Just as Orochimaru and his subordinates — Yakushi Kabuto and the Sound Four — retreated in defeat and disarray, the battle between Naruto Uzumaki and Gaara reached its climax.
Having lost one arm in the earlier chaos, Gaara, the jinchūriki of the One-Tailed Shukaku, finally activated the Feigned Sleep Technique. As he succumbed to unconsciousness, the spirit of Shukaku, sealed deep within him, awakened fully and took control.
Despite its massive and terrifying appearance, Shukaku turned out to have an eccentric, almost comical personality — giggling maniacally and speaking erratically. However, this erratic demeanor masked its dangerous, destructive power. As the rampaging tailed beast emerged, the battlefield turned into a zone of utter devastation.
Gamabunta, the chief toad of Mount Myōboku, had been summoned by Naruto and now engaged Shukaku in a massive clash. Their battle churned up debris like a hurricane. The sheer power behind their jutsu — Shukaku firing Wind Release bullets, and Gamabunta wielding a giant blade — leveled the surrounding forest like a typhoon mowing down blades of grass.
It was no wonder that Temari, terrified, fled the area to avoid being caught in the carnage.
Mizuki, observing from a distance, breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't acted impulsively earlier. If he had been any closer, even a splintered tree branch could have been fatal.
The explosive clash of elemental chakra — Wind Release versus Water Release — sent shockwaves across the battlefield. The pressure alone could crush unprepared shinobi. Fortunately, by this point, most had evacuated, except Mizuki, who had quietly drawn closer.
"…What level of power is this?" Sasuke Uchiha muttered, watching the titanic fight from afar. His voice trembled slightly, eyes wide. "Ninja can reach this level? That kind of power… it's beyond even Guy-sensei."
Hearing Sasuke's words, Sakura Haruno hesitated, then replied honestly, "Sasuke-kun, a month ago, Mizuki-sensei told us that Gaara was the strongest in the Chūnin Exams. He said no one else, even combined, could take him down."
"That big of a gap was obvious even then? Everyone knew?"
Sakura hesitated again. "He said... 'for now.' Mizuki-sensei said that in a month, everything could change."
"A month later… that's now," Sasuke murmured, eyes fixed on Naruto — now riding atop Gamabunta's head, cloaked in a toad transformation. "Someone's already caught up… and I…"
Frustrated, Sasuke punched a nearby tree trunk with all his strength. Bark split and his knuckles bled from the force.
In truth, Sasuke was progressing rapidly — wielding Lightning Release to enhance his speed, mastering the Chidori under Kakashi's guidance, and awakening the Sharingan to two tomoe. His genjutsu resistance and physical agility were impressive, and he was top of the class. While not as precocious as prodigies like Itachi or Kakashi had been, his potential was undeniable.
But potential meant nothing now. A few months ago, Naruto had been a failure — now he was shoulder to shoulder with a jinchūriki. For Sasuke, whose path to vengeance depended on surpassing his limits, it was unbearable.
"Sasuke-kun… you're bleeding!" Sakura stepped forward to treat him.
But Sasuke, ignoring her concern, asked flatly, "Sakura… what did Mizuki-sensei say about me?"
Sakura paused, then answered truthfully. "He said… Kakashi-sensei is the most suitable teacher for you right now. That you have the highest potential."
"Right now?" Sasuke repeated. "So it's all just 'potential'? That means I'm still not good enough."
Sakura quickly added, "But you've improved so much, Sasuke-kun. You've grown stronger in just a month. Under Kakashi-sensei's training, you'll definitely become stronger."
"…Yeah," Sasuke responded distantly.
"How much stronger do I have to be to kill that man…?" he whispered bitterly.
While Sasuke brooded, the battle between Naruto and Gaara reached its end. Naruto used a combined Transformation Technique with Gamabunta — turning the toad into a giant fox-like creature to restrain Shukaku. Taking that opportunity, Naruto used a powerful headbutt to wake Gaara, snapping him out of the Feigned Sleep Technique and severing Shukaku's control.
As the tailed beast's chakra faded, the sand form crumbled. Gamabunta, having spent tremendous energy, dispelled shortly afterward and returned to Mount Myōboku. Both Naruto and Gaara lay exhausted, barely conscious.
"…Time to collect," Mizuki murmured, emerging from concealment as he approached the fallen pair.
Naruto's chakra was nearly depleted — not surprising, considering the beating he'd taken from Neji earlier and now from Gaara. It was a miracle he was still alive.
Gaara, however, was in worse shape. His earlier injuries had worsened, and his physical and mental exhaustion — exacerbated by sleep deprivation — left him in a dangerous state.
Mizuki knelt beside Gaara and extended his hand toward the boy's abdomen, aiming to inspect or possibly extract chakra from the One-Tail's seal.
But the instant his hand made contact — whoosh! — a slicing gust of wind narrowly missed his face.
"Step away from Gaara!" Temari shouted, arriving just in time. A swirl of wind from her giant fan whipped around her, fierce and defensive.
Mizuki chuckled, backing off. "Wow. You really came rushing to your brother's side. Sibling loyalty… impressive."
Inwardly, Mizuki thought of Tsubaki. He'd have done the same if it were her.
Temari stood poised, eyes locked on him. "He's not just my brother. He's our village's jinchūriki. We'll retreat — but give Gaara back."
"You think I believe that?" Mizuki said, voice edged with derision. "You'll retreat peacefully and not let Shukaku loose again? Forgive me if I'm not reassured."
He didn't trust them, and didn't want anyone interfering with his plan — especially regarding the extraction or study of tailed beast chakra.
"I'd rather not negotiate with the enemy," he added, activating a subtle jutsu in his palm.
Temari, with her wide-range Wind Release and summoning skills, was a difficult opponent for Mizuki's finesse-based fighting style. Her jutsu weren't only powerful — they were hard to counter up close.
"A daughter of the Kazekage… you're no pushover," Mizuki muttered. "But you're also unlucky. You ran into me on a day I'm in a bad mood. And unfortunately for you — today, you pulled the short straw."
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