unstable change

Along the path that the Sand Genin were using as their escape route, Temari ran alongside Kankuro, who carried Gaara under his arm as they leapt from tree to tree. Suddenly, they stopped—Sasuke stood blocking their path.

"Damn it," Temari muttered, tensing up, ready to fight. "You can't escape," Sasuke declared arrogantly.

"Temari, take Gaara and go ahead." Kankuro handed Gaara to Temari, removing a bandage-wrapped object from his back. "Yeah," she agreed, though her face glistened with sweat, hesitant to leave her brother behind. "Guess there's no helpin' it—I'll be your opponent!"

"No… I'll be your opponent." Another voice rang out, catching Sasuke and the Sand siblings off guard. Kankuro turned toward the voice. "It's you." Shino stepped into view on a nearby branch.

"Shino, how are you here?" Sasuke asked, curious.

Shino lifted his arm, pointing to Sasuke's collar, where a few insects crawled. "Before you left the arena, I used some female bugs to spread their scent on you. The scent of the females is nearly undetectable; only the males can trace it... and the males themselves have a stronger scent." While he explained, Temari had already taken Gaara and disappeared into the distance, leaving only Kankuro, who grew more anxious by the second.

"Sasuke, go after Gaara; your fight with him is still unfinished. I'll handle this one since I was supposed to fight him anyway." Sasuke glanced at Shino. "You seem confident. You think you can manage?"

"Don't worry," Shino replied, his face shadowed but determined. "I'll keep him off your back for ten minutes." Satisfied, Sasuke turned and pursued Temari and Gaara, leaving Shino to confront Kankuro.

"Hey, Temari, put me down."

"Gaara, you're awake!" Temari stopped on a thick branch, watching as Gaara clutched his head in pain. 'The thing inside Gaara is about to awaken! I have no idea when it'll fully emerge… This is bad. I can't handle it… and I'm out here alone.' Gaara suddenly sensed an approaching enemy and groaned in pain. "Temari... scram."

"What?!" Temari protested, but Gaara swatted her away, sending her hurtling into the distant trees. "Just get lost! Mind your own business!"

On a branch high above Gaara's position, Sasuke appeared. They stared at each other, sweat dripping from their brows, both exhausted from the day's events.

Gaara clutched his head again. "I don't know what your village's motives are, but I'll stop you… and I want to see your true face." Gaara gazed at Sasuke, blue veins spreading across his face as he clutched his head, his eye fixed on Sasuke through his fingers.

"You, the strong one… you, with companions… you, with ambition… you, who is like me. Once I kill you, I'll destroy all that and finally feel alive!" Gaara fell to his knees, groaning as a grotesque transformation took hold. The right side of his body fused with sand, becoming monstrous, as his face partially morphed into a beast, his right arm and back forming a massive, clawed limb with blue lines. 'It's starting!' Temari thought anxiously, realizing the severity of Gaara's transformation.

Gaara stared at Sasuke with his mutated eye. "It's… that eye from before." He bent forward, and in an instant, he was within striking range. Sasuke's eyes widened in shock as Gaara raised his sand-covered arm and swung it down.

"UAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" *BOOM* The impact exploded, destroying the tree Sasuke had been standing on. Sasuke narrowly escaped, hiding behind another tree.

"Are you afraid of me, Uchiha Sasuke?! Afraid of my existence… has your fear overtaken your hatred, your killing urge? Is your reason for existence really that fragile?" Sasuke emerged from behind the tree, weaving hand signs as the sound of a thousand birds crackled in his palm. They clashed fiercely, but in the end, Gaara prevailed. Just as Gaara prepared to kill Sasuke, Naruto arrived, kicking Gaara away and saving Sasuke from certain death.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura rushed to his side. His body lay limp, exhausted from his intense battle. 'This is…' She noticed the curse mark spreading across his body. 'He must have lost control, like last time.' She held him up as he writhed in pain. "GUAAAHH!"

"But Kakashi-sensei said the mark was dealt with!"

"Froga." Ash landed beside Naruto. "That's Gaara?! Are you sure, Ash?" Ash nodded, drawing his tanto.

"You... you're the one I failed to kill last time," Gaara muttered, looking past Naruto at Sakura. Back in the hospital, he'd intended to kill her but stopped to avoid drawing attention to himself before dealing with his real target, Lee.

Naruto turned and shouted, "Get away from here, Sakura!" Gaara lunged toward her, but Naruto and Ash managed to grab onto his tail, pulling him away. The true hero, though, was Shikamaru—remaining hidden, he momentarily captured Gaara with his Shadow Possession Jutsu.