1 Chapter today because the Chapters are locked behind a paywall.
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Konoha Village.
More and more people were arriving in Konoha.
Most of them remained oblivious to the hidden turmoil brewing beneath the village's surface. They could only see the prosperity and peace on display.
Inside Konoha Hospital.
Even here, things were far from calm.
Rock Lee, the severely injured mber of Team 3, lay quietly in his hospital bed. He remained unconscious, his body in the process of healing and recovering.
With the other genin busy preparing for the third exam, and since Tsunade had already treated Lee's injuries, there was no imdiate need for special care.
Security at the hospital was clearly lacking.
A small figure had already snuck inside.
A short boy, carrying a large gourd on his back, quietly slipped into Rock Lee's hospital room.
Gaara.
Lee's opponent from the preliminaries.
Even though Lee had suffered severe injuries in the fight—even having his leg shattered by Gaara—he had still pushed Gaara to his limits.
And because of that...
Gaara wanted to kill him.
This child from the Sand Village was like a murderous demon. Whenever he felt dislike—or even hatred—for soone, he never hesitated to kill.
During the second exam, he had already slaughtered multiple genin.
Unfortunately...
During the preliminaries, when Gaara had wanted to finish off Lee, Might Guy had stepped in and stopped him.
Now.
There was no one here to stop him.
Gaara's face twisted with feral rage as he stared at the unconscious Lee. A thick killing intent radiated from his body.
"Die."
His hand slowly reached out.
Golden sand flowed out, twisting toward Lee's body.
In just an instant, Gaara could take his life.
No one could stop him.
Only killing could bring him joy.
Or rather—
Killing was the only reason he existed.
Just as Lee was about to et his end, a calm voice suddenly spoke behind Gaara.
"This is a place for saving lives."
"Who?!"
Gaara's body stiffened instantly!
He hadn't sensed anyone behind him.
Even the automatic sand that always protected him hadn't reacted!
This...
How was this possible?!
Soone had evaded his sand?!
Gaara instantly jumped back, controlling his sand to lash out at the figure behind him!
Smack!
The sand attack was effortlessly deflected.
But Gaara refused to give up.
His bloodshot eyes burned with fury as he commanded his sand to strike again!
"Sand Manipulation..."
The newcor murmured in a nostalgic tone.
He raised his hand, and a small stream of water flowed from his fingertips.
The water elegantly spiraled through the air, tracking down Gaara's sand like a dragon—soaking it completely!
The sand's weight increased dramatically!
Gaara gritted his teeth, struggling to gather his sand again, but it refused to move as freely as before. The opponent had effortlessly neutralized it!
This Konoha ninja...
Had just countered his Sand Manipulation Technique with ridiculous ease!
"Lee, I ca to see you..."
At that mont, Naruto Uzumaki burst into the room, only to freeze in shock at the sight before him.
"Gaara?! What are you doing?!"
"Gaara..."
The man who had saved Lee muttered the na curiously.
"Lee's opponent?"
Naruto imdiately rushed to Lee's bedside, shielding him as he shouted toward the newcor.
"Shigen! Shigen, this guy was Lee's opponent in the preliminaries! He's the one who injured Lee so badly!"
"I'm going to kill him!"
Gaara's face contorted in rage as the mory of his disgraceful battle flooded his mind.
His facial muscles twitched in uncontrollable anger.
"You can't do that now."
Naruto's expression was serious. He believed he could stop Gaara, and he was certain that Shigen wouldn't let anything happen to Lee.
After all—
Shigen had beaten Jiraiya with one hand!
Ever since training under Jiraiya, Naruto had co to understand just how powerful his master was.
And the more he understood Jiraiya's strength, the more he realized just how terrifying Shigen was!
No matter what—
Gaara couldn't be a match for Shigen!
"Hmph!"
Gaara glared at Naruto, then at Shigen, knowing that killing Lee now was impossible.
But—
He wouldn't let this go.
"Wait a mont."
Just as Gaara turned to leave, Shigen suddenly spoke, as if recalling sothing.
"You... are Karura's son, aren't you?"
Whoosh!
Gaara's body trembled violently!
The red-haired boy's face twisted with fury!
No one had ever dared ntion his mother in front of him.
Because his mother had always resented his birth.
Because his birth had cost her life.
This man...
Knew his mother?!
"...You knew her?"
Gaara gritted his teeth, glaring at Shigen.
"I saw her spirit in the Underworld."
Shigen pressed his fingers against his temple, sifting through his mories.
"I also saw her brother, Yashamaru. But he had far more problems than she did. He lingered between life and death, refusing to let go..."
Perhaps...
He had seen too many souls.
No.
Rather...
He had freed too many lost souls.
So many that their nas were buried deep in his mind, resurfacing only when he heard them spoken aloud.
But...
Gaara didn't believe a word of it.
The red-haired boy snorted coldly.
He had initially been curious to hear more about his mother and uncle.
But when this man started rambling about the Underworld...
He imdiately assud it was all nonsense.
What a waste of ti.
Furious, Gaara turned and stord out of the hospital room.
"That bastard..."
Naruto clenched his fists, watching Gaara's retreating figure with frustration and concern.
Shigen also watched Gaara leave, his expression unreadable.
"Co to think of it..."
"Who were those nas you ntioned?"
Naruto asked, tilting his head in curiosity.
"That guy seed even angrier after hearing them..."
"Karura was his mother."
"Yashamaru was his uncle."
Shigen didn't hide anything. He spoke plainly, recounting the tale he had heard from the dead.
"The day he was born, his mother, Karura, died from childbirth. But before she passed, she left him with great power.
"The sand that always protects him...
"Is the remnant of his mother's will."
"...And his father?"
Shigen's face darkened slightly.
Even with all he had witnessed across centuries, this was an exceptionally tragic tale.
"What about his father?"
Naruto asked eagerly.
He had recently experienced the warmth of parental love for the first ti, so he was especially curious about others' families.
"His father..."
Shigen sighed, shaking his head before continuing.
He recounted the entire tragic history—how Gaara's father, the Fourth Kazekage, had sealed Shukaku inside his newborn son to make him a living weapon.
How he had forced Yashamaru, Gaara's only source of love, to betray and attempt to assassinate him.
How Gaara had lived believing his mother had hated him, never knowing the truth...
"I see..."
Naruto held his head in shock.
As Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, he had always thought his own life was miserable.
He had even resented his father for sealing the beast inside him.
But now...
Gaara's life was so much worse.
He couldn't even begin to imagine the pain Gaara had felt when Yashamaru—his only family—tried to kill him.
No wonder he was so broken.
"...I have to tell him."
Naruto, filled with empathy, ran to chase after Gaara.
At the very least—
He had to tell him the truth.
Just as Naruto was about to rush out after Gaara, Shigen reached out a hand and stopped him.
"How do you think he'll react?"
Naruto hesitated, turning back to look at Shigen with confusion.
"If you tell him the truth, do you think he'll believe you?"
Naruto opened his mouth to argue but stopped short.
Gaara... believe him?
Naruto clenched his fists.
He wanted to tell Gaara. He needed to tell him.
But...
Would Gaara really listen?
Naruto was reminded of himself—not too long ago, before he had started making friends, before he had t Jiraiya. If soone had told him that his father was the Fourth Hokage, that his parents had loved him, that he wasn't just so cursed child...
Would he have believed it?
No.
He would have hated them for saying it.
Shigen was right.
Gaara wouldn't believe him.
Not yet.
"Then what should I do?" Naruto asked, looking up at Shigen.
Shigen gave him a small smile and ruffled his hair.
"Beat him in the final exam," Shigen said simply.
"Huh?"
"If you really want him to listen, you have to prove you're worth listening to," Shigen continued. "Fight him. Defeat him. And then, when he has no choice but to acknowledge your strength, tell him the truth."
Naruto's eyes widened.
That... made sense.
Gaara wouldn't listen to words. But if Naruto beat him in battle, maybe he'd be willing to hear him out.
"...Alright," Naruto said, determination burning in his eyes. "Then I'll win! And then I'll tell him everything!"
Shigen nodded.
Rock Lee, who had been silent this whole ti, suddenly chuckled weakly from his hospital bed.
"Well then," Lee said, his voice hoarse but full of spirit. "Looks like I'll have to entrust everything to you, Naruto."
Naruto turned to Lee and gave him a wide, confident grin.
"Leave it to !"
Shigen stood back, watching the scene unfold before him.
He wasn't sure if Gaara would ever fully accept the truth...
But if there was anyone who could reach him—
It would be Naruto Uzumaki.
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Powerstones?
For 20 advance Chapters: /michaeltranslates
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