Gaara and his siblings walked towards the Ninja Academy where the first round is scheduled to be held in. The three arrived without any hickups but Naruto and Sasuke followed them like a puppy. The exam began and everyone showcased their own methods of cheating. Then forty-five minutes in despite Ibiki's efforts into getting more genin to voluntarily give up on the exam this year he failed due to Naruto's talk no jutsu. This led to an abnormally high number of teams who passed the first round.
The genin are then taken over by Mitarashi Anko who led the exam takers to the Forest of Death's entrance. She explained the rules and made everyone choose between signing a waiver or forfeit. After that, she began to distribute the scrolls of heaven and earth. The gate then openened letting the participants into the forest.
"Let's get this party started."
[Understood!]
Gaara then looked to his siblings.
"Let's go do our part, then we will watch the characters play theirs."
Kankuro and Temari nodded. Both of them are in on his plans this time. A team of three people lay sprawled on the ground where they used to be. Faint breathing can be heard from the three who seemed to be alive despite their wounds.
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"What do you mean?"
Anko asked the person on the other side of the call.
"The team from the Sand are already resting in the tower."
'What the fuck? It hasn't even been half an hour. Just how strong are those three?'
Anko originally knew that those three from the sand are not to be underestimated due to their harsh training methods but it just seemed like they blitzed through this whole stage with little effort. How can there be such a huge gap in between the quality of their genin?
'They must have just been really lucky this time.'
"Keep monitoring them."
"Ma'am there's something that requires your attention. Please follow me."
"What is it that's so sudden?"
Anko swung her legs as she ate the last dango on her stick.
"Corpses. Three of them. But they are weird."
Anko lazily got up and followed her subordinate to a site of ambush. The participants from one village are brutally massacred before they even reached the area for the second phase of the exam. They are killed and somehow melted. The pain that radiated from the cursed seal on her shoulder already telling her the most likely perpetrator.
'What is he doing here this time?'
---------------------
"Ohoho That Sasuke guy is actually not too shabby. Though the opponent isn't really giving his all, I'd say he's at least at the chunin level already. Are we recruiting him?"
Temari asked Gaara who looked like he is doing something else.
"It's up to him really. He's been marked by that snake guy already but its not like there's no way to get rid of the mark. He will call if he's willing."
'I have five of those anyway. I don't believe I can't train them to the levels that can match their ancestors given the right amount of time.'
"Then why are you so interested in that blond squirt?"
Gaara smiled and didn't answer.
"Didn't you feel it? The evil inside that boy? The sickening stench of his chakra? He is like..."
"He is like me. We are two of the same kind."
'Except I'm like Harry Potter and he is more like a Neville Longbottom.'
His plans should be bearing fruits soon enough. Reports from his ongoin operations are coming in mostly successful while some encountered difficulties due to his Men's over-reliance on scientific ninja tools. Some of the test subjects put up a decent fight while some zealots willingly sacrificed themselves for Orochimaru's cause. Gaara then looked at the man who seemed to be enjoying himself as he toyed with the object of his desire. The soon to be broke man and his big snake faught team seven with ease before Anko came to intervene.
*boom boom boom boom
Dust and smoke billowed up into the red skies.
"Mission Complete, 96% of the mission objectives are accomplished. Clean-up is at 100%. We are moving out."
[Good work. Have a safe trip.]
Takeshi Kobayashi looked towards the destruction he and his five-man team brought to this place and then to the flying machine they are using for transport. When he is just being recruited into this organization, he just wanted a place where he could belong. It was out of his expectations to reach the point where he's in right now.
"Hai! Will do. Script out."
On the other side of the call is a smiling Gaara.
'Now its official. Orochimaru is broke. No lab, no money. Years of research gone just like that.'
"I wonder if he'll accept my offer."
Gaara murmured to himself wondering how his plans will roll out this time.
----------------
"Misumi Tsurugi of Konoha vs Kankuro of Suna."
Kankuro garnered more attention due to his black-violet metallic sheen overcoat and gold-visored futuristic helm covering his face. His enemy looked rather lame in comparison.
"Just give up kid. This is not a fashion competition. When I use my technique I usually go for the kill."
Tsurugi whose face is covered warned his oponent in what seemed to be some kind of intimidation attempt.
"Is that so? Then by all means please, come at me with everything you've got."
"FIGHTO!"
*BAM!
A solid kick to the midsection sent Tsurugi flying to the wall and then out of the building.
"TSK. What a letdown. You're the all talk no bite kind of guy it seems."
"Kankuro wins! Everyone please standby."
Hayate announced the results seeing no movements from Tsurugi who is pressed under the rubble of the collapsed wall.
The audince are still flabergasted by what occured before them. Sending a grown man flying and breaking the walls with the excess force is by no means impressive but the ease at which he had done it is what made them wonder just how much power he held back when he made that kick. Their glance then turned to the leader of the group and the other representative, wondering if they are just as strong as the first one.
The Hokage, the teachers, and the proctors had a strange gleam in their eyes. Their xenophobia and bigotry flaring up uncontrollably for a second then vanishing into stoic faces of veteran politicians. Hayate then called out Sakura and Ino for the next match which ended up in a tie. It was long and dramatic but boring at most but Gaara enjoyed watching girls fighting each other for some strange reason that he can't yet point out.
"Tenten of Konoha vs Temari of Suna."
The two then walked to the center. Temari who also wore a metallic overcoat but is black-blue in color while her helm's visor is metallic green. Tenten on the other hand need no descriptions. Just imagine a middleshooler Chun Li.
"FIGHTO!"
Tenten jumped backwards wanting to test out her oponent. Kankuro's display gave her some apprehension on the idea of getting up close and personal with anyone from the Sunagakure's team. The third Hokage nodded in apreciation of her positively vigilant move.
"Good decision, but you are too slow."
Temari spoke from behind Tenten and gave her plump ass a teasing kick. Despite her holding back Tenten was sent skidding on the floor as she tried to regain balance. She summoned a scroll and threw weapons at her enemy.
*tink tink tink tink
The projectiles simply acted like Temari is carrying some kind of repulsive force and veered away from their initial target.
"You will have to try harder sweet pea."
Temari said with a giggle before disapearing from view and appearing in front of Tenten with a hand an inch from the face for a slap. Or a tap in her own description. Which Tenten managed to pull a perfect substitution in order to avoid. She had no doubt that it would hurt no matter how cassual she looked when she swung her open palm. She appeared behind Temari with a scroll dancing around her before she spun around and sent projectiles of weapons to the representative from Sunagakure.