The second stage of the Chunin Exams was held at Training Ground No. 44.
There were seventy-five examinees in total—twenty-five teams—and the proctor was Anko Mitarashi.
"Everyone here passed the first stage and has already signed the life-and-death waiver," Anko said. "This stage lasts five days. In other words, within five days of entering Training Ground No. 44, you must—
"First, protect the scroll you're carrying."
"Second, within five days, bring one Heaven Scroll and one Earth Scroll to the tower at the center of the training ground."
"Third, you are not allowed to open the scrolls on your own."
"Fourth, no one on your team may die or suffer injuries severe enough to lose mobility."
"That's it~"
With that, everyone entered Training Ground No. 44—the place known as the Forest of Death.
"Bento~ bento~~ Auntie Mikoto's bento~!"
Naruto Uzumaki hugged the rice ball bundle he'd gotten that morning, grinning so hard his eyes nearly disappeared. He bounced along like this was a picnic, laughing smugly to himself.
Sasuke was furious enough to want to punch him. "You idiot, dead last! You're going to expose us like this!"
"Relax, Sasuke!" Naruto struck what he thought was an incredibly cool pose. "For Auntie Mikoto's special bento, I, the great Naruto Uzumaki, will protect you!"
Sasuke was so angry he didn't even want to talk anymore. Sakura weakly tried to step in. "Um… is this really okay?"
"Huh? What's wrong, Sakura?" Naruto blinked his big blue eyes.
"That guy has been following us this whole time!!!" Sakura finally snapped.
"Naruto, you idiot! He instantly killed a Grass ninja during the first exam! And according to those future images, he's that… Allied Shinobi Forces commander-in-chief or something!
And—and come to think of it, Naruto, you two even have some kind of weird, unresolved—same-type friendship!"
"Ahhh! Sakura, can you not remind me of that, believe it!" Naruto yelled.
He turned his head. Sure enough, Gaara was following them from several dozen meters away.
When they sped up, the Sand trio sped up.When they slowed down, the Sand trio slowed down.
"What do they even want, believe it?!" Naruto complained.
"How would I know?!" Sakura shot back.
Sasuke's mood darkened noticeably. "Doesn't matter whether we know or not. Let's just ask."
He turned to face Gaara directly. "Hey. You've been tailing us this whole time. Are you after our scroll?"
Kankuro and Temari exchanged helpless looks. Sasuke's team was carrying a Heaven Scroll, just like them—stealing it would be pointless.
But Gaara insisted on following, so what could they do? They couldn't exactly ditch him. Instead of hunting for an Earth Scroll, they were just drifting along like this…
"I'm not interested," Gaara said flatly.
Naruto clutched his rice balls tighter. "Then are you trying to steal our lunch?!"
"…No."
"Then what do you want, Dattebayo?!"
"I want you to answer one question." Gaara had thought about it all night. "Why did you cry for me, even though I was your enemy?"
Naruto's face instantly turned bright red. "Ah—hey! Don't keep bringing up stuff that hasn't even happened yet! How would I know, believe it?!
And anyway, I don't like you at all! You're always so gloomy, like the whole world owes you money! I mean, Sasuke's like that too, but still—"
"You bastard, dead last!" Sasuke finally snapped and swung his fist at Naruto.
But he never landed the punch.
Sand shot up and locked around Sasuke's arm, pinning it in place.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried out.
She saw his expression change as fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
That sand—
"Ugh!"
Caught completely off guard, Sasuke's arm was wrapped tight, the pressure increasing until it surpassed what he could endure.
"Looking for a fight, Sand ninja?" Sasuke grit his teeth through the pain as his Sharingan flared to life.
Naruto froze for a few seconds before reacting. "You jerk!!" He charged forward and threw a punch straight at Gaara's face!
But just like before, sand suddenly appeared, stopping Naruto's fist half a meter away from Gaara.
"With this Absolute Defense," Gaara said calmly, "it's impossible for me to be injured."
Absolute Defense?!
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all remembered Kabuto-senpai's intel. This genin named Gaara could complete even B-rank missions without a single scratch.
Naruto strained with all his strength, but no matter how hard he pushed, he couldn't break through. "You bastard! Let Sasuke go right now!!"
"He tried to attack you," Gaara said. "So why are you trying to save him?"
To Gaara, this question was the same as the others—why Naruto had cried for him, why he would save an enemy.
Sasuke hurled shuriken with his free hand, but no matter how tricky the angles, every one of them was stopped outside Gaara's Absolute Defense.
"What the hell are you talking about, you psycho?!" Sasuke shouted. His voice turned into a scream as the pain intensified.
Naruto couldn't even process what Gaara was asking anymore. He just yelled louder. "I don't care what you're talking about! Let Sasuke go right now, or I swear I'll beat you flat!"
"…Fine."
The sand restraining Sasuke's arm fell away.
"You're too weak," Gaara said honestly. "You can't break my Absolute Defense."
Naruto's face flushed with rage.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura caught him as he nearly collapsed.
Sasuke stared at Gaara and Naruto, breathing heavily as Tobirama's words echoed in his mind.
He's like a monster…
Tailed beasts. Jinchuriki. What are they, really?
There was no way Naruto could be the same as someone like this. At the very least, Naruto didn't have such terrifying power or jutsu.
"Hey… Gaara," Sasuke said. "That Absolute Defense— is it your jutsu?"
"My jutsu?"
"Absolute Defense is—" Gaara's expression darkened as killing intent surged around him. "It's my mother's curse. I killed her when I was born, so she hates me."
"What?!" The three of them were stunned.
"That's… impossible… believe it," Naruto muttered, shaking his head.
"I'm not lying," Gaara said. His pale eyes were completely devoid of warmth. "While I was still in my mother's womb, my father turned me into a weapon of the Hidden Sand."
"My father—the Fourth Kazekage—sealed a monster called Shukaku inside me and forced us to merge. Because of that, the moment I was born, I drained the life from the woman I should have called my mother."
"She named me Gaara—meaning a demon who only loves himself."
Those words hit Naruto like a heavy blow.
"Only loves himself…"A demon who only loves himself…
Because only himself… because only himself ever could…
In his shock, Naruto didn't notice the red chakra beginning to surface around his body, linking with Gaara's chakra.
He saw Gaara's childhood—
The Hidden Sand Village, everything built from sand. Compared to Konoha, it felt empty and desolate.
A young Gaara stood there, holding a ball.
The moment people recognized him, their faces twisted into expressions Naruto knew all too well.
Fear. And hatred.
"Monster!""Monster!""Run! That monster's coming!!!"
The children scattered in panic.
What did I do?
Naruto heard Gaara's thoughts.
I didn't do anything…
Don't be afraid of me. Don't isolate me. Don't leave me alone.
"Don't leave me alone— I said don't leave me alone!!!"
Young Gaara's face twisted with rage. Sand rose around him, forming obedient weapons that bound the fleeing children.
"Monster! Let go, you monster!!""Ahhhh—!!"
Sand ninja rushed in to stop him. Even so, those children were still hurt…
Then, a man named Yashamaru appeared.
To Naruto, he felt just like Iruka-sensei.
Yashamaru wasn't afraid of Gaara. He didn't keep his distance. He ate with him like family.
He taught him how to live, corrected him when he made mistakes.
He told him what could heal the wounds of the heart, and how to build bonds between people.
He made it so Gaara wasn't screaming alone in a lonely hell.
Really… he was just like Iruka-sensei.
Without realizing it, Naruto smiled warmly.
But as an observer, he never expected the ending to be like that.
Gaara sobbed, asking Yashamaru over and over why.
"Because I hate you," Yashamaru said with a gentle smile, gravely wounded. "And my older sister—your mother—hated you as well. No one in this world will ever love you. You are a demon of hell, a monster who can only love himself…"
The explosion tags detonated.
Gaara completely lost control.
Naruto saw him transform into a massive monster, rampaging through the Hidden Sand Village.
———