As Sasuke and Gaara stepped into the arena, Sakura's eyes narrowed slightly.
The real show had begun.
Kakashi watched Sasuke from the sidelines with a calm demeanor. He had personally passed down his father's swordsmanship to Sasuke.
And Sasuke's talent was undeniable. In just one month, he had already grasped the fundamentals of the Hatake sword style—swift, fierce, and precise.
As the match began, Sasuke immediately retrieved a long sword from the storage scroll tied to his wrist. With lightning crackling around him, he burst forward like a ferocious thunder beast, charging directly at Gaara.
Watching from above, Kakashi was momentarily lost in thought. In Sasuke's movements, he seemed to see the shadow of his father swinging a blade with elegance and deadly accuracy.
"Kakashi."
A soft voice drew him out of his trance.
"Hm? What is it?" he responded.
It was Sakura. The young girl's voice broke through his contemplation.
"I was wondering… between you and the Kazekage Rasa—who's stronger?"
Kakashi blinked in surprise.
What?
Him?
Against the Kazekage?
Was she serious?
He, Kakashi Hatake, was just a regular, unremarkable Jonin from Konoha. How could he possibly compare himself to the leader of one of the Five Great Ninja Villages?
"You're… not joking, right?" Kakashi asked after a brief pause, his voice hesitant.
Sakura pointed at Gaara below and said bluntly, "Don't tell me you haven't realized that guy is a jinchūriki—one who houses the One-Tail."
"Even I can tell that his stability is dangerously low."
"Just look at those dark circles under his eyes. I doubt he's had a proper night's sleep in years. The Sand Village sending him to a joint Chūnin exam held by three major villages? Their intentions couldn't be more obvious."
And she wasn't wrong. Even Gamabunta had detailed knowledge of the One-Tail. There was no reason for Kakashi to be in the dark about this.
Kakashi fell silent. On the surface, the village seemed calm, but beneath it all, there were turbulent currents.
Just recently, Hayate Gekkō had mysteriously vanished. When they found him, he was already a corpse. The timing of such events, especially now, couldn't be ignored.
However…
"Sakura, are you seriously suggesting I fight Rasa?" Kakashi asked, a conflicted look crossing his face. He lacked the confidence.
After all, the Kazekage was one of the strongest shinobi in the world.
Me? Fight the Kazekage?
Are you for real?
"You better buck up, Kakashi," Sakura replied, her gaze lingering on the eye covered by his forehead protector.
During her time in the ANBU, Sakura had taken a particular interest in researching classified records—especially those concerning Kakashi's Sharingan. The more she learned, the more she understood how much that eye had affected him—both as a strength and a burden.
Frankly, she sometimes wanted to dig that eye out of his head.
Sure, it had earned Kakashi the nickname of "Copy Ninja," but people seemed to forget who he was copying.
Since the Nine-Tails attack twelve years ago, Kakashi's progress had all but halted. Normally, a shinobi experiences a huge leap in power after turning twelve. But Kakashi… he had stagnated, all because of that eye.
Look at the true Uchiha—none of them fought the way Kakashi did, copying others with a single Sharingan.
And while that eye would prove vital in the distant future, for now, it was more of a shackle than a strength.
Just look at the Kakashi in Boruto after he lost the Sharingan. He was even stronger! His Raikiri had turned purple, and that was when he was already in his forties or fifties!
"…Really?" Kakashi looked at the pink-haired girl, speechless.
Did she trust him that much?
Or was she just pushing him straight into the fire?
Sakura, seeing Kakashi's doubtful expression, pouted and sighed. "Worst case scenario, just drag your partner in with you."
"Partner?"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Might Guy, obviously," Sakura said, shrugging. "You two are always glued together. Honestly, it's hard not to believe your relationship goes beyond simple friendship."
She raised an eyebrow in amusement, her tone completely matter-of-fact.
"T-That's outrageous!" Kakashi stammered, flustered. "That's pure slander!"
God help him—he, Kakashi Hatake, had lived a righteous and clean life. And now, at twenty-seven, he was being accused of… being into men?
Unbelievable.
"You think you're the only one who's noticed?" Sakura smirked. "You're always hanging out with him. No girls, no dates. Just Might Guy, 24/7."
Watching Kakashi sputter in frustration gave her an odd sense of satisfaction.
"I—!"
Just as Kakashi was about to retort, a sudden surge of twisted, chaotic chakra washed over the arena. His expression darkened instantly.
Sakura, sensing it too, turned her attention to the center of the field. A massive ball of sand had appeared out of nowhere, looming ominously.
Sasuke, blade in hand, eyed the structure warily.
By now, Sasuke had grown tremendously in strength. Not only had he mastered Kakashi's signature techniques, but he had also trained in the White Fang's sword style. A normal Gaara would be no match for him.
Under Sasuke's relentless, storm-like assault, Gaara had lost control completely.
Suddenly, a monstrous sand claw—adorned with eerie purple markings—burst from the sand sphere and lunged at Sasuke!
But Sasuke was faster. Lightning enveloped his blade, and with a flash, the claw was cleanly sliced in two.
——
On the high platform, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a long drag of his pipe, exhaling a stream of pale smoke as he watched the chaos unfold with a grave expression.
The One-Tail—Shukaku.
He knew this beast all too well.
Both during the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars, Sunagakure had deployed Shukaku on the battlefield. Its appearance now was no mere accident.
"Kazekage-dono… What is the meaning of this?" asked a voice from the other side—Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage.
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, quickly calculating.
Ōnoki wasn't in on this?
But intelligence had clearly reported that Rasa met with someone from the Land of Earth before arriving in Konoha.
The question was: who?
Rasa, standing calmly beside them, showed no signs of panic. His tone was even as he answered.
"What do you mean?" he asked, a slight sneer playing on his lips. "Surely, you're not getting senile, Tsuchikage-sama?"
"Does your country have enough food?"
One simple sentence—and it hit the mark.
Rasa stood, slowly removing the Kazekage's ceremonial hat from his head. He continued:
"The Land of Fire uses its abundant resources to choke the lifelines of other nations."
"If we do nothing, we'll be driven into ruin."
"This desperate act… is not my crime."
"It is the fault of the Hokage."
His words echoed through the stadium like a war drum.
With those words as a signal, the entire Sand delegation sprang into action, each member quickly unfurling scrolls and performing hand seals.
"Summoning Technique!"
Dozens of massive snakes erupted across Konoha, sowing chaos in every corner of the village!
Ōnoki stared at Rasa, his expression heavy.
Rasa had approached him earlier—but he hadn't given a definitive answer.
Now, seeing everything unfold, Ōnoki felt a stir in his heart.
If he joined forces with the Kazekage, and with Orochimaru hiding in the shadows…
It might truly be the perfect opportunity.
To strike down the Hokage… and shift the balance of power.
A golden opportunity granted by the heavens.
(End of Chapter)