"You've wasted enough time. I don't have time to keep dancing around you anymore."
Ino yanked both hands downward, and a surge of crimson energy completely engulfed Karasu. The chakra threads connecting Kankuro to his puppet were forcibly severed. Under the control of Chaos Magic, Karasu was hurled through the air straight toward the spectator seats.
"My Karasu!"
Kankuro gasped in shock and shot out fresh chakra threads, managing to reattach them to the falling puppet just before it crashed into the audience area.
"I already figured it out—puppeteers are weak the moment they lose their puppets' protection or let enemies get close. And yet, you—a puppeteer—actually forgot that?"
As Kankuro exhaled in relief while pulling Karasu back, he suddenly heard Ino's voice whispering directly into his ear. Moments later, Karasu helplessly dropped to the ground, while Kankuro himself was tightly bound by the scarlet energy, rendered completely immobile.
"Dammit, I was careless."
Kankuro's heart sank immediately. He had been so focused on rescuing Karasu that he completely forgot Ino was still waiting for him to make a mistake. Now, there was no escaping—he was about to lose.
He never expected that even after revealing all his secret techniques, he still couldn't defeat his opponent. Though filled with resentment, disappointment brewed within Kankuro as well. As he prepared to begrudgingly surrender... his voice was cut off by a sudden gag.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
Confused and alarmed, panic surged through Kankuro. Was she going to kill him? That must be it—he was being prevented from surrendering. Those underhanded Leaf ninjas really were ruthless! Would his young, vibrant life end right here today?!
"Though I can't kill you, I also won't give you any way to resist either!"
When facing an enemy, even when victory seems certain, one must never waste words or offer a chance to recover. This belief burned deeply in Ino and her companions. So when she saw Kankuro try to surrender, Ino moved first—gagging him instantly and ending the match.
*What are you trying to do?!*
Kankuro screamed internally, though no one could hear his thoughts. As for Baki, who wanted to speak up and surrender on Kankuro's behalf, he hesitated. Having already been wrongly accused by Sakura once before, if he helped Kankuro now, people might misunderstand his relationship with him. Besides, since Kankuro was the Kazekage's son, the Leaf wouldn't allow him to die easily anyway. Without real danger to his life, injuries sustained here shouldn't matter greatly. And regarding the possibility of being disqualified from participating in the Leaf Destruction Plan a month later—it wasn't a big deal. After all, Kankuro's role in the plan was originally just symbolic; whether he participated or not made little difference.
"Ever felt like you're spinning in circles with no way out?!"
Ino's voice reached Kankuro's ears, and instantly he felt himself spinning rapidly. The scenery before him blurred. After just a few rotations, he found himself being controlled by Ino, orbiting around the battlefield like a planet circling her.
Everything in front of him had long since turned into an indistinct blur. All Kankuro could hear was the roaring wind whipping past his ears. With both high-speed spinning and orbital movement combined, the gusts slicing across his face felt as sharp as blades.
From the spectator stands and the audience area, everyone saw a black figure cloaked in crimson chakra start by spinning like a top. Then, just as suddenly, it began to orbit around Ino in a steady, circular path. Even Kakashi and Sasuke, each using their own Three-Tomoe Sharingan, could only see a streak of black and red flashing through the air. As for Kankuro's specific condition, they couldn't make that out either. Who could blame them? The kid was dressed head to toe in black robes, with a hood pulled low over his face.
Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Three: Konoha's Lotus Will Bloom Again [Part One]
"Kankuro?" Temari stared for a moment before suddenly realizing—the figure below was her younger brother. Immediately anxious, she shouted toward Hayate Gekko. "Hey, Konoha's examiner! My brother has already lost! Why haven't you ended the match yet?"
"Under the match rules," Hayate coughed, "the fight can't be stopped unless one side surrenders or is knocked out cold. Your Sand Village contestant hasn't surrendered, your squad's Jonin leader hasn't either, and we can't confirm whether he's incapacitated. Therefore, I cannot stop this match right now."
"But—" Temari hesitated, confused. Judging from Kankuro's condition, he probably couldn't even call out a surrender at this point.
"Don't worry, Temari. Kankuro isn't in any life-threatening danger. Although Ino looks ruthless, she's actually very soft-hearted. She won't truly harm Kankuro, so you don't need to worry so much!"
Sakura stepped over to comfort Temari. "Besides, Konoha's medical staff are already at the edge of the arena, standing by. As soon as the match ends, they'll rush over immediately. Kankuro will be fine!"
"You're sure?!" Temari glanced toward the so-called medical personnel, her expression darkening instantly. She could understand the doctor wearing a surgical mask, but what about that muscular guy covered entirely in bandages, leaving only his eyes exposed—was he really a doctor too?
"Even though Zabuza doesn't exactly look like a doctor, he's actually a renowned chief surgeon at Konoha Hospital, having performed countless major operations. His precision with the scalpel is incredible. The white-clad assistant next to him, Haku, is equally skilled in medicine. With them here, you can rest assured!"
Sakura gave Zabuza a glowing recommendation—even though everything she said was actually true. Zabuza's precision with the scalpel really was impressive, considering his background as part of Mist's elite assassins.
"But Kankuro really does look like he's about to collapse!" Temari still worried intensely. Kankuro, currently spinning so fast that everything looked like a blur, wouldn't actually die from this, would he? "If this keeps going, I'm afraid Kankuro might burst a blood vessel!"
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