Gaara turned his gaze toward him as well, locking eyes with Shiki. Those gray-green eyes looked as if they had emerged from hell itself.
Their gaze was completely devoid of emotion. The thick black rings around them seemed as though dark energy had stained his skin.
An endless stream of murderous intent poured from those chilling eyes.
No one could find a glimmer of hope or warmth in those eyes. Facing them directly felt just like having already received a death sentence.
Shiki paused thoughtfully before gently pressing down on Kankuro's right hand.
"You shouldn't treat a friend like this."
Kankuro found himself halted by Shiki's grip and became somewhat flustered. Without Gaara's permission, he wouldn't dare to act on his own.
Temari still wore that same bold, fearless look typical of her. Other than the faint fragrance she emitted, there seemed no trace of feminine tenderness left in her demeanor.
Yet now, she slightly furrowed her brows. "What exactly is going through Gaara's mind?"
In her opinion, Gaara should've already taken action. After all, how reckless must someone be to confront him like this?
Naruto covered his mouth and quietly leaned close to Sakura's ear. "Shiki keeps pestering this guy named Gaara, but actually it's because of that girl Temari, isn't it? Seems like Shiki's into girls like her."
Sakura hadn't thought of it that way before, but Naruto's words suddenly made sense.
That explained why Shiki kept lingering around someone like Gaara—someone who clearly wasn't easy to get along with.
His real intention must lie elsewhere.
Just as she thought she finally saw everything clearly, a deep voice came forth.
Gaara stared straight at Shiki and said, "A friend, is it? I'll be looking forward to our match in the Chunin Exams. I'll use every means possible to kill you. But if you somehow manage to survive me, having someone you can kill repeatedly might not be so bad after all."
The dim yellow lights within the corridor seemed to flicker uneasily under the terrifying aura Gaara released.
A Genin dressed in brown clothing wore a shifting expression across his face. "Hey brat, I've been sick of that arrogant look of yours for a long time! I'm gonna teach you a proper lesson!"
Hiss...
Sand poured forth like a waterfall, surging straight toward him.
"Don't underestimate people!" He began forming hand seals, his fingers moving swiftly and precisely.
Whoever dared to step forward at a moment like this usually possessed great self-confidence. As he finished making the seals, flames burst forth from his mouth.
The high-temperature fire only heightened his excitement further. With such a powerful Fire Release ninjutsu, why should he fear this black-circled-eyed opponent before him?
Everyone else waited eagerly to see an exciting fight, since even those watching could tell this stepping Genin was quite strong.
For Genin-level ninja, being able to use a nature-transforming technique was already quite remarkable.
Yet in the next instant, the sand waterfall surged straight ahead without being hindered at all, dispersing the flames effortlessly before swallowing both the fire and the Genin himself in its path.
Even the [Sand Binding Coffin] was something beyond what ordinary Genin could withstand.
"How can he be this strong?"
"Having this level of power, yet still participating in the Chunin Exams with us..."
"We must never face him. If we do, we should surrender immediately."
The surrounding ninja whispered amongst themselves, not daring to raise their voices, as if fearing that Gaara — the sand-wielding monster — might notice them.
The sand in the air, seemingly alive, looked down upon them like a judge passing sentence.
"Sand Waterfall," Gaara's eyes turned fierce. The next move after Sand Binding Coffin was clearly Sand Waterfall Funeral.
The golden sands hovering in midair seemed to have already declared this Genin's death.
Yet suddenly, someone grabbed his arm.
"There's no need to take it so seriously during a mere match. Just a demonstration is enough."
Shiki still wore a relaxed smile, as though Gaara had really just been sparring with his earlier opponent.
"That man in the white shirt will probably get punished by Gaara too."
"Yeah, that monster doesn't even belong to our level."
Among Grass Ninja's discussion, they expressed what practically everyone there was thinking.
Even Naruto, Tenten, Yuuma, Lee, Hinata, Shikamaru, and others had grown tense at this moment. They surrounded Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro as if forming an encirclement.
At the slightest movement from them, they would all rush forward together.
Unnoticeably, a faint buzzing sound filled the air—Shino's insects were ready as well.
Tension mounted, threatening to explode at any second.
Kakashi and Ibiki stood hidden in the shadows, silently watching everything unfold.
In truth, had Kakashi not stopped him, Ibiki would've already stepped in to reprimand them.
But Kakashi wanted to observe these kids' abilities first.
Whether this ended peacefully or with minor conflicts,
Of course, with them here, there was absolutely no way they'd allow these kids to get hurt.
Chapter 122: Anko Mitarashi
Only at this moment did the Genin standing here realize that this person named Shiki Uzumaki actually had so many people willing to stand behind him.
That explains why he dared to act like that.
Fewer than eighty had made it through the first round of the Chunin Exams, and of those, even fewer were from Konoha.
Yet more than ten individuals stood beside Shiki Uzumaki, calmly waiting to fight for him.
Like a retinue protecting a general.
Maybe some people just have natural charisma. But having so many willing to risk their lives for you? That's not something just anyone can earn.
Kakashi leaned against the doorframe, listening intently to the commotion outside.
"You know, that kid called Shiki Uzumaki… I somehow believe he could become Hokage," Ibiki chuckled heartily. Considering his experiences and the nature of his job, being able to laugh so brightly itself bordered on miraculous.
Kakashi gave a nod. He hadn't interacted with Shiki Uzumaki much, but he still kept an eye on the kid. "Yeah, he's the kind of kid who'll crack a smile and go, 'Hey, check out my new look today!'—even with a blade sticking out of his chest and blood pouring down."
A trace of seriousness crossed Ibiki's face. "Is that so?"
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