The Puppet Master's Revelation
As Naruto shouted, he summoned another Immortal Totem. He had carefully calculated his strength, knowing now that he didn't have to worry about accidentally killing Kankuro. With a mighty swing, Naruto brandished the golden statue—much taller than himself, yet it seemed like a mere toy in his hands.
The force of his swing sent shockwaves throughout the arena, making even the seasoned ninja like Moonlight Hayate step aside, fearing for Kankuro's safety.
Kankuro, still trying to grasp the situation, stared in disbelief at Naruto's actions. The realization dawned on him—this guy was using the puppet as a weapon, but not in any way he had ever imagined. The scene unfolding before him was nothing like the puppet battles he had studied and trained for his entire life.
His mind raced, trying to reconcile this bizarre reality with his understanding of puppetry. Was this really puppetry? Was there something fundamental he had missed? In his experience, puppetry involved controlling a puppet from behind the scenes, analyzing the enemy's movements, and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
But what Naruto was doing—wielding a puppet like a sledgehammer and using it to pummel his opponent—was beyond anything Kankuro had ever considered.
Before he could process further, Naruto brought the Immortal Totem down with a powerful 'whoosh', striking Kankuro and knocking him flat on the ground. He didn't stop there—Naruto continued to hammer Kankuro with the statue, each strike precise enough to bring pain but not death.
As Naruto beat down on Kankuro, he couldn't help but think, You can't sleep in the middle of a fight!
The sound of each impact reverberated through the arena, accompanied by Kankuro's pained screams. Naruto, ever mindful of his strength, made sure every blow drew just the right amount of blood. He even managed to create a rhythm out of it, with Kankuro's screams serving as a grim melody.
The sight was horrifying, leaving the spectators in stunned silence. The ninjas from the other villages, who had once been so eager to see Naruto fall, now watched in fear. Each slam of the totem seemed to land directly on their hearts.
"Is this... really puppetry?" one of the outside village ninjas muttered in disbelief.
"Was that... really a weight he was carrying?" another stammered, trying to comprehend the absurdity.
"What kind of monster is this guy?" a third whispered, eyes wide with horror.
The reality of Naruto's power began to sink in for the foreign ninjas. They now understood why the Third Hokage had told them they could take their grievances to this yellow-haired boy if they dared. The sheer power behind each of Naruto's strikes would reduce even the strongest shinobi to pulp. It was madness to think they had once considered provoking him.
Finally, the Third Hokage, unable to bear the brutal scene any longer, signaled to Moonlight Hayate to intervene. Hayate, however, hesitated—Naruto's ferocity made him wary of approaching too closely. He had to shout from a safe distance for nearly a minute before Naruto finally stopped.
Of course, the only reason Naruto stopped was because his Immortal Totem had run out of steam. He took a moment to heal Kankuro, who was lying battered but alive on the ground. Kankuro stared blankly at the ceiling, still processing what had just happened.
In those moments, Kankuro felt as though he had glimpsed the threshold of life and death. Strangely, amidst the pain and confusion, he felt an odd sense of clarity.
Chiyo-sama... Kankuro thought, a realization dawning on him. I think I've finally found the true path of the puppet master.
Kankuro's pain seemed to dissipate as enlightenment washed over him. He slowly got to his feet, despite his shredded clothes and destroyed puppet. He looked like a refugee, but there was a spark in his eyes—a newfound understanding.
Without hesitation, Kankuro bowed deeply to Naruto, his voice filled with gratitude.
"Uzumaki Naruto!" he called out. "Thank you... thank you so much! I've realized the true meaning of puppetry!"
Naruto's expression turned bewildered, like someone who just realized they'd accidentally inspired a cult. Wait... what did he realize? All I did was beat him senseless.
Kakashi, watching from the platform, could only cover his face in exasperation. Great, he thought, now another one of these kids is going to start following Naruto around.
The Third Hokage, however, couldn't suppress a small smile. Finally, someone else was beginning to understand the pain of dealing with Uzumaki Naruto.
Outside the ring, Gaara's forehead vein throbbed with anger at the sight of Kankuro's submission. Kankuro, you fool! You're disgracing the village!
The other ninjas watching the match could only exchange bewildered glances. It was clear that Kankuro had been on the losing end, yet here he was, bowing to Naruto as if he had just been bestowed with great wisdom.
"Lee! This is the beauty of youth!" Guy cried, moved to tears by the scene.
"Sensei!" Rock Lee sobbed, embracing Guy.
Tenten, standing nearby, could only shake her head in embarrassment. Neji took a step back, distancing himself from the emotional outburst of his teammates.
Naruto, filled with mixed emotions, returned to the viewing area, Kankuro's repeated thanks ringing in his ears. If they had cell phones in the ninja world, Naruto was sure Kankuro would have asked for his number by now.
"Ahem," Moonlight Hayate cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "The second match... Uchiha Sasuke versus Tenten."
Sasuke glanced down at the proctor, already contemplating whether or not to convince Naruto to put a sack over this guy's head later. But hearing his opponent's name, Sasuke's face lit up with excitement.
Tenten... he thought. Finally, I can redeem myself!
"Hey, Brother Sasuke," Tenten called cheerfully, raising a hand in greeting and sticking out her tongue playfully.
Sasuke's fists clenched in response to her address, a hardened determination in his eyes.
"Let's get this over with," Sasuke muttered, electricity crackling around him as he teleported to the battlefield in a flash of lightning. Tenten flipped into the arena, smiling confidently. Neji, watching her, gave a rare piece of advice.
"Be careful, Tenten."
"Don't worry, Neji," she replied, ready for the fight.
Sasuke, clad in his black robes, eyed Tenten from across the battlefield. He had studied her techniques—her talent with ninja tools was said to be exceptional, but Sasuke was unimpressed. No matter how skilled she is with weapons, she's nothing compared to the power of the Uchiha.
Today, he would crush Tenten in the field she excelled at most.
As the two completed the seal of confrontation, Tenten immediately distanced herself, unrolling a massive sealing scroll. But Sasuke was quicker—his hands moved in a blur, and before Tenten could react, five scrolls appeared in his hands, each one releasing a volley of weapons.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The arena was instantly filled with a barrage of ninja tools, and the fight began in earnest.
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