"If I ever get the chance, I'd really love to fight this guy!"
As a fellow Taijutsu expert, Guy felt his fighting spirit stir when he saw how swift and fluid Hayato's attacks were. Beside him, Kakashi scratched his head helplessly at the sight of Guy getting so fired up.
Within the village, order was swiftly restored through the combined efforts of the Uchiha Clan, the ANBU, and the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans. Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Konoha, Naruto and Sasuke intercepted Kankuro and Temari as they covered Gaara's retreat.
"Hey, you guys sure took your time!"
Temari and Kankuro, who were supporting Gaara, still had no idea what was happening in Konoha. But in their minds, once Gaara released the One-Tail, their attack on Konoha would be more than halfway to success. As they made their way through Konoha's woods, Naruto's energetic voice rang out ahead of them. At the same time, he and Sasuke blocked their path.
"Sasuke, we should be far enough from the center of Konoha now, right?"
"Yes."
Naruto was delighted to see Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara. He gazed toward the distant center of Konoha. With Madara Uchiha there, he had no concerns about the village's safety. All he wanted now was to hurry up and enjoy a good fight.
"You little brats, don't get full of yourselves!"
The moment Kankuro saw Naruto and Sasuke, he deployed his puppet. At the same time, Temari took out her fan.
"Sasuke Uchiha!"
After Temari and Kankuro assumed their fighting stances, Gaara, who had been clutching his head all this time, struggled to stand as well.
"You two, get lost. He's not an opponent trash like you can handle!"
After finally managing to steady himself on his own, Gaara ordered his two teammates to leave.
"Gaara, stop being so