"Stay away from Gaara!" Temari shouted fiercely as she pulled Gaara behind her and glared at Saitama.
Saitama was momentarily startled by Temari's sudden outburst, his movement hesitating for a split second. Yet he pressed forward regardless.
[Wind Release: Blade of Wind]
The enemy's hand was almost within reach. Helpless to stop it, Temari unleashed a jutsu to protect her younger brother.
Though she had an amazing talent for [Wind Release], pulling off a full technique while still in the Ninja Academy was already impressive enough.
Swish! A transparent blade about a foot long appeared in her hand, floating there, controlled by chakra.
"How touching, but what use is it?" Saitama narrowed his eyes, looking toward this defiant little girl.
Swish! The jutsu fired from Temari's position, speeding straight toward the enemy's face!
After casting the technique, however, Temari felt a wave of weakness wash over her body, her limbs going numb.
She knew exactly why — she'd burned too much chakra in just a few seconds.
"Gaara, run — go find Father!" Temari yelled over her shoulder as she launched her jutsu. But Gaara didn't move at all, like a puppet watching helplessly as Kankuro lay nearby on the ground.
Zzzzt! Electricity crackled as Saitama reached out and grabbed the incoming jutsu, crushing it like a toy.
Crash! He clenched his fist hard, shattering the wind blade effortlessly. Then Saitama opened his palm, letting the broken fragments dissolve into chakra particles that faded into the air.
"You really think you can stop me, girl?" Saitama stared at Temari who stood wide-eyed before him, lowering his voice threateningly.
With each word, his aura surged higher — years of combat experience, accumulated killing intent transformed into invisible pressure crashing against Temari.
"Ahh!" This girl, who'd never truly seen war, was terrified by Saitama's overwhelming presence. Her face paled as she took one step back.
Gritting her teeth, Temari forced herself to stay steady — her younger brother was still motionless behind her, and her heart clenched painfully.
Stepping forward, Saitama fixed his gaze on Gaara, whose calm expression showed no reaction to the chaos around him.
Hiss! Several Senbon slashed past Saitama, slicing through the rim of his hat, flipping it off but barely grazing him.
"Oh?" Saitama slightly shifted his posture, turning his attention toward the half-prostrate Kankuro.
Earlier, Saitama had indeed held back his strength — he had only intended to knock Kankuro unconscious. But he hadn't expected him to recover so quickly.
"You want to die, brat?" Saitama gave a cold smirk. His clean-cut face carried a healthy tan glow under the lingering sunlight bathing half his face warmly.
"Heh... stay away from Temari and Gaara, you damn *invader*!"
Kankuro struggled to open his eyes, his right hand twitching with fingers flexing repeatedly.
He was in rough shape — every muscle in his body still numb from Saitama's earlier [Chidori Current], barely able to move.
But seeing his own family member about to fall victim to a ruthless attack, he gritted his teeth and kept on fighting.
This is the village. If he could buy just a little time, it would be enough for reinforcements to arrive!
"You're such an obedient kid!" Saitama shook his head, a strand of hair gently swaying across his forehead.
Boom! Saitama vanished. In the blink of an eye, he appeared beside Kankuro, while beneath his feet, Kankuro's puppet shattered into pieces.
"Weakness itself is a crime. Have you ever heard that saying?"
Saitama stared into Kankuro's eyes—those eyes filled with stubborn defiance—and slowly curled his lips upward.
Snap! His foot crackled with Electric Shock, Saitama stomped down onto Kankuro's head, driving it deep into the sand.
"I find you amusing. I won't kill you!"
Kankuro heard those words as the last sound before slipping into unconsciousness. The tall figure disappeared from his fading vision.
"Kankuro!" Temari screamed upon seeing Kankuro driven deep into the ground by Saitama's stomp. Her heart leapt into her throat.
Swish! In the next second, Saitama vanished again.
I've wasted enough time. No need for any more chatter.
Temari's vision blurred. She found herself lifted high into the air by the enemy.
Even though she was only eight, girls tend to develop faster—she was already almost four foot three. But in Saitama's grip, she felt like nothing more than a helpless chick.
"If you lack strength, don't throw your life away. Understand?" Saitama clenched tightly around Temari's throat, making it increasingly difficult for her to breathe.
"Ghh… ghh…" Temari kicked her legs wildly, her hands clawing desperately at Saitama's arm, trying to pry it open.
"Let her go!" rang a clear, sharp voice, but Saitama didn't respond. He simply turned his gaze toward the speaker—Gaara.
The pressure seemed to intensify. Temari's whites of her eyes grew more visible. Her pupils were rolling backward.
Shshsh! Gaara's gaze locked onto Temari, trapped in Saitama's grip. Shadows flickered at the corners of his eyes, briefly revealing a brutal expression.
A swirling ring of sand rose from beneath his feet, flowing and spinning slowly around his body.
Crackle! Electric Shock surged across Saitama's palm. Without even a scream, Temari suddenly rolled her eyes back completely, her head limply falling against Saitama's palm.
Thud! Saitama casually tossed Temari aside, curiosity flickering across his face as he observed the sand encircling Gaara.
"You shouldn't have harmed them! They are my family!"
Gaara's brain didn't seem to be working right. What he said made Saitama almost want to laugh.
He was being way too dramatic for his age—was that really okay?
If you didn't want me hurting them, then strike earlier!
"Oh? And what if I do?" Electricity surged across Saitama's entire body, crackling ominously.
Whoosh! Sand began climbing up his ankle, winding its way upward. But as Saitama stirred his chakra, the current zapped through, repelling the encroaching sand.
Thump! Saitama pushed off the ground with one foot, leaving behind a blackened crater in the sand, vanishing once more.
Gaara looked confused, sweeping his eyes around cautiously in search of Saitama.
Without any real combat experience, he was purely acting on instinct during the fight. All the techniques he used were ones he'd mastered while playing with sand alone in his courtyard.
Daa! A warm and sturdy hand landed on Gaara's head. Instantaneously alert, Gaara started reacting. Just as he was about to control the sand to attack that hand, he suddenly lost control of his body and got yanked into the air.
Puff! As soon as he lifted Gaara up, Saitama threw a punch. His fist, charged with lightning-infused chakra, slammed straight into Gaara's stomach.
"Khh!" Gaara's eyes widened dramatically, his pupils constricted, and his mouth fell open. Blood mixed with stomach fluid spilled from his mouth.
Saitama had unleashed eighty percent of his full power with that punch. He knew very well that such an attack wouldn't kill a Jinchuriki—someone like Gaara—but it would definitely hurt.
He wouldn't die from it, but he'd likely lose all will or ability to resist.
Looking at Gaara's expression—eyes full of disbelief and confusion—Saitama decided to play it safe. An electric shock surged through Gaara's body again, paralyzing him entirely.
Keeping Gaara unable to fight back while keeping him awake was a tricky balance to strike.
After a few swift moves, Gaara had no strength left to resist at all.
After all, he was still just a child—and worse, a Jinchuriki who hadn't yet turned dark. For Saitama, dealing with him was relatively simple.
Holding both of Gaara's hands in one arm and slinging him over his shoulder, Saitama began walking toward the exit.
Sasori had already held off the incoming ninjas, buying them plenty of time. If things dragged out much longer, Sasori would probably start losing his cool.
Gaara hung over Saitama's shoulder, completely immobilized by electric shocks generated through chakra around his wrists and ankles.
Still reeling from the earlier punch, he leaned his head against Saitama's back, his mouth slightly open. Clear drool dribbled from the corner of his mouth to the ground, leaving him looking like a shattered doll.
"Don't… don't leave! Don't take Gaara away!"
Hardly had Saitama lifted his foot when he felt a hand grabbing his ankle. Looking down, he saw Temari, who had been thrown aside just moments ago.
Temari's face was streaked with tears and smudged with dirt. Sand clung to her cheeks, mixed with the grime and salt.
Even so, she kept lifting her gaze to meet Saitama—who now blocked the setting sun—with a determined grip tightening around his ankle.
"What a stubborn little girl you are. Why bother?"
Saitama tugged his foot slightly, surprised at how firmly she held on.
"But today," he shook his head, sending an electric shock along her wrist, "I must take Gaara with me." The grip on his ankle quickly weakened.
"No… don't go!" Temari raised her hand feebly toward his receding figure before her heavy eyelids finally shut out the world.
With her last glimpse, she met Gaara's dark-rimmed eyes.
"I'm sorry… your big sister couldn't protect you…"
Temari lost consciousness, her limp hand falling softly onto the ground.
Outside the compound, Sasori manipulated [Hiruko], continuing to eliminate the approaching ninja. Around ten bodies already lay scattered on the street nearby.
Though the incident seemed drawn-out, barely two minutes had actually passed.
The alarm bells still rang across Sunagakure Village, while the sound of rushing winds signaled the approach of Suna ninjas.
"Got him. Let's pull out; there's a large group of enemies coming!"
Saitama casually slung Gaara over his shoulder with one hand and said to Sasori.
Hiss! A metallic tail swept through the air, impaling the nearest ninja onto its sharp tip.
"You go ahead first; I'll be right behind!" A deep voice came from inside the puppet as it groaned and lurched forward, mowing down all nearby ninjas.
"Alright then. I'll wait at the village entrance. The Fourth Kazekage must be arriving soon, so hurry up!"
Nodding, Saitama bent his legs slightly and sprang upward, landing on a rooftop before heading without hesitation toward the village gate.
[Electric Shock] crackling around him, Saitama dashed at high speed. At the very moment he landed on the roof, he cast a glance and spotted someone in a white haori adorned with blue patterns rapidly approaching.
Saitama's eyes narrowed as he quickly recognized the figure—the current Kazekage, The Fourth Rasa!
"You arrived pretty fast, but still too late!"
Without so much as a glance back, Saitama ran off with Gaara still slung over his shoulder.
One Rasa wasn't worth worrying about, but facing an entire village's ninja army—he probably wasn't strong enough to take them all on alone yet.
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