180. Rescue
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It was a fine morning in the Demon Desert silent, save for the whistling wind. The pigeon whistles that once filled the air were absent, signalling the eerie calm before the storm.
With both scrolls collected and no shortage of food or water, Team 7 treated their journey more like a leisurely trek than a mission.
After a hearty meal, Naruto's creative spark ignited, and he burst into an improvised poem, parodying the famous verse "A Man Comes to Tennessee" from his past life. He named it, "Three People Came to the Devil's Desert":
No doubt,
My hot pot,
The whole world,
The most delicious.
Unfortunately, his teammates couldn't appreciate the high "literary" level of his poem. Sasuke frowned, and Sakura looked confused, neither realizing it was meant to be poetic.
Naruto concluded, with mild frustration, that the cultural atmosphere of the ninja world left much to be desired. He resolved to consult Jiraiya, the "great writer," for feedback later.
Unbeknownst to the trio, their idyllic hot pot session was about to be interrupted. As they sat singing and eating in their tent, a sudden gust of wind tore it away, leaving them exposed to the elements.
Stepping outside, they were greeted by the blinding force of a massive sandstorm.
Naruto, squinting against the storm, cursed under his breath. His map didn't have a weather forecast feature an oversight he regretted now. The storm was colossal, far surpassing anything he'd seen before.
The world turned khaki; it was impossible to distinguish the sky from the ground.
The relentless winds howled, tugging at their clothes and pelting their skin with stinging grains of sand. Sasuke and Sakura coughed, choking on the airborne grit.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!" Naruto quickly formed a barrier of water to shield them. Within moments, the wall turned from clear blue to muddy brown as the sand overwhelmed it.
Sakura and Sasuke recovered behind the wall, and Naruto grabbed them both. "Hang on tight!" he shouted before teleporting them back to the edge of the desert using the Flying Thunder God Jutsu. Behind them, the desert was consumed by the raging storm.
Standing on the outskirts, Sakura sighed. "This is... insane."
"You two wait here. I'll save the others." Naruto disappeared in a flash, following the kunai he'd left with his allies.
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Rescuing Hinata and Team 8
Naruto reappeared inside the storm, colliding headlong into Hinata. She was cloaked and covering her mouth and nose against the sand.
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata exclaimed, relief evident in her voice.
"Hinata!" Naruto steadied her, scanning her for injuries. "Are you okay?"
Hinata nodded. Despite her initial disorientation, her tension eased upon seeing him.
Naruto called out, "Shino! Kiba! Akamaru! Where are you?"
"I'm here," came Shino's deep voice from somewhere nearby, startling Naruto.
"Same here!" Kiba shouted though he sounded miserable. The sandstorm wasn't kind to his heightened senses. Akamaru barked weakly in agreement.
"Alright, come closer!" Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand, picked up Akamaru, and pulled them all together. In a flash, he transported them back to safety.
"Finally, solid ground!" Kiba groaned, collapsing in relief. Akamaru sneezed out of the sand while Naruto turned to Sakura.
"Help them recover. I have more people to find."
"Got it," Sakura replied as Naruto vanished again.
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Saving Haku, Yakumo, and Karin
Naruto's next stop brought him to an unexpected sight: an igloo in the middle of the desert. Inside, Haku, Yakumo, and Karin were huddled together.
"Naruto?" Karin gasped in surprise.
Haku looked exhausted, his pale face illuminated by the dim light. "I made this shelter with Ice Style, but it's draining me."
Naruto inspected the igloo with a raised brow. "Impressive... but we can't stay here. Let's go."
Grabbing their hands, Naruto transported them to safety as well. Hinata immediately rushed to help them.
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A Dangerous Game
Despite the chaos, Naruto couldn't rest yet. Clones spread throughout the desert in search of more candidates, while the main body accompanied his friends to the monitoring station.
They learned that Gaara had issued an order to suspend the Chūnin Exams due to the storm.
Temari, Kankurō, and Sand Ninja teams were deployed to rescue the participants. Even Kakashi and other proctors had entered the storm.
Naruto's instincts, however, warned him of a greater danger. Kurama's voice echoed in his mind: "Kid, Shukaku and Gaara are in trouble."
Naruto tensed. "What?!"
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Gaara's Battle
Over thirty minutes earlier, Sand Village sensors detected the approaching storm too late. Gaara personally led the rescue efforts, ensuring his ninja acted swiftly to save the participating genin.
However, amidst the chaos, his team was ambushed by a rogue monk named Ryugan, hailing from a secretive sect in the Land of Wind.
Ryugan was a former guardian of Shukaku's previous jinchūriki, an heir to ancient sealing techniques designed to suppress and manipulate tailed beasts.
Disillusioned with the Sand Village's reliance on jinchūriki, Ryugan harboured a grudge against Gaara and sought to eliminate him under the guise of aiding in the storm rescue.
Gaara engaged Ryugan directly, but the monk's expertise in sealing arts and his mastery of a unique Wind Style barrier gave him a dangerous edge.
With his movements hindered and chakra suppressed, Gaara struggled to maintain control of Shukaku, who stirred violently within him.
As the battle intensified, Ryugan unleashed his Sealing Tempest Jutsu, a massive vortex of wind laced with chakra threads designed to immobilize jinchūriki.
Gaara, despite his skill, found himself caught in the trap, unable to counter effectively.
At the height of the confrontation, an explosion echoed through the storm. Fū of Taki, the Seven-Tails jinchūriki, arrived to assist, her wings cutting through the vortex.
However, her intervention only bought Gaara a brief reprieve before Ryugan shifted his focus, using a paralyzing chant to suppress her movements as well.
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