A hint of shock flashed across Kankuro's face.
It was surprising enough that Satoru could instantly decipher Temari's ninjutsu. But how did he figure out the mechanisms of his puppets?
Every puppeteer has unique configurations and methods of designing their mechanisms. It stood to reason—he shouldn't have been able to know.
Under the bandages, Satoru's pale blue eyes narrowed slightly, a subtle smirk curving his lips.
Kankuro's weaknesses were relatively obvious. Satoru had paid close attention to those areas during his analysis.
As a puppeteer, failing to control your emotions was a critical mistake.
Meanwhile...
"I'll make it rain sand," Gaara growled, his voice laced with unconcealed murderous intent. Was this boy ignoring him?
Good. That just meant he deserved to die.
Intense anger surged in Gaara's chest. His beastly eyes locked onto Satoru, and cracks began to form on his face, spreading like fractures in stone.
"Uh-oh, looks like I've pushed him too far," Satoru muttered, brushing back his short white hair. His pale blue eyes flickered in slight confusion.
He hadn't even done much. He hadn't really attacked. Why was Gaara reacting so violently?
This doesn't make sense!
Satoru frowned. He couldn't have Gaara unleashing the Tailed Beast now—he still wanted to keep a low profile. It would cause far too much trouble.
Racking his brain, Satoru thought, What do kids his age like? Maybe I can make amends?
He tapped his chin thoughtfully. Gaara seemed about the same age as Sasuke, his younger brother, who was two years younger than him.
Sasuke?
His eyes widened.
Oh no. Sasuke!
He suddenly remembered his little brother. Was he safe? Was Itachi still with him? His six eyes flickered as he glanced into the distance.
After a long pause, Satoru relaxed, reassured. But his gaze sharpened—there wasn't much time left. He couldn't afford to waste any more here.
Dodging Gaara's next barrage of sand bullets, he picked up the black umbrella that had fallen nearby.
"Stop running away and fight me head-on!" Gaara shouted, his deep voice echoing with frustration.
Satoru's continuous evasion had worn Gaara's patience thin. Yet despite Gaara's efforts, Satoru was too fast, evading every attack with ease.
"Have you ever seen someone willingly hand over their head?" Satoru scoffed lightly.
But he knew it was time to end this. He couldn't let Gaara expose his identity.
Satoru's gaze swept briefly across the battlefield before returning to Gaara. He stood still, holding the black umbrella casually.
"It's not impossible," Satoru said suddenly, surprising everyone. "Let's fight head-on."
He sprinted forward, flinging shuriken as he approached. His form was light and agile, weaving through the countless sand-based attacks effortlessly.
"What are you planning?" Gaara muttered, his expression growing wary. Satoru's strength wasn't to be underestimated, and his actions didn't seem random.
Could the shuriken be a distraction? Was he trying to engage in close combat?
Gaara smirked. Close combat wouldn't work—his defense was absolute.
As Satoru closed in, Gaara crossed his hands, summoning more sand to launch another attack. The closer Satoru got, the harder it would be to evade.
But Satoru was unrelenting, his speed astonishing. He avoided each strike with precision, closing the gap further.
"Absolute defense is a pain," Satoru sighed, tapping the bandages covering his face. His pale blue eyes glinted with determination.
Finally, Satoru's fingers glowed faintly with chakra as he prepared his next move. The light was subtle, not radiating any intense energy, but its speed was incredible.
Even Gaara's Sand Shield couldn't keep up.
"This speed..." Gaara thought, his eyes narrowing. His sand couldn't react fast enough. Could his defense really be called "absolute" if it couldn't block an attack in time?
Under mounting pressure, Gaara summoned his Sand Armor for extra protection.
"It's fast, but it's not powerful enough," Gaara commented coldly.
"Hey, really?" Satoru replied, feigning confusion. "That's fine. As long as I can escape, it's enough."
Gaara let out a sneer. "Escape? It's too late."
Chakra-infused sand surrounded Satoru, cutting off all escape routes.
"You're already in my range," Gaara said, his voice ominous. "There's no way out. You'll fall here today."
His eyes gleamed with deadly intent. "Sand Coffin!"
The sand surged around Satoru, encasing him completely.
"You're strong," Gaara admitted, panting slightly. "You forced me this far. But this is the end. I'll remember your name... Satoru."
But within the mound of sand, Satoru's lazy smirk remained unchanged. His eyes beneath the bandages curved slightly, his demeanor unbothered.
Gaara frowned. Why wasn't Satoru afraid? What was going on?
"Sand Burial!" Gaara declared, ready to finish the fight.
He braced himself for the blood rain that would follow, raising the black umbrella to shield himself.
Suddenly.
"Bang!"
The mound of sand didn't burst into blood. Instead, white smoke exploded, revealing nothing but air.
"What?!" Gaara's eyes widened. "A substitution?"
Shock and vigilance coursed through him. Where was Satoru?
But before he could react, the sand armor around him began to dissipate.
"Brush!"
A cold wind swept past as Gaara felt a chilling presence behind him.
He sensed a hand reaching for his head but couldn't turn quickly enough.
Satoru's chakra-infused fingers tapped Gaara's forehead lightly. The moment passed in an instant as Satoru vanished, reappearing at a distance.
"Hozuki, Shiro!" Satoru called out cheerfully. "If you don't leave now, it'll be too late."
Hearing his voice, Hozuki and Shiro looked up, catching sight of Satoru retreating. Without hesitation, they abandoned their fights against Temari and Kankuro, racing after him.
"What did he do this time?" they thought in exasperation, all too familiar with Satoru's antics.
"Boom! Boom!"
A deafening sound echoed behind them as streaks of lightning lit up the battlefield. A powerful electric current formed a massive grid, shrouding the area in destruction.
Shiro and Hozuki glanced back, stunned by the scene. The air crackled with electricity, obliterating everything in its path.
"What did he do while we were fighting?" Shiro muttered, perplexed.
Hozuki sighed, shaking his head as they hurried after Satoru. They both sheathed their weapons, already resigned to their leader's enigmatic ways.
>>>>>
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