Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

After the battle between Aburame Hatsuizumi and Hyuga Chinano, the field was left in chaos. Blood and discarded cicada shells were scattered everywhere, and deep craters from powerful attacks pockmarked the ground. Compared to the previous matches, this one was far more intense, leaving the arena in dire need of repairs.

Neji and Gaara, who were set to compete next, joined in the cleanup. Gaara's ability to control sand made him perfect for the job, and Neji had already grabbed a bucket and bolted.

Zixu watched Gaara with a pleased expression. This kid is getting more responsible. You'd never guess he used to be such a rebellious brat. A teachable child, indeed. He made a mental note to assign Gaara more tasks in the future. Wouldn't want his newfound work ethic to go to waste.

After cleaning up, Gaara suddenly felt a chill down his spine, as if something ominous was watching him.

"Alright, the third match begins!"

Zixu wasted no time and immediately announced the start of the battle.

Gaara's sand possessed an absolute defense, capable of automatically blocking incoming attacks. After the One-Tail (Shukaku) was sealed, Zixu had a friendly talk with the beast. Surprisingly, Shukaku agreed to lend its power to Gaara in moments of danger, ensuring his survival.

Meanwhile, Neji had mastered Hakkeshou Kaiten (Eight Trigrams Rotation)—a technique that unleashed Gentle Fist (Juken) chakra from every tenketsu in his body while spinning at high speed, forming a defensive dome. Thanks to Zixu's intervention, Neji had also broken free from the constraints of the Caged Bird Seal. Using the power of Silence, Zixu had permanently muted part of the seal, effectively eliminating the branch family's infamous 1-degree blind spot.

"Both of them have absolute defense... I wonder which one is stronger," Kankuro mused from the waiting area. He had seen battles of offense versus defense before, but this was different—shield versus shield.

His curiosity didn't last long, as the fight had already begun.

Gaara made the first move. Sand surged from the gourd on his back, flooding the battlefield like an unstoppable tide. In mere moments, the ground transformed into an endless sea of sand—Gaara's domain.

"Ryusa Bakuryu (Flowing Sand Waterfall)!"

A violent wave of sand rushed toward Neji, who looked like a lone boat caught in a raging ocean. Escape was impossible—Gaara had successfully turned the battlefield into his home turf.

A dense cloud of sand gathered beneath Gaara's feet, lifting him into the air. He now hovered above, looking down at Neji like a predator observing its prey. His strategy was eerily similar to Deidara's—control the skies, force the enemy into an endurance battle, and avoid close combat entirely.

Absolute defense? Sorry, but Gaara had no intention of fighting fair. Only reckless fools engaged in close combat.

Neji dodged incoming sand hands and spears, but he knew this terrain put him at a severe disadvantage. He needed to turn the battlefield in his favor.

"Suiton: Kirisame (Water Style: Cut Rain)!"

Dark clouds quickly covered the sky, and within moments, a gentle drizzle began to fall. The raindrops landed on Gaara's sand constructs, turning them limp and sluggish. The once-formidable sand hand collapsed into a formless muddy puddle.

"It's weakening all non-Water Style jutsu," Temari muttered as she felt the rain on her skin, immediately understanding Neji's intent. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Realizing the danger of staying airborne in a storm—especially against potential Lightning Release attacks—Gaara was forced to land. Though the rain hindered his control, he could still manipulate the muddy sand to an extent.

The wet sand wriggled like living sludge, creeping toward Neji's feet. He quickly evaded, leaping away before it could swallow him like quicksand. In response, he launched a powerful Hakkeshou Hakke Kuushou (Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm).

BAM!

The air palm struck the sand wall in front of Gaara, sending ripples across its surface. Tiny sand beads scattered in every direction.

Gaara remained unfazed, continuing his long-range attacks. Realizing he couldn't approach recklessly, Neji pulled out shuriken and kunai instead. Though he wasn't fond of using weapons—especially firearms, since maintaining them was a hassle—he was more than capable with traditional ninja tools.

"Shh, shh, shh!"

Shuriken rained toward Gaara from multiple directions. At the same time, Neji skillfully dodged the incoming sand hands and sand needles, gradually closing the distance between them.

Gaara did his best to keep Neji at bay, but Neji's superior agility and precision allowed him to get within striking range.

Just as Neji prepared to land a decisive blow, the entire battlefield trembled. The fluid sand surged like a tidal wave, surrounding him on all sides. This was an inescapable attack—a true no-blind-spot assault.

Neji reacted instantly.

"Hakkeshou Kaiten (Eight Trigrams Rotation)!"

A brilliant blue chakra dome burst from his body as he spun at high speed. The rotating barrier deflected all incoming sand, scattering it across the battlefield. Neji was like a spinning top, steadily grinding away at Gaara's endless supply of sand.

Gaara remained patient. He had more than enough sand—all he needed to do was outlast Neji's stamina.

Sure enough, the chakra dome eventually flickered and faded. Neji's spinning form came to a halt, revealing him once more. However, he had successfully cleared the space between himself and Gaara.

Seizing the opportunity, he activated Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) and closed the remaining gap in an instant, thrusting his palm forward.

Unfortunately, Gaara's automatic defense activated, forming a protective sand layer just in time.

BAM!

Neji's strike landed—but something was off. The sand didn't crumble like usual. That alone was a red flag.

Sure enough, Gaara's body jerked as if hit by an invisible force. Neji's Juken strike had bypassed the sand armor and struck his tenketsu directly.

Zixu nodded approvingly. "Using Gentle Fist to bypass defensive jutsu? Smart. His mastery of the art is exceptional."

Gaara winced. The blow stung, but it wasn't enough to take him down. Instead, it only made him more cautious. From that moment on, he refused to let Neji get close, keeping the battle at a safe range.

In the end, Gaara emerged victorious.

No one had expected that a fight between two users of absolute defense would end like this.

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