Noon in the Land of Wind was already unbearably hot, but the "blazing sun" hanging over Sunagakure now made that heat lethal.
That was no natural sun.
It was the lingering reiatsu radiating from Ryūjin Jakka in Chiya Uchiha's hand.
The heat warped the air beyond recognition, filling their vision with rippling distortions. Sand on the ground began to soften and fuse. The fortifications the Sand shinobi had always taken such pride in were turning into streams of molten glass before their very eyes.
Fifth Kazekage Gaara stood on the rooftop of the Kazekage Building. The gourd on his back had long since shattered, and yellow sand filled the sky, forming layer after layer of supposedly impregnable barriers around him.
Yet before that heat, those barriers were as fragile as a child's spun-sugar toy.
"Is this... that man's power?"
Kankuro's face was drenched in sweat, whether from heat or fear. Even the chakra threads controlling his puppets were flickering in and out. He stared at the purple Susanoo overhead, his throat too dry to make a sound.
"Stop staring! Evacuate the villagers!"
Temari shoved the stunned Kankuro aside and shouted.
Her Three-Star Fan could no longer summon a breeze. Or rather, every gust it produced was a scorching wave of heat, burning her face like fire.
"It's no use..."
Gaara murmured, despair reflected in his normally indifferent turquoise eyes.
He could feel it-the presence locked onto him was simply overwhelming. His opponent did not even need to attack. If the heat radiating from that blade continued for another ten minutes, all of Sunagakure would become one enormous glass basin.
"So this is the Absolute Defense you wanted?"
High above, Chiya stood atop Susanoo's head with one hand in his pocket, looking down at Gaara as he struggled to hold on.