In that very instant, the final battle of the All-Ninja World Chunin Exams erupted at last.
Kaguya Kimimaro versus Gaara.
At this moment, Gaara was already standing on the very edge of losing control. A terrifying surge of chakra poured out of his body, raw power and murderous intent intertwining as his killing aura spread wildly across the arena, suffocating everyone who bore witness to it.
"AAAAAAAH!!!"
With a feral roar, he unleashed his fury. In an instant, the sand around him transformed into a storm of deadly projectiles, firing out like a rain of bullets!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Rendan Suna Shigure (Continuous Sand Rain)!!!"
This was one of Gaara's long-range ninjutsu, vastly more destructive than ordinary Sand Shuriken. The sand bullets screamed through the air, tearing toward Kimimaro with overwhelming force.
Watching the barrage approach, Kimimaro's brows knitted slightly. Still, for someone who possessed the Shikotsumyaku bloodline and exceptional taijutsu, evading such an attack was far from difficult.
Boom!
He leapt high into the air, his body slicing through space as he narrowly avoided the sand bullets. They slammed violently into the walls of the arena instead, detonating with explosive force and reducing solid stone to powder.
Anko Mitarashi's subordinate, Genma Shiranui, watched with a pale expression, his brow furrowing instinctively. The spectators, too, were left utterly shaken.
The Yondaime Raikage snorted coldly. "Hmph. Looks like the Kazekage's son still hasn't been fighting at full power."
"If he truly goes berserk," he added grimly, "this entire Chunin Exam arena won't survive."
Ōnoki glanced toward the Kazekage. "Indeed. Kazekage-dono, surely you don't intend to watch your own son lose control in front of everyone?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart stirred at those words.
Rasa's expression darkened. "Don't worry. If Gaara truly loses control, I will intervene."
Ōnoki chuckled lightly. "Good. That's reassuring."
Chiba, seated among the spectators, watched the scene unfold with a faint smile, clearly enjoying the spectacle. He wasn't particularly worried about the outcome of Kimimaro versus Gaara.
In the original timeline, Kimimaro had already fought Gaara once,and that version of Gaara had been far stronger than the one standing here during the Chunin Exams. He had unleashed one devastating technique after another: Suna Bakuryū (Sand Burial), Suna Shigure (Sand Rain), Sabaku Sōsō (Sand Tsunami Burial), even large-scale techniques like Ryūsa Bakuryū (Quicksand Waterfall Flow), Sabaku Taisō (Grand Sand Mausoleum), and Gokusamaisō (Prison Sand Burial), attacks capable of reshaping the terrain itself.
Yet even then, Kimimaro had emerged victorious.
True, that Kimimaro had relied on Orochimaru's Cursed Seal for power,but he had also been gravely ill, his body already on the brink of death.
Now, however, Kimimaro was perfectly healthy.
And more importantly,
He had fused with the power of Hashirama's cells.
This was a boost far beyond any incomplete Cursed Seal. Hashirama's cells had not only restored Kimimaro's body to peak condition but had dramatically enhanced his vitality, recovery ability, physical strength, and chakra reserves.
It could be said that the current Kimimaro was a flawless version,healthier than his original self by orders of magnitude, and vastly more powerful.
As for Gaara, this was not even the stronger version he would become later. He was merely Gaara during the Chunin Exams.
Of course, if Gaara were to completely lose control and allow Shukaku, the One-Tail, to manifest fully on the battlefield, the outcome might become uncertain.
But with all Five Kage present, and the stands packed with ninja and civilians from countless nations, such a scenario would never be allowed to happen.
Given that reality, Kimimaro had no reason to lose.
At that moment, Kimimaro darted forward again, narrowly evading Gaara's Rendan Suna Shigure, and immediately launched his counterattack.
His ten fingers snapped upward.
Ten bone bullets, formed through the Shikotsumyaku bloodline, shot forth at blinding speed.
"Shikotsumyaku: Tessenka (Clematis Dance)!!!"
Gaara let out a cold snort as his Suna no Tate (Sand Shield) activated automatically, intercepting every bone projectile with flawless precision.
But at the same time,
Kimimaro had already closed the distance.
He had watched Gaara's earlier battles carefully and understood that trading long-range attacks was a losing proposition. Gaara's sand manipulation, combined with Suna no Tate and Suna no Yoroi (Sand Armor), formed an absolute defense.
Only close combat offered any chance of victory.
There was, of course, another way,overwhelming Gaara with even greater chakra and raw power. But unless someone like Naruto Uzumaki unleashed the Nine-Tails' chakra, that was not something anyone else could accomplish.
Kimimaro's speed was terrifying.
In an instant, he appeared directly before Gaara,far faster than Hyūga Neji, and even surpassing Rock Lee.
In the original story, Kimimaro's taijutsu had left Rock Lee in awe. Even though Lee had just recovered from severe injuries at the time, he had still marveled at how flawless Kimimaro's movements were.
After all, Kimimaro was one of only five shinobi in the databooks to receive a perfect score in taijutsu.
Taijutsu: 10
Speed: 9
Stamina (Chakra): 9
Ninjutsu: 8
A true top-tier warrior in every aspect.
And now, with the power of Hashirama's cells coursing through him, both his chakra reserves and explosive strength had grown even more terrifying.
Boom!!!!
"Shikotsumyaku: Yanagi no Mai (Willow Dance)!!!"
Kimimaro finally unleashed his bloodline to its fullest.
In a flash, bone blades burst from his body as he launched a ferocious close-range assault on Gaara. This very technique had once annihilated over a thousand of Naruto Uzumaki's Shadow Clones in mere moments,its lethality was beyond question.
Gaara's Suna no Tate immediately reinforced itself, blocking the frenzied onslaught of the Willow Dance.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Absolute defense clashed against relentless offense.
Gaara's expression shifted. Kimimaro's attacks were far more terrifying than Hyūga Neji's,by at least tenfold.
If this continued, once Kimimaro found a flaw, even his absolute defense might be shattered.
And for Kimimaro, that was far from impossible.
Even Rock Lee, without opening the Eight Gates, had once matched or exceeded the speed of Gaara's sand defense. Compared to that, Kimimaro was on an entirely different level.
Gaara roared angrily and launched his counterattack even as his sand defended him.
"Suna Arare (Sand Pellet)!!!"
Sand blasted outward like shotgun fire, tearing toward Kimimaro.
Yet Kimimaro did not retreat.
Instead, he reinforced his body with a thick, hardened layer of bone formed from his Shikotsumyaku,absorbing the attack head-on!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The impact was painful, but it failed to inflict real damage. And in that instant, Kimimaro's Willow Dance finally pierced through Gaara's sand defense.
Boom!!!!
A bone blade thrust forward mercilessly, striking Gaara directly. Though Suna no Yoroi absorbed part of the blow, Gaara was still sent flying.
Blood seeped through the cracks in his Sand Armor.
Gaara froze.
"Th-This is… blood?"
"My blood?!"
Shock and terror flooded his mind. His deep-seated fear of death and blood dragged him even closer to the brink of collapse.
If Gaara fully broke down, Shukaku would inevitably lose control.
Rasa was already preparing to intervene. His Magnet Release: Gold Dust had once suppressed Shukaku before,its greater density capable of restraining the One-Tail's sand manipulation.
But Gaara did not completely lose control.
Instead, his mind grew increasingly unstable.
"AAAAAAAH!!!"
With a frenzied roar, sand exploded outward once more. Kimimaro retreated temporarily, avoiding the outburst.
At the same time, Gaara unleashed an even greater wave of chakra, forming a massive spherical barrier from the sand in his gourd.
"Sabakuha (Desert Wave)!!!"
This defense was far sturdier than either Sand Shield or Sand Armor,nearly impossible to break. From within, Gaara observed the battlefield through his Suna no Me (Sand Eye).
Suddenly, a gigantic sand hand shot out from the Desert Wave, slamming down repeatedly. Its form increasingly resembled Shukaku's true body, etched with the One-Tail's distinctive markings and brimming with tailed beast power.
Kimimaro retreated again as the sand hand pursued him relentlessly. Hidden within the Desert Wave, Gaara stood virtually invincible, attacking through Sand Eye and Sand Hand alike.
For a time, Kimimaro could only evade.
The spectators grew anxious. After all, the opponent Kimimaro faced was a true monster,one step away from total rampage.
Yet Kimimaro showed no fear.
Dodging the sand hand's assaults, he studied the Desert Wave calmly, searching for a solution.
In truth, there was only one.
Absolute force.
Without the Byakugan or Sharingan, he could not perceive the chakra flow or weak points within the barrier. He could only break it through sheer power.
Having made his decision, Kimimaro surged forward once more after evading another attack.
"Shikotsumyaku: Tessenka no Mai (Clematis Dance: Flower)!!!"
He tore his own spine free, using it as a bone whip, while compressing and hardening the densest bones in his body into a spiraling blade that bloomed around his arm like a deadly flower.
Boom!!!!
The bone whip wrapped tightly around the Desert Wave. Then the spiral bone blade slammed forward with overwhelming force.
Rumble… RUMBLE… BOOOOM!!!
This was the most penetrating attack among all of Kimimaro's techniques.
In the original timeline, he had once used it to clash head-on with Gaara's ultimate defense,Shukaku's Shield,leaving behind a massive crater despite losing the exchange.
Now, Gaara's Desert Wave was nowhere near that level.
Boom!!!!
The Desert Wave shattered almost instantly.
The spiraling bone blade struck Gaara directly.
Crack! Crack!!!
His Sand Armor shattered completely as the attack landed squarely on his body. Gaara was sent flying, blood spraying violently from his wounds.
This time, even Gaara could not rise.
His chakra was nearly depleted, and after suffering consecutive heavy blows, both the Desert Wave and Sand Hand collapsed into lifeless sand.
Rasa was shocked. Though he feared Gaara losing control, he never expected his son to be injured so severely.
It was undeniable proof that the jinchūriki he had created was a flawed failure.
Seeing Gaara sink into despair,on the verge of being overtaken by Shukaku,Rasa could no longer hold back. He leapt down, immediately sealing the One-Tail once more using Sunagakure's sealing techniques.
The arena fell into absolute silence.
After the seal was complete, Gaara lost consciousness entirely. Rasa glanced coldly at Genma Shiranui.
Genma coughed lightly. "The final victor is…"
"Kaguya Kimimaro!!!!"
In an instant, thunderous cheers erupted across the stands. Applause roared like a storm.
Kimimaro gazed at the sea of celebration and finally smiled,from the heart.
For the first time, he truly felt the value of his existence.
Then he looked toward the Mizukage's seat.
Chiba met his gaze, smiling softly and giving a thumbs-up.
Kimimaro's smile deepened, filled with quiet satisfaction.
Thus, the All-Ninja World Chunin Exams finally came to a close.
Kirigakure emerged as the undisputed greatest victor,claiming four spots in the top ten and seizing the ultimate championship.
Their brilliance was unmatched, shining like the midday sun, leaving every nation,great and small alike,keenly aware of Kirigakure's overwhelming strength and prosperity.
Of course, the results of the Chunin Exams alone did not determine who would be promoted.
Beyond strength, factors such as intellect, willpower, tactical planning, judgment, and leadership were all weighed carefully by the Five Kage.
After all, a Chunin was someone qualified to lead others.
And so,
The Five Kage gathered once more to deliberate the final promotions.
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