For a moment, Gaara was mesmerized by Natsuki's bright, cheerful smile.
More importantly, his sand hadn't automatically reacted defensively, which was unbelievable. It had never happened before.
Anyone who dared approach him with ill intent was usually strangled by the sand before they could even act.
Did this guy want to be his friend? A warmth bloomed in Gaara's chest. Could he... have a friend?
But the next instant, he felt something touch his head.
Gaara's good mood vanished in a flash, replaced by a ferocious glare. "I'll kill you! Killing you will prove my worth!"
A maniacal grin twisted his lips as a torrent of sand erupted from the gourd on his back.
"It's over! Gaara's lost control again!" Kankuro's face paled as he leaped back.
"Sigh, acting foolish again. Looks like I'll have to knock some sense into you," Natsuki said nonchalantly, completely unconcerned by the ominous yellow sand.
His body seemed to defy gravity, floating away like a phantom. At the same time, he flicked his right wrist.
A powerful repulsive force slammed into Gaara's small frame, sending him flying like a cannonball.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Towering trees splintered and crashed as a thick cloud of dust and smoke billowed into the air.
"Gaara!" Temari screamed and rushed towards her brother, intending to check on his injuries and use the opportunity to escape from this terrifying enemy.
The attack had been too bizarre.
A simple wave of the hand had sent Gaara flying, his condition unknown.
Was this still the Chunin Exams? How could such a terrifying opponent exist? It was the first time they had seen their brother defeated so easily.
Both Temari and Kankuro were utterly shocked.
"Don't worry, your brother's tough. That little attack won't break through his double defenses," Natsuki's voice drifted down from above.
Kankuro took the puppet off his back and stared warily at the boy floating in the air.
A moment later, his pupils constricted.
He saw another figure floating effortlessly down from the tall tree canopy to join the boy.
A girl with byakugan?!
From the Hyuga Clan!
The two were undoubtedly powerful enemies.
No, a team has three members. There should be one more.
As if to confirm his thoughts, several shuriken shot towards him.
He used his puppet to block them. Two figures, one after the other, appeared beside him. A boy and a dog.
"Natsuki, you're being too reckless."
So the one who sent Gaara flying with a single move is called Natsuki?
"Hey, I'm your opponent!" Kiba shouted excitedly, dropping to all fours and activating his Four Legs Technique.
As a puppeteer, being approached so easily was extremely dangerous.
Beads of sweat appeared on Kankuro's forehead.
It was all because he had been focused on Gaara and the others.
He had to escape first.
Black Secret Technique: Poison Smoke Bomb!
Instantly, a thick, acrid smoke billowed from the joints of the puppet in front of him.
The sudden attack forced Kiba and Akamaru to retreat. Kankuro took the opportunity to vanish into the fog.
This secret technique could not only block the enemy's vision and contained a paralyzing poison.
It was a perfect escape tactic.
"I'll kill you!!!"
Gaara's enraged roar erupted from behind him.
Although usually afraid of his younger brother, Kankuro felt a strange sense of security hearing his voice now.
The next moment, Gaara emerged from the swirling smoke, his face contorted in a terrifying grimace. Several horrifying cracks marred his normally smooth face.
"The Sand Armor's defense is truly impressive," Natsuki chuckled, further enraging Gaara.
Sand drizzle!
The yellow sand on the ground surged up like a flood, transforming into countless projectiles that hurtled toward Natsuki and Hinata.
But the two were no longer where they had been.
"You're oo slow man, you can't hit us."
While he had been commenting on the Sand Armor, Natsuki had pulled Hinata back, drifting away from the attack.
Gaara's forehead pulsed with a network of bulging veins.
After only two exchanges, rage consumed him.
"Gaara, calm down! Don't forget the mission Father gave us," Temari warned anxiously from beside him.
She was terrified he would completely lose control and unleash the One-Tail.
Her words brought Gaara back to his senses somewhat, but his fury remained undimmed.
He shot his sister a cold glare before charging towards Natsuki and Hinata.
"Such a bad temper for someone so young," Natsuki's voice rang out. "I'll let my pet play with you for a bit. I choose you, Agumon! Go!"
With a shout, a small, dinosaur-like creature dashed out from the nearby bushes. It leaped into the air and launched a small fireball towards Gaara.
Poof!
Gaara simply raised a hand, his sand transforming into a whip that swatted the fireball out of existence long before it could reach him.
He then nonchalantly smacked Agumon into a nearby tree trunk, sending it tumbling to the ground like a rag doll.
Gaara scoffed. This weakling felt more like a stress reliever than an opponent. Is this supposed to be some sort of joke?
However, Gaara's dismissive attitude only served to infuriate the energetic Agumon. It roared and charged again.
But before it could reach Gaara, his automatically activated sand defense ensnared it, burying most of its body, leaving only its head sticking out.
Undeterred, Agumon opened its mouth and launched another small fireball.
While it had no effect whatsoever, still being effortlessly blocked by the sand, it successfully ignited Gaara's rage.
"You!You!You!! I will kill you tooo!!!"
"Sand Binding..."
Gaara slowly closed his right hand, the sand around Agumon tightening its grip, threatening to engulf it completely.
"Agumon! You are the bravest! Give it your all and Digivolve!" Natsuki's voice called out clearly from above.
He raised his right hand, aiming it at Agumon. If the digivolution failed, he would use his gravity manipulation to pull it out of danger.
"Roar!" Agumon struggled violently, sending sand flying, but it couldn't escape the sand's hold.
It felt a faint pull of gravity reaching it.
It knew that was its master's power, coming to save him.
But it hadn't done anything! All this time, despite his master's eccentric personality, he had been cared for, fed delicious roasted meat... Did he deserve his master's care?
Below, the boy with the dark circles around his eyes displayed a cruel, bloodthirsty smirk.
"Sand Burial!" Gaara's right hand finally closed into a fist, the surrounding sand crushing inwards.
A spray of blood erupted. "What? My gravity didn't pull it out? Agumon is resisting my help." Natsuki was stunned.
The next moment, a blinding pillar of light shot into the sky.
"Agumon, Digivolve!!!" A voice, unique to Agumon, suddenly resounded.
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