Beside the Third Kazekage, Kyohaku's forehead was beaded with cold sweat. He suddenly clenched his teeth and glared at Aizen.
As if angry at his own cowardice, he stared fixedly at Aizen and shouted,
"You're nothing but a rogue ninja from Konoha! Don't even think about laying a hand on Lord Kazekage!"
At his words, the Third Kazekage, standing beside him, narrowed his eyes and called out sternly,
"Stand down, Kyohaku!"
But it was too late. The moment Kyohaku shouted in anger, Ulquiorra, who had been standing calmly beside Aizen, narrowed his eyes and vanished in an instant!
"BOOM—"
A deafening crash suddenly rang across the battlefield, and a cloud of sand instantly swallowed the area.
"Whoosh!"
Ulquiorra reappeared beside Aizen.
"Crack..."
With a sharp snap, the snowy blade in his pale hand broke in two and fell to the ground.
Aizen's gaze drifted to the broken blade in his hand, and he said softly,
"It seems you've grown rapidly of late. This blade can no longer meet your need for power."
At Aizen's words, Ulquiorra lowered his head and bowed slightly.
"Forgive me, Lord Aizen. I failed to take the life of that insolent fool."
Aizen's lips curled into a faint smile.
"No matter. There's no meaning in letting an ant live a little longer."
As he spoke, the sand cloud gradually cleared. Countless grains of black iron sand floated beside the Third Kazekage, forming a barrier around him like a protective shield.
Within the ring of iron sand, Ryosuke held the blood-soaked Kyohaku tightly in his arms. A gentle green light shone from his hands as he healed him.
The Third Kazekage's expression was grim. He asked in a low voice,
"How is Kyohaku?"
Ryosuke's face tightened as he answered,
"Thanks to your iron sand, Lord Kazekage, he