"You underestimate me. Sand Coffin!" Gaara, angered by Menma's relaxed attitude, sent sand flying toward the seated Menma.
Menma, still seated, didn't move to dodge.
One of Menma's shadow clones formed hand seals: "Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
A giant water dragon surged forth, swallowing the sand in one bite.
Gaara: (ω)!
It wasn't over yet.
Another of Menma's shadow clones formed hand seals as well: "Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"
A roaring fire dragon shot from his mouth, hurtling straight toward Gaara.
The coordinated moves from Menma's two clones stunned the audience. Shadow clones can do that?
"Kakashi, is this who you were talking about?" Guy asked, surprised by the operation.
Kakashi nodded helplessly. Watching Menma's clones attack, he couldn't help recalling his own matches against Menma — shadow clones everywhere, assaults from all directions, barely any room to breathe, let alone counterattack.
But it still wasn't over.
Menma's third shadow clone formed hand seals: "Wind Style: Air Bullet!"
A compressed wind bullet blasted from his mouth — not at Gaara, but into the Fire Style: Dragon Fire stream of the other clone.
As the wind merged with the flames, the fire dragon swelled instantly — doubling in size — and snapped at Gaara.
Boom! A thunderous blast shook the arena.
"Gaara!" Temari cried, worry on her face. Even with his so-called absolute defense, she was still his sister.
Kankuro was more stoic — after all, Gaara's "absolute defense" was legendary.
"It's a bit much, but he should be fine. He's One-Tail's jinchūriki," Menma murmured. He'd simply used basic chemistry: wind feeds fire — more airflow means more oxygen, which makes the flames burn fiercer.
Conversely, the wrong mix snuffs fire out. So Menma chose B-rank fire and C-rank wind. The idea had been a sudden inspiration.
The five elements restrain and amplify one another. Even in another world, the principle holds. And since Menma can use five elemental styles — fire, wind, lightning, earth, and water — combining them makes the whole stronger than the sum of its parts.
Kakashi was stunned. He didn't know this before… has he gotten even stronger? He could already imagine his future — Menma was a vengeful sort; he probably still remembered the "One Thousand Years of Death" prank from childhood.
ε=(ο｀*))) Sigh… when will my retribution end, Menma?
Roll on, then. One day I'll pay you back for that, he thought.
As the smoke cleared, Gaara's condition looked bad — clothes tattered, blood streaking his forehead and left arm.
Temari: (ΩДΩ)! Gaara's injured!
Kankuro: (ΩДΩ)
Baki: (ΩДΩ)
Shock rippled through the Sand spectators. Gaara's — "absolute defense" — was breached.
Menma's enhanced fire had punched through two layers: first the outer Sand Shield, harder than steel, then the Sand Armor coating Gaara's body, which was weaker than the shield but still formidable.
Clutching his left arm, Gaara threw his head back and laughed, wild and ragged. "Hahahahaha — this is pain."
Menma watched Gaara's unraveling and felt a pang of regret. If possible, he would have personally killed the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
What a scumbag. Rasa married Karura for her talent. His own magnet release could shift forms freely, serving both attack and defense — a terrifying weapon for Sunagakure, even capable of suppressing Shukaku in the desert. (Shukaku: I disagree.)
In Rasa's eyes, the union should produce superior heirs.
His eldest two, Temari and Kankuro, didn't meet his expectations. Then Gaara was born, and Rasa saw hope. He sealed Shukaku into the newborn, intent on forging the strongest weapon to protect Sand.
Karura died in childbirth. Gaara was raised by his uncle Yashamaru and trained by Rasa. The villagers feared him for the sand that protected him, and they hated him too. Yashamaru alone cared for him — he knew Gaara didn't truly want to hurt anyone.
But Rasa, in his arrogance, "tested" Gaara's control over Shukaku by ordering Yashamaru to assassinate him — and lie that he'd never loved Gaara, that Karura had hated him too. He shattered the child's love and longing for his mother.
Yashamaru died by Gaara's hand. Shock and grief sent Shukaku out of control, and only Rasa's gold dust suppressed it. Rasa deemed Gaara a failure, then sent more assassins. Gaara grew lonelier, more bloodthirsty, more world-weary.
Later, with Sand's budget gutted, Rasa sensed Konoha's strength — and a looming crisis. He conspired with Orochimaru and the Sound to attack Konoha.
But Orochimaru had his own plans. With Kabuto and Kimimaro's help, he assassinated Rasa, impersonated the Kazekage, and successfully provoked a war between Sand and Leaf.
Menma could only say: well done, Orochimaru.
A village doesn't grow through blind aggression. That's a short-term high with a long-term collapse. Strength begins at home.
Gaara's left arm then warped into a monstrous claw. Not just the arm — his entire body twisted and expanded.
Almost everyone in the stands recoiled.
"He's gone fully possessed," Kankuro whispered, stunned.
"What do we do?" Temari asked, clutching her head.
Menma finally stood. Even in the face of Gaara's complete possession, he didn't panic; he'd expected this outcome. He cracked his neck lightly.
"Time to stretch," he said.
(End of Chapter)
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