Chapter 242: The Ever-Turning Rasengan [Part Four] (Patreon)

Chapter List: Naruto: Sakura Blizzard

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"Shadow Clone Technique..."

Three shadow clones, alo ng with Naruto himself, surrounded Gangshi. However, Naruto's face displayed no anger now, only calmness. It was a lesson taught to him by Kakashi: never let emotions interfere in battle.

"I used to regret not encountering your companions, but I've changed my mind. I intend to injure you severely and then slowly deal with your companions in the third round of the Chunin Exams. By then, will you still be able to smile as you watch your friends perish?"

Gangshi didn't seem concerned about being surrounded. Shadow clones were only useful for gathering intelligence, and they had limited utility in actual combat.

"Why are you so certain you'll face Sakura and Sasuke? Don't forget, Shuo and Zichuo from the Hidden Cloud Village, as well as Gaara and Temari from the Hidden Sand Village, also passed the preliminaries. Even if I lose this battle, in the official matches, your opponents might be from other ninja villages, not my comrades!"

Gangshi's smile froze, and his expression turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.

"Furthermore, let me tell you something. I was the worst student at the Ninja Academy, both in theory and practice. They always occupied the top positions. Even if you defeat me, it doesn't mean you can defeat them."

"You don't need to worry about whether I can defeat them or not, kid. Focus on yourself!"

Fueled by anger, Gangshi charged toward Naruto. He had initially planned to make Naruto experience the pain of losing his comrades, but Naruto's words caught him off guard. The preliminaries included not only Konoha's ninja but also those from other villages. In other words, even if he defeated Naruto, he might not face Konoha's ninja in the third round of the Chunin Exams.

This fact left Gangshi feeling frustrated. His disfiguring scars and injured throat had isolated him for years. None of his peers wanted to be near him, which had contributed to his dark personality. However, Naruto, who had also been ostracized, could still smile brightly. Gangshi couldn't help but envy him. Why was Naruto so optimistic? If one was rejected by the world, it seemed only natural to harbor resentment.

With this envy in his heart, Gangshi developed a desire to corrupt Naruto, but little did he know that achieving this would be as difficult as making Obito Uchiha change his feelings, convincing Black Zetsu to abandon his mother's rescue, or making Sasuke stop obsessing over his brother.

Naruto ducked under Gangshi's fist, and his two shadow clones simultaneously kicked from the sides. Gangshi blocked the attacks with his arms, but he was still pushed back. One of the shadow clones punched Gangshi in the back as he turned.

A muffled sound echoed, but Gangshi didn't show any signs of pain or surprise. It was as if the punch had no effect on him.

Gangshi staggered briefly after taking the punch, then turned around and struck one of the shadow clones in the face with a heavy blow, dispersing it.

For Naruto, losing a shadow clone was inconsequential. The sensations transferred from the clones didn't affect him. As Gangshi turned to attack the remaining Naruto and his two shadow clones, they coordinated their moves seamlessly, giving Gangshi no respite.

"Konoha Whirlwind..."

Naruto kicked towards Gangshi's head, and as Gangshi raised his arm to block, the two shadow clones crouched down and delivered simultaneous kicks to Gangshi's legs.

"Childish attacks..."

Gangshi remained unfazed; these attacks were inconsequential to him. He caught Naruto's flying kick with his right hand, then grabbed Naruto's ankle and threw him away. Quickly forming hand seals, Gangshi caused two sharp earth spikes to shoot out of the ground, puncturing and destroying the two remaining shadow clones.

"Earth Release - Earth Spear..."

"Shadow Clone Technique..."

As Naruto was thrown, he formed a hand seal, releasing a puff of white smoke. Three shadow clones appeared behind him, catching him mid-air.

"Wind Release - Vacuum Sphere..."

Before his feet touched the ground, Naruto launched another attack. Wind Release chakra erupted from his mouth, flying like bullets toward Gangshi.

"Earth Release - Earth Return..."

Gangshi remained composed. He lifted the ground in front of him with Earth Release, creating stone barriers to block the incoming Vacuum Sphere.

"Bang... Bang... Bang... Bang..."

A series of continuous impacts followed. In just a few seconds, the stone barriers were riddled with holes and ultimately shattered. During this distraction, Gangshi managed to evade the attack.

"Wind Release - Vacuum Wave..."

"Wind Release - Vacuum Great Sphere..."

"Fire Release - Grand Fireball Technique..."

Two Wind Release techniques blocked Gangshi's path, and then a massive fireball, radiating intense heat, surged toward him.

"When did Naruto learn Fire Release?" Kakashi was surprised to see Naruto using Fire Release.

"Naruto possesses the Six Paths Yang power, so he has all the elemental affinities now, except Yin. Is it really that strange for him to use a Fire Release jutsu? He's just used to Wind Release because that's what he's practiced with. It's not a big deal," Sakura casually explained.

"Oh, I see. I guess I missed that as his sensei. Seems like I've been neglecting my duties," Kakashi admitted with a smile. He hadn't paid much attention to this aspect.

"Don't blame yourself," Sakura waved her hand magnanimously. "After all, you're doing your best by reading Icha Icha Paradise every day. We can't expect too much from you."

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Next Chapter >>Chapter 243: The Unceasing Spiraling Sphere [Part Five]