Gaara Arrives

Uzumaki Hane's expression grew even grimmer. He flashed forward, appeared in front of Kimimaro, and shouted, "Lava Super Heavy Fist!" He slammed a fist down. Bang! Kimimaro's bones blocked the attack. Then Kimimaro struck hard with his right fist, smashing Uzumaki Hane in the face and sending him flying.

Then Kimimaro crossed his hands in front of him. Bones emerged from his fingertips, and he shouted, "Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!" Ten finger bones shot out.

Uzumaki Hane had only just regained his footing when his expression changed. "Magma Wall!" he shouted, raising a wall of lava in front of himself. Bang! Bang! Bang! The bones pierced the wall and shot toward him.

Uzumaki Hane held his lava arms in front of him, blocking all the finger bones. He forced them out, then smashed the wall apart, sending countless fragments of lava flying at Kimimaro.

Kimimaro darted aside, dodging most of the lava fragments. He blocked all the rest with his hands and emerged completely unscathed.

Uzumaki Hane seized the chance to get above Kimimaro and brought his lava-transformed arm crashing down at his head. Bang! Kimimaro raised his right hand, and the bones on it blocked the punch. Then Kimimaro drove a fist into Uzumaki Hane's chest, sending him flying once again.

Uzumaki Hane climbed to his feet and shouted, "Magma Mode!" Scalding lava surged over his body, transforming him into a man of magma.

Kimimaro's gaze sharpened. "Interesting... Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!" He fired ten finger bones.

Uzumaki Hane didn't dodge. He simply held his arms in front of himself and charged straight at Kimimaro. The bones shot into Uzumaki Hane's body, but there was no change at all. He showed no reaction and forced the finger bones out of his body. He soon reached Kimimaro and aimed a right punch straight at his head. Kimimaro leaned to the left, dodging the attack. Uzumaki Hane's fist smashed into the ground, and the earth beneath it turned directly into lava.

Kimimaro's eyes narrowed. Looking at the lava on the ground, he murmured, "You can make magma?" He spun around and kicked Uzumaki Hane in the head, driving him back several steps. Then he swept his right hand out, sending five finger bones flying at him.

Uzumaki Hane held his arms across his body and blocked the finger bones. He forced them out, then leaped above Kimimaro and kicked down at him with his right foot.

Kimimaro raised his right arm to block Uzumaki Hane's kick, then pushed off with his right foot and retreated several steps. At the same time, he swept his left hand out, firing another five finger bones at Uzumaki Hane.

Uzumaki Hane crossed his arms in front of himself and charged at Kimimaro. Bang! Bang! Bang! His arms blocked the finger bones. He reached Kimimaro and threw a punch, but Kimimaro leaped away, dodging the attack.

Uzumaki Hane leaped after Kimimaro and swept a kick at him. Kimimaro blocked the attack with his hand, then swept out his right leg, kicking Uzumaki Hane away before landing on the ground.

Uzumaki Hane didn't continue attacking. His opponent's Taijutsu was strong, and he was no match for him in close combat. His hands swelled to three times their original size, and he swung them hard, firing several Lava Shuriken. Kimimaro stepped back several times in succession, dodging the Lava Shuriken, then swept his right hand out and sent five finger bones flying at Uzumaki Hane.

Uzumaki Hane crossed his arms and blocked all the finger bones. After forcing them out, he didn't continue attacking. Instead, he looked behind him. Someone familiar had arrived.

Kimimaro didn't continue attacking either. He too looked behind Uzumaki Hane, where a figure carrying a gourd on his back had appeared. Kimimaro said, "Strange Chakra. Interesting."

When Uzumaki Hane saw who it was, his eyes narrowed. A little excited, he said, "Gaara... What are you doing here?" Uzumaki Hane remembered that Gaara had indeed appeared in the original story, but why hadn't Rock Lee appeared? Had the plot changed?

Gaara slowly walked up in front of Uzumaki Hane and said, "I owed someone in Konoha a favor."

Kimimaro looked at Gaara and said, "Gaara, so it's you? Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!" He swept both hands out, firing ten finger bones.

The sand on Gaara's body automatically formed a wall in front of him, barely managing to block all the finger bones. Gaara looked at Kimimaro expressionlessly and said, "You're certainly in a hurry."

Then Gaara looked at Uzumaki Hane, whose entire body had turned into magma. "I haven't seen that move before. Looks like you've gotten stronger since our last fight too."

Uzumaki Hane felt that he didn't have much Chakra left. He said to Gaara, "Gaara, ever since our last fight, I've wanted to fight you again. But not today. This is my opponent, so back me up." Then he charged at Kimimaro.

Gaara remembered their last fight. If Uzumaki Hane hadn't injured Shukaku at the end, the outcome would still have been uncertain. But asking him to provide backup wouldn't do. A stream of sand rose beside Uzumaki Hane's feet and seized him.

The sand was immediately melted by the magma on Uzumaki Hane's body, but it stopped his charge. Uzumaki Hane turned to look at Gaara and said, "Gaara, what are you doing?"

Gaara said expressionlessly, "I'll deal with him."

Kimimaro said, "Gaara of the Sand Waterfall. Come at me together."

Uzumaki Hane charged straight at Kimimaro and kicked at his chest. Bang! The bones on Kimimaro's chest blocked the attack outright. Then Kimimaro struck Uzumaki Hane hard with a fist, sending him flying.

Seeing this, Gaara reached out and clenched his right hand toward Kimimaro. A stream of sand blasted at him. Kimimaro leaped aside to dodge it. Another stream of sand blasted toward him, and Kimimaro flipped over to avoid the attack, bracing his right hand on the ground. Just then, Gaara's sand came blasting at him again. Kimimaro pushed off with his right hand and leaped up, dodging the attack once more. In midair, he swept his left hand out and fired five finger bones at Gaara, but Gaara's Sand Shield blocked them.

Kimimaro had only just landed when another stream of sand blasted toward him. He flashed aside, dodging the attack. Just then, Uzumaki Hane suddenly appeared in front of him and drove an arm at his chest.

Kimimaro blocked Uzumaki Hane's punch with both hands and used its force to leap away. He flipped through the air and braced both hands on the ground. By then, Gaara's sand had already blasted toward him. Kimimaro pushed off with both hands and leaped up, avoiding the attack. Still in midair, he swept both hands out and fired ten finger bones, five at Gaara and five at Uzumaki Hane.

Uzumaki Hane had been charging at Kimimaro, but five finger bones suddenly appeared in front of him. He could only stop and shield himself with his arms, blocking the attack. On the other side, Gaara's Sand Shield also blocked the finger bones.

Kimimaro landed on the ground and was just about to move when he discovered that both his feet were bound by a stream of sand. "A trap?" he murmured. Then the sand wrapped around him.

Uzumaki Hane had used up almost all his Chakra. He returned to normal and said to Gaara, "He's my opponent." But the main objective of this mission was to bring Sasuke back. Although Uzumaki Hane was somewhat unwilling, he made no further move.