The Fierce Battle Continues, and the Shadow of Sand

The aftershocks of Uchiha Ling's battle with Dosu Kinuta had yet to settle, and the fervent atmosphere in the arena was like dry kindling set ablaze. Ling sat in a corner of the lounge with his eyes closed, regulating his breathing. The soldier pill's medicinal power dissolved inside him, and with the Efficient Chakra Refining Technique and his powerful mental energy, he quickly recovered the chakra he had consumed while carefully sorting out the meridians that had grown somewhat disordered from his forced burst of power, as well as suppressing the restless curse mark.

The electronic screen lit up again, and a new matchup was revealed—

Naruto Uzumaki VS Kiba Inuzuka

This highly unpredictable match ultimately ended with Naruto defeating the well-coordinated pair of Kiba and Akamaru by the narrowest of margins, thanks to an unexpected "Fart Release Technique" and the physical resilience and tactical cunning he displayed afterward, which surpassed his usual level despite still looking utterly ridiculous. Naruto's victory once again shocked many people who had come to watch the show, and it sent his own confidence soaring.

Immediately afterward, the match between Shikamaru Nara and Kin Tsuchi unfolded as a one-sided affair. With his extraordinary intelligence and the exquisite use of the Shadow Imitation Technique, Shikamaru toyed with and subdued his opponent almost without shedding blood, advancing with ease. His performance made the jonin in the stands nod to themselves. A ninja who fought with his head like this could often bring far greater value to a team.

However, when the electronic screen displayed the names for the next match, the atmosphere in the entire arena abruptly turned heavy, even carrying a trace of chill.

Gaara VS Rock Lee

Rock Lee, with his thick brows and bowl cut, stepped into the arena carrying the hot blood of burning youth and an incomparably firm conviction. He looked toward his teacher Guy in the stands and received a shining thumbs-up filled with trust and encouragement. His opponent, Gaara, was like a moving source of disaster. Carrying a huge gourd on his back, he slowly walked in, each step bringing a suffocating pressure. His emotionless dark teal eyes swept over the passionate Lee as if he were looking at a dead thing.

"Guy-sensei! Please watch closely! This is my nindo!" Lee assumed his starting stance, his voice bright and full of fighting spirit.

Gaara merely spat out two cold words. "How boring."

The moment Genma Shiranui announced the start, Lee's figure vanished! That was the speed of pure taijutsu pushed to the extreme! It was even a little faster than the burst speed Uchiha Ling had displayed earlier!

"Leaf Whirlwind!"

A fierce gust from his leg came howling in! Yet just as it was about to strike Gaara, a wall of sand automatically surged out of the gourd on Gaara's back, blocking Lee's attack path with pinpoint accuracy!

"Bang!" A dull impact rang out. The sand wall shook slightly, but it remained indestructible.

Lee's pupils shrank, but his movements did not pause in the slightest. Even more violent and rapid attacks poured down like a storm! Leaf Gale, Dancing Leaf Shadow... he displayed the charm of taijutsu to the fullest, moving so fast that many genin present could only see afterimages flashing by!

But Gaara stood in place the entire time, without even moving a finger. The sand of his absolute defense seemed to possess life, always predicting ahead of time and blocking every one of Lee's attacks! The speed of the sand had actually kept up with Lee's taijutsu!

"How is that possible... even my speed..." Sweat appeared on Lee's forehead, and his heart was filled with shock.

In the stands, Guy's brows were tightly furrowed. Uchiha Ling was also observing with full attention. He could clearly "see" that the sand contained Gaara's cold and enormous chakra, as well as... an even deeper, more violent will filled with hatred—Shukaku the One-Tail!

"Taijutsu alone can't break through his defense," Guy said in a low voice.

Lee in the arena seemed to understand this as well. He abruptly retreated, and his hands began removing the heavy weights that had always been tied to his legs.

"That's..." An uproar spread through the stands.

When the heavy weights smashed to the ground with a tremendous boom, Lee's aura abruptly changed! His speed skyrocketed once again, reaching an unbelievable level! This time, even Gaara's sand struggled to keep up with his movements!

"Reverse Lotus!"

Having opened the First Gate: Gate of Opening of the Eight Gates, Lee's speed and strength increased explosively, and he finally broke through the interception of the sand defense for the first time. A heavy punch slammed viciously into Gaara's face!

However, only sand scattered from Gaara's face, while his real body was completely unharmed! Instead, his gaze became even colder and crueler because he had been attacked.

"You... hurt me." Gaara's voice was like a cold wind from the depths of the underworld.

An even more intense battle erupted! Ignoring the burden on his body, Lee successively opened the Second Gate: Gate of Healing and the Third Gate: Gate of Life! Green energy steam enveloped him, and his speed and strength reached a level that horrified every genin present, and even some chunin! He unleashed the Front Lotus, smashing Gaara hard toward the ground!

But just as everyone thought the outcome had been decided, Gaara's body turned into a pile of sand and scattered—it was a Sand Clone! The real Gaara slowly rose from another patch of sand, the killing intent in his eyes almost solidifying into reality.

"Enough." Gaara pronounced the verdict coldly.

More sand surged out like living creatures, instantly binding Lee, whose movements had slowed slightly after opening three gates! The sand began to tighten, producing an unbearable "creak," and it looked as though it was about to crush Lee completely!

"Stop!" Genma Shiranui and Guy in the stands shouted at the same time, preparing to intervene.

At the critical moment, a trace of resolve flashed through Lee's eyes. Using the last of his strength, he tried to force open the Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain!

"Lee! That's enough!" Guy-sensei's voice rang through the arena like thunder, full of pain and an effort to stop him.

In the end, Guy-sensei instantly entered the arena, stopped Lee from preparing to take his opponent down with him, and voluntarily conceded. Lee was covered in blood, had multiple fractures, and fell unconscious, then was urgently carried away by the medical team.

There were no victorious cheers after this battle, only a heavy silence. The absolute defense, cold ruthlessness, and unfathomable strength Gaara displayed pressed down on everyone's heart like a boulder. He stood in the arena and looked around. Wherever his gaze passed, no one dared meet his eyes, as if they had been stared at by the god of death.

Uchiha Ling could clearly feel that the chakra belonging to Shukaku on Gaara had grown even more active and unstable because of the stimulation from the battle and killing intent. This was an extremely dangerous signal.

Next came the match between Temari and Tenten. Relying on the powerful Wind Release she unleashed with her Three-Star Fan, Temari easily countered Tenten's abundant ninja tool attacks and advanced smoothly.

Then came Kankuro VS Sakura Haruno. Using the deceitfulness and poison mist of his puppet "Crow," Kankuro defeated Sakura, who lacked effective attack methods and real combat experience, with barely any effort.

Finally, the electronic screen froze on the final preliminary match—

Sasuke Uchiha VS Yoroi Akado

In this battle, although Sasuke fought with some difficulty because his curse mark was sealed and his chakra was restricted, he ultimately defeated his opponent without real danger by relying on the insight of the Sharingan and his more practiced use of Chidori, which benefited from Kakashi's special training and his observation and study of Uchiha Ling's fighting style.

With that, the list of those participating in the final stage of the third official exam was fully decided: Uchiha Ling, Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, Shikamaru Nara, Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara.

Hayate Gekko, who had recovered from his injuries and replaced Genma Shiranui to host the rest, announced that the final exam would be held one month later in a one-on-one elimination format. Daimyo and nobles from various countries would be invited to observe at that time.

The crowd gradually began to disperse, but the tense atmosphere lingering in the arena did not fade. The three siblings from the Hidden Sand Village gathered together, and the cold killing intent radiating from Gaara made the people around them subconsciously move away. Temari and Kankuro looked at Gaara, their eyes also carrying deep worry and a trace of fear.

Uchiha Ling looked in the direction of the three Hidden Sand ninja, his gaze lingering on Gaara in particular for a moment. He could sense that the final exam one month later would by no means be merely a contest between genin. Gaara, this unstable factor, and the conspiracy hidden behind him were the greatest threats.

"One month..." Uchiha Ling repeated this span of time in a low voice. In this month, he needed to become stronger, strong enough to handle any possible unexpected change. The curse mark on his left shoulder warmed slightly, as if it too were anticipating the storm to come.

(The End of Chapter 23)