Lock sighed, irritation flashing in his eyes.
"So much for diplomacy… this guy's even more hot-headed than that old Tsuchikage."
The Third Kazekage had attacked without hesitation — not even a word of warning.
"Tch. Fine, then."
Lock's figure blurred — his signature assassination movement, a flash-step born from a fusion of chakra flow and body flicker. In the next instant, he appeared behind the Kazekage, blade already drawn, aiming straight for the base of his neck.
Clang!
The strike stopped short — a shield of black iron sand had instantly risen from behind the Kazekage's head, blocking the slash. The metal rippled like liquid before creeping along Lock's blade toward his arm.
Lock reacted instantly — dropping his weapon and leaping back as the desert floor erupted with more glimmering sand-iron.
The Kazekage's eyes narrowed. His expression was composed, but his heart was shaken.
That movement speed… it wasn't just fast. It was almost like teleportation.
"The Body Flicker Technique…?" he muttered, frowning. "No — no ordinary shunshin could cross that distance instantly."
He extended his hand, and the black particles around him swirled, forming countless iron spears.
"Magnet Release — Iron Sand Spear!"
The air howled.
The projectiles shot forth faster than arrows — so fast that Lock barely twisted aside in time, the spears piercing deep into the sand where he had stood a moment earlier.
"Damn, they're even faster than my step."
He had no time to breathe before a new shape hurtled toward him — a spinning pyramid of iron sand. It hummed with magnetic force, tugging at his chakra flow and throwing off his movements.
Lock grimaced. "Magnetic interference… troublesome."
He forced chakra through his muscles, breaking the pull, and darted sideways — narrowly avoiding the crushing blow as the pyramid smashed into the dunes. But more iron sand surged toward him, relentless.
He couldn't afford to be hit — he knew what Magnet Release could do. Once that sand got into his system, he'd be paralyzed, helpless.
Lock vanished again. In a flicker, he appeared behind the Kazekage and drove a chakra-coated fist toward him.
Boom!
The punch shattered a wall of iron sand, sending shards scattering — but the Kazekage had already slipped away, fast as a gust of desert wind.
Lock didn't chase. Instead, he snapped a small capsule at his feet.
With a pop, a dense cloud of gray smoke burst outward, swallowing the battlefield.
The Kazekage hesitated, momentarily surprised. "A smoke bomb? Pathetic trick."
But before he could move, Lock was on him again — a blur within the haze.
Thud!
Iron sand surged to defend the Kazekage automatically, but Lock's strike still blasted through a layer of it, the sheer force making the man stagger backward.
"Impossible… I can't control the sand?"
The Kazekage's eyes widened — his magnetic field wasn't responding. The iron sand was hovering, but it wouldn't obey him.
Inside the smoke, Lock pressed the attack — his movements silent and sharp, each strike forcing the Kazekage further off balance.
He noticed the man's confusion and realized something. So the smoke disrupts his control… interesting.
But even with that advantage, Lock's attacks couldn't land a clean hit. The Kazekage's instinctive defenses — the iron sand moving of its own accord — kept shielding him.
Automatic defense… just like Gaara's sand.
Lock clenched his jaw. "No wonder he's called the strongest Kazekage."
The smoke began to thin. The moment it cleared, the Kazekage regained control, his expression cold and calculating.
"So that was it," he muttered. "The smoke interfered with my magnetic field."
Lock was already retreating. He knew what was coming next.
The ground trembled.
A vast tide of iron sand surged upward, splitting into hundreds of razor-sharp spikes. At the same time, the Kazekage condensed a dense mass of sand on his shoulders — black wings unfurling behind him.
"Magnet Release — Iron Sand Flight!"
He shot forward, fast as a hawk.
Lock formed hand seals in desperation.
"Earth Style — Earth Wall!"
The barrier rose before him — but the iron sand spears tore through it like paper, scattering the debris and forcing Lock to dodge once more through the storm of black metal.
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A/N: New Fanfic Is Out " Naruto: I'm Boruto Uzumaki"
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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