Gambling

Hui glanced calmly toward Gaara, tilting her head as she looked at him. There was no hatred or surprise in her eyes.

He could see that Hui wasn't afraid of death. There was no hatred or fear in her eyes, only confusion and gentleness. It was as if she was wondering why he was still keeping her trapped. And that gentleness... it seemed she had always looked at him that way.

For some reason, Gaara felt himself calm down. Usually, at times like this, his mind held nothing but thoughts of killing. He wanted to kill everyone whose gaze irritated him.

But Hui Youling was different. He had realized that over the past few days. She wasn't like anyone else. She was one of his kind—a monster, a demon in the eyes of others. And yet she smiled so often, like a little sun.

Shh... shh...

After a long while, the sound of shifting sand reached them. Hui felt the pressure around her ease as the sand slowly loosened its grip. It carefully lowered her from the air, and her feet touched the ground with a soft scraping sound.

The instant she landed, Hui smiled to herself. A flood of emotions flickered through her eyes, and her expression changed in a flash, the battle-madness fading from her face.

Once she had steadied herself, Hui ran toward Gaara. She didn't have a single wound, and the same smile still curved her lips—but now it was brighter than ever.

She was happy, and Gaara could tell. Her smile was still as warm as ever. His green eyes flickered. Hui hadn't run away or shown any fear of him. Her eyes had stayed fixed on him the whole time. Even though he had nearly killed her just moments ago, she had still come back to him, smiling just as brightly.

Hui was simply happy that she was different in Gaara's heart. He hadn't hurt her; he had even considerately lowered her from the air. She didn't know why the thought filled her with such joy. Being treated differently left her overwhelmed, so happy she felt ready to burst.

What Hui didn't know was that whenever Gaara's chakra ran wild, Shukaku kept repeating the same words in his mind: Kill her. Kill her. Often, he truly couldn't control his emotions. But he had suppressed that urge and hadn't let himself hurt Hui in the slightest. So he really could control his desire to kill.

In fact, Hui had been gambling, too. She could have run away, but she didn't want to. She wanted to test how much she mattered to Gaara, and she couldn't wait to find out. The seal she had formed earlier was the Substitution Technique, but she no longer needed to use it to escape. Since Gaara hadn't killed her, she knew she had made the right bet. At least this time, she had gotten the result she wanted, and her wish had moved one step closer.

Although both of them had their own thoughts, neither intended to tell the other. They kept them in their hearts like secrets. But from that moment on, the distance between them was no longer so great. They had come to understand each other—and themselves.

Hui gazed at Gaara, barely blinking. Her affection was practically spilling out of her. "Gaara, you're amazing!"

Gaara looked at her and smiled faintly. Hui's eyes seemed to speak. Her dark eyes were like an abyss, yet whenever she looked at him, they came alive. Compared to hatred, they were so unusual. He found that her gaze made him feel less agitated.

"Oh, right, Gaara. Try compressing the sand into tiny, denser beads, then attack your enemies with a shower of them! Or take advantage of how easily the sand changes shape and turn it into spears! Or make a pair of hands rise from the ground and grab enemies from a distance!"

Hui began telling Gaara all the ideas she had come up with. Her voice was full of excitement, and her eyes seemed to burn with fire, setting her own spirit alight—and warming the cold Gaara, too.

Gaara watched Hui's eyes, feeling warmer inside by the moment. As he listened to her describe her ideas, he began trying them out one by one. Her explanations were clear enough that he easily formed sand beads, then increased their number and range.

A faint glimmer shone in Hui's eyes as she looked up at the sand beads in the air. She seemed to see Gaara in the future, dominating the battlefield. The sand shifted again, taking the shape of spears, then a pair of enormous hands.

Hui could no longer be bothered with the irritating chakra around them. The people watching Gaara demonstrate one new technique after another felt nothing but fear. Some of them seemed ready to flee.

Hui turned to look at the retreating figure. Her smile grew cold, and her eyes brimmed with contempt and malice. Just then, Gaara turned toward her. Her expression changed in an instant. She tilted her head adorably and said with a light laugh, "Mm, you're super amazing!"

Inner World.

Zhan laughed wildly. "Hahaha! Hui Youling, you really are an idiot!"

She looked around the space. Something like black paint spread across the entire world, creeping outward from beneath Zhan's feet. It was as if the world were being corroded. If there were any plants, it might have looked more beautiful.

With that thought, Zhan curled her lips into a smile. A riot of colorful flowers sprang up beneath her feet, blooming in clusters, dreamy and brilliant. But a moment later, the black substance engulfed them, quickly turning them into withered stalks. The space grew darker, and an aura of death enveloped it.

Zhan grinned. "Hahaha! You like it, don't you? Let yourself be destroyed, just like before. Love really is an interesting thing."

"I can't wait to see you in such a wretched, crazed state, Hui Youling!"

Rasa's office.

Rasa's brow furrowed as he listened to his subordinate's halting report about what had happened. By the end, all he felt was shock.

"Gaara fought her? But he didn't kill her?" Rasa shot to his feet, asking in disbelief.

"Y-yes, Lord Kazekage... And she was the one who suggested they fight. Now they're studying new ninjutsu together."

"..." Rasa fell silent, his mind turning over countless possibilities, his eyes clouded with worry.

Just how strong was Hui Youling? Why had Orochimaru sent his student here? Stealing information was one thing, but she was being far too brazen and conspicuous.

From what he had found out, Hui Youling was the only one who had entered Sunagakure. Yet she had also gotten close to Gaara. What was that man thinking? And then she had even suggested sparring with Gaara. What if the fight had brought out Shukaku...

At the thought, Rasa's heart lurched and his pulse quickened. He couldn't imagine the consequences of Shukaku suddenly appearing. The damage would be no less than losing the information.

"My lord, what... should I do?" The subordinate was frightened. He no longer wanted to keep watch. He just wanted to stay far away from those monsters. If only they could be executed.

Rasa frowned at his subordinate and steadied himself. "Keep watching," he said calmly.

The man's heart sank. He looked at Rasa as if he were heading to his death, but Rasa's expression was so composed. He knew he couldn't overstep again, so he accepted the order and went back to keep watch.

Once his subordinate had finally left, Rasa sat back down in irritation. His gaze fixed on the ground, grave, while his mind raced to find a solution. He absolutely, absolutely couldn't let this Hui Youling stay in Sunagakure!

How could he get her out without compromising the dignity of a great nation, damaging the friendship between allied countries, or disrupting trade with other regions?

"Tsk... Orochimaru... Of all people, she had to be that man's student. What is he planning?" Rasa rose from his seat and looked out the window toward Sunagakure, his mind troubled. There were still plenty of people in the trading market. That trade was essential to Sunagakure. He had to find the most suitable way to resolve this!