Akatsuki's hunt: Suigetsu and Jugo vs. Gaara of the Sand!

At Sunagakure's training grounds, cascades of sand flew as the sleepless boy underwent his usual grueling training to become Kazekage!

Nearly four months earlier, Sunagakure and Orochimaru had joined forces to attack Konoha. Moved by his battle with Naruto, Gaara had resolved to become a ninja like him, one who aspired to the title of Kage!

Even opposition and criticism from those around him, and repeated assassination attempts, had not shaken his dream of becoming Kazekage and protecting his village!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...!!

Around the training grounds, Semi-Automatic Puppets controlled by talismans continuously fired shuriken carrying explosive tags!

Whoosh!

Under Gaara's control, sand rapidly formed defenses around him, blocking the deadly threats!

Boom, boom, boom...!

The explosive tags detonated incessantly, but the sand blocked them perfectly.

"I can perfectly defend against attacks of this intensity from every angle now. It's time to turn it up!"

Just as Gaara was about to approach the puppets and replace their talismans, his expression abruptly froze.

To guard against assassination attempts by the village leadership, he had placed a Sand Eye near the training grounds. He could detect anyone approaching immediately!

"..." After a moment of silence, he drew the sand back into his gourd!

Outside the training grounds, Suigetsu and Jugo were about to force their way inside when they saw a boy carrying a gourd on his back standing atop the wall, arms folded across his chest, looking down at them expressionlessly.

"Judging by those clothes, you're not from my village, are you?"

Suigetsu did not answer. He simply studied the boy.

Red hair, dark circles, a blank face, and that sand gourd. Just like Zetsu described...

Having confirmed his target, Suigetsu grinned. "You're Sunagakure's Jinchūriki brat, right?"

Gaara remained expressionless. "What do you want?"

Suigetsu spoke casually. "We're Akatsuki. We've been ordered to capture you. If you don't want to suffer, come quietly!"

"Akatsuki? So the village didn't send you. Then I won't have to hold back!"

Boom!!

A cascade of sand surged skyward from Gaara's gourd!!

Whoosh...!

Suigetsu and Jugo swiftly retreated!

—Barrage: Sand Shower!

Gaara struck first, turning his sand into pellets and firing them at the two with tremendous speed!

Yet... Jugo and Suigetsu seemed to know exactly where the Sand Shower would go, dodging swiftly and precisely!

"Hm? Those are..."

As they darted around at high speed, the red gleams trailing from their left and right eyes caught Gaara's attention!

The Sand Shower stopped. Once Suigetsu and Jugo came to a standstill again, Gaara cried out in shock, "They really are Sharingan, just like Sasuke's!!"

"I've got to say, these eyes are ugly, but they're surprisingly useful!"

Smiling, Suigetsu hoisted the Exploding Blade Shibuki onto his shoulder. Its explosive-tag scroll unfurled, rolling toward the high wall where Gaara stood!

—Exploding Blade Technique: Happare Shishi!

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...!

Amid the chain of explosions, the entire wall around the training grounds was blasted down!!!

Countless grains of sand floated through the dust. Gaara's Sand Shield stood amid the rubble of the collapsed wall!

Suigetsu observed the spherical Sand Shield with his Sharingan.

"All that chakra concentrated in the sand... its defenses really are something else~!"

—Great Water Arm Technique!

Whoosh...!!

His arms swelled to enormous proportions, and he charged forward, swinging his exploding blade!!

Using his Sand Eye, Gaara tracked Suigetsu's movements.

—Desert Wave!

As Suigetsu closed in with his blade, sharp sand spikes protruded from the smooth surface of the Sand Shield. It was a move that combined offense and defense, one that should have been extremely difficult to counter... but with his Sharingan, Suigetsu stopped short and dodged while swinging his exploding blade with savage force!!!

Boom!

The explosion engulfed the Sand Shield. Suigetsu darted around it, striking with his blade from every direction!!

Boom, boom, boom...!

Naturally, this string of unusually loud explosions drew the attention of Sunagakure's ninja!

The first to investigate were Sunagakure's ANBU!

Seeing the Akatsuki Robes on Suigetsu and Jugo, they immediately realized what was happening. "Intruders! When did they sneak into the village!?"

The ANBU were about to rush in and surround them, but their perceptive Anbu Captain stopped them!

"Wait... look at who those two are fighting."

The ANBU watched the fighter continuously counterattacking with sand from behind his Sand Shield!!

"It's Gaara!!!"

The captain's gaze darkened. "Ask the leadership what they want us to do first!"

The ANBU worked efficiently. Three minutes later, the leadership's reply arrived.

"The leadership says that as long as they only attack Gaara, we're to turn a blind eye!"

Boom! Boom! Boom! The fighting grew louder and louder. Many Sunagakure ninja, awakened from their sleep, followed the noise over!

But when they saw that Gaara was the one under attack, they all stood by and watched coldly!

"These intruders are doing us a real favor. Get rid of that menace for us!"

"A cursed monster like that shouldn't exist in this world!"

"Kill him!!! Kill Gaara, that incarnation of Shukaku!!"

Suigetsu noticed the onlookers too, and could not help feeling sorry for Gaara. What Tobi said was true. Nobody here cares about this guy...

"Still, lucky for us. Otherwise, even ten lives wouldn't be enough!"

With the battle at a stalemate, Gaara seized a gap in Suigetsu's attacks and dispersed his Sand Shield. The sand beneath his feet became a Sand Cushion, carrying him into the air!

Far from panicking, Suigetsu curled his lips into a smile. "Sorry, but we know your abilities inside out. I knew you could fight in the air. You think I wouldn't prepare for that?"

He tugged with his free left hand, and a faint gleam flashed in midair!

"That gleam... could it be...?"

Only then did Gaara realize that steel wire had somehow been attached to the Sand Cushion beneath his feet!

Whoosh!

Suigetsu yanked the steel wire in his hand... dragging Gaara straight down from the air!!!

At the same time... Nuibari, buried underground, shot toward Gaara and pierced his chest!

"Well done...!!!!"

Cheers immediately rose from the Sunagakure ninja watching from the sidelines!!!

But... after being pierced and falling to the ground, Gaara's body dissolved into sand!!

It was a Sand Clone!

The real Gaara appeared behind Suigetsu!

"I have a fair idea of your abilities now..."

—Quicksand Waterfall!

Whoosh!!

The sand throughout the battlefield began flowing rapidly!!

Suigetsu immediately lost his footing, and his movements grew sluggish!!

Many abilities could not be effectively countered even with advance knowledge. After all, Suigetsu had no wings to fly with!

Gaara extended his hand, curling his fingers slightly!

—Sand Binding Coffin!

Using the surrounding sand to restrict Suigetsu's movements, he rapidly spread the sand from his gourd over Suigetsu's body.

Suigetsu studied the sand wrapping around him with his Sharingan. "You can freely control the sand around you, but to actually finish someone off, you need the sand in your gourd, the stuff mixed with highly concentrated chakra, right?"

"Knowing that won't change anything... I checked with my Sand Eye. You're not a clone or anything like that. It's over!"

Crack!!

Gaara clenched his hand hard!!

—Sand Burial!

Crunch...!!!

The sand covering Suigetsu immediately collapsed inward... Other than Kimimaro with his Cursed Seal-enhanced Shikotsumyaku, no one could directly withstand that terrifying crushing force!!

But Suigetsu's cold laughter came from inside the compressed sand. "Heh heh. Sorry, but you could say my ability is your worst enemy!"

Splash...!!

Large quantities of water seeped out of the sand...!!

Gaara's pupils contracted sharply. "That's..."

"Jugo... your turn!!!"

Jugo, who had been watching with a grim expression, charged into battle, the Cursed Seal spreading across his body!

Gaara gasped. "That's the same Cursed Seal as Sasuke and Kimimaro...!!!!"

Boom...!!!

Sand blocked Jugo's transformed arm!!

The Cursed Seal covered half of Jugo's face, making him look as though one half stood in light and the other in darkness. He asked coldly, "Tell me... did Kimimaro die at your hands?"

The moment he saw the Cursed Seal, Gaara was no longer surprised to hear Jugo mention Kimimaro.

He answered, "Kimimaro... if you insist on putting it that way, yes..."

Jugo frowned. "If I insist on putting it that way?"

Gaara answered honestly. "If he hadn't been gravely ill, I would undoubtedly have been the one to die..."

"Then you admit you killed Kimimaro!"

—Exploding Strike!!

Boom...!!

His transformed arm scattered the approaching sand, savage killing intent swirling in his Sharingan!

Meanwhile, Suigetsu's liquefied body had completely permeated the Sand Binding Coffin. Breaking free, he charged in again with his exploding blade!!

Sensing danger, Gaara immediately recalled the sand he had scattered outside... including the sand soaked by Suigetsu's liquefied body!

The Sand Shield... formed once again!

Suigetsu's eyes flashed. "The plan worked. The sand I soaked with my liquefied body has mixed into the sand he uses to defend himself. That's the opening in his absolute defense. Jugo, it's up to you!!"

"Roooooar..."

Filled with hatred over Kimimaro's death, Tenbin Jugo willingly unleashed his killing intent. The Cursed Seal covered his entire body, even drastically transforming his shape. A gray-black horny layer covered him, and fleshy vents appeared on his back, spewing jets of energy!

Beyond State Two, this was a form only he, as the original source of the Cursed Seal, could enter—Cursed Seal: State Three!!!!

In this state, even the Sharingan could not suppress the frenzied killing intent inside him!!!!

"Ahahahahahahahahaha! Kill you! I'll kill you, you blank-faced bastard!!!!!! I'll offer up your mangled flesh to honor Kimimaro's departed soul...!!!"

Boom...!!!!

As Jugo laughed savagely without restraint, terrifying torrents of chakra erupted from his back!!!!

Boom...!!!!

He shattered the ground beneath his feet and stormed toward the Sand Shield like a raging gale. His Sharingan locked onto the section weakened by Suigetsu's liquefaction chakra, and he drove his arm forward with all his might!!!!

The watching Sunagakure forces shouted, "Kill him!!!"

—Axe-Splitting Exploding Strike!!!

Boom...!!!!

His arm violently broke through the weak point in the sand's defenses...!!!

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle...!

The fleshy growths on Jugo's back wriggled rapidly, gathering around his forearm to form a spindle-shaped chakra cannon...!!

Bzzzz...!

Inside the Sand Shield, Gaara stared in horror at the golden chakra gathering almost point-blank before his eyes. "I'm finished...!!"

"Die...!!!!!!!!"

BOOOOOM...!!!!!

The terrifying Cursed Seal Senjutsu Chakra Cannon exploded inside the Sand Shield!!!

The Sand Shield swelled to its limit, then cracked and began to collapse!

Gaara's shoulders sagged, his expression defeated. The Sand Armor covering him cracked and peeled away... Finally, he tilted to one side and fell into the sand scattered across the ground!!

"Hahahahaha... You're still alive after that? What a stubborn, blank-faced bastard. I'll send you to Kimimaro right now!!!!"

Laughing savagely, Jugo raised his arm to deliver a fatal blow to Gaara!!!

Clang...!!

Suigetsu lunged forward, bracing his blade against Jugo's shoulder and meeting his gaze with his Sharingan!!

Bzz...!!

"Hey, calm down!! Don't forget, Tobi wants us to bring him back alive!!!"

"Ugh... ah."

The killing intent rapidly faded from Jugo's eyes, and his Cursed Seal transformation quickly receded as well!!

"Ugh..."

Having used the Sharingan's Hypnotic Eye for the first time, Suigetsu propped himself up with his blade against the ground and clutched his right eye in pain.

"The Sharingan is useful, but... the strain is seriously no joke!"

"Still, that finally wraps up the hunt. Now... we just have to take this poor brat nobody gives a damn about back and report in."

Boom...!!!

But just then, something no one could have anticipated happened!!

"Aaarrrrrggghhh...!!!"

Gaara actually rose to his feet again, and as he roared in agony, sand gathered around his body in a frenzy!!!

"Hey, you've got to be kidding...!?"

Jugo propped up the exhausted Suigetsu and quickly leaped out of the danger zone!

Their eyes... followed the rising sand upward, and Suigetsu's gaze shifted from grave concern to terror!

Because... the sand had formed a monster's enormous body!!!

The Sunagakure forces gathered in the distance were now deathly pale without exception.

"D-don't tell me... he lost consciousness and released Shukaku of the Sand from inside him!?"

The Sunagakure shinobi who had cheered the loudest for their "enemy" earlier now had cold sweat streaming down his face. Despair made his voice tremble. "If that's really what happened, His Lordship the Previous Kazekage is already dead... how are we supposed to stop that monster's rampage!?"

For a moment... an atmosphere of terror hung over Sunagakure.