Monster Gaara

"Ding! Host has entered the designated area. Special mission triggered!"

Lin Mu, who had been sprinting for some time while following Shikamaru, suddenly heard the system's notification chime.

He hurriedly pulled up the system panel and checked the mission log, where a special mission had indeed appeared.

Special Mission: Shatter the Sunagakure conspiracy and suppress the One-Tail Gaara.

Mission Item: Deep Forest Bloom experience card

Mission Rewards: Wood Release Wood Human Technique experience card ×1

Wood Release Wood Clone Technique

Gold ×2000

Lin Mu had been quite calm initially; although he was curious about the special mission, it was merely curiosity.

But when he saw the mission rewards, he could no longer remain composed!

Wood Release Wood Human Technique experience card?

Wood Release Wood Clone Technique?

2000 Gold?

What a luxurious set of mission rewards!

Especially the Wood Release Wood Human Technique; even though it was just an experience card, it did nothing to dampen the excitement in Lin Mu's heart!

Back in the day, Senju Hashirama wielded this Wood Human Technique to catch Tailed Beast Balls and pummel the Nine-Tails!

However, after careful consideration, Lin Mu's heart gradually calmed down.

This Wood Human Technique should be linked to his own chakra.

In other words, the strength of his chakra would determine the strength of the Wood Human Technique.

If this wood human were truly as powerful as the one Senju Hashirama displayed, then a mere One-Tail Shukaku would be nothing more than a toy to be toyed with at will.

But would such a generous reward be given for something so simple?

The more Lin Mu thought about it, the more he felt his reasoning was correct.

Normally, the harder the mission, the more generous the reward.

Therefore, one could infer from such generous rewards that the difficulty of this mission must be extremely high!

"It seems this operation won't go smoothly..."

Lin Mu muttered to himself and quickened his pace.

"Cough..."

A soft cough echoed out as Gaara slowly opened his eyes.

Seeing Gaara wake up in her arms, Temari finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Just moments ago, when Kankuro was carrying Gaara and was caught by Sasuke Uchiha, Kankuro had handed Gaara over to Temari—who had just caught up—to protect the unconscious Gaara, telling her to continue fleeing with him.

But Kankuro was then intercepted by the pursuing Shino Aburame, and Sasuke Uchiha had caught up to her and Gaara once again.

If Gaara hadn't woken up just now, she truly wouldn't have known how to handle the situation!

At this moment, Sasuke Uchiha stood on a large tree dozens of meters away from Temari and Gaara, looking down at the two of them with cold indifference:

"I don't know what kind of scheme you Sand Ninja are plotting, but I will definitely stop you! And then..."

Sasuke Uchiha paused for a moment before continuing:

"I will see your true face!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Seemingly triggered by Sasuke Uchiha's words, Gaara suddenly clutched his head and hunched over, letting out a painful roar.

"Crack, crack, crack..."

The skin on Gaara's body began to split apart like crumbling sand.

Seeing Gaara's transformation, Temari's expression changed, and she shouted at Gaara:

"Stop it! Gaara, have you forgotten the mission?"

But Gaara's mind seemed to have descended into madness; he ignored Temari and stared instead at Sasuke Uchiha.

His voice was low, as if he were speaking to Sasuke, or perhaps just muttering to himself.

"You who are strong, you who are named Sasuke Uchiha, you who have comrades, you who have goals, you who are so like me—only by killing you, as an existence that wipes away everything, can I exist in this world. Only then can I feel that I am alive!"

As he spoke, Gaara seemed to be in even greater agony; he suddenly fell to his knees and roared in despair.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Suddenly, Sasuke Uchiha saw the right side of Gaara's body swell violently, slowly growing a massive claw, and even the teeth on the right side of his mouth transformed into sharp fangs!

Gaara's entire right side seemed to have turned into a monster, covered in strange, eerie patterns.

"You are... my... prey!"

He curled his lips into a maniacal arc, uttering words of madness.

He leaped into the air, pouncing toward Sasuke Uchiha with blistering speed.

With a single swipe of his claw, the massive tree behind Sasuke was instantly severed in two.

At this moment, Sasuke hid behind a tree not far away, his back soaked in cold sweat.

What immense brute strength!

Had that blow connected, he would have been severely wounded, if not killed outright!

"Sasuke Uchiha, are you afraid of me? Has your hatred and killing intent been eclipsed by fear? Is this all you amount to?!"

Gaara continued to roar like a ferocious, violent beast!

Gaara's words were like knives, yet also like keys, unlocking fragments of Sasuke Uchiha's memories.

He, Sasuke Uchiha, was also a man filled with killing intent and hatred!

A flash of red light flickered as the Sharingan activated!

Lightning crackled incessantly in his hand, dancing like serpents!

This is... Chidori!

Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara, now transformed into a monster, lunged fiercely toward one another.

"Rip..."

Gaara's monstrous right arm was sliced clean in two by Sasuke's Chidori.

Intense pain swept through Gaara's brain, yet he seemed only more exhilarated.

"Hahahahahahahaha!"

Maniacal laughter erupted from his throat, and from behind Gaara, sand surged outward, extending into a massive, gargantuan tail.

The tail was covered in sharp barbs, seemingly condensing a terrifying power.

What kind of monster is this...

Sasuke Uchiha's lightning faded, and he stared at Gaara in disbelief; the wounds he had inflicted with Chidori seemed to heal in an instant.

Gaara pounced again, gathering immense power to strike at Sasuke Uchiha.

This time, Sasuke was completely overwhelmed, his life hanging by a thread!

Yet, the words Gaara had spoken flashed repeatedly through his mind.

Hatred... killing intent... power...

A figure suddenly appeared in his mind—the man who had slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan.

This is...

Itachi Uchiha!

Hatred and killing intent flooded Sasuke Uchiha's mind once more.

Strange, exotic patterns began to spread from the nape of Sasuke Uchiha's neck across his body.

Having already used Chidori twice in the previous skirmish, Sasuke, with his chakra nearly depleted, felt lightning begin to flicker on his right hand once again.

This is the power of the Cursed Seal!

Just like their first clash, Sasuke and Gaara charged past each other.

Afterward, Sasuke collapsed onto a tree branch, unconscious.

Gaara roared in agony as his monstrous right arm fell away, but the sand on his body immediately coalesced to form a new one.

He clenched his fist, his monstrous claw reaching out viciously toward Sasuke Uchiha.

With this strike, he intended to erase Sasuke Uchiha from this world entirely, to crush him into a pulp of flesh and blood!

At this critical moment, the trunk of the tree where Sasuke lay suddenly expanded wildly, forming a wooden wall that firmly shielded Sasuke Uchiha within!