VI

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Arc VI Chapter 8

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Sasuke and Gaara clashed, engaged in a titanic struggle for domination, for victory. 

Asami, meanwhile, was forced to yawn. “Muah.” A little nap might not be a bad idea to fight her drowsiness, but she had to stay focused. This was important, and she couldn’t sleep on duty.

Sasuke wasn’t a terrible ninja per se, but he fell short of her expectations. His combat prowess left much to be desired, and so did the match. The match bored her ...

“Gaara, what is he doing?” Temari gritted her teeth.

Asami glanced sidewards, her interest piqued. Her attention returned to Suna’s jinchuuriki. 

The boy was hiding inside a massive amorphous sphere of sand. Sasuke failed to penetrate his defence, and the fight entered a stalemate. Neither side held the upper hand.

“Dammit, he is messing up the entire plan”, Temari continued complaining, ignorant of her surroundings. Her negligent chattiness provided her with sensitive information, critical information.

Tension rose, and the match approached its climax. Things were about to change. Change was imminent, and the wheels of history moved. The curtain would be soon lifted for the grand finale.

Every fibre of her being trembled in excitement. Her hand coiled around her sword and her blood thirsted for battle, but the time hadn't come yet. A beautiful cataclysm of violence and blood awaited her, but she had to remain patient.

Sasuke gripped his arm and electric sparks surrounded his bandaged hand. His chakra was strong. Unnaturally pure. No fluctuations, no oscillations, but the jutsu he used was far more interesting. No doubt, Sasuke was in possession of Kakashi's famed Chidori.

“Hehehe.” Asami chuckled impishly. Apparently, she had underestimated her fellow Uchiha. Apparently, Sasuke was not completely useless.

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Sasuke initiated his final attack. He accelerated, racing down the wall. His chidori penetrated the outer layer of sand, but his attack yielded little effect. His chidori produced a little hole. A less flashy jutsu with more firepower would have probably been the far better choice, but who was she to judge.

“No way! He breached Gaara’s absolute defence!” Kankuro panicked.

Asami grinned in secret. Absolute defence, what a joke. Mere sand alone didn't provide an adequate defence ... 

An arm protruded from the sphere, and Asami grew silent. What was this? What was going on down there?

“Shit, he has transformed!” Kankuro gritted his teeth.

“I don’t know! It seems like he had been wounded. This has never happened before.” Temari sweated.

“...” Asami’s eyes widened as she realised the implications. They didn’t ... They wouldn’t ... Releasing a bijuu in the middle of the village ... That was pure madness! Tailed beasts were weapons of indiscriminate destruction, completely uncontrollable, incalculable, unpredictable. She had to act quickly. Gaara needed to be subdued.

Fortunately, the situation calmed down, and Asami's grip on her sword loosened. The sand cocoon fell apart, revealing a wounded Gaara. His shoulder bled.

“I knew it, Gaara was wounded”, Temari shouted. It was the moment that hell broke loose. The invasion had begun.

Asami looked at the sky. An endless sea of white feathers darkened the sky and blocked the sun. Their numbers were infinite. They were floating through the air, slowly descending to the ground.

She was curious and decided to collect a feather, but her efforts proved futile. The feathers were nothing but an illusion, the product of a genjutsu. They ceased to exist the moment they touched her skin.

How disappointing, even mere feathers rejected her.

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