Sasuke vs. Gaara

On the platform, as Rasa heard Gekko Hayate call out Gaara's name, a rare, faint smile appeared on his usually indifferent face.

Jiraiya instantly caught that fleeting arc of light and said in a meaningful whisper:

"You seem to be really looking forward to the upcoming match."

"After all, the one who's going to appear next is that descendant of the Uchiha Clan."

Rasa looked down at the two boys who had stepped onto the arena, his eyes filled with undisguised anticipation:

"Will the young genius of the Uchiha Clan, along with Gaara of Sand Village, bring this Chunin Ninja Exams to a final close...?"

That's really great! I'm sure they'll deliver a fantastic competition for everyone present.

"Haha, yes, yes, you're right!"

Jiraiya nodded with a hearty laugh, concealing the thoughtful look in his eyes once again behind his usual exaggerated smile.

On the arena, Gaara stared intently at Sasuke, a maniacal smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Hmph, hahaha..."

Sasuke met Gaara's eyes coldly, his brows furrowing in displeasure.

"You seem quite excited."

"Ah, I... I really am excited."

Gaara raised his hand, his fingertips slowly tracing his cheek, his smile twisting even more:

"Hey, tell me, what does your blood look like? What kind of expression do you make when it hurts?"

"Hmm... it must be very delicious."

As soon as he finished speaking, countless grains of sand emerged from the huge gourd behind him, spreading out like living things and swirling silently above the arena, exuding a suffocatingly intense killing intent!

Sasuke looked at the red-haired boy whose mental state was clearly off, and in his dark eyes, the crimson Two-Tomoe Sharingan had quietly emerged:

"Hmph, you probably won't see my blood."

But soon, you'll be able to see your own blood!

"... Heh, that's a real shame. After all, I've never even seen my own blood before."

Gaara said coldly, then raised his hand and swung it down sharply in Sasuke's direction:

"Sand Shower!!"

Countless sand bullets poured out from the sand cloud suspended in mid-air, crashing down on Sasuke's head!

Sasuke faced the barrage of sand projectiles, his crimson Two-Tomoe Sharingan spinning rapidly, capturing the trajectory of each sand projectile with crystal clarity!

He drew the long sword from his back with a backhand motion, and at the same instant the blade was drawn, intense lightning had already spread to the tip of the sword!

Sasuke gripped his Thunder Sword tightly and swung it fiercely at the onrushing rain of sand:

"Chidori Current, Chidori Senbon!!"

As he finished speaking, countless lightning needles, shaped like Senbon needles, erupted from the blade, densely packed together, and rushed towards the sand bomb!

Each lightning rod struck a sand bomb with pinpoint accuracy, the electric arcs colliding violently with the sand in mid-air, precisely scattering the dense rain of sand!

On the platform, Rasa's expression changed instantly as he watched Sasuke so easily neutralize Gaara's overwhelming Sand Shower.

"That's... a change in the nature of lightning?"

He stared intently at the long sword in Sasuke, still crackling with electricity, and his tone grew increasingly somber:

"No, not only that, but at the moment he swung his sword, he used the visual perception ability of his Sharingan to accurately capture the trajectory of each sand bullet, and then mobilized an appropriate amount of Chakra to counteract Gaara's Sand Shower with minimal consumption!"

Even disregarding the Sharingan, this exquisite Chakra control alone is already at the Jonin!

He muttered to himself, looking at the black-haired boy holding a knife on the arena with great apprehension:

"I must say, he truly lives up to his reputation as a descendant of the Uchiha Clan..."

But that's fine too. The stronger the opponent, the faster the monster inside Gaara will awaken.

As long as the plan proceeds smoothly, the outcome of this competition is completely irrelevant!

"... cut."

On the arena, Gaara looked at the composed Sasuke before him, and scoffed. The initial elation in his eyes was replaced by deep apprehension.

"What, is that all you've got?"

Sasuke casually flicked the long sword in his hand, a mocking smile playing on his lips:

"If you don't attack again, then I'm going to attack!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands. The crackling lightning that had been emanating from the blade had just dissipated and was replaced by blazing crimson flames!

"Uchiha Style: Great Flame Dance!!"

Sasuke suddenly swung his sword, and the blazing flames wrapped around the blade instantly detached from the edge, transforming into a dazzling arc of fire that slashed rapidly towards Gaara!

Gaara snorted coldly, and with a thought, the sand cloud that was originally floating in the air quickly condensed into a huge sand shield in front of him.

"Boom!!"

The fierce fiery slash slammed heavily against the sand shield, exploding into a blinding burst of Kakkō that scorched the entire sand shield red-hot!

Although the fiery slash was ultimately blocked, the sand shield was shattered into countless holes by the previous attack.

Gaara through the gap in the sand shield, from which scalding sand continued to flow, towards the direction where Sasuke had just stood, trying to find Sasuke's whereabouts.

However, the place was already deserted.

His heart skipped a beat, and driven by instinct, he abruptly turned his head.

What came into view was Sasuke's cold, stern face so close to his own, and a fist hurtling toward his face.

"Lightning Release: Swift Thunder."

Sasuke's feet were still wreathed in his own roaring, leaping lightning, and a mocking chill emanated from his Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

In the instant that Gaara's vision was blocked by the sand shield, he seized the opportunity to complete the hand seals for Swift Thunder Hand Seals.

With the help of Swift Thunder, Gaara's sand simply couldn't keep up with his speed!

"Not good!"

Gaara's expression instantly turned ugly.

Before the surrounding sand swarm could arrive, Sasuke's fist had already slammed heavily into Gaara's face!

"Snap!"

With a muffled thud, Gaara's Sand Armor shattered inch by inch from the point of impact, and he was sent flying, crashing heavily into the corner of the arena, leaving several deep cracks in the thick stone wall.

"Ha, is it over just like that?"

Sasuke flexed his wrists, coldly watching Gaara struggle to his feet from the rubble, his body still Gaara slightly.

"You must be more than that, don't disappoint me!"

This level of combat isn't even a warm-up.

"Shut up!!"

Gaara roared ferociously, and countless grains of sand surged wildly from the gourd on his back, instantly covering the entire arena!

In the contestants' preparation area, Naruto, Naruto had been leaning lazily against the railing, looked at the terrifying sea of sand that almost engulfed the contestants' platform. His expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly sat up straight.

"No, this power, could it be..."

On the arena, Sasuke gazed at the vast sea of sand that seemed to swallow the entire arena, and his usually composed face finally changed color.

The Two-Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly in its sockets, capturing Gaara's every subtle movement, and the grip on the sword hilt tightened involuntarily.

"Die!!"

Gaara roared ferociously, controlling the vast sea of sand to pounce on Sasuke from all directions, attempting to completely devour the black-haired boy who was still calmly watching him!

"Quicksand Waterfall-- "

However, at this crucial moment, Gaara's voice suddenly stopped.

The vast sea of sand, which had already surged up, lost all control in an instant before it could unleash its true power. It crashed down from mid-air, turning into a lifeless mass of loose sand that silently covered the entire arena.

Tick-tock, tick-tock...

Gaara stiffly lowered his head, staring incredulously at the blazing lightning that pierced through his abdomen, and at the unfamiliar, warm red liquid dripping slowly from the wound. His whole body trembled violently uncontrollably.

"It's over."

Sasuke firmly gripped the Thunder Sword, now transformed into the Chidori Sharp Spear, and looked at Gaara ahead, his tone almost indifferent:

"Quickly admit defeat, then go down and bandage your wounds. You should understand by now, this can't even be called a fight."

We've never been on the same level.

Having said that, he slowly shifted his gaze from Gaara's utterly distorted face, looking towards the arena, a gentle smile curving his lips:

"In this Chunin Ninja Exams, the only one who can truly be considered my opponent is—"

"Idiot Sasuke! What are you doing?!"

On the contestant's platform, Naruto angrily shouted at Sasuke:

"Don't get distracted!! That guy, that guy's acting really strange right now!!"

Hearing Naruto's almost roaring warning, Sasuke instantly became alert, turned his head sharply, and looked solemnly at Gaara kneeling in the middle of the sand sea.

All the composure and indifference on his face were instantly replaced by deep shock and solemnity!

In the blink of an eye, Gaara had undergone some strange and drastic change...