Sand Style Fusion

From within the whirlwind, an incomparably violent aura surged into the sky.

"We're done for. It's too late. I didn't expect those three Sand Shinobi to fuse with the sandstorm so quickly. Naruto, hurry and fire a signal flare to call the other two teams over for support!"

Hyuga Yumi shouted anxiously at Naruto.

"Got it!"

But after feeling around his body for quite a while, Naruto failed to find the signal flare.

"Damn, I think I left it in the bushes when I took a dump earlier."

Naruto gave a bitter smile.

"You brainless, stupid, useless idiot!"

Xiao Yun could not help but curse Naruto out.

The three teams were only a hundred meters apart. Outside, that distance might be nothing, but within the Forest of Death shrouded by the Twin-Yang Crimson Purple Flame, it was quite far.

From a spatial perspective, the distance was insignificant. But within this barrier, sound, vision, and even sensory abilities were all greatly weakened.

The Byakugan could indeed allow them to monitor one another, but keeping it activated consumed a great deal of Chakra. The Hyuga Clan members could not keep their Byakugan open at all times to watch each other. If they kept it activated for five straight days, they would probably come out with cataracts instead of Byakugan.

The signal flare's purpose was to give their teammates an approximate location, after which they could use the Byakugan to pinpoint it precisely and rush over for rescue.

Yet this guy had actually lost it.

There was no use complaining about Naruto now. Xiao Yun stared intently at the gradually dispersing whirlwind, within which a gigantic humanoid monster flickered in and out of sight.

Before long, the sandstorm scattered.

Hiss.

Hiss.

Hiss.

Xiao Yun and the other two could not help sucking in cold breaths. A three-meter-tall, heavily muscled monster with three heads had appeared right before them.

Looking closely, the three heads belonged to two men and one woman. The woman was sandwiched between the men. Each head, viewed separately, looked handsome for the men and seductive for the woman, but together, they sent chills down one's spine.

Moreover, the aura this monster emitted was utterly incomparable to before. If they had been three immature baby elephants just now, this monster was the baby elephants' father.

Most terrifyingly, this monster was no longer like before, relying solely on instinct to slaughter. Now, every one of its heads appeared exceptionally calm. It had clearly regained its reason.

"Boy, you'll regret forcing us into this state." The female head gave a seductive smile. Her voice sounded enchanting, yet it made people shudder.

"Big Sis, how should we torture them?"

The male head on the right stuck out a scarlet tongue and licked his chin.

"Mm! I say we roast that kid and eat him. Leave that Hyuga Clan girl for us brothers to have some fun with. As for Xiao Yun, of course we'll leave him to Big Sis."

The male head on the right cackled, his voice making goosebumps rise all over.

"Quit your nonsense already. Villains die from talking too much, got it? Get them!"

The female head shouted seductively.

Boom!

The monster leaped up like a fired cannonball. In midair, it clasped its fists together and smashed down at Xiao Yun.

What powerful pressure. Before the fist even arrived, Xiao Yun could already feel an immense force bearing down on him.

Bang!

The giant fist struck the ground, kicking up a thick cloud of dust. Xiao Yun flew backward and barely evaded the devastating blow. Although Hyuga Yumi and Naruto were not the monster's primary targets, they were still blasted away by the shockwave.

Naruto was the most unfortunate. After being slammed to the ground by the shockwave, Hyuga Yumi landed squarely on top of him.

"Naruto, are you all right?"

Hyuga Yumi looked worriedly at Naruto, who was pinned beneath her chest.

"Mmph, mmph, mmph!"

Naruto shook his head frantically and made muffled sounds. Hyuga Yumi hurriedly got up.

"Damn! You nearly suffocated me to death! When you sleep with my uncle in the future, take it easy. Don't suffocate my uncle too!"

Naruto gasped for breath, staring at Hyuga Yumi in utter terror.

"You little brat, what do you know? You'll like it when you grow up."

Hyuga Yumi replied irritably.

"Hmph, I don't believe you. Hinata is better!"

Naruto scoffed.

As the smoke cleared, a one-meter-wide crater had appeared before the monster. It stood in the middle of the crater, watching the three of them as though sizing up prey.

"Ohohoho, you're pretty quick, aren't you? Big Sis likes fast ones."

The female head giggled wildly before rapidly forming hand seals.

Sand Style—Sand Blade Dance!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

A fierce wind suddenly swept through the once tranquil forest. Sand and stones flew everywhere, and upon closer inspection, the sand in the wind had condensed into blades.

Outside the Forest of Death

"We're done! It's Sand Blade Dance, Sunagakure's most powerful B-rank ninjutsu! Xiao Yun is dead for sure!"

"No way! How can Genin use B-rank ninjutsu? That makes no sense!"

"Hmph! Under normal circumstances, Genin would have a hard time using B-rank ninjutsu, but they're fused right now. Isn't it perfectly reasonable for them to use one?"

"This Xiao Yun is all reputation and no substance. Look at him now—he's been scared stupid, hasn't he? And he dared challenge our Lord Gaara. Sigh, what a pity. Tsunade is going to become a widow."

"What's so pitiful about that? They'll even broadcast those two Sunagakure men fighting Hyuga Yumi later. What a shame for such a beauty."

"Sigh, I just wonder whether Konoha's higher-ups will cut off the broadcast. If they do, that would be the real pity."

Top Floor of the Konoha Grand Hotel

Tsunade bit down on her red lips and stared solemnly at the screen. Curse marks and fusion—Sunagakure truly had no shame.

Konoha's higher-ups were also full of worry. Of course, there was one exception: Might Guy. The corners of his lips were slightly raised, forming a strange curve.

Within the Forest of Death

Xiao Yun watched the sand blades gradually taking shape in the air and let out a soft sigh.

He had originally planned to hide his strength until he faced Gaara. It seemed he could not hide it now.

Xiao Yun crossed his hands over his forehead as Chakra coursed through his body at high speed.

"Nirai!"

"Eight Inner Gates, First Gate—Opening Gate—Open!"

The two voices rang out almost simultaneously. The wind blades shot toward Xiao Yun at high speed, their piercing whistles enough to make one's heart tremble.

Yet Xiao Yun neither dodged nor evaded. A faint blue aura covered his body as his strength rapidly soared.

Clang × N

Xiao Yun moved. He was so fast that no one could see him clearly, ghostlike and elusive. He turned his fists into palms and blocked every wind blade.

Xiao Yun could have dodged them, but Naruto and Hyuga Yumi were behind him. Left with no choice, he took all the wind blades head-on.

The struck wind blades turned back into sand and slowly fell to the ground.

Hyuga Yumi, kneeling on the ground, looked at Xiao Yun's towering figure not far away. Her beautiful eyes grew hazy. This man... is so brave!

"Impossible!"

The three heads stared at Xiao Yun in disbelief. He had actually blocked Sand Blade Dance with his bare hands.

"Hmph. It would be rude not to return the favor. Take this!"

Xiao Yun snorted coldly.