Chapter 43: The Beginning of Collapse

After the first match, Kirito carried the unconscious Naruto back to the player lounge.

"Is Naruto okay?" Shikamaru asked worriedly as he saw Naruto being carefully laid down.

"He's fine," Kirito reassured him. "He just passed out from overexertion. With his resilience, he'll wake up soon." He propped Naruto gently against a wall where no one else was seated.

Nearby, Shino silently observed Kirito through his sunglasses. The intense cold that Kirito used could incapacitate bugs instantly. Shino knew his parasitic insects would likely be helpless against Kirito's frost-based techniques.

Farther away, Gaara and his team watched Kirito warily. They were beginning to realize that Kirito might be the biggest threat to their plans.

After confirming Naruto's condition, Shikamaru fell silent, unsure what to say. The overwhelming display of Kirito's strength had him contemplating whether he should even continue in the tournament. If he ended up facing Kirito, he dreaded the thought of being turned into an ice sculpture.

The same thoughts echoed in the minds of the audience and the jonin who had witnessed the match. Many had experienced the chaos caused by the Nine-Tails years ago, and they were amazed to see Naruto utilizing the Nine-Tails' chakra in a controlled manner. Yet, what astounded them more was that even with that power, Naruto was utterly defeated.

As Kirito left the arena, the frost he had created began to rapidly melt and dissipate. Once the field had mostly returned to normal, Genma returned to announce the start of the second match. However, Sasuke Uchiha was nowhere to be found.

As murmurs of dissatisfaction grew among the spectators, and the Third Hokage prepared to disqualify Sasuke, the Fourth Kazekage intervened. He reasoned that a duel between Sasuke and Gaara—two prodigies—had garnered immense attention, even from the daimyo and politicians. Canceling it outright would be a waste.

After a brief deliberation, the Third Hokage agreed to delay the match and move on to the next one.

When it was Kankuro's turn to compete, he immediately forfeited to avoid revealing his abilities. His decision infuriated Shino, who had been ready to fight and now felt insulted by Kankuro's retreat.

The audience, having already paid to see seven matches, grew restless and upset. Two matches had already been skipped, and they were starting to feel cheated.

In an attempt to quell the crowd's dissatisfaction, Temari stepped forward, wielding her fan with confidence as she prepared for the next match.

"Ugh..." Shikamaru sighed, recalling Temari's powerful wind attacks during the preliminaries. He really didn't want to face her. However, remembering how far he'd come, the month of training, and Asuma's expectations, he couldn't bring himself to simply forfeit.

Reluctantly, Shikamaru entered the arena, taking his place opposite Temari.

"Then, the third match: Temari versus Shikamaru. Begin!" Genma announced.

Temari immediately took a defensive stance, keeping her fan at the ready. Shikamaru quickly formed a seal.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

His shadow extended like a creeping tendril, racing toward Temari. Understanding her opponent's technique, Temari instinctively jumped back, dodging the shadow's approach.

"So fast!" Both competitors marveled at each other's quick reflexes.

Although Shikamaru had anticipated resistance, he hadn't expected Temari's agility and awareness to be this sharp. Meanwhile, Temari was surprised by how persistent and flexible Shikamaru's shadow was, forcing her to retreat without pause.

Eventually, Shikamaru's shadow reached its limit and retracted.

"I see. Your jutsu has a range limit," Temari observed, drawing a line on the ground with her fan to mark the shadow's maximum reach. She then unleashed a powerful gust of wind. "Wind Release: Great Sickle Weasel Technique!"

"Not good!" Shikamaru quickly retreated behind a tree trunk to avoid the storm. The violent wind demolished the weakened walls of the arena, leaving debris scattered across the field.

From the shadows, Shikamaru calculated his next move, studying the angles created by the broken walls and the shifting light.

"You think hiding will help?" Temari taunted, launching another wave of attacks. However, Shikamaru was biding his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

After evading another gust, he tossed a kunai toward Temari.

"Hmph. Long-range weapons won't work on me," Temari scoffed, deflecting the kunai effortlessly.

In that moment, Shikamaru's shadow surged forward again, this time closing the distance rapidly.

"What?! It's still reaching me?" Temari gasped as she backed away, but it was too late. Shikamaru's shadow had caught her.

"Gotcha," Shikamaru said with a smirk, stepping out of the shadows.

Temari was stunned. "But how? Your shadow shouldn't have been able to reach this far!"

Shikamaru gestured to the arena. "The walls you destroyed earlier? The shadows from the debris gave me the extra length I needed."

Temari glanced behind her and saw the web of shadows cast by the broken walls and debris. Realizing she'd been outplayed, her frustration boiled over.

"Damn it!" she muttered, biting her lip.

Shikamaru raised his hand, ready to finish the match, but then suddenly sighed.

"I give up," he declared.

The audience erupted in confusion. "What? Why would he give up?!"

Shikamaru explained, "Extending the shadow like this consumes too much chakra. I wouldn't last another ten seconds, let alone execute another plan. There's no point in dragging this out."

Genma shook his head but complied. "Winner: Temari."

Despite his loss, the jonin and spectators were impressed. Shikamaru had demonstrated strategic thinking and calm under pressure—qualities more reflective of a Chunin than raw power alone.

In the player lounge, Kirito observed Shikamaru's performance with a smirk. Smart people are always popular. He doesn't even need Naruto's kind of determination. Shikamaru can adapt and control the situation effortlessly.

Finally, after much anticipation, Sasuke arrived on the field in dramatic fashion, accompanied by Kakashi. A whirlwind of dust marked their entrance, and Sasuke's new look—a black shirt and longer hair—caught everyone's attention.

Kirito nudged Naruto awake. "Your Sasuke has arrived. If you keep sleeping, you'll miss it."

"Sasuke...?" Naruto mumbled groggily before jolting awake. "Sasuke!" He sprinted to the edge of the lounge, shouting toward the arena, "Sasuke! I thought you chickened out!"

Sasuke smirked. "Did you win your match?"

Naruto's expression darkened. "..."

"Figured as much," Sasuke said, his tone both teasing and resigned.

Gaara, standing across from Sasuke in the arena, seethed with rage. His frostbitten injuries and the humiliation he'd suffered earlier pushed him toward madness.

"Then, the fourth match: Sasuke versus Gaara. Begin!" Genma announced.

"Mother, I won't let that humiliation happen again!" Gaara growled, releasing a torrent of sand from his gourd.

The battle was fierce. Sasuke showcased incredible speed and taijutsu skills that matched those of Rock Lee, stunning the audience as he landed a clean punch that cracked Gaara's sand armor. But Gaara retaliated, encasing himself in a protective sphere of sand while forming the Eye of Sand to monitor the battlefield.

Sasuke attempted several attacks, but the sand sphere proved impenetrable. Finally, he unleashed his ultimate move, Chidori, piercing the sand barrier and injuring Gaara.

"Blood! My blood!" Gaara screamed, beginning his transformation into a partial tailed-beast form.

At that moment, chaos erupted. Feathers began falling over the audience, lulling them to sleep. Explosions rocked the Hokage's viewing platform, drawing everyone's attention.

"Gaara!" Kankuro and Temari rushed to the field, urging their brother to retreat. Despite his rage, they convinced him to prioritize their mission.

The trio fled over the wall, with Sasuke in pursuit. Markey attempted to intervene but was stopped by Genma.

Meanwhile, in the chaos of the arena, Naruto ran to help his teammates while Kirito calmly observed the unfolding pandemonium.

Finally, it begins, Kirito thought, shattering an enemy into ice as he joined the fray.

(End of this chapter)

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