Time moved forward a little.
The Chunin Ninja Exams had reached the final match of the First Round: Gaara versus Sasuke.
In the central viewing stand, Minato sat with the Fourth Kazekage, the Fourth Mizukage, and the daimyos of the two nations to watch the match.
"Lord Kazekage, is that your son?"
"He is."
Rasa's face was covered by his Kazekage hat. There was something unusual in his voice.
Minato noticed it. The look Rasa gave him held an hostility he could barely conceal.
Minato thought nothing more of it, assuming it was a grudge left over from the Third Shinobi World War. Still, he grew more wary.
Below them, Sasuke and Gaara had begun to clash.
The fight unfolded in a way Rasa and the others had not expected.
Sasuke had already awakened three Tomoe in his Sharingan. With Hikari's help, he had also completed his Chakra Nature Transformation training. He was many times stronger than he had once been.
From the start, Sasuke kept Gaara on the defensive.
Even so, Sasuke still struggled to break through Gaara's sand defense.
The Chakra Gaara's mother had left within him kept protecting him from harm.
"Troublesome. But don't think that means you can beat me."
"The Uchiha are the strongest!"
Lightning Release Chakra Mode!
Sasuke shouted, and dazzling blue light erupted around him as lightning enveloped his body.
Then he moved with speed that rivaled Rock Lee's, striking Gaara again and again and sending him flying through the air.
"Another one of these troublesome guys!" Gaara's expression was cold. His Sand Armor took blow after blow and was on the verge of shattering.
His urge to kill was frighteningly strong now. After his uncle Yashamaru had tried to assassinate him, Gaara no longer trusted anyone.
Even his own siblings, Kankuro and