Gaara let out a quiet breath and slowly stepped back.
But the killing intent in his heart surged once again.
Missing the first opportunity had allowed him to be beaten again and again.
But—as long as he had time to widen the distance—
He could control the sand and crush the detestable man before him into a cloud of blood.
Rustle…
Behind him, streams of sand began flowing out of the massive gourd on his back once more.
Heavy as a thousand pounds.
They surrounded his entire body.
The sand seemed almost alive, guarding Gaara tightly from every direction.
"Mother…"
The murderous storm in Gaara's heart wavered slightly.
"I made you worry…"
"Making Mother worry… you deserve to die!"
He muttered to himself. A clump of sand gathered beneath his feet, lifting him into the sky.
Then he looked down at Uchiha Kai from above.
The corner of his swollen mouth twisted into a crazed grin, the killing intent in his heart no longer restrained.
"Heh—tss… heh—tss…"
But after laughing twice, the movement of his lips sent a wave of unbearable pain across his face.
He sucked in two sharp breaths and suppressed the pain, speaking coldly.
"I'm above, you're below. The advantage is mine now. Are you ready to die, insect?!"
Ah, that felt good.
All the anger from being beaten earlier poured out through those insults.
In the ninja world, very few possessed the ability to fly.
So he wasn't worried at all about being caught again by Kai's terrifying speed.
From here on out, the battle would be completely one-sided.
A slaughter.
At the same moment, inside the sealed space within Gaara's body—
After hearing Gaara's furious shouting, Shukaku was utterly stunned.
Its tail, which had been lazily swaying moments ago, dropped limply to the ground.
Its jagged teeth parted slightly as if it wanted to say something.
But in the end, no words came out.
Only a single thought surfaced in its mind.
Play with sand long enough… and you end up turning yourself into a sand idiot.
On the streets of Konoha—
Clang.
Clang.
Just as Gaara was about to unleash a powerful ninjutsu, a harsh sound suddenly reached his ears.
It sounded like metal striking.
Or perhaps the grinding of something massive.
"What… is that?"
Gaara paused, confusion flickering in his mind.
The moment the words left his mouth—
Another sonic boom exploded through the air.
Whoosh!
A metal chain ripped through the atmosphere.
A black shadow arrived before Gaara faster than the sound itself.
It was—
A pitch-black chain.
Without warning, one end appeared in Kai's palm, while the other seemed to pierce directly into empty space.
No.
Not empty space.
Realizing something was wrong, Gaara immediately manipulated the sand to lift himself even higher.
At the same time, his Absolute Defense completely enveloped him.
With these two measures, no trick or scheme should be able to harm him.
But imagination was beautiful.
Reality was cruel.
Just as Gaara raised his head to ascend—
A chain carrying a chilling aura suddenly appeared in front of him.
And lashed out.
It struck directly across his swollen face, still twisted with killing intent.
SMACK!!!
The explosive sound echoed through the sky.
This strike did not merely hit flesh.
It struck the soul itself.
"Puh—!"
This blow was far more vicious than the slap earlier.
Even the sand of Absolute Defense failed to block it for even a moment.
Gaara's entire body felt as though it had been smashed by a massive hammer.
He was sent crashing down from the sky.
The murderous expression on his face hadn't even had time to change before the immense force spun him through the air and sent him flying.
"Ah—!"
Only then did the people below hear Gaara's short, miserable scream.
That single lash hurt far too much.
"Gaara?!!!"
Below, seeing her younger brother in such a state, Temari's voice trembled with panic.
Her hand holding the giant iron fan shook violently.
The massive fan slipped from her grasp with a loud clang, crashing to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Her entire mind felt as though it had been struck by lightning.
Dazed.
That chain…
It shattered Gaara's Absolute Defense with a single strike?
That defense carried the protective will of their mother!
How could it possibly be broken so easily?
Compared to Temari, who could still cry out, Kankuro was completely frozen.
His mind blank.
His vision filled with nothing but that black chain.
A terrifying sight.
"Damn it! Absolute Defense—block it!"
Above them, Gaara, once again being brutally taught a lesson, could only desperately condense his special sand.
The sand wrapped around him, forming a thick yellow-brown cylindrical shell.
Like a giant cocoon.
He hoped it would block the black chain.
Seeing this, Kai slightly restrained the sealing power within the chain.
But his arm continued to swing.
Again.
And again.
Like whipping a spinning top.
The chain lashed repeatedly against Gaara's Absolute Defense.
Smack!
Smack!
Smack!
The battlefield filled with the relentless sound of the chain striking sand.
Even with the sealing power restrained—
Even with Absolute Defense protecting him—
Every strike still carried an unstoppable force that smashed violently into his body.
Chest.
Back.
Limbs.
Shoulders.
Every lash came with sharp, searing pain.
"Haa… haa…"
Gaara spat out a mouthful of dark blood.
His body instinctively tried to condense another layer of Sand Armor.
But before the chain, it was as fragile as paper.
It shattered instantly.
[Target defeated: Gaara (Shukaku's Jinchūriki).]
[Copy successful. Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the special trait: Insomniac (Black).]
[Permanent mental exhaustion. Difficulty sleeping. However, grants 24-hour continuous alertness and perception.]
The trait had been obtained.
The cold system notification echoed in Kai's mind.
He froze for a moment.
Then his face darkened completely.
"Damn it."
Out of all the abilities he could have gotten…
And this was the one he received?
Insomnia?
Wasn't that something only old people suffered from?
He was still young and growing.
How could he possibly become an insomniac?
But…
If the Jinchūriki didn't work…
Kai frowned slightly and looked into Gaara's eyes.
His gaze seemed to pierce through space itself.
Into the sealed world within.
Inside the sealing space—
Shukaku suddenly jolted upright.
The sealing runes across its body began flowing rapidly.
"Strange… this feeling…"
The small tailed beast scratched its head in confusion.
Logically speaking, inside the Jinchūriki's seal, it should be completely safe.
Unless the Jinchūriki died.
Thinking of this, Shukaku slowly relaxed again, curling its body into a circle.
"Even if he dies, my full form could still crush that guy."
Just as the words left its mouth—
A voice suddenly sounded behind it.
"Really?"
"Of course! I'll definitely crush that guy!"
Shukaku answered without even thinking, swinging its massive claw confidently.
"It'll only take one swipe from me."
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