More Testing

"So you basically have an infinite amount of sand at your disposal?" Zeus asked, observing Gaara standing before him with pores opening up all over his skin. From them, sand flew out and levitated.

"It's not infinite, but I can't feel the end of it," Gaara stated truthfully, controlling the sand to move around him in a circle. Killer B stood a few feet away, looking at the unfolding scene with a hand on his chin.

"What about all those inscriptions on your skin? What is the use of that?" Killer B asked, scanning Gaara from head to toe.

"Mhh... well, after gaining all this chakra, quite a few sealing techniques flowed into my mind," Gaara replied, glancing down at his own body as the inscriptions suddenly started moving as if they were alive. "However, that's not their main purpose, and I still don't fully understand them."

"Wasn't Shukaku's main strength his magnetic abilities? Perhaps it is somehow connected to this," Zeus wondered from the side. "Also, those wind bullets that he constantly fired, can you do something similar?"

Gaara closed his eyes, concentrating deeply on the perception of the world around him as he delved into his own being. Scanning his body and mind, Gaara reopened his eyes with newfound vigor. Taking a deep breath, his cheeks suddenly bulged, almost as if his mouth was stuffed with food.

Then, he released the pent-up air in the form of a wind bullet, identical but much smaller than Shukaku's. The bullet traveled and collided with a rock some distance away, creating cracks in that spot. Killer B whistled while Zeus smiled.

"You could become quite an assassin," Zeus mumbled, as he once again looked at Gaara's inscriptions that continued to spread everywhere. "Hey, Gaara, I have an idea."

"What idea?"

"Can you move those inscriptions at will?"

Gaara tried a few times and eventually nodded.

Zeus pointed at himself. "Then come over here and try to transfer those markings onto my skin."

Gaara pondered the suggestion. "Wouldn't that be dangerous? I have no idea what might happen."

"Are you really worried about my safety?" Zeus laughed, causing Gaara to lower his head in defeat. After all, Zeus wasn't wrong. If there was a person Gaara would never have any confidence in facing, it would be Zeus. The same probably applied to everyone else.

Approaching Zeus, Gaara put his hand on Zeus's elbow, closed his eyes, and concentrated. Beads of sweat gathered at the top of his brow, but he continued with a focused expression. The tattoos on Gaara's skin started shifting, moving towards the tips of his fingers until they came into contact with Zeus's elbow.

At first, Zeus didn't feel anything. However, the tattoos spread like a plague and quickly covered his left hand. Gaara then retracted his hand, his breath exhausted. His jinchuriki mode suddenly deactivated, revealing his actual appearance.

Yet, even then, the inscriptions on Zeus's hand didn't disappear. He tried to move his left hand but found himself unable to do so. It felt paralyzed, blocked by something external. He put his other hand on top of his left hand, attempting to remove it, but the tattoos had no actual substance.

"Gaara, I have to say, of everything you have shown us, this might be the neatest trick up your sleeve," Zeus admitted. "If you can somehow spread this onto your enemies' skin with minimal contact and prompt speed, victory would be within your grasp."

"Really?" Gaara started breathing more normally, lifting his eyes to glance at Zeus's unmoving hand.

"Yeah, it's practically impossible to remove, and considering it's still active after you've exhausted all your chakra, I believe it's permanent or self-sustaining," Zeus said. "Unless someone knows how to remove it using their own chakra, they're in trouble."

Once Zeus said those words, he channeled his own chakra into his right hand, which suddenly emitted a brilliant blue luster. A moment later, the inscriptions vanished completely. A smile spread across Zeus's face. "You have quite a versatile collection of powers, and that is essential for a strong warrior. Well, of course, nothing beats sheer strength."

Gaara put a hand on the back of his head. "Thank you." It felt strange to express gratitude to others, especially considering there was barely anything he could be grateful for in his life. However, now he could openly use this word without any self-concern. This, for him, meant even more than the power he had obtained.

"Yo, in the future, your potential may breed menace, turning the world into a desert, causing distress and stress," Killer B, who had silently watched everything from the sidelines, joined the conversation. "You have one tail, but it doesn't matter."

An awkward silence descended upon the group as Zeus and Gaara were not entertained by the rap. Killer B stopped talking, looking at everyone with a confused expression. Zeus grinned. "That line was absolute trash. You could do better."

"Agreed," Gaara added.

"Listen up, shut your mouth, recall our past rap battle strife. Ready to spar again, for another round of life?" Killer B continued doing his own thing.

"Later," Zeus smiled, his gaze shifting back to Gaara. "Alright, Gaara, you are finally free of Shukaku's torment. We will test your abilities further during our journey back. But what do you want to do afterward? I don't think I can help you with anything anymore, and I believe you have changed enough to live a more exciting life."

Gaara locked eyes with Zeus. "I was thinking of returning to the Hidden Sand Village. I'm interested in how things have changed during my absence."

"You still want to go back to that place?" Zeus asked. However, upon saying these words, Zeus thought about the Heaven. He certainly didn't miss it. No, actually, he hated that place, but he wanted to see what was going on there currently. Hence, Zeus no longer needed an answer from Gaara, as he understood his reasons.

"Alright, I'll go take a look at it together," Zeus interrupted Gaara's response, then glanced at the sky. "Afterward, I'm going to visit my own birthplace. Konoha must have changed a lot over these years."

As Zeus said the last part, a sudden realization struck his mind. He looked around in wonder, searching for Gamaton. He had been so focused on other things that he hadn't even noticed when the frog disappeared. Where the hell was that toad, and what kind of trouble was he causing?

"Where is Gamaton?" Zeus asked, causing Gaara to look around as well.

"I don't remember him entering that strange room," Gaara recalled.

"That frog must have taken off, left the stage on a whim," Killer B added.

Meanwhile, as they pondered Gamaton's whereabouts, the toad was actually deep under the ocean, staring at the huge turtle that served as the island they were situated on.

Gamaton was trying to get tips on how to grow as big as the turtle.

******

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