Gaara: Naruto, I should have caught up to you by now, right?

As expected, the sand that Deidara grabbed from the ground slowed down more and more as he rose higher into the air, until it finally fell back down.

"Haha, Big Brother Sasori, did you see that? I have a natural advantage, so leave the One-Tail to me."

Deidara rode on the Giant Bird, circling high in the sky, while chewing clay with both hands to replenish the amount of Explosive Clay.

"... what ever."

The scorpion on the ground simply retreated to the side and watched quietly.

Gaara slightly raised his eyes to glance at Deidara high in the sky, then looked down at Sasori on the ground.

Although the other party did not express any intention to cooperate in the attack, he could not afford to be complacent.

Once Gaara fully engages in the battle with Deidara, Sasori, watching from below, Gaara as a walking, talking hole.

Although he possesses Absolute Defense that can automatically protect him, relying entirely on Absolute Defense is a very unwise move.

"Lord Kazekage!"

"Lord Kazekage!"

Many Sunagakure Ninja emerged from the Sunagakure and stood behind Gaara, looking at him with worried expressions.

When Gaara Fifth Kazekage, many of the Sunagakure Ninja did not have high hopes for him.

They were even worried that the Tailed Beast inside him might go berserk again and drag everyone down with it.

However, Chunin exam, when Gaara discovered and captured some Ninja in the village who wanted to assassinate Gaara, he did not mercilessly kill them as he had done before.

Instead, he chose to ask the other party for their reasons, why they wanted to assassinate him.

When it was mentioned that Gaara would bring annihilation to the village, Gaara simply smiled and indicated that he wouldn't.

He would choose to commit suicide before the Tailed Beast inside him went berserk.

As the matter gradually escalated, the two factions within the village gradually merged and their relationship became relatively more harmonious.

Having received prior news that the Akatsuki Organization might kidnap their Kazekage, their hearts were now united in tension.

Apart from Gaara, Sunagakure currently has virtually no top-tier fighters.

Even Baki and Kankuro aren't enough to compare, but Temari is at least halfway there.

Therefore, the villagers were very worried about Gaara.

"Go back, you can't help."

Gaara didn't turn around, his gaze fixed on Deidara, and he opened his mouth to tell the Sunagakure Jonin who had rushed over behind him to go back.

The opponent's strength is definitely beyond the reach of these Jonin behind them.

Even if Gaara loses, as long as the village isn't severely damaged, there's still a possibility that someone will emerge to take his place.

However, the greatest danger to the village would be if the Sunagakure's mainstays, these few Jonin, were Jonin in the crossfire during the battle.

This could very well turn Sunagakure into an even more pathetic and bottom-tier Mist Village.

"Lord Kazekage really appreciates talent."

Deidara waved his hands, and a large number of Clay Spider fell from the sky towards the village.

"Not good."

Gaara's expression changed instantly.

The sand on his body can activate Absolute Defense for himself, achieving an automatic defense state, but it cannot actively cover the village.

"Sizzle--"

He quickly turned around and manipulated the sand on the ground to surge up rapidly!

A flat surface was added out of thin air above the village to block the Clay Spider.

The white Clay Spider landed on the sand that Gaara had manipulated to create, causing several small explosions in succession.

A significant amount of sand was scattered.

But Gaara managed to withstand the clay explosion thrown by Deidara thanks to his superb control over sand.

"Haha, not bad, not bad at all. No wonder you became the Fifth Kazekage."

Deidara's eyes sparkled.

"But what are you going to do next?"

The Giant Bird beneath his feet flew towards the village, scattering countless Clay Spider haphazardly through the air as it flew.

"Hahaha, Art is explosion!"

Gaara's expression turned unusually grave upon seeing this.

Damn it!

"The Sand Monster Arm!"

While controlling the sand suspended in the air, he also devoted some of his energy to manipulating the sand inside the gourd to transform into an arm resembling One-Tails Shukaku) that reached out to grab Deidara.

"Boom--"

Meanwhile, Clay Bomb exploded in various locations.

All of Gaara's Ninjutsu were used to kill, making it extremely difficult for him to use them to protect others.

The magical arm he conjured was also slowed down so that it could only barely keep up with Deidara's speed because he had to maintain the sand on the heads of those Ninja.

Upon seeing this, Deidara grinned and shouted, "Explode!"

The Clay Bomb that had previously landed on or been covered by sand exploded all at once as Deidara detonated them!

A large amount of sand in the air was blasted apart, Gaara's control over the sand was instantly severed.

"Not good!"

Gaara's expression changed, and he quickly used more Chakra to control the broken sand.

Once these broken pieces of sand fall in chunks onto the Ninja or houses, their destructive power is no less than that of the Clay Bomb used by Deidara.

Fortunately, he managed to control the large chunks of sand with all his might.

It was precisely because he was controlling the sand with all his might that the arm of the One-Tails Shukaku that he had conjured instantly turned into quicksand and slowly dispersed.

Just then, Kankuro and Temari rushed out of the village, their faces filled with anxiety.

Gaara!

"Damn it, are you all trying to kill Gaara?!"

"Can't you see how much Chakra Gaara protecting you?!"

Kankuro and Temari faced the Ninja who were stunned by the endless bombardment.

Only then did those people realize what was happening.

"I'm so sorry, Lord Kazekage!"

They quickly retreated towards the village's Shelter.

All the villages had anticipated an attack from the very beginning, and from the birth of the First Kage, the Five Great Shinobi Villages secretly established Shelter.

Aside from the relevant high-ranking officials, this matter is top secret and will not be disclosed to anyone.

"Thankfully... as long as the village wasn't destroyed too badly... Naruto, now that I've gone to such lengths for the village, I should have caught up with you, right?"

Gaara was pale; the Chakra depletion he had just experienced had taken a heavy toll on his body.

Naruto had already headed to Mount Myōboku. If he knew what Gaara was thinking at this moment, he would definitely have a mental breakdown.

He was still a Genin, while Gaara became the Kazekage.

His dream of becoming Hokage is still a long way off...

"Lord Kazekage's perseverance is truly admirable."

Deidara's voice suddenly rang in Gaara's ear.

Gaara's hair stood on end.

He reacted quickly.

"Sand Binding Prison!"

A semi-circular mass of sand rapidly enveloped Deidara from around him.

He absolutely cannot escape from this distance!

"Ku--"

Deidara was instantly covered in sand.

Without the slightest hesitation, Gaara clenched his fist tightly with one hand.

The sand enveloping Deidara suddenly tightened!

However, Gaara did not see the red blood soaking the sand as it usually did when he killed someone.

Just as he was frowning in confusion, he heard Deidara's loud laughter.

"Haha, Lord Kazekage's reaction is indeed quick."

"Not good!"

Gaara's expression changed drastically.

He could hear the voice coming from above his head!

"Drink!"