Boom!
Smoke and dust billowed with the explosion. Before them stood an impenetrable absolute defense; at the critical moment, Gaara had blocked the blast.
"What quick reflexes... but it's still useless!" Deidara chuckled from atop the clay owl.
At his words, several explosions suddenly erupted inside the sand defense. The sand immediately began to crumble away, revealing Gaara in a bedraggled state, his face covered in cracked sand.
"The plan succeeded. It took a little longer than expected, but it turned out pretty well, yeah!" Deidara laughed smugly as he looked at Gaara, preparing to go down and capture him.
But Gaara suddenly made his move. Deidara promptly stopped. "You still have chakra left at this point?"
Gaara moved his right hand slightly and looked down at the village. With his remaining chakra, he controlled the massive sand shield and moved it out of the village.
Though he was already nearing his limit, as the Kazekage, all he could think of was protecting Sunagakure.
"Gaara..."
Seeing this, Kankuro murmured, a complicated expression appearing on his face. He quickly turned and roared, "Prepare the heavy crossbows! We absolutely can't let him harm the Kazekage!"
Gaara used the last of his strength to move the sand away. His chakra had long since run dry; what allowed him to complete those actions was the unyielding will in his heart.
The instant the sand landed outside the village, Baki gave the order. Countless heavy crossbow bolts gleaming coldly shot toward Deidara, filling the sky.
The clay owl maneuvered nimbly, evading every bolt. It swiftly approached the falling Gaara and wrapped its tail around him.
By then, Gaara had already fallen unconscious.
After glancing at Sunagakure's ninjas, Deidara did not linger. He headed straight for the village entrance while controlling the owl to evade their