As the red giant controlled by the mysterious powerhouse charged into the sky and vanished into the night, the terrifying pressure vanished with it.
Gaara's pale body, which had been holding on all this time, finally reached its limit. He swayed slightly.
In the end, he could no longer hold on and fell from the remaining platform of sand in midair.
"Gaara!"
Temari, who had been anxiously watching the battle from below, cried out and immediately rushed forward.
She leaped with all her strength, catching her exhausted younger brother in midair as he fell. The two landed together.
Temari held Gaara tightly. Looking at his weakened body and deathly pale face, her eyes were filled with worry and lingering fear.
Around them, the surviving villagers and ninjas of Sunagakure silently watched the scene unfold.
Their expressions were complicated. The fear in their hearts had yet to completely fade, but it had been joined by an unprecedentedly complex emotion.
Gratitude, and recognition.
At this moment, Gaara's image had undergone a complete transformation in their eyes.
Gaara was the Fourth Kazekage's son. He had repeatedly negotiated with Konoha, sparing the village from enormous reparations after its defeat.
And when the village faced utter destruction, he had stepped forward and given everything he had to protect them.
Standing amid the devastated streets, Baki looked grimly at the broken walls, rubble, and shaken villagers and ninjas around him. Then he took a deep breath.
After forcibly suppressing the turmoil and heaviness in his heart, he sternly ordered a Sunagakure Anbu who had hurried over, "Go find... no, confirm every high-ranking official who is still able to attend a meeting! Notify them to head to the Kazekage Building immediately for an emergency meeting!"
Hearing the urgency in Baki's voice, the Anbu acknowledged the order and