[TL/N: New Book -
Anime Group Chat in a Doomsday World!]
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The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, lacking the ability to read minds, could not possibly discern what Rasa was contemplating at that moment.
However, judging from Rasa's expression, Hiruzen was certain of one thing:
Sand Village is planning something significant in the near future.
And yet, Konoha had no way of uncovering these plans.
"Danzo... that man spends all his time fighting internal battles. There's no intelligence at all on Sand Village's unusual behavior," Hiruzen thought, his frustration mounting.
"...And now, with something as critical as Orochimaru preparing to attack Konoha, his Root organization hasn't provided a shred of information."
As Hiruzen tapped gently on the armrest of his seat, his eyes darkened with concern.
Though he had long upheld the philosophy of benevolence, Hiruzen's prolonged tenure as the Third Hokage had inevitably left his hands stained with blood.
"I only hope this fragile peace can endure just a little longer," he sighed inwardly.
While the life of a ninja revolved around conflict, no one truly wished for the horrors of war to resurface.
Both village leaders, lost in their own thoughts, lapsed into silence.
The tension lingered as the audience, having witnessed two grueling battles, also grew quiet.
Logic dictated that the next event would be the highly anticipated appearance of Sasuke Uchiha.
But, curiously, no one seemed particularly concerned about the boy's tardiness or his apparent disregard for the competition's rules.
Instead, all eyes turned toward the final contender from Sand Village, their anticipation building.
Quietly, the crowd waited.
---
Time trickled by.
In the players' lounge, Naruto paced anxiously, unable to calm himself.
"Naruto, your match isn't even coming up yet—why are you so nervous?"
Shikamaru, recently cleared by the medical ninja and now back in the waiting area, couldn't resist commenting as he watched Naruto fidget.
"Shikamaru!? Are you alright?"
Naruto paused mid-step, grinning when he spotted his friend.
But his smile quickly faded, and his brow furrowed as he answered Shikamaru's question:
"The summoning beasts from Sand Village are insanely strong. With Sasuke's strength, there's no way he can beat them..."
"If he loses, then he loses," Shikamaru replied, shrugging nonchalantly.
"The opponents are on a completely different level. Even the referee, who's a Jōnin, got taken down in a single blow. No shame in losing to that."
"But..."
Naruto hesitated.
Shikamaru's words made sense, but deep down, Naruto hated the idea of losing—any match, no matter the circumstances.
He knew Sasuke felt the same.
That shared determination to win was why Naruto was so agitated.
Though they often clashed, Naruto and Sasuke shared a bond forged through countless experiences. Naruto couldn't help but worry about how Sasuke would handle defeat, knowing full well how fiercely Sasuke was driven by his desire for power.
Just as Naruto wrestled with his thoughts, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the arena.
"It's Sasuke!"
Realizing the situation, Naruto bolted from the waiting area and dashed toward the battlefield.
He had to warn Sasuke.
"His opponent is from Sand Village—and something is definitely off about them today!"
But just as Naruto was about to rush forward, an arm abruptly blocked his path.
"What are you going to do?"
The referee, Shiranui Genma, who had recently been swapped in, raised a hand to stop Naruto in his tracks.
At this moment, there was no way he could allow Naruto and Sasuke to interact.
Without needing to hear it, Genma could already guess what Naruto intended to say—it was undoubtedly a warning about the opponent's powerful summoning beast and a plea for Sasuke to forfeit the match.
But...
As one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—and arguably the leader among them—Konoha could never disgrace itself by publicly encouraging one of its shinobi to surrender.
Under no circumstances would Genma let Naruto pass through that hallway.
——
Meanwhile, in the stands, Gaara's lips curled into a contemptuous smile as his eyes landed on the poised figure of Sasuke returning to the arena.
This Gaara was not the future Kazekage, a symbol of stability and leadership.
At this stage, he was still deeply influenced by Shukaku's presence and haunted by the traumas of his childhood. His personality teetered dangerously close to unrestrained bloodlust.
Though he wasn't completely out of control, Gaara could best be described as a ticking time bomb.
Yet, Rasa, sitting in the audience, felt no concern that Gaara might lose control and kill the last Uchiha of Konoha on a whim.
This was because, long before the finals began, Rasa had made a deal with Gaara.
The agreement was simple: Gaara would put on a strong performance, showcasing the might of Sand Village for the major nations and, more importantly, for the Daimyo of the Land of Wind to secure increased funding.
In return...
Rasa promised to find a way to permanently resolve the Shukaku problem tormenting Gaara.
Despite his hatred for his father—hatred so deep he often contemplated killing him on the spot—Gaara found himself unable to refuse such an offer.
---
In the center of the arena, Sasuke and Gaara slowly advanced toward one another.
The atmosphere around them felt tense, almost suffocating.
From the audience, Sakura and Ino's voices carried across the field, their cheers directed toward Sasuke.
However, Sasuke barely spared them a passing glance. His focus bypassed the two "brainless fanatics" entirely, locking onto Gaara instead.
"Finally, it's our turn to fight," Sasuke said, his tone exuding cool confidence.
But Gaara, who had previously been eager to prove himself by spilling Sasuke's blood, now stood with his head lowered, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
It was unclear whether his reaction stemmed from anticipation over Rasa's deal or his desperate effort to suppress the bloodthirsty instinct raging within him.
——
At the signal from the newly appointed Jonin referee, Gaara made his move without even bothering to put on an act.
He reached into his pouch, pulled out the Poké Ball given to him by Rasa, and threw it into the air.
"Come out, Tyrantrum," he commanded, his voice cold and dripping with murderous intent.
A burst of red light illuminated the arena, and in an instant, the massive, dark-red form of a Tyrantrum appeared at the battlefield's center.
Tyrantrum, an evolution of the Fossil Pokémon Tyrunt, was a legendary predator from the Pokémon world, dating back 100 million years.
Each Tyrantrum was like the ruler of its domain, a creature of immense power and unparalleled dominance.
Although modern resurrection methods had tempered the primal instincts of the baby Tyrunt, the tyrannical blood coursing through its veins remained unyielding.
"Roooaaarrr!!!"
The Tyrantrum let out an earth-shaking roar upon its arrival.
Fortunately, unlike Noivern, Tyrantrum's roar carried no ultrasonic waves harmful to humans.
Aside from its sheer volume and power, it posed no threat to the audience—many of whom had already been "baptized" by the auditory chaos of Dragalge and Noivern earlier.
Well, almost no threat.
Though there was one person in the audience who seemed visibly startled by Tyrantrum's sudden appearance: Hatake Kakashi, the elite Jonin who had just arrived at the finals with Sasuke moments ago.
"Are you kidding me?! What is going on!?"
Kakashi's eyes widened in shock. He adjusted his tilted forehead protector and activated his Sharingan for a better look.
The height of a typical adult Tyrantrum is about 2.5 to 3 meters.
But the Tyrantrum in Gaara's hands was no ordinary creature—it was level 85, the undisputed king of its species!
Its height alone reached nearly 7 meters, and its body length was even more astonishing.
After letting out a ferocious roar, Gaara glared disdainfully at Sasuke, who was visibly shaken by the sight of Tyrantrum. With a cold voice, Gaara gave his command:
"Tyrantrum, use Destructive Death Ray."
Eager to end the fight quickly, Gaara, plagued by the unstable Shukaku within him, chose to resolve the battle decisively. Tyrantrum obeyed instantly, opening its massive maw as energy surged within its body. In mere moments, it condensed a glowing sphere of destructive power in its jaws.
The entire arena fell silent.
And then—
BOOM!!!
A sound like the end of the world erupted from the battle zone.
But instead of aiming the Destructive Death Ray at Sasuke, Tyrantrum unleashed it on the ground beneath itself.
The effect was immediate. The ground trembled violently as though all of Konoha Village were shaking. Under the immense power of the attack, the arena floor cracked open, deep fissures radiating outward in every direction.
"Not good!"
The barrier team surrounding the battlefield broke into a cold sweat. Scrambling to reinforce the protective barrier, they worked desperately to prevent the shockwaves from reaching the spectators. Despite their efforts, some of the weaker team members coughed up blood from the strain.
Within the battle zone, the Destructive Death Ray detonated upon hitting the ground. An unparalleled shockwave erupted, rippling through the earth and heading straight toward Sasuke.
"What's happening?!"
Sasuke's face was a mask of astonishment. He leapt nimbly from one chunk of flying debris to another, ascending higher with each jump to avoid the destructive energy rippling from below. But no matter how high he climbed, the barrier ceiling was the limit.
Tyrantrum's level 85 attack, however, was not so easily evaded.
The overwhelming force of the attack extended deep into the ground beneath the arena, lifting massive sections of earth as though a colossal dustpan had flipped them into the air. Debris, soil, and shattered rock surged upward, hurtling toward Sasuke and even the referee.
Escape was impossible.
Watching Sasuke's futile attempts to evade, Gaara sneered. His body dissolved into sand and reformed atop Tyrantrum's head. From his gourd, a stream of fine sand flowed out, forming a giant umbrella that shielded both him and his dragon from the chaos below. He watched with satisfaction as Sasuke was buried in dirt.
The outcome was clear.
Despite Sasuke's training and his newfound skills, he was no match for the bug-level dominance of Tyrantrum. He and the referee were both swallowed by the debris and collapsed to the ground.
The aftermath of the Destructive Death Ray left the battlefield unrecognizable. The terrain had been completely upturned, leaving the ground soft and unstable.
On the high platform, Rasa's eyes lit up with sudden inspiration.
"I never imagined the Destructive Death Ray could be used like this!" he exclaimed. "With the power of this technique, the speed of plowing fields in Sand Ninja Village could increase hundreds—no, thousands—of times!"
Rasa was elated. He marveled at the versatility of Pokémon, realizing they were more than mere weapons.
"Pokémon are truly different from tailed beasts," he mused. "They aren't just for combat and destruction—they have countless other uses."
Rasa's grin widened as he made a mental note to focus on Pokémon with utility beyond battle for the development of Sand Ninja Village. His enthusiasm stood in sharp contrast to the black expression on Hiruzen's face.
With the referee buried under the debris, Hiruzen had no choice but to rise and announce the winner: Gaara of the Sand Village.
Thankfully, this was the final match of the day. Though it was humiliating for the Third Hokage to step in as an announcer, it was a minor consolation that the ordeal was over.
And so, the Chunin Exam, a joint effort between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, concluded in what could only be described as a farce.
Since there was no invasion of Konoha as in the original timeline, the aftermath of the Chunin Exams played out differently. Although Konoha lost both face and the competition, the host village still held a banquet to save appearances, inviting the Sand Ninja Village delegation led by Rasa.
The banquet, however, was anything but lively.
Aside from the Hokage and Kazekage exchanging a few polite words, the atmosphere was eerily silent.
Konoha's shinobi, humiliated by their defeat, were at a loss for words. Many avoided eye contact, feeling as though they had been stripped bare of their pride.
On the other side, the Sand delegation had their own concerns. Preoccupied with personal agendas and cautious about revealing too much, they chose to avoid unnecessary interactions with their Konoha counterparts.
---
Early the next morning.
Rasa led the Sand Ninja Village delegation as they bid farewell to Konoha, beginning their journey back to the Land of Wind.
---
Hokage Building.
Hiruzen sat in his office, the ever-present pipe in his hand. His brow was furrowed as he read the report in front of him, his expression growing more serious with every passing moment.
After a while, he looked up, his gaze sweeping across the others in the room.
The gathering included the advisors Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, along with Danzo Shimura, who sat with his usual grim demeanor. Together, they formed Konoha's leadership council, tasked with deliberating on all major decisions for the village.
"Hiruzen, you need to make a decision—and quickly!" Danzo said sharply, his cane tapping against the floor. The bandage covering his eye seemed to emphasize the intensity of his words.
"If we let those three genin who summoned such powerful creatures return to Suna, it will be a disaster for us in the future. When they grow up, they'll be at least as strong as the Sannin—if not more!"
His voice grew colder. "We must not let the tiger return to the mountain!"
Hiruzen rubbed the bridge of his nose, visibly conflicted. "I understand your concerns, Danzo," he said with a sigh. "But something about this situation doesn't sit right with me. It feels... more complicated than it appears."
Danzo, however, was resolute. To him, the facts were clear: the three Suna genin had demonstrated something extraordinary by forming contracts with such powerful summons. The creatures they controlled—especially Gaara's Tyrantrum—were not ordinary beasts. They were far too discerning to recognize just anyone as their masters.
Danzo's logic was ruthless: if the three were eliminated, The Sand would struggle to find replacements capable of forming similar contracts. It was the simplest and most effective way to cripple Sand Village power in the long term.
After all, while Konoha and Sand were allies on paper, the reality was far from harmonious. In times of peace, allies often became rivals, each vying for an edge.
Deep down, Hiruzen didn't entirely disagree with Danzo's reasoning. In fact, if circumstances allowed, he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate Rasa himself.
But...
Gaara's audacious summoning of Tyrantrum at the end of the exam gnawed at his mind. The Third Hokage, known for his keen intellect, felt that something about the situation didn't add up.
Yet without knowledge of dimensional transactions—or any understanding of Pokémon—he couldn't pinpoint what exactly was amiss. This uncertainty kept him from committing to Danzo's plan.
---
At that moment, an ANBU operative appeared in the room. The masked ninja glanced briefly at Danzo and the others before stepping forward and handing a document to Hiruzen.
"What is it?" Hiruzen asked, frowning as he unfolded the report.
And then—
SLAM!
The Hokage's hand hit the table as he shot to his feet, his face pale with shock.
"This... this can't be possible!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling.
The document slipped from his hands, fluttering onto the table. Danzo and the other advisors quickly leaned forward to read its contents.
Their expressions shifted instantly.
Because the report revealed something unimaginable:
The war machine that should have been under Suna's control—One Tail Shukaku—had been spotted at Konoha's border!