Konoha: Gu Master

Atop Hokage Rock.

Shimura Danzo gazed at the five stone faces carved into the cliffside, losing himself in his imagination.

Once today's events were through, construction could begin by tomorrow. With luck, within a week, his likeness would be etched alongside those of the Hokage.

The only disappointment was he'd be placed sixth.

"Damn you, Hiruzen!" Danzo muttered angrily.

The role of Third Hokage should have been his!

During the First Shinobi World War, Cloud Village's Gold and Silver Brothers had staged a coup at the peace summit between the Raikage and the Hokage. 

The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had been gravely injured and was attempting to escape with his guard squad, which included Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo.

At one point, they found themselves surrounded, and Tobirama announced they needed someone to serve as a decoy.

Danzo had been about to volunteer—when Hiruzen stepped up before he could.

It turned out to be a test, not a true suicide mission. Tobirama then named Hiruzen Sarutobi as the next Hokage.

"Just one step away…" Danzo had borne a grudge over that moment for decades.

That incident had solidified his determination to become Hokage. 

After the Third's retirement, he thought his chance had finally come, only for Minato Namikaze to be chosen instead.

When Minato died in the Nine-Tails' attack, his hope had rekindled—only for Hiruzen Sarutobi to resume his position. 

He'd bided his time again, but then Tsunade had returned to claim the title of Fifth Hokage.

The final insult had been when he'd been banished from the village as a rogue ninja.

"Danzo!"

Tsunade's voice cut through his thoughts. "Where is Yamato?"

"You're as impulsive as ever, Tsunade," Danzo sneered, turning to face her. "You're unfit to be Hokage."

"I don't have time for your nonsense," Tsunade said, her brows knitted in irritation. "What's your purpose in coming back here?"

"I'm here to save Konoha."

Danzo's eyes glinted with fanaticism.

"That line isn't the least bit funny." Tsunade's voice was filled with contempt.

"Even as Hokage, you're blind to the imminent threat facing Konoha," Danzo said, gripping his cane tightly. "Tsunade, only under my leadership can Konoha become truly strong."

"Threat?" Tsunade said sharply. "The only threat to Konoha is you and Orochimaru."

"Orochimaru and I parted ways long ago." Danzo shook his head. "I'm here to stop him."

"...?"

Tsunade eyed him suspiciously.

"As I said, all I do is for Konoha's benefit," Danzo said, ignoring her disbelief. "Orochimaru and Rasa have joined forces, intending to overthrow Konoha."

"What?" Tsunade's heart lurched with a sense of foreboding.

And then, from the direction of the Chunin Exams stadium, an earth-shaking roar rang out.

"The One-Tail?"

Her head whipped around instinctively. Despite the distance, Shukaku's massive form was unmistakable.

"Indeed, the One-Tail," Danzo said calmly. "Gaara's real purpose in attending the Chunin Exams was to unleash Shukaku here in Konoha."

Tsunade felt as if hand was gripping her heart.

When she'd left, Shinho Aburame and Gaara had been fighting. 

This was bad. That boy might be skilled, but how could he stand a chance against a tailed beast? 

Her mind flashed to the wager she'd made with him.

No! This can't happen!

"Tsunade," Danzo said, his voice coldly composed. "If you agree to support me as the next Hokage, I'll step in and save Konoha."

He had devised a plan with two parts. One was to exploit Tsunade's hemophobia. The other was to leverage Konoha's impending crisis. 

He knew her sense of duty well. With her support, the position of Sixth Hokage would fall into his hands easily.

"Absolutely not!" Tsunade rejected him without a second thought.

"Tsunade," Danzo's face hardened. "I'm giving you a choice. Don't force my hand!"

A gust of wind followed as Tsunade's answer came in the form of her fist.

"You bastard!" Danzo dodged to the side just in time.

With a tremendous boom, the ground beneath Tsunade's fist shattered, debris flying in all directions.

"Do you want me to kill Yamato?"

Danzo snarled, enraged.

"Then you'll die with him!" Tsunade's face was pale with fury, her bloodlust on full display.

"Are you insane?" Danzo froze, unable to comprehend her sudden turn. 

It was as though she had completely disregarded Yamato's safety.

"Don't blame me, then!"

Danzo pulled out a kunai, slashing it across his palm.

Blood dripped down.

Tsunade stiffened for a moment, then realization dawned in her.

This old man was in cahoots with Orochimaru after all.

Only a handful of people knew about her hemophobia: Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Sarutobi.

Tsunade froze briefly, crouching down and clasping her head, trembling.

"How pitiful." Danzo smirked in satisfaction as his blood triggered her phobia.

The woman who was revered by medical ninjas across the land was truly afflicted by hemophobia.

"You're unworthy of being Hokage." Danzo stepped forward, shaking his head. "A Hokage must have no weaknesses."

Tsunade's body went still, then in a single motion, she punched upward, striking him hard in the jaw.

Danzo was caught completely off guard, and with a sickening crunch, he was flung into the air, blood spurting from his mouth.

Tsunade's super strength was legendary, enough to nearly kill Jiraiya himself on one occasion.

Now, her fury had reached its peak, and she held back nothing. 

Danzo, having foolishly trusted Orochimaru's misinformation, hadn't prepared Izanagi. His vision went dark as he lost consciousness.

"Antelope!" Tsunade roared, her voice echoing for miles.

Her ANBU who were surrounding the hokage rock, appeared instantly in a flurry of motion.

"Lady Hokage!"

Antelope's heart pounded, not from seeing Danzo defeated but from the feral, lioness-like wrath radiating from Tsunade.

What had happened here?

Had Danzo killed Yamato?

Or had he simply provoked Lady Hokage?

"Take Danzo into custody and use a sealing technique," Tsunade ordered, her clenched fists trembling with anger. "Search the area for Yamato. If you don't find him, interrogate Danzo."

"Yes, ma'am!"

In a flash, Antelope was left staring at empty space; Tsunade had already vanished.

…

Five minutes earlier, in the stadium:

"Hahaha! I'm finally free!"

With a thunderous voice and overwhelming chakra, Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast, had reemerged in the ninja world.

Shinho Aburame studied the massive form before him.

Shukaku's entire body was composed of sand, covered in wavy, dark blue-black markings. 

Its enormous head had two pointed horns, a hulking body, and a colossal tail held high, emanating a terrifying aura.

Honestly, it looked a bit ridiculous. Shinho almost preferred the smaller, more streamlined Shukaku from the original series; at least that version had some style.

"You brat!"

Shukaku's golden eyes locked onto Shinho. "I ought to thank you!"

The monster's booming voice tore through the air like a hurricane.

Arrogance.

Shinho glanced around.

Kakashi and the other Jonin were fighting in the stands, while Hinata and Shikamaru were busy evacuating the spectators. 

On the high platform, Hiruzen Sarutobi was locked in a battle against Orochimaru, along with the reanimated Hashirama and Tobirama. Thankfully, the third coffin hadn't been fully summoned.

But… where was Tsunade?

Shinho frowned, a sense of unease creeping into his mind.

"Hey, you little pest!" Shukaku bellowed; "Are you even listening?"

Shukaku grew enraged as Shinho Aburame ignored him.

Raising its right arm, Shukaku brought down a massive paw, the sheer size and force blotting out the sky above Shinho.

Thunder Wing Gu!

Wings sprouted from Shinho's back. With a powerful flap, he launched himself away, but Shukaku's hand was too enormous to dodge outright.

Slow Step Gu!

Shinho raised his hand, and the monstrous paw slowed just enough for him to escape.

"You pesky brat!" Shukaku roared, stepping forward to bring both hands down on him.

Sword Shadow Gu!

Blades of energy shot from Shinho's hand, slicing into Shukaku's closest palm and leaving deep cuts. But they healed in seconds, sand flowing over the wounds.

Realizing ordinary Gu's were ineffective against a beast of this scale, Shinho scanned for an empty path away from the crowd. 

Fighting here would endanger too many lives.

"Will Shinho be okay?" Ino asked, fear clouding her face as Shukaku barreled after Shinho.

"He'll be fine!" Hinata Hyuga clasped her hand firmly, her gaze filled with resolve.

Ino blinked, startled by Hinata's strength.

"Shukaku can't catch Shinho," Shikamaru said calmly. "Didn't you see how fast he is? He can practically turn into light."

Ino took a breath, steadying herself as explosions rumbled in the distance;

"Come on, we need to help get everyone to safety!"

"Hold still, brat!" Shukaku shouted, his frustration mounting as Shinho evaded every attack. 

Stopping in his tracks, Shukaku slammed his belly with both hands.

Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!

Opening its massive jaws, Shukaku unleashed a titanic sphere of wind, sending shockwaves in every direction.

When most tailed beasts resorted to brute force or Tailed Beast Bombs, Shukaku could perform ninjutsu. 

For him, chakra was a little more scarce, but that was only relative—with his reserves, it might as well be endless.

Golden Moon Slash!

Shinho launched a golden crescent of energy toward the wind bullet, but the clash was futile—his attack vanished like a twig in a raging river.

Stealth Scale Gu!

Shinho vanished just as the air bullet hit, detonating with an explosive force that tore apart the Forest of Death like a bomb, leaving destruction in its wake.

"No one's here," Shukaku muttered, momentarily bewildered before the rage returned. "Show yourself, brat!"

Hiding in plain sight, Shinho observed Gaara, sleeping atop Shukaku's head. 

Gaara wasn't a perfect jinchuriki—he had to enter a forced sleep state to release Shukaku's power, which meant Shukaku had a glaring vulnerability. 

If Gaara were to wake, Shukaku would lose control.

Rainbow Light Gu!

Aiming carefully, Shinho transformed into a beam of light and shot toward Gaara, striking him directly.

A violent impact jarred Gaara, and his eyelids fluttered as he began to awaken.

"Wait!" Shukaku realized what was happening, but it was too late.

Shinho rose and stomped down hard on Shukaku's head. 

A white elephant phantom appeared above him, and a surge of energy expanded outward, pressing Shinho deeper into Shukaku's head by two meters.

"Ahh!" Shukaku screeched. "I'll kill you!"

But Shinho leapt away, wings beating swiftly. The massive dent in Shukaku's head filled with sand, slowly repairing.

Undeterred, Shinho seized Gaara by the collar, giving him several firm slaps. 

With that, Gaara's eyes finally opened.

"You little brat!" Shukaku's voice echoed in fury. "I'll be back for you!"

With Gaara awake, Shukaku's control over him faded, and the tailed beast's form dissolved.

"Please, don't kill him!"

Shocked, Temari and Kankuro emerged from the shadows. 

Their duty had been to watch over Gaara, but they hadn't expected to witness the monstrous Shukaku defeated in combat.

"Please! Let him live!" Temari pleaded, her voice shaking. 

Gone was the proud princess of the Sand Village, replaced by a desperate older sister.

Kankuro stood rooted to the spot, too afraid to move, looking at Shinho as though he were a demon in disguise.

Gaara's eyes opened slowly, meeting Temari's.

As he watched Tamari begging Shinho, for the first time ever, his heart softened.

[Achievement unlocked: Gaara's "Iron Fist of Love"] 

[Reward: All-Out Effort Gu.]

[All-Out Effort Gu: A rank-three auxiliary Gu, allowing the user to summon the full power of their Beast Phantoms and all physical strength without fail.]

Finally, Shinho thought with a smile, the core of strength type Gu—the All-Out Effort Gu. 

Now he could summon the Beast Phantom on command, without relying on luck.

Temari gasped as Shinho's smile twisted his face.

Clutching a bloodied Gaara, Shinho's smile looked more menacing than comforting, causing Kankuro to stumble backward and fall.

"Shinho!"

Just then, a familiar voice rang out.

It was Tsunade.

Shinho let go of Gaara and looked up just as Tsunade rushed toward him, pulling him into a tight embrace.

The warmth and softness of her hug left him momentarily stunned.

Since she had overcome her hemophobia, it had been a long time since he'd felt this comforting embrace.

"You're safe," Tsunade murmured, stepping back with a look of relief.

She glanced at Gaara, then at Temari and Kankuro, her face showing surprise. "You actually defeated a tailed beast?"

"Not exactly." Shinho shook his head. "I just defeated Gaara."

After hearing his explanation, Tsunade still looked as though she were in a daze.

"You little brat." She glared at him. "There's no way that bugs of yours are just simple kekkei genkai."

"It is," Shinho replied seriously.

"I'm not after your bugs." Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Besides, no one in Konoha is going to ask questions."

Shinho wanted to know why she'd hugged him so suddenly, but it was clear she wasn't going to say anything.

"Bring him along," Tsunade instructed, nodding toward Gaara. "You're all coming back to the village with us."

"Yes!" Temari and Kankuro quickly supported Gaara to his feet.

The tailed beast plan had failed, and with only their father, Rasa, left to support them, they knew they had no other option but surrender.

"Gaara, are you okay?" Temari asked, concern filling her voice.

Gaara shook his head, pausing before saying, "I'm sorry, Temari."

Temari froze.

Kankuro, too, looked at Gaara in astonishment.

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