Chapter 125: A Late Arrival

As Genma Shiranui's voice echoed through the arena, Gaara leaped down onto the battlefield.

The crowd erupted into excited murmurs.

Most of the spectators had watched the previous matches and were well aware of Gaara's terrifying strength.

Naturally, anticipation soared for this upcoming battle.

However, after a brief wait, Sasuke was nowhere to be seen, leading to a wave of confusion among the audience.

"What's going on? Why is there only one contestant?"

"Yeah, wasn't there supposed to be another guy? That Uchiha kid, right?"

"That's right! He even has a really strong Pokémon!"

"But where is he? Don't tell me… He chickened out?"

——

As discussions rippled through the stands, the atmosphere grew tense. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen and Orochimaru, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, furrowed their brows in puzzlement.

Orochimaru glanced at Hiruzen and asked with a smirk, "Third Hokage, what's going on?"

Hiruzen, remaining calm, turned to an ANBU member nearby. "What's the situation?"

The ANBU ninja stepped closer and whispered, "Lord Hokage, Kakashi has been training Sasuke separately. They haven't arrived yet."

Hiruzen frowned slightly but quickly regained his composure.

Turning back to Orochimaru, he smiled. "Apologies, Fourth Kazekage. It seems we have a special circumstance."

Orochimaru had overheard the ANBU's words and grinned. "Are we supposed to just wait indefinitely?"

Hiruzen shook his head. "Five minutes. If Sasuke doesn't arrive, he forfeits the match."

Orochimaru chuckled. "Fair enough. Then we'll wait for five minutes."

With that, he shifted his gaze back to the battlefield, amusement flickering in his eyes.

——

Meanwhile, in the stands, Cynthia watched the scene unfold with curiosity. She turned to Ryo and asked, "Ryo, do you think this match is just going to end like this?"

Ryo shook his head. "No, it'll continue soon."

Cynthia narrowed her eyes. "How can you be so sure?"

Ryo sighed, his eyelid twitching. "Can't I just take a guess?"

He wasn't sure whether to be amused or exasperated. Cynthia had become much more inquisitive since their first meeting.

Back then, she would take forever to think before speaking. But now…

Cynthia, unaware of Ryo's internal grumbling, simply shrugged and turned her attention back to the match.

——

On the battlefield, Gaara stood motionless, unaffected by Sasuke's absence.

Suddenly, an ANBU ninja appeared beside Genma Shiranui and whispered something into his ear.

After a brief moment, the ANBU vanished.

Genma glanced at the murmuring crowd before announcing, "We will wait five more minutes. If Uchiha Sasuke does not arrive, the winner will be Gaara of the Sand."

The spectators nodded in understanding, settling down to wait.

But Naruto and Sakura were growing anxious.

"Where is he? Why isn't he here yet?" Sakura paced back and forth, frustration evident in her expression.

Ino, seeing her distress, patted her shoulder. "Relax, Sakura. Sasuke will show up."

Naruto clenched his fists and grinned. "Yeah! No way he's backing out—he's my rival!"

As the countdown ticked away, even Naruto started fidgeting.

"Five seconds remaining!"

Genma's voice carried across the stadium.

Disappointment settled over the crowd. Many spectators began standing up, convinced that Sasuke wouldn't appear.

3…

2…

Even Naruto and Sakura lowered their heads, feeling disheartened.

"Something feels off… The atmosphere just changed."

A familiar voice rang out, snapping Naruto and Sakura's heads around in excitement.

They turned and saw a silver-haired figure approaching.

"Kakashi-sensei! I knew you wouldn't be late!" Naruto grinned widely.

But Sakura wasn't smiling. She crossed her arms and glared. "Kakashi-sensei, where's Sasuke? He's about to miss his match!"

Kakashi waved his hand nonchalantly. "Relax. He's already here. Look."

Naruto and Sakura followed his pointing finger toward the battlefield.

At that exact moment, Genma prepared to call the match in Gaara's favor.

BANG!

A gust of wind stirred as a figure suddenly appeared opposite Gaara.

Sasuke had arrived.

Gaara's lips curled into a sinister smile, his eyes filled with bloodlust. "You're finally here? I'll kill you in this match."

Sasuke remained unfazed. "Is that so? Let's see if you can."

Gaara didn't bother responding. His gaze turned cold as he looked at Genma. "Start the match."

Genma, feeling the sheer killing intent in Gaara's eyes, shivered slightly.

"Begin!"

At the signal, Sasuke moved first, dashing toward Gaara with lightning-fast speed.

Gaara didn't flinch. He remained rooted in place, watching Sasuke's approach without reaction.

Sasuke had studied Gaara's previous matches.

Even though Gaara hadn't moved yet, Sasuke didn't let his guard down.

As he closed in, he spun into a whipping kick, his fist following up immediately.

Still, Gaara didn't budge.

The gourd on his back trembled as sand began rising, automatically forming a barrier in front of him.

SMACK!

Sasuke's kick landed on the floating sand but did no damage.

Without hesitation, he shifted into another strike, aiming for Gaara's face.

Yet again, the sand intercepted the attack effortlessly.

Gaara's expression remained blank. "If this is all you've got, I'll kill you now. This is getting boring."

Sasuke scoffed and leaped back, forming hand seals in midair.

He inhaled deeply—

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, roaring toward Gaara.

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