"I forfeit this match!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Kankuro screamed at the top of his lungs. His voice warped slightly from extreme terror. His face was deathly pale, cold sweat streamed down his body, and his heart pounded wildly.
He feared that if he was even a second too slow, that terrifying little brother would use sand to forcibly drag him into the arena and make him fight a "match" he had no chance of winning—one that might even cost him his life.
He absolutely could not go down there! He would die, he would definitely die!
Naruto watched the scene from the spectator stands, his expression somewhat strange. This matchmaking system... was even more ridiculous than his own match just now. This time, Rock Lee had not been matched against Gaara; instead, their own people had been pitted against each other?
Naruto knew very well that Gaara at this point would not care whether Kankuro was his brother. As long as it was a battle, Gaara saw only one meaning in it: "killing." He would absolutely crush Kankuro to pieces in the arena without hesitation.
Kankuro could clearly feel the icy, tangible gaze coming from Gaara's direction. The shadow of death loomed over his head, nearly suffocating him.
He prayed frantically inside, begging that his monster of a little brother would not force him to fight.
A few seconds later, that cold killing intent seemed to recede somewhat. Gaara said nothing, merely shifting his emotionless gaze back toward the empty center of the arena.
After Hayate Gekko confirmed Kankuro's intention to forfeit once more and announced, "Second match, winner: Gaara," Kankuro finally went limp with relief. His legs weakened so badly that he could barely remain standing, and an overwhelming sense of surviving disaster surged through him.
The electronic