Gambling

Hui Youling looked calmly toward Gaara, tilting her head as she watched him, her eyes devoid of both hatred and surprise.

He could see that there was no fear of death in her eyes, nor any hatred or terror—only confusion and tenderness. It was as if she were wondering why he was still trapping her, and as for that tenderness, it seemed that was how she had always looked at him.

Gaara inexplicably felt himself calm down. Every time he reached this state, his mind was filled only with slaughter; he wanted to kill everyone whose gaze made him feel annoyed.

But Hui Youling was special; this was something he had realized over the past few days. She was different from everyone else. She was the same kind of person as him—a monster, a demon in the eyes of others, even if she loved to smile so much, like a little sun.

Shh... shh...

After a long while, the sound of flowing sand drifted over. Hui could feel the pressure around her body diminish. The sand slowly loosened its grip and gently lowered her from mid-air, setting her down steadily. As Hui landed, her feet made a soft "crinkle" sound against the sand.

The moment her feet touched the ground, Hui laughed inwardly. A flurry of emotions crossed her eyes, and her expression shifted in an instant, shedding the morbid, battle-hardened look.

Once she stood steady, Hui ran toward Gaara. There wasn't a single scratch on her, and that same smile remained on her lips, only now it looked even more radiant.

She was happy; Gaara could tell. Her smile was still so warm. Gaara's green eyes flickered. Hui hadn't run away, nor was she afraid of him. She had been watching him the whole time. Even though he had truly almost killed her just now, she had still returned to his side, still smiling just like that.

Hui was simply happy that she could be different in Gaara's heart. He hadn't hurt her, and he had even thoughtfully lowered her from the air. She didn't know why, but the thought filled her with nothing but joy. This feeling of being treated differently truly left her flattered, so happy she felt like she might burst.

In truth, Hui didn't know that when Gaara's chakra was in turmoil, Shukaku was constantly repeating the words "kill her, kill her" in his mind. Many times, he truly couldn't control his emotions, yet he had suppressed that urge, not letting himself harm Hui even in the slightest. It turned out he really could control his desire to kill.

Actually, this had been a gamble for Hui. She could have easily run away, but she didn't want to. She wanted to try—to see how much weight she held in Gaara's heart. She was impatient to know the answer. The hand seal she had formed earlier was for the Substitution Technique, but she didn't need to use it to escape because Gaara hadn't killed her. She knew she had won the gamble; at least this time, she had achieved the result she wanted, and her wish had taken a step forward.

Although both of them had their own thoughts, neither intended to tell the other, hiding them like secrets in their hearts. But from this moment on, the distance between them was no longer so vast; they understood the other, and they understood themselves.

Hui stared at Gaara, her eyes unblinking, her affection nearly overflowing. "Gaara, you really are amazing!"

Gaara looked at her and gave a faint smile. Hui's eyes seemed capable of speech; her deep black eyes were actually like an abyss, yet they became so lively whenever she looked at him. Compared to hatred, it was truly too special. He felt that this gaze made him feel less irritable.

"Oh, right! Gaara, try condensing the sand into smaller, denser beads, then attack the enemy with a sky full of sand beads! Or use the versatile nature of the sand to turn it into spears! Or have a pair of hands reach out from the ground to grab enemies from afar!"

Hui began to tell Gaara all the ideas in her mind. Her voice remained excited, and there was a fire burning in her eyes, consuming her, and also burning the cold Gaara.

Gaara stared into Hui's eyes, feeling warmer inside. As he listened to her descriptions, he began to try them out repeatedly. Because Hui's descriptions were quite specific, Gaara easily condensed the sand into beads, then continuously expanded their quantity and range.

Hui's eyes shimmered as she looked up at the sand beads in the air, as if seeing Gaara's future glory. The sand slowly changed, becoming spears, then a pair of giant hands.

Hui couldn't be bothered to pay attention to the annoying chakra nearby. Those people watching Gaara's ever-changing techniques felt nothing but fear—pure, unadulterated fear. Some seemed to be on the verge of running away.

Hui turned to look at a retreating figure, the smile on her lips turning somewhat cold, her eyes filled with disdain and destruction. At that moment, Gaara turned to look at her, and the expression on Hui's face changed in an instant. She tilted her head adorably and said with a light laugh, "Yeah, super amazing!"

Inner World.

Zhan laughed wantonly. "Hahaha, Hui Youling, you really are a fool!"

She looked at the surrounding space, where something like black paint was washing over the entire world, spreading continuously from beneath Zhan's feet. It was as if the world were being corroded; if there were any plants here, it would seem even more aesthetic.

Thinking this, Zhan curled her lips. Beneath her feet, colorful flowers instantly bloomed, clustering in a dreamy and brilliant display. However, in just an instant, they were submerged by the black substance, rapidly turning into withered branches. The space grew darker, and an aura of death surrounded the area.

Zhan raised her lips and laughed. "Hahaha, love it, be destroyed by it, just like before. Love really is an interesting thing."

"I truly can't wait to see you looking wretched and insane, Hui Youling!"

Rasa's office.

Rasa frowned tightly as he looked at his subordinate, listening to the fragmented report about the situation. By the time he heard the end, his heart was filled with nothing but astonishment.

"Gaara fought her? But he didn't kill her?" Rasa stood up from his seat in shock, asking in disbelief.

"Y-yes, Kazekage-sama... and it was she who proposed the fight. Now, the two of them are researching new ninjutsu."

"..." Rasa fell silent, his mind racing as he pondered many things, his eyes filled with worry.

What was the true extent of Hui Youling's strength? And what did it mean for Orochimaru to send his disciple here? Stealing intelligence was too blatant, and her behavior was far too ostentatious.

The information he had investigated confirmed that only Hui Youling had entered Sunagakure, yet she had specifically approached Gaara. What on earth was that man thinking? She had even proposed sparring with Gaara. If today's battle had triggered Shukaku...

At this thought, Rasa's heart panicked, his pulse quickening. He couldn't imagine the consequences of Shukaku suddenly appearing; the resulting losses would be no less severe than the loss of intelligence.

"My lord, what... should I do?" The man felt fear in his heart; in truth, he no longer wanted to continue the surveillance. He just wanted to stay as far away from those monsters as possible. If only they could be executed.

Rasa narrowed his eyes at his subordinate, steadying his mind. "Continue the surveillance," he said coldly.

The man's heart sank, his expression one of a man walking to his death as he looked at Rasa. But Rasa's expression was too indifferent. The man knew he couldn't overstep his bounds any further, so he finally accepted the order and went to continue the watch.

Seeing his subordinate finally leave, Rasa sat back down in his chair, annoyed. He looked at the floor with a heavy gaze, his mind rapidly calculating countermeasures. He absolutely, absolutely could not let this Hui Youling remain in Sunagakure!

How could he get her out without losing the dignity of a Great Nation, without affecting the bonds of the Allied Nations, and without impacting trade with other regions?

"Tch... Orochimaru... it had to be this guy's student. What exactly is he planning?" Rasa stood up from his chair and looked out at Sunagakure with a heavy heart. Even now, there were still many people in the trading market. This kind of exchange was indispensable to Sunagakure. He had to resolve this matter using the most appropriate method!