Chapter 155: Ino vs. Gaara
The "Fourth Kazekage" was completely taken by surprise by the sudden turn of events.
The Third Hokage's refusal seemed reasonable enough, leaving him with nothing to argue.
He didn't give it a second thought. Having already killed his own son, why would he care about another? It wasn't his problem; they could sort it out themselves.
He glanced at Baki, a Jonin from Sunagakure, subtly urging him to come up with an excuse, no matter how flimsy.
Baki racked his brain, trying to think of something.
The situation had escalated to the point where it felt like two nations were on the brink of war, both sides with their swords drawn. Yet, just as one country's army was about to march, their vanguard had been effortlessly defeated by a few casual villagers from the opposing side. It was utterly humiliating.
Should they even proceed with the fight? How could they?
Baki, the thirty-year-old Jonin leading Gaara and Temari, was a veteran of the Great Ninja War and possessed keen observational skills.
The Five Elements Seal couldn't be dismissed simply because a Genin had used it. On the contrary, it was an incredibly complex sealing technique.
Aside from their unique Puppet Technique, Sunagakure lagged behind Konohagakure in Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu. Their fundamental skills were significantly weaker. This was especially true for sealing techniques, which were considered advanced Ninjutsu in any ninja village. Just looking at the technique they used to seal the One-Tail revealed the generally low level of sealing proficiency within their village.
Faced with the Five Elements Seal, a sealing technique that continuously cycled through the five basic chakra natures, Baki was completely stumped. How could he possibly undo it? He had absolutely no idea.
This was a highly technical matter requiring specialized knowledge. If you didn't know how, you simply didn't know. Brute force wouldn't solve it.
Could their own Kage undo this seal? He had no way of knowing.
Don't be fooled by the Third Hokage's cheerful demeanor when he said Ino would undo the seal on Gaara after the match.
Baki didn't believe it for a second. The other side would undoubtedly use Gaara's injury and need for rest as a pretext for negotiations.
Normally, negotiations would be acceptable, but they were already walking a tightrope, dangerously close to breaking their alliance. Suddenly proposing to use their defeated vanguard as leverage for negotiations? It was preposterous!
A great actor doesn't necessarily make a great politician, but a great politician is definitely a great actor.
The Third Hokage's seasoned politician's facade was well-known throughout the ninja world. He couldn't directly detain Sunagakure's Jinchuriki, but delaying things for ten days or even half a month was certainly within his capabilities. But was now the time for delay? Not even a day, not even an hour could be wasted. Without the Tailed Beast's assistance in battle, what chance did they have?
Baki found himself in a difficult position.
After the Tailed Beast was sealed away, the situation in the arena took a dramatic turn.
Gaara's own chakra reserves were already inferior to Ino's. He was left with no choice but to rely on the sand in his gourd for defense.
Ino used the Body Flicker Technique to move with incredible speed, so fast that Gaara couldn't even track her movements. One moment, she seemed to be on his left. He turned his head, and then he felt a sharp uppercut slam into his chin.
The force of the punch sent him flying three or four meters into the air.
Just as he was about to fall, Ino reached out, grabbed his neck, and tightened her five fingers around it.
Gaara was only about 1.46 or 1.47 meters tall at this point. Standing against Ino, who was 1.65 meters tall, he was noticeably shorter. Now that his body was lifted off the ground, he looked even more frail.
Many Sunagakure ninjas exchanged bewildered glances. The monster from their own village was being utterly dominated by a Konohagakure Genin, and so decisively. Could their already limited forces truly stand a chance against Konohagakure?
"Give up, you're no match for me," Ino stated.
Gaara's weaknesses were now glaringly obvious. Water bubbles effectively countered his sand, and with the One-Tail sealed, anyone with even slightly superior Taijutsu could easily defeat him.
What was the point of putting on a brave face?
Gaara now felt surprisingly calm. The monster within him seemed to be roaring, but the seal was incredibly strong, like an impenetrable wall, completely separating the two.
He had found a sense of peace he hadn't experienced in years, and he found it on the battlefield in Konohagakure.
"I won't give up," he said with conviction. Setting aside his earlier hysteria, Ino could already see a glimpse of the future Fifth Kazekage's stubbornness in him.
Was this the caliber of a Kage? Very good, full of spirit!
She grabbed Gaara's short red hair and delivered a powerful straight punch to his face. Gaara's face contorted in pain as he was sent flying backward. Before he could land, Ino appeared behind him, raised her right leg, and delivered a brutal whip kick to the back of his neck.
At the last moment, the sand in his gourd automatically rose to defend him. It was too late, and the Sand Shield shattered instantly. He was also sent hurtling more than ten meters away. Gaara spat out blood and tried several times to stand, supporting himself on the ground with his hands, but failed each time.
"Give up, Gaara! Give up now!" Temari, his older sister, still had some sense. Ignoring the village's plan and the stares of several Sunagakure ninjas, she shouted from the contestant's area.
"I won't lose... I can't lose, Mother, Yashamaru, Father, I can't lose! Monster, lend me your power, give it to me quickly!" Gaara screamed internally. The One-Tail Shukaku also tried to respond, but was blocked by the Five Elements Seal.
Jiraiya, observing through a telescope from a distance, couldn't help but shudder as he watched Ino relentlessly beat Gaara. The boy being pummeled looked truly pathetic.
The Jonin and clan heads on the viewing platform were all visibly surprised.
They watched Ino violently beating the One-Tail Jinchuriki in the arena, then looked at their own children, sighing with emotion. It's been tough on you kids! We looked at things with the outdated perspectives of our generation, and we never anticipated the immense pressure you would face! We understand, we understand you, it is indeed a difficult situation for you.
Shikamaru's gaze towards Shikaku was incredibly complex. Look, I've told you hundreds of times, but you never believed me. Do you believe me now? Do you know how much pressure I'm under? I'm the one who's been caught up in this the most!
"Hmm?" Ino sensed the Tailed Beast within Gaara trying to break free from the seal. The hostility radiating from Gaara was rapidly receding. The two had seemingly reached an understanding. He appeared to be receiving the Tailed Beast's chakra in a relatively calm manner. Had her beating them into a shared hatred somehow united them?
Forget it, might as well collect some Tailed Beast chakra while I'm at it. I'm free anyway.
Ino stopped using Taijutsu and instead quickly formed hand seals, gathering all of her chakra.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Ino made a quick mental calculation. At this point, her "Spirit" stat of 9 was equivalent to three Tsunades, or six Asumas, or more than ten Kakashis.
Her chakra reserves were immense. With just two hand seals, she drew a massive amount of physical energy from her cells, and after combining it with mental energy, the enormous chakra underwent water-natured transformation. The water flow created by the Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave was even more colossal, as if a massive door had appeared out of thin air, directly summoning seawater from the ocean.
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