Gaara's Possession Form

So what was Naruto Uzumaki doing at this moment? After fighting Shikamaru, he knew what would happen next, so he secretly hid himself instead of returning to the stands.

Seeing that the chaos had already begun, Naruto took action as well, pursuing Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro alongside Sasuke.

Because Sasuke had injured Gaara earlier, Gaara was in an abnormal state. His emotions were unstable, and he could easily lose control and go berserk.

Sunagakure Jonin Baki and Genma Shiranui were locked in battle, evenly matched against each other.

In the forest around Konoha, Naruto caught up and shouted, "Hey... Sasuke, I'm here too!"

Sasuke gave Naruto a cool glance and asked, "You idiot, wouldn't it have been better to obediently hide? I can handle them myself!"

"Don't say that, Sasuke. You're still the same, not honest at all!" A Wind Release Rasengan formed in Naruto's palm, and he hurled it fiercely at Gaara's group ahead.

"Kankuro, hurry and take Gaara away!"

Temari quickly removed the Three-Star Fan from her back and swung it hard. A violent gust blew Naruto's Wind Release Rasengan away. Looking heroic and dashing, she boldly declared, "I definitely won't let you get past!"

"Sasuke, I'll leave this one to you. I'm going after Gaara!" Naruto said casually before walking off without another word.

"Don't think you're getting through!" Temari was about to swing the Three-Star Fan when Sasuke drew a Kunai and blocked her.

Sasuke said solemnly, "I'll catch up soon."

Naruto smiled knowingly. "Then you'd better hurry."

Watching Naruto disappear into the distance, Temari's gaze turned anxious. Looking at Sasuke, she said, "Although you're my type, as an enemy, I won't go easy on you!"

Sasuke answered Temari with his Two-Tomoe Sharingan. The instant their eyes met, Temari was startled, thinking, This is bad!

Thud!

Her mind sank, and Temari, caught in a genjutsu, fell from the tree and crashed to the ground.

Sasuke did not even spare the genjutsu-stricken Temari a glance. He continued the pursuit as the Two-Tomoe Sharingan faded from his eyes, leaving his dark pupils fixed ahead.

Meanwhile, Kakashi fought the ninja while assigning Sakura a mission. He had just seen Sasuke and Naruto pursuing Gaara's group, so he gave Sakura an A-rank mission: assist Sasuke and Naruto!

He summoned his ninja hound, Pakkun, to help Sakura. Shikamaru and Ino accompanied them as well, and the three humans and one dog set off together to pursue Sasuke and Naruto.

As for Ino, since she had been sitting near Sakura, Sakura directly dispelled her genjutsu and pulled her in to help.

Along the way, pursuers followed from behind. Shikamaru chose to stay behind alone to hold off the enemy while Ino, Sakura, and Pakkun continued the chase. But Shikamaru was truly struggling on his own. At the critical moment, Asuma arrived, defeated the ninja, and saved Shikamaru.

Pakkun had been tracking Naruto and Sasuke by scent. Suddenly seeming to notice something, he stopped atop a large tree.

Sakura and Ino immediately grew tense.

Ino hurriedly asked, "What is it? Are there more pursuers?"

Pakkun wore an extremely serious expression as he stared at Sakura until her skin crawled. After several seconds of silence, he said, "I just noticed that you use the same shampoo as me!"

"Huh..." Ino stared blankly, petrified. "Dogs use shampoo too?"

Pakkun held his head high. "Don't mistake me for an ordinary dog. I'm a fashionable dog. This flower-like fragrance can't be wrong. Still, my fur looks glossier. As expected of Kakashi's student, your taste is as good as mine!"

Sakura looked utterly devastated and sank into a muttering spiral. "The same as a dog... the same shampoo as a dog, the same taste as a dog... I'm the same as a dog..."

Ino patted her modestly developed chest, looking relieved. Instead of comforting Sakura, she drove the knife in further. "Good thing Sakura and I don't get along. We've never used the same things!"

"Ino Pig..." Sakura wailed through tears. Filled with rage and humiliation, she continued onward. Ino would probably use this to mock her for a long time.

Naruto continued his pursuit as Gaara, supported by Kankuro, let out a painful cry.

"Gaara..." Kankuro's pupils shook. One of Gaara's arms had swollen grotesquely, like a beast's limb, while half his face had turned into that of a tanuki. He had taken on the Possession Form.

Gaara's Possession Form flung Kankuro away with one claw, smashing him into a tree and knocking him unconscious. Then he glared viciously at the approaching Naruto.

"You..." Gaara's voice was filled with fury.

Naruto, who had caught up, stared gravely at Gaara. So this was the Possession Form. His entire body had become half-tailed-beast-like. Shukaku's tailed beast transformation was vastly different from his own.

Sasuke arrived soon afterward. Seeing Gaara like this, he stared at him in shock.

"That hand, and those eyes..." Sasuke remembered Gaara being wrapped in a ball of sand. Those were what he had seen then.

"Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha!" Gaara's voice was full of hatred and madness.

"You are my prey!"

Gaara lunged directly at the two of them, and Naruto and Sasuke split to either side.

Gaara's giant claw and tail lashed out at Naruto and Sasuke respectively.

After landing, Naruto crossed his arms and took the blow head-on. Gaara sent him flying, and he crashed into a large tree.

Sasuke, meanwhile, formed hand seals before landing after they split apart, gathering Chidori in his hand. The instant he landed, he faced Gaara's massive tail. Rather than defend, he charged straight at it.

After Chidori severed Gaara's tail, it struck Gaara again. The difference between Sasuke and Naruto became apparent.

Perhaps because of Awen's memories, Naruto could know many things in advance and had been influenced by them greatly, becoming much stronger. But Sasuke's ability to adapt in battle was still superior to Naruto's, and his mind remained clearer.

Unfortunately, if it had been anyone else, they would already have died. But Gaara was different. His body swelled even further, and the final gourd completely merged with his body, forming the shape of a miniature Shukaku.

"What the hell is this thing?!" The moment Sasuke sensed something was wrong, he quickly pulled back and widened the distance, frowning.

Without the Curse Mark's influence, Sasuke could now use Chidori six times in a single day and still have plenty of strength left to fight.

Kankuro also struggled awake. Seeing Gaara like this, he was so frightened that he did not dare move.

"Th-this is... Gaara's true form has appeared. We'll die... We'll die here..."