Chapter 9
The Chosen Path

The journey took ten days and ten nights.

While they paced through the never-ending grasslands and savannahs of the Land of Lightning. The team of Suna genin made it to a wide valley that was lined with crooked and towering mountains – their peaks invisible by the cover of clouds that broke through the skies. As they continued their pace through the narrowing valley path, they finally made it to a clearing. Pausing in their steps as the winds blew past, they took in the marvelous sight before them – a new land and much different than their own. Before them between the nest of endless mountains was Kumogakure – a massive village nestled snuggly amongst the forming clouds and encroaching mountain ranges.

"This place!" Shinto awed, amazed by the sight. "Look at those mountains!"

"Kumogakure, huh?" Meiyumi smiled, grasping to the straps of her backpack. "It's so huge! It's bigger than Suna!"

As Nomasaki stood beside her teammates as they marveled at the sight of the village, her eyes were fixated on the mountains that surrounded the valley – reminding her of the home she left behind in fire and blood. A year has passed since fleeing Yama, but not a day has gone by where she has not thought of the snow, the ice, and the cold mountain air – she yearned for it in her heart every day as she could feel the brutal heat of Suna scorch the pale skin of her hands. Seeing the cloud-covered peaks in Kumo struck a chord within her, unable to take her gaze away in silent surprise.

"The mountains," She murmured, her teammates unaware of her moment of silence. "They look..."

Her words were soon lost upon the winds.

"Hey, Nomasaki! Are you coming or what?"

Shinto's voice jolted her back from her daze. Masking her sorrow, she turned on her heel and ran down the hill after them. "Y-Yes, sorry!"

Getting inside the strange village was a feat in itself. A line was stretched out from its tall wooden gates, reaching almost the entire bend of the road. It was comprised of shinobi and civilians alike - merchants, sell-swords, farmers, lords, and the odd peasant traveller seeking refuge. It was the crack of dawn when they first set their eyes on Kumogakure and its sky-scraping peaks, but it was near noon by the time Team Hashira reached the check-in station monitored by the Kumo border patrol. The main ninja was seated behind the counter as Kumo-nin gathered either side, keeping a sharp eye for any would-be-invaders and trouble-makers.

"Proof of passage." The Kumo-nin demanded, their eyes hidden by their thick sunglasses. Nervously, the three handed him their travel-visas. "The barracks are at the Kumo Ninja Academy, fourth floor - your assigned sleeping-area will be marked by your emblem. The written test will be on the third floor, room 394. The first phase starts at eleven o'clock sharp."

Shinto nodded as they took their papers back. "Thanks."

The civilians paid them no mind as they walked past. Astounding the three genin, there were even more people living in Kumo than in Suna. The streets were full to bursting as they squeezed through the market square to navigate themselves towards the towering academy that stood hundreds of yards away. On every corner, there was an armed Kumo-nin keeping watch. They could only quietly assume that the Chunin Exams were a prime place to stage a coup - Konoha learned that lesson the hard way. Directly in their path, they could make out the silhouette of the Raikage's estate in the far distance. A spectacle, indeed, and cloud graced its top floors with ease. They heard the Raikage was a respectable but fearful man - and his brother had quite the reputation as well. Moving on, they could see the academy finally within their sights.

Reaching the towering structure, it appeared as if that building was also amongst the clouds. After showing their stamped travel papers, the observing Kumo-nin let them pass. Ascending the winding staircases, Team Hashira made it to the third floor. Meiyumi spotted the room first - 394, written in bold black lettering on a white label. Nomasaki could already feel the chakras that lurked behind the door and her nervousness began to show through her timid eyes. Gulping, Shinto pushed aside his fear and slid the door open. Upon entry, the three genin stood in silence as the anxiety crept into their throats.

"There's... so many." Nomasaki shuddered, taken aback.

"I'd say." Shinto said, glancing to her. "For an exam that has less villages participating this time around, it's almost a full house!"

Meiyumi eyed the room curiously. "Are we the only team from Suna? I don't see anyone else with the same headbands."

Upon looking across the sea of shinobi headbands and emblems, Shinto's expression grew shocked then turned to a glare. "Spoke too soon... they're here."

Deep within the crowd of would-be-chunin, Meiyumi and Nomasaki followed his glare to see the Sand Siblings at the far back of the room. Nomasaki could sense Shukaku the moment they stepped foot into Kumogakure - but she knew better than to anger her teammate. Shinto's hatred for Gaara was strong, but she held onto hope that he would at least ignore it for the sake of their exams. Meiyumi was more dismayed than angered, eyeing them cautiously from afar.

"You'd think the elders would decide to not try anything..." Meiyumi whispered. "I hope they're here for good reason."

Shinto scoffed. "As if they'd ever be. Whenever they show up, things go south." He gestured to Gaara with a nod. "Especially if that one is around."

Before he could say anymore, Meiyumi grabbed his wrist and held her finger to her lips. "Shh, Shinto-! What if they heard?"

"I'm not afraid of them." He smirked. "I'd only worry about the Bloody Mist, but their blood's run thin, if you know what I mean."

Breaking her searching eyes from scanning the room, an approaching presence suddenly alarmed Nomasaki. Turning, she could see them come closer and closer. They came from the back of the room, pushing themselves through the sea of conversing genin to get to where they stood. As they reached the front, the genin who saw them coming moved aside for them to pass. This is bad, she realized. "Shinto-,"

"Hey, brat!"

Catching his attention, Shinto turned to see a tall shinobi tower over him. They were clothed in dark pinstriped fabrics and leather bracers, while their blue eyes pierced through Shinto's glance. A Kiri-nin - white-haired and slightly older than they were. Soon, the Kiri-nin's teammates followed behind, exerting the same intimidating presence with blades strapped to their backs.

The white-haired ninja stepped closer. "Did ya say something? Or do I have to force it out?"

Shinto glared back. "What do you want?"

"I heard you bad-mouthing my village, you sand-prick! Say it again, I didn't quite catch it."

"I said your village isn't worth worrying about." Shinto replied, a cocky grin forming on his lips. "Bloody Mist or not, you're from a back-water country with a legacy you can't ever live up to -,"

The Kiri-nin and his teammates unsheathed their katanas before Shinto could blink. "Stupid brat! I'll cut your throat where you stand! I'll show you the power of the Bloody Mist by making the floor run red with your blood!"

Seeing the scene unfold, Nomasaki went to his side in urgency. "Shinto, don't -!"

He ignored her, preparing himself for combat. "Bring it, blood-bag!"

In an instant, the white-haired ninja with the piercing eyes swung his katana towards him. Blocking the blade with a kunai, Shinto quickly evaded the next strike and prepared himself to cast a jutsu. The other Kiri-nin stepped closer to Meiyumi, the medic-nin readying herself for an attack. Nomasaki threw herself between them, pushing herself to stop the ensuing battle herself. Before she had the chance to transform into a wolf or form hand-signs, she caught wind of someone's eyes upon her. The third Kiri-nin surprised her - their presence near undetectable. She saw them form a series of hand-signs, eyeing her in their sights.

"Genjutsu! Drowning Sleep!"

Her world went dark around her.

Strangely, she felt as if she were floating. But it was ominous. She could not see anything in the realm of black, and her limbs became heavy as lead. She was a floating statue, imprisoned in the pitch dark that only grew darker around her. Bringing herself to breathe, she suddenly could not materialize a single breath. Clutching her throat, she was choking on the water that entered.

She was drowning.

"Nomasaki!"

Rising with a gasp of air, she rose from the floor. Meiyumi snapped her out from the genjutsu, sending a pinch of chakra to wake her. Despite their continuing training together, the outsider could still not grasp the knowledge of genjutsu. Nomasaki coughed into her sleeve, her chest still heavy from the imaginary water. Once she regained her breathing, she swallowed some air and felt her body shudder. It felt so real, she thought, I was almost convinced I was going to die. And it was then that she realized that she feared death. Hashira-sensei said the exams were brutal in nature, so death was not entirely a farfetched possibility. Looking up at the clashing between Shinto and the Kiri-nin, Nomasaki had to remind herself that the exams were full of shinobi like the Kiri-nin - there were others that would not hesitate to cut them down no matter the cost.

Pushing aside the thought, she turned to the medic. "Thanks, Meiyumi... It felt like I couldn't breathe!"

"Shinto, stop!" Meiyumi yelled. "It's not worth it!"

A hazy presence hovered in the air above where Shinto and the Kiri-nin were fighting. Before the Kiri-nin had the chance to cast a water-release jutsu, the grainy presence became sand and burst between them, forcing the two opposing shinobi back from each other. Sand. The impact was enough for everyone in the room to take notice, and whispers of voices soon filled the air.

Shocked, Nomasaki looked on from the floor. "That's Gaara's sand -!"

Stepping through the crowd of genin, Gaara paused before the two collapsed shinobi. His expression was calm and firm, with little to no hint of emotion in his eyes or expression. "There's no need for useless fighting. We came here to take the exams, not kill each other." He said bluntly. "Those from Suna should know better."

Pushing himself to get up faster, Shinto wanted to rise so he could strike him. "Why you...!"

"Shinto," Nomasaki entered, standing on her feet. "He's right. We shouldn't be starting fights with the other candidates."

Defeated, Shinto averted his eyes shamefully. Placing his hands in his pockets, he withdrew. "Whatever..."

"When we meet in he second phase, you'll be sorry!" The Kiri-nin spat through gnashed teeth, leaving the battle behind. His glare stiffened. "We of Kiri have blood on our hands from the moment we become ninja. You'll know the name Kirigakure before I'm through with you and your stupid team of desert-rats!"

Watching his back as he walked off into the crowd with his teammates, Shinto could not help but grin in anticipation. Too bad he doesn't know there's a wolf on our team, he countered. Rejoining his teammates, he paid no mind to Gaara as he left the scene for his siblings. Upon seeing Gaara return, Temari scoffed as she eyed Team Hashira in the distance.

"Hmph. That kid is near worse than that loud-mouthed Naruto from Konoha," She remarked. "You near saved us from disqualification."

Kankuro chuckled. "More like saved us a headache."

"Candidates! Take your seats, now!" Catching the attention of every genin in the room, the head instructor from Kumo appeared before the chalkboard at the foot of the large room. His booming voice read out the commands. "On your slips is your seat number. This is to prevent you from cheating,"

Checking the number on the back of her slip, Nomasaki discovered that her number was 167. Eyeing the rows as she walked past, she saw 161, 163, and 165. She paused in her steps when she caught the sight of 167. Seated beside the empty seat at 168 was Gaara. His gourd of sand was on the floor by their shared desk, she noticed. Nervously, she pretended that she could not sense Shukaku's threatening presence loom over her and took her seat quietly.

After a moment, Gaara noticed her beside him and turned. "Are you alright?"

He saw the whole thing, no doubt. "Yeah." She said, giving a timid smile. "I don't handle genjutsu well. It's my lowest skill, if I'm being honest." Hesitating briefly, she looked to the exam paper that was flipped over on her desk. "Thanks for stopping Shinto. He wouldn't listen to us, so... thanks for that."

"We Suna shinobi should work together." He replied, his expression unchanging as he also looked to his test papers. "We can't afford petty squabbles during these exams or else it would have been a waste."

As the exam time approached, Nomasaki turned to him timidly. "G-Good luck."

Surprised slightly by her words, he thought for a moment then nodded. "Thanks. You, too."

"The exam will now start in - three... two... one... BEGIN!"

First, the genin teams were tasked with the first stage of the exams – the infamous written test where most of the participating teams failed. Seated away from her teammates, Nomasaki struggled to answer all of the questions on her own. Although not born with innate talent as a shinobi or the destiny to become one, her hard work showed for it and her studying habits certainly paid off – she and her team successfully passed. Much to Shinto's relief, both of his teammates were knowledgeable enough to earn a high grade – ensuring he would be able to pass as well. Despite this, the only question that had any worth was their final question, which asked to remove their weakest teammate. By refusing to answer the final question, Team Hashira passed – acknowledging the importance of teamwork.

Whereas the teams who answered otherwise – failed.

That next morning at the crack of dawn…

With wide and nervous eyes, Nomasaki gulped as she stood before the next stage of the exams with her teammates – attempting to conceal her fright for what was to come. Before them was a towering peak covered with dense vegetation and hidden cliffs, surrounded by a high chain-linked fence – a mountain whose peak was invisible from where they stood. Throughout the confines of the mountain, she could sense the terrifying beasts that walked its grounds and the scent of death in the air that lingered around it. Its presence was nothing short of intimidating to the genin that stood at its base.

Standing like a statue before the genin was the proctor – a tall and lean man from Kumo clothed in a grey garb and red sash tied around his waist. With his scarred eyes, he gave the genin a stern gaze as he began to explain the contents of the next round of the Chunin Exams. "This is the entrance to the second stage of the exams," He began, his voice husky and deep. "The mountain behind me is Senjō Peak, one of the tallest mountains in the Land of Lightning. Your task here to collect both a Heaven Scroll and an Earth Scroll and survive the trials of the mountain as you and your team climb to the summit. At the peak of the mountain, we have the Tameshi Temple where the final stage of the exams will take place. The forest on the mountain is full of bloodthirsty beasts, poisonous plants, and freezing water… which earns it the nickname 'Blood Mountain'. You will have twenty-four hours to complete this stage, and rules are anything-goes. Now…" Slashing his arm before the genin, he signalled the stage start with a furrowed glare – mired with intensity. "Begin!"

Within an instant, the genin teams burst through their respective gates – on their paths to complete the goals of the second stage of the exams. Bounding through the dense forest, Team Hashira leapt through the tree branches – gaining ground towards the ascent of the peak. As the sounds of the other genin disappeared into the thick cover of the forest, the three Suna shinobi paused on the moss-covered branch of a lumbering spruce tree – its pines blocking out the rays of the mountain sun above them.

"We'll rest here!" Shinto said, crouching on the bark of the tree branch. "Meiyumi, you take the scroll. If we get found out, it's safest with you."

Taking the Heaven Scroll from his hands, she nodded. "Right."

"How many, Nomasaki?" Shinto asked, turning to her. "Can you detect anyone close by?"

Forming a hand-sign with her palms, she prepared herself. "I'll try," She nodded, glancing towards him. Entering her realm of focus, she closed her eyes – taking in the mountain air as she tapped into her sensory abilities. All around her she could sense the vibrant life of the forest – every animal, every plant, every energy. Suddenly, she could begin to feel the presence of others – their chakra appearing to her senses in small bursts from a far distance. "There's a group of shinobi due northwest! Three of them. They are resting."

"Let's ambush them!" Shinto smirked, turning to his teammates. "We only need an Earth Scroll, right?"

"Shinto…!" Meiyumi hushed, gesturing towards him. "What are you thinking…?! What if they don't have the scroll we need…?! We'd be picking a fight for nothing…!"

"Then we'll be testing out our capabilities…!" Shinto chuckled, whispering. "This is the second stage…! We should be making the most of it…!"

"Are you insane…?! What if they're far stronger than us…?! We could be killed…!"

Realizing the brash stupidity of his initial plan, he hung his head low. "You're right," He sighed. Suddenly, an idea entered his mind – striking his thoughts with newfound optimism. "I know…! Hey, Nomasaki!" Whipping his head towards her, he gave a scheming grin. "How about you ambush them in your wolf form and steal their scroll…! We're in the forest so you'll blend right in with the animals…!"

Surprising her, Nomasaki turned to him wide-eyed – caught off guard by his suggestion of her Kekkei Genkai. "I don't know about that," She answered. "It could work, but…–,"

"Come on, Nomasaki…!" Shinto assured. "Don't be so scared…! Remember, you're part of this team, too…! We made it this far, it's too late to turn back now…!"

Surprised by his mention of the team, she nervousness slipped away – humbled by her teammate's words. Despite Hanone's words from the days passed, could she have been wrong about them? Their anticipating grins began to assure her that they were indeed honest. Focusing back towards the task at hand, the more she thought of his crazy idea, the more she was convinced that it would work – and the wolf in her wanted to give it a shot.

"Okay," She agreed. "I'll go on ahead. Wait for me?"

"We'll be right here."

After exchanging a nod with her teammates, she turned towards her path ahead – eyeing the forest thicket with her narrowed lilac eyes. As she could begin to feel her blood boil and rumble through herself, she shook her skin with a snarl and bounded through the towering trees of the forest – her white coat glimmering in the shards of sunlight as she entered the darkness of the dense cover of trees.

Under the shade of the cliffside, a team of three Kiri ninja were resting beside a small waterfall. Drinking the water from their packs and organizing their stash of food, two of the teammates waited patiently while one sat under a spruce tree and sharpened his blade with a piece of flint – carefully watching over the Earth Scroll by his feet. Hoping for the Heaven Scroll to come to them, they patiently waited for an unfortunate would-be team to cross their path while they scaled the mountain.

"Man," One of them groaned. "This exam has me burnt out… Are we seriously supposed to reach the temple by sunrise? Did you see how tall this mountain is?!"

"I know," The one under the tree replied, sighing. "But it's called Blood Mountain for a reason. This place is crawling with beasts… let alone the other shinobi taking the test. There's that sand-guy from Suna who was in the Konoha exams… we'd have to flee on sight if he crosses paths with us."

Jolting, the Kiri ninja shuddered from the thought – remembering the scarce and fearful mentions of Gaara of the Sand Waterfall that reached Kiri – and Shukaku's strength. "W-What?! No way!" The Kiri ninja rationing the food scoffed to himself. It was the white-haired ninja from earlier, their piercing blue eyes still coated with anger. "If we're truly Kiri ninja, we'd stick it out until the last one's standing! They don't call us the 'Village of the Bloody Mist' for nothing!"

"Hey now," The other chided. "Those days are far behind us! Do you remember slaughtering your comrades for the genin exams?" Silence and a shudder. "Didn't think so. Our new Mizukage-sama saw to that!" Sighing, he focused his energy back on his katana – sharpening it in small strokes onto the flint in his palm. "Besides… We should really think about how we're going to get our hands on a Heaven Scroll –,"

Suddenly, the air around them fell silent – then, a rumble. As if from nowhere, a faint snarl echoed across the winds – alerting the Kiri ninja from his blade.

"What the… did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I think someone is watching us,"

While the winds picked up, the Kiri genin could hear the sounds of something moving through the thicket – coursing through the forest as the snarling turned into a sharp growl. The sound was not human in the slightest – its beast-like tremors echoing in the air around them. Alarming the Kiri team, they drew out their blades and kunai and took formation – prepared for what was coming for them.

"Someone or something… on your guard!"

As the young Kiri ninja braced for the oncoming threat, a loud growl ripped through the air and suddenly – silence. To their horror, a white wolf lunged towards them from the cover of the shadowy forest – its fangs barred as is dashed out of the thicket.

"A-A wolf!"

Swiftly, the wolf leapt over the cowering Kiri ninja – grasping the Earth Scroll that was left unattended behind them in its jaws. As the blades drew near, the wolf burst through the team – knocking them away in forceful aggression as it returned to the forest and disappeared in the darkness.

"It…! It took our scroll!"

"What the hell was that thing?!"

"…A monster."

Once she could no longer sense the chakra of the Kiri ninja behind her, she took refuge near a riverside. After her claws dug into the dirt as she came to a halt, she dropped the scroll to the ground from her fanged jaws. Returning to her human form and brushing off the dust from her white tunic, she picked up the stolen item before her. Sitting, she gazed at the purple scroll held in her hands. Touching its outer wrappings, she examined its appearance.

"That wasn't too hard," She spoke to herself, quietly. Proud of herself, a light smile formed on her lips. "They did hear me coming, but it was fun to see them scared…!" Directing her attention towards the sun, she took notice of its dimming orange rays – the evening was fast approaching – and they had less than twelve hours to scale the remaining cliffs of the mountain. Taking in the cold mountain air, she stood upon her feet – gazing at the growing sunset. "It's near dusk, I should rejoin my team –,"

Suddenly, a dense and powerful chakra presence erupted through her senses – startling her from its feel. Whipping her head at its supposed direction, her eyes scanned for the adversary – on guard to protect her team's scroll. To her surprise and shock, the chakra grew familiar to her – provoking herself to freeze in her stance from its feel. That chakra…! Could it… –?

In great speed, a massive stream of sand flew towards her – her nimble agility saving her from its grasp but just barely. Sensing an oncoming attack, she shook off her human skin and became a wolf once more – evading the sand's attacks in swift movements as she headed towards the barren plateau. Suddenly, her inner beast seen an opening. Forcefully, the wolf lunged forwards with its fangs barred in its jaws – the sands spewing into a thick cloud from the beast's strong impact. As the dust cleared, a human Nomasaki sat upon her foe with a kunai pointed at their throat – her eyes conveying her intent to defend herself in her bid for survival. Never before had she felt the urge to survive so strongly before, regardless if the chakra signified anything familiar to her or not – she was determined to make it out alive. Her scattered panting and wide eyes of intent proved it. Upon seeing their face, her eyes widened greatly in shocked surprise.

Her senses were right.

Underneath her hold was Gaara – his expression blank and stunned. His reaction was unexpected. She had heard the rumors of his strength since she arrived in Suna, and she seen it for herself firsthand. Not once had she thought she would be able to disarm him like she did. As she looked at him, she noticed his face was partially cracked from her counter – his Sand Armor breaking apart on his features from the impact. As he lay on the ground below her with his teeth gnashed under her hold, she noticed he was surrounded by a blanket of sand – did she break his gourd by accident, too? Surprised and in timid nervousness, she withdrew her kunai as their eyes met, her fingers trembled at its hilt as she did so.

"Ga… Gaara?"

Suddenly, she could begin to feel a change in him as she sat on his torso. Alarmed, she backed off, her feet near stumbling in the process. Before her very eyes, he turned into a mound of sand – a substitution jutsu, perhaps?

"I see you've made it to the second stage,"

Startling her, she turned towards his voice. Standing above her upon the river cliffside, he stood amongst the shadows of the trees – a cloud of sand revealing his location to her. Not even she was able to detect him. He moved flawlessly, signifying his great distance in strength. Looking down at her, his ringed-eyes appeared calm and stoic – yet unpredictable at the same time.

"I've noticed you did, too, judging by the sand at least." She said, glancing up at him with stern lilac eyes – attempting to hide her rising nervousness. Her palm shaking at her side as she reached for her kunai in her side-pouch, she prepared herself for the worst while she could feel the scroll safely stowed away – the scent of bloody combat on the winds. With the exam entering its final twelve-hour window, foes began sprinting towards the temple in haste to collect a scroll from unsuspecting teams – she was not going to risk it. "Are you… going to fight me?"

"We're both shinobi of Suna," He answered, looking towards the setting sun in the far distance – sensing her trembling from afar. "This may be a survival test, but there's no point in us taking up arms against each other. I won't fight you for the sake of our common allegiance."

Relaxing her grip on the kunai in her pack, she calmed her stance – her eyes cleansed of emotion as she looked up to meet his gaze. It was then she could feel Shukaku lingering on his skin, its dense chakra in the winds around her. Although she knew Gaara was no threat, she still felt a wave of terror from its burgeoning chakra.

"You're taking the exams to prove yourself as a ninja with your team… I'm taking the Chunin Exams because I want to achieve my goal, so I need to make one thing clear –,"

The change of his tone caught her curiosity. Was he warning her? "Goal?" She repeated.

Closing his eyes as he stood with his arms folded, he acknowledged her presence before him as a fellow genin of Suna – deserving of the warning he held. "If we cross paths again during this test, I can't promise I'll hold back. I'm letting you go on a whim, being that we're comrades from Suna." His eyes open towards her, calmly and stoic. "I have no intention of fighting you. You're someone I would consider as close."

Surprised by his words, she stood wide-eyed below him by the raging riverside on the treacherous mountain – the winds becoming colder and brisk with humidity as a thunderstorm was imminent. As she could feel the calm air from his presence, she trusted in her judgement. Disregarding what Hanone said to her, she looked upon him with her friendly meek nature – hoping that her held friendship for him would be reciprocated.

With a nod, she held in her nervousness and gave a small smile on her lips. "I'll see you at the temple," She spoke. "I'm much stronger than the last time we met, so you don't have to come to my rescue anymore. Someday, I'll repay the favor."

Becoming curious and intrigued from her words, his turquoise eyes slightly widened from her response – stronger? Could it be that the timid outsider was skilled enough to finish the exams in one piece? Only time would tell – and he was interested in seeing her journey.

"Gaara!" Catching his attention, he turned towards the direction of his sister's voice as the sky darkened and grew loud with the rumbling thunder. "Where are you? We should be heading to the temple by now! We have both scrolls!"

Before he departed, he turned around to face Nomasaki again. Surprised, she was gone – not a trace of her left lingering on the winds. Without a single sound, the wolf disappeared into the forest as the rains began that dark and cold night. Stirring silently, Shukaku reared its voice into his psyche as faint as could be.

"You should've crushed her when you've had the chance..." It groaned, darkly. "She near had you that time...!"

Brushing off the beast's ignorance, he ignored any further noise it rumbled through him. Although the new seal was much more effective, sometimes its voice still slipped past its barrier. Yet Shukaku was utterly powerless, allowing Gaara to siphon chakra from it as he saw fit. This advantage did nothing but disgruntle the one-tail, but nonetheless it would still willingly lend its power when beckoned.

"Hey! Are you even listening to me...?!"

I am, Gaara thought back – You and I should be working together.

Silence.

Typical Shukaku, he thought.

Heeding to the calls of his siblings, he stepped further into the thicket to rejoin them.

The end of the exam was fast approaching…