There was a deafening boom.
The heavy, hard yellow claws actually plowed several incredibly deep furrows into the ground!
If a ninjutsu this powerful struck a ninja, it would not merely leave them black and blue.
It would leave pieces of them scattered everywhere!
He really is a Jinchūriki...
Jiraiya glanced at the destruction wrought by the Sand Hand and inwardly marveled.
A kid this young can unleash ninjutsu as powerful as a B-rank technique used by a Jonin...
Once Gamachu landed again, Jiraiya steadied himself.
"That's about enough, Gaara."
By now, most of the flippancy had vanished from Jiraiya's face.
"We aren't enemies."
"Lord Orochimaru taught me something."
Gaara's expression remained icy.
"Anyone who stands in the way of my mission must die!"
In the ninja profession, those words could not have been more correct.
Yet they had come from the mouth of a child only a few years old...
For a moment, Jiraiya could not help feeling conflicted.
Spend too long in Konoha, and you would start to think the Shinobi World was bright;
Do too much work in the Great Love Group, and you would start to think the future was beautiful.
But in reality.
Cases like Gaara's were the prevailing reality of the Shinobi World.
Jiraiya did not know what to say, so he could only vent his frustration at his former companion.
"That bastard Orochimaru... he doesn't even know how to teach a kid!"
As far as Jiraiya was concerned, there was nothing wrong with that statement.
Gaara, however, was deeply provoked.
"I won't let you insult Lord Orochimaru!"
"Insult?"
As though he had heard something strange, Jiraiya stared at Gaara with wide eyes.
"Was that an insult?"
Unfortunately, at that moment, Gaara could no longer hear Jiraiya's voice.
To uphold Lord Orochimaru's dignity, Gaara