Sasuke's twin sister, But Neji's first love

Gaara's Transformation!

The crowd was still buzzing from my match, but it quickly shifted into murmurs of anticipation as Sasuke stepped onto the battlefield. I took my seat beside Naruto, who was practically bouncing with excitement.

"This is gonna be good," he whispered.

Across the arena, Gaara of the Sand descended silently—arms crossed, gourd heavy on his back. His eyes—those cold, lifeless eyes—fixed on Sasuke like a predator sizing up its prey. The air around him felt... wrong. Heavy. Still.

The proctor stepped forward, eyes scanning both boys.
"Next match: Sasuke Uchiha versus Gaara of the Sand. Begin!"

Neither moved.

A long, tense silence hung in the air like a blade ready to fall.

Then, Gaara's sand hissed to life like a serpent, shooting out toward Sasuke with deadly speed, aiming to crush him from all sides.

But Sasuke vanished in a blur.

He reappeared above Gaara with a spinning kick, barely dodged as a wall of sand rose protectively. Flipping midair, Sasuke landed several feet back, skidding to a stop.

"He's fast," I murmured, eyes narrowing.

Naruto nodded beside me. "Faster than before..."

I knew why. I'd seen the brutal training Kakashi-sensei put us through—the way he pushed Sasuke to the brink every single day.

"Again," Kakashi would say. "Faster. Sharper. Kill hesitation."

And down in the arena, Sasuke was doing just that.

He circled Gaara like a hawk, launching a flurry of shuriken—all of them deflected by Gaara's sand shield.

"Tch," Sasuke muttered. "As expected..."

Then, without warning, he disappeared again—reappearing behind Gaara with a powerful strike aimed at his back. The sand exploded outward, slamming into him and forcing Sasuke to leap back, panting slightly.

Gaara tilted his head, his voice eerily calm.
"Your speed is... different from before."

Sasuke smirked. "You haven't seen anything yet."

His hands blurred through hand signs.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"

A barrage of small fireballs burst forward, veering unpredictably toward Gaara. His sand blocked most—but not all. One grazed his shoulder, making him hiss in irritation.

Then came the real attack.

Sasuke surged forward again, chakra focused into his legs—Body Flicker enhanced with weeks of relentless speed training. The arena cracked beneath each step.

Too fast for the eye to follow.

A flicker. A blur.

Then—

"Chidori!"

The sound ripped through the stadium—lightning screeching like a thousand birds. My eyes widened.

He's using it this early?!

Gaara's sand shot up to block—but it couldn't keep up.

Sasuke plunged the Chidori forward, piercing through Gaara's shield and slamming it into his shoulder.

Blood splattered across the arena floor.

Gasps echoed throughout the stadium.

Gaara screamed.