The Monster Gaara

"Ding! The host has entered a designated area. Special mission activated!"

Following Shikamaru, Lin Mu had been running for some time when he suddenly heard the system's notification.

He quickly brought up the system panel and checked the mission tab. Sure enough, a special mission had appeared.

Special Mission: Crush Sunagakure's scheme and suppress the One-Tail, Gaara.

Mission Item: Deep Forest Bloom Experience Card

Mission Reward: Wood Release: Wood Human Technique Experience Card ×1

Wood Release: Wood Clone Technique

Gold Coin ×2000

Lin Mu had been quite calm at first. He was curious about the special mission, but that was all.

But when he saw the rewards, he could no longer stay calm!

A Wood Release: Wood Human Technique Experience Card?

Wood Release: Wood Clone Technique?

Two thousand Gold Coins?

What an extravagant reward!

The Wood Human Technique especially—though it was only an experience card, that did nothing to lessen Lin Mu's excitement!

Back then, Senju Hashirama had wielded the Wood Human Technique, caught a Tailed Beast Bomb in his hand, and beaten the Nine-Tails to a pulp!

But after thinking it over carefully, Lin Mu gradually calmed down.

The Wood Human Technique was probably tied to his chakra.

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

If his Wood Human were as powerful as the one Senju Hashirama had summoned, then the mere One-Tail, Shukaku, would be nothing more than a toy for him to handle as he pleased.

But would a mission with such generous rewards be given if that were the case?

The more Lin Mu thought it over, the more convinced he became that his reasoning was right.

Normally, the harder the mission, the better the rewards.

So the lavish rewards suggested that this mission would be extremely difficult!

"Looks like this operation won't go smoothly..."

Lin Mu muttered to himself and quickened his pace.

"Cough..."

A faint cough sounded, and Gaara slowly opened his eyes.

When Temari saw Gaara wake in her arms, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Earlier, Sasuke had caught up with Kankuro while he was carrying Gaara. To protect the unconscious Gaara, Kankuro had handed him over to Temari, who had just caught up, and told her to keep running with him.

But then Shino Aburame had intercepted Kankuro, and Sasuke Uchiha had caught up with her and Gaara again.

If Gaara hadn't woken up now, she wouldn't have known what to do!

Sasuke Uchiha stood on a large tree dozens of meters from Temari and Gaara, looking down at them with a cold expression.

"I don't know what you Sand Ninja are planning, but I'll stop you! And then..."

Sasuke Uchiha paused before continuing:

"I'll see your true face!"

"AAAAAAAH!"

As if Sasuke Uchiha's words had stirred his emotions, Gaara suddenly clutched his head, doubled over, and let out a pained howl.

"Crack, crack, crack..."

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

Seeing Gaara change, Temari's expression shifted. She shouted at him:

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

But Gaara seemed to have gone mad. He ignored Temari and looked at Sasuke Uchiha instead.

His voice was low, as though he were speaking to Sasuke or muttering to himself.

"I need you, the powerful one named Sasuke Uchiha, the one with companions, the one with a goal, the one so much like me. Only by killing you, as a being who destroys everything, can I exist in this world. Only then can I feel alive!"

As he spoke, Gaara seemed to grow even more tormented. He suddenly fell to his knees and howled in despair.

"AAAAAAAH!"

Suddenly, Sasuke Uchiha saw the right side of Gaara's body swell violently. A massive claw slowly emerged, and even the teeth on the right side of his mouth became sharp fangs!

Gaara's entire right side had transformed into something monstrous, covered in strange patterns.

"You're... my... prey!"

His mouth twisted into a deranged grin as he uttered those frenzied words.

He leapt into the air and lunged at Sasuke Uchiha at incredible speed.

With a single swipe of his claw, he cleaved the great tree behind Sasuke in two.

At that moment, Sasuke was hiding behind a nearby tree, his back drenched in cold sweat.

"What monstrous strength!"

If that blow had hit him, he would have been severely injured, if not killed!

"Sasuke Uchiha, are you afraid of me? Has fear clouded your hatred and murderous intent? Is this all you've got?!"

Gaara continued to roar like a ferocious beast!

Gaara's words were like both a knife and a key, unlocking some of Sasuke Uchiha's memories.

He, Sasuke Uchiha, was a person filled with murderous intent and hatred too!

A flash of red, and the Sharingan opened!

Lightning flickered in his hand, electric snakes dancing!

This was... Chidori!

Sasuke Uchiha and the monster Gaara charged toward each other.

"Slash..."

Sasuke's Chidori sliced through the monster's right arm, cleaving it in two.

A wave of intense pain swept through Gaara's mind, but he seemed even more excited.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Frenzied laughter poured from his mouth. Behind him, sand spread out, forming an enormous tail.

The tail was covered in sharp barbs and seemed to hold a terrifying power.

"What kind of monster is this...?"

The lightning in Sasuke Uchiha's hand went out. He stared at Gaara in disbelief. The wound from his Chidori seemed to have healed instantly.

Gaara lunged at Sasuke again, channeling immense strength into his attack.

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

But Gaara's words kept flashing through his mind.

Hatred... murderous intent... power...

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

This was...

Itachi Uchiha!

Hatred and murderous intent once again filled Sasuke Uchiha's mind.

Strange patterns spread from Sasuke Uchiha's neck across his body.

He had already used Chidori twice in the battle, and his chakra was nearly depleted, yet lightning began crackling in Sasuke's right hand again.

This was the power of the Cursed Seal!

As in their first clash, Sasuke and Gaara charged past each other.

Then Sasuke collapsed onto a tree branch, unconscious.

Gaara howled in pain. His monstrous right arm fell off, but sand quickly gathered over his body and formed a new one.

He clenched his fist and thrust his monstrous claw toward Sasuke Uchiha.

With that claw, he would erase Sasuke Uchiha from the world, crushing him into a lump of flesh!

At that critical moment, the trunk of the tree Sasuke was on suddenly stretched out wildly, forming a wooden wall that shielded Sasuke Uchiha completely.