"I'm afraid I'll end up draining even that tanuki hiding in your belly dry."
Those words exploded in Gaara's mind like a thunderclap.
His bloodshot eyes flew wide open, his pupils contracting violently.
A tanuki?
How did he know about Shukaku?!
That was Sunagakure's most closely guarded secret! No one knew except the higher-ups and those responsible for the seal!
And then...
Gaara made a horrifying discovery.
The sand he called his "absolute defense" lay scattered across the ground, utterly motionless, as though it were dead.
The thick vines binding him were constantly radiating an incredibly domineering, utterly pure devouring power.
The chakra inside him-even Shukaku's violent chakra-
The instant it touched those vines, it went completely out of his control, as though it had met its natural predator!
Monster...
Gaara gritted his teeth and cursed inwardly.
The villagers had called him a monster ever since he was little.
But today, he finally understood what it felt like to be crushed by a real monster.
Beside him, Kankuro and Temari stared, utterly dumbfounded.
The ultimate weapon they took such pride in, the one even they themselves feared...
Hadn't lasted a single move against that Konoha genin!
Like a helpless infant, he had been pinned to the ground and utterly humiliated!
This guy was a fucking genin?!
Were all Konoha's genin monsters like this now?!
"Damn it! Let Gaara go!"
Kankuro finally snapped out of it. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, but he forced himself to look calm as he reached back to unfasten his puppet, Crow.
"If you hurt so much as a hair on his head, Sunagakure will never let you get away with it!"
Temari tightened her grip on her Three-Star Fan as well. Though her hands trembled slightly, she took a fighting stance.
Sunagakure's reputation was