"This... how is this possible?!" The tall ninja from Rain Shinobi Village widened his eyes in disbelief. His ultimate technique, which had claimed many powerful opponents, had been utterly neutralized. Gaara stood unscathed, protected by his sand.
"Is this really something a Genin can do?" he muttered, his voice trembling.
"That's it? Uncle, is that all you've got?" Gaara said coldly, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Don't underestimate me!" the Rain ninja roared, forming seals once more.
"Heh!" "Heh!" "Heh!"—countless steel needles rained down again, cascading like a deadly storm. But as before, Gaara's sand moved of its own accord, effortlessly blocking every single needle.
"They're not even on the same level," Rock Lee thought to himself, shaking his head in amazement. He couldn't help but admire Gaara's strength. The boy's mastery over sand was astonishing—it automatically defended him, leaving no opening for an attack.
"Is this your famous 'Thousand Needle Rain'? Pathetic," Gaara said, his tone as icy as his expression. "Since you're out of tricks, it's my turn now. I'll show you a real storm."
His voice, cold and emotionless, sent shivers down the spines of the Rain ninjas. Gaara's demeanor resembled that of an executioner, not a boy in his teens.
The Rain ninja leader's face twisted in fear as Gaara's murderous aura intensified. "He… he's too strong," he stammered.
"That's Gaara's 'absolute defense,'" Kankuro explained smugly, watching from the sidelines. "The sand in his gourd is infused with his chakra, forming an unbreakable shield that even Gaara himself doesn't need to control. It reacts on its own. In short, no attack can touch him."
As Kankuro spoke, the sand that had formed a sphere around Gaara began to crumble, returning to the ground in loose grains. The steel needles clattered harmlessly to the dirt, utterly useless.
"Trash," Temari sneered, glaring at the Rain ninja.
"Don't look down on us!" the Rain ninja leader bellowed, drawing two kunai and charging at Gaara with reckless abandon.
Gaara smirked darkly. Bringing his hands together, he calmly raised his right hand, directing it toward the charging man. "Sand Coffin," he intoned.
Instantly, the sand beneath the Rain ninja erupted, forming a massive hand that shot up and grabbed him. The sand wrapped around his body like a vice, encasing him tightly and leaving only his head exposed.
"I… I can't move!" the Rain ninja yelled, his voice thick with terror.
The other two Rain ninjas froze in place, trembling as they watched their leader's capture.
"Gaara's not even breaking a sweat," Rock Lee thought, his sharp eyes fixed on the scene. "His control over the sand is terrifying."
"Let me go!" the Rain ninja pleaded, struggling in vain.
Gaara ignored him, his expression unreadable. He walked toward one of the fallen umbrellas and picked it up, opening it casually. "Shall I silence you first? No... that would be too kind."
He raised his right hand, and the sand carrying the trapped ninja lifted him into the air, suspending him several meters above the ground.
"Sand Burial," Gaara said coldly, clenching his hand into a fist.
The sand constricted violently, crushing the ninja's body with brutal force. Blood sprayed out, mingling with the sand and raining down in a gruesome shower.
The remaining Rain ninjas watched in horror, their bodies shaking uncontrollably as the bloody sand fell over them. They stared at Gaara, their faces pale. To them, he wasn't human—he was a monster.
"Well? Isn't my blood rain beautiful?" Gaara said with a twisted smile, holding the umbrella over his head to shield himself from the gruesome downpour. "He died painlessly, thanks to my strength."
"P-please take our scroll and let us go!" one of the remaining Rain ninjas begged, hastily pulling a scroll from his pack and holding it out with trembling hands.
Gaara didn't respond. He tossed the umbrella aside, raised both hands, and summoned more sand. The yellow grains rose like serpents, forming massive hands that grabbed the two remaining ninjas.
"No! Please!" they screamed, but their cries were drowned out as the sand engulfed them. Moments later, another rain of blood poured from the sky.
Kankuro picked up the scroll from the ground, unfazed by the carnage. "Good luck—it's the scroll of Heaven," he said, flashing a grin.
"Let's head to the central tower," Temari suggested, exhaling deeply.
"Shut up," Gaara snapped, his voice low and menacing. "I'm not done yet."
He turned sharply, his piercing gaze landing on a patch of dense grass nearby. His murderous intent flared. "Three rats hiding there… come out!"
Rock Lee's eyes widened as he realized Gaara had noticed Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji hiding in the bushes. The trio was trembling, their faces pale.
"They hid well—I didn't even notice them," Rock Lee thought. "But Gaara's sand detected them. This won't end well."
"Enough, Gaara," Kankuro tried to intervene.
"Coward," Gaara spat, glaring at him. "If you're scared, get lost. But if you get in my way, I'll kill you too."
Kankuro shut his mouth, unwilling to provoke Gaara further.
"You three, come out and surrender your lives!" Gaara demanded, his hand reaching toward the bushes.
Rock Lee sighed. "If I don't step in, those three won't stand a chance."
A sudden burst of energy erupted from Rock Lee as he revealed his presence.
"Who's there?" Gaara snapped, startled. His gaze locked on Rock Lee as he leapt down from the trees.
"We meet again, Gaara," Rock Lee said calmly, standing tall.
Gaara's lips curled into a sinister smile. "You're here... good. I've been waiting to kill you!"
"Sorry, but I'm not ready to fight you just yet," Rock Lee replied.
"Your choice doesn't matter!" Gaara growled, summoning sand to attack.
Rock Lee activated his Shadow Dance Technique, dodging the sand with remarkable speed. He gave Gaara one last look before vanishing into the trees.
"We'll settle this in the next exam," Rock Lee's voice echoed as he disappeared.
Gaara's eyes narrowed. "You won't escape me next time," he muttered, his bloodlust unquenched.