"Hm?"
Gaara suddenly realized that his chakra connection to the Sand Binding Coffin had vanished.
Then he saw it—Shino, completely enveloped in kikaichū.
The parasitic insects instantly devoured the chakra infused within the sand, causing it to lose cohesion and pour down like water.
Gaara understood at once—he would have to get serious.
Forming hand seals, he declared:
"Sand Tsunami!"
A massive torrent of sand erupted from beneath his feet, rising into a towering wave before crashing toward Shino.
Shino reacted immediately.
"Secret Technique: Insect Gathering!"
"Secret Technique: Insect Cocoon!"
The first summoned insects from the surrounding area. The second used chakra to form cocoons, rapidly hatching even more kikaichū to reinforce the swarm.
In seconds, a dense cloud of insects gathered around Shino.
"Kikaichū: Hurricane!"
The swarm spiraled into a black tornado and collided head-on with the advancing sand wave.
Black vortex against earthen surge.
The sand crushed insects; the insects devoured the chakra within the sand.
For a brief moment, the two forces reached a stalemate.
KanKūrō: "What?! Gaara's attack was blocked?!"
Temari: "This…"
Naruto Uzumaki: "Nice one, Shino! Keep going!"
Kiba Inuzuka: "Yeah! Crush him!"
Both shinobi poured more chakra into their techniques.
But in raw reserves, Shino could not match Gaara. Soon, the black tornado dissipated. The sand wave shrank—but it did not stop.
It engulfed Shino.
"Sand Burial!"
Seizing the moment, Gaara compressed the sand with devastating pressure, crushing Shino's body.
Yet when it shattered, no blood spilled forth—
Only a torrent of black insects.
"Secret Technique: Insect Clone!"
The one destroyed had merely been a clone.
The real Shino appeared silently behind Gaara and attacked without hesitation.
"Secret Technique: Insect Sphere!"
A flood of kikaichū poured from his sleeves and surged toward Gaara.
Having observed Gaara's earlier battles—against the Rain shinobi and Rock Lee—Shino had carefully calculated the precise range that triggered Gaara's automatic sand defense. He positioned himself exactly at its edge.
As predicted, the automatic sand shield failed to react in time.
The insects swarmed over Gaara's body instantly.
Even his Armor of Sand was stripped away as the kikaichū devoured the chakra sustaining it.
They began feeding directly on Gaara's chakra.
"AAAAAAH!!!"
Suddenly, Gaara erupted with a furious scream.
The right side of his face transformed into a sand-colored, monstrous visage marked with blue patterns. His right half followed, shifting grotesquely.
Gaara entered his Partial Transformation (Shukaku Mode)—the One-Tail's possession state.
Naruto Uzumaki: "That form again…"
Sasuke Uchiha: "Yeah. He's strong like that."
Onoki: "So it begins… the Konoha Crush."
Jiraiya: "So war has finally started… troublesome."
Seeing Gaara lose control, Baki immediately leapt down into the arena. KanKūrō and Temari followed close behind.
As they reached Gaara's side, Genma and Hayate Gekkō swiftly moved to shield Shino.
The audience still had no idea what was happening—
Until a fox-masked shinobi suddenly appeared in the arena.
It was Nagi.
White, illusionary feathers began drifting down over the spectator stands.
"Genjutsu: Temple of Nirvana Technique."
An overwhelming wave of drowsiness swept through the crowd. Before they could resist, nobles and civilians alike fell into a deep sleep.
Baki's eyes flashed with satisfaction.
Good. Next, they would seize control of the nobles and civilians—forcing the Leaf's shinobi to hesitate.
According to the plan, OtogaKūre shinobi were supposed to carry out the hostage-taking.
But the hidden Sound ninja weren't moving.
A bad feeling crept into Baki's chest.
Something was wrong.
In the next instant, Nagi vanished in a flash and reappeared behind Gaara.
Baki sensed it.
"Not good!"
He slashed with his Kūnai—
But hit nothing.
Gaara and Nagi disappeared simultaneously, leaving behind stunned Sand siblings and an alarmed Baki.
His expression darkened.
"Move!"
Hidden SunagaKūre shinobi within the stands immediately lunged toward the sleeping Konoha civilians.
But just as quickly, concealed Sound ninja—and Leaf shinobi—intercepted them, cutting them down.
The Third Hokage's voice thundered across the arena.
"Sunaga Kūre has launched an invasion against the Leaf! Shinobi of Konoha—counterattack!"
"Yes, sir!"
Leaf shinobi surged into action, surrounding the Sand forces within the Chūnin Exams arena.
Baki looked urgently toward the Kazekage—
Only to see the Kazekage tear off his disguise, revealing a pale, serpentine face beneath.
"Orochimaru?!"
Baki's eyes widened in shock.
"Then the real Kazekage-sama—! Damn it… we've been deceived!"
Far from the village, deep within a forest—
Nagi reappeared using the Flying Thunder God Technique, bringing Gaara with him.
Kabuto Ya Kūshi and Ryūma Aburame were already waiting.
Gaara blinked in confusion. One moment he was in the arena—
The next, the scenery had changed entirely.
His gaze soon filled with murderous intent.
"Kill… I'll kill you… Your blood must taste wonderful."
Kabuto calmly coated his palm with chakra and stepped forward—
Slap. Slap. Slap.
Gaara hadn't even reacted before receiving several resounding blows. The damage was minimal.
The humiliation was not.
Enraged, Gaara attacked wildly. Though his partial transformation was immensely destructive, every assault was effortlessly evaded or neutralized by the three of them.
Furious, Gaara began to transition into his full One-Tail transformation—
But Nagi formed hand seals.
In the next instant, he entered Gaara's mental world.
Mei Terumi: "What is that handsome boy planning?"
Onoki: "Hard to say. Perhaps he intends to deal with the Tailed Beast inside the Jinchūriki."
Temari: "Gaara…"
Kan Kūrō: "Gaara…"
Gaara: "Sis… I'll be fine."
Though Gaara no longer rejected Temari as his sister, the word still felt unfamiliar on his tongue.
KanKūrō: "…What about me?"
Yugao Uzuki: "Hayate! You're alive!"
Hayate Gekkō: "Cough… I…"
Inside Gaara's mindscape—
Nagi found himself standing before the towering form of Shuka Kū, who gazed down at him from above.
"The One-Tail, ShukaKū…"
"Human! Who gave you permission to enter?! I'm in a foul mood—so I'll just—huh? Where did you go?!"
Shuka Kū roared—
Only to realize Nagi had vanished.
But he had not disappeared.
He had descended deeper—into the hidden recesses of Gaara's heart.
The surroundings were barren. Empty.
"…Unlike Naruto's sea of hatred… this is just desolation."
Nagi removed his glasses and looked at his hands—
He had become a child as well.
"What a strange sensation."
He began searching.
There—
A small figure crouched on the ground.
Young Gaara.
Tears streamed endlessly from his eyes as he wiped at them with trembling hands.
"I… who am I?"
"I…"
"Who… am I?"
A small, pale hand gently tapped his shoulder.
Gaara turned, eyes brimming with tears.
"You are… who?"
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