Second Trial Cleared!

Hayate stared at the figure in front of him with his mouth quivering from feelings of shock and helplessness.

Gaara clasped his hands following which, a considerable amount of sand gathered around Hayate and bound him completely from mouth to toe.

Gaara then bent down, placing both his palms onto the ground.

Hayate who has bound in sand started to burrow into the ground.

Hayate's eyes went wide as he stared at Gaara who calmly stared back at him, as he watched Hayate going into the ground.

Since his mouth was bound, Hayate could not scream, but could only breath heavily.

"Well, well!" Kabuto stared from the corner eye while observing through his sense that Gaara had dealt with the man, spying on the duo.

"Gaara!" Baki exclaimed as he rushed out in the open.

"Gaara-kun!" Kabuto also stepped out.

Gaara stared in silence at the two people.

"Excellent job burying the man alive…" Kabuto said.

Gaara only had disdain in his eyes as he watched the duo.

("This kid!") Kabuto felt the disdain in Gaara's gaze.

Kabuto raised his kunai against Gaara.

"It's about time you leave!" Baki said as he held Kabuto's hand to stop him.

Kabuto glared at Baki from the corner of his eyes, causing Baki to remove his hand subconsciously out of fear.

"Just don't mess up this plan!" Kabuto said as he vanished from his spot.

Baki felt a seat run down from the side of his head.

He then turned towards Gaara.

"Go to sleep Gaara. There's something I want to discuss tomorrow with the team."

Gaara nodded silently and walked back towards the inn.

….

….

Back in Ō-tafuku Town….

"Pervy-Sage!" Naruto called out trying to prevent Jiraiya from completely falling to the ground.

("How did he get drunk so much?") Naruto thought as he looked towards Jiraiya who smiled back at him while leaning on Naruto.

"Naruto!"

"Pretending to be drunk will also help you to gather information," Jiraiya said in a weak voice, which was followed by a pungent sake smell.

Naruto smiled towards Jiraiya, as he lifted him up.

"Pervy-Sage!"

"Mm?" Jiraiya looked up.

"Have you heard of Akatsuki?" Naruto asked as he turned towards Jiraiya, only to see Jiraiya with wide-eyes as he stared at Naruto.

("He really gathered some valuable information.") Jiraiya stared at Naruto.

Jiraiya adjusted his body, to an upright position as he stood up on his own.

"Naruto!"

"I know you are powerful enough to fight against Orochimaru," Jiraiya said.

"But no matter what…"

"Regardless of what you do, never engage this group," Jiraiya said as he walked ahead.

Naruto followed up.

"Why?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto!"

"You are aware that you possess a beast that is sealed in your body right?" Jiraiya asked.

Naruto nodded as he stared at Jiraiya.

"They are after many things, especially those tailed beasts," Jiraiya said.

Naruto frowned, seeing Jiraiya was against his idea.

Naruto and Jiraiya went back to the inn for the end of the day,

….

At the hot-springs bath…

"Naruto!"

"Mm?"

"You met your parents, didn't you?" Jiraiya asked.

Naruto smiled as he looked at his reflection in the water.

Minato and Kushina's image appeared…

Followed by Hinata, Boruto, Himawari, Sasuke, Sarada, Sakura, Shikamaru….

One by one, everyone appeared.

Naruto felt a teardrop run by his cheek.

"Yeah!" Naruto smiled at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya who was in the water looked towards the sky.

"Your dad was a wonderful student of mine…" Jiraiya said with a feeling of Nostalgia.

….

…..

Hah!

Hah!

Hah!

Hayate panted, trying desperately to gather his breath.

He thought back to what had happened a few minutes before….

————

The sand loosened from Hayate's mouth.

Just a meter away from Hayate, under the ground, Gaara appeared as a sand clone.

(Cough!)

(Cough!)

(Cough!)

"To think our allied nation, the Village Hidden in the Sand has been already associated with the Sound…"

"Truly, we've been played for fools…" Hayate said in a helpless voice towards Gaara.

"I am the Jinchūuriki of the sand," Gaara said.

"I KNOW!" Hayate growled…

(Cough!)

(Cough!)

"I witnessed your rampage during the exam…" Hayate said.

Gaara stared at Hayate for a few seconds, before he continued…

"I was sent here to unleash destruction on your village…." Gaara said, causing Hayate to gnash his teeth in anger.

"However, I have decided against it," Gaara said in a calm voice.

"Do you expect me to believe that, after hearing things back there?"

(Cough!)

(Cough!)

"You must be dreaming," Hayate said in anger.

("This is extremely difficult.") Gaara thought.

"I do not expect you to believe my words completely at this point."

"All I know is that I owe something to this village because of the Chuunin exams."

"I do not want lives from both villages to be lost over a meaningless squabble for resources."

"??" Hayate stared at Gaara.

"I will allow you to escape safely, on one condition," Gaara said.

"You want me to keep my mouth shut?" Hayate glared at Gaara.

"No!"

"On the contrary, I ask you to tell only one person who can work towards a solution to stop this attack!" Gaara said.

"what?" Hayate stared at Gaara, hearing a very unexpected answer.

"I do not want to break this treaty that was agreed to after a lot of struggle, only to engage in the same struggle again…" Gaara said as he completely unbound Hayate.

"Remember, Tell only that person and ask him to think very carefully over it," Gaara said as he opened a pathway from underground for Hayate following which his sand clone dispersed.

————

Hayate stared at the peaceful night sky, that covered the village, unaware of the looming threat that was hanging over their heads.

("I can only tell Hokage-sama!") Hayate thought as he disappeared into the night.

…..

…..

"Naruto!"

"Mm?"

"Who was that red-haired girl beside you back at the Hokage office?"

"W-W-W"

"W-What?" Naruto freaked out, as he took two steps away from the spot he standing at.

"Was she your girlfriend?" Jiraiya asked with a somewhat lewd smile.

"NO!" Naruto replied instantly.

"HAAAHHAAA?????"

"Who are you kidding?"

"You are just like your father, you know…"

"Both of you fell for a red-haired girl." Jiraiya declared.

Naruto crouched a bit in the place he stood as his face arrived at the same height as the level of water, Naruto made a continuous stream of bubbles by howling under the water, as he stared at Jiraiya.

"Are you denying it?" Jiraiya asked.

"I already have someone I love!" Naruto replied loudly as he jumped out of the water.

"OOOHHHHH!!!!!" Jiraiya stared at Naruto.

("Two-timing at this age, this kid's luck is too good.")

Jiraiya approached Naruto as he bent down, appearing very close to Naruto's face.

"Who's the girl?" He asked in a low voice.

"Not telling!" Naruto blushed as he turned away.

"Looks like I've got no choice then…" Jiraiya said in a dejected voice as he turned away…

"I was planning to teach you an ultra-cool jutsu. However, it looks like you do not want it" Jiraiya pretended to sulk.

"An Ultra Cool Jutsu?" Naruto raised his eye at Jiraiya.

"Mm!" Jiraiya nodded at Naruto with a smile.

Naruto stared at Jiraiya…

…..

…..

"AAAAHHHHHHRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Sasuke howled as launched himself forward.

Aoda also slithered its way towards Sasuke at the same speed.

Sasuke observed the movements of Aoda, following which his body also reacted and moved in directions countering Aoda's advancement.

Soon…. As they were about to make contact….

Sasuke maneuvered his body by avoiding contact with Aoda's rough scales with just millimeters of a gap between them, as he ran towards the spot where he had injured Aoda.

The Chidori in his hand became unstable.

("Damn it!")

("This is what happens the first time I want to unleash it?") Sasuke thought.

The Chidori in his hand fluctuated high and low in its frequency, turning very unstable.

Sasuke gnashed his teeth in anger.

("I need to make it and hit him there again, and this match will be over.") Sasuke thought while barely trying to maintain control over his Chidori.

Sasuke approached with the Chidori to the spot.

Just as Sasuke thrust his hand towards the damaged area once again.

"STOP!" The snake who was monitoring the combat ordered.

Sasuke managed to prevent his hand from completely extending out.

However, it was that same moment he lost control of the Chidori.

The Chidori in his hand blew up blasting both him and Aoda away from each other.

Aoda got up again and made its way slowly towards Sasuke.

"I surrender to you!" Aoda said.

Following which the monitoring Snake announced.

"Second Trial - Battle Against Giant Snake CLEARED!"