(WIP)The Hidden Dragon Chronicles: Series 1

Episode 29: The Chunnin Exams: Sasuke vs Gaara!

Sasuke vs. Gaara

As two persons approached each other with their backs turned, leaves began to spin like a tornado. Izumi and the others were shocked by their appearances.

"Sorry, we're late," Kakashi laughed awkwardly.

"Your name?" The referee questioned the dark-haired boy.

"Sasuke Uchiha," he said, while Shikamaru imagined him causing trouble for everyone and arriving late.

Naruto looked at his companion, his eyes filled with the same fiery will that he had before displayed.

"From your excitement, you won in the first round?" Sasuke inquired, noticing Uzumaki's presence.

Naruto responded with a smirk, "Of course."

Kakashi grinned with guilt as he asked the referee if Sasuke had been disqualified. "Well, we showed up flashy and all..."

"Do not worry. We pushed his fight to the end. He has not been ruled out," The referee comforted.

"That is good! Good!" Kakashi rubbed his temples hesitantly, noting that the red-headed boy was staring down at them coldly.

Sasuke narrowed his gaze at Gaara, as Naruto warned him not to lose. Both expressed their desire to fight one other in the future and promised to do so. Many people were looking forward to the approaching confrontation and spoke highly about Sasuke.

Lee, on the other hand, did not win his prior battle during the preliminary rounds because his bones were cracked and crushed by sand. He fought back tears and did his best to disregard everyone's adulation for Sasuke.

Kankuro and Temari had no words to say but were aware of their younger brother's intents.

As Naruto, Izumi, and Shikamaru climbed the stairs, Kankuro and Temari noticed Gaara acting strangely.

"H-hey..... Do you understand the plan?-" Temari nudged Kankuro before he could complete his sentence.

"Don't say anything right now," she muttered, as they both watched him slowly descend the steps.

"Come on. Hurry up." Naruto cheered heartily.

Shikamaru quoted, "There's no benefit to rushing through life," just as he halted in mid-sentence.

Izumi observed Naruto's unusual silence and proceeded to the top of the steps, to the right. "What is it Naruto?"

Shikamaru and Izumi turned at the same time, observing the two unknown ninjas who were approaching the redheaded sand ninja from a distance.

"These low-level contests, such as the Chunin examinations, are ideal for betting," The first ninja scoffed, "Many ministers are here for that."

"So, the battle...  Could you lose it? My boss wants the other guy to win." The second ninja added.

Gaara, not wanting any interruptions, used his sand to erase the men, taking all of their blood, flesh, and bones into power.

Their desperate screams were nothing more than the natural progression of death.

Naruto and Shikamaru remained completely paralyzed in their tracks.

Izumi, slightly taken aback by the scene, took a step back, preparing for the sand demon's death.

None of them moved after witnessing the scene of blood spilled all about. The only thing that could be detected was Gaara's haunting footsteps.

As he passed Naruto and Shikamaru, he realized they were still traumatized by what he had done.