"Kazekage-sama... got blown away?"
The people of Sunagakure were dumbfounded. Their invincible Kazekage had been punched half a stadium away by a mere boy.
And now, Rasa lay on the ground like a dead dog, unmoving.
Could he have fainted?
A gambler who had just bet on Rasa fumbled nervously, shouting, "My 5000 ryō! Bet it on the mysterious kid to win!"
The bookmaker, Otada Momonosuke, turned red with anger. "No take-backs! Get lost!"
As one of the Kazekage's guards, Maki turned pale and rushed toward Rasa's collapsed form.
"Damn it! Are you trying to die?!"
On the barren ground, Rasa, bleeding from the corner of his mouth, struggled to stand. Rage filled his voice as he shouted.
That punch... If not for his lightning-fast reaction and a last-second gold sand shield, he would've been dead.
Dead at the hands of a nameless brat. If word of this got out, Rasa would be the laughingstock of the ninja world, and Sunagakure would become a joke.
Maki hesitated, looking at Rasa trembling from exertion, and asked cautiously, "Kazekage-sama, are you alright?"
"Alright, my ass!"
Rasa didn't even have the energy to glare at Maki. His chakra reserves were still nearly full, yet he had already sustained this much damage.
In a proper ninja duel, weren't they supposed to use up all their chakra first, then resort to hand-to-hand combat for a dramatic, honorable finish? This wasn't how things were supposed to go!
Meanwhile, at a distance.
Qi Hai stood ready, his expression serious. Though his punch was powerful, he thought it would only scrape the stronger fighters back in the One Piece world. After all, people there had absurd durability, often bleeding profusely or surviving injuries to vital organs without faltering.
Surely the Kazekage, as one of the strongest in the Naruto world, would be no different. This punch probably only angered him.
As he braced himself, Qi Hai's Armament Haki spread across his body like a black armor.
"It's coming. The world-destroying move!" Qi Hai thought, steeling himself.
Rasa glared at Qi Hai with fury and wove a hand seal.
"Magnet Release: Gold Sand Torrent!"
The barren ground beneath them erupted. Sand churned like a river, surging endlessly. Within moments, all the sand turned to gold.
Maki's face went pale.
Chiyo immediately issued a command: "Evacuate all the villagers in this area!"
It was clear now. The disaster of a man named Rasa was going all out, preparing to unleash his ultimate technique.
As the sand and gold surged around him, Qi Hai shifted into his elemental form, turning his legs into water and floating just above the ground to avoid being swept away.
But Rasa smirked. "Too late. Magnet Release: Gold Sand Burial!"
The gold sand surged like a tidal wave, burying Qi Hai completely. The technique was merciless, designed to entomb enemies deep within the gold sand before triggering a massive explosion. The resulting blast could even reduce the gold sand itself to particles—let alone a human body.
As the gold sand buried Qi Hai, his last shout echoed: "Ahhh! Sand's getting in my nose!"
Hovering on his gold sand cushion, Rasa inspected his handiwork. The massive mound of gold sand resembled a volcano—a grave for anyone foolish enough to challenge him.
"Kazekage-sama, this is what happens when you anger me! Prepare to die, boy! Wahahaha!"
At the betting stand.
Otada Momonosuke shouted, "Hey, you, the guy with the hooked nose! Still want to change your bet?"
"Change my ass! Bet another 5000 ryō on Kazekage-sama to win!"
Otada's face darkened. "Betting for this round is over!"
Despite the apparent outcome, Chiyo remained uneasy.
That boy had no chakra, but his body was abnormal—he could twist and contort like paper and even turn into water. Could sand truly bury seawater?
As head of the Puppet and Scientific Research Division, Chiyo was skeptical.
Of course, the sand couldn't bury water.
Suddenly, a clear shout rang out from within the mound:
"The Titan of Haiye Hill!"
With a loud crack, the top of the gold sand grave split apart.
The next moment, an enormous 40-meter-tall giant emerged.
Its body was made entirely of greenish seawater, covered in black Armament Haki armor. A sapphire-encrusted crown adorned its head, and it wielded a beast-patterned trident.
The Titan of Haiye Hill.
The name and design were Qi Hai's creations, modeled after Ultraman's proportions for dramatic effect. This form was one of Qi Hai's most powerful transformations using his Devil Fruit abilities. While its strength was formidable, its speed left much to be desired.
Chiyo, Maki, Ebizō, and Jinto stared in awe, their faces full of shock and disbelief.
"Is this... humanly possible?"
Rasa, too, was stunned. He'd seen massive beings like Shukaku before, but this giant radiated an aura that sent a chill deep into his soul.
"This... is ridiculous!"
Rasa quickly snapped himself out of it, slapping his own face. Losing focus in battle was a deadly mistake. He had to fight for the honor of Sunagakure and the title of Kazekage.
But it was too late.
Qi Hai, now in his Titan form, roared: "Relentless Iron Hand!"
With a speed that defied its size, the Titan's massive hand shot forward, grabbing Rasa and crushing his gold sand cushion in the process.
Now gripped tightly in Qi Hai's hand, Rasa struggled like an ant.
Qi Hai stared at him in mild disbelief. "This is the Naruto world? This is the Kazekage? Seriously, is that all?"
Disappointed, Qi Hai tightened his grip. The sound of bones cracking echoed, and the crowd realized that several of Rasa's bones had already broken.
Finally, with a flick of his massive finger, Qi Hai sent Rasa flying hundreds of meters into a group of Sunagakure shinobi.
"Just this? Seriously, just this? You're the Kazekage, huh? You dare attack my friend? Haiye is not pleased!"
Realizing the extent of his own power, Qi Hai decided there was no need to play dumb anymore.
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