Enjoy the long chapter
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Naruto watched Sasuke's moving figure in the arena, then turned his gaze toward Sakura.
"Sakura-chan," he asked, "what happened in the forest when I was unconscious? How did Sasuke get that curse mark Akuma mentioned?"
Sakura flinched slightly. She met Naruto's eyes, hesitating. Part of her wanted to tell him everything—about the pain, the fear, Orochimaru—but she had made a promise to Sasuke.
"I… I don't know," she said softly, looking away.
Naruto stared at her for a moment, frowning. Then he said, "Well, I guess I'll just ask Akuma. He seems to know a lot about it."
With that, he turned to his left, where Akuma stood beside Guy-sensei, silent and watchful as always. Naruto took a step forward—
—but a gentle tug on his hand stopped him.
He turned in surprise to see Sakura gripping his wrist.
"Don't," she said, her voice quiet but urgent. "Naruto… Akuma is very dangerous. It's better if we don't get involved with him."
Naruto looked at her pleading face, the worry in her eyes. He didn't understand everything, but he understood her fear.
"…Alright," he said at last, pulling his hand back.
Together, they turned their attention to the arena below, just as the next match began:
Zaku Abumi vs. Aburame Shino.
While the crowd focused on the battle between Zaku and Shino, Akuma's eyes were locked elsewhere. He wasn't watching the fight.
His gaze followed Orochimaru's retreating figure—still disguised—slipping quietly toward the corridor where Sasuke and Kakashi had gone.
Only after Orochimaru disappeared from view did Akuma shift his attention back to the arena.
Down below, Aburame Shino stood calm and unreadable, his hands in his pockets. Zaku screamed in pain, his arm mangled and smoking from the inside. The insects had swarmed silently into his air canals, clogging the pressure points in his arms. The buildup had nowhere to go—so they exploded from within.
Victory: Shino.
Akuma said nothing, his expression unchanged.
Beside him, Might Guy was explaining enthusiastically to his team. "You see, the Aburame Clan has a unique symbiosis with insects. From birth, they allow kikaichū—chakra-feeding bugs—to live inside their bodies. It might seem creepy, but it's a powerful bond of trust and control!"
"Eew!" Tenten recoiled, hugging herself. "Letting bugs live inside your body? That's disgusting."
"I find it cool and interesting," Lee said, eyes gleaming with admiration. Then he turned to Akuma. "What about you, Akuma?"
Akuma gave a slight shrug. "I wouldn't call it 'cool' exactly, but… it is interesting. Not surprising, though—I already knew about their techniques."
Rock Lee blinked. "Wait, you already knew?"
"Yes," Akuma said simply. "I read about the Aburame Clan in one of the books Guy-sensei gave me. If you want, I can lend it to you."
Lee's face turned red with embarrassment. He scratched the back of his head. "Ahaha… t-that would be great. Thank you."
Akuma gave a small nod and turned his gaze back to the arena.
Suddenly, a voice came from his right.
"Hey."
He turned his head and saw Kakashi speaking calmly with his students after resolving the situation with Sasuke. The sight brought a faint sense of relief to Akuma.
'Good… The timeline is still on track.'
Not long after, Gekkō Hayate stepped forward once more.
"Next match: Tsurugi Misumi versus Kankuro."
The fight ended almost as quickly as it began. Kankuro used his Puppet Technique to completely outmaneuver Misumi, trapping him with deceptive ease. A brief, efficient victory.
Immediately after, the next match was announced:
"Haruno Sakura versus Yamanaka Ino."
Akuma watched their battle in silence for a while, arms folded. But the longer he observed, the more irritated he became. The entire fight was filled with petty arguments over Sasuke—pointless bickering that echoed through the chamber like nails on stone.
He sighed.
'So this is what their friendship amounts to? Ruined over a boy who doesn't even care for either of them.'
What frustrated him even more was the waste of potential.
'Even the hair… It was quite beautiful,' he thought, watching the strands fall to the floor, the result of their emotional breakdown.
Eventually, the fight ended in a double knockout.
Akuma shook his head.
'That was exhausting to watch.'
Then came the next announcement:
"Temari versus Tenten."
Neji, ever composed, commented, "A fight between Tenten and a Sand ninja… this could be interesting."
"GOOD LUCK, TENTEN!!" Rock Lee shouted with boundless energy.
"Rock Lee! Let's cheer HARDER!!" Might Guy added, striking a bold pose beside his student.
Their enthusiasm rang across the arena like a battle cry.
Akuma, meanwhile, remained still and quiet.
He already knew how this fight would end. Tenten was skilled, but Temari's technique and strategy would overwhelm her. Still, Akuma watched. There was always something to be learned, even in a losing battle.
But then—
A sudden, wave of killing intent swept over him like a shadow falling across his senses.
Akuma's eyes narrowed.
He slowly turned his gaze and met the source head-on.
Gaara.
The red-haired Sand ninja stood still as a statue, eyes burning with a cold, inhuman hunger. His bloodlust wasn't even directed at Tenten—it was at him. As if he was just waiting for the next excuse to kill.
Akuma stared back, unfazed. He didn't flinch. Didn't blink.
Then, after a long moment, he turned away—as if Gaara wasn't worth his time.
Behind him, Might Guy's cheerful mood dimmed slightly. His expression grew serious.
"That Sand boy…" he said in a low voice. "He has a dangerous killing intent. All of you, be careful around him."
Akuma, Neji, and Rock Lee nodded silently. No words were needed—they understood.
Then, as quickly as the seriousness had come, Guy and Lee jumped back into their loud cheering, their youthful energy refusing to stay suppressed.
Akuma kept his eyes on the arena.
He wanted to see how Temari fought—and how Tenten responded.
But the match turned out to be completely one-sided.
Despite using every weapon in her arsenal, Tenten's attacks were effortlessly countered. Her tools now lay scattered across the arena floor. Temari stood tall, calm and unfazed, holding her massive iron fan with one hand.
She let out a short laugh.
"How boring. This is the best you can do?" she said, looking down at Tenten, who was unconscious on top of her fan.
"Winner: Temari," the referee announced.
But instead of backing off, Temari sneered—and with a flick of her fan, she threw Tenten toward the pile of weapons below, clearly intending to injure or even kill her.
Akuma's body twitched. He was ready to intervene—until he remembered.
'Rock Lee is here.'
So he let it play out.
In a blur, Rock Lee shot down from the observation deck and caught Tenten mid-air, just before she could crash into the deadly heap of weapons.
"Nice catch," Temari said smugly, watching him.
Lee held Tenten gently, his jaw clenched. "What are you doing?! Is that how you treat someone who gave everything in a fight?"
"Shut up. Take that loser and get out of here," Temari said coldly.
That was too much.
Lee's anger flared. "What did you just say?!"
"Stop, Lee!" Neji shouted—but it was too late.
"Leaf Spinning Wind!!" Rock Lee shouted, launching a fast taijutsu attack.
Temari blocked it with her fan, but the sheer force made her slide backward.
"Tch. Just as I thought," she muttered. "You're as much a loser as that girl."
"What did you say?!"
Lee's fury was reaching its limit—until a strong hand caught his shoulder.
"That's enough, Lee," Might Guy said, stepping between them. "Don't waste your strength here."
Then, a cold voice echoed from behind.
"Temari, stop wasting time with these pathetic people and get back here."
Lee looked up sharply—and saw him.
A red-haired boy with a massive gourd strapped to his back. His cold, soulless eyes were fixed on Guy and Lee.
Gaara.
Before Lee could explode, Might Guy placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "That's enough, Lee. You'll get your opportunity to fight him… but this isn't the time." Guy's voice was calm, but serious. "That kid over there is strong, so prepare yourself."
But Gaara only laughed. It was low, cruel, and dismissive.
"Hahaha… Even if he trained his whole life, it wouldn't be enough to defeat me," he said coldly. "Why waste time on him? Instead—send me that one."
He pointed directly at Akuma.
Suddenly, all eyes turned to him.
Akuma remained where he was, arms folded, gaze steady. He didn't flinch.
From the stands, Kiba leaned toward Hinata. "Why's that Sand guy trying to pick a fight with Akuma? I mean, isn't he the one who doesn't have chakra or something?"
Hinata hesitated, her voice soft and unsure. "I… I don't know. Even my sister doesn't understand him."
On the other side, Naruto grinned at the tension. "Whoa, Sakura! The Sand guy wants to fight Akuma! That would be awesome to see!"
Sakura, still irritated, crossed her arms. "Yeah, well… I hope someone beats up that creepy kid—even if it's just for a little."
Naruto blinked, clearly catching her bitterness, but chose to keep his mouth shut.
Meanwhile, Might Guy stepped forward slightly, eyes locked on Gaara.
"It's questionable whether you can even defeat Rock Lee," he said calmly, his tone cutting. "Forget about Akuma."
Then he turned to his student, his energy rising. "Rock Lee! You must show them the power of youth, okay?!"
Lee's heart ignited. He stood tall and roared at the top of his lungs, "YES, GUY-SENSEI!!!"
His voice echoed across the chamber like a battle cry.
Gaara's eyes twitched. Being compared to someone he saw as beneath him—let alone mocked by it—boiled his blood. His killing intent surged again like a tidal wave.
Might Guy calmly led Lee back to the deck while medical-nin carried Tenten away on a stretcher.
Akuma stood silently, arms folded, watching the aftermath unfold from the observation deck. But then—again—he felt it.
That same killing intent.
It came from Gaara.
Akuma's brow furrowed slightly. He was already in a foul mood, and the sand boy's bloodlust—childish and uncontrolled—was beginning to annoy him.
'Tch. Again?'
His crimson eyes slowly turned toward Gaara.
The moment their gazes met, Akuma's patience snapped.
Without a word, he unleashed his own killing intent.
It wasn't loud or showy. It was silent—suffocating—a wave of pure, murderous pressure that swept across the arena like a thunderstorm rolling in from nowhere.
Gaara's eyes widened.
His hand started to tremble.
His breath hitched.
He couldn't move.
It felt like death was staring him in the face.
Not metaphorically—literally.
For the first time in his life, Gaara—vessel of Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast—feared for his life.
The tremor spread from his fingers to his arms, then his legs. His whole body shook uncontrollably under the crushing weight of Akuma's presence.
Then… he collapsed.
Unconscious.
The entire arena went still.
Even those not directly targeted felt the killing intent press against their chests like invisible chains.
Genin, jōnin—even the proctors—all turned their eyes toward the silent boy standing on the deck.
Akuma.
Some took a step back instinctively. Others froze in disbelief.
The Sand Siblings were stunned. Temari's grip on her fan tightened in fear. Kankuro looked like he wanted to say something—but no words came.
Akuma slowly withdrew his killing intent, as if nothing had happened. His face remained calm, unreadable.
He looked back at the arena—as if nothing had happened.