Within the forest, the sands churned and rolled—but not to attack. They moved to defend.
"Gaara, brat, pour in more chakra! There's plenty of sand around you—focus!"
"The core of Magnet Release lies in using your own chakra to manipulate the surrounding matter for your benefit. As long as you have enough chakra and control, even sand buried deep underground can be yours to command!"
At this moment, Shukaku had taken on the role of a teacher. Their opponent's Fire Release covered a vast area; if Gaara couldn't block it, he might be seriously injured in their first clash—and that was unacceptable.
Gaara said nothing but followed Shukaku's guidance, rapidly increasing his chakra output.
As his chakra spread outward, the flow of sand quickened, growing denser and more massive by the second.
"Oh? Interesting. Is this the power of Shukaku—or your own potential?"
"Making such a commotion isn't wise."
"Fire Release: Sun Arrow!"
Muren Uchiha stood motionless, his Sharingan spinning rapidly. The strange, spear-shaped pattern of his Mangekyō Sharingan began to turn.
Under his control, both the sand and flames were contained within a precise area; anything that extended beyond it vanished completely.
Then he made a new motion—drawing back an invisible bowstring, shaping both bow and arrow from fire itself.
It lacked the grand display of his previous technique, but Gaara could feel a killing intent from that fiery arrow.
And those eyes—Sharingan? They looked different. Were those the Mangekyō Sharingan his sensei once mentioned?
At this point, Gaara was still a genin. His strength was far above average, but his experience was limited.
If Kazuyama hadn't personally trained him before, he might have been completely overwhelmed by now.
"Shield of Shukaku!"
It was the strongest defensive jutsu Gaara could currently use—a massive, sand-formed shield resembling a smaller version of Shukaku itself.
Seeing it rise, Muren's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"Already able to draw upon Shukaku's power?"
"Impressive for someone your age."
"But my arrow won't be stopped so easily."
The flaming arrow streaked through the air with a hiss.
Gaara's focus sharpened, the surrounding sand swirling protectively around him. He could feel the danger in that attack.
"Tch. Fire against sand? Sand won't lose."
"Not against my Shield of Shukaku."
"Crow! Black Ant! Go!"
"Black Secret Technique!"
Just as both sides were about to collide, Kankurō seized the opportunity. His two puppets flew toward Muren from both sides, blades extended, their edges glinting with poison.
But Muren didn't even bother to look at them. With a twist of his Sharingan, both puppets froze in midair, suspended just short of reaching him.
Meanwhile, the flaming arrow struck the Shield of Shukaku.
It looked small—but the instant it made contact, Gaara's face changed drastically.
"Not good!"
"Temari! Kankurō! Fall back!"
Without hesitation, Gaara thrust both hands forward, sending wave after wave of sand to the front.
Temari blinked in confusion, and Kankurō froze for a moment—before the entire Shield of Shukaku burst into flames.
At its center, heat shimmered as fire began to burn through.
"Boom!"
The arrow pierced straight through the shield, still hurtling toward Gaara without losing any power.
All three of them paled.
"Tch! Even the Shield of Shukaku couldn't stop it?!"
"Gaara, sand!"
"Ninja Art: Sandstorm!"
Temari knew full well how dangerous it was to use Wind Release against Fire Release—one mistake and the wind would only feed the flames.
But she had a method.
By using a controlled burst of wind to stir up sand—making sand the main force and wind the support—she could create a sandstorm barrier that defended without amplifying the fire.
She and Gaara had trained together for years under Kazuyama's guidance. Their coordination was perfect.
As Temari summoned her wind, Gaara scattered the nearby sand to match her rhythm.
When the wind and sand merged, Gaara suddenly leapt sideways. Landing hard, he raised his right hand, determination flashing across his face.
"Shukaku's Spear!"
If defense couldn't stop it, he'd meet power with power.
Channeling chakra into the densest minerals buried below, Gaara compressed them within his sand, forging a massive, stone-hard spear—his most powerful offensive strike yet.
"Oh? Giving up on defense?"
"Heh. Let's see just how much Shukaku's power can really do."
"Show me, Jinchūriki."
Muren formed a single hand seal, his flaming arrow curving midair to chase after Gaara.
No defense could stop it—not even Shukaku's shield.
"Hmph!"
Gaara's eyes narrowed. He let out a cold breath, then hurled the Shukaku Spear forward with all his strength.
The flaming arrow and the sand spear collided head-on.
Flame and sand exploded together, scattering shards of heat and grit through the air.
After the clash, the arrow's fire dimmed—it had lost its cutting edge.
Under the spear's sheer density and piercing power, it broke apart, fading into a burst of flame.
Even so, Gaara's spear was heavily damaged, nearly crumbling from the impact.
"Haah... that took too much chakra..."
Gaara dropped to one knee, panting. The back-to-back jutsu had drained him badly.
Seeing this, Temari and Kankurō exchanged a quick glance—and acted without hesitation.
Temari raised her Three-Star Fan, channeling every last drop of her chakra.
"Ninja Art! Great Sickle Weasel Technique!"
An enormous gale erupted from the fan, far greater than before, roaring forward with overwhelming force.
Kankurō recalled his puppets instantly, grabbed Gaara, and sprinted away.
"Little rats—you're not getting away!"
"Controlling a jutsu this large is a hassle, though."
Muren smirked. He knew an attack this flashy would attract unwanted attention, so he couldn't allow it to go unchecked.
His Sharingan spun again as he exerted control over Temari's Great Sickle Weasel Technique.
Meanwhile, Gaara and his siblings used that brief moment to flee into the distance.