As for kenjutsu, Yashamaru took it upon himself to teach Gaara the bare minimum he knew. Not that Gaara was particularly skilled with weapons, but having one more ace up his sleeve wouldn't hurt.
Ninjutsu, on the other hand, posed a unique challenge. Gaara's affinity for sand was unparalleled, but it quickly became apparent that it also brought with it a significant weakness. Despite having an affinity for three elements—earth, air, and lightning—Gaara couldn't find a way to effectively utilize them at first. So, he decided to focus on mastering each element one after the other, prioritizing them in terms of destructive power.
While this didn't fully cover his weaknesses, it at least gave Gaara a fighting chance in the event of an unexpected battle.
Soon, Gaara reached the age of six, the day he had long dreaded—the day of temptation.
This day was a nightmare for him, one that filled him with equal parts dread and anticipation. He decided to stay indoors, avoiding the academy and its lessons, hoping to stay out of reach of whatever Rasa had planned for him. Everyone assumed Gaara was just training indoors, but the academy's atmosphere, once tense and oppressive, had begun to feel livelier—perhaps for the first time since his arrival.
Days passed, and still, there was no sign of the event Gaara had been expecting. He found himself questioning the situation.
Did I get it wrong? Or is this what they mean by the timeline changing? Or is this still part of Rasa's plan?
Gaara couldn't make sense of it. His mind raced, but no answers came.
After a week, then two, and eventually three months, there was still no sign of any attack. News began to spread through the village, rumors about Gaara and the One-Tails: that they were plotting something sinister, that Gaara had gone mad and dropped out of the academy. Even Gaara found the news absurd.
Finally, he decided that if it hadn't happened by now, it probably wouldn't. If something were meant to happen, it would, and no amount of seclusion would change that.
Delay is dangerous.
Gaara thought, the weight of the situation settling in his mind.
The moment he stepped out of his house to return to the academy, he noticed an unusual number of scouts hidden in the shadows, watching him intently. The moment they saw he had noticed them, they scattered, their movements telling Gaara that they had likely reported to Rasa.
I suspect there are spies among them, Gaara thought, his mind sharp.
Despite this, he proceeded to the academy. The tense atmosphere had not gone unnoticed—everywhere he looked, there were eyes following him, and even his brief encounter with Baki did little to mask the unsettling tension that had descended upon the academy.
As classes went on as usual, Gaara tried to make up for the lessons he had missed. However, the other students seemed less than willing to make it easy for him, pushing him further into isolation. He had no choice but to rely on Baki for guidance.
Baki, sensing the boy's inner turmoil, gave him a few tips on chakra theory, but Gaara's mind wasn't focused on the lessons.
His senses were elsewhere.
Gaara could see through it all—the subtle shifts in the academy's atmosphere, the way Baki had asked him to meet privately in his office just minutes before the day's end. Gaara had already counted the scouts and assassins lurking in the vicinity, carefully assessing their strength. There were at least three jōnin, along with a handful of chunin-level shinobi.
The realization hit Gaara like a punch to the gut.
This isn't just a test anymore.
The weight of it all settled over him. They're not here for some political maneuver. They want me dead.
That thought lingered in his mind, a chilling realization. Escape seemed impossible. Forget about fighting back—his enemies had come to kill him for real.
His self-confidence wavered for the first time in months. Every step felt like a trap, every movement potentially fatal.
In the silence of the academy's halls, Gaara could hear the faint whisper of Shukaku's presence in his mind, a reminder that even though his enemies had come for him, he was never truly alone. But despite the tailed beast's words, Gaara couldn't shake the feeling that he was out of his depth.