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"Boom!"

"???" Gaara was taken aback by Haruno Sakura's punch, his nose bleeding from the impact.

This unexpected turn left the entire audience in shock.

"What?!" Rasa stood up abruptly, his expression grim. His highly regarded son was repelled by a seemingly ordinary female ninja?

"That female ninja actually withstood the pressure of Magnet Style?" Onoki remarked in surprise.

"What's going on?" questioned the Fourth Raikage, who had his eyes closed and missed the action.

"Ah, this..." The Fourth Hokage was also puzzled. When did a civilian ninja from his village become so formidable? Despite his humble beginnings, the Fourth Hokage had been recognized by the Third Hokage and given access to the Forbidden Techniques in the Book of Seals. Could it be that Haruno Sakura's improvement was thanks to Yuki?

"You bastard!" Sakura roared, her fury unleashed as she launched a flurry of punches and kicks. However, her limited talent meant she couldn't smoothly transition between the static and dynamic states of the Quiet Blood technique. While the static state greatly enhanced her defensive abilities, her speed and strength saw no such benefits.

After the initial surprise, Gaara quickly adapted, dodging Sakura's attacks with ease. "Magnet Style: Metal Fist Technique!" he declared, shaping the metal sand into a massive glove and striking Sakura's stomach forcefully.

"Boom!" Sakura was sent flying, coughing up blood—the entire encounter lasting merely three seconds before she was overwhelmed once more.

"Ino!" Yamanaka Ino cried out in alarm.

Coughing blood, Sakura struggled to her feet, one hand clutching her abdomen. Driven by a single conviction, she refused to let Yuki's faith in her go to waste.

"I underestimated you," Gaara admitted, his expression hardening. The force of his iron fist should have been devastating to any other Genin, yet Sakura stood up, earning his respect.

Unrelenting, Gaara conjured more metal cones with a flick of his wrist, launching them at Sakura. She was battered and bloodied, each hit a testament to her pain and determination. Despite wanting to cry out, a glance at Yuki in the stands—his gaze filled with expectation—renewed her resolve. Sakura vowed not to fall, not in front of him. She would endure, no matter the cost.

"Sa~ how long can you hold on?"

A playful smile appeared on Yuki's face. This foolish and feeble girl never caught his attention from the start. Among the experimental subjects he cultivated, Haruno Sakura's aptitude was undeniably the lowest. Without her status as one of the "Konoha Twelve," she wouldn't even qualify as an experimental subject. Yet, Yuki found himself reconsidering; perhaps Sakura had some marginal value after all. At the very least, she could serve as amusing entertainment.

"Puff puff puff puff puff~" Haruno Sakura protected her head with both hands, maintaining the Quiet Blood outfit defensively. To everyone's astonishment, she employed a defensive strategy, enduring all of Gaara's attacks.

Gaara's Chakra was rapidly depleting, his breathing growing labored. Realizing he couldn't let the battle drag on, his eyes flashed with a lethal intent. He summoned a chilling alloy drill bit with magnetic force—a high-strength alloy that boasted even greater attack power than sand gold and iron.

"Magnet Style: Death Sting!" He launched the alloy drill at Haruno Sakura's head.

"Sakura!" The crowd exclaimed in horror. Yuki watched indifferently, knowing Sakura's Quiet Blood outfit, in its nascent form, wouldn't withstand the attack. The best-case scenario was a head penetration, the worst—a completely obliterated head. The prospect of the lead female character facing such a gruesome fate intrigued him.

However, at the crucial moment, Sakura's head tilted back, and she collapsed, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike. The alloy drill barely missed her, slicing off her long, pink hair and knocking her forehead protector to the ground. Lying face down, tears streamed down Sakura's face, not just from the pain but from the shame of disappointing Yuki.

"Enough! Winner, Gaara!" Kurenai intervened, declaring the match's outcome. The audience, relieved, hadn't witnessed the tragedy they feared.

"Why did Sakura become so desperate all of a sudden?" Naruto wondered aloud. Sasuke, however, saw Sakura's determination in a new light, feeling a momentary attraction to her resilience.

At that moment, Yuki approached the arena and gently lifted Sakura into his arms. "I'm sorry, Yuki-sensei," she whispered weakly. "Shhh~ Don't talk," he soothed, cradling Sakura tenderly. "You did great, Sakura. I'm pleased to see how much you've grown," he said, finding genuine enjoyment in the unexpected turn of events.