"Where have I felt this murderous aura before?" Rock Lee murmured, his sharp senses tingling. His eyes narrowed as recognition dawned. "It's him—Gaara!" A flicker of intensity passed through his gaze.
Among the candidates in the Chūnin Exam, Gaara was an anomaly. His overwhelming bloodlust set him apart, a chilling presence far beyond the norm. Even the average elite Chūnin paled in comparison to the oppressive aura he radiated.
Rock Lee was deeply intrigued by Gaara. What kind of childhood could have shaped him into such a cold, ruthless figure? What sort of teacher could instill such callousness and cruelty?
Despite being no older than Uzumaki Naruto or Uchiha Sasuke, Gaara carried an aura of death that made his peers seem like fragile flowers, untouched by hardship.
"The murderous aura from Gaara is one thing, but the opponent he's facing seems powerful too," Rock Lee noted, his sharp instincts picking up another formidable presence nearby.
With silent precision, Rock Lee activated his Leaf Glide Step, a technique that allowed him to approach unnoticed. The last time he had encountered Gaara, the sand had detected him. This time, he would not repeat the mistake.
As he neared, Rock Lee came upon an open clearing. Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari stood facing three Genin from Rain Shinobi Village.
The Rain ninjas were noticeably older, two around 15 or 16, and their leader appeared to be nearly 20. The leader, a tall man over six feet, bore a vicious scar running from his right eye to his chin. His fierce presence and the wooden umbrellas strapped to their backs added an air of menace.
"Heh, you little Sand brats dared to provoke us? Are you tired of living?" one of the Rain ninjas sneered arrogantly.
Their confidence was palpable, dismissing the trio from Sand as mere children.
Gaara's cold, black-rimmed eyes stared at them unflinchingly. He didn't speak, his silence carrying a weight that even Kankuro and Temari understood. They stayed quiet, knowing all too well the terror Gaara could unleash.
"Gaara could wipe out every candidate in this exam if he wanted to," Kankuro thought grimly, his face pale.
"You'd better watch who you pick a fight with, kids," the Rain leader spat, his disdain for Gaara's nonchalance evident.
"Enough talk. Fight me, Rain shinobi," Gaara said at last, his voice flat but brimming with unshakable confidence. It was as if he considered them not opponents but mere prey.
"Little brat, do you have a death wish?" the tall Rain ninja growled, his composure cracking at Gaara's audacity.
Kankuro interjected cautiously, "Wait, Gaara. We should check their scroll first. If it matches ours, there's no need for a fight."
"It doesn't matter," Gaara said softly, his tone unbothered. "I just want to kill them. That's all."
Kankuro immediately fell silent. There was no reasoning with Gaara when his bloodlust was awakened.
The Rain leader sneered. "Since you're so eager to die, let me oblige you!"
With that, he grabbed five wooden umbrellas from his back and flung them into the sky.
The umbrellas hung suspended, as if by an unseen force, before spinning rapidly in midair. A palpable wave of murderous intent filled the clearing.
"What's this?" Kankuro and Temari gasped in unison, realizing too late that they had underestimated their opponents.
"This must be Rain Shinobi Village's unique technique," Rock Lee thought, watching from the shadows. "Let's see how strong they are. Perhaps they'll push Gaara enough to reveal his true abilities."
"Time to die, Sand brat!" the Rain leader snarled as he formed hand seals. "Ninjutsu: Raining Death!"
The umbrellas spun faster, releasing countless steel needles in a downpour of lethal precision. Each needle glinted in the light as it filled the sky, leaving no room to dodge.
"What a powerful technique," Rock Lee muttered, his sharp eyes analyzing the barrage. "Even I would find it difficult to evade this."
Gaara, however, remained motionless. His expression was as cold as ever.
"Rain Shinobi, is this all you've got?" Gaara said mockingly.
The cork on Gaara's large gourd popped off, and an immense wave of sand surged out. It swirled around him, forming a protective sphere in an instant. The sand moved as though alive, intercepting every single needle with ease.
The Rain leader's face contorted with shock as the barrage of needles was rendered useless.
"Unbelievable," Rock Lee whispered, his heart pounding. "Gaara didn't even move, and yet his sand defended him perfectly. His control is absolute."
As the steel needles clattered harmlessly to the ground, Gaara's sand settled, revealing him completely unscathed.
"Was that supposed to be an attack?" Gaara asked coldly, his tone dripping with disdain.
The Rain ninjas froze, their confidence shattered.
Without waiting for a reply, the sand began to swirl menacingly around Gaara once more, poised to strike.
Rock Lee's eyes narrowed as he observed. "This is Gaara's power… terrifyingly efficient and nearly unstoppable. But how far will he go?"