Chapter 367: Shocking the Entire Arena

After Kimimaro quickly finished his battle with Yoroi Akado, Yu was almost disinterested in the subsequent fights. Whether it was Naruto and Kiba Inuzuka's comical fight ending with a fart, or Sasuke being restrained by Orochimaru's Cursed Seal of Heaven, taking forever even against minor opponents, none of it piqued his interest.

The only fight that grabbed Yu's attention was the Gentle Fist battle between Neji and Hinata, the two cousins from the Hyuga Clan. In the end, Neji proved with his talent and effort that even a branch family genius could defeat the main family.

Finally, the electronic display board for the next round began changing again—Hidden Sand Village's Gaara vs. Star Ninja Village's Haku.

"Haku against Gaara? Interesting…"

Seeing Haku flicker into the center of the arena, Yu, previously bored, became alert. "According to the original storyline, it should be Lee opening the Eight Inner Gates fighting Gaara at this point…"

"Look! Haku is on the field!!"

Seeing Haku appear in the arena, Naruto, who was seated among the other contestants, immediately shouted with excitement. Unlike the cold and indifferent Kimimaro, the gentle and beautiful Haku had always been well-liked by Naruto and his friends.

"I didn't expect Haku's opponent to be that terrifying guy…"

"Let's hope nothing goes wrong…"

Sakura, noticing that Haku's opponent was the fearsome Gaara, couldn't help but worry. After all, Haku had previously taught them the Chakra tree-climbing technique back in the Land of Waves.

"Hmph, you two should worry about how to handle your next opponents."

Sasuke, the calmest of the three, said with a serious tone, his eyes fixed on Haku standing in the arena. "That guy's subordinates are probably already beyond the level of this exam."

"I didn't expect it to be you…"

Seeing Haku flicker into the center of the arena, Gaara, emerging from the sand, slowly formed a solid shape. His bloodthirsty and brutal gaze locked onto Haku. "Compared to you… I'm more interested in facing that guy named Kaguya Kimimaro…"

Indeed, compared to the impression Gaara had of the aloof and powerful Kimimaro from the Forest of Death, the delicate Haku seemed so fragile, almost as if he would easily be defeated.

"You mention Kimimaro… Well, it's just how the Chunin Exams are arranged…"

"But since you are up against me… You'd better be careful, or you might end up regretting it…"

Facing Gaara's bloodthirsty and brutal gaze, Haku remained calm and composed, even offering a somewhat kind warning to his opponent.

"Hmph, is that so…"

Hearing Haku's seemingly kind reminder, Gaara's face twisted into a more bloodthirsty expression. "Then I'll kill you! So your companions will hate me even more!!"

"Sand Binding Coffin!!"

Before the proctor, Gekko Hayate, could announce the start of the match, Gaara, unable to contain his impatience, released a massive amount of sand from his gourd and swept it forward with one hand.

"Such impatience…"

Facing the countless grains of sand rushing toward him, Haku smiled serenely. His laughter still lingered in the air as he performed Body Flicker Jutsu and vanished from his original spot.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Jutsu!!"

While performing Body Flicker Jutsu at high speed, Haku's hands became a blur as he completed a staggering seventeen hand signs in a very short time. Just as Gaara's sand was about to catch up with him, a massive torrent of water suddenly appeared behind Haku. The water surged from all directions like waterfalls descending from the sky, rushing violently toward Gaara.

In an instant, Gaara and his sand were swept away by the immense Great Waterfall that had appeared out of nowhere.

"What is this?!"

Witnessing the shocking scene, the spectators around the arena were so surprised they even stood up in astonishment.

"To perform such advanced Water Release ninjutsu in an environment with no water…"

"And the speed of those hand signs, that child's ninjutsu talent…"

Even the Third Hokage, renowned throughout the ninja world as the 'Ninjutsu Professor,' looked on with wide-eyed amazement. From a certain perspective, he was Yu's ninjutsu mentor, and Yu, in turn, was Haku's ninjutsu mentor. It could be said that Haku had perfectly inherited his ninjutsu talent, given him exceptional ninjutsu aptitude.

"Wow, amazing… Haku is so strong!!"

Watching the torrent of water roaring like a waterfall on the field, Naruto, standing at the edge of the arena, gaped and shouted in shock.

"Tch… I knew it…"

"How could that guy's subordinate not have some skills…"

Though he said this, Sasuke's hands instinctively tightened around his pants as he watched Haku's formidable ninjutsu.

"Hmph, that sand user underestimated Haku too much…"

"If Haku took things seriously, he might even be stronger than me…"

At this moment, Kimimaro, watching the battle from the back, let out a quiet snort. No one knew Haku's strength better than him. If Haku, normally gentle and kind, were to get serious, his talent in ninjutsu combined with his Ice Release kekkei genkai would make him a very formidable ninja.

"I said it before…"

"If you're not careful, you'll end up at a disadvantage."

Returning his gaze to the field, Haku calmly stood in front of Gaara, who was drenched and in a disheveled state from the water. "And after being hit by my Water Release… I imagine your sand must be extremely heavy now, right?"

"Damn…"

Gaara struggled to rise from the ground. As Haku had said, his sand armor had become exceptionally heavy after being hit by Haku's Water Release, making it difficult to control even the other sand.

"I advise you to forfeit…"

"My Water Release is perfectly suited to counter your sand!!"

As Haku spoke, he transformed into a whirlwind, appearing on Gaara's right side and flinging a set of incredibly sharp Ice Shuriken!

Bang!!

With a crisp sound of collision, Gaara struggled to control the sand, which felt as heavy as cement, barely managing to block Haku's attack.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!!"

In the astonished eyes of everyone, Haku performed a one-handed seal and, utilizing the water environment created by his previous Water Release: Great Waterfall, summoned a massive water dragon from the water surface on the other side. The dragon roared as it surged toward Gaara, sending him flying through the air!

The entire Chunin Exam arena fell into silence, which was soon followed by even louder commotion and discussion.

"Gaara?!"

Seeing Gaara sent flying by Haku's powerful Water Release ninjutsu, Temari and Kankuro, who were watching from the sidelines, gasped in shock. They hadn't expected that Haku, who appeared gentle and delicate, would unleash strength that seemed even more terrifying than Kimimaro with his Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai.

"Such a level of power… It's already at the Jonin level, isn't it!!"

On the highest tier of the arena, a group of Konoha Jonin looked on with their mouths agape in astonishment.

"That boy is one of Yu's subordinates, isn't he… Truly impressive…"

Even Guy, who wasn't particularly skilled in ninjutsu, couldn't help but express his amazement with a clicking sound.

Hearing the uproar and discussions around him, Yu, watching the match from the highest platform, nodded in approval of Haku's performance. Haku's talent in ninjutsu was indeed astonishing even in the entire Naruto world, and he was the only ninja in the series known to have used One Handed Seals, excluding Sasuke from the Boruto era.

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