Farewell!"

Bang! Gamabunta turned into a wisp of smoke and disappeared from the arena.

Sakura's tense nerves finally relaxed. Meanwhile, the examiner Genma Shiranui, had somehow appeared in front of the two of them.

"The outcome is already quite clear. The winner of the first match is..."

Genma paused for a moment, drawing the attention of the entire audience and Sakura in the audience to him.

"Sakura Haruno!"

He smiled and announced the results loudly.

The girl in the audience, whose face had been tense, relaxed and smiled gently.

Snap snap snap...

Scattered applause began from the audience, and gradually, as if reminding everyone, it spread throughout the venue, becoming enthusiastic and intense.

What a fantastic match...

Whether they were ordinary people who came to watch the spectacle or ninjas who had figured out the trick, they all believed this from the bottom of their hearts.

Screams and shouts echoed throughout the stadium.

"That was fantastic!" "... A great match!" "You guys were all so cool!!"

The audience couldn't help but whisper among themselves, enthusiastically discussing the match they had just watched, and in their excitement, they even gestured with their bodies.

"That Water Dragon Bullet was so cool! Coming down from such a height, boom boom! Just hearing the sound was so exciting and powerful!"

"No, no, the Ice Burial move was much cooler; it froze the entire arena in one go! As for those Shadow Clones, there were hundreds of them, and they were all wiped out in one move!"

"Don't you guys think that Toad is incredibly fierce and imposing? Such a huge Toad! Ahhh, ya-hey, ha-hoo--! Take this, Toad Short Sword Slash!"

"Hey, hey, take this!" That's that girl's line...

Ordinary people prefer grand, earth-shattering scenes. But for ninjas, other aspects of the two players' performance in the match are also very noteworthy.

"Hmph... They're all talking about those few powerful Ninjutsu. These people don't understand the truly exciting part of the match!"

"That's right, those two probing moves at the beginning, the clone swapping, even many Chunin can't do that!"

"That Naruto Uzumaki actually fought quite well, especially that Wind Release technique. He was able to delay its release, completely fooling the girl. That was a stroke of genius!"

"That Ice Release technique was quite unexpected! Strange, when did Konoha get Ice Release ninja?"

"I heard that someone named Yuki recently joined our village..."

"That's not her either. She's from the Haruno Clan. I know her father; their features even resemble each other."

"Hey, don't you guys think there was something wrong with the Chakra Naruto used just now?"

"It looks like the Nine-Tails 'Chakra..." "No way, he shows absolutely no signs of losing control!" "He's already learned to control the Nine-Tails' power?" "Wasn't he a universally hated jerk just a few years ago?" "I saw him last year, and he only showed a little politeness. I didn't expect him to be so strong now!" "He's grown so fast..."

Even Hong was surprised. "He drew out the Nine-Tails Chakra, but didn't lose himself..."

"That's right... Everyone was quite surprised!" Asuma smiled calmly.

P. S. [Happy New Year!]