"I think it must be a special kind of insect," Sasuke said calmly, his eyes fixed forward. "One that allows other insects to lock onto it and attack endlessly. That's how it maintains its so-called invincibility."
Shino Aburame stiffened.
"That's precisely why I used a Shadow Clone," Sasuke continued, his voice steady and confident. "I trapped you and forced your Parasite Destruction Bug to target the clone instead. No matter how relentlessly you pursued it, all you could destroy was a single Shadow Clone."
For the first time since the match began, genuine surprise appeared on Shino's usually expressionless face.
"But… how did you figure out my tactic?" Shino asked quietly.
Sasuke's lips curved into a faint, proud smile.
"It was only a single Parasite Destruction Beetle," he explained. "Almost impossible to detect with the naked eye—especially when hidden inside a dense swarm of insects."
For a brief moment, the crimson hue of Sasuke's Sharingan flickered and then faded.
"The kikaichū may be tiny," Sasuke continued, "but to the Sharingan, they are perfectly clear. Insects nourished by chakra naturally carry chakra's coloration—and my eyes can perceive that without difficulty."
Silence fell over the arena.
Shino lowered his head slightly, letting out a quiet sigh.
"…I see. Then there is no denying it."
He paused, then spoke with calm resignation.
"I've lost."
He looked up once more, his voice carrying faint admiration.
"The Sharingan truly is an extraordinary power."
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire arena erupted into chaos.
"That was the Sharingan's power?!"
Kurenai Yūhi exclaimed, unable to hide her astonishment.
"Even among the Uchiha," she continued, turning toward Kakashi, "that level of perception at such a young age is remarkable. You must have taught him extremely well."
Kakashi smiled beneath his mask, his visible eye curving slightly.
"Honestly," he replied, "most of the credit belongs to Sasuke himself. I only guided him."
Naruto stared at Sasuke with wide eyes.
"Whoa… Sasuke's Sharingan is way stronger than before," he muttered.
Then he grinned.
"Kakashi-sensei, this is totally your fault!"
Hinata finally released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.
"Thank goodness…" she whispered softly.
Nearby, Kiba frowned deeply.
"So Shino really lost…" he muttered. "Is Uchiha Sasuke really that strong?"
"Tch…"
He clicked his tongue in frustration.
Sakura, on the other hand, smiled brightly.
"Of course he is!" she said proudly. "That's Sasuke-kun!"
Her smile softened slightly.
"Still… it's sad that Shino lost. But meeting Sasuke-kun really was bad luck."
High above, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, applauded alongside the other village leaders.
"Kazekage-sama," Hiruzen said calmly, "what are your thoughts on this match?"
The Kazekage, Rasa, narrowed his eyes. His breathing grew subtly heavier.
"Uchiha Sasuke…" he murmured.
Then, with unmistakable enthusiasm, he nodded.
"Excellent."
Though slightly surprised by his reaction, Hiruzen merely returned a polite nod, keeping his expression neutral.
Shiranui Genma's voice echoed throughout the stadium.
"The winner of this match—Uchiha Sasuke!"
Thunderous applause followed.
Sasuke paid no attention to the cheers. With his hands tucked into his pockets, he walked down from the arena as if nothing special had happened.
Naruto immediately slapped him on the shoulder, laughing loudly.
"You jerk!" Naruto exclaimed. "You scared me half to death! I thought you were gonna lose!"
"That was never a possibility," Sasuke replied flatly.
Then he added, annoyed,
"And take your hand off me."
Naruto only laughed harder.
"Man, I'm just happy for you! You really are my teammate—my comrade, Uzumaki Naruto!"
Hinata stepped forward shyly, her smile gentle.
"Congratulations, Sasuke."
"…Thanks."
For once, Sasuke couldn't bring himself to be curt with her.
They hadn't interacted much beyond tree-climbing training, but Hinata had always been a quiet bridge between Naruto and Sasuke—a calming presence that softened the tension between them.
But before the moment could linger, Genma's voice rang out again.
"The next match will be between—"
"Hyūga Hinata!"
A pause followed.
"And her opponent—Gaara."
The arena fell completely silent.
Naruto's eyes widened in horror.
"H-Hinata's opponent…?"
His voice trembled.
"That monster—Gaara?!"
Panic seized him instantly.
Hinata blinked in surprise.
"Is that… the monster everyone's talking about?"
Naruto grabbed her shoulders.
"H-Hinata, you—you need to be careful!"
His words tumbled out in a rush.
"If it gets dangerous, stop immediately! Or—or just forfeit!"
Hinata smiled softly, her eyes warm.
"Naruto-kun… I know you're worried."
Her cheeks flushed faintly.
"And I'm very happy."
She straightened, her expression turning resolute.
"But this is my fight. Win or lose, I won't run away."
She waved gently and walked toward the arena.
Naruto watched her retreating figure, a sudden emptiness swelling in his chest.
"H-Hinata…!"
Hearing him, Hinata turned back. A quiet determination shone in her eyes.
"I'm going, Naruto-kun."
Whispers spread like wildfire through the crowd.
"Isn't she the Hyūga clan's eldest daughter?"
"I heard the clan head abandoned her…"
"But she seems fairly capable. She is on Team Seven."
"So what?!"
"Her opponent is that monster from the Sand Village!"
"Gaara—Kazekage-sama's son!"
"They say a terrifying beast named Shukaku is sealed inside him!"
"He slaughtered every ANBU sent to kill him!"
"In the Sand Village, Gaara is the meaning of 'monster'!"
Fear and awe surrounded Gaara, while worry clung to Hinata.
Even Hiruzen frowned deeply.
"Gaara… the One-Tail Jinchūriki," he murmured.
"Kazekage-sama, this will be a highly anticipated battle."
Rasa merely snorted coldly.
Hiruzen remembered the rumors—how Gaara had been treated as a failure, how assassins were repeatedly sent to kill him. Seeing Rasa's indifference now, the rumors seemed disturbingly true.
Naruto clenched his fists, his heart aching.
Sasuke said nothing, but his brows furrowed slightly.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto whispered urgently. "What do we do?!"
"Hinata's strong, but that guy's a monster!"
Kakashi replied calmly.
"Don't worry. If things become truly dangerous, I'll intervene myself."
"As her teacher, I won't allow my student to be harmed."
Naruto relaxed—just a little.
Still…
He remembered Hinata's kindness. Her shyness. Her strength.
If danger appeared, he'd stop the match himself—rules be damned.
Inside the arena.
Hinata stood facing Gaara.
Cold. Merciless. Inhuman.
Gaara crossed his arms, the massive gourd on his back utterly still. His hollow eyes held no emotion.
The blood-red kanji for Love carved into his forehead seemed to pulse with cruelty.
"Please…" Hinata said softly. "Guide me well."
"There's nothing to guide," Gaara replied flatly.
"In this world, those without worth should die young."
His words were directed at Hinata—but echoed his own broken past.
Hiruzen glanced at Rasa.
The Kazekage didn't react.
Shiranui Genma raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)