Rasa instinctively turned his head and saw the mysterious individual, who should have been crushed beneath the sand, standing beside Shukaku.
Without hesitation, Kouki tossed a massive kunai towards Maki and the other Sunagakure ninjas.
"How…? How did he escape?"
Rasa was utterly baffled. He had witnessed with his own eyes Kouki being completely submerged in the sand! How had Kouki managed to escape?
The answer was simple: just before being completely buried, Kouki had used Kamui to teleport himself to Shukaku's side.
Boom!
The massive kunai exploded into a cloud of smoke, transforming into countless smaller kunai, a dense, overwhelming barrage aimed at Maki and the others.
Maki and the others' faces paled; they were completely unprepared for such a sudden and intense attack.
At the critical moment, Rasa, utilizing his control over the sand, created a protective wall of sand before Maki and the others, completely blocking the onslaught of kunai.
"Kazekage, shall we end this farce?"
At that very moment, a hand suddenly appeared from behind Rasa, a kunai pressed against his neck.
The cold steel sent a jolt through Rasa, freezing him in place, preventing any rash action.
Boom!
At that instant, the mysterious figure who had subdued Maki and the others near Shukaku dissolved into smoke, revealing it to have been a shadow clone.
"When…?"
Rasa's face was etched with astonishment. With his level of skill, he hadn't sensed the opponent approaching from behind. It was simply unbelievable.
Of course, if Rasa had known Kouki's mastery of space-time ninjutsu, his surprise would have been lessened.
After teleporting away from the sandstorm using Kamui, Kouki used a shadow clone to attack Maki and the others, drawing Rasa's attention.
His real body, using Kamui once more, silently appeared behind Rasa.
The strategy worked perfectly.
Jiraiya had been similarly subdued earlier; Kouki seemed to have discovered a new tactical application for Kamui.
With Rasa held at kunai-point, Maki and the others froze, unable to act. The tension was palpable.
"Sir, we assure you we won't make any sudden moves. Please release the Kazekage,"
Maki swallowed hard, his voice strained as he addressed Kouki.
"Even if you did, what difference would it make?" Kouki chuckled, his tone light but carrying an undercurrent of power.
Maki and the others were rendered speechless.
Indeed, this mysterious individual's power was overwhelming. He had effortlessly subdued Rasa; they were no match for him, even if they combined their strengths.
With their Kazekage already captured, they had no leverage to negotiate.
"Sir, what are your intentions?"
Rasa, a seasoned Kage, remained calm despite the life-threatening situation. His composure was remarkable.
"My intentions are not something I can readily disclose, but I can assure you that I have no intention of taking Shukaku. You can rest assured on that point."
"Even if you don't believe me, it doesn't matter. I'll return Shukaku shortly."
Kouki said dismissively. He had said similar words before, but Rasa hadn't believed him then. Now, however…
Rasa found himself inclined to believe him.
After all, Kouki could have easily killed him, but he hadn't.
Kouki gently moved the kunai from Rasa's neck, confident that Rasa understood the implications.
As Kouki expected, despite lingering suspicion and apprehension, and despite maintaining a high degree of vigilance, Rasa refrained from attacking.
The atmosphere became strangely tense.
Under the watchful gaze of Rasa and his team, Kouki calmly returned to Shukaku's side.
Rasa, Maki, and the others remained silent, their eyes fixed on Kouki.
"'Shukaku Location' check-in point generated!"
Only when Kouki heard this system notification did he stand up.
"Kazekage, I'm returning Shukaku."
Kouki addressed Rasa before releasing the seal. He brought his hands together. "Sage Art: Gate of the Great God, release!"
The red torii gates restraining Shukaku dissipated.
"Roar!"
Shukaku, enraged after being restrained for half an hour, lunged at Kouki.
Kouki effortlessly evaded it using Body Flicker Technique.
"Shukaku is yours now, Kazekage."
With those words, a vortex appeared in Kouki's eyes. He was quickly drawn in and vanished.
As for the check-in? Having used his check-in opportunity, he would have to wait until his next visit to this location.
Rasa and Maki exchanged bewildered glances; they hadn't expected the mysterious individual to leave so abruptly. His departure was swift and decisive.
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