Raizen paid no mind to Orochimaru's predatory gaze. If the snake dared to strike, Raizen would show him exactly "why the flowers are so red"—a painful lesson in reality.
The battle was about to begin.
The atmosphere in the arena reached a fever pitch. The spectators had been waiting for this match with bated breath, not just for the stakes of the exam, but for the prestige of the name: Uchiha Sasuke. The fame of the Uchiha clan resonated throughout the ninja world, and witnessing their combat style firsthand was a rare, exhilarating privilege.
Raizen watched with genuine interest, while little Mirai and Karin cheered relentlessly for Sasuke.
"I am going to kill you," Gaara said, his voice cold and devoid of emotion, his killing intent thick enough to stifle the air.
"Hmph! You aren't qualified to kill me. I'll take you down to prove myself to Uncle Raizen," Sasuke retorted with a confident smirk. After his intensive training under Kakashi, he was a completely different shinobi than before. "I'm going to break your 'Absolute Defense.' What that other kid couldn't finish, I'll do with my own hands."
"Your arrogance ends here."
As the proctor signaled the start, Sasuke vanished, leaving only a blurred afterimage as he lunged toward Gaara.
"So fast!!!" Gaara's eyes widened. This speed was nearly on par with Rock Lee's during their previous encounter.
In the spectator stands, Might Guy was floored. He turned to the nonchalant Kakashi beside him. "Kakashi, you... how did you do it? In just a few days, he's mastered Lee's speed!!!"
Kakashi offered a small smile. "It's the Sharingan. With those eyes and his relentless hard work, this is the result."
"Copying, huh..." Guy murmured, his heart filled with complex emotions.
Rock Lee, watching from his wheelchair, felt a bitter sting of reality. Is this the gap between us? The speed it took me years of blood and sweat to achieve, you mastered in a matter of days. Sasuke... you truly are a genius.
"Papa, Brother Sasuke is so fast! I can barely see him," Mirai exclaimed.
"You'll be able to do that too someday, Mirai," Raizen said, patting her head.
The crowd erupted as Sasuke used his superior agility to launch a fierce offensive. Gaara's sand barely managed to keep up, forced into a purely defensive stance. To the untrained eye, Sasuke had the absolute advantage, but Raizen knew better. This momentum was temporary; the moment Sasuke's chakra began to flag would be the moment of his defeat.
Gaara's "Absolute Defense" didn't rely on his own chakra—it was a manifestation of his mother's will, protecting him tirelessly. Furthermore, with a Tailed Beast inside him, Gaara could outlast almost anyone in a war of attrition. To win, Sasuke needed a decisive strike.
However, Gaara's defense was a nightmare to crack. Between the automatic shield of sand and the "Sand Armor" layered directly onto his skin, he was more protected than a fortress.
In the original timeline, Sasuke used the Chidori to pierce Gaara's sphere, wounding him and causing his emotional stability to crumble. Having never been hurt before, the shock of being pierced sent Gaara into a spiral, causing the Tailed Beast's arm to manifest.
The scene now played out almost identically. Unable to touch Sasuke, Gaara retreated into a lightless sphere of sand, using his "Third Eye" to track his opponent.
Seeing that standard Taijutsu was useless, Sasuke retreated, scaling the arena wall just as he had in the original story. He began weaving signs, and a sharp, chirping sound—like a thousand birds—erupted in his palm.
"Watch as I tear apart the defense you're so proud of!"
Sasuke dove, accelerating at a terrifying rate. The Chidori crackled with lethal intensity as he charged.
Cackle—Cackle—!
As Sasuke descended, the sheer overflow of lightning chakra tore through the ground, leaving a scorched trench in his wake. He maneuvered around Gaara's sand spikes with ease and slammed the Chidori directly into the sphere. His hand sank deep into the sand.
A blood-curdling scream echoed from within the ball.
"Gaara!!!" Temari gasped, unable to believe her brother's defense had been breached.
Hearing the scream, Sasuke let out a disdainful smirk. Uncle Raizen's worries were misplaced. This guy is no match for me. He tried to pull his hand back, but his expression suddenly shifted to one of horror.
Something inside the sand had grabbed his arm. The grip was tightening, pulling him in. Sasuke gritted his teeth and released another burst of Chidori. With a second agonizing shriek from within, the grip loosened, and Sasuke wrenched his arm free.
As he pulled back, a monstrous, terrifying limb momentarily clawed at the air after him before receding into the sand.
"What was that? Is that the 'Tailed Beast' Uncle talked about?" Sasuke wondered, his heart racing.
"I'm going to kill you, Uchiha Sasuke!!!" Gaara's distorted, harrowing voice boomed from the sand sphere.
Suddenly—BOOM!
"The signal!"
In the crowd, Kabuto Yakushi immediately triggered a massive sleep-inducing Genjutsu. Simultaneously, the "bodyguards" sitting next to the Third Hokage struck, neutralizing the elite shinobi nearby.
Orochimaru, disguised as the Kazekage, seized the opportunity. He lunged at Hiruzen Sarutobi, holding a kunai to his throat as they leaped onto the roof of the stadium.
"Lord Kazekage, why are you doing this?" Hiruzen demanded, his brow furrowed. He hadn't expected the Hidden Sand to betray them so brazenly.
Once they landed on the roof, Orochimaru's subordinates moved instantly, erecting the Four Violet Flames Formation to trap the Hokage in a literal box of fire.
Seeing that he had control of the situation, the "Kazekage" discarded his disguise and reverted to his true voice. "Hehehe... Sensei, don't you recognize me?"
"You... you're Orochimaru!!!" Hiruzen's body shook with shock. He stared at his former student in utter disbelief.
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