The next morning, the second round of the Chūnin Exams officially began.
The rules were the same as last time: the participants had to cross the Devil's Desert within the time limit, collect both the "Heaven" and "Earth" scrolls, and reach the tower at the desert's center in order to pass.
At daybreak, the examinees set out into the harsh desert. The environment here was merciless—sandstorms, quicksand, and the blazing sun. Not only did they have to endure the dangers of nature, they also had to remain vigilant against enemy attacks.
Spotting opponents might seem easy in the open desert, where one's view stretched for miles, but that visibility also made the place incredibly dangerous.
Kiyosuke and his two teammates also entered the desert. Tsunade had instructed them to gather information on Sunagakure while keeping an eye out for any sign of Akatsuki. Even though Konoha and Sunagakure were technically allies, the desert village had backstabbed Konoha more than once—better to be cautious.
As they moved into the Devil's Desert, Kiyosuke wasn't particularly interested in probing for secrets. To him, Sunagakure held no mysteries, and if he really wanted to know something, he could just ask Pakura.
What he valued more was observing this exam. Wrapped fully in his cloak to block the sun and sand, with goggles covering his eyes, he had himself well protected.
While moving across the dunes, Kiyosuke heard the sounds of battle. When he went to investigate, he saw Neji's team locked in combat with a Sunagakure ninja named Shira.
Kiyosuke had taken note of this one before. Like Guy and Rock Lee, Shira couldn't use ninjutsu or genjutsu—he could only rely on taijutsu.
But unlike Konoha, Sunagakure didn't value such shinobi. They weren't even allowed to enroll in the ninja academy.
Yet, that very neglect often forced such individuals to train relentlessly. Through years of grueling effort, they honed their bodies and taijutsu to incredible levels.
Shira was one such case. Like Guy and Lee, he was a "hard work" type of ninja. And his dedication had paid off.
His taijutsu was strong enough to rival Lee's. In fact, unless Lee opened the Eight Gates, Shira could even suppress him in close combat.
Using pressure-point strikes, Shira temporarily sealed Lee's chakra nodes, preventing him from opening the Eight Gates at all.
But rather than exploit that advantage fully, Shira respected Lee's spirit. The two recognized one another's resolve, and in the clash of fists, Shira released Lee's tenketsu, allowing him to open the Gates and face him in a true contest.
"Seven Heavenly Breaths!"
Shira's own creation—a unique breathing method that supercharged his body by flooding it with oxygen. At its third stage of development, his lung capacity reached nearly four times that of normal, granting him strength comparable to Lee's Third Gate.
"This guy's a taijutsu prodigy," Kiyosuke muttered under his breath as he watched the clash. "Shame he was born in Sunagakure. If he were in Konoha..."
Lee roared as he unleashed his flurry of blows.
Shira bellowed back in kind.
The scene was blazing with intensity, fists colliding in a thunderous rhythm. But in the end, Shira's self-created style could not compare to the Eight Gates—a taijutsu perfected over generations. His strength faltered, and he was defeated.
Yet though he lost, his effort shone brightly. Even Neji looked upon him with respect, and for a moment even wished to fight him himself.
Having seen enough, Kiyosuke left. Neji's squad would surely pass the second exam without issue.
As for his own team, he wasn't worried in the slightest. Shino, though reserved and quiet, was a natural leader. He could guide Kiba and Hinata to victory against any enemy.
Kiyosuke had been observing everyone's battles. Though Hinata's Byakugan noticed his presence once, he signaled her to stay silent, and the obedient girl said nothing.
At that time, her team had been chasing a group of Kusagakure ninja who had stolen their scroll. Though there was some trouble, they managed to recover it in the end.
Meanwhile, Naruto's squad faced no real obstacles. When a team of enemy shinobi crossed their path, they were no match for Sasuke and Naruto, who had returned from training far stronger. Their enemies were dispatched with ease, and the group pressed on smoothly toward the tower.
After watching the other Konoha teams, Kiyosuke also made his way toward the tower at the desert's center. His task was mostly done, and it seemed unlikely he'd find any trace of Akatsuki here. Not that he truly expected to.
...
But before he reached the tower, he came across an unusual sight.
A monk, bare-chested with a biwa slung across his back, sat atop a rock, plucking its strings.
From his chest extended two chains glowing faintly with violet light. One chain pierced Gaara's abdomen. The other sank into the lower back of a girl—none other than Fū of Takigakure, the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki.
The chains were pulling crimson chakra from both hosts.
Gaara, of course, carried the One-Tail. Fū, the Seven-Tails.
Takigakure, though small, had once rivaled the Five Great Nations in strength. The First Hokage had granted them the Seven-Tails, making it the only village without a Kage title that still possessed a tailed beast.
Naturally, Akatsuki would one day target her.
But Kiyosuke was puzzled. The monk was clearly from Sunagakure, and his goal was obvious: to extract Shukaku from Gaara, likely under orders from those in the village who opposed him.
But how had Fū gotten caught up in this?
Realizing her bijū's chakra was being drained, Fū panicked. She wrapped herself in a giant green cocoon formed of her own power, trying to halt the extraction. But it was only a stopgap—her defense wouldn't last long.
Gaara, suppressed by the sealing chains, was unable to unleash his full strength. He remained calm, but the outcome was clear: at this rate, they would be captured.
Fū, however, was frantic.
"What do we do? We're not getting out of here like this!"
Sweat beaded on her forehead, while Gaara's composure remained unshaken.
Kiyosuke prepared to intervene—until he noticed another group approaching.
After a moment's thought, he decided to step forward. Appearing silently behind the monk, he spoke.
"Hey. You can't just rip out a tailed beast like that. Be careful, or your sealing technique might backfire on you."
The monk jolted in shock. He hadn't sensed Kiyosuke at all—when had this man gotten so close?
Though he forced a calm front, his heart was pounding.
"Who… who are you?"
"Just a passing Kamen Rider. Remember that."
Kiyosuke's presence shifted the monk's attention away from Gaara and Fū, forcing him to focus on this new threat.
"You—"
Bang!
Kiyosuke's leg ignited with blazing fire as he swung it in a swift, scorching kick.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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