Guy said that if this was all Sasuke could do, he had no chance of defeating Gaara.
"Oh? Then let's wait and see."
Seeing how confident his old rival Kakashi was, Guy lowered his gaze and watched Sasuke intently.
Down in the arena.
Sasuke saw that Gaara had used a protective Ninjutsu much like a turtle shell. After repeated attempts, he had not found a weakness in it; instead, a spike from the Sand Sphere had cut his face.
"Damn it, can't you fight me fair and square? First that incredibly tough Sand Armor, and now this defensive Ninjutsu."
Sasuke glared resentfully at Gaara's Absolute Defense, then turned toward Naruto's spot in the Spectator Stand. Seeing Naruto cheering him on, he knew what he had to do.
"I promised Naruto I'd defeat Gaara as quickly as possible. I can't go back on my word!"
With that, Sasuke slowly crouched down, closed his eyes, and gradually steadied his breathing.
By now, one of Gaara's Sand Eyes was hovering above his Absolute Defense.
"Mother, don't be angry. Soon, heehee... I'll let you taste delicious blood any moment now..."
Inside the Sand Sphere, Gaara clutched half his face with his right hand, drool dripping from his mouth as a terrifying, vicious gleam flickered through his once-dark eyes.
Gaara muttered to himself while watching Sasuke outside through his Sand Eye.
"Soon... Mother..."
As Sasuke charged toward him again, a strange smile suddenly curved Gaara's lips. "This time, I'll kill you!"
With his two-tomoe Sharingan active, Sasuke's slender body became a streak of black light as he rushed toward the Absolute Defense Sand Sphere.
Yet no one noticed that his right hand, tucked beneath his armpit, was not clenched into a fist. Instead, his fingers were extended into a spearhand.
"Sharingan!"
In a breath, Sasuke