Your Sand Is Restless

That faint resistance was precisely what allowed Ling Xuan to hone his chakra control with constant, meticulous practice, whether he was eating, walking, or even sleeping.

Every minute and every second was equivalent to several hours of hard training for anyone else.

As the exam date drew closer, the atmosphere in Konoha quietly began to change. More and more young ninja wearing the Forehead Protectors of different villages appeared on the streets.

Their eyes were sharp as they surveyed the village hosting the exams like a pack of wolves, and watched one another just as warily.

The air was thick with competition and tension.

That day, Ling Xuan was walking alone down the shopping district, buying some special mineral powders for his research clone.

But as he walked, the noisy street around him suddenly quieted a little.

He stopped and looked ahead. Three figures were slowly approaching.

At the front was a red-haired boy carrying a huge gourd on his back. His dark circles were heavy, and his eyes were hollow and cold. The aura around him was strange, ominous, and oppressive, thick with the scent of blood. Everyone nearby instinctively wanted to keep their distance.

Behind him walked a boy and a girl. The girl was tall and carried an enormous folding fan, her eyes brimming with pride and confidence.

The boy carried a bizarre object wrapped in bandages. Purple paint decorated his face, and he wore a carefree smile.

Ninja from Sunagakure.

Ling Xuan's Eye of Truth swept over all three, especially Gaara, a fellow member of the "Akatsuki Love Clan."

They made up a nearly perfect combat squad, with absolute defense, long-range suppression, and mid-range control. But their relationships weren't built on trust. They were built on fear of Gaara.

Just as Ling Xuan was about to head home, a minor scuffle broke out at a nearby intersection.

Konohamaru, the Third Hokage's grandson, was running too fast and accidentally crashed into Kankuro, the Sunagakure puppeteer.

"Hey, brat! Don't you have eyes in your head?" Kankuro grabbed Konohamaru by the collar and lifted him off the ground, snarling.

"I-I'm sorry!" Konohamaru looked ready to cry.

"You think you can just say sorry and be done with it?" Kankuro sneered, raising his fist.

"Stop!" Sakura and Naruto happened to be passing by. Sakura immediately stepped forward to stop him, but Kankuro merely waved her aside with a disdainful flick of his hand, knocking her to the ground.

"Bastard! Let Konohamaru go!" Naruto roared as he charged forward.

But he was still far too weak compared to these battle-hardened Genin from other villages. Kankuro easily dodged his attack.

Just then, a small stone struck Kankuro's wrist with pinpoint accuracy.

"Ow!" Kankuro released his grip in pain.

Everyone turned around and saw Sasuke Uchiha sitting coolly on a tree branch.

"You ninja from other villages come to Konoha to cause trouble. Don't you think you're being a little too arrogant?"

"Tch, another poser," Kankuro said disdainfully.

But then a voice, cold to the extreme, came from the tree above him.

"Kankuro, stop. Don't embarrass Sunagakure here."

Everyone looked up and saw Gaara hanging upside down from a branch. His cold eyes were fixed on his teammate.

A terrifying killing intent engulfed the area in an instant. Sweat beaded on Kankuro's forehead.

"I-I understand, Gaara."

Just as the tense standoff threatened to erupt, a calm voice broke the silence.

"Your sand is restless."

Ling Xuan walked over at an unhurried pace. He didn't look at anyone; his gaze rested solely on the enormous gourd on Gaara's back.

"Using pure killing intent to suppress a Tailed Beast's will is the most foolish method." Ling Xuan's voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard him clearly. "It will only make its hatred resonate with the Jinchūriki's hatred, until it eventually devours you completely. The seal inside you has already grown very weak because of this resonance between negative emotions."

Kankuro and Temari stared at Ling Xuan as if he were a monster.

Sasuke and Naruto were just as stunned. What was Ling Xuan talking about? A Tailed Beast? A seal?

For the first time, a powerful emotional upheaval appeared in Gaara's hollow eyes. It wasn't killing intent or hatred, but an indescribable shock!

How could this Konoha Genin know about Jinchūriki? How could he know about the uncontrollable power inside him? He'd even seen through the state of his seal?!

Gaara stared fixedly at Ling Xuan. For the first time, he felt no fear at all from someone.

The other boy's gaze was calm and deep, as if a doctor were examining a patient with a unique condition. It was filled with pure curiosity, entirely free of emotion.

"Who... exactly are you?" Gaara asked hoarsely.

"That doesn't matter. You only need to know that some powers can be controlled perfectly."

Ling Xuan offered no further answer. He met Gaara's gaze for a few seconds, then calmly turned and walked away.

He'd already obtained the information he wanted, and planted a seed of the unknown in the heart of the future Kazekage.

Gaara watched Ling Xuan's retreating figure without speaking for a long time. Only after he disappeared from sight did Gaara turn to Kankuro and Temari and say coldly, "Let's go."

The incident was over, but its effects continued to grow in the minds of everyone involved.

The first round of the Chunin Exams was held in a huge, heavily guarded classroom at the Ninja Academy.

When the four members of Team 7 entered the classroom, it was already packed with Genin from various villages. The air was thick with tension, wariness, and undisguised hostility.

Every candidate sitting there was an elite who had stood out in their own village. They sized one another up as if examining prey they were about to hunt.

"There are... so many people," Naruto whispered, unable to help himself.

"Hmph. Just a bunch of nobodies." Sasuke's gaze swept across the room before finally settling on Gaara, who sat alone in a corner, emanating an ominous aura.

He sensed in Gaara a darkness, loneliness, and strength much like his own.

Sakura looked around nervously, searching for other Konoha comrades and trying to find a little comfort in familiar faces.

Ling Xuan, meanwhile, was like an outsider. Calmly, he walked over and sat in an empty seat.

He didn't bother observing anyone. The moment he'd entered the classroom, his Eye of Truth had already completed an initial scan of all the "high-value targets" inside.