The three shuriken barely fazed Gaara, but they made him realize something important—if this continued, he would lose.
"It's time to fight seriously," he muttered, his eyes sharpening with determination.
He raised his arms.
"I'll use everything at once!"
The sand from his gourd burst forth, flooding the battlefield.
In an instant, the air was thick with swirling sand, and the ground was covered.
Gaara stretched out his hands.
"Sand Tsunami!"
A massive wave of sand surged outward, sweeping across the arena.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
(This technique… The way it's executed may be different, but the theory behind it is the same as before. If Gaara can use large-scale jutsu like this, will he finally locate Sakiya?)
"Cracking this technique should be simple," he murmured, licking his lips involuntarily.
---
Gaara, standing in the center of the storm of sand, was already sweating.
Controlling this much sand was difficult for him—it took a toll.
But his goal wasn't to crush Sakiya.
It was to find her.
And sure enough… he did.
The moment his sand swept through the field, he sensed a disturbance—something real, something solid.
He saw Sakiya standing within the waves of sand, her figure flickering like a mirage.
But ten meters away… he felt the sand touch something real.
Gaara made a split-second decision.
He abandoned the widespread attack and instead focused all of his sand toward the point where his instincts told him she was.
"I've got you!"
He clenched his fist, and the sand obeyed, rapidly compressing around an unseen figure.
At first, it was as if it were closing on thin air.
Then—
Resistance.
Something was there.
The sand tightened, and suddenly, Sakiya's figure was forced into visibility, caught within the swirling mass of sand.
She struggled, trying to break free, but the more she fought, the tighter the sand constricted around her.
"Tch! I hate sand!" she snapped.
---
Chihiro and Ino had been watching anxiously.
The moment Sakiya was captured, their hearts clenched.
But then—
Ino heard her muttering something under her breath.
A phrase that, given the situation, was far too casual.
Immediately, Ino felt some of her worry fade.
(She's still got something up her sleeve…)
Sure enough—Gaara, now confident in his victory, raised his hand.
"Sand Coffin!"
The sand around Sakiya rapidly condensed into a sphere, its movements violent and unforgiving.
Gaara smirked cruelly.
And then—he clenched his fist.
The sand ball collapsed inward.
But something felt wrong.
Gaara's expression stiffened.
The pressure… it didn't feel right.
Then—
"The Eternal Death Cycle!"
Sakiya's voice rang out.
Gaara's instincts screamed at him—danger!
He immediately reinforced his armor with an extra layer of sand.
Then he saw them.
Two Sakiyas, standing on either side of him, hands forming seals.
A surge of water rose out of nowhere, rushing toward him.
(Water Release?!)
Gaara reacted instantly, splitting his sand armor into two thick shields, blocking the incoming attack.
But that's when he saw it.
Another Sakiya.
Right in front of him.
Sword in hand.
His eyes widened in shock.
(A decoy!)
His position was locked.
And now—
A direct hit!
As realization struck, Gaara barely had time to react.
The situation shifted in an instant!
"Descend into endless oblivion! Death's Destruction Slash!"
Sakiya's eyes sharpened as she fiercely drew her sword.
Shing!
The blade glinted coldly as it emerged from its sheath.
At the same time, the Water Release jutsu crashed into Gaara's sand shield, dispersing it.
But then…
Sakiya, gripping the hilt with her small hands, attempted to fully unsheath her sword.
However, there was a problem.
The sword was longer than she was tall.
Given the height difference, it was physically impossible for her to draw the entire blade while holding it in that position.
So now, the scene looked like this—
Sakiya stood still, her eyes cold and unwavering, having drawn only half of the sword.
Gaara, on the other hand, was staring at her in silent confusion.
An awkward silence filled the battlefield.
After a long moment, Sakiya finally abandoned her attempt at looking cool.
A hint of panic crossed her face as she stood on her toes, stretched her arms, and even lifted one leg high, trying desperately to unsheath the rest of the sword.
It didn't budge.
Gaara's mouth twitched.
The audience was quiet at first.
Then—
Laughter erupted.
"Huh… what?"
"Pfft—HAHAHAHA!"
"She was so cool for one second—what happened?!"
"This girl is both hilarious and adorable!"
Even Ino and the others were at a loss for words, completely dumbfounded.
Hearing the laughter, Sakiya's cheeks puffed up in frustration.
With an annoyed huff, she untied the strap securing the scabbard to her back.
Then—she threw the entire sword onto the ground and stomped on it.
Gaara stared, feeling an indescribable sense of secondhand embarrassment.
Sakiya noticed his expression and immediately shouted at him.
"What are you looking at?! My sword is too powerful! If I fully unsheathe it, it will demand countless sacrifices! I chose not to draw it—for the sake of the innocent!"
Gaara broke into a cold sweat.
(If that sword is so powerful… why are you stomping on it?)
(Also… I feel embarrassed just watching this…)
At this moment, Gaara was utterly confused.
By all logic, he should have been struck down already.
But somehow… he was still standing.
Had she failed? Or was she just bad at being dramatic?
The awkward silence stretched on.
Even the Third Hokage, watching from the stands, found himself smiling stiffly, unsure of how to react. He sneaked a glance at the Fourth Kazekage beside him, hesitant to comment.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru—disguised among the spectators—felt the corners of his mouth twitch.
(This girl has a… unique way of fighting.)
Chihiro, watching with a mix of disbelief and mild exasperation, muttered under her breath.
"Sakiya… you never fail to surprise me…"
---
Back on the battlefield, Kihana Sakiya and Gaara locked eyes.
Gaara spoke coldly.
"You gave me an opening. Don't blame me for taking it."
Sakiya, unfazed, placed one hand on her hip and pointed dramatically toward the sky.
"Hah! My Eyes of Death are going wild too!"
She tilted her head back, ignoring Gaara completely.
"The birth of the universe! The root of all things! The decay of infinity! The ultimate—"
Gaara had no intention of standing still and listening.
Without hesitation, he commanded his sand to surge toward her.
But—his eyes widened in shock.
The sand passed straight through her.
Just like before.
Another illusion?
But he had been watching her closely the whole time—she hadn't made any visible movements.
Had she activated this technique before she attempted to draw her sword?
Was this… real?
Gaara's expression darkened.
But Sakiya remained oblivious to his growing frustration, continuing her declaration.
"The final knot of destiny! The power of endless death shall be unleashed!"
She suddenly pointed at Gaara.
"Death Burst!"
A massive magic circle unfolded beneath her feet, expanding outward until it covered the entire arena.
The spectators gasped.
A few even started murmuring to each other.
(These effects alone were worth the price of admission…!)
With Sakiya standing in the center of the glowing runes, her confident smirk illuminated by the dazzling display, she looked unstoppable.
But Gaara's expression only grew colder.
The bloodthirst in his eyes flared.
"Aaah… I see. I can't break your technique."
His voice was low, laced with something dangerous.
"Then I have no choice but to wake it up."
Kankuro, sitting in the stands, immediately tensed.
He turned to Temari, exchanged a knowing look—
And quietly slipped away.
On the battlefield, Gaara closed his eyes and formed a hand seal.
"Fake Sleep Jutsu."
The air grew heavy.
Something terrible was about to be unleashed.
__________
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