After the intense Chunin Exams preliminary rounds in the Forest of Death, the exams were temporarily halted, with the final phase scheduled for one month later. Because many dignitaries would attend the finals, this month-long period was also for the qualifying contestants to recover their energy and adjust their condition, aiming to present their best selves in a month's time.
"Because of this, our forces can be fully mobilized in time."
Inside the Sand Village envoy's annex, Baki, the jonin sensei, spoke with a grave tone to his three students. As the current insider and liaison within Konoha, his pressure was clearly immense. Although Konoha didn't have any specific defenses, the feeling of being in the enemy's den was truly uncomfortable.
"Whatever, our mission then will just be to assist Gaara in causing the maximum amount of chaos here."
Temari, hugging her knees, uncharacteristically looked somewhat somber. Contrary to her outwardly strong and belligerent demeanor, the spiky-haired girl now displayed a rare sense of melancholy and gloom.
As an intelligent girl, she knew what war meant for the many civilians present.
"As long as you know, this is also for the future of the Sand Village."
Baki clearly knew his disciple's personality. After a slight shake of his head, he didn't scold her, for he too understood that ninjas also needed to relax. Temari's current melancholy and gloom would not affect her decisiveness and determination when the time came.
"But, that being said, is Konoha really unprepared this time?"
Gaara, sitting alone by the window, suddenly spoke calmly. Although he usually didn't talk much with Temari and Kankuro, it didn't mean he lacked intelligence. And this one sentence made Baki and the others in the room instinctively look his way.
"Indeed~ Putting aside everything else, thinking about it now, we encountered a gathering of Konoha's hidden jutsu clan descendants right after we arrived in Konoha, and... just like the three of us, there are also three abnormally strong genin in Konoha, aren't there?"
Kankuro also frowned and spoke. The people he referred to were none other than Team 7.
"The newly graduated genin this year, Hyuga Hinata, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto. Although we couldn't get more detailed information, their mission history actually includes records of completing A-rank missions."
Baki's tone was equally grave, and in his hand were three ninja cards, undoubtedly the results of the Sound Village's insider investigation.
Gaara's team was an elite squad that had become genin two years ago. Their overall strength had definitely reached the level of elite Chunin, so they easily crushed their opponents and all qualified in this Chunin Exam.
Although... Gaara was kicked like a ball from the ground to the sky by that Konoha genin named Rock Lee, he ultimately suffered no substantial damage.
This was also because their growth far exceeded that of these Konoha genin, so it was not surprising that they all qualified.
However, in contrast, another Konoha genin team that fully qualified was worth paying attention to. There's no need to mention Hinata and Neji's battle; the murderous aura displayed by that Byakugan girl's techniques made Temari and Kankuro tremble, giving a clear indication of her strength.
And Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto, who were on her team, also defeated their opponents with extreme ease, barely even getting superficial injuries. The overall strength of this squad was undoubtedly on par with Gaara's team, yet they were still newly graduated genin this year.
It must be considered whether this squad was specially arranged by Konoha as special agents, feeling that this exam was somewhat suspicious. This was precisely what Gaara wanted to convey.
"No, there's no need to worry about that. Hyuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke are descendants of Konoha's prestigious clans. The former is even the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan, and the latter has been called a genius since childhood. Therefore, they should be an elite squad that Konoha intended to cultivate from the very beginning."
Although he said this, Baki did not let down his guard. After all, mission records don't lie. An A-rank mission is an experience only jonin can complete. Even Gaara has never been assigned such a mission. If it weren't for the Sound Village spies infiltrating Konoha providing this information, Baki and the others would never have known these secrets.
"They... are all strong... The sand... thirsts for their blood..."
Gaara's voice suddenly turned grim, his eyes becoming bloodshot, and waves of chilling killing intent radiated from his body. This made Temari and Kankuro jump up as if shocked, clearly understanding what this phenomenon meant.
"Gaara! Calm down!! It's not time to fight yet!"
Even Baki broke out in a cold sweat, but with his loud shout, Gaara seemed to regain some composure, then snorted coldly and said no more.
"Alright, so as not to arouse suspicion, you should also find time to go out and walk around. Always staying in the annex is not normal."
Rubbing his forehead, Baki was the first to leave the room. After exchanging glances, Temari and Kankuro evidently didn't have the courage to stay in the same room with Gaara right now, so they followed him out.
"Ah... you scared me to death. When will these days end..."
After leaving Gaara, Temari gently clasped her chest with a touch of sadness. Kankuro beside her also looked somewhat helpless: "Although he's our brother, but... sigh, never mind. I'm going for a walk in the streets, how about you?"
"Hmm~ I'll go too. I heard that this is where the Fox's Tale film crew is located. I'll go check it out."
Patting her cheeks, Temari regained her spirits, and then, the two left the annex one after the other.
---
Fox's Tale Episode 9 - [Shikon Jewel]
Regrets from the past are undoubtedly heartbreaking and impossible to let go of. If any life were given the chance to return to the past and choose again, most lives would surely seize that opportunity.
The beauty left behind is something to savor forever—a source of strength that pushes people forward. If anyone could go back and relive the past, I believe most would choose to do so.
But...
It's precisely because we cannot return to the past that what we leave behind—regrets or joys alike—becomes precious and worth cherishing.
Lin gazed hazily at the world before him. He could feel his body but couldn't move it, as if trapped in a dream from long ago. The scent of black-red spider lilies seemed to pull his soul deeper into those memories.
Is this feeling... something to fear?
Before him, fragmented scenes of the past flickered—Mikage Yoru's battle with Lady Higan, talismans and demon flowers exploding into flames and thunderous blasts. Yet, everything was blurred, like viewing through frosted glass; both sound and image were muffled.
I... regret so much...
Suddenly, a sigh echoed in Lin's ears, making him instinctively want to turn around. A figure stood nearby, unfamiliar yet hauntingly familiar. Clad in a tattered swordsman's outfit stained with blood and torn holes, the figure gripped a broken sword tightly in hand.
I... was so foolish, so fragile...
The figure's voice, sad and desperate, sent a chill through Lin. It was his own voice.
"Who are you?" he asked without thinking.
The figure slowly turned. In the dim light, its face was no longer flesh, but a pale, horrifying skull.
I am you... your failure... your desperation... the one who broke his promises and lost everything... you!
A tide of terror crashed over Lin. From a huge bud of red spider lilies, screams of pain rang out, making Lady Higan and Mikage Yoru stop in their tracks. Their eyes widened as a sinister purple light burst from Lin's chest, shooting into the night sky. The bright golden moonlight quickly shifted to a strange bloody purple-red hue, suffused with a terrifying demonic aura that spread through the entire courtyard.
"What's happening? What's wrong with Lin?" Lady Higan panicked. She hadn't expected such a drastic change while helping him regain his memory.
From the gathering purple light, a glowing purple-red gem emerged from Lin's chest. It pulsed with dark energy, surrounded by countless shadowy demonic souls dancing wildly, as if celebrating their release.
"That's... the Four Souls Jade! The Jade of Despair known in Onmyoji history... but why now?"
Mikage Yoru's face grew pale. The Four Souls Jade, now separated from Lin's body, soared into the sky, merging with the strange moonlight. From it poured countless monstrous souls, spreading like locusts across the world. The night sky filled with sinister, monstrous figures within seconds, and the Jade itself dissolved into a phantom after releasing its monsters.
In other words, the Jade—a prison of countless monsters—had unleashed them all once again.