On the large screen in the Land of Water's plaza, the assessment footage from the Mist Forest was being broadcast live.
High-ranking officials and spectators from various countries gathered in front of the screen, their eyes fixed on the fleeting figures of the examinees.
Rasa stood at the front of the Sunagakure team, arms crossed, his expression grim.
On the screen, Gaara was being carried away by Kankuro, blood staining the corner of his lips, clearly indicating a minor injury.
"Useless! As a One Tail Jinchuriki, he can't even control his Tailed Beast Chakra, and he was beaten like this by a Genin from the Land of Water. It's a disgrace to Sunagakure." Rasa cursed under his breath, his eyes filled with disappointment.
Yashamaru, standing beside him, quickly advised, "Kazekage-sama, Gaara hasn't fully mastered One Tail's power yet. He is, after all, an imperfect Jinchuriki, making it difficult to easily use Tailed Beast Chakra. Please give him more time."
Rasa stared intently at the screen. "Time? How much time has he wasted since becoming a Jinchuriki? He can't even manage the most basic Tailed Beast Chakra manipulation, he's a failed Jinchuriki."
Suddenly, the Gaara on the screen trembled, his previously unfocused eyes instantly turning somewhat crimson, and the sand around him began to stir uncontrollably.
No one knew that the moment Naruto defeated him, Nine-Tails inside Naruto had, through the clash of Chakra, taunted One Tail.
Nine-Taila's voice, laced with mockery, entered Shukaku's consciousness. "Hahaha, isn't this the weakest tailed beast Shukaku? Even your Jinchuriki is trash."
"Shut up! You stinky fox! I'm not the weakest. I'll kill him! Kill everyone who looks down on me!"
Shukaku instantly flew into a rage, its consciousness violently surging within Gaara. Gaara, whose emotions were already unstable from his defeat, had his mind instantly thrown into chaos, and brutality and killing intent emerged in his eyes.
Rasa watched Gaara's abnormality on the screen, his brows furrowing even more. "What's wrong with this kid? This Chakra fluctuation is so chaotic, it doesn't seem like normal anger."
He vaguely guessed that One Tail might be at play, but he was even more disappointed. Unable to even control his emotions, such a Jinchuriki could never become a fighting force for Sunagakure.
On the screen, Gaara slowly got up, propping himself on the ground, his wounds slowly healing. The surrounding sand, under Shukaku's influence, re-coalesced, but it appeared exceptionally violent.
He walked towards the Mist Fortress, and with each step, the killing intent around him intensified.
Not long after, three familiar figures suddenly appeared in the footage.
Manaka, Karin, and Shion walked side by side. Manaka held an exquisite compass, laughing as she discussed directions with Karin.
Karin played with her phone, occasionally taking photos of the surroundings.
Shion followed beside the two, curiously observing the plants in the forest. The princess dresses they wore were particularly striking.
"It's the princesses of the Land of Water!"
The spectators in the plaza instantly stirred, and Rasa's heart tightened abruptly.
Sure enough, when Gaara on the screen saw the three, he instantly stopped. The sand around him spun wildly, condensing into several sharp sand spears, and he stared at Manaka and the others with crimson eyes, clearly intending to attack.
Just then, Kankuro quickly rushed forward and grabbed Gaara's arm. "Gaara, are you crazy? They are Shun's daughters, the princesses of the Land of Water. If you hurt them, the entire Sunagakure will be buried with them."
Gaara's body stiffened. Shukaku's consciousness roared within him. "Kill them! Kill these troublesome people!"
But Kankuro's restraint and the deterrent of their status as "Princesses of the Land of Water" temporarily prevented him from acting. The sand blades in his palm trembled constantly but did not fall.
On the screen, Manaka seemed to sense his abnormality and turned to look, a hint of wariness in her eyes. She then led Karin and Shion to quicken their pace and leave, not lingering for too long.
"Ahhhh... Ahhh!"
Gaara watched their retreating figures, Shukaku inside him growing even more agitated. He slammed his fist heavily against a nearby tree trunk, which was instantly enveloped by sand and shattered into powder.
The spectators in the plaza held their breath, and Rasa's face grew even uglier.
Gaara's loss of control had reached a point where he could cause trouble at any moment.
Finally, under Kankuro's forceful dragging, Gaara reluctantly walked towards the Mist Fortress, but the crimson in his eyes and his killing intent showed no sign of diminishing.
The screen shifted, showing Neji, Lee, and Tenten using Neji's Byakugan to discern directions.
Neji's Chakra flowed around him, his gaze penetrating the mist, clearly seeing the Sunagakure team rapidly approaching a hundred meters behind them.
Especially the chaotic and violent Chakra emanating from Gaara instantly put him on alert.
"Lee, Tenten, people from Sunagakure are approaching from the front. The leader is Gaara of Sunagakure."
Neji retracted his Byakugan and said with a solemn tone, "His Tailed Beast Chakra is very unstable, and he carries a strong killing intent. It seems he wants to attack us."
Lee excitedly said, "Neji, let me fight him. I haven't fought a Tailed Beast yet, and I want to test my strength."
Neji looked at Lee, his eyes serious. "Lee, if you want to win, you must use Eight Inner Gates, otherwise there's no chance."
Upon hearing this, Lee's eyes instantly became resolute. He knew Neji wouldn't lie to him, especially when it came to victory or defeat.
"Neji, I understand."
He raised his hand and grabbed the thousand-pound iron rings on his ankles, inscribed with the characters "Grit." With a powerful tug, two heavy thuds sounded as the iron rings fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The moment he shed his restraints, Lee's aura clearly became sharper.
"I've always wanted to see how strong I can be at full power."
Tenten organized her ninja tool pouch, her brows tightly furrowed. "Lee, be careful. I heard his sand defense is very strong, don't just charge in."
But before they could prepare further, the Sunagakure team appeared on the screen.
Gaara immediately saw Neji and the two others, and their Konoha ninja headbands.
Shukaku's voice resonated within him again. "They're from Konoha. They're companions of the Konoha ninja who defeated you. Kill them."
Gaara, already somewhat agitated, was instantly ignited with rage by the words "Konoha."
He had just been defeated by Naruto, a Konoha Genin, and now he encountered Konoha ninjas again. All the humiliation and anger erupted instantly.
"Konoha people... they all deserve to die... they all deserve to die!"
Under the influence of the Tailed Beast Chakra, Gaara was already somewhat deranged.
Lee jumped forward, raised his right hand, and made a stopping gesture.
"Gaara, I am Rock Lee of Konoha. Your opponent is me."
Gaara roared, violently breaking free from Kankuro's grip. "You're seeking death yourself, don't blame me."