"Gaara!"
Kankuro was instantly enraged. He had protected him from being exposed and helped him evade Konoha's pursuit, yet he was still unhappy about it?
"The ones chasing us aren't Konoha jonin," Gaara said flatly. "And even if they were, it wouldn't matter!"
Supporting himself against a tree trunk, Gaara began adjusting his enlarged, Tailed Beast-transformed arm!
"Kankuro." Temari gave Kankuro a meaningful look. He understood immediately and turned back toward the rear.
Gaara's gaze shifted, but he did not understand what Kankuro meant.
"Gaara, I know you're competitive, but your body still hasn't fully mastered the Tailed Beast's power. While your Tailed Beast transformation is powerful, its instability is also your weakness. And there's too little sand around Konoha, which is unfavorable for your battle."
"Kankuro is buying you some time now. Let's go farther ahead and find a battlefield better suited to the Sand Village!" As she spoke, Temari reached out and pulled Gaara to his feet, and the two continued onward.
Ninja did not necessarily have to rely on terrain, but if the battlefield complemented their ninjutsu, their techniques could become much more powerful.
For example, ninja skilled in Water Release were naturally stronger in battles by rivers, seas, and lakes than elsewhere.
And the ideal environment for Gaara was an open, dry, windy place with plenty of sand!
The four-person group led by Tianming gradually approached the spot where the three had just stopped.
Suddenly, a skyful of shuriken tore through the air from ahead. The four reacted swiftly and dodged aside.
Whoosh!
A black shadow lunged out and appeared behind Shino Aburame. In that instant, Kikaichū formed an Insect Barrier and blocked the attack.
From the corner of his eye, Tianming caught sight of the puppet Crow vanishing once more!
"What kind of man attacks