Column C of the Seating area in stadium…
Karin and Hinata sat side by side on the second row away from the battlefield.
Their seats were right next to the wall that was just beside the Column B Seating area
"You two are already here?"
"Huh?" Karin and Hinata turned around to see Ino and Choji arrive by their side.
"Choji-san, Ino-san" Hinata greeted.
"Hi!" Karin waved towards them.
"Our seats are in the front!" Ino pointed at the two seats that were in front of Hinata and Karin.
"Ino-san!, Choji-kun!, Hinatsan!" A voice called out.
"Hmm?" The group turned back to see a young man in a purple robe with a walking crutch under his right arm.
"Lee-san?"
"Gai-sensei!" Ino and Choji stared at the duo.
"Yo!" Gai sensei gave a thumbs up to the group with a smile
"What happened Lee-san?" Ino and Chouji asked.
"I am still in recovery from the battle that day," Lee said as he walked towards the empty seat right next to Karin and Hinata.
"Umm.."
"Sorry, but whom might you be?" Lee asked respectfully.
"My name is Karin."
"I recently became a part of the Hidden Leaf Village…" Karin said.
"Oh!"
"I see…"
"Hope, you don't mind," Lee asked as he pointed towards the seat next to the duo.
"Have a seat!" Karin gestured.
"Thanks!" Lee said as he sat down beside Karin.
"Gai-sensei!" Ino called out.
"Hmm?" Gai turned to face Ino.
"I thought Lee-san would have recovered by now," Ino asked.
"Oh!"
"That?"
"The medics told me that it would take Lee another month before he can recover completely," Gai said with a smile.
"Was it that serious?" Ino, Chouji, Karin, and Hinata looked at Lee.
"Yeah…."
"You see, my body could not take the strain from opening the gates," Lee said with a smile that contained hints of self-mockery.
("What Gai sensei did not tell them, is the intense pain I am burdened with on my spinal cord…")
("As the days pass by, it seems to get worse.") Lee thought.
"Oh?" Gai looked at the other column.
"If it isn't my eternal rival!" Gai spoke loudly.
"Gai!" Kakashi greeted, following which he nodded, which Gai understood.
("I see…")
("Now the only problem remains is the Sound…") Gai thought.
Rasa and Hiruzen finally reached the VIP gates of the stadium.
"Follow me!" Hiruzen said following which he led the group to a secluded area on the ground floor.
"Iwashi!"
"Call the Hidden Sand's Genin squad along with their leader to this place," Hiruzen ordered.
"Yes!" Iwashi accepted the order and left the place.
Soon…
Baki, Gaara, Temari, and Kankurō arrived at the spot where the group was waiting for them.
"Kazekage-sama!" The group bowed towards him.
"Mm!" Rasa nodded following which he turned towards Gaara.
In the past, Rasa wouldn't mind his son not bowing down to him after all, Gaara was considered an unstable and a failed experiment that failed to keep Shukaku in check.
Rasa had sent ninjas time after time to kill Gaara, only to fail…
"I'll go ahead and take my seat before you Kazekage-dono!" Hiruzen said.
"Carry on ahead; I'll meet you there." Rasa smiled.
"Mm!" Hiruzen nodded and left along with Raidō, Iwashi, and Jiraiya.
"Kazekage-sama!"
"Aren't we supposed to meet after the plan?" Baki asked.
"…" Rasa was silent for a moment.
"Baki!"
"We are not going to destroy this village!" Rasa said.
"What?" Baki, Temari, and Kankurō were surprised except Gaara.
"Gaara…" Rasa turned to face his son.
From the moment Rasa heard Gaara was a failed experiment he couldn't stare at his son in the eye. After many years this was the first time he was able to stand face to face with his own son.
"Father, you've tried to kill me six times in the past," Gaara said.
"I'm Sorry!" Rasa apologized.
(Whoosh!)
Gaara's sand turned into a hand that rushed forward to grab Rasa.
"Gaara!" Baki shouted.
(Sh!)
The sand stopped right before Rasa.
"Why didn't you attack?"
"I deserve it!"
"I failed in everything I did."
"After all, I took away your future by turning you into a Jinchūriki!"
"I took your mother, away from you."
"I robbed you of your love for your mother."Rasa as he thought back to the time when Gaara was born a premature birth.
"I've failed both as a father since all I did was torment you…"
"I've failed as a Kazekage by almost leaving the village defenseless…" Rasa murmured.
(Sh!)
(Sh!) (Sh!)
The sand in front of Rasa slowly transformed into a vague figure of a woman.
"Karura…" Rasa stared at the sand, following which he removed his Kazekage cap.
"That sand that is floating in front of me is your mother protecting you from within," Rasa said.
Tears started to drop down Gaara's face, followed by Kankurō's and Temari's as well.
"Mother…" The three murmured at the same time as they turned towards the sand that was in front of Rasa, slowly dropping down to the floor.
"Father!"
"It is a leader's duty to eliminate threats against the village."
"I understand that you were only trying to do your duty." Gaara slowly said.
"Gaara…" Temari and Kankuro murmured.
Rasa slowly lifted his head to look at his son.
("You've grown…") Rasa thought upon seeing the calm look on Gaara's face that radiated gentleness rather than the cold-blooded calm look that he had before.
"Kazekage-sama!" Baki called out.
"Hm?" Rasa looked towards Baki.
"Are you serious when you said you are not going to destroy the village?" Baki asked.
"Yes!" Rasa responded, following which he explained what all had happened on his way to the Exam.
The explanation also included the part where Kakashi had explained how Gaara had given the Hidden Leaf the information on the Leaf destruction plan.
"It's all thanks to you that I am here today, Gaara!"
"If not for you, I might have been killed by that traitor Orochimaru!" Rasa said.
Baki, Temari, and Kankurō looked towards Gaara in surprise, especially Kankurō who knew Gaara will not participate in the destruction, but what surprised him was the part where Gaara revealed the plan to Hayate.
"The new plan is to help the Hidden Leaf Village in defending against the Hidden Sound," Rasa said.
"The Hidden Sound?"
"Wouldn't they back out of the plan since they already know that you are alive and know of their betrayal?" Baki asked.
"If you think it is over then you are naive!"
"Orochimaru is not one to hide in fear, but a true snake that bites back!"
"Not only Orochimaru has his forces, but there are also some possibilities of the reanimation jutsu pawns that he might have secretly revived," Rasa explained.
"Mm!" Baki agreed immediately feeling sweat drop from the sides of his temples.
"You three!" Rasa turned towards Gaara, Temari, and Kankurō.
"I want you all to fight in this exam as a part of the real thing, but also make sure to reserve some of your trump cards and strength for the real battle later," Rasa said.
"Mm!" The trio nodded.
"All right!"
"The three of you are dismissed!" Rasa said.
The trio walked out of the area with Gaara staring at Rasa as he kept walking along with the two beside him towards the Exam arena to line up with the other contestants.
"Baki!" Rasa called out.
"Yes?" Baki responded.
"You are.."
On the tallest pagoda that faced the Chuunin Exam Battle Arena.
"Seems like you had a long chat," Hiruzen said upon seeing Rasa appear.
"Indeed!" Rasa agreed upon sitting down, following which he saw the view of the Eight contestants standing on the ground.
"Looks like those two brats aren't here yet," Rasa said.
("Naruto and Sasuke")
"This is a problem indeed…" Hiruzen stared at the ground following which he turned towards Raidō.
On the ground, eight figures stood side by side as they face Genma who was in front of them with a paper.
"Hyūga Neji, Gaara, Kankurō, Aburame Shino, Temari, Dosu, Nara Shikamaru and Haruno Sakura"
"Looks like Naruto and Sasuke are absent." Genma murmured as he stared at the eight who were lined up horizontally in front of him.
("Damn it, where are you two")
("SHAAANNNNARROOOOO!!!!!") Sakura screamed in her mind.
("Naruto, Sasuke do I have to use it now?") Shikamaru thought.
Meanwhile, Karin and Hinata were also worried for Naruto's sake...
(Whoosh!)
Raidō appeared next to Genma and whispered a few words in his ears.
"I see…" Genma murmured.
("Huh?")
("Looks like they intend to start without those two I suppose.") Shikamaru thought.
Genma then turned towards the ninjas who were at the giant doors.
The ninjas nodded to each other following which the doors closed.
(Whoosh!) The ninjas placed outside the door rushed out in top speed.
("COMMENCE EMERGENCY EVAC!")
(Whoosh!)
"BOOOO!!!!!" Some people in the crowd started to Boo upon not seeing Sasuke or Naruto on the ground.
"THERE IS A CHANGE IN THE ORDER OF MATCHUPS"
"Since the Contestants of the first two battles have not appeared yet…"
"We will start with the remaining matchups!" Genma announced.
(OOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!)
The remaining crowd around the stadium started to applaud.
Genma turned towards the Eight behind him.
"Throw out your chests and show your faces to the spectators."
"You guys are the stars of this 'Final Round!'," Genma said.
("Stars huh?") Sakura stared at everyone on the seating area.
("CHAA!!!")
("I am going to be the best Kunoichi Tsunade-sama can be proud of!") Sakura thought.
Hiruzen got up from his seat and walked towards the balcony of his building.
"Everyone, Thank You so much for coming to the Village Hidden in Leaves Chuunin Exam!"
"We will now begin the 'Final Rounds' " Hiruzen announced in a loud voice.
"Listen Up you guys!"
"The terrain is different, but the rule is that there are no rules,"
"the same as in the preliminaries."
"The matches will continue until one or the other dies, or acknowledges defeat."
"However, if I judge that it has been settled, I'll stop the match there!"
"Arguments will not be allowed!"
"Understood?" Genma asked.
"Mm!" Everyone nodded.
Genma gestured the contestants other than two, in particular, to go to their waiting room.
From the seating area around the stadium…
Baki stared at the place where Rasa was sitting.
("What the hell is the Kazekage-sama thinking?")
("Assassinate the Wind Daimyō?") Baki thought back to what Rasa said before he left the place.
("The clash between the two villages right of the bat huh?") Hiruzen and Rasa thought as they looked at the two figures remaining on the ground.
Genma looked at the two figures in front of him.
"The First Battle Between Kankurō of the Hidden Sand and Aburame Shino of the Hidden Leaf!"
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