Sand Shinobi's Shock!!

With the sudden shift on the battlefield in the woods, the Sand Ninjas, who had been feeling triumphant, turned their attention toward the scene.

Upon closer inspection, they saw the ninja whom Gaara had just killed, his body wrapped in sand. The sand was blown apart by a kunai laced with detonating talismans.

At the same time, an unexpected figure appeared in the trees.

The Sand Ninjas, once confident, now felt a heavy sense of unease. They knew Konoha would not simply stand by and watch them invade their land. The question was whether the long-rumored successor to the Golden Flash, Kirito, would make an appearance on the battlefield.

Although they hadn't expected to face such a powerful ninja so early, they had heard of Kirito's reputation—he was said to easily defeat two Kage-level opponents. Such a formidable figure would not enter the fray without careful consideration.

As everyone pondered the identity of the sudden arrival, a man with silver hair and a Konoha forehead protector covering one eye appeared. He carried a silver-white blade on his back.

When the Sand Ninjas saw him, they let out a collective sigh of relief. While they had heard of Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja, his name did not carry the same weight as the legendary Golden Flash.

Gaara, clad in armor, furrowed his brow as he watched Kakashi enter the battlefield. His eyes narrowed with cold, murderous intent that sent a shiver down the spine of anyone nearby.

As Kakashi's face came into view, the Sand Ninjas relaxed slightly. The tension in the air eased, though there was still wariness in their eyes.

The ninja whom Kakashi had saved from Gaara's sand was gasping for breath, as if he had narrowly escaped death. It was as though the Book of Life and Death in the underworld had just flickered before going dark.

The ninja glanced at Kakashi, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes, but quickly suppressed it. He knew that, as a Konoha ninja, there was little hope of turning the tide against Gaara in the current situation.

Gaara was like a force of nature, relentlessly overwhelming the battlefield. No matter how many Konoha ninjas tried to resist, they were quickly crushed by Gaara's unrelenting assault. His power far outmatched theirs.

A Kage-level ninja would have no chance against such an overwhelming force.

Despite Kakashi's intervention, the ninja doubted that even the most elite ninjas from Konoha could change the outcome. But these thoughts remained unspoken.

Kakashi nodded at the ninja, signaling for him to fall back and regroup with the others.

"Get the backup ready. A fierce battle is coming."

As Kakashi's words lingered, his gaze focused on Gaara, the main threat on the battlefield. The ninja nodded and retreated toward the backlines.

The Sand Village's surprise attack had caught many of Konoha's forces off guard, and their quick defeat left them struggling to regroup.

But Gaara, intent on conquering Konoha, would not let any of Konoha's forces escape.

With a sudden, calculated step forward, Gaara's sand surged beneath his feet, reaching out to intercept the retreating Konoha ninja.

In an instant, Kakashi's indifferent voice cut through the tension.

"You really think I'll let you get away?"

Kakashi quickly moved, dancing across the battlefield with a series of swift steps.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

He closed the distance and reached the large hand of sand that was reaching for the ninja. With a swift motion, Kakashi drew the White Fang from his back and slashed through the air.

As he prepared to shatter the sand hand and protect the retreating ninja, the hand crumbled under the force of Kakashi's strike.

Gaara's eyes narrowed in anger as he turned his attention to the source of the disruption—Kakashi, who had dared to challenge him.

With a hoarse voice, Gaara shouted, "Are you seeking death?"

Kakashi smirked. "When I was on the battlefield, you were still sucking your thumb, kid."

Kakashi tightened his grip on the White Fang and hurled a flurry of kunai toward Gaara.

"Summoning: Earth Style, Chasing Fang!"

Kakashi formed the hand seals with expert speed.

The ground beneath Gaara trembled, cracking as if the earth itself was rebelling.

Summoned dogs erupted from the ground, charging at Gaara with teeth bared, intent on tearing him apart.

"Wang, wang, wang!" The dogs barked, lunging at their target.

But Gaara's sand gourd spat out a torrent of fine sand, surrounding him in an impenetrable shield.

The summoned dogs were swept aside before they could even touch Gaara's body, their efforts rendered useless against the sand defense.

Gaara's expression darkened as he swung his arm, sending the sand crashing into the summoned dogs, sending them flying into the air, disappearing as if they had never existed.

But Kakashi was already on the move. In the blink of an eye, his silver-haired figure vanished from sight.

Gaara's eyes widened in slight surprise as he sensed the danger approaching.

Suddenly, a sharp whistling filled the air.

Kakashi, with White Fang in hand, appeared before Gaara, aiming for a direct strike to his face.

Though Gaara was momentarily stunned, his sand responded faster than his body could react.

The sand wrapped around White Fang, halting Kakashi's attack before it could reach its mark.

Without hesitation, Kakashi adjusted his grip, flipping his wrist upward, sending the sand flying away with a powerful surge.

He thrust the White Fang at Gaara's chest.

Bang!

The sound of impact echoed as Kakashi's blade sank into Gaara's chest.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The sand armor that had encased Gaara shattered under the force, the pieces falling to the ground like broken fragments.

A stunned silence fell over the Sand Ninjas as they watched in disbelief.

"How is Kakashi so skilled with a short sword?"

"This technique reminds me of someone…"

"How could Gaara's sand armor be broken by a short sword?"

"Such an incredible sword technique… This must be the Copy Ninja, Kakashi!"

The murmurs of awe and shock spread among the Sand Ninjas as they processed the unexpected turn of events.