He wanted his teacher, Kakashi Hatake, and his mother to see for themselves that he was now capable of taking Itachi head-on.
With that thought, Sasuke began pouring chakra into his left hand, preparing to tear through Gaara's absolute defense with Chidori.
The attack did indeed seriously injure Gaara inside the sand.
But the match was far from over. Gaara immediately unleashed Sand Binding Coffin and Sand Shower in a frenzied counterattack.
The two traded blows, each sustaining injuries. The battle was only just reaching its true climax.
For all his Uchiha Clan talent, Sasuke could not withstand the overwhelming power of Shukaku inside Gaara.
In the end, Sasuke Uchiha, impatient for victory, still fell to Gaara.
Although Sasuke was not injured as badly as Rock Lee, he could barely stay on his feet.
The battle had drained almost all his chakra. Unlike Gaara, he could not borrow energy from the Tailed Beast inside him to keep himself going.
In this grueling battle of attrition, Sasuke ultimately lost.
When Gen Shiranui announced the result, Sasuke Uchiha closed his eyes in frustration.
He had wanted to use this match to show everyone that he could already contend with Itachi. But reality had delivered a brutal slap to his face. Just as Kakashi Hatake had said, he was still far behind that prodigy, Itachi.
As he was now, he could not even defeat Gaara, who was his own age, let alone Itachi, who had once been an Elite Jonin.
The moment Sakura saw that Sasuke was injured, she rushed to his side with Kakashi.
As Gen Shiranui called out, "Gaara wins," the medical team nearby hurried over with a stretcher.
"He's fine. He's just exhausted," Kakashi softly reassured the visibly anxious Sakura.
Sasuke was covered in blood and looked utterly battered. His