The Tenseigan started from the Hyuga main family.

Chapter 43 What kind of absolute defense is there?

He's won over his wife!

Watching Shikamaru successfully control Temari using his Shadow Imitation Technique before choosing to concede defeat, Hyuga Sawa smiled slightly and added a thought to himself.

"The next group consists of Hyuga Sawatatsu and Gaara."

When Genma Shiranui's voice echoed through the arena once more, many spectators began to discuss it amongst themselves.

The Hyuga clan is one of the oldest and most prestigious clans in Konoha. Most people have second only to the Uchiha clan in their anticipation for Hyuga Zetsu's battle.

"It's a pity, why isn't Hyuga Zetsuka from the Uchiha clan? Although the Rinnegan, Sharingan, and Byakugan are known as the three great dojutsu, the Byakugan is ultimately much weaker than the other two..."

Beneath the plaque proclaiming "Number One Under Heaven," Orochimaru, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, was filled with regret.

Although Sasuke's talent was outstanding among his peers, he was still far behind Itachi Uchiha or Hyuga Zetsu.

Let me see what you can do against the one-tailed jinchūriki!

"Ha ha……"

Amidst a sinister laugh, Gaara, his murderous aura almost tangible, turned and walked towards the passage leading into the arena.

"Gaara seems to be in a bad state. Has he forgotten the battle plan? Temari, why did you stop me from reminding him?"

Kankuro looked around and, after confirming that no one was nearby, couldn't help but speak up.

"If you had spoken to him just now, you would have been killed..."

Temari lowered her eyes, concealing the sorrow and pity in them.

In the center of the arena, Hyuga Zetsu, standing beside Shiranui Genma, frowned slightly as he watched Gaara approach step by step.

Compared to the intense killing intent he exuded not long ago, Gaara now carried a faint scent of blood. Clearly, a minute ago, some unwitting fodder had become a sacrifice, staining the yellow sand red and completely igniting the enemy's killing intent.

"The rules are the same as in the qualifiers: it continues until one side is defeated or concedes..."

When Genma Shiranui explained the rules, Gaara's face was full of fierceness and gloom, and his gaze remained fixed on Hyuga Sawatatsu's face, clearly not listening to a single word.

"start!"

Genma Shiranui lowered his arm and then leaped backward, leaving the two of them in the center of the arena.

Aren't you going to do anything?

Hinata Zechen stood still, looking at Gaara whose body was trembling slightly, and immediately activated his Byakugan.

Immediately, Hyuga Zechen was surprised to find that, in addition to Gaara himself and the chakra emanating from Shukaku, there was another unfamiliar chakra, part of which was attached to Gaara and part of which was integrated with the sand inside the gourd.

Is this the chakra of Gaara's mother, the wife of the Fourth Kazekage?

"You've sensed her presence too? I can feel it. She can't wait for your delicious blood..."

Gaara raised a hand to cover his right eye, his entire eye filled with bloodshot veins. Large clumps of sand floated out of the gourd behind him, hovering there.

"This is the first time I've ever seen Gaara like this..."

On the platform, Temari gazed at the arena, her eyes filled with worry.

"That guy, is he such a formidable opponent?"

Ah!

Gaara let out a scream, and the suspended sand suddenly fell to the ground. He hunched over and kept breathing heavily.

It seems he has it under control...

Maki, sitting in the audience, instantly relaxed his tense body.

"Bring it on!"

After ten breaths, Gaara stopped moving again, and the sand beneath his feet rose up and swirled around his body once more.

"If I didn't rely on the power of Shukaku, you would be no match for me."

Seeing that Gaara had recovered from his near-berserk state, Hyuga Zechen sighed regretfully and said.

"I hope you'll still be this stubborn when you're crushed by sand..."

Gaara thrust his right hand forward, making a pushing motion, and the yellow sand around his body surged into waves, rushing towards Hyuga Sawatatsu.

"If it's just ordinary sand, it's perfectly countered by my ninjutsu..."

Hinata Sawatatsu leaned back slightly, spewing out a continuous stream of water from his mouth, which surged and rushed towards the sand that was shooting towards him!

boom!

The water and the yellow sand collided violently. After a brief stalemate, the churning sand continued to advance, gradually burying the obstructing water flow and slowly approaching Ri Xiangzechen.

Such an obvious disadvantage was enough for even the civilians in the audience to tell that the Hyuga clan's ninjas were at a disadvantage, and they couldn't help but become agitated.

Seeing that the yellow sand was less than ten feet away from him, Hyuga Zechen still stood still, futilely manipulating the water flow to block it, without any intention of dodging.

Brother Zechen...

Hinata, sitting in the audience, looked worried, fearing that a tragedy might happen at any moment.

"Hinata, don't worry. He's already a powerful ninja. Even I'm no match for him. He'll be fine."

Hiashi Hyuga, who was sitting next to Hinata and holding Hanabi, suddenly spoke up to comfort her.

"Yes, Father, I believe him."

Hinata nodded, but the worry in her eyes did not diminish at all.

Die!

Gaara spread his right hand with five fingers and grabbed at Hyuga Sawatatsu from afar, already picturing the scene of his opponent being crushed into pieces by sand.

However, the yellow sand, swept by the water, only swayed slightly, as if it had reached its limit. Not only did it fail to break through the water as Gaara had hoped, but it also retreated step by step in an instant. Within a few breaths, it not only returned to a stalemate, but the water even began to push back towards Gaara at an unstoppable speed.

"I understand now, the sand gradually got soaked with water and could no longer be manipulated!"

Shikamaru, who was watching the game from the edge of the fence, suddenly spoke up.

Reminded by Shikamaru, Naruto and the others nearby also began to notice that most of the yellow sand around Gaara had become noticeably darker in color, and was gradually collapsing and disappearing into the whirlpool under the scouring of the water.

Gaara!

The reversal happened in just a few breaths. Watching Gaara being completely submerged by the surging waves, Temari couldn't help but let out a gasp.

The next moment, the surging water fell, revealing a huge, round sand sphere that remained standing still despite the waves crashing down from all directions.

"Hmph, Gaara's absolute defense isn't something that can be broken so easily."

Kankuro loosened his grip on the railing, which he had been holding tightly in his tension, and let the wood chips fall to the ground.

Compared to the ordinary yellow sand that Gaara manipulates, the special sand in the gourd on his back, refined through repeated use of chakra, far surpasses ordinary yellow sand in terms of attack, defense, and speed. Even an A-rank ninjutsu hitting him head-on would hardly harm Gaara inside, thus earning him the reputation of absolute defense in Sunagakure.

Of course, even Kankuro didn't know that their mother had attached her chakra and even her soul to special sand, protecting Gaara's safety at all times.

Where in this world can there be absolute defense?

A wave of water rose up beneath Hinata Zechen's feet, lifting his figure half a zhang high.

That hand seal is...

Seeing Hyuga Zechen begin to form hand seals, both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru narrowed their eyes simultaneously.

A straight column of water under ultra-high pressure shot out from Hyuga Zechen's mouth, forming an indestructible and sharp blade that swept across the middle of the giant sand sphere.

As expected of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju's Water Release ninjutsu.

Water Escape · Water Breaks Waves!

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru simultaneously shouted out the name of this ninjutsu in their minds.

Chapter 44 Shukaku's Possession Body

In the forest outside the high walls of Konoha, a group of figures wearing Konoha ANBU masks swiftly moved through the trees.

As they passed an open space, a sensory ninja suddenly stopped and began to look around at his surroundings.

Even though everything within his perception range was normal, an inexplicable unease flashed through his mind, exactly the same feeling he had when he was surrounded by enemies last time.

Is it just my imagination?

The sensory ninja activated his sensory technique again, and after confirming that everything around him was normal, urged by his teammates, the ANBU member attributed everything to an illusion and continued patrolling closely behind the squad.

The large influx of people into Konoha due to the Chunin Exams stretched the Anbu's manpower thin. Adding to the woes, Orochimaru's presence forced Hiruzen Sarutobi to deploy Anbu to guard several of the most important departments, further exacerbating the situation.

The huge arena was filled with wealthy merchants and representatives of powerful figures, yet only eight secret agents were stationed in each stand, demonstrating just how dire the situation was.

That was close.

After confirming that the Konoha ANBU patrol team had gone far away, the dozens of ninjas hidden deep in the forest all breathed a sigh of relief.

Judging from the clothing and attire of these ninjas, it is not difficult to determine that half of them are from Sunagakure and the other half from Otogakure, and they are the people who will soon participate in the Konoha Crush plan.

As the leading ninja gave the signal, the numerous ninjas vanished in a blur of black shadows.

-----------------

Although Orochimaru had already anticipated the ninjutsu that Hyuga Sawatatsu was about to use when he formed the hand seals, his expression still changed noticeably when the Water Severing Wave appeared.

Did Hyuga Zetsu not show his full strength when they last clashed in the Forest of Death?

"Lord Kazekage also recognized the origin of that technique?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was standing nearby, clearly noticed the change in Orochimaru's expression and suddenly spoke up.

"After all, it is the powerful ninjutsu of the Second Hokage of your village. Back then, it shattered many of Lord Shamon's puppets."

Orochimaru chuckled and immediately composed himself to avoid giving Hiruzen Sarutobi a clue.

"I see."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked enlightened and refocused his attention on the arena.

As the smoke and water in the arena dissipated, the ninjas and spectators around could clearly see what had happened inside.

The once unified, massive sand sphere was now almost cleaved in two, with large chunks of yellow sand constantly falling away to reveal the scene inside.

Gaara's absolute defense was actually broken?

This was the thought that simultaneously arose in the minds of everyone in Sunagakure.