The Crushed Body

"Don't worry! I'm strong! Hide yourselves first. If I somehow lose, you can come help me or run away!"

Zhi Ge was extremely confident, even arrogant.

Shino and Hinata were both stunned by Zhi Ge's words. This kid really was outrageous!

Still, they admired Zhi Ge greatly. After all, they had personally witnessed his strength.

"Fine! We'll do as you say! If something happens to you, we won't run away!"

As Kiba spoke, he pulled Shino and Hinata into a distant thicket.

Once Zhi Ge saw that they were safely hidden, he no longer had any concerns.

The enemy was about to arrive! Zhi Ge began to take things seriously as well!

A grave expression appeared on his face. Enemy? Let me see who it is!

At that moment, Gaara's team arrived from the distance!

A flash of surprise crossed Zhi Ge's face.

It's them?! No wonder Shino and the others said the enemy was extremely dangerous. If it's Gaara, I really can't be sure I can defeat him.

"Kid! You're pretty arrogant, huh? You defeated two teams of our Sand Ninja?"

Kankuro looked at Zhi Ge and sneered disdainfully.

"Your Sand Ninja were just too worthless! I only used thirty percent of my strength to crush them all!"

"You...!"

Seeing Zhi Ge's attitude, Kankuro immediately flew into a rage.

"You're just a lowly genin from Konoha Village, yet you dare look down on us Sand Ninja like this!"

A vicious, sinister gleam flickered in Kankuro's eyes.

Zhi Ge looked at Kankuro and curled his lips in a mocking smile.

"Are you trying to avenge those Sand Ninja? If so, stop talking nonsense. Just use whatever moves you have!"

"Then I won't hold back!"

As Kankuro spoke, his body vanished from the spot in an instant.

The next second, Kankuro appeared right in front of Zhi Ge.

He kicked at Zhi Ge's chest, but Zhi Ge easily dodged it.

"You think that's enough to beat me?"

Kankuro's heart jolted when his attack missed, and he immediately threw another punch at Zhi Ge's abdomen.

Zhi Ge still wore a look of contempt as he watched Kankuro move.

This guy really doesn't know his own limits! He actually dared attack me at such a slow speed?

The instant Kankuro's fist touched Zhi Ge, he felt a tremendous rebounding force.

Kankuro's expression changed, and he immediately withdrew from his attacking stance.

How could this be?! I clearly used all my strength! Yet he wasn't hurt at all!

Could this genin possess some special taijutsu?!

As Kankuro thought of this, his eyes suddenly lit up.

He thrust out both hands, firing two poisoned needles from his palms straight at Zhi Ge's face.

"Rubber Spin!!!"

Zhi Ge snorted coldly, bent his right leg slightly, and spun fiercely. Kankuro's poisoned needles shot harmlessly into empty air.

Kankuro narrowed his eyes into slits as a strange technique surfaced in his mind.

He raised his right leg high, then kicked fiercely at Zhi Ge's waist with all his strength.

Zhi Ge had long anticipated his surprise attack. He immediately used Flash Step to evade it, then swept out with a roundhouse kick.

Bang!

Kankuro flew away like a kite with its string cut and crashed heavily onto the ground.

"Kid! Not bad! You really do have some skill!"

Kankuro swayed as he rose to his feet. Aside from some inexplicable fragments falling from his body, he did not have a single wound.

"You're not bad either! You took such a heavy hit and you're still fine!"

Zhi Ge was secretly shocked when he saw that Kankuro was uninjured.

Looks like I underestimated him!

Zhi Ge moved and charged forward again.

When Kankuro saw that Zhi Ge actually dared rush at him again, he let out a cold laugh.

You still want to court death?!

He leaped into the air, pressed his hands together, and formed a strange hand seal.

Rumble!!!

Then, an explosion suddenly erupted in front of him. Smoke billowed out, obscuring the entire sky.

"This is?!"

Zhi Ge's pupils contracted when he saw Kankuro use this technique.

The corners of Kankuro's mouth lifted into a cruel smile.

Kid, die!

"Boom!"

At that moment, Kankuro's body suddenly began moving at high speed before slamming violently into Zhi Ge.

Thud thud thud thud!

Kankuro relentlessly launched fierce attacks at Zhi Ge's chest.

Bang bang bang bang!

Kankuro's assault was ferocious, and each blow carried enormous force.

Zhi Ge could not withstand Kankuro's barrage at all and could only retreat again and again.

This guy actually has such a powerful technique!!!

Zhi Ge could not help but marvel inwardly, but his fighting spirit surged even higher. He absolutely could not lose to an enemy like this.

"Power of the Rubber-Rubber Fruit! Rubber Battle Axe!!!"

Zhi Ge suddenly stretched his leg straight upward, then brought it crashing down with all his might upon the oncoming Kankuro.

Kankuro had no time to evade the attack and was directly crushed beneath Zhi Ge's huge foot.

"Splat!"

Zhi Ge felt as though something beneath his foot had suddenly exploded from being stepped on.

When he lifted his foot, he discovered that Kankuro had actually been crushed into pieces alive!

What?!

Kankuro was actually this weak?!

Zhi Ge hurriedly withdrew the technique. Even he had not expected to smash this guy to pieces in one blow!

"Ah!? Did I hit too hard?"

"Don't flatter yourself! That was just my puppet!"

Kankuro's voice suddenly came from behind a large tree. Zhi Ge poked his head over and saw the real Kankuro hiding behind the tree, controlling several chakra threads.

But Kankuro was already drenched in sweat. After all, no one besides his father had ever destroyed his puppet before!

This Zhi Ge's strength is probably no weaker than mine!

"Enough! This childish game ends here! Kankuro, you've truly disappointed me!"

Gaara suddenly spoke, interrupting the battle between them. He was extremely dissatisfied that Kankuro and Zhi Ge had fought to a draw.

A trace of unwillingness flashed through Kankuro's eyes, but he did not have the courage to voice any objection to Gaara.

He glanced at the shattered puppet on the ground, then sneered at Zhi Ge. "Kid! Consider yourself unlucky today! If you died by my hand, you could at least die comfortably. Unfortunately, the one you'll face next is Gaara!"

After saying that, Kankuro immediately turned and ran toward Temari.

He did not want to get accidentally caught up in Gaara's battle. That would truly be fatal!

"Gaara, right? This isn't the first time we've met! I don't think you—"

Just as Zhi Ge was about to say something, he suddenly felt an immense pressure radiating from Gaara's body!

At that moment, even breathing became difficult!

"So strong!"