Naruto: Cthulhu: Ch. 196

Late at night, on a rooftop terrace in Konoha, two figures stood in the dim light, quietly conversing.

"Was the incident in the Forest of Death your doing?"

The voice that spoke was all too familiar to Hayate—it belonged to none other than Baki, whom he had been tracking for some time.

"I can guarantee it wasn't us," Baki replied. "We were completely unaware of this unexpected situation."

Baki cast a shadowy glance at the bespectacled man beside him, whose face bore a sly smile. It was clear Baki didn't fully believe the man's words.

However, Suna found itself in a precarious situation, already committed to this course of action. The Konoha Crush Plan had to proceed no matter what.

Backing out now would leave Suna with unsolvable internal issues, and the significant resources already invested would go to waste. For this reason, Rasa had chosen to forgo any chance of seeking reparations and pressed forward with the plan.

To minimize potential disruptions, and to avoid any unexpected issues with their ally, the Sound Village, Rasa even proposed advancing the finals by three days.

"Let's assume I trust you this time," Baki said, his tone still skeptical. "But Gaara's team was attacked in the Forest of Death by someone named Kimimaro. That was your doing, wasn't it?"

This time, the bespectacled man, Kabuto Yakushi, didn't deny it. Instead, he admitted it outright.

"Yes, that was part of Lord Orochimaru's smaller plan. However, this minor operation doesn't affect the larger strategy between our villages."

"As for the attack on your team, it was purely coincidental. An accident, if you will. We ask for your understanding."

Kabuto's expression remained composed, his gaze distant and indifferent. There wasn't even a hint of apology in his demeanor, which irritated Baki.

However, given Suna's reliance on the Sound Village's support, Baki suppressed his anger for the sake of his village's future.

"Just one last question: why hasn't Orochimaru appeared for so long? Why does he keep sending you, his right-hand man?"

As a collaborator, Baki knew full well that Orochimaru was the Jonin representative of the Sound Village. But ever since the start of the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru hadn't shown up, not even at today's crucial meeting.

This made Suna uneasy—was Orochimaru planning to abandon them at the last moment?

"Lord Orochimaru is secluded in Konoha, preparing himself," Kabuto explained, his tone calm. "After all, facing one's former teacher requires certain preparations."

"Rest assured, he will appear on the day of the finals."

Kabuto lowered his head slightly, the moonlight reflecting off his glasses in a glimmer of silver.

Yes, Lord Orochimaru would undoubtedly appear.

And he would bring that with him.

---

Three days later, early in the morning, the streets of Konoha were already bustling with excitement. Everywhere, people were eagerly discussing the Chunin Exam.

"This time, only six people made it to the finals. Seems like a pretty small number."

"It doesn't matter. All six of them are true powerhouses. Watching strong contenders face off will be even more thrilling!"

"I already got my ticket! I'm going to watch it live!"

"Lucky you! I couldn't even get one…"

Hearing the chatter from passersby, Haku's eyes glimmered with genuine envy.

Haku was eager to watch the Chunin Exam finals in person. Although already a Chunin, Haku had participated in an exam hosted solely by Konoha, with no competitors from other villages. This was the first opportunity to witness a Chunin Exam featuring strong ninjas from other villages, and Haku couldn't help but look forward to it.

As a ninja, Haku could easily obtain a ticket through various means, unlike civilians who had to scramble for them. However, Haku's hopes were dashed when Kagami vetoed the idea.

"What's so interesting about a Chunin Exam? Haven't you been through one already?"

"Hayate's still in the hospital. We should stay there and keep him company."

"Fine, fine. Next time, I promise I'll take you."

With just a few words, Kagami persuaded Haku to abandon the idea of attending the finals. Of course, Kagami had Haku's best interests at heart.

Today, Konoha was destined to be far from peaceful. It was better for Haku and those close to him to stay away from the storm's center.

As noon approached, the duel arena was buzzing with excitement.

Spectators from all over had taken their seats, their eager eyes fixed on the stage as they awaited the official start of the Chunin Exam finals.

The six participants in the individual matches—the final stage of the exam—were all present and ready at the combatant stand. No one was absent or late.

On Suna's side, Gaara and his two teammates stood close together, naturally forming a group since they were originally from the same squad.

On Konoha's side, Sasuke and Neji, both known for their pride and independence, stood apart from each other, neither willing to get too close.

Meanwhile, Shino, who valued teamwork, found himself awkwardly wedged between the two, an expression of unease on his face.

In the spectator stands, several disgruntled students were voicing their complaints to their teachers.

"Kakashi-sensei, why is Sasuke the one competing in the finals? Why not me?"

"Yeah, Guy-sensei! I want to showcase my youth and passion too!"

"Okay, Sasuke and Neji I can understand, but how did Shino make it to the finals? If he's up there, then I should definitely be in too!"

Faced with the trio's complaints, Kakashi could only give a helpless reply.

"I've told you already—this was the Hokage's decision."

Looking over at Kakashi, Guy, and Kurenai patiently explaining the situation to their students, Asuma glanced down at his own team of three. None of them showed the slightest inclination to participate in the matches.

Nara looked utterly bored, propping his head up with one hand and occasionally stifling a yawn. Chōji was happily munching on snacks, his eyes half-closed, while Ino was nervously staring at Sasuke on the combatant stand.

Are my students too laid-back? Asuma wondered.

With the daimyo of various nations, as well as the Hokage and Kazekage, seated in the highest section of the stands, the Chunin Exam finals officially began.

The first match featured Temari from Suna against Neji from Konoha.

This battle was more of an appetizer. Temari, as a kunoichi, was statistically at a disadvantage in overall combat ability compared to male ninjas. Even the world-renowned kunoichi, Tsunade, was primarily famous for her medical ninjutsu, with her superhuman strength being secondary.

Temari's combat style was primarily long-range, which made her an unfavorable matchup against a close-range powerhouse like Neji.

The powerful gusts generated by Temari's fan were easily neutralized by Neji's Rotation technique.

"While air currents cannot be severed, they can be redirected with ease," Neji remarked.

He then quickly closed the distance and struck Temari's chakra points with precision, defeating her effortlessly.

The victory of Neji in the first match boosted the morale of the Konoha spectators.

The second match was between Shino and Kankuro.

This battle was less about overwhelming strength and more a contest of wits.

Kankuro began by repeatedly attacking Shino with his puppet. Shino was forced to dodge and jump around to avoid the strikes, but Kankuro's attacks were unsuccessful in landing any decisive blows.

Eventually, Shino identified Kankuro's weakness as a puppet master—his lack of proficiency in close combat.

Kankuro retreated into the forest, using his puppet to launch poison gas bombs at Shino. In response, Shino quickly formed a barrier with his parasitic insects to block the gas, though he still inhaled a small amount.

Before the poison could fully take effect, Shino used his insects to locate Kankuro's hiding place and consumed his chakra.

In the end, both contestants collapsed simultaneously, resulting in a draw.

Aburame Shino vs. Kankurō, the match ended in a draw!

The referee, Genma, announced the outcome of the second round of the battle.

Meanwhile, in the highest stand of the arena, Danzō allowed a sly smile to form on his face.

"Rasa, it seems that no matter the outcome of the third match, Konoha has already secured an overall win."

So far, Konoha had one victory and one draw. The worst possible outcome in the third match would be Sasuke losing to Gaara, which would still leave the two villages tied overall. This gave Danzō the confidence to speak with assurance.

However, the Kazekage, who had donned his veil again for this public appearance, turned his sharp, sinister gaze toward Danzō.

"The battle isn't over yet. Don't speak too soon."

The "battle" Rasa referred to was not the match taking place on the field but a far more significant event yet to unfold. Danzō, however, failed to notice this nuance.

In the arena, Sasuke was engaged in a fierce battle against Gaara's sand.

Standing motionless in the center of the battlefield, Gaara watched silently as Sasuke darted back and forth within the strikes of his sand fists. The scene looked almost comical.

Having observed Gaara's earlier fight against Kimimaro, Sasuke had already gained some insight into his abilities.

According to Kakashi's analysis, Suna's trio was not skilled in close combat. Therefore, defeating Gaara would also require close-range tactics. Sasuke's proficiency in throwing techniques was nearly useless here.

Thus, for this final match, Sasuke had brought no ninja tools with him, opting instead to lighten his load for increased agility.

Suddenly, Sasuke's speed surged dramatically, so much so that Gaara's sand could no longer keep up with him.

Gaara's pupils widened in shock, and before he could react, Sasuke had already bypassed the defensive sand in front of him and appeared behind Gaara. With a swift side kick, Sasuke struck Gaara's face.

Gaara was sent flying over ten meters, and the sand armor on his face cracked, making him look terrifyingly vulnerable.

This scene stunned the spectators from Suna, including Rasa, who was watching from the stands.

What? Gaara actually got hit?

Ever since Gaara had started using his sand as a shield, Rasa couldn't recall anyone managing to harm him—not even assassins sent by his brother-in-law. Yet today, a peer of Gaara's age had done so?

Konoha was indeed formidable. Just a single Uchiha boy could reach this level.

It seemed imperative to eliminate Konoha today.

At this moment, Rasa was unaware that Sasuke was not the only peer from Konoha capable of injuring Gaara. Another young ninja, who hadn't yet had the chance to fight, was silently observing from the stands.

Sasuke.

Watching from the stands, Lee was quietly amazed by Sasuke's speed, while Guy glanced sideways at Kakashi.

"In just three days, Sasuke has achieved speed on par with Lee's base mode. Truly, this is what happens when a genius trains under another genius," Guy remarked.

Each of Sasuke's punches landed solidly on Gaara's face, nearly shattering the armor of sand there. Gaara's sand, unable to keep up with Sasuke's movements, seemed powerless to stop him.

In response, Gaara began weaving hand seals. His sand slowly gathered around him, forming a protective sphere that fully encased him—a defense Sasuke had seen before.

Gaara had used this same technique to defend against the tendrils of the Haunter of the Dark, manipulating the sand from within the sphere to attack external targets.

Once Gaara activated this defense, physical attacks could no longer harm him. Even Sasuke's taijutsu would be ineffective.

From the stands, both Ino and Sakura noticed this and frowned deeply, worried for Sasuke.

Yet, Sasuke's face lit up with a confident smile, and Kakashi, observing from the stands, muttered, "Good."

On the field, Sasuke quickly created distance and began weaving hand seals, preparing to unleash the strongest Fire Release jutsu he could currently use.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

A straight torrent of fire erupted from Sasuke's mouth, engulfing Gaara's sand sphere. The expanding flames enveloped the entire structure in a blazing inferno.

Witnessing this, Guy immediately understood Kakashi's strategy.

"Kakashi, this—"

"Exactly," Kakashi replied. "In these three days, I only taught Sasuke speed. I didn't teach him any new ninjutsu."

"During the match, as long as Sasuke applied enough pressure with taijutsu, Gaara would inevitably resort to this turtle-shell defense."

"At that moment, all Sasuke needed to do was use Fire Release to force Gaara out. With the sand's heat conductivity, it would be impossible for Gaara to remain unharmed inside."

Hearing Kakashi's explanation, the Konoha 12, watching from the stands, felt a surge of hope and immediately began cheering loudly for Sasuke.

"Go, Sasuke!"

"Sasuke, burn him!"

Though Kakashi's words boosted the morale of the young ninja, he himself was fully aware that the plan had its flaws.

Gaara could still manipulate sand from within his sand sphere to attack Sasuke, which could interrupt his sustained Fire Style techniques. This made the plan far from foolproof.

If time had allowed, Kakashi would have preferred to teach Sasuke the Chidori. With its destructive power and incredible speed, it would be a perfect counter to Gaara. However, three days were far too short. Even with the Sharingan, it would take Sasuke at least a month to learn Chidori.

Thus, Kakashi had to settle for the Fire Release strategy.

As expected, the situation on the field unfolded as Kakashi had anticipated. Sensing the rising heat outside the sand sphere, Gaara quickly manipulated his sand to disrupt Sasuke's jutsu.

Sasuke evaded the sand's counterattack, weaving hand seals and firing rapid Phoenix Flower Jutsu bursts to continuously heat the sand sphere.

The battle turned into a cat-and-mouse game once more. While Sasuke's speed slowed slightly due to the dual focus on movement and ninjutsu, Gaara's ability to control the sand from within the sphere was less precise than when he was outside.

The result was the same as before—Gaara's sand couldn't keep up with Sasuke's movements.

After several rounds of Phoenix Flower Jutsu, the accumulated heat became unbearable for Gaara inside the sand sphere. With an enraged roar, the sphere shattered, scattering sand everywhere.

Emerging from the broken sphere, Gaara's body was partially covered in sand, forming a shape reminiscent of a yellow, raccoon-like creature. His facial expression was completely unrestrained, radiating bloodthirsty madness and fury.

"I want blood!"

"Give me blood!"

Gaara's transformation instantly drew the attention of everyone in the arena, including Danzō in the highest stands and Hiruzen, seated near the daimyo.

This is... the One-Tail.

Danzō and Hiruzen both arrived at the same realization.

Meanwhile, standing next to Danzō, the Kazekage, Rasa, seized the moment. Seeing Danzō fixated on Gaara, Rasa knew it was the perfect time to act.

With a swift motion, Rasa threw a smoke bomb, filling the stands with a dense cloud.

Danzō instinctively stood from his seat, but Rasa was ready. In an instant, he used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind Danzō, pressing a kunai against his throat.

"Rasa, what is the meaning of this?" Danzō managed to say.

Before Danzō could finish, Rasa leapt with him to the rooftop of the arena, holding him hostage.

Hiruzen, positioned just a level below the stands, immediately reacted. He quickly followed them to the rooftop, where he saw Rasa holding Danzō with a kunai to his neck.

"Rasa..." Hiruzen began, though he said no more. The situation was clear: this was an open betrayal of their alliance.

As Hiruzen stepped onto the rooftop, Rasa remained calm, knowing he had an ace up his sleeve.

"It's time to show yourself," Rasa said with confidence.

At that moment, a massive three-headed serpent materialized outside the arena walls. The colossal snake raised its heads, which reached all the way to the rooftop where the confrontation was taking place.

One of the serpent's heads lowered and opened its jaws, revealing a slender figure stepping out: Orochimaru.