A massive purple barrier rose from the rooftop, forming a towering, rectangular prison.
"Lord Third Hokage…"
Genma's face darkened as he looked up. Even the Third was sealed inside—that meant the enemy had come fully prepared.
"Does Sand really intend to start a war?"
"Hmph!" Baki let out a cold snort. He didn't waste words—there was no point.
If Sunagakure wanted to develop, to break free from its declining state, it needed resources. And the only way to gain them… was plunder. Without war, they would forever remain the weakest among the Five Great Nations.
"Kankuro, Temari—you must protect Gaara…"
"Wind Style: Cutting Gale!"
BOOM!
A violent gust surged toward Yuichi, filled with countless slicing blades of wind.
Temari swung her giant three-star fan, whipping up a storm that instantly turned into a powerful Wind Style attack.
"Kankuro, go ahead!" she commanded, stepping beside Baki, clearly intending to block Yuichi and Sasuke herself.
Behind her, Kankuro gritted his teeth. Supporting Gaara's weight, his eyes flickered with hesitation before hardening into resolve.
Arguing now would only waste precious time. Temari had already decided. His duty was clear—escape with Gaara.
Take advantage of the opening!
As Temari's wind blades howled toward Yuichi, Kankuro leapt high with Gaara in tow, landing against the exam hall wall. His feet dug into the surface as he scrambled upward with desperate speed.
"Stop him!"
Sasuke darted after Kankuro—
"Wind Style: Cutting Gale!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A barrage of slicing winds tore toward him, forcing Sasuke to halt and retreat as the ground cracked beneath their force.
"Tch. I wasn't letting you go anyway."
Yuichi brushed aside Temari's storm as if it were nothing, then spun quickly toward the wall. Water rippled into existence at his command.
"Water Style: Water Whip!"
A long stream of water lashed out like a serpent, wrapping tightly around Kankuro's ankle just as he climbed higher.
Yuichi gave a casual tug—
Kankuro was ripped from the wall and slammed into the ground with a heavy crash.
Dust burst up around him. His face twisted in frustration—he'd almost made it, but this man stopped him again.
Seeing this, Baki's fists clenched. He wanted to rush Yuichi, but Genma was already upon him, blocking his path.
The clash of jōnin began.
Kankuro staggered back to his feet, setting Gaara behind him. He tore the wrappings from his body, releasing the puppet from his back.
"Sorry, Temari… looks like they won't let us leave with Gaara without a fight."
He didn't like it. Facing Yuichi filled him with dread—the boy's chakra felt monstrous, inhuman. Fighting him recklessly was suicide.
But there was no other choice.
Sasuke stepped up beside Yuichi.
"Never thought I'd be fighting alongside you," he muttered.
Fight alongside? Yuichi almost laughed. Did he ever need allies to deal with just two Genin from the Sand?
He bent his knees slightly, palms meeting at his chest. A faint smirk tugged his lips.
"Since this is war… there's no need to hold back."
The words sent a chill down Temari and Kankuro's spines.
Hold back? He wasn't serious before…?
"Water Style: Raging Torrent!"
Yuichi's chakra erupted like a volcano.
Moisture from the air condensed in an instant, forming a spiraling maelstrom around him.
CRASH!!
From both sides, colossal waves surged forth, colliding into a roaring wall of water that surged straight toward Temari and Kankuro.
The entire arena shook as a deafening roar echoed.
Kankuro froze, puppet half-unsealed. Temari's fan slipped in her grip.
They were powerless.
The flood smashed into them like an avalanche, swallowing the siblings whole. Even Gaara, lying motionless, was swept away in the torrent.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The water surged higher and higher, a violent river crashing five to six meters tall, spreading across nearly the entire arena floor.
Even the clash between Baki and Genma was forced to break apart as both retreated before the flood.
Baki's eyes widened.
Such power… even I might not be able to stop that. Is this boy a Jinchūriki too? His chakra is monstrous…
Cold sweat rolled down Genma's brow as he landed on safer ground.
What kind of monster Genin is this…?
The flood hammered Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara against the far wall with brutal force. The entire exam hall trembled as the water surged again and again, relentless, endless, driven by Yuichi's boundless chakra.
Sasuke stumbled back two steps, eyes wide in horror.
Within mere breaths, the water had risen nearly six meters around them.
Grinding his teeth, he muttered, "So this… is your true power…"
When the torrent finally slowed, silence fell.
Every shinobi in the stadium—Leaf, Sand, and Sound alike—stared in stunned disbelief at the transformed battlefield.
The arena floor had become a lake.
Yuichi stood tall upon its surface, calm and unshaken. Sasuke stood just behind him, water lapping at his feet.
Genma landed beside them, sighing inwardly.
This child was only a Genin… yet his power put even a Jōnin like him under pressure.
"Yuichi… those three—" Genma began, meaning to ask about Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara.
SPLASH!
Three figures burst from beneath the water in a spray of droplets—
Three "Yuichi" clones, each dragging a Sand sibling in their grasp.
Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara, all captured.
Genma's mouth twitched slightly.
Even in war… this boy was terrifying.