Chapter 126: The Cry of Thunder

Gaara saw the incoming fireball and swiftly swung his arm. The sand from his gourd surged forth, rapidly enveloping him in a spherical barrier.

Boom!

The next instant, the fireball collided with the sand sphere, erupting in an explosion that sent white smoke billowing outward, completely obscuring Gaara's figure.

Sasuke remained on high alert, his hand resting on the Poké Ball at his waist.

He knew Gaara wouldn't go down that easily.

Whoosh—

Suddenly, the sand surged forward like a tidal wave, rapidly closing in on Sasuke's position.

His eyes narrowed, and he swiftly leaped aside, simultaneously tossing out a Poké Ball.

"Charmeleon!"

"Gyaah!"

With a cry, Charmeleon materialized beside Sasuke.

Boom!

At that moment, another explosion echoed from Gaara's direction, scattering the lingering smoke.

Gaara's figure emerged, his expression colder than ever, his body radiating an aura of pure killing intent.

"If that's all you've got, then die."

With those words, Gaara clenched his fist, and the sand on the battlefield began to churn violently, rushing toward Sasuke in an attempt to trap him.

"Sand Coffin!"

Seeing the sand closing in, Sasuke's eyes darkened. He shot Charmeleon a glance before dashing out of the encirclement at full speed.

Charmeleon, catching the signal, also moved swiftly, sneaking toward Gaara from another direction.

"Hmph."

Gaara, noticing their movements, smirked coldly and raised his hand.

"Sand Drizzle!"

At his command, the sand lifted into the air, forming countless sharp needles that hovered ominously before locking onto Sasuke.

With a simple wave of Gaara's hand, the deadly projectiles shot forward.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Hearing the piercing sounds, Sasuke's pupils contracted. He quickly twisted his body, dodging the onslaught as best he could.

But the attacks were too dense—one sand needle slipped through and struck him hard.

"Sasuke!"

Naruto, watching from above, cried out in shock, his eyes widening in disbelief. Tears welled up involuntarily.

Beside him, Sakura turned deathly pale, collapsing onto the ground as she covered her eyes, unable to bear the sight.

However—

Poof!

The Sasuke that had been struck instantly transformed into a block of wood and fell to the ground.

The real Sasuke had already vanished from Gaara's attack range.

"Huh?"

Gaara's expression darkened. "A Substitution Jutsu?"

Whoosh—

A sudden movement behind him made him spin around.

His eyes widened in surprise—Charmeleon had somehow closed the distance, mouth wide open as flames surged forth.

Gaara frowned and waved his arm. The sand surged to form a barrier in response.

Sizzle—

Charmeleon's fiery fangs bit into the sand, scorching it black.

But before Gaara could retaliate, another sound came from behind him.

His face twisted in shock as he turned—

Sasuke had reappeared, fist aimed straight at him.

Bam!

Gaara was sent flying, tumbling several meters before crashing onto the ground.

"Cough, cough—"

Coughing, Gaara staggered to his feet. Pieces of hardened sand crumbled from his face, revealing raw skin underneath.

His gaze darkened with rage. "I'll kill you. I have to kill you."

His fury ignited, and with a swift motion of his arm, the surrounding sand surged violently once more.

Up in the waiting area, Temari and Kankuro leaped to their feet, concern flashing across their faces.

"Gaara! Use your Pokémon!"

Their urgent voices reached Gaara, causing the sand's turbulence to settle slightly. Some of the killing intent in his eyes faded.

Taking a deep breath, he retrieved a Poké Ball and tossed it forward.

"Gliscor!"

The newly summoned Gliscor let out a sharp cry, its eyes scanning the battlefield before locking onto Charmeleon with a serious expression.

"Gliscor, handle the Pokémon. I'll take care of him."

"Skkraah!"

Gliscor nodded and turned to face Charmeleon.

Meanwhile, Gaara gathered his chakra, the sand around him spreading out, advancing toward Sasuke.

Sasuke's face darkened.

Gaara was no easy opponent. His absolute defense made him nearly untouchable at their current level.

Earlier, Sasuke had only managed to land a hit thanks to his coordination with Charmeleon. Alone, his chances were slim.

Not everyone had Rock Lee's insane speed to outpace Gaara's sand.

As the sand crept closer, Sasuke knew he had to act fast.

He shut his eyes for a moment before snapping them open—his Sharingan glowed ominously.

Then, in a flash, he bolted toward Gaara.

Seeing Sasuke charge, Gaara tensed, taking him seriously now.

His sand moved with Sasuke's every step, ready to intercept.

In the next instant, Sasuke reached Gaara and flung a kunai at him.

Gaara didn't even glance at it—the surrounding sand easily blocked the projectile.

But that was exactly what Sasuke had anticipated.

The moment Gaara's sand reacted, Sasuke accelerated, slipping beneath Gaara's defenses and launching a kick toward his chin.

Gaara swiftly countered, wrapping his arm in sand before swinging to intercept.

Bam!

Their attacks clashed, the force cracking the ground beneath them.

For a brief moment, they stared at each other in mutual shock.

Then, as if by silent agreement, they each leaped back, resetting the battle.

Their gazes grew more intense.

Gaara, however, didn't waste time—he clenched his fist again, and the sand surrounding Sasuke lunged forward, attempting to ensnare him.

Sasuke's face twisted as he stepped back, bending his knees into a crouch.

Gathering chakra into his right hand, he channeled it with precision.

Crackle—

Sparks of electricity surged through his palm, accompanied by an ear-piercing chirping sound.

>>>>>

follow my patreon.com/Yueru1 for more advance chapters and search the link