Mamoru's figure appeared silently on the roof of a building, his nostrils filled with the smell of gunpowder smoke drifting from afar.
The Six Eyes activated in an instant. Within his sensory vision, the Chakra flow of the entire battlefield was clear at a glance.
In the nearby blocks, ordinary citizens had long since been evacuated, leaving only scattered goods and broken shop signs.
The massive Shukaku was rampaging wildly in the village, every swing of its claws bringing up building debris and dust that filled the sky.
Sasuke and Naruto were facing off against Temari and Kankuro, both sides locked in a stalemate.
Further away, in the direction of the Arena, Kakashi and other Konoha Jonin were being surrounded by Jonin from Otogakure and Sunagakure.
Although each of them possessed outstanding strength, they found it difficult to break free for a moment under the restraint of human wave tactics.
Mamoru looked up into the distance. Jiraiya's figure was several kilometers away, and the toad he had called forth was engaged in a fierce battle with that massive three-headed snake.
Every collision caused the ground to shake and the mountains to sway, making it clear he could not pull away to provide support.
"In that case..."
He punched his palm, his perception locking onto Shukaku again. "This big guy... I'll take care of him."
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but complain—at critical moments, the Konoha Jonin really are unreliable.
But as soon as this thought arose, he realized he might have misjudged them. After all, not everyone is like him, not only able to soar freely in the sky but also capable of long-distance teleportation—either of these two abilities is enough to change the tide of battle in a war.
The most typical representative, who stood out in the Third Great Ninja War, was the Fourth Hokage, Minato.
...
The roar of the giant beast resounded through the sky as Shukaku's massive body rampaged wildly among the settlements.
With a casual swing of its giant claws, it sent buildings flying like building blocks.
Broken beams and shattered tiles were thrown high and then crashed down like meteors, smoke and dust filling the air.
"Mamoru! Where is Mamoru!?"
Gaara, transformed into Shukaku, continued to let out violent roars, the sound waves rolling out.
All around, a group of ninjas were striving to throw explosive tags and perform various Ninjutsu. The multicolored attacks landed on Shukaku, but it was like scratching an itch for him, leaving only shallow marks on his body made of sand. Not only did this fail to cause any effective damage, but it also further enraged the monster.
"Annoying bugs!"
Shukaku (Gaara) irritably swung a giant claw, slamming it toward the ground with a fierce wind.
The Konoha ninjas cried out and jumped away in all directions. Although they barely avoided the strike, the wind from the claw sent building fragments splashing out like cannonballs.
Poof...
Blood splattered as several ninjas who couldn't dodge in time were hit by the high-speed flying fragments, falling to the ground with heavy injuries, their wails drowned out by the louder noise of destruction.
"Die!"
Shukaku raised its giant claw high, its shadow looming over the ninjas below, looking as if it were about to slam down—he was going to crush all these ants.
At this critical moment—
Screech!
A piercing screech came from afar, tearing through the sky.
A streak of crimson lightning shot from the distance at a speed difficult for the naked eye to capture, striking Shukaku's head in an instant.
Boom!
The terrifying impact force suddenly erupted, and Shukaku's massive body was actually knocked backward, rolling like a kicked-over toy, crushing countless buildings along the way, debris flying and kicking up dust everywhere.
This sudden scene stunned all the nearby fighting ninjas. They were dazed for a moment before looking up into the sky one after another.
They saw a figure surrounded by scorching flames, suspended in mid-air, his short black and red hair fluttering slightly in the heat waves.
Mamoru slowly raised his right hand and waved it to the side, his voice calm yet clearly reaching everyone's ears. "Everyone fall back, I'll take care of him."
His tone was flat but resolute.
Although the crowd was unwilling, they also understood that staying here would only make them a burden, so they quickly helped up the wounded around them and retreated like a receding tide.
Shukaku (Gaara) shook its head, which had a small portion kicked off, and struggled to climb up from the ruins.
Its coin-shaped eyes instantly locked onto Mamoru in the sky, letting out Gaara's voice mixed with a beastly roar. "Mamoru! I found you, my prey!"
"Heh..."
A cold smile curled at the corner of Mamoru's lips as he raised his hand and clenched his fist, his knuckles making a crisp cracking sound.
"Who is the prey? We'll find out in a moment."
"Awoo!"
Shukaku (Gaara) let out a world-shaking roar, its massive body lunging toward Mamoru's direction, each landing causing the earth to tremble violently and rumble incessantly.
"In a contest of strength, I won't lose."
Before he finished speaking, Mamoru's figure had already turned into a crimson comet, charging head-on toward Shukaku (Gaara).
"Aaaaaah!" Shukaku (Gaara) roared, its giant claw slamming toward the incoming crimson figure.
Mamoru didn't back down at all. The flames on his right fist rose violently as he threw a punch.
Bang!
With a dull, heavy thud, Mamoru was sent flying by the massive force, crashing into the ground in the distance like a meteor, kicking up dust.
Shukaku (Gaara) also fell flat on its back due to the reaction force, holding the claw that had collided.
The next moment, a red light flashed within the dust, and Mamoru shot out from it, once again charging fearlessly toward Shukaku (Gaara).
Shukaku (Gaara) propped itself up with its claws; just as it raised half its body, the crimson figure in its sight was already closing in again. It didn't hesitate to swing its claw horizontally again.
However, this time Mamoru did not choose to clash head-on. He nimbly shifted his body in mid-air, narrowly avoiding the sharp claws, and sped along Shukaku (Gaara)'s thick arm, closing in on that massive head.
"What!?"
Under Shukaku (Gaara)'s astonished gaze, Mamoru's power-packed punch slammed into his right eye.
Pfft...
The fist pierced through the eyeball without any resistance. There was no expected blood, only the rough sensation of crushing mud and stone.
"Aaaaaaaaah..."
Shukaku (Gaara) let out a shrill and agonizing wail.
Mamoru was blown away by the sound waves generated by Shukaku (Gaara)'s scream.
Shukaku clutched its damaged eye, lying on the ground and continuing to wail.
Mamoru's figure appeared again, stepping firmly onto its massive belly covered in purple markings.
"Hah!"
Mamoru infused Chakra into his right fist and punched into Shukaku's belly.
Boom!
With a muffled sound, a circular shockwave mixed with fine sand spread out.
"Waaaah—" Shukaku was in pain and let out a pained cry.
Immediately after, a sound like a rapid drumbeat of a storm rang out.
Mamoru's fists turned into afterimages, punch after punch, relentlessly striking his belly.
"Aaaaaah... Damn it!"
The continuous intense pain became unbearable for Shukaku (Gaara). It slammed both claws onto its own belly, trying to flatten Mamoru.
But Mamoru flew away a step ahead, and Shukaku's claws could only hit its own body, making a loud noise and kicking up more dust.
Then, a strange humming sound came from the air. In Mamoru's hand, a Chakra sphere surrounded by flames was rapidly condensing. He dove down without hesitation, pressing the Rasengan in his hand toward the belly that Shukaku's claws were still covering.
Boom!
The air blast erupted again, and the red Rasengan showed astonishing destructive power, first piercing through Shukaku's blocking claws, then continuing its momentum to smash heavily onto its belly.
The aftershocks of the attack pushed all the surrounding sand and dust away, forming a brief vacuum zone.
The claws Shukaku used to block had been completely shattered, turning into a rain of sand, and a deep circular pit was sunken into its belly.
Shukaku's massive body twitched and then went completely still.