Raining Chaos
The battle was over, but Sasuke was still nowhere to be found. Considering he'd skipped the second round and jumped straight to the fifth, it was only fair to disqualify him if he didn't show up.
However, the crowd had gathered to see the Uchiha prodigy in action, and the Third Hokage had agreed to delay the second round, hoping Sasuke would appear.
But now, with no more rounds left, his absence was even more noticeable.
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The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed as he gazed at Sasuke's empty seat.
"We have a problem," he said.
Across from him, the Fourth Kazekage leaned forward, his intense gaze making the Hokage's instincts twitch.
"Just a minor setback, Lord Hokage," he said. "I'm sure we can find a solution."
The Hokage's expression turned skeptical. "I'm not sure if that's necessary, Lord Kazekage. Sasuke skipped the second round. That's a clear sign he's not committed to the Chunin Exam."
The Kazekage's eyes flashed with desperation, his voice taking on a persuasive tone. "Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way, Lord Hokage. Maybe Sasuke's absence is a sign he's focusing on his training, not that he's not interested."
The Hokage raised an eyebrow, sensing something off. But he chose to ignore it.
"Go on," he said, his voice neutral.
The Kazekage's eyes gleamed with an unnatural intensity. "Think about it, Lord Hokage. Sasuke's the last Uchiha, and the crowd has come to see him in action. If he doesn't participate, it'll be a huge disappointment to the people of Konoha and the visitors. It could even damage your village's reputation."
He paused, then added, "And giving him an extra ten minutes will level the playing field. He deserves a chance to show what he's capable of."
The Hokage's eyes narrowed, sensing the Kazekage was hiding something. After a moment, he nodded. "Alright, Lord Kazekage. We'll give Sasuke an extra ten minutes. But if he doesn't show up, he's disqualified."
The Kazekage's smile grew. "Thank you, Lord Hokage."
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Genma's voice echoed through the arena. "Uchiha Sasuke gets an extra ten minutes!"
The crowd initially erupted into cheers, relieved that Sasuke wouldn't be disqualified after all.
But as the seconds ticked by and nothing happened, their enthusiasm began to wane. Murmurs of discontent grew louder, and soon the crowd was restless, booing and shouting insults at the delay.
Just when it seemed like time was running out, a sudden gust of wind swept through the fallen leaves on the ground, swirling them into a circle. And then, out of nowhere, Kakashi and Sasuke appeared.
The crowd's frustration vanished in an instant, replaced by applause. The boos turned to cheers, and the arena filled with life again.
Meanwhile, Hayashi activated his Observation Haki.
"Fear, anxiety, excitement... the emotions are running wild today," he thought to himself, silently counting the emotional fluctuations of the spectators. He sensed the hidden enemies in the crowd, but he had no intention of alerting the others.
First, it would be hard to explain, and second, this was too valuable an opportunity to gain experience points for his template system.
Born in a peaceful era, Hayashi had never witnessed a large-scale battle like the Konoha Crush Project. This was his chance to fight without restraint.
With Hinata by his side, he gazed down at the arena, his eyes fixed on the fight unfolding below.
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The crowd erupted into cheers as Sasuke Uchiha stepped into the arena.
Across from him, Gaara stood still, his pale green eyes sunken from lack of sleep. A hint of madness lurked in their depths.
Sasuke flashed a cocky grin, waving his hand casually.
"Whenever you're ready," he said, unfazed by Gaara's intense gaze. He sensed the enormous chakra reserves within Gaara, but he refused to back down. An Uchiha didn't know fear.
Gaara remained silent, raising his arm to unleash a massive wave of sand. The arena floor was soon flooded with a huge wall of sand, growing higher by the second.
Sasuke sprang into the air, narrowly avoiding the sand as it swept beneath him. But then the sand shot out, wrapping around his ankles like living vines. He twisted his body, flinging shuriken to break free, but the sand held tight.
He couldn't keep dodging Gaara's attack. It was time to fight back. Sasuke flashed through a series of hand seals, inhaled deeply, and exhaled a massive fireball.
His flames had momentarily halted the assault. But the sand surged forward again. Sasuke grimaced - he needed a new plan.
"Fire Style - Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" he shouted, his hands moving through hand seals.
A barrage of smaller fireballs erupted, raining down on Gaara like a meteor shower. The jinchuriki countered by summoning a thick layer of sand to protect himself.
As the flames died down, Sasuke saw his chance. The sand shield began to dissipate, and he charged forward, closing the distance in an instant.
His palms slammed into Gaara's chest with all his might. The jinchuriki's eyes went wide as he was blasted backward, crashing into the arena wall. But Gaara quickly regained his footing, his gaze burning with hatred.
He let out a deafening roar, and a massive wall of sand erupted from the ground, trapping Sasuke on all sides.
As the sand closed in around him, Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He focused his energy, waiting for the perfect moment to strike back. Then, he burst out of the sand, shattering the prison that had held him captive.
Sasuke sprinted towards the high wall, ready to unleash the Chidori Kakashi had taught him.
As he reached the top, his eyes widened in shock. He finally noticed what he'd been too preoccupied to see before. The wall looked like it had been destroyed and then hastily repaired. The signs of a terrifying attack were still visible.
"Was it him? No way! How did he...?!" Sasuke's right hand crackled with electricity.
He shot a glance at Hayashi on the rest platform.
"The gap can't be that big!" Sasuke's confident face twisted into a snarl, launching himself downward.
As he rushed forward, the crowd gasped at the sound of a thousand birds chirping, echoing through the arena. He closed the distance between them and struck, his hand piercing through Gaara's protective sand wall like a spear.
The sand exploded outward, blown apart by the force of Sasuke's lightning-infused attack.
Gaara let out a scream as the attack hit his shoulder. The air filled with the stench of scorched meat.
But it didn't end - Sasuke twisted the lightning blade, making Gaara cry out in agony again.
Leaping back, Sasuke flashed a grin as Gaara's blood dropped to the ground. "Is that all you've got? I expected more from the ultimate defense."
Gaara clutched his injured arm, breathing hard and fast.
"Blood?" he gasped, his eyes wide with shock. "I'm bleeding?"
As he spoke, his body began to twist in impossible ways. The sand around him erupted into chaos, swirling around him like a vortex.
"You'll pay for this, Uchiha!" he screamed, his voice echoing through the arena.
The sand rushed towards Sasuke, growing higher and more menacing by the second.
Sasuke sprinted around the arena, narrowly avoiding Gaara's attack as the sand swirled around him. When he ran, his eyes fixed on Gaara, searching for an opening.
But just as he was about to strike, Sasuke noticed something strange. Feathers.
They were everywhere on the ground. Sasuke's gaze drifted upwards, and that's when he saw it - feathers raining down from the sky.
He focused his chakra, dispelling the illusion, and his eyes snapped back into focus.
As Sasuke scanned the arena, he saw the spectators still trapped in the genjutsu, their eyes glassy and unfocused. But he didn't have time to dwell on it.
His gaze shifted to the Kage platform, where Orochimaru stood, flanked by three coffins. Then, three figures emerged from them. Before he could get a closer look, a purple barrier materialized, blocking his view.
The next instant, the ninja academy and the adjacent building came crashing down, sending debris flying everywhere. The ground shook violently as a massive, three-headed snake burst forth from the earth. The snake's sudden appearance sent shockwaves through the air, causing the very foundations of the arena to tremble.
The villagers' screams echoed through the arena, piercing his eardrums. He remembered a woman's desperate cry - "My daughter!" - as she tried to free her daughter from the rubble. But her cries were abruptly silenced when a chunk of concrete crushed them both.
Chaos broke out as ninja clashed with ninja. A young boy, caught in the crossfire, let out a terrified scream as a ninja's blade flashed towards him. The scream was cut short, his life ended in an instant.
The sound of clashing steel filled the arena, accompanied by the gruesome crunch of snapping bones and the acrid smell of burning flesh.
Then, Gaara's voice rang out, loud and clear.
"MOTHER WANTS YOUR BLOOD!"
Sasuke's focus snapped back to Gaara standing right in front of him. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew he had to defend himself.