Meanwhile, in the Land of Rain—on the Gedo Statue.
Nine figures stood atop the fingers of the massive statue.
Deidara glanced around. "Hey, where's Hyuga Gakuya? Skipping the meeting again?"
Sasori's voice was cold and low. "You should be thankful if that guy shows up even a few times a month."
Pain spoke. "Zetsu, where did Hyuga Gakuya go?"
Black Zetsu thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No idea."
Pain said flatly, "Forget it. We'll distribute the missions ourselves."
Everyone in Akatsuki had already grown used to Gakuya's frequent absences. Besides, even when he showed up, he rarely took on any missions.
...
Second Day of the Chūnin Exams.
Deep within the Forest of Death, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro from Sunagakure stood facing off against three shinobi from Amegakure.
Hidden nearby, a team from Konoha was quietly observing—Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame.
The Ame-nin team leader sneered, "Hey kids, you picked the wrong opponents. You'll die for that mistake."
Gaara's expression didn't change. He wasn't the least bit intimidated.
"Then hurry up and fight, Rain-nin."
Kankuro tried to de-escalate. "Let's at least check if they have the same scroll. No need to fight if they do."
But Gaara shut him down. "No need. I plan to kill everyone I come across."
His words were filled with pure malice and killing intent, stunning everyone on the scene.
The Ame-nin leader scoffed, "Then die!"
He quickly flung four wooden umbrellas into the air. They hovered above the battlefield, spinning slightly.
With a sharp gleam in his eyes, he pressed his palms together.
The moment he spoke, a barrage of senbon needles rained down from the umbrellas, shooting at Gaara from every direction like a storm of arrows.
But Gaara remained motionless. Sand rose from beneath his feet, forming a thick wall that surrounded him completely.
The sand wall stood firm like an unbreakable fortress, blocking the incoming senbon with ease.
"Damn it!" the Rain-nin leader growled and lunged forward, aiming to take Gaara down with taijutsu.
Gaara merely stretched out a hand. Sand surged up beneath the man's feet, wrapping around him in an instant and pulling him into a floating sphere.
The Ame-nin screamed in agony as he was lifted into the air, trapped.
Gaara calmly picked up one of the fallen umbrellas and opened it over his head. Then, with a single-hand motion, he clenched his fist toward the sand sphere.
"Sand Burial."
The sphere instantly compressed, crushing the ninja within. Blood erupted in a fine mist, falling like crimson rain.
Gaara stood beneath the umbrella, unfazed as the blood rained down. The Konoha trio watching in hiding was utterly shaken.
They had never witnessed such brutality before.
The remaining two Rain-nin were paralyzed with fear. They quickly dropped their scroll on the ground.
"Take the scroll! Please, spare us!"
Gaara said nothing. The sand answered for him.
It rose again, engulfing the two remaining Ame-nin just like the first.
The same horrific end followed, and once more, the clearing was soaked in a rain of blood.
Gaara smiled eerily. "A true Asura needs blood to grow stronger."
The three Konoha genin, still watching from the shadows, instinctively stepped back in fear.
"We have to go. If he spots us, we're dead," Kiba whispered.
But before they could move, a wall of sand surged up, cutting off their escape.
"You've been watching long enough, little mice. Don't you think it's time you came out?" Gaara's voice echoed with killing intent.
Trembling, the three slowly stepped out from the bushes.
"We'll give you our scroll. Just… let us go," Shino offered, hoping to buy time.
"No more chances. I already gave you time to run." Gaara raised his hand again.
Sand slithered toward their feet, slowly creeping upward, pressing in from all sides.
Despair took hold.
Kiba clenched his fists. "This is my fault. We should've headed for the central tower straight away... I dragged you all into this."
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out from afar.
"Hinata-chan! What a coincidence, you're here too?"
The sand halted.
A figure emerged from the trees—none other than Hyuga Gakuya, using his alias, Chiba Mokushū.
"Mokushū-kun, you have to get out of here! It's dangerous!" Hinata called, panicked.
"It's alright. Leave it to me." Gakuya calmly pulled two metallic gauntlets from a scroll and strapped them on. He still needed to keep his power under wraps—for now.
He casually punched a tree next to him. The trunk cracked and toppled toward Hinata's team, landing just beside them.
The three Konoha genin understood immediately. They leapt onto the fallen trunk and retreated behind Gakuya.
"Thank you," Hinata said, stepping behind him.
"No need. If anything, I should thank you for helping me pass the first round."
"I… I didn't really do anything..." Hinata mumbled, embarrassed.
Gakuya flexed his wrists. "I'll take care of these three. You guys get going."
Kiba stepped forward. "No way I'm ditching someone who just saved us."
Black insects crawled from Shino's sleeve. "Same here."
"I'll help too." Hinata activated her Byakugan and took the Jūken stance.
Across from them, Gaara's eyes lit up with excitement. "I wonder if your blood tastes even sweeter."
After watching Gakuya's fight with Sasuke, Gaara had already decided he was on the must-kill list. Now his prey had walked right up to him.
Gakuya didn't object to their support. In fact, it worked in his favor—he needed to avoid showing too much power anyway.
...
"That guy with the bundle on his back is a puppeteer. He uses chakra threads to control his puppet. Shino, take out his threads with your insects."
"That girl with the giant fan uses Wind Release. Be careful—her fan can unleash deadly wind jutsu."
"Kiba, you and Hinata take on the wind user. Get in close—don't give her a chance to cast."
"I'll handle the sand user."
Gakuya laid out the plan. Everyone nodded—his logic was solid and clear.
"Got it." Kiba felt reassured. "Akamaru, you still good to go?"
"Woof!" The small white dog barked as it leapt from Kiba's jacket.
Kiba tossed him a soldier pill. Akamaru's fur flushed red almost immediately.
Shino's arms darkened as insects poured forth.
Gakuya nodded subtly. As expected of Konoha's elite clans.
He leapt into the air, landing on a high tree branch before rocketing forward like a launched arrow—straight at Gaara.
Sand surged beneath Gaara's feet, encasing him in a protective sphere.
Gakuya's punch slammed into the sand with force.
Temari scoffed, As if you can break Gaara's ultimate defense.
But her smirk quickly vanished.
From Gakuya's gauntlets, a pulse of sonic waves erupted, rippling through the sand sphere.
Gaara howled in agony.
The vibrations echoed inside the sealed space, bouncing endlessly—amplifying.
It felt like his skull was splitting open.
And Gakuya didn't stop.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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