The tension in the air was palpable as we all held our breath, watching Sasuke's Chidori breach Gaara's seemingly impenetrable sand sphere. The silence was shattered by Gaara's terrified scream.
"AHH! BLOOD! IT'S MY BLOOD!" Gaara's voice quivered with fear.
My eyes widened, not out of fear but sheer astonishment. Could it be that Gaara, always shielded by his sand, had never seen his own blood before? The very sight seemed to horrify him to his core.
Sasuke pulled his hand back, revealing a grotesque, sand-coloured, blue-veined root sprouting from Gaara's wound. Gaara's sand defences collapsed, leaving him exposed and vulnerable, with a fresh wound on his shoulder, courtesy of Sasuke.
As the scene unfolded, pale white feathers began to drift down from the sky, delicate and ominous. Genjutsu? Without wasting a moment, I clasped my hands together, focusing my chakra. "Kai! Release!" I commanded, breaking the illusion.
My hands fell to my sides as a million thoughts raced through my mind. What is going on?
I leapt down to Sasuke just as Temari and Kankuro rushed to Gaara's side. Gaara was doubled over, clutching his head in agony.
"Gaara, the plan—" their sensei started, his eyes widening in shock as he took in Gaara's state.
"Hey..." Temari's voice was unsure, filled with concern.
"What's wrong?" Kankuro asked, his anxiety growing as Gaara's pained groans echoed.
"Idiot! I can't believe he would try to undergo complete possession without waiting for the signal!" their sensei snapped, clearly frustrated.
Complete possession? What was Gaara possessed by?
Temari knelt down beside Gaara, her worry palpable. "He's suffering a reaction. He can't do it anymore!"
"Then what are we supposed to do?! You want us to go ahead without Gaara?!" Kankuro retorted, his voice tinged with desperation and disbelief.
The sensei barked, "I'm calling it off! You two, take Gaara and withdraw for now!"
"Sensei! What about you?!" Temari's voice was filled with urgency and fear.
"I'm fighting. Now go!" he commanded, resolute and unwavering.
Sasuke turned to me, confusion evident on his face. "What's happening?"
"It's obvious, isn't it?" I said, stepping up behind him. "The Chunin Exam is over."
"What she said. You two go after Gaara and the others, right now!" Genma ordered sharply. He then fixed his gaze on Sasuke, his expression stern. "Sasuke, you're already at Chunin level. If you consider yourself a Konoha shinobi, do something useful."
