Under Gaara's control, an overwhelming torrent of sand surged towards Sasuke, obscuring the sky and the pouring rain.
Sasuke, however, merely smirked with disdain.
Boom! A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, accompanied by rumbling thunder.
At the same time, Sasuke clenched his fists, bent his knees, and assumed a horse stance-like posture.
"Aaaargh!" With a roar, tiny arcs of lightning suddenly erupted around his body, crackling audibly. The chakra throughout his entire being surged violently, instantly repelling the raindrops.
Sasuke lifted his head, his eyes filled with confidence as he addressed Gaara:
"Hey, you better have your companions stand far back. You wouldn't want them to die, would you?"
As his words fell, Sasuke's figure vanished from Gaara's sight.
In an instant, a lightning-wreathed fist had already slammed into Gaara's face.
Bang! A fierce sonic boom resounded.
Under the rainy night sky, Sasuke's figure flickered continuously, each attack carrying dazzling sparks of lightning.
Gaara was like a sandbag, relentlessly pummeled, completely unable to touch the ground.
After several seconds of continuous assault, Sasuke could even be seen pausing briefly, a rather sinister smile on his face as he stylishly flicked his hand, before his figure vanished again.
Thump! Finally, after nearly a minute of being ravaged, Gaara was slammed into the ground by a punch, sending layers of mud splashing.
Looking at Sasuke now, his hair stood on end, his entire body enveloped in lightning chakra, his eyes ice-cold.
The torrential rain that fell upon him evaporated into steam upon contact.
Sasuke closed his eyes, spreading his arms to feel the continuous raindrops, and said with rapturous delight:
"Raindrops wreathed in lightning… truly intoxicating."
"That idiot is having one of his episodes again," Sakura muttered, covering her head in exasperation.
"Are you kidding me? Gaara didn't even have a chance to fight back?" Kankuro and Temari looked on, utterly shocked.
Crack. At this moment, Gaara silently rose to his feet, his body showing various degrees of cracking.
As a piece crumbled off, a ferocious visage was revealed from within.
Armor of Sand.
It covered his entire body with sand, serving as a defense.
"Hmph, not a bad ninjutsu. It would be boring if you were defeated right away," Sasuke said, not surprised but instead smiling. The lightning around his body flared violently once more.
"Your name is Uchiha Sasuke, right?" Gaara's face was grim, filled with killing intent.
"Correct." Sasuke proudly lifted his head.
"Very well. Then you can die. Sandstorm Funeral!" Gaara extended his right hand, and in the next moment, innumerable grains of sand directly enveloped the entire area.
This was Gaara's customary ninjutsu: first, use sand to make it impossible for the opponent to escape, even if they had wings.
Then, use the pressure of the sand to crush the enemy.
"Tch, I think you've misunderstood something." Standing at the center of the sandstorm, Sasuke was unhurried, strolling through it as if taking a leisurely walk in a courtyard.
"You are merely… my prey." As his words fell, a blinding flash of lightning streaked across the sky. Sasuke raised his right hand high, and then, amidst the thunder and lightning in the heavens, a colossal bolt of lightning within the thunderclouds began to gradually coalesce into the shape of a Kirin.
"Let me show you my self-created ninjutsu: Kirin. Be careful now, don't die," Sasuke sneered.
Kirin was the ninjutsu he had been attempting to create during this period.
Previously, while learning Chidori, a flash of inspiration had struck him.
If his entire body were bathed in lightning, could he channel the power of thunder itself to deal a massive blow to the enemy?
Unfortunately, his chakra was limited, and his control over lightning-nature chakra wasn't quite refined enough.
The arrival of the rainy weather today, with its accompanying lightning, provided the opportune time and favorable terrain, allowing him to use this ninjutsu, which was currently only in its experimental stage.
Using Kirin for the first time, his handling of it was clumsy, not easy to control.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The Kirin in the sky had completely formed. Under everyone's horrified gazes, it locked onto Gaara and directly struck down with immense force.
Sensing grave danger, Gaara hurriedly used defensive ninjutsu.
"Shield of Sand!"
"Sand Clone!"
The sand that had been spreading rapidly converged, forming an oval that protected Gaara within, its hardness far exceeding steel.
Screeeech! Accompanied by a grating sound of colliding lightning that set one's teeth on edge, the entire area flashed with brilliant light as lightning danced wildly.
The Shield of Sand, as if struck by a heavy blow, suddenly cracked open a small fissure. The Kirin's momentum continued unabated. Under the impact, cracks gradually spread across the Shield of Sand, revealing Gaara's shocked eyes within.
Soon, the sustained Kirin directly shattered the Shield of Sand and struck the defenseless Gaara.
"Aaaargh!" Following Gaara's sharp, piercing scream, the entire area was completely bathed in thunder.
Trees, rocks, and soil were ignited by the rampaging electrical currents, even exploding into fragments.
Under the electric light, Sasuke stood with his arms crossed, proudly turning his head away.
Boom! The area was rocked by another violent explosion. Sasuke, his expression unchanged, didn't look back and walked towards Sakura.
"Let's go. We'll find Naruto."
Just then, something unexpected happened.
A clump of sand transformed into a large hand and enveloped Sasuke. Then, a heavily injured Gaara climbed out of a large crater.
"Unforgivable bastard." His face was a mask of ferocity as he staggered towards Sasuke.
A look of panic finally appeared on Sasuke's face as he struggled desperately.
But the flowing sand enveloped him tightly, giving him a sensation of being unable to exert any strength.
"It's over, Uchiha Sasuke. You were quite a good prey," Gaara said with a bloodthirsty smile, his palm abruptly clenching.
"Naruto, come back quickly!" Sakura let out a piercing scream.
Crrreak… crrrunch… Sasuke felt an irresistible force continuously constricting him. Painful sounds of his bones dislocating came from all over his body.
His young face flushed crimson, and blood even trickled from the corner of his mouth.
He knew his body was about to break. If he didn't do something, he would die.
"Damn it! Am I really this pathetic?" Sasuke bit down hard, his heart filled with a sense of humiliation.
Memories of the past flashed through his mind like a quickly turned picture scroll.
From his first meeting with Naruto, he had always been chasing Naruto's footsteps.
Naruto was so strong, every battle fought with an effortless, elegant grace.
His coolness and showmanship were entirely natural.
Whereas his own clumsy imitations often ended up being very awkward.
He had fantasized countless times about dispatching powerful enemies with extremely stylish moves, then offering a cold snort and turning away disdainfully.
But alas…
He had still messed up.
Damn it.
Is the honor of the Uchiha going to be buried by me?
Sasuke's vision gradually blurred, and blood continuously gushed from his mouth.
He seemed to see that man walking towards him, his eyes full of ridicule.
"Is this the extent of your caliber? My foolish little brother."
Hearing that man's words, sparks of fury ignited in Sasuke's eyes.
"I will become stronger! I will become Hokage! I will revive the Uchiha clan!"
"Aaaaargh!!" Sasuke threw his head back and roared.
The lightning around his body violently surged, his entire being bathed in electricity.