71-75

*Chapter 71: Compensation*

"Experiment subject?"

Anko Mitarashi’s mouth opened and closed, her eyes fixed on Touji.

Although she had lost all her previous memories, if she was Orochimaru’s disciple, she was sure that she must have been involved in human experimentation.

Imagining Touji lying helplessly on a surgical table, Anko felt a pang of guilt in her heart. She silently vowed to repay Touji for however she had wronged him in the past.

Even if Touji wanted to experiment on her in return, she wouldn’t refuse.

“I will make it up to you in this lifetime, no matter what it takes!”

[Ding! Anko Mitarashi’s affection level increased by ten points! Current affection level: 86! You can now sign in!]

Touji was stunned.

He didn’t expect Anko’s reaction to be so intense. If she ever learned the truth, who knows what might happen to him!

But raising her affection level was so satisfying.

“Sign in with Anko Mitarashi!”

[Ding! Successfully signed in with Anko Mitarashi! Obtained Fireball Jutsu! Affection level increased by two points! Current affection level: 88!]

Nice!

Although it was just a fireball that couldn’t kill, Touji was still very happy.

After all, if his experience continued to grow, maybe one day he could spit out a fireball that would incinerate the sun and blow up the solar system.

However, Touji noticed something strange about Anko.

If before Anko had just a little affection for Touji, now her eyes were completely focused on him.

It wasn’t simple affection anymore; it was full of guilt.

Touji figured that if he told Anko to kill herself now, she might just do it to atone.

But as Touji looked at Anko’s figure, he couldn’t help but smile.

“You want to atone, huh? Then why don’t you give up your favorite sweets?”

Anko gave Touji a puzzled look.

She had no idea how Touji knew she liked sweets.

And here she was, prepared to give up everything to compensate him, yet he asked for something so trivial.

“Why sweets? Can’t it be something else? No matter what you ask, I will agree!” Anko said earnestly but quickly realized her words sounded off, and her face flushed red.

Still, when she thought about it, she was even willing to give up her life, so it really wasn’t a big deal.

Anko puffed up her chest in determination.

“Why sweets? I don’t want you turning into a sweet potato, Anko. But hey, I was just saying. It’s up to you.” Touji said and then headed into the forest.

“Sweet potato? What do you mean? Hey, wait for me!” Anko called out.

Touji sped up through the forest. It was vast, and even with the Byakugan, it was hard to find anyone.

The forest was filled with battle scars, bloodstains, and corpses.

As Touji wandered aimlessly, a sharp cry suddenly echoed from afar.

“Sasuke-kun!”

Touji’s mouth twitched. Without needing to look, he knew who it was.

It had to be that useless Sakura Haruno, always thinking she could keep up with those with hacks.

But hearing Sakura’s voice meant Team 7 was nearby.

According to the storyline, Orochimaru should have already appeared!

“This way, hurry!” Touji said as he used the Body Flicker Technique to accelerate. Anko barely had time to react before Touji disappeared from her sight.

“So fast! How did Touji train to be this quick? And what did he mean by sweet potato?” Anko wondered.

Touji arrived at the source of the sound and saw Orochimaru biting Sasuke Uchiha’s neck.

Touji was about to jump in when someone rushed past him.

“I’m sorry, Touji. I’ll repay you in my next life, but today I must stop Orochimaru!”

Anko quickly approached Orochimaru, who didn’t react at all.

Anko’s eyes brightened, and she smiled.

“I’ve got you!”

Just as her kunai was about to strike Orochimaru, Anko felt a sudden impact, and her vision blurred.

When she regained focus, she was more than ten meters away from Orochimaru.

“Interesting little brat. Didn’t expect a twelve-year-old to see through my jutsu!”

The Orochimaru that Anko had attacked turned into a puff of smoke, and another Orochimaru appeared from the side.

“A shadow clone!”

Anko’s face twisted in frustration. She had almost used Twin Snakes Mutual Death on Orochimaru.

It would have killed Orochimaru, but she would have died too.

If it had just been a clone, she would’ve only traded her life for a shadow clone.

Thankfully, Touji had stopped her in time.

“Anko, you haven’t improved at all these years.”

Orochimaru’s creepy smile made Touji’s skin crawl.

“You must be Touji. A young hero, indeed. But I hear you were one of my experiments?”

“So, are you interested in your old experiment subject again?”

“No, no. I’m just curious about how strong my creation has become.”

As Orochimaru finished speaking, a giant snake head descended from above, aiming directly at Touji.

Startled, Touji quickly threw Anko aside.

Boom!

The ground shook violently, trees swaying as if they would collapse at any moment.

“Touji!” Anko screamed desperately.

With Touji’s speed, he could have dodged.

But he had chosen to save her and was swallowed by the snake.

Anko felt a deep sense of regret.

She had thought she could help Touji, but now she realized she was just a burden.

“Interesting little brat, sacrificing yourself for my worthless disciple. I almost want to applaud you, but it’s too bad you can’t hear it now.”

Orochimaru smirked and then reached out, grabbing the rushing Anko.

“Are you sad he’s dead?”

Anko chuckled, and two snakes shot out from her sleeve, wrapping around Orochimaru.

“To avenge Touji, and to protect Konoha, I’ll kill you today!”

“Boring. You’ve had your chance, but still no improvement.”

Anko shuddered, seeing Orochimaru approaching from a distance.

“If you like this boy so much, why not join him?”

---

Today’s writing was a bit tough, sorry for the delay. If you can’t wait for the fourth chapter, check back tomorrow! Also, please vote!

(End of Chapter).

*Chapter 72: Battle Against Orochimaru*

Orochimaru’s mouth slowly opened, and a long sword began to emerge from it.

Anko Mitarashi shuddered.

“The Kusanagi Sword!”

The Kusanagi Sword, a legendary weapon, could cut through iron like mud and even cleave giant rocks in two with a single strike.

Let alone the flesh and blood of a human.

Anko closed her eyes in despair.

She had hoped to at least take down Orochimaru with her, but she hadn’t even managed to touch his clothes.

A tear trickled down her cheek.

“Touji-kun, I’m coming to see you!”

At that moment, a flash of silver light appeared on the giant snake coiled nearby.

The enormous serpent was suddenly sliced in half.

“Sakumo? No, it’s that kid! Interesting, interesting!” Orochimaru looked surprised at first, then began to laugh. However, the Kusanagi Sword aimed at Anko stopped.

Touji crawled out of the snake’s corpse, shaking off the sticky mucus.

“Orochimaru, you’re disgusting. Doesn’t having a sword stuck in your throat bother you?”

[Ding! Orochimaru! Affection Level +40! WARNING!!!]

[Affection Level 50 Unlocked: Great Breakthrough!]

[Affection Level 60 Unlocked: Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!]

[Affection Level 70 Unlocked: Twin Snakes Mutual Death Jutsu!]

[Affection Level 80 Unlocked: Eight-Headed Serpent Jutsu!]

[Affection Level 90 Unlocked: Impure World Reincarnation!]

[Affection Level 100 Unlocked: Research Results! Obtain “Let’s Research Together!” Activate Infinite Sign-In (Sign-In Interval: Seven Days!)]

Seeing Orochimaru’s rewards, Touji’s eyes gleamed with greed.

Though Orochimaru didn’t have a Kekkei Genkai, his rewards were undeniably valuable.

From 80 affection points onward, they were all S-rank jutsu, and even the Immortality Jutsu wasn’t at the top of the list.

Orochimaru’s research results alone could change the entire shinobi world.

Anko’s eyes shot open, looking at Touji in disbelief.

She had been hopeless, but now she was filled with renewed hope.

“He’s not dead! He’s not dead!”

“Of course I’m not dead. Did you really think a little snake like that could kill me?” Touji smiled slightly but shivered as he looked at the mucus covering him.

“Little snake?” Orochimaru paused before bursting into laughter. “An interesting kid. Don’t think that killing a small snake means you can handle me!”

Orochimaru tossed Anko aside and charged at Touji with the Kusanagi Sword.

Touji quickly took a defensive stance and secretly activated his Byakugan.

White Fang was a short blade, while the Kusanagi Sword was a long sword. As the saying goes, longer weapons have an advantage, and Orochimaru’s impressive strength made Touji extra cautious.

Clang!

The two weapons collided with a harsh, metallic sound.

Orochimaru frowned.

His strike, in both speed and power, was top-notch. Even a Jonin would struggle to withstand it directly.

Yet Touji, a mere twelve-year-old, had blocked it with a short blade.

This was completely beyond Orochimaru’s expectations.

“You’re strong, but you must die!”

Orochimaru’s killing intent surged. He was like a completely different person compared to when he fought Anko.

Fighting Anko had been like a father scolding his daughter.

Fighting Touji felt like battling a mortal enemy.

Orochimaru charged again, but Touji turned and stabbed behind him instead.

Clang!

“How did you spot me?” Orochimaru asked, astonished.

His clone technique was incredibly fast—almost impossible to detect without powerful vision.

Yet Touji’s eyes were neither Sharingan nor Byakugan.

This made Orochimaru wary of Touji.

While not his match now, if left to grow, Touji could surpass the Three Legendary Ninjas and reach the peak of the shinobi world.

“Too bad for you that you met me now!”

Orochimaru extended his tongue, coiling it around White Fang.

Touji quickly released his grip.

If he didn’t, Orochimaru’s tongue would wrap around his hand, then his neck, and strangle him to death.

“Good choice, but without your weapon, how will you fight me?”

Orochimaru lunged again with the Kusanagi Sword.

Touji frowned, using his Ice Release to freeze the tip of his index finger, then executed a Gentle Fist to deflect the sword.

He began guiding the force of the Kusanagi Sword.

Orochimaru felt as though his sword was stuck to Touji’s fingertips.

No matter how he pushed or pulled, it wouldn’t break free.

It even felt like Touji was controlling his movements, forcing him to step back and forth.

“Gentle Fist? Impossible! I’ve seen Hiashi Hyuga’s Gentle Fist, and it’s nowhere near this powerful!”

Orochimaru looked furious.

Being led around by a twelve-year-old would be utterly humiliating if word got out.

“You forget how your blade fell, kid!”

Orochimaru didn’t give Touji a chance to react. His snake-like head shot toward Touji along the Kusanagi Sword.

“Touji-kun, watch out! Don’t let his tongue touch you!” Anko shouted anxiously.

Orochimaru’s tongue, honed to perfection, was deadlier than most ninjutsu.

If it caught you, you had two options:

First, beg for mercy and hope Orochimaru spares you.

Second, grab his tongue and try to stab his eyes with your fingers, at least dying a noble death.

But Touji remained still, as if paralyzed.

“Got you! Dieeeeee…”

Orochimaru’s voice cut off midway as he trembled violently.

He collapsed backward.

“You… Touji-kun, you beat him? How did you do it?” Anko stared at Touji in disbelief. She had thought he was a goner, yet he’d managed to defeat Orochimaru in such a dire situation!

“Gentle Fist. Gentle Fist channels chakra into the opponent’s body. I used it to direct chakra through Orochimaru’s tongue, straight into his brain!” Touji explained to Anko patiently.

When he finished, he turned his gaze back to Orochimaru’s body, smiling.

“How long are you going to keep playing dead? Get up. We need to talk.”

As Touji spoke, Orochimaru, who had seemed dead, slowly stood up.

“You’re an interesting kid. I didn’t think you’d notice that!”

*(End of Chapter)*

*Author’s Note: I’m exhausted after writing four chapters. I don’t think I can keep this pace tomorrow. I’ll write more when I have the inspiration!*

*Chapter 73: Negotiation*

From the moment Orochimaru first cast a genjutsu on him, Touji knew that Orochimaru and Danzo Shimura were definitely in cahoots. Therefore, directly confronting Orochimaru for a negotiation would have no good outcome.

Now, with Touji having showcased a bit of his strength, at least Orochimaru would take him a little more seriously, giving him some leverage in a negotiation.

"I'm quite interested in you, kid, but if you say something I don't like, don't blame me for being ruthless," Orochimaru said with a cold smile.

Touji was well aware that Orochimaru had only been toying with him so far. Many of his most powerful techniques hadn't even been displayed. If Orochimaru truly intended to kill him, he could simply summon Manda, and Touji wouldn't stand a chance—not even the opportunity to escape.

However, at least now Touji had gained some leverage in front of Orochimaru.

"I know why you’re here and why you came, but being used as Danzo’s pawn all the time—is that really okay?"

Orochimaru's sneering face suddenly turned serious as he looked Touji up and down.

"You seem to know quite a bit. But don’t you know? The more you know, the quicker you die."

"I understand. But right now, the Third Hokage wants to get rid of me, so we’re not at odds. I won’t stand in your way—in fact, I might even lend you a hand."

When Touji mentioned the Third Hokage, Orochimaru finally realized that this twelve-year-old in front of him was far more dangerous than he had imagined. Despite his long-standing conspiracy in Konoha, there were still people aware of his plans. This implied that Touji must have a formidable intelligence network—perhaps even spies within his own circle.

In both village wars and battles between ninjas, information is critical. If Touji were to leak such information, Orochimaru’s days ahead would be filled with endless pursuit, not just from Konoha but also from the Akatsuki organization.

"It seems like you know quite a lot, kid, but do you really think I need your guidance on how I do things?" Orochimaru sneered, his eyes filled with a menacing glare.

Touji ignored Orochimaru’s threat and continued, "I know your research could potentially change the ninja world, and it requires significant funding. But have you ever thought about switching partners?"

Orochimaru was stunned, looking at Touji in disbelief. Human experimentation was prohibited in all ninja villages, and no matter the potential benefits to the ninja world, such research was universally condemned. While Danzo supported Orochimaru, he was merely using him. Now, here was someone genuinely willing to support him, which caught Orochimaru’s interest.

"So, what do you want in return, or what do you need me to do?" Orochimaru asked, putting away his smile, his snake-like eyes fixed on Touji. If Touji made any unreasonable demands, he would die the moment those words left his mouth.

"Your cooperation and, before you make your next move, ensuring that no other Konoha ninjas find out. Otherwise, you’re not fit to work with me," Touji said with a slight smile.

Orochimaru frowned, clearly displeased with Touji’s doubt.

"I don’t need you to teach me!" Orochimaru snapped before turning and vanishing into the forest, leaving Touji relieved.

As soon as Orochimaru left, Anko Mitarashi rushed up to Touji, her face full of questions.

"What’s Orochimaru’s purpose in coming to Konoha?"

"To kill the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi," Touji replied casually.

Anko’s eyes widened, and her body trembled slightly.

"No, this has to be reported to the Anbu!" Anko anxiously took out a whistle, ready to blow it, but Touji snatched it from her.

"Do you really think the Third Hokage staying in power is a good thing?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"The human experimentation in the past had Danzo Shimura’s involvement. If Danzo was involved, do you think the Third Hokage didn’t know?"

"This…"

Seeing Anko’s troubled expression, Touji quickly continued, "During the Third Hokage’s tenure, Konoha has declined with each generation. Those who were capable of becoming Hokage either died under mysterious circumstances or disappeared. Do you really think this has nothing to do with the Third Hokage?"

"Are you saying… But that’s just speculation!"

"The Anbu has been looking for a chance to kill me. Isn’t that evidence enough?"

"Fine, I’ll go along with you…"

Anko was visibly conflicted. If anyone else had said this, she would have immediately apprehended them and turned them over to the Anbu. But coming from Touji, the words carried weight. Initially, Anko felt guilty towards Touji, but now she realized that he had unknowingly become significant to her. She even found herself torn between him and Konoha.

Though Orochimaru’s favorability hadn’t increased, Touji had achieved his desired outcome. As for Team 7, Touji had no further interest. They were the main characters, blessed with plot armor, so there was no need for him to protect them.

Now, Touji’s next move was to find Gaara. As the future Kazekage, Gaara’s favor was invaluable, and Touji couldn’t let him slip away.

"Touji-kun, what’s the plan now? How about we go for some sweets?" Anko hesitated before suggesting cautiously.

"If you want to eat, go ahead. I need to check on the other candidates," Touji said dismissively.

Anko’s face lit up before turning anxious again.

"Touji-kun, that’s not what I meant. I promise I can quit sweets!" Anko vowed.

Touji shrugged indifferently. He had only told Anko to quit sweets as a joke, never expecting her to take it as an order. As for looking for Gaara, Touji didn’t mind if Anko tagged along. With her favorability at eighty-eight points and nothing in particular that Touji wanted from her, he didn’t care if her opinion changed.

Touji turned and left, and Anko quickly followed in a panic.

"Touji-kun, don’t be mad! I’ll quit, okay? Hey, don’t go!"

Touji rolled his eyes. He remembered Anko as a cool and composed individual, but now she seemed full of unnecessary chatter. He almost wanted to stuff her mouth with dango to keep her quiet!

*(End of Chapter)*

*Chapter 74: Battle Against Gaara*

"Come on, can't I just have one dumpling? Hey, Touji, don't ignore me!"

Touji frowned, his ears stuffed with leaves, but they couldn't block out Anko Mitarashi's nonstop chatter.

He felt like sewing her mouth shut.

Boom!

A loud rumble echoed through the air, loud enough to hear even with his ears blocked.

Touji had encountered a few teams before, but none of them were Gaara and his group.

But this time, Touji was sure. The only one who could cause such a large disturbance was definitely Gaara!

Without hesitation, Touji sprinted toward the direction of the noise.

Sure enough, there stood Gaara and his team, not far away, surrounded by blood.

"Found them!"

Anko Mitarashi leaned over, her face close to Touji's, peering in the same direction.

She sighed, a helpless expression on her face.

"Every year, people die during the exam. It's normal. But while taking scrolls is the goal, killing everyone is a bit excessive."

Touji ignored Anko's chatter and jumped forward.

Gaara's team immediately turned their eyes toward Touji, alert, their killing intent rising.

*Ding! Gaara! Favorability 45 points! Warning!!*

*Favorability 50 points unlocked: Sand Shield!*

*Favorability 60 points unlocked: Sand Armor!*

*Favorability 70 points unlocked: Sand Drizzle!*

*Favorability 80 points unlocked: Sand Spear!*

*Favorability 90 points unlocked: Sand Coffin!*

*Favorability 100 points unlocked: Shukaku! Gain the ability to "Play with Sand Together!" Infinite sign-in activated (sign-in interval: seven days!)*

*Ding! Temari! Favorability 50 points! You can sign in!*

*Favorability 50 points unlocked: Kamaitachi!*

*Favorability 60 points unlocked: Great Kamaitachi!*

*Favorability 70 points unlocked: Wind Blade!*

*Favorability 80 points unlocked: Tornado Hurricane!*

*Favorability 90 points unlocked: Great Wind Defense!*

*Favorability 100 points unlocked: Dragon's Descent! Gain "Let Me Blow You Away!" Infinite sign-in activated (sign-in interval: seven days!)*

*Ding! Kankuro! Favorability 50 points! You can sign in!*

*Favorability 50 points unlocked: Puppet Mastery!*

*Favorability 60 points unlocked: Crow!*

*Favorability 70 points unlocked: Black Ant!*

*Favorability 80 points unlocked: Salamander!*

*Favorability 90 points unlocked: Scorpion!*

*Favorability 100 points unlocked: Father and Mother! Gain "I'll Be Your Puppet!" Infinite sign-in activated (sign-in interval: seven days!)*

Touji’s eyes brightened. Gaara’s abilities were impressive, though mostly sand-related. Mastering sand control meant the only limit was chakra.

Temari’s skills were decent, but Touji was only really interested in her basic jutsu.

Kankuro, though, was a headache. If you got puppet mastery without a puppet, it was useless. If you got a puppet but lacked mastery, it was worthless.

“Sign in for Temari and Kankuro!”

*Ding! Temari sign-in successful! Gained Kamaitachi! Favorability increased by 5 points, now 55 points!*

*Ding! Kankuro sign-in successful! Gained Puppet Mastery! Favorability increased by 5 points, now 55 points!*

Touji twitched. He got exactly what he expected—puppet mastery, but no puppets.

"Another one here to die, huh? But this is the first time I've seen someone disguised as an examiner. Where’s the rest of your team?"

Touji chuckled helplessly. He didn’t expect to be mistaken for a candidate.

Just as Touji was about to explain, the sand on the ground moved, attacking him.

Touji’s heart sank. Gaara wasted no time with words and attacked immediately.

He quickly used the Body Flicker Technique to create distance.

But the sand seemed alive. No matter where Touji landed, it followed him relentlessly.

Kankuro smirked.

"Not bad speed, but almost no one can escape Gaara's sand at this age. Even a young examiner wouldn’t stand a chance."

"Don't underestimate any opponent," Temari scolded, though she showed no intention of helping, clearly not taking Touji seriously.

Touji snorted.

Even when facing Hiashi Hyuga, he hadn’t been chased this relentlessly. A wave of frustration welled up inside him.

He couldn’t even be bothered to explain anymore.

"You want a fight? Fine! Anko, stay put and don’t move!"

He shot Anko a glare.

Anko pouted in frustration. “I just wanted to help…”

After dodging several times, Touji grew tired of running and charged straight toward Gaara.

Gaara remained expressionless, arms crossed, as if unfazed.

Kankuro's smirk deepened, a hint of mockery in his expression.

"Approaching Gaara? Looks like this guy doesn’t know the meaning of death. Gaara, be careful not to destroy the scrolls."

Gaara glanced at Kankuro indifferently, but as he turned back, Touji was suddenly in front of him.

Gaara's eyes widened, his calm demeanor vanishing.

"Impossible! How could he be so fast? Is this guy really a Genin?"

"Could he be an examiner?"

"So what if he is? Gaara has absolute defense. Speed alone won’t work against him."

Bang!

Before Kankuro and Temari could finish speaking, Gaara was sent flying, rolling several times before stopping.

His face cracked, chunks of sand falling off, revealing his furious expression underneath.

"Temari, did you see that?"

"No... He was too fast! He dodged Gaara's sand and got right in front of him in an instant! This guy is no ordinary fighter!"

Gaara shakily stood up, eyes locked onto Touji, fury burning in his gaze.

With a hoarse voice, Gaara growled, "You! Die!"

Sand erupted violently, the ground trembling beneath their feet.

Gaara formed a hand sign and slammed his palms onto the ground.

The sand twisted, the earth sinking beneath them.

Everything touched by the sand was consumed. Trees toppled over, and the once-forested area became a vast sea of sand.

As Gaara's chakra flowed, the sand’s reach expanded.

"Sand Coffin!"

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 75: Anko Mitarashi is Captured*

“We did it!” Kankuro’s eyes lit up.

Once Gaara uses this move, survival is nearly impossible.

No matter how strong the opponent is, they will be completely crushed.

Anko Mitarashi's heart skipped a beat, and she jumped out immediately.

“Damn it! How dare you attack the proctor!”

Temari was stunned for a moment, unable to believe that Touji was actually a proctor.

If it were a normal situation, killing wouldn’t matter. But this time, they had a mission. If something went wrong midway, the entire plan would fall apart.

“Gaara, kill her now!” Temari shouted anxiously.

Gaara hadn’t completely calmed down from his rage. Hearing there was another person to kill brought an excited smile to his face.

“The proctors from the Leaf are so weak!”

As soon as Gaara finished speaking, the surrounding sand surged toward Anko Mitarashi.

Anko furrowed her brow. She hadn’t expected Gaara to actually attack her.

“Die!”

Anko yelled as several long snakes shot from her hand, flying straight toward Gaara.

However, before the snakes could reach him, a wall of sand rose in front of him.

“So this is the Leaf’s proctor? Too weak!” Gaara smirked, then grabbed at Anko with force.

Suddenly, a giant hand of sand emerged beneath Anko and grabbed her tightly.

“Weak. Far too weak.”

Gaara sneered, about to squeeze with more force, when suddenly a small snake crawled onto his neck and bit down hard.

“This snake’s venom is strong enough to kill an elephant. Enjoy your final moments!” Anko smiled smugly.

But before she could enjoy her victory, she noticed Gaara looked entirely unbothered, even a bit mocking.

“Venom? You’d have to touch me for that to work.”

Gaara pulled the snake off easily. The place where it had bitten had turned black, but on closer inspection, it was just a layer of sand armor.

“Impossible!”

Anko stared at Gaara in disbelief. Her snake hadn’t even pierced his armor.

“I didn’t think the Leaf’s ninja would be so impulsive, leaving no escape route for themselves,” Temari smiled slightly.

Despair filled Anko’s eyes. She had countless ways to gather information on Gaara and win through tactics. She could even blow a whistle for support from the Leaf ninjas.

But when she saw Touji swallowed by the desert, her mind went blank, and all she could think about was killing Gaara. She had chosen the fastest attack strategy but never expected Gaara’s defense to be so strong.

“Die!” Gaara cackled maniacally, tightening his grip.

Anko felt the sand around her closing in, squeezing tighter and making it hard to breathe. She could feel her bones reaching their limit, about to break.

But then, Anko sensed something strange.

The burning hot sand suddenly turned ice-cold, making her shiver uncontrollably.

“Die!”

“Die!”

Gaara gripped several times, but the expected scene of blood splattering didn’t happen. The sand, usually under his perfect control, had lost all responsiveness.

And the sand felt... frozen!

“Why won’t she die? Why isn’t she dead?! Die!” Gaara screamed.

“What’s going on? Why isn’t Gaara controlling the sand?” Kankuro looked at Anko suspiciously, noticing the sand surrounding her was emitting cold air, almost like an ice sculpture.

“Ice? How could there be ice here?”

Gaara grew more and more unhinged, and even the sand armor on his body began to fall off, revealing his snarling face beneath.

The fallen sand floated up again, gathering above Gaara’s head.

As more sand gathered, it formed into a long spear, its sharp tip pointed directly at Anko.

“I don’t care why this is happening. You will die today!”

The spear above Gaara’s head grew longer and its body compressed, transforming from a thick spear into a slender one.

Anko felt a new wave of despair. She didn’t know why Gaara’s previous technique had failed, but now she was a sitting target.

When that sand spear shot out, she had no chance of dodging.

“Well, at least I can join Touji down there. I bet he won’t stop me from eating dango in the afterlife,” Anko gave a hopeless smile and closed her eyes.

“Die!”

Gaara thrust the sand spear with all his might toward Anko, his face full of excitement as he waited for the blood to spray.

Just then, a wall appeared in front of Anko, with a dog’s head carved into its center.

“There’s someone else,” Temari chuckled lightly, shaking her head at the sudden appearance of the earth wall.

“But thinking an Earth-Style Wall can block Gaara’s Sand Wall is just wishful thinking.”

Gaara’s lips curled into a smirk, his eyes locked onto the scene in front of him.

Bang!

The sand spear clashed violently with the Earth-Style Wall.

Sand and rocks flew everywhere, with the sand falling like rain.

As the sand rain cleared, Temari’s body trembled when she saw the scene before her.

“It blocked it? How could an Earth-Style Wall block the Sand Spear? This must be a joke!”

“What’s going on? The dog’s head on the wall isn’t even damaged. How hard is this thing?”

Gaara’s face twisted with rage.

Two deadly techniques, both completely countered.

He felt utterly humiliated.

“Who’s there? Show yourself if you dare!” Gaara roared, his pupils already transforming into the shape of coins.

Even Gaara’s face was starting to take on a beast-like appearance.

“If you won’t come out, don’t blame me for killing her!”

Gaara slammed his hands down, summoning another spear behind the Earth-Style Wall, its tip just a meter away from Anko.

“If you don’t come out, then die!”