"..."
Shukaku's mouth fell open, and it stared at the scene in stunned disbelief.
It blinked and discovered that Hyuga Sho was still perfectly fine.
Where was the sand? Where was my sand?
Shukaku had no idea where the sand wrapped around Hyuga Sho had gone.
In reality, there was no profound trick involved.
Hyuga Sho had simply used the Dark Release: Space-Time Hole in his left palm to absorb the sand directly.
As everyone knew,
even the largest gravel was no bigger than a fingernail.
As for ordinary sand, each grain was smaller than a sesame seed.
So...
To Hyuga Sho, who could even absorb cubic boulders more than ten meters across,
absorbing a large amount of sand was a matter that took only an instant.
The moment the sand wrapped around Hyuga Sho's body, it was sucked into the Dark Release: Space-Time Hole.
Hyuga Sho did not need to absorb very much.
As long as he absorbed a one-to-two-centimeter-thick layer from the surface of his body, covering the area holding him down, he could escape his current restraints.
"Didn't you say... that sneak attacks weren't something a true hero would do?"
Hyuga Sho asked in return.
He had discovered that Shukaku's intelligence—or rather, its thought process—was slightly problematic.
"Hmph~! I'm not human, of course I don't have to follow the standards of a true hero..."
Shukaku composed its shocked expression and looked down at Hyuga Sho smugly.
It was simply too lonely.
So lonely that even having someone to talk to would have been enough.
Chattering nonstop in Gaara's mind twenty-four hours a day was also one of the manifestations of its loneliness.
"So... I can sneak-attack you however I want. Hahaha~~! Die, human!"
Shukaku attacked again.
It slammed both claws into the ground!
Countless grains of sand