Go! Chase Gaara!

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

At last, the day of the third round of the Chunin Exams arrived.

The enormous circular arena buzzed with voices. The stands were packed with nobles, officials, and ninja from the Land of Fire and other countries. The atmosphere was both lively and tense.

The four members of Team 7 stood at the entrance to the competitors' tunnel, clearly able to hear the thunderous cheers outside.

Naruto nervously rubbed his hands together. "Whoa! There are so many people! Way more than during the preliminaries!"

Sakura took a deep breath as well, trying to calm her pounding heart. "I heard even the Daimyo of the Land of Fire came..."

Sasuke had his hands in his pockets, his face expressionless, but his slightly pursed lips revealed the unrest in his heart.

His gaze occasionally swept toward the Hidden Sand Village's side, toward the red-haired boy carrying a gourd on his back, with heavy dark circles beneath his eyes—Gaara.

Ling Yue silently adjusted her breathing. The enhancement from [Lightning Flash Body Technique] had boosted her confidence considerably, but when facing an unknown opponent, she did not dare let down her guard in the slightest.

On the elevated platform, the Third Hokage was delivering his pre-match speech, promoting the way of the ninja and peace. Yet beneath the surface, currents churned. Everyone knew this exam was far more complicated than it appeared.

"...Then I hereby announce that the third round of the Chunin Selection Exams begins now!" The Third's voice spread through the entire arena via chakra.

Thunderous applause erupted.

Genma Shiranui, the referee, walked to the center of the arena with a senbon in his mouth and lazily announced, "First match: Ling Yue of the Hidden Leaf Village versus Zaku of the Hidden Sound Village."

Ling Yue froze for a moment. Zaku?

That Sound Ninja whose arms could fire strange shockwaves, the one Shino had easily taken down? He was actually her first opponent?

Hadn't he been eliminated in the preliminaries in the original story? It seemed that because of her butterfly effect, even the opponents had changed.

Still, this was better than directly facing a monster like Gaara.

"Go, Yue! Beat that Sound Ninja bastard flat!" Naruto shouted in encouragement.

Sasuke glanced at her and said flatly, "Don't lose too embarrassingly."

Sakura said, "Be careful of that strange ability of his!"

Ling Yue nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped into the enormous arena beneath the spotlight.

Across from her, Zaku stepped forward as well, wearing an arrogant, contemptuous grin as he flexed his modified arms. "Hmph, a female ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village? What luck. I got an easy target in the first match."

Ling Yue ignored his trash talk and simply watched him quietly. The perception of [Paper Arts] had already silently spread out, analyzing his aura and the energy fluctuations in those strange arms.

Genma Shiranui looked at the two of them. "Same rules as before. Deliberate killing is forbidden. Begin!"

The moment his words fell!

Zaku immediately raised both arms and aimed them at Ling Yue. "Air-Cutting Wave!"

Two highly compressed, invisible shockwaves shot out instantly, fast and wide-ranging!

A wave of startled cries rose from the stands! This kind of long-range attack that required no hand seals was difficult for genin to deal with!

However, Ling Yue moved the instant he raised his arms!

[Paper Arts] precisely sensed the trajectory of that invisible pressure! [Flash Step] erupted!

Her body slid diagonally forward to the left, avoiding the main range of the shockwaves. Only the corner of her clothes was grazed.

"What? She dodged?" Zaku froze, clearly not expecting his opponent to be so fast or to predict his attack so accurately!

He immediately fired Air-Cutting Waves in rapid succession!

One invisible shockwave after another shot toward Ling Yue!

Ling Yue pushed the combination of [Paper Arts] and [Flash Step] to the limit, leaving streaks of afterimages across the arena. Like a fish weaving through crashing waves, she always evaded at the last possible instant while steadily closing the distance!

"Damn it! Stop jumping around like a monkey!" Zaku grew increasingly agitated, and his attacks became more and more disordered.

Now!

Ling Yue caught an opening between his attacks and immediately activated [Thunder Breathing]! Lightning flashed!

[Lightning Flash Body Technique]!

Her speed instantly surged to an entirely new level! Like a bolt of lightning, she cut into Zaku's close range!

"So fast!" Zaku's pupils contracted as he hurriedly tried to retreat and launch an Air-Cutting Wave at point-blank range!

But Ling Yue gave him no chance!

Her fist, wrapped in fine arcs of electricity, smashed brutally into the joint of his raised arm!

"Aaaaargh!" Zaku let out a miserable scream. His arm joint was violently knocked out of place and deformed by a single punch! The Air-Cutting Wave launcher instantly malfunctioned as well!

Ling Yue did not stop moving. A side kick infused with Lightning-nature chakra followed immediately, slamming hard into his abdomen!

Zaku was sent flying backward and crashed heavily onto the ground, passing out on the spot.

The entire process was clean and decisive. From beginning to end, it took less than five minutes!

The entire arena fell silent for a moment before erupting into enthusiastic applause and cheers!

"She won! That was awesome!" Naruto jumped up excitedly.

A trace of surprise flashed through Sasuke's eyes as well. That burst of speed and power just now... Had she gotten stronger again?

Sakura was completely dumbfounded. "S-So amazing..."

High in the stands, Kakashi nodded slightly. "Her speed and timing were pretty good."

Guy shouted beside him, "Oh! The burning blood of youth! Will the Lotus of the Hidden Leaf Village bloom once more?!"

Ling Yue panted lightly, calming the surging chakra within her body.

[Lightning Flash Body Technique] had explosive power, but its consumption was considerable as well.

She glanced at Zaku, who was being carried away by the medical team, without much emotion stirring in her heart.

Showing mercy to an enemy was cruelty to oneself.

Genma Shiranui gave Ling Yue a somewhat surprised look before announcing, "First match, Ling Yue wins!"

Ling Yue left the arena amid applause and returned to the tunnel entrance.

"Great job!" Naruto gave her a hard pat.

Sasuke said nothing. His gaze merely lingered on her for a moment.

The following matches proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Second match: Temari of the Hidden Sand Village versus Shikamaru Nara of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Shikamaru's tactical planning, backed by his extraordinary intelligence and the Shadow Imitation Technique, amazed the entire audience. Although he eventually voluntarily forfeited due to insufficient chakra and because it was "too troublesome," he lost with honor. Temari had not won easily.

Third match: Naruto Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf Village versus Neji Hyuga of the Hidden Leaf Village.

It was a passionate showdown between a dead-last student and a genius. With his never-give-up will and his talk-no-jutsu, Naruto forcibly shattered Neji's theory of fate and turned the battle around with an unexpected A Thousand Years of Death, igniting the entire arena.

At last, it was time for the final match, the one everyone had been waiting for.

"Fourth match: Sasuke Uchiha of the Hidden Leaf Village versus Gaara of the Hidden Sand Village!" Even Genma Shiranui's voice carried a trace of solemnity.

The atmosphere in the arena instantly reached its peak!

Sasuke and Gaara entered the arena at the same time.

Their gazes collided, and sparks seemed to flash through the air.

One was an Uchiha prodigy pursuing power for revenge. The other was a bloodthirsty jinchuriki with the One-Tail sealed inside him.

The battle entered a fever pitch from the very start!

Sasuke's Chidori made its first appearance in an official match. The piercing cry of Chidori's Cry and its dazzling lightning stunned everyone!

His speed burst to the extreme, and he actually broke through Gaara's absolute defense—the Sand Shield—and injured Gaara himself!

But Gaara's terror was revealed immediately afterward! Quicksand Waterfall, Sand Coffin, and even partial tailed beast transformation... His terrifying strength and killing intent cast the entire arena beneath an oppressive shadow!

The intensity of the battle far surpassed every previous match, leaving the arena in complete ruins!

Ling Yue watched from the stands with her heart in her throat.

Although she knew the outcome from the original story, witnessing a battle of this level firsthand still placed enormous pressure on her.

So this was a clash between true geniuses and people with cheats?

Naruto and Sakura's palms were drenched in sweat from nervousness.

In the end, Sasuke ran out of chakra. Chidori could no longer break through Gaara's reinforced sand defense, and he was tightly trapped by flowing sand, on the verge of being crushed to death!

At the crucial moment, Kakashi and Guy intervened at the same time and saved Sasuke.

The referee announced, "Fourth match, Gaara wins!"

But Gaara was clearly not right. His injury and turbulent emotions seemed to have triggered Shukaku's rampage. Clutching his head, he let out a pained roar as even more terrifying and ominous chakra poured from his body!

In the stands, Orochimaru, disguised as the Kazekage, curled his lips into a sinister smile and bared his fangs at the Third Hokage beside him.

Almost simultaneously!

An enormous purple barrier suddenly rose around the arena, completely sealing it off!

"What's going on?!"

"What is that?" Panic immediately broke out among the audience!

Several figures appeared atop the elevated platform and lunged directly at the Third Hokage!

It was a joint assault by Sound Ninja and Sand Ninja!

"Enemy attack! Protect Lord Hokage!" The Hidden Leaf Village's ANBU and jonin immediately reacted and rushed toward the platform, only to be blocked by the barrier and the suddenly appearing Sound Four!

"It's begun..." Ling Yue looked at the arena, which had instantly descended into chaos, and could not help feeling tense as well.

The Konoha Crush Plan had finally arrived!

At the same time, Gaara in the stands completely lost control. Half his body was covered by Shukaku's Sand Armor as he let out an inhuman roar and began indiscriminately attacking everything around him!

"Naruto! Sakura! Shikamaru!" Kakashi's voice rang out amid the chaos, carrying an unprecedented urgency. "You three! Go after Gaara, now! You absolutely cannot let him fully transform into a tailed beast! Lead him out of the village! Hurry!"

"But..." Naruto looked at the chaotic arena and the crisis on the elevated platform, somewhat hesitant.

"Go, now! Leave this place to us!" Kakashi sternly ordered. At the same time, he looked at Sasuke and Ling Yue. "Sasuke, Ling Yue, you two go too! Assist Naruto! You must stop Gaara!"

Sasuke struggled to his feet. Though his chakra was exhausted, his eyes remained unyielding. "Got it!"

Ling Yue immediately nodded. "Understood!"

Mission changed! The final boss had changed from Orochimaru to the rampaging One-Tail!

The five-person team rushed out of the chaotic arena without hesitation, chasing in the direction Gaara had fled!

Behind them, an all-out war had already erupted! Explosions and the sounds of battle rang out everywhere throughout the Hidden Leaf Village!

As Ling Yue sprinted, she felt the chakra within her boiling from tension and battle.

The system panel silently appeared.

[Emergency mission issued: Assist in preventing the One-Tail Shukaku from fully reviving, and lead it to an uninhabited area outside the village.]

[Mission reward: Dimensional Points x1000, Skill Card Voucher (SR) x1.]

[Failure penalty: The Hidden Leaf Village suffers severe damage, and plot deviation increases significantly.]

An SR card voucher! An unprecedentedly generous reward!

But the penalty for failure was equally severe!

Ling Yue looked at Naruto beside her, panting hard but with determination in his eyes; Sasuke, whose chakra was depleted but who still gritted his teeth and persevered; and Sakura and Shikamaru, who were just as tense.

This time, it was no longer an exam. It was a real war.

She tightened her grip on her kunai, and lightning silently flashed in her eyes.

"Let's go! We'll beat him awake!"