Gaara

Is it worth it?

Reality... isn't a shonen anime, it's not inspirational. ◎Dingdian says, even with effort and dedication, sometimes you might end up with nothing.

Behind every successful person lies the trace of hard work and struggle...

And the countless bones of those who failed on the road to success.

Sometimes these losers aren't those who don't try or strive. They work twice as hard, but sometimes they fall short of their dreams because of a lack of luck.

If it weren't for Gaara, with Lee's strength, he wouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat against anyone else. In fact, he could have easily defeated everyone except Sakura!

Even against Neji, the same applies. After Lee opens the Eight Gates Released Formation, Neji keep up with his movements and can't block his attacks. Neji is destined to lose! Against Sakura, although he can't break through the Ultra-Pure Water's defense, Sakura won't use such a ruthless attack. Lee will be bedridden for a while, and the side effects of the Eight Gates Released Formation will eventually subside. Against Naruto, Naruto can only pray that the unpredictable Nine-Tails Chakra will appear to help him. Against the others... is there anyone present who can withstand a punch from Lee after opening the Five Gates? Is there anyone who can defeat Lee after opening the Five Gates?

There isn't a single one who can fight!

Only Gaara.

But Gaara.

Gaara) phase. Gaara with only hatred in his eyes, no love in his eyes. Gaara who is ruthless and merciless in his actions.

If this is fate, then fate is truly unfair.

With all his might and boundless passion, Li Fen recklessly crashed into the cold wall of reality, suffering a bloody head, countless wounds, and even being shattered to pieces...

Completely disregarding it.

"Sakura, is this the price to pay for pursuing your dreams?" Hinata asked softly.

His voice trembled slightly.

That was sympathy for Li from someone who was also pursuing their dreams, and... anxiety about the future.

According to the rules of the Hyuga Clan, Hinata's status as the head of the main family can only be maintained until the next Main Family is chosen. After that, she will either be chosen to become the Main Family or be marked as a member of the Branch Family, just like Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi, decades ago.

Hinata, on the other hand, was abandoned by Hiashi a few years ago due to insufficient resources, and it is almost certain that the position of the next head of the main Main Family will be inherited by the more talented Hanabi. As soon as Hanabi officially takes over the position of head of the Main Family, Hinata will be immediately demoted to the Branch Family.

If everything goes as planned, this will be Hinata's future.

Unless... Hinata is strong enough that even the Hyuga Clan, who respect the strong, wouldn't dare to offend her dignity, touch her sore spot, or anger her.

This is an unwritten rule, Kage Level powerhouses can trample on this unreasonable rule. While strength doesn't represent everything in this cruel world, it can determine many things.

No one likes having a humiliating Cursed Seal etched on their forehead, their life and death in the hands of others. Hinata was no exception. One of her dreams was to become a strong person who could escape this fate.

But I never imagined that people who chase their dreams can sometimes be left battered and bruised by reality.

Ino remained silent.

Yes, this... is the price of pursuing dreams.

Sakura lowered her eyes, her voice suppressed.

"The road to realizing your dreams is intricate, winding, and arduous. Hinata, are you afraid?"

She gazed silently at Hinata.

The road ahead is so bumpy, perhaps she should just give up and accept her fate, and she could still spend half her life playing around and having fun. As for the Cursed Seal, if she were to honestly and obediently be an ordinary ninja, the Cursed Seal would not have any impact on her life.

A bird in a cage can live, grow old, get sick, and die peacefully and without wind or rain, as long as it doesn't think about resisting.

Hinata gently shook her head.

"If it were Naruto-kun, he would definitely persevere to the end! So how can I give up so easily! Staying where I am will prevent me from getting hurt by the stones on the road, and besides, where in this world is there a road that can be called a smooth one?"

Hinata suddenly smiled calmly, the smile dispelling the gloom on her face.

Even if I'm scarred and battered along the way, it's better than standing still and regretting my wasted potential in old age. The worst outcome is being forced to abandon the path of a ninja and become an ordinary person. At least then I'll have made my choice, tried my best, and fought for it. I might feel resentful, but I won't regret it.

"No, Sakura, put your flowers in the arrangement. Let's not bother Mr. Li any longer!"

Hinata whispered softly.

Sakura shrugged; she was naturally pleased that her friend had such an understanding.

However, none of us are seasoned ninjas who have experienced hardship and setbacks. We may be good at talking, but how much we can actually deliver when it comes to the task is anyone's guess.

Even Sakura herself couldn't guarantee that if Li's or her misfortunes happened to her, she wouldn't be discouraged and give up.

Sakura shook her head, trying to shake off these useless thoughts and worries.

He took two steps forward, about to place the orchid in his hand into Li's vase, when he suddenly stopped.

His gaze turned cold, his face as frosty as ice.

What are you doing here?

The questioning was merciless. Beneath the calm and icy tone, Chakra surged suddenly!

A strange figure suddenly appeared at the doorway. Sensing the girl's hostility, he stopped in his tracks.

I want to kill him.

With a flat tone, Gaara's bloodshot eyes beneath heavy dark circles, his indifferent face contorted, and a heavy killing intent instantly erupted!

The sand slipped out silently, swirling in the air, stirring restlessly.

Sakura turned around, Gaara's cold gaze swept over the three girls as if they were lifeless corpses. Sakura understood that such a look showed that Gaara completely disregarded their lives. If the three of them dared to stop him from doing what he wanted, he would not hesitate to kill them all and eliminate everything that stood in his way!

Therefore, he would reveal his purpose without hesitation, admitting in front of the three that he wanted to kill, because he didn't care!

Sakura's expression was grave. She wasn't afraid of Gaara in a real fight, but this wasn't a good place for conflict. This was a hospital, the heart of Konoha, with thousands of people, including Sasuke and others unconscious in their beds. If Gaara's advanced Ninjutsu and Sakura's Water Gun Technique were to overwhelm them, the casualties would be immense!

Ino was so frightened by Gaara's murderous aura that she stood frozen to the side, unable to move.

Hinata, however, walked towards Sakura despite the murderous aura and stood beside her.

"What personal grudge do you have against Rock Lee? Why did you want to kill him? You already defeated him in the match!" Hinata asked coldly.

Gaara's lips parted in a crazed grin.

"Killing needs no reason... I wanted to kill him, so I came here. Killing Rock Lee makes me feel alive; killing everyone I know is the meaning of my existence! If you want to hear my reason, this is it!"

His maniacal laughter made Gaara appear even more ferocious and hateful.

"Stop, that's enough! You're insane, you're a complete lunatic!"

"Madness? It's not me who's mad, it's the world! From the moment I was born, all that's connected me to this world is hatred and killing. My mother died in childbirth, and my father, the Fourth Kazekage, sealed a monster inside me to make me the strongest. From then on, I became a monster. After I turned six, he finally realized I was a dangerous monster for the village. From then until now, my own father has been constantly trying to assassinate me, and he's almost killed me several times!"

Hinata was shocked by the cruel truth Gaara recounted.

"Get out of my way, or I'll kill you all!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gaara's killing intent erupted wildly! Hinata was actually startled and took a step back!

Sakura, standing proudly to the side, remained motionless, seemingly unaffected by Gaara's presence.

"Enough! Whoever you are," her cold voice seemed to drown out the bloodlust emanating from Gaara, "If you want to experience what it's like to lie in a hospital bed, then go ahead and try taking another step!"

A standoff. Sakura's icy killing intent was quietly released. The girl's bright turquoise eyes met Gaara's murky blood-red pupils head-on. The former was like a cold, ancient iceberg, releasing a bone-chilling cold that had never changed since time immemorial, while the latter was like a raging storm, roaring wildly amidst thunder and lightning!

The air seemed to be restless and uneasy.

Gaara, who didn't have much patience, finally couldn't hold back any longer.

The sand that filled the air gathered into clumps, their imposing aura reminiscent of Gaara's ruthless attacks during the match! Amidst Hinata's suppressed gasp of surprise, the sand clumps twisted, trying to entangle the girl's body, but were firmly blocked by a pale blue water shield.

Water clumps and sand belts intertwine, swirl, and struggle.

The sand, which had always been invincible, now seemed to have hit an iron plate. No, even an iron plate would be crushed into scrap metal by the Chakra- filled sand. Yet, this seemingly soft and fragile transparent water mass remained unmoved under the weight of the sand! Gaara ignored everything and simply increased his Chakra output, constantly amplifying the power of the sand to crush the water mass!

Whoosh--

In the end, the sand was mercilessly crushed by the pale blue water, scattering into a mess on the ground!

Sakura sneered, unsurprised by the outcome. Sand is sand, after all; it's a loose clump, and no amount of Chakra poured into it could pose a threat to Ultra-Pure Water!

Gaara let out a painful groan, clutching his head with both hands, his trembling body almost collapsing to his knees.

The sight of the girl shredding the sand with a wave of her hand reminded him of another person who had scattered the sand. That tall Konoha Ninja stood before Lee, his eyes filled with a chilling rage, blocking his intention to kill Lee like a mountain!

[A chapter written in a half-dreaming, half-awake state...]