The rain of senbon, like a pressing dark cloud, circled above Gaara's head, the tips of the needles glinting with dangerous light in the sun.
Facing this terrifying display, Gaara didn't even frown. He just stood there quietly, blinking occasionally as if watching a performance that had nothing to do with him.
"Ha!"
With the Ame ninja uncle's shout, the rain of senbon finally poured down. The dense steel needles were like a swarm of locusts, instantly engulfing the spot where Gaara stood.
Boom... Boom...
The sound of senbon hitting the ground was continuous, kicking up clouds of dust. Sand and stones flew, and smoke filled the air, shrouding the entire area in a grey mist.
From the sidelines, Mamoru reached out to wave away the dust drifting before his eyes and sneered, "What a fool. What can you hit by making such a big smoke screen? Don't you know the law that smoke means no damage?"
Mamoru's mockery-filled words were caught by the sharp-eared Ame ninja uncle. The smugness that had originally appeared on his face instantly vanished, replaced by an extremely ugly expression as fury rose within him.
He glared viciously in Mamoru's direction.
You really dare to talk, actually questioning my Ninjutsu. Once I'm done with these brats, it'll be your turn.
The Ame ninja uncle stopped his offensive. He turned toward Mamoru, his voice trembling slightly with anger. "You brat, you dare say my Ninjutsu can't hurt anyone?"
Mamoru was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself, 'Crap, he can hear me from that far? Does he have super-hearing or something?'
He gestured with his chin toward the smoke-filled area. "I wasn't talking nonsense. See for yourself."
Everyone's gaze turned in unison toward that area.
A breeze from the forest blew in at just the right time, gradually dispersing the dust and smoke to reveal the scene within.
An egg-shaped sand shell stood tall. Its thick sand walls were densely packed with senbon, making it look like a cactus made of sand. There was an irregular gap in the front of the shell, through which Gaara could be seen standing safely inside. He still maintained his posture with his arms crossed, not even a corner of his clothes ruffled.
"Is this all you're capable of?"
Gaara's cold voice sounded from inside the sand shell.
"How can this be..." The Ame ninja stared with wide, disbelieving eyes. "He blocked them all?"
"To actually be completely unharmed... that's impossible!"
He hurriedly formed hand seals, and the senbon stuck in the ground rose in response, shooting straight for the gap in the sand shell. However, a wall of sand suddenly rose, blocking all the attacks.
"Is this what you call a rain of senbon?"
Light leaked in from the gap in the sand shell, illuminating Gaara's face in the shadows. His grim tone made the surrounding air seem to freeze. "In that case, let me make it rain blood."
The Shield of Sand disintegrated, turning into quicksand and slowly falling to the ground, filling the air with a thin layer of dust.
"It actually formed a sand barrier?" The Ame Ninja uncle broke out in a cold sweat, his voice starting to tremble.
"That's right." Kankuro said with his hands in his pockets, his tone somewhat boastful. "This is the qbsolute defense formed by sand. The sand in the gourd can be driven at will, and under Gaara's powerful Chakra, it becomes indestructible. This is Gaara's unique move, and..."
"Hey, fatty in black!"
Mamoru suddenly interrupted him, "Is it really okay for you to just tell others your own people's intel like that?"
Kankuro clicked his tongue in displeasure. "Tch, mind your own business."
Mamoru cupped his hands around his mouth and deliberately lowered his voice. "How bold. Is that how you talk to your father?"
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Kankuro jumped up in anger, his whole face flushing red. "Argh—you're pissing me off!"
"Shut up, Kankuro!" Gaara shouted, frowning in displeasure.
"Gaara, he started it—"
"I told you to shut up!"
Gaara looked back and glared at him. That look made Kankuro fall silent instantly, only able to curse both of them in his heart.
"Wow... how pitiful." Mamoru laughed gloatingly. "I've never given my brothers such a cold shoulder."
Kankuro's eyes twitched as he listened, wishing he could strangle this annoying guy immediately, but he lacked the strength.
Gaara ignored them and locked his gaze back onto the Ame ninjas. He formed hand signs, extending one hand with fingers slightly curved and placing two fingers of the other hand vertically in front of his chest.
Sand Binding Coffin!
The sand beneath his feet seemed to be endowed with life, surging toward the Ame ninja uncle like a tide.
"W-What?"
By the time the Ame ninja uncle reacted, the sand had already wrapped around his ankles and was rapidly spreading up his calves. The quicksand climbed up his body like a living thing, entwining his chest and abdomen, binding his arms, and finally leaving only a terrified face exposed.
"Oh no... I can't move..." He managed to say with difficulty.
A human-shaped sand sculpture was thus completed, every detail lifelike, carrying an eerie beauty.
The black umbrellas in the air, losing their Chakra support, fell one after another, kicking up small clouds of dust on the ground.
"Aaaaaah—!"
Painful wails of the Ame ninja uncle sounded from inside the sand sculpture. The pressure of the sand made him feel as if his internal organs were about to be crushed.
Gaara stepped forward without changing his expression and picked up a black umbrella from the ground. With a gentle shake, the umbrella opened.
He stood holding the umbrella, his voice terrifyingly calm. "I could have easily shut you up before killing you. But that would be too cruel."
He manipulated his Chakra, and the sand sculpture slowly rose into the air. Through the thinning layer of sand, the Ame ninja's face, distorted by fear, was clearly visible. At this moment, he deeply regretted not following Mamoru's suggestion to exchange his life for the scroll.
However, it was all too late.
Sand Burial!
The sand sculpture in the air suddenly contracted, making a tooth-aching squeezing sound. With a series of muffled cracks of breaking bones, the Ame ninja inside was instantly crushed and deformed. Crimson blood sprayed out from the gaps in the sand, splashing everywhere like a burst water bag.
The scene was nauseatingly bloody, but it didn't affect Mamoru much, it just made him feel a bit disgusted.
The rain of blood stained the surrounding ground in patches. Fortunately, Mamoru was far enough away. Otherwise, he might have been bathed in that stinking crimson.
A pungent metallic smell of rust filled the air, mixed with the fresh scent of grass, forming a bizarre blend that entered everyone's nostrils.
Mamoru couldn't help but frown, holding his breath as he looked at Gaara, who stood under the umbrella in the rain of blood.
He muttered to himself that this killing method was too low-class. Blood was splattered everywhere, making everything filthy—it was truly bad taste.
In his opinion, methods where not a single drop of blood was seen were the most sophisticated. On this point, he had to mention the professionalism of the Zoldyck family.