In Chiba's line of sight, the sky not far away first darkened, then became impossibly brilliant. A waterfall of gold flowed backward into the heavens, shimmering under the sun.
It was a monstrous wave, a tsunami of gold dust.
At the crest of the surging golden sea, a figure stood with arms crossed, riding the wave, looking down upon everything from on high.
No doubt. That's Rasa's Magnet Release: Gold Dust.
Chiba watched the stunning display from afar, a twinge of envy in his heart.
"Damn, that's cool as hell. Wish I could do that."
Seeing an awesome jutsu always made Chiba want to snatch it for himself. Of course, being able to activate a Susanoo would be even better!
In the distance, Rasa controlled the sky-filling gold dust, occasionally sending tendrils shooting toward the ground—clearly hunting someone.
But after watching for a moment, Chiba realized something was off. Why the hell was that gold dust now flying straight toward him?!
"Shit, what's going on? A coincidence?!"
Chiba wavered, unsure. No time to think. He needed to avoid Rasa, now.
He plunged deeper into the forest, changing direction several times. But every time he glanced back, the gold dust behind him adjusted its course.
The worst part? Once, the entire stream of gold made a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn in mid-air, drifting like a damn race car. Chiba just stared, dumbfounded.
"Brother Rasa, what the fuck did I ever do to you? You bringing me gold for the new year?"
Chiba cursed under his breath, quietly increasing his speed.
Sure, he was missing a Suna scroll. But right now, his skinny ass couldn't tangle with the guy in the sky. Best to just hide.
A few minutes earlier, at the location Chiba had been watching.
A red-haired boy fled desperately through the woods. Eight puppet arms sprouted from his back, latching onto trees to swing his body left and right, dodging golden spears raining from above.
"Rasa," the boy—Sasori—hissed, his voice cold and steady beyond his years. "Attacking a fellow villager. Aren't you afraid the Third Kazekage will punish you? That my parents will turn you into a puppet?"
The calmer Sasori sounded, the more it hardened Rasa's resolve to kill him.
Sasori's body was riddled with bloody holes, his clothes soaked crimson. If not for the chakra strings he'd used to forcibly stitch his wounds shut, he'd have bled out long ago.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Binding Funeral!"
Rasa, floating in the sky, gave no quarter. He raised his arms. Gigantic, spear-like pillars of gold shot from the swirling mass above, hurtling toward Sasori below.
Rasa had already used Gold Dust Burial once. It failed to finish Sasori—blocked by a secret technique scroll.
Strategically, Rasa wouldn't waste more chakra on big moves until Sasori's trump cards were exhausted. He'd grind him down slowly.
After all, he wasn't the Fourth Kazekage yet, not for years. He had to conserve strength, stay alert. If his position was exposed, other powerful examinees might come hunting.
"Bastard," Sasori muttered, a flash of pure killing intent in his eyes. "When I get back, I'll turn you into a puppet myself. A living one."
Rasa had attacked suddenly. If not for his subordinates sacrificing themselves, if not for the puppets and multiple secret scrolls his parents prepared… he'd be dead.
"Scroll Art: Gale Ejection Array!"
Sasori pulled a scroll from his robes and broke the seal. Two of the puppet arms on his back exploded at the tips, revealing dark tubes that blasted roaring wind backward.
BOOM!
The gale temporarily slowed the gold dust's advance. Sasori used the momentum to surge forward, barely escaping the attack radius.
"Damn it."
Sasori's young face was pale. His parents' prepared countermeasures were dwindling. His condition was worsening.
If he didn't find a way out, he'd die here. No question.
"…Hm?"
Then, he felt it. A pull toward a specific direction—Chiba's direction.
Before entering the Forest of Death, Sasori had… adjusted something on Chiba. A tracker. As long as Chiba was nearby, Sasori could sense his location.
His original plan: if he ran into Chiba during the exam, he'd lend a hand. But now…
"Find that Chiba."
Decision made instantly. To break this deadlock, the best move was to drag an outsider into the game. At the very least, it would buy him time.
Now.
Chiba raced through the forest. The gold dust storm behind him was like a rabid dog, clinging stubbornly to his trail, getting closer and closer!
Chiba was pissed. Why the hell was Rasa fixated on him?
"Damn you, Rasa. Picking on me while I'm weak, huh? Just you wait. One day, I'll ascend. I'll make Gaara call me dad!"
Chiba grumbled, already mentally cuckolding the future father of Gaara in his head.
"Chiba… Chiba…"
A voice, faint, calling his name from behind. Chiba turned.
"Holy shit, Eight Spider Legs?!"
A red-haired boy supported by eight "legs" burst from the trees.
And behind the boy, the terrifying gold dust storm followed like a shadow. Chiba could almost make out Rasa's face now!
"Little Sasori? How does he know me? Why is Rasa chasing… Oh, fuck!"
A moment of thought, and Chiba understood. He outright cursed.
That little shit Sasori couldn't shake Rasa, somehow locked onto Chiba—a pure bystander—and decided to redirect the disaster, use him as a shield!
"Chiba, help me!" Sasori shouted, sprinting toward him.
Chiba's face went green. "Who the fuck are you?! I don't know you! Get away from me, damn it!"
High above, watching the two "friends" interact, Rasa smirked. "Hah. No wonder you were running in circles. You have an acquaintance in Konoha."
"I don't know him! I seriously don't know him!"
Chiba wanted to cry. He yelled explanations at Rasa, but Rasa clearly wasn't listening.
"Since you've met," Rasa murmured to himself, "you can die together."
To Rasa, Sasori was a must-kill. A Konoha ninja was also a must-kill. Two birds, one stone. Crush them both.
"You Suna bastards are all brain-dead!"
Chiba's face was practically glowing with rage. He tried to shake Sasori off. But wherever he ran, Sasori followed. And the little shit was faster!
Eight legs might not outrun something flying, but they sure as hell outran two.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Spears!"
Rasa, standing on his golden cloud, waved a hand. A dozen golden spears materialized before him. They shot forward with sharp whistles.
"Earth Style… Earth-Style Wall!"
Chiba's first instinct was to burrow underground. But then he remembered—Rasa's whole thing was manipulating earth and sand. That'd be like digging his own grave. Better to go with the wall.
THUMP!
Chiba stomped the ground. A thick, slanted earthen wall erupted, shielding him. The golden spears thudded into it, stopped cold.
Chiba used the cover to pivot, sprinting in a new direction. Sasori, having dodged the spears aimed at him, quickly followed.
Stay calm. Rasa needs to inject his magnet release chakra into the ground to produce massive amounts of gold dust.
Chiba still had his trump card. He wasn't panicking. His mind raced.
He's flying now. Untouchable. But he also can't make more gold. Meaning… I just need to watch the sky.
His eyes flicked to Sasori, still clinging to his side. An idea sparked.
Sasori's talent was undeniable. The puppets he casually made as a kid carried Kankuro all the way to the Shippuden timeline. And his later feats—controlling a hundred puppets, destroying a nation alone…
Sasori was a core member of the Akatsuki. Saving him? The reward would dwarf anything he got for helping Zabuza.
Bigger the storm, bigger the fish. And Chiba wanted to eat. (Not that kind of fish Tsunade had.)
"That brat…"
His attack thwarted, Rasa frowned mid-air. His gaze on Chiba turned serious.
You could tell a master by their first move. That Earth-Style Wall instantly wiped away Rasa's underestimation. Time to get serious.
"Delays invite trouble. It's been ten minutes. Others must have noticed… No chance for a reversal. Full power."
Rasa pressed his palms together. Chakra gathered. He'd finish off both Sasori—now out of tricks—and this Konoha ninja in one blow.
"Magnet Release—"
The sky above Chiba and Sasori darkened. Driven by Rasa's unrestrained chakra, the sky-obscuring golden deluge descended upon their heads.
"Are you fucking kidding me?! Straight from basic attacks to ultimate?!"
Chiba's expression shifted. No more debating whether to save Sasori. If he didn't use his card now, Rasa would bury him alive.
"You asked for this, Rasa!"
Chiba roared. Chakra erupted from within him.
"—Gold Dust Burial!"
Rasa slammed his hands together. Viscous gold dust cascaded down like a furious waterfall. The sound was thunder. A roaring, crushing tide meant to drown the two below utterly.
"Dance of the Shikigami: Full Release!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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