The midday sun hung high in the sky, casting its warm glow over Konoha. In the training yard behind the Uzumaki residence, Ryuga and Naruto exchanged light blows, their sparring more about reflex and precision than brute force. Each strike and dodge carried a playful competitiveness—until Naruto suddenly paused, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Hey, Ryuga," he said, stepping back. "Have you thought about visiting Lee?"
Ryuga blinked and lowered his stance. "Yeah… We saw how badly he was injured. He might not even wake up for a while."
Naruto frowned. "He will wake up. And when he does, we should be there for him."
Ryuga nodded, understanding Naruto's concern. Lee had pushed himself beyond his limits against Gaara, and the price was severe.
Before the conversation could continue, Kushina's voice rang out.
"Oi! You two! Lunch is ready!"
The two brothers grinned at each other before dashing inside. They devoured their meals quickly, exchanging a few jokes with their mother before heading toward the hospital.
A Disturbance at the Hospital
As they walked through the bustling streets of Konoha, Naruto suddenly slowed down, his expression shifting from casual to serious.
"Something's wrong," he muttered.
Ryuga glanced at him. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know. Just a weird feeling…" Naruto clenched his fists. "Like danger's close."
Ryuga, attuned to his own instincts, started to focus on his surroundings. That's when he noticed it—grains of sand slipping through the cracks of the hospital window up ahead. His eyes widened.
"Naruto, hurry!"
Both of them bolted toward the hospital, weaving through startled civilians. As soon as they reached the hallway leading to Lee's room, a suffocating pressure filled the air. A sinister chakra—thick, ominous, and pulsating with malice—seeped from the slightly ajar door.
Naruto slammed the door open, and they found themselves face to face with Gaara.
The red-haired shinobi stood next to Lee's unconscious body, one hand raised. His sand swirled menacingly, poised to crush the sleeping boy. Gaara's teal eyes were eerily empty, devoid of hesitation, as if he were about to snuff out a candle.
"Gaara!" Naruto shouted. "What the hell are you doing?!"
Gaara turned his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "He's weak. He fought me, and he lost. He should die."
Ryuga stepped forward, ice-blue eyes sharp. "We won't let you."
The sand lurched toward Lee.
Ryuga reacted first, forming a quick hand sign. "Water Release: Water Bullet!" A concentrated stream of water shot from his mouth, colliding with the sand and forcing it back.
Naruto moved simultaneously, leaping toward Lee and pulling him away from Gaara's reach. He set Lee down gently behind him before turning to face Gaara again.
Gaara lowered his hand, but his aura remained oppressive. His gaze flickered between Naruto and Ryuga before he let out a small, dark chuckle.
"Why do you interfere?" he asked, his voice unnervingly calm. "You don't understand what it means to be alone… to be cursed with this existence."
Naruto's breath hitched. He knew that tone—the bitterness, the loneliness. He clenched his fists.
"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, his voice softer now.
Gaara turned fully toward them, his eyes shadowed by his bangs. "I am the one-tail's Jinchūriki. A monster made for war. My own mother cursed me with her dying breath. No one has ever loved me. No one has ever needed me. I exist only to kill—to prove my existence."
Ryuga's expression darkened, his mind flashing to Naruto's past, his own past.
"That's not true," Naruto said, stepping closer. "Being a Jinchūriki doesn't mean you have to be alone!"
Gaara's sand flared violently, making both brothers tense. "You don't understand," he hissed. "I kill because it's the only way I know I'm alive. The moment I stop, I'll disappear."
Naruto gritted his teeth. "That's wrong! You—"
A sudden surge of chakra exploded from Gaara, suffocating the room with its intensity. The windows rattled, the walls groaned, and the sand spiraled wildly around him. Naruto and Ryuga instinctively braced themselves against the pressure.
For a moment, Gaara's pupils dilated unnaturally, his breath coming in ragged gasps. It was as if something inside him was stirring.
Then, suddenly—
"That's enough."
A new presence entered the room.
Might Guy appeared in a flash, his usual jovial demeanor replaced by sharp focus. He positioned himself between Gaara and the boys, eyes locked onto the sand user.
"Gaara," he said firmly, "leave now."
Gaara's gaze flickered to Guy, his expression unreadable.
For a moment, it seemed as if he would attack again.
Then, without a word, he lowered his hand, letting the sand fall to the floor. He turned his back on them and walked toward the exit. As he reached the doorway, he paused.
"I will kill you," he said coldly, glancing at Naruto, then Ryuga. "All of you."
With that, he disappeared into the corridor, his ominous presence fading but not forgotten.
Aftermath
Naruto let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair. "Damn… that guy's intense."
Ryuga exhaled, his hands still slightly trembling from the sheer malice he had felt. "He's dangerous," he muttered. "Not just because of his power, but because of his mind."
Guy turned to them, his expression unusually serious. "You two did well to stand against him. If you hadn't been here, Lee might have…" He trailed off before shaking his head. "Thank you."
Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Of course! Lee's our friend. We won't let anyone hurt him."
Ryuga nodded in agreement. "He risked everything in that match. We won't let that be for nothing."
Guy's usual smile returned, albeit a little softer than usual. "Then I must thank you again." He looked at Lee's unconscious form, his expression unreadable. "He fought with his entire spirit… but his path will be a painful one from now on."
Silence filled the room.
Naruto and Ryuga exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing: Gaara isn't just a strong opponent—he's a broken soul, twisted by his past.
The battle in the Chunin Exam Finals wouldn't just be a fight.
It would be a war of beliefs.
And Gaara had just declared himself their enemy.
The chapter ended with Guy gently placing a hand on Lee's shoulder, a silent promise that he would protect his student.
Meanwhile, outside the hospital, Gaara walked into the shadows, his mind filled with thoughts of blood and death.
He would wait.
And then, he would kill them all.