Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 385, First Intelligence Relay

With Fengying Luosha taking his seat, the first assessment officially began.

The contestants came from ten countries, and including the Sand Village's own team, there were a total of thirty-four teams, totaling one hundred and two people.

The first assessment tested intelligence gathering capabilities.

The examiners explained the rules in detail: all participating teams were gathered in a circular area and divided into several isolated zones. Some zones allowed only one member of the team to move, and only a few zones could overlap.

Their mission was to successfully obtain and transmit intelligence.

There is only one true intelligence. Opponents can interfere with each other, but they cannot be caught cheating. If one's own intelligence is intercepted by others or its contents are leaked, it is considered a failure, and the entire team is eliminated!

It sounds complicated, but it's actually a circular information relay race.

The first person receives the intelligence, and then tries to pass it on to the second person, who in turn passes it on to the third person, all in a public setting, under the watchful eyes of many experts, to minimize the exposure of the transmission process and the information itself.

"It's quite difficult." Akatsuchi, the Jonin leading the team from Iwagakure, frowned.

Yamanaka Inoichi: "Indeed, these children are under immense pressure to pass on information under the watchful eyes of so many experts."

After all, he works in intelligence, so he naturally knows the difficulties involved.

Luo Sha sat on the platform, listening to the discussions of the village representatives, a faint smile on his face.

He was very satisfied with the question he set; this question should be able to eliminate a large number of people.

"It's alright," Luo Sha reassured them. "As long as the examiners can't see or detect the process of them transmitting information, or if what they detect isn't the truthful information, there's no problem. The rules are very clear, so everyone doesn't need to worry."

Hearing him say this, the village representatives relaxed a little, since the rules were public and fair to everyone.

The assessment below had already begun, and most of the representatives were observing their own team members.

Yamanaka Inoichi wasn't worried about his own team, since they were all genius disciples of Konoha. He also had another mission to take with him this time.

"Lord Kazekage, the sandstorms in the Land of Wind were quite severe a few days ago, affecting even the King of the Land of Fire for several days in a row."

Upon hearing this, the representatives from the other countries also perked up their ears and immediately began to listen.

Luo Sha smiled and said, "The sandstorm issue was resolved some time ago, so there's no need for you to worry about it."

That's right, a few months ago, a huge sandstorm suddenly swept through the desert without any warning.

The storm lasted for over a month, and the towering yellow sand not only covered the Land of Wind, but also affected the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire.

The daimyo of the Land of Wind was in a panic, thinking it was divine punishment, and offered sacrifices to the gods every day for half a month.

Only Rasa knew that it wasn't some divine punishment, but rather a Shukaku (a mythical beast) having a good time.

When news of the Fourth Mizukage Yagura's disappearance spread throughout the ninja world, Rasa was investigating the source of a sandstorm deep in the desert.

He followed the wind westward, crossing countless sand dunes, and finally, in the heart of a desolate desert, he saw the enormous, sand-yellow raccoon.

Shukaku has been revived.

Moreover, they are completely free, not bound by their Jinchūriki, and are true Tailed Beasts.

"Hahaha, sand! So much sand! I can play with it however I want!"

Shukaku rolled around in the sand, creating towering waves of sand. It used the sand to build all sorts of shapes: hills, castles, giant sculptures, then smashed them with a single blow, and then rebuilt them all.

When Rasa saw Shukaku, the first thought that came to his mind was not fear or vigilance, but rather, "I've finally waited for this moment."

He has been waiting for the tailed beasts to be revived for far too long.

"Why are you people so annoying?"

Shukaku quickly spotted Rasa and his men. It stopped playing, glaring at them with its eyes wide open: "I'm already free, why are you still bothering me? If you provoke me again, I'll bury your village in the desert!"

So, the tailed beasts were thinking of burying the village in sand? Then we can't leave you outside.

Rasa made the first move, which enraged Shukaku.

It unleashed a sandstorm that blotted out the sky, launching an attack on Luo Sha and his men.

That battle was fierce, with explosions and the sound of gold dust colliding echoing throughout the desert.

Luo Sha suffered heavy losses.

More than a dozen Jonin were killed, dozens of Chunin were injured, and he himself was almost hit by Shukaku's Tailed Beast Ball.

But in the end, he won.

He took advantage of Shukaku's weakness: his fear of water.

For years, Sunagakure has been secretly developing underground water veins and has found a huge underground oasis deep in the desert.

Rasa lured Shukaku to a place with abundant water and little sand, and used Magnet Release to control the gold dust, suppressing it firmly in the water.

"Let me out!" Shukaku struggled in the reservoir, letting out a deafening roar.

"We agreed on a one-on-one fight! What kind of skill is this, resorting to underhanded tactics and schemes! Despicable! Shameless! Petty person!"

Luo Sha stood at the edge of the oasis, covered in wounds, but he had won.

"Seal it!"

At his command, dozens of sealing squad ninjas simultaneously formed hand seals, layer upon layer of sealing techniques covering Shukaku's body, suppressing, shrinking, and sealing its power little by little.

In the end, Shukaku was sealed inside a specially made tea cauldron and fell silent.

The Sand Village has finally captured his Tailed Beast, and the next issue is choosing a Jinchuriki.

The Jinchuriki of Sunagakure were selected through a rigorous process, requiring strong will, abundant chakra, and the ability to withstand the power of the Tailed Beasts.

But Luo Sha already had someone in mind.

His youngest son, Gaara.

"Karuro..." Rasa murmured his deceased wife's name, his gaze somewhat unfocused.

His wife, Galio, died in childbirth three years ago. Before she died, she held his hand and told him to love their child well.

He agreed. Therefore, he felt that making his child the ultimate weapon to protect the village was his deepest expression of love as a father.

It's just a pity that the child was too weak and lacked the will to kill.

Rasa frowned, Gaara's timid face flashing through his mind. It was all Yashamaru's fault; he'd spoiled him too much when he was little.

But it's okay, there's still some time before the Chunin Exams, he has plenty of time to hone his skills.

Let him understand the cruelty of the world, and make him stronger.

This was the only profound love he, as a father, could give his child, and he believed that his beloved wife, if she knew from beyond the grave, would understand him.

The reason they hastily held the Chunin Exams this time was mainly to create the impression that we have recovered and are very strong.

But in reality, there aren't many Jonin left in power; there are fewer than twenty.

Just then, the whistle blew.

"Konoha's third team is eliminated!"