Naruto - A New Kekkei Genkai

Invasion

Lee looked down at Sasuke as he listened to his fellow comrades talk about Naruto and Sasuke. A mixture of emotions caused a storm in his mind 'Sasuke is fighting against that sand ninja Gaara, whom I was powerless against and Naruto won against Neji whom I have always wanted to defeat... Why? Why? WHY Am I so jealous...?

Besides Lee stood Guy and, the late arriver, Kakashi. The two jounin both had the same thoughts. Eight Anbu members for this huge arena? Only two small teams. What is the Hokage thinking? No, they had to trust the Hokage, until we figure out the enemy's plans they are probably needed on the outside gathering information.

"Now... Finally..." Genma, the proctor of the exam, said with almost as much anticipation for this match as the crowd, "Begin!"

Beneath the interplay of leaves and branches within the stadium, the very air seemed to throb with expectancy. A nearly electric tension was present, so intense it was as if one could reach out and touch it. Birds that had been joyously chirping, providing a background score of nature's symphony, now took to the skies in frenzied haste, their melodies silenced by the overpowering aura of the two shinobi poised for combat.

Sasuke Uchiha, the lone beacon of the once grand Uchiha lineage, stood with an imposing stance. His posture was that of a battle-hardened warrior, defiant and resolute. The blood-red hue of his Sharingan eyes, punctuated by the distinctive two-tomoe swirl, sparkled with fierce determination. These eyes formed a sharp juxtaposition to Gaara's eerily beautiful, aqua orbs that seemed almost otherworldly. Gaara, the vessel for the fearsome One-Tailed Shukaku, bore on his back a sizable gourd. Its rough, grainy exterior hinted at the formidable power it contained.

"Finally," Gaara's voice, ethereal and reminiscent of shifting sands in a vast desert, murmured with a cold, deadly promise. "The time has come for your essence to be submerged under my treacherous sands."

In the face of such chilling words, Sasuke, always the pragmatic fighter, wasted no time. Launching forward, his movements were a blur, a testament to years of rigorous training. The gleaming kunai in his hand was a mirror to his intent. However, with the unpredictability of a desert storm, sand erupted from Gaara's gourd, morphing into a formidable barrier. Sasuke's kunai only managed a superficial scratch before being deflected.

With an air of cruel amusement, Gaara drawled, almost mockingly, "Did I not make it clear? You stand no chance against my defences."

Unperturbed, Sasuke's tactical mind was already plotting his next assault. Elegantly sidestepping the relentless onslaught of sand, he propelled himself to an overhead branch, seeking an aerial advantage. His fingers danced in a sequence of complex hand signs, culminating in the incantation, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" What followed was a ferocious inferno, roaring forth from his lips, aimed with lethal precision at Gaara.

Yet, the sand, displaying an almost eerie cognizance, responded in a heartbeat. Spiralling upwards, it enveloped Gaara in a protective cocoon, bearing the full brunt of Sasuke's fiery onslaught. The explosion that ensued was monumental, reducing nearby trees to cinders. Yet, when the thick, choking smoke began to clear, Gaara emerged, his demeanour as nonchalant as ever.

"Such predictable moves," he sneered condescendingly.

Deep within the intricate patterns of Sasuke's Sharingan, calculations were made at breakneck speed. Echoes of Rock Lee's face-off with Gaara played in his mind, underscoring the essence of unparalleled velocity. To breach Gaara's defences, he had to become a tempest, swifter than the very sands that sought to entrap him.

Gaara's head began to throb as voices of a demon echoed inside 'kill' 'show your worth' 'I want his blood.' Sand began to wrap around Gaara forming a sphere of hardened sand with spikes facing outwards. He groaned and fought for control over his body. The voices were winning as his bloodlust grew stronger.