In a shadowed corner of the arena, the Sand Jonin Baki, along with Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, watched the chaos unfold. When the "Fourth Kazekage" tore off his mask to reveal the face of Orochimaru, Baki froze, a cold dread washing over him. The original plan, sanctioned by the Fourth Kazekage himself, was for the Sand to cooperate with the Sound in a joint attack on Konoha, their supposed ally.
But now, their leader, the Kazekage, was Orochimaru.
"Damn it!" After a long, stunned silence, Baki finally understood the horrifying truth of the situation. The Sand Village had been deceived. The culprit was Orochimaru. To realize his own twisted "Konoha Crush" plan, Orochimaru had murdered their Kazekage, stolen his face, and used the Sand's own shinobi as his personal weapons.
"Master Baki! What do we do now?" Kankuro's voice was tight with anxiety, not just because they had been tricked, but because the boy standing beside him, his younger brother, could no longer hold back. As the scent of blood grew stronger, the murderous aura radiating from Gaara intensified, becoming a palpable, suffocating force.
"Blood… mother wants blood!" Gaara was mumbling, his mouth watering as his eyes darted around the battlefield, hungry and unfocused.
Temari was also panicked, not daring to even get close to him. "Master Baki, this is…"
Baki's face was a mask of worry. If Gaara went berserk here, he would be playing right into Orochimaru's hands. Perhaps, if he stayed, he could keep him in check, at least for a little while. But Baki knew he couldn't. He had a more important duty. Pulling their forces back, stopping this war between the Sand and Konoha immediately—that was the only way to minimize the casualties and resolve this catastrophic misunderstanding. After a moment of intense thought, Baki made his decision.
"Kankuro, Temari!" he ordered, his voice sharp. "No matter what it takes, get Gaara out of here and return to the village! Now!"
"Huh?" Temari and Kankuro stared at him, the command an impossible weight. It was a task they simply could not accomplish. Gaara didn't even listen to his own father; how could he possibly obey them?
Baki saw the despair on their faces and said helplessly, "Just do your best. But whatever you do, do not let Gaara go on a rampage. I am going to stop this outrageous war. My word should still carry some weight."
"This is a race against time. Every minute I'm late, more shinobi from both our villages will die, and the hatred between us will only grow deeper!"
"Please, Kankuro, Temari!" As soon as he finished speaking, Baki vanished in a blur of speed.
Temari and Kankuro exchanged a wide-eyed look, then slowly turned to face their brother.
"Blood… blood…"
Kankuro smiled bitterly. "I… Gaara, you heard what Master Baki said, right? We should… we should go back to the village."
"Yes, yes," Temari added, her voice soothing. "This war is just a misunderstanding. We don't need to be a part of it."
"No." Gaara's eyes were ferocious, a wicked, broken smile spreading across his face. "Get out of my way. Or I'll kill you, too."
"!" Temari and Kankuro broke out in a cold sweat, subconsciously taking several steps back. They could not afford to provoke this monster.
"Hehehe… hehehehe…" Gaara covered his head with one hand, his body shaking with a wild, unholy laughter. He had been watching the Uchiha trio from the very beginning.
The strong ones… the ones with the Uchiha name… the ones with bonds…
After I kill them, I will become the one who destroys everything. Only then can I prove my existence in this world.
Only then… can I feel that I am still alive!