"Come on. I'll take you to see how the old man's getting beaten up."
The moment Shengu Xuan finished speaking, he gave Sasuke no time to react.
Deep within his eyes, the ghostly blue emblem of the Rabbit Talisman blazed to life!
Whoosh!
Shengu Xuan held the unconscious Gaara in one hand and casually grabbed Sasuke's shoulder with the other. At the Rabbit Talisman's ultimate speed, which broke through the limits of space, the three vanished into thin air from the ruins of the Forest of Death, leaving only a violently churning ring of white sonic-boom clouds behind.
Meanwhile, the circular arena in the center of Konoha had already become a gruesome killing field.
Most of the ordinary spectators in the stands had fallen asleep under the Sound Ninja's genjutsu, while the Konoha ninja who remained awake fought desperately against the Sound Ninja and Sand Ninja who had shed their disguises.
Blood stained the arena's stone paving, and severed limbs littered the ground. The air reeked of blood and the smoke left by burning explosive tags.
"Lightning Blade!"
Cold killing intent flashed in Kakashi Hatake's exposed left eye. The dazzling blue lightning in his right hand shrieked like a thousand chirping birds as it pierced straight through a Sand Ninja Elite Jonin's chest. Kakashi pulled out his blood-soaked arm and panted heavily. The sustained, intense fighting had consumed an enormous amount of his chakra.
"Kakashi! Watch your left!" Might Guy roared. His body became a green whirlwind, and a powerful Leaf Great Whirlwind sent two Sound Ninja attempting to ambush Kakashi flying into a wall, their bones and tendons shattered.
"Things aren't looking good, Guy." With his back against Might Guy's, Kakashi surveyed their surroundings gravely. "There are too many enemies, and they came prepared. Worst of all, there's an