The monster spun around swiftly, as if it had spotted prey it had long awaited.
"Lightning Release: Chidori!"
Sasuke shouted furiously.
A dazzling bolt of electricity appeared in Sasuke's right hand.
The piercing noise of a thousand birds crying out stimulated Possessed Gaara's excited nerves like needle points.
Sasuke pushed off with both feet and charged straight at Possessed Gaara at top speed.
The monster showed no fear. If anything, it grew even more excited, swinging its enormous flesh claws as it charged head-on at Second Pillar, clearly intending to meet him in a direct clash.
Chidori sliced through Possessed Gaara's flesh claw like a sharp sword, splitting it in two.
It worked!
Sasuke thought.
Though the monster possessed immense brute strength, it seemed lacking in intelligence. It had actually chosen to take his Chidori head-on with its body.
It seemed he had overestimated it by activating Flame Armor.
As Sasuke dismissed Flame Armor, he recalculated his Chakra reserves and considered how to approach the next stage of the fight.
Meanwhile, Possessed Gaara lay on the rooftop, his chest heaving violently. At first, his body merely trembled, but then he began laughing madly, unable to contain himself.
"Ha, hahahaha! Hahahaha!"
Only after laughing until he could barely breathe did he roll over and sit up. In a broken voice, he said, "So that's it... so that's how it is! Now I finally understand this pain."
"Defeating someone who can hurt me and taking everything from him makes me feel even more intensely that I'm alive!"
Possessed Gaara stood up again. The monster's right hand, which had just been torn apart, surged like sand. As it rapidly fused back together, it swelled even larger.
Sand overflowed from the gourd on his back again, gathering behind Possessed Gaara and forming a massive