The Tenseigan started from the Hyuga main family.

What's this hot thing?

It was my blood!

As most of the sand sphere collapsed, Gaara's current appearance was revealed.

The entire surface of Gaara is now covered with cracks, like a sand statue about to shatter completely.

"Not only the outermost layer of absolute defense, but even Gaara's sand armor was not spared."

Seeing Gaara's lower body soaked with gushing blood and the huge wound across his waist, Maki, who was sitting in the crowd, suddenly stood up, his face full of tension.

Should we start the operation ahead of schedule?

However, the external setup was not yet complete, and not all personnel had arrived at their designated locations.

Most importantly, the Fourth Kazekage remained seated on his high place, motionless, and did not give any signal to make a move.

Gaara...

Keep going!

Maki cried out in his heart.

As if hearing Maki's shout, the yellow sand that had been scattered all over the ground suddenly rose up and danced around Gaara once again.

"You hit me really hard... How could you fight back as the prey?"

With a heart-wrenching scream, Gaara's eyes were completely consumed by madness. When his right eye opened again, it had become an indifferent eye that did not belong to a human pupil.

A chilling, inhuman roar emanated from Gaara's body. Then, starting from half of Gaara's face, flesh and blood composed of yellow sand gushed out from the right half of his body, forming an enormous sand claw with blue patterns that shimmered in the sunlight.

Is it a vessel that has partially transformed into a tailed beast?

Gaara, whose body had half transformed into the form of Shukaku, was being blown by the gale. Instead of feeling any fear, he smiled and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

boom!

The massive sand claw landed, sending a jolt through the entire arena.

"The Fourth Kazekage is really going too far. How could he allow a Jinchuriki to participate in the Chunin Exams?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his head, staring sharply at the figure beside him, his face full of anger.

"Didn't your village's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki participate in the Chunin Exams?"

Despite Hiruzen Sarutobi's accusations, Orochimaru kept his eyes fixed on the arena and replied dismissively.

How did the Sand Village discover Naruto's identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted slightly, and he was speechless for a moment.

"Lord Hokage, should we stop the match immediately?"

The member of the Shadow Guard standing behind the Hokage whispered a question in Hiruzen Sarutobi's ear.

"The exciting match has only just begun, how can it be stopped?"

Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could answer, Orochimaru spoke first.

"Observe the situation calmly and remain vigilant."

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Hyuga Sawatatsu in the arena, hesitated for a few seconds, and then rejected his subordinate's suggestion.

For Konoha, being able to take this opportunity to gather the latest information on the One-Tailed Jinchuriki is a sure-fire way to make money.

Despite the fact that Sunagakure and Konoha are now allies, the high-ranking officials on both sides, including many Jonin, know full well that the alliance agreement is nothing more than a worthless piece of paper that can be torn up at any time. If Konoha shows even the slightest sign of weakness, Sunagakure will likely be the first to launch a massive military offensive.

It can only be said that the Land of Fire, located at the heart of the ninja world and encompassing almost all of its most prosperous and fertile areas, has always been coveted by the other four great ninja villages. Now, with the Third Hokage old, the Fourth Hokage deceased, the Senju clan abandoning their surname and merging into Konoha, disappearing without a trace, and the Uchiha clan reduced to a single orphan, the decline of Konoha is an open secret in the ninja world.

If Konoha hadn't been the victor of the three Shinobi World Wars, and its lingering influence still existed, a new round of war would have already begun.

"Whoosh..."

At this moment, Gaara's mouth was wide open, saliva was flowing, and he was obviously in a state of near irrationality. His only obsession was to tear the enemy in front of him to pieces.

Gaara's bloodthirsty eyes locked onto Hyuga Zechen ahead. Then, Gaara bent his knees slightly and leaped up from the ground. His Shukaku Claw, which was even larger than his body, swung forward, extending and covering a distance of more than ten feet, and slammed down towards Hyuga Zechen's position.

boom!

Amidst billowing smoke and dust, the entire training ground trembled as the massive and sharp claws of Shukaku sank deep into the ground.

A large tree several feet away, which had been teetering on the brink of collapse after being cut by Temari's Wind Release, snapped and fell to the ground under the massive tremor, causing another shockwave.

Hyuga Zetsu, who appeared more than ten feet away using the Body Flicker Technique, stared at Gaara with a hint of caution.

"Prey, you are my prey!"

Gaara, having missed his attack, had half of his body completely transformed into the shape of Shukaku. Shukaku's already enormous claws grew even larger, and yellow sand poured out from behind, transforming into a huge tail.

Shukaku no Tail!

"This is bad. If this continues, Gaara's will will be completely devoured by Shukaku."

Seeing the massive tail, even larger than Shukaku's Claw, lashing behind Gaara and leaving huge craters in the ground, Maki's eyes were filled with tension as he looked up again at the Fourth Kazekage on the top floor.

Lord Kazekage, what are you thinking?

Chapter 45 Shukaku Appears

It seems Gaara wasn't seriously injured enough.

Once he enters his full tailed beast form, Orochimaru will surely be uneasy, right?

boom!

As Shukaku's tail slammed heavily onto the ground, Gaara's massive body lunged towards Hyuga Sawa at an even faster speed than before. Each tip of Shukaku's enormous claws suddenly extended, like javelins piercing down.

Just as Hyuga Zetsu was about to use the Body Flicker Technique to dodge Gaara's sudden increase in speed, the overwhelming Shukaku Claws arrived first, smashing Hyuga Zetsu into pieces.

As the water splashed, its water-like properties instantly collapsed, turning into crystal-clear droplets that scattered all over the ground.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"

Hyuga Sawatatsu appeared behind Gaara, and a huge water dragon rose up and pounced on Gaara from behind.

"It's useless, it's useless, your attack is too weak!"

Despite his seemingly bulky appearance, Gaara was exceptionally agile in both movement and reaction. Sensing the chakra fluctuations behind him, he twisted his body, bringing together the five fingers of his massive Shukaku Claw to form an enormous shield in front of him.

boom!

The water dragon opened its mouth wide, trying to swallow the obstacle in front of it, but it could not shake Shukaku's claws. Instead, it was torn to pieces by Shukaku's claws, which opened in reverse.

No wonder the tailed beasts are called the ultimate weapons on the battlefield. Is it possible that their strength has increased to such a level with just a half-tailed beast transformation?

Hinata Zechen's lips twitched slightly, and he couldn't help but sigh.

"What's wrong? Are you afraid of me? Come on, fight me! Where did your earlier bravado go? Show me your power, and then be crushed by me!"

Ah!

As soon as Gaara finished speaking, amidst a roar filled with pain, Shukaku's power began to invade Gaara's body once again.

Almost instantly, his upper body, including his head, completely transformed into a tailed beast, and even his head took on the shape of Shukaku, leaving only a portion of his short red hair and the "love" symbol on his forehead.

Except for his legs, which still retain a human form, Gaara has now transformed into a gigantic monster.

"It's getting closer and closer to its complete form. If Gaara completely loses his will, and things continue like this..."

Temari felt a chill run through her body as she stared blankly at Gaara below, her eyes filled with trembling emotions.

Sand Shuriken Technique!

As Gaara's two Shukaku claws crossed and swung out, shuriken made of yellow sand condensed in mid-air, shooting towards Hyuga Sawatatsu with a sharp whooshing sound.

How could an ordinary ninjutsu, with the added power of tailed beast chakra, have such a wide coverage area?

Looking at the sand shuriken that covered an area of ​​more than ten feet in radius, Hyuga Zechen lowered his center of gravity slightly, and chakra surged out from all 361 acupoints on his body at the same time. Then, he spun rapidly with his hands, forming a huge chakra spherical shield.

Baguazhang - Reversing Heaven!

clap clap clap...

Countless sand shuriken landed on the chakra sphere, but not only could they not shake the chakra-formed defense, they were even pulled back and scattered around Hyuga Sawatatsu as they spun.

"It's not over yet!"

Seeing that the attack was ineffective, Gaara shouted loudly, leaned back slightly, and sucked all the swirling yellow sand around him into his mouth full of sharp teeth.

At the same time, Shukaku's body suddenly cracked open, and multiple large mouths covered with sharp teeth appeared on its body and giant claws, also absorbing the power of the wind and sand.

Wind Release: Infinite Sandstorm Breakthrough!

Yellow sand, whipped up by the hurricane, instantly enveloped the entire arena in a thick yellow dust cloud.

It seems we need to show some real skill, otherwise we really won't be able to cope.

Spinning rapidly amidst the swirling sandstorm, Hyuga Zetsu suddenly halted the chakra ball defense of his Reversal of Fortune technique, bent his legs slightly, and soared into the sky from the yellow sand, leaping several feet off the ground.

Water Release·Big Explosive Water Wave!

A torrent of water surged from Hinata Sawatatsu's mouth, forming towering waves that surged in all directions. Almost instantly, the entire arena became a semi-transparent water world, with the ever-rising waves reaching the feet of the front row of spectators before finally stopping.

Completely enveloped by the water, Gaara's mouth bubbled with a series of bubbles as his massive body sank involuntarily to the bottom.

Such a terrifying amount of chakra! Even if it's not as powerful as a tailed beast, it's probably far beyond the level of an ordinary Jonin.

Compared to the inexplicable cheers from ordinary civilians, the Jonin present simultaneously uttered sighs of amazement.

While his peers were still striving to become Chunin, had Hyuga Sawatatsu already achieved this level?

At the very top of the giant water sphere, Hyuga Zechen emerged, looking down at Gaara who was enveloped in the water world, and then placed his hands on the water's surface.

Two water dragons shot out from his palms, their long bodies swaying as they lunged at Gaara, who was rising higher and higher, trying to break free of the water world.

roll!

Facing the oncoming water dragon, Shukaku's outstretched claws closed, attempting to crush the attacking water dragon.

However, once a dragon enters the sea, it is not so easy to catch it.

With a nimble flick of its massive tail, the water dragon dodged the attack. Its body stretched and circled Gaara several times at high speed before tightening its grip on Shukaku. Then, the water dragon lunged and bit Gaara's shoulder.

Get out!

Gaara opened his mouth to shout, but only a series of bubbles came out.