Deidara smiled smugly at Gaara, whose body was covered in cracks and who seemed to have lost consciousness.
"Just as I thought. Everything went exactly as I calculated."
Ever since he first witnessed Gaara's absolute defense, Deidara had been thinking of a way to break through it.
"Mission complete. All that's left is to retrieve the One-Tail Jinchuriki."
Deidara patted his giant clay bird and flew toward Gaara.
Just as he drew close, Gaara suddenly opened his eyes. Staring at Deidara, he raised his right hand.
"Not good!"
Deidara quickly retreated, thinking Gaara was about to counterattack.
But Gaara did not attack. He merely moved aside the wall of sand shielding Sunagakure from above.
"Heh, still thinking about your village right to the end? How noble of you."
Seeing this, Deidara did not interfere. He let Gaara move the wall of sand away from above Sunagakure.
Once the sand wall could no longer harm Sunagakure, Gaara lost consciousness completely and plummeted toward the ground.
"Gaara!"
Kankuro had just fetched a spare puppet. The moment he came outside, he saw Gaara falling from the sky.
Baki had witnessed the entire scene and immediately understood what had happened.
"Gaara was thinking of the village until the very last moment!"
Seeing just how far Gaara would go for the village, Baki knew he had become a worthy Kazekage.
"Everyone, give the Kazekage everything you've got! We cannot let him fall into enemy hands!"
"Protect Lord Kazekage with everything you've got!" × N
Gaara's wholehearted fight for the village had changed many people's opinions of their Kazekage. They had accepted him from the bottom of their hearts.
Sunagakure's ninja brought out mounted crossbows and other antiair ninja weapons, launching attacks at Deidara in the sky.
Deidara steered his giant clay bird through the air,