39 Fear...

Baki stared at Gaara transforming into a beast that was once a nightmare to their entire village.

He turned towards Kankuro and Temari as he opened his mouth to say something…

"You're the Leader for the sand village squad, Baki right." Anko interrupted.

…

Baki turned back with an unsightly expression across his face.

"This was an unexpected situation…" He replied weakly trying to wash his hands off.

Anko's expression turned serious.

"Then we have an understanding that you will accept the outcome of our jounins suppressing your subordinate with whatever means necessary, right?" Anko asked once again.

…

Baki knew he had messed up big time, Gaara releasing Shukaku a month earlier was not the plan at all…

"I understand…" Baki said as he bowed his head a little.

"Good!" Anko acknowledged and left the spot.

….

Sand kept gathering around Gaara.

The sand slowly transformed into one of the limbs that depicted Shukaku's body in a miniature form.

Meanwhile, the jounins helped the Genins in the area to evacuate the tower…

"Naruto." Kakashi looked at Naruto who just stood by, observing the changes in Gaara.

Kakashi held Sasuke in close proximity, as one would not know when a snake-like Orochimaru would strike.

Orochimaru also stood behind in the exam hall watching Gaara, gather sand from under the ground to increase the size of the body, that would eventually become the one tails beast.

…

Soon the entire tower had been evacuated, including the emergency medical room that contained the victims from the rounds earlier.

"What is going on?…." Kiba asked in a weak voice, as he strained to look towards the tower.

(Woof!) Akamaru barked in reply.

"What is it, boy?" Kiba asked.

(Woof!)

(Woof!)

(Woof!)

(Woof!)

Akamaru communicated.

"What the dangerous sand guy?.." Kiba looked towards the tower once again.

At this moment Kakashi, Sasuke, and the others had made it out of the tower…

"Kakashi-sensei!"

"Where is Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"Sakura!" Sasuke interrupted.

"Naruto went out through another exit."

"He is probably with some jounin teachers right now," Sasuke said.

"Oh!" Sakura accepted.

Karin who stood by the side of Sakura knew that there was something more to this. Unfortunately, she was still in the midst of learning how to sense chakras.

Meanwhile,

"Hinata!!"

"You woke up." Kurenai stood by the stretcher which helped in Hinata transferring out of the medical room.

Hinata woke up to see all the people from the exam hall dispersed a few meters across from her while being surrounded by the forest.

(Bang!)

"There is currently some trouble, going on in the tower" Kurenai filled in on the details to Hinata.

Hinata then used her eyes to scan through the crowd that had gathered around her, as she searched for a particular figure.

("Naruto-kun…")

….

….

Back in the hall

Hiruzen, saw Naruto staring at the transformation of Gaara.

"Hokage-sama." Anko arrived by his side.

"What did he say?"

"He does not have a seal at hand…So I have informed him that we would take care of the matter."

"Hmm…."

Hiruzen again looked towards Naruto again.

("He is the same as you, Naruto….")

("What do you plan to do?") Hiruzen thought.

…

Naruto got down from the standing area and approached Hiruzen.

"Old man, I've got a plan."

"Why don't you let me handle this?" Naruto asked.

Hiruzen was surprised to see Naruto reveal his motives.

After all, ever since Naruto started from the academy, all this time, his motives were always concealed while he had worked behind the scenes for the best outcome.

"Naruto…"

"Do you have a way to deal with this?"

"Mmm," Naruto nodded.

Hiruzen thought for a bit.

He then turned towards the nearby ANBU agents.

"Make sure that other than these two, there is no one present," Hiruzen ordered.

"Yes!" The agents said as they vanished from their spot to follow up on the orders.

…

Meanwhile,

Outside the tower…

Kakashi and the group moved a bit away for the crowd. As they kept walking…

(Whoosh!)

"You!" Kakashi shouted losing all his composure at once.

Kakashi shoved all the genins behind him and took a stance with a kunai towards the front.

"You've grown, eh, Kakashi?" Orochimaru said as he walked forward.

"Long time no see, Kakashi-kun," Orochimaru said in an eerie voice as he released his aura causing everyone's hairs to stand.

"Orochimaru…" Kakashi murmured as he increased his guard.

…

"Sorry but…"

"I have no business with you Kakashi-kun."

"But I do with the kid behind you!" Orochimaru said as he looked towards Sasuke.

Sasuke felt repulsed, while Sakura even more so.

"Hey!"

"Um," Orochimaru looked towards Sakura.

"Sasuke-kun is mine!"

"You'd better not lay your filthy hands on him!" Sakura shouted.

Sasuke looked towards Sakura with a weird impression.

"Hahaha" Orochimaru laughed a bit.

"Why are you after Sasuke?!" Kakashi asked in a heavy tone.

"It's good for you."

"You already got it, right?"

Kakashi hesitated, after hearing that point.

"You didn't have it before, did you?"

"That…"

"Left eye Sharingan!" Orochimaru said as the expression on his face turned crazier.

Meanwhile, Karin who stood by the side found the entire matter surprising, especially the part where Orochimaru had mentioned that Kakashi had a Sharingan, which was one seemed to be borrowed.

Naruto had already told Sasuke the story behind the incident, so he had no thoughts about it per se.

"I want it too…" Orochimaru continued.

…

"What's your purpose?" Kakashi asked.

"The recently built Sound Village."

"That's my village, you see…"

"You already understand, don't you?" Orochimaru asked.

…

"Hmph!"

"What a ridiculous ambition!" Kakashi commented.

"Oh, my… you said it." Orochimaru commented on Kakashi's statement.

"But, for that, I need various pieces which will obey my every whim."

"So Sasuke is one of those pieces?" Kakashi asked.

"No!" Orochimaru argued.

"Sasuke is an exceptional piece," Orochimaru concluded.

Sasuke could not bear it anymore. Orochimaru's conversation with Kakashi just labeled him as a chess piece.

"You are talking to Kakashi as if I do not exist at all." Sasuke interrupted.

Orochimaru frowned at the comment. He then started to walk toward the group.

Kakashi frowned on every step Orochimaru took.

As Orochimaru approached closer…

"Don't come any closer to Sasuke!" Kakashi shouted as he started performing the hand seals

<Ox><Rabbit><Monkey>

And lifted his right hand which began to gather blue lightning energy while being supported by the left.

Orochimaru frowned.

"Even if you're one the legendary sanin."

"at the least, I can kill you as you kill me!" Kakashi said with resolve as he placed his life on the line.

….

"Hahahahahaa"

"hahahahaha"

Orochimaru laughed in a mocking tone causing Kakashi to be stunned.

"You're going to kill me?"

"Why don't you try?" Orochimaru said as he unleashed a massive amount of killing intent towards Kakashi.

…

A few meters away

"There he is.." An ANBU agent said as the group arrived near Kakashi and his group.

…

"Tsk." Orochimaru frowned as he turned around and left.

"Wait!" ANBU agent called out.

(bang!)

Kakashi fell on his knees while sweating profusely.

"I can kill you as you kill me?"

"Am I an idiot?" Kakashi asked himself as he stared the ground.

Sasuke saw Kakashi fall onto the ground.

He stared at the kneeling Kakashi and then towards the direction Orochimaru went.

("Kakashi lost his footing just after standing up to him…")

("But Naruto, despite having a small body…")

("Fought on par with that monster for an hour?") Sasuke thought to himself.

The ANBU agents led the group back to the place where everyone had gathered.

They then turned towards Sasuke.

"Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Follow us!"

"Mmm," Sasuke agreed and went along with them to the Hokage.

…

….

Back in the exam hall….

Gaara had finally finished powering up.

"HHYAAAAAHHHHAAAAAAA"