"The Three Monsters of Konoha!"
At first, when this title spread, many Genin scoffed. Three Monsters?
They thought it was a joke. After all, those three were just kids who had only recently become Genin.
But now, witnessing their battles, no one dared laugh.
The shinobi present felt that this title was no exaggeration at all.
Kakashi smiled helplessly as he listened to the hushed discussions among the Genin and even the Jonin instructors.
"After the Sannin… there are the Three Monsters."
He narrowed his visible eye. "Is this the result Hokage-sama wanted?"
Konoha desperately needed a new generation to carry the will of fire, successors to the legendary Sannin—symbols that could give the village hope.
"Next match, Gaara of the Sand vs. Akimichi Chōji!"
Shikamaru, still munching on snacks and only just recovering from the shock of Shigure defeating Rock Lee, froze when he heard his friend's name.
"Huh? Chōji…?"
He turned his head slowly toward the other side of the arena—toward Gaara.
"That guy… he's my opponent?"
On the surface, Shikamaru wore his usual lazy expression, but inside, his nerves were on edge.
Troublesome… this isn't someone we can handle easily. What terrible luck…
He patted Chōji on the shoulder.
"If you can't do it, just forfeit. No shame in living to fight another day."
"What do you mean 'give up'? Shikamaru, don't underestimate me!"
Chōji clenched his fists, determination flashing in his eyes, and leapt into the center of the field.
On the opposite side, Gaara stepped forward. His gaze, however, was not on Chōji at first—it was fixed on Shigure in the stands.
"…A pity. You're not my opponent."
His tone was flat, devoid of emotion. Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
"But it doesn't matter. We'll meet in the finals."
Ice and sand… Two elements as different as night and day. One born of snow and frost, the other of desert storms.
Gaara was looking forward to their eventual clash.
But first, he needed to deal with this Konoha "fatty."
Crossing his arms, Gaara stood expressionless, waiting calmly for the match to begin. The air seemed to grow heavy. Even without striking a blow, the killing intent radiating from him pressed down on everyone present.
A boy his age carrying such a suffocating aura… even the seasoned Jonin watching frowned uneasily.
Asuma exhaled sharply, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Chōji… this opponent isn't ordinary. Be careful. If it gets too dangerous, surrender immediately."
Shikamaru slouched, frustrated. Why does everyone keep saying that? Do I really look that useless?
"The match begins!"
With Moonlight Gekkō's clear announcement, the fight started.
Gaara didn't say a word. Sand spilled from the gourd on his back, shooting forward in a tidal wave toward Chōji.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Shigure's eyes sharpened.
"Great Sage… analyze Gaara's ninjutsu."
[Great Sage: Beginning analysis and calculations.]
2%… 5%… 9%… 14%…
The speed wasn't bad.
After all, Shigure's Ice Release: Snow World had been inspired by Gaara's sand techniques. Now he wanted to see the difference between his creation and Gaara's natural ability.
Back in the arena, Chōji reacted swiftly.
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
His arm swelled enormously, smashing aside the incoming sand. The attack dispersed, but only briefly. Gaara's sand quickly regrouped, swirling ominously.
Against Lee, Gaara had been forced on the defensive, but compared to Lee's blinding speed, Chōji was nowhere near. Closing the distance would be nearly impossible.
"Human Boulder!"
Chōji tucked in his limbs, his body expanding as he spun at high speed, charging straight for Gaara.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The arena trembled with each roll.
Gaara sneered faintly. "Pathetic ninjutsu."
With a wave of his hand, the sand surged up, enveloping the spinning Chōji from all directions. In seconds, he was trapped mid-roll inside a writhing sphere of sand.
Gaara's eyes gleamed coldly.
"Sand Coffin."
The killing intent spiked—clear, suffocating.
Asuma's pupils shrank. Not good!
Without hesitation, he used the Body Flicker, appearing inside the arena, chakra blades flashing.
"Stop!"
He slashed at the sand prison—but his blade was repelled.
Gaara's lips curled into a cruel smile.
"No one can save you. Then… die."
Crack!
Before the Sand Coffin could crush its victim, a freezing chill swept across the battlefield.
The sand surrounding Chōji froze solid in an instant, turning into a thick sphere of glittering ice crystals.
Gaara froze for a moment.
His eyes snapped upward, locking onto Shigure in the stands.
At this distance… he actually managed that…
Shigure leaned casually against the railing, one hand forming seals. Frost drifted faintly from his fingertips, the air around him shimmering with cold.
Ice Release: Freezing Moment!
The technique froze matter instantly within its range. At thirty to forty meters, distance was no obstacle at all.
Crack!
The frozen sand sphere plummeted from mid-air and shattered against the arena floor. Shards of ice scattered everywhere—mixed with cascading sand.
Inside, Chōji lay trembling on the ground. His body was bruised and battered, proof of the crushing pressure he had just endured.
Asuma immediately rushed forward, lifting Chōji onto his back. He looked up at the stands, his gaze meeting Shigure's and then Kakashi's.
He gave a brief nod. Kakashi returned it with equal weight.
Turning back to the arena, Kakashi muttered under his breath.
"He kills without hesitation… this kid from Sunagakure carries an overwhelming murderous aura."
But even as Kakashi's focus lingered on Gaara, everyone else's eyes were drawn toward Shigure.
Freezing an opponent instantly, and from such a distance—this was no ordinary ninjutsu.
Even Asuma, a skilled Jonin, hadn't been able to intervene quickly enough. Yet Shigure, still officially a Genin, had performed it with ease.
Yes, bloodline limits provided great advantage, but developing one to such a level was astonishing.
Yuhi Kurenai studied Shigure intently.
To an untrained eye, it looked like a flashy technique. But she understood the terrifying requirements behind it.
First, an immense chakra reserve—far beyond that of an average shinobi. Without that, such large-scale freezing was impossible.
Second, absolute control over chakra, and mastery over the nature transformation unique to his kekkei genkai. Without both, sheer chakra would still be wasted.
So he wasn't fighting seriously against Rock Lee before…
If Shigure had unleashed this technique from the start, Lee wouldn't have been able to resist at all. The battle would've ended instantly.
Might Guy also realized it then.
So… Shigure went easy on my student. If not… Lee would have been frozen before even taking a step.
Swish!
From the center of the arena, Gaara rose into the air atop a platform of sand. His gaze locked on Shigure, eyes filled with unrestrained hostility.
Behind him, the gourd's sand surged violently like a storm about to break free.
Seeing this, Sasuke and Naruto instinctively stepped forward, moving to Shigure's side. Their brows were furrowed in tension.
...
TN:
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