『 PRODIGY CHŪNIN EXAMS — WAITING ROOM 』 『 NEXT ROUND 』

Kid Orochimaru leans against the wall, face unreadable. Kid Minato rests his hands calmly behind his back, a faint glow of caution in his eyes. Kid Neji stands rigid, arms folded, perfect posture. Kid Shisui watches everything with quiet interest, while Kid Itachi remains still—motionless, composed, yet sharp enough to cut the room in half.

Footsteps echo.

Kakashi walks back in, blood still drying on his cheek from his victory over Sasuke. He doesn’t celebrate. He doesn’t smirk. He simply returns to his spot among the prodigies—eyes hidden behind silver hair, voice silent.

And then… the room shifts.

Sand trickles onto the floor.

Gaara of the Sand stands near the back, head lowered, shadows hiding his expression. His gourd rests against the wall behind him like a slumbering beast.

Gaara opens his eyes.

He turns his head slightly—toward you and Kakashi.

A tiny smirk curls at the corner of his mouth.

Kid Gaara (12yrs old, soft, eerie):

“I can’t wait to kill you.”

The words hit the room like a blade dragged across metal—slow, scraping, deliberate. Kid Orochimaru and Itachi calm and collected like nothing even happened. Kid Neji’s body tenses. Kid Shisui unfazed, cheerily mocks Gaara, mentioning that’s one way to make friends, but secretly being on guard to counter anything he tries, reading the chakra malice behind Gaara’s intent, while Kid Minato congratulates Kid Kakashi on his win, while being equally on guard as Shisui, readying to use his immense speed or his Flying Thunder God technique if Gaara attacks any of them unofficially before the match.

Gaara lifts his chin… and the camera angle warps into a slight fisheye distortion, just like the YouTube series—his face stretching subtly, eyes widening with a strange, unhinged excitement.

His voice rises only a little.

Still soft. Still deadly.

Kid Gaara (12yrs old):

“In fact…” “I can’t wait to kill all of you here.”

The room goes silent. Even the air seems to recoil.

Sand shifts at his feet, vibrating, responding to the bloodlust gathering inside him. His shoulders rise and fall once—slow breath, slow smile—as if killing everyone is simply something he’s looking forward to… the way others might look forward to lunch.

Before anyone can speak—the overhead screen blinks.

MATCH SELECTION RANDOMIZING…

Names flash across the board: Minato Namikaze. Orochimaru. Shisui Uchiha. Itachi Uchiha. Neji Hyūga. Gaara.

The roulette spins faster—faster—faster—

It stops.

GAARA vs. YOU

The sand around his feet curls upward, almost in anticipation.

[NARRATOR: Having been trained since infancy as Suna's "ultimate weapon", Gaara is a prodigy, who was exceptionally strong even as a child, effortlessly killing the countless assassins sent after him. As a genin, he became known internationally for completing B-rank missions. He also set the record time of completing the Chūnin Exams in the Forest of Death, and unscathed; a feat normally incapable for a chūnin. Gaara has large reserves of strong chakra, a fact Akamaru recognises even before Gaara has performed any technique. His chakra levels are partly because he was the jinchūriki of Shukaku. In battle, Gaara tends to stay away from his opponents and rarely uses taijutsu. Gaara has immense powers of control over sand, able to use his chakra and control it any way he likes with his mind. He is often shown to carry around a gourd made of sand on his back that contains a set amount of sand infused with a huge amount of his chakra. This sand is easier for Gaara to control than normal sand, and he is able to perform faster and more powerful attacks with it. It is this sand that comprises Gaara's Ultimate Defense. His automatic Sand Shield which, bound by his mother's will to protect him, moves to shield him from harm whether he wants it to or not, and his Sand Armor, a shell of sand that Gaara can mold over his body to protect him should the Sand Shield be broken through.]