226-230

*Chapter 226: The Red Sand Sasori on the Journey*

Sasori's initial trip to the Land of Hot Water was just a stop along the way. Ever since leaving his village, he embarked on a purposeless journey. He had visited the endless, majestic mountains of the Land of Earth, collecting a few Iwagakure ninja corpses along the way. He also traveled to the peaks of the Land of Lightning, where he listened to the constant, roaring thunder and gathered a wealth of puppet materials.

He passed through the Land of Hot Water while heading south.

In this scenic land, Konohagakure and the Cloud Ninja had deployed tens of thousands of soldiers, locked in fierce battle. For Sasori, this was like a grand feast spread out before him. He quickly altered his plans to visit the Land of Fire and decided to linger in the Land of Hot Water instead, scavenging the battlefield like a hyena, happily collecting usable materials.

Since the end of the Third Great Ninja War, it had been a long time since he could gather materials so easily.

The effectiveness of his human puppets greatly depended on the abilities of the "materials" themselves. For example, no matter how much he modified a genin’s corpse, it could never compare to the puppet of the Third Kazekage. While ordinary mechanisms could be perfected, the bloodline limits and ninjutsu that more powerful human puppets possessed couldn’t simply be added through modifications.

In Sasori’s view, his human puppets should at least be made from the corpses of chunin with special abilities. Naturally, a jonin’s corpse would be even better, as long as it was at least 70% intact. Most importantly, the brain and torso needed to be undamaged. Otherwise, it would be impossible to preserve the chakra pathways, and the deceased’s abilities would be lost.

Unfortunately, jonin were not easy to defeat, and their corpses were hard to come by. Most of the time, the bodies he obtained were in terrible condition.

This meant that Sasori’s collection of human puppets could only grow slowly.

Originally, Sasori had planned to leave the Land of Hot Water after Konohagakure and the Cloud Ninja finished their war and continue his endless journey.

That is, until he saw Susanoo.

Witnessing the awe-inspiring power of this technique sparked something within him. He began to wonder: if he turned a member of the Uchiha Clan into a human puppet, could he preserve this extraordinary ability?

After observing for a while, however, he had to abandon this desire. It was far too difficult to obtain an Uchiha corpse. Many Uchiha had fallen in the war, but their bodies were always recovered. Unless he fought the Konoha ninja head-on, he had no chance of getting his hands on those corpses—especially not the likes of Uchiha Sougen or Uchiha Shisui, who possessed the power of Susanoo.

Still, he was unwilling to give up completely.

So, he infiltrated the Konoha ninja’s camp and stole a batch of scrolls from their corpse-handling unit.

“...Still nothing? Tsk!”

Sasori set down the last scroll with disappointment. He had not found a single Uchiha body. In fact, he didn’t come across any corpses from notable clans like the Hyuga or Aburame. Though the bodies he did find were all jonin and special jonin, so the haul wasn’t entirely a loss.

Still, there was a lingering sense of regret.

In the end, he hadn’t been able to get what he truly desired.

The small cave was artificially carved out, and on the stone platform within, several corpses of fallen Konoha ninja were neatly laid out. Sasori shook the scroll in his hand, preparing to store the bodies. Just then, he suddenly turned his head, eyes locking onto the cave’s entrance.

Someone was coming!

“They’re faster than I thought.”

Sasori muttered softly.

After stealing so many corpses from Konoha’s camp, he had expected the Konoha ninja to pursue him, but they arrived much sooner than he had anticipated. He set down the scroll, staring intently at the cave’s entrance.

...

“Pakkun, is the target in here?”

Kakashi pressed himself against the rock wall and peeked around the corner. The cave ahead bore clear signs of artificial excavation—definitely not a natural formation. Piles of uncleaned rubble were still scattered at the entrance.

“The scent is coming from that cave, mixed with the stench of corpses,”

Pakkun, perched on Kakashi’s shoulder, wrinkled his nose, clearly uncomfortable with the smell.

“Whew...”

Kakashi took a deep breath.

He didn’t rush in. Instead, he lifted his forehead protector, revealing the Sharingan underneath, and turned to Uchiha Itachi and Kimimaro behind him. “Itachi, Kimimaro, be ready. Let’s see if we can pull off a sneak attack. And remember, puppet masters often use poison, so stay on guard and be careful not to get hit.”

If a sneak attack was possible, there was no need for a direct confrontation. That was a rule Kakashi had learned during his time in the Anbu.

Ninja battles weren’t bound by strict codes of honor—anything that could eliminate the enemy was fair game. The puppet masters of Sunagakure weren’t feared for their clever mechanisms alone but for the deadly poisons they used to claim lives in short order.

Almost every skilled puppet master was also an expert in poisons.

Konoha had suffered greatly from this during previous wars with Sunagakure. Fortunately, with Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, Konoha’s forces were equipped with antidotes that could counter the puppet masters’ poisons, helping Konoha achieve swift victories in the war.

“Kakashi-senpai, we probably won’t have the chance for a sneak attack. I think we’ve already been spotted.”

Uchiha Itachi looked up at the cliff opposite them, his Sharingan locking onto a small, earth-colored lizard clinging to the rock wall. It was almost perfectly camouflaged, blending seamlessly into the wall, but the Sharingan detected the chakra flowing within its body.

“A summoning creature?”

Kakashi followed Itachi’s gaze and frowned. Ordinary animals didn’t have chakra. Only a few exceptional creatures were born with the ability, and even most summoning creatures required training to harness chakra like ninja do.

So,

99% of animals with chakra flowing through their bodies are the summons of ninjas.

“Have we been exposed? Damn it.”

Kakashi muttered, clearly annoyed.

He had been careless. Too focused on the person known as Sasori of the Red Sand, he had neglected to survey the surrounding environment. He hadn’t noticed the presence of a nearly invisible lizard. If Uchiha Itachi hadn’t pointed it out, Kakashi might have suffered a major loss.

“A ninja of Sasori of the Red Sand's caliber isn’t easy to ambush in the first place. Even if we’d spotted that lizard sooner, there’s no way we wouldn’t have been noticed whether we tried to catch or kill it. And there might be other traps around here as well... Kakashi-senpai, let’s just go straight to him! We’re already exposed anyway.”

Itachi suggested calmly.

“…”

Kakashi glanced at Itachi, who remained composed and unflustered.

He was starting to understand why so many in the Uchiha clan boasted about Itachi being a once-in-a-generation genius, second only to their clan leader. It wasn’t just his quick mastery of the Sharingan or his rapid progress in ninjutsu, but also his incredible mental fortitude.

In contrast, Kakashi felt a little out of sorts himself.

Kakashi closed his eyes briefly, took several deep breaths, and cleared his mind of the chaotic emotions that arose after learning the truth about the disappearance of the Third Kazekage. There was no need to dwell on those irrelevant thoughts now—focusing on the current mission was what mattered.

“Let’s go! Let’s see this criminal for ourselves and find out if he’s really Sasori of the Red Sand… But, by the way, Itachi, Kimimaro, do either of you know what Sasori of the Red Sand actually looks like?” Kakashi remembered an important question.

How could they confirm if their target was really Sasori of the Red Sand?

Sunagakure had issued a wanted poster for him, but that was quite some time ago. The photo might not match his current appearance, and Kakashi hadn’t even seen the wanted poster before.

“I haven’t seen the wanted poster, but the clan leader once told me that human puppetry is Sasori’s signature technique. We just need to check if his puppets have chakra flowing through them.”

Itachi’s answer left Kakashi in silence.

Of course.

Had he gotten too relaxed after the war ended? Something so simple hadn’t even occurred to him, and it took a younger ninja like Itachi to remind him. Training was essential—not just physical, but mental discipline as well!

Enough chit-chat.

Kakashi gestured, then darted ahead toward the nearby cave. His crimson Sharingan spun as he scanned the ground for traps, carefully moving forward. Once he reached the entrance of the cave, he stopped.

Looking inside,

Torches were mounted on the cave’s walls, illuminating the scene. He could clearly see the rough, simple stone platform, the dozen or so corpses lying on it, and behind the platform, a short red-haired “boy.”

“So young?”

Kakashi was stunned.

Sasori of the Red Sand, standing behind the platform, was barely over 160 cm (about 5'3") tall, with short red hair and a youthful face. If not for his cold, indifferent expression, it would be hard to believe this boy was the infamous S-rank rogue ninja.

At this point in time, Sasori of the Red Sand hadn’t yet pulled off his monumental feat of single-handedly bringing down a nation.

But even when he left Sunagakure, his skills were already impressive enough for the Sand to label him an S-rank rogue ninja. His puppets were still considered top-tier masterpieces, coveted treasures among puppet masters.

“Kakashi Hatake, Itachi Uchiha, Kimimaro Kaguya… Looks like my luck isn’t too bad!”

Sasori immediately recognized the three who had entered.

As a genius who had developed the forbidden art of human puppetry, he had mastered various abilities, including memory-reading techniques. His research into the human body and soul had reached a level of complexity that ordinary people could barely comprehend. Extracting memories from corpses was a simple task for him.

It was through these techniques that he had gathered information, allowing him to instantly recognize Kakashi and the others.

Seeing them filled Sasori with joy, his previous feelings of regret and disappointment vanishing. He had spotted Uchiha clan members at the Leaf ninja camp, but hadn’t acted due to the environment.

So after stealing the corpses stored at the body disposal unit, he hadn’t erased his own lingering traces or made a hasty retreat. Instead, he lingered in this desolate area, hoping to lure in some big fish.

The Leaf ninja couldn’t ignore the theft of the corpses, and with their abilities, it wouldn’t be hard for them to pick up on the clues he left. However, it wasn’t like they’d send a large army after him. The most likely scenario was that they’d dispatch one or two elite squads to track him down.

As a rogue ninja of Sunagakure,

Sasori knew a lot about how the major villages operated. While Sunagakure wasn’t exactly the same as the Leaf, many things were similar. And don’t forget—most of the other great villages often copied the Leaf's methods.

The ANBU system, medical ninja training, ninja academies—these were all things copied from the Leaf.

“Sasori of the Red Sand?”

Kakashi tested the waters.

“Oh? You know me?”

Sasori seemed surprised.

Despite being an S-rank rogue ninja, he had never openly advertised his identity. Even most of Sunagakure’s younger generation wouldn’t recognize him if they saw him. It was similar to how Naruto and his team didn’t know who Orochimaru was in the original story.

“Not going to answer, huh?” Sasori raised an eyebrow. “Well, no matter. I’ll just extract the answers from your minds later.”

As he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his right hand. A puppet burst out from the ground, extending four arms, each with blades glowing a menacing purple, and lunged at Kakashi.

Snap!

Kakashi vanished.

What the puppet had sliced into pieces was a block of wood.

“A substitution jutsu? Quite fast! But I wonder how long you can keep dodging?”

Sasori lightly tapped his fingers.

The puppet followed his command, its four arms moving in ways a human body couldn’t possibly replicate, slashing at Itachi. The glowing purple blades were clearly coated with poison—getting nicked even slightly would be fatal!

Have fun during the holiday! [](￣▽￣)*

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 227: Battle of the Puppet Master*

The blade, coated in poison, gleamed with a faint purple hue.

A four-armed, two-headed puppet loomed menacingly. Uchiha Itachi, never having faced a puppet master before, cautiously chose to avoid direct confrontation. Kakashi had warned him about the deadly toxins used by puppet masters, and Itachi was in no rush to approach the puppet, whose body was mostly concealed by a dark red robe.

Who knew what traps lay hidden beneath that cloak?

In fact, the traps didn’t have to be hidden at all.

As Itachi prepared to form seals to evade the puppet’s attack, the puppet suddenly opened its mouth. From the gaping maw, a barrage of poison-tipped senbon, glowing the same ominous purple, shot out like a sudden downpour, swift and hard to defend against.

“Clang! Clang! Clang!”

Itachi's small blade moved so fast it left afterimages in the air.

All of the poisoned senbon were deflected in an instant. The three-tomoe Sharingan granted Itachi extraordinary visual acuity, allowing him to track each senbon’s trajectory. His relentless training in the Uchiha swordsmanship style had prepared him to respond with precision.

Together, these two abilities allowed him to fend off every single senbon.

Apart from a few drops of purple poison clinging to his blade, Itachi remained unharmed. After deflecting the attack, he quickly formed a one-handed seal and used a substitution jutsu to avoid the puppet’s grasp.

“Such speed... as expected of the Uchiha prodigy!”

From behind a stone platform, Sasori manipulated the puppet to continue its assault, observing Itachi and Kakashi’s reactions closely. He confirmed that the intelligence he’d gathered from the memories of past victims was accurate—Uchiha Itachi was no mere figurehead. He was a true genius of the Uchiha clan.

And that was even better. The more valuable the material, the stronger the human puppet would be!

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”

Suddenly, an attack came from above.

Three shuriken, gleaming coldly, were thrown at Sasori’s head and shoulders.

While Sasori had been focusing on Itachi, Kakashi, having used the Earth Release to burrow through the mountain, silently emerged directly above Sasori. Without a sound, he launched the shuriken downward at his unsuspecting target.

As everyone knew, the puppet master’s weakness was their real body.

No matter how formidable the puppet, if you could strike down the puppet master, their creations became useless. Although Kakashi had little experience battling Sand Village puppet masters, his father, the White Fang of Konoha, had been their nightmare. Kakashi had read the notes his father left behind, detailing how to defeat these puppet masters.

However—

Times had changed!

The puppet masters White Fang encountered were not on the same level as Sasori of the Red Sand.

Kakashi’s shuriken hit their intended target precisely. But instead of the sound of flesh being struck, he heard the clear, metallic ring of a weapon striking something hard. All three shuriken were deflected, leaving Sasori completely unharmed.

“Is this… Earth Release Hardening? Or perhaps Lightning Release Body Enhancement?”

Questions filled Kakashi’s mind.

Most shinobi, while possessing immense attack power and agility, had low defense. Their bodies were fragile, and they could be killed by a single well-aimed shuriken or kunai. Puppet masters, in particular, were often among the most fragile, dedicating their energy to crafting puppets, controlling them, and concocting poisons, leaving little time for physical training. Some high-ranking puppet masters didn’t even have the basic taijutsu skills of an average jonin.

Yet, despite missing his mark, Kakashi wasn’t disappointed.

He hadn’t forgotten that Sasori was the one who had killed the Third Kazekage. If someone like that was taken down easily, it would be even more worrying—it could indicate an even deadlier trap. While his attack hadn’t harmed Sasori, Kakashi had learned something valuable: his opponent had a formidable defensive technique.

Ordinary shuriken wouldn’t work.

Next time, he’d try explosive tags or ninjutsu. But for now… his priority was evading Sasori’s counterattack.

Battles between high-level shinobi were incredibly fast. So fast, it felt like offense and defense happened simultaneously. Kakashi’s attempted ambush had given away his position, and Sasori’s fingers twitched, summoning another dark red-cloaked puppet that had been lying in wait.

This puppet was different from the one before.

It looked more human—no extra heads or arms. Hovering in the air, controlled by chakra strings, it tilted its head up to look at Kakashi, who was still partially embedded in the rock ceiling. With a click, its mouth opened.

Kakashi’s Sharingan detected chakra gathering within the puppet, concentrating around its throat.

It wasn’t an ordinary puppet—it was a human puppet!

In that instant, Kakashi realized the danger and felt a cold chill. His instincts screamed that the threat was imminent!

“Earth Release: Iron Rock Cannon!”

The puppet spat out a rock that started the size of a peach pit but rapidly expanded to the size of a coconut. Its speed, like a bullet fired from a cannon, and its destructive power lived up to the name “Iron Rock Cannon.”

The boulder hurtled toward the cave ceiling, smashing into it with a thunderous crash. Dust and debris rained down as spiderweb-like cracks spread across the rock, though the cave itself didn’t collapse. This cave had been carved out by Sasori himself using Earth Release and had been reinforced to prevent easy destruction.

“Cough, cough—!”

A cough echoed at the entrance of the cave.

Covered in dirt and grime, Kakashi retreated to his original position. He didn’t seem to have lost an arm or a leg, and it looked like he had come out of Sasori's counterattack unscathed. But the rapid, intense coughing and the tightly furrowed brow, as if it could crush a mosquito, proved that he was far from okay.

Earlier, even though he had used Earth Release to escape at the fastest speed, he couldn’t entirely avoid the impact of the Rock Iron Cannon. The force, though weakened by the layers of rock it had passed through, still placed a heavy strain on Kakashi's body. The metallic taste in his throat confirmed it was blood without even needing to spit it out.

With sheer willpower, he forced himself to endure the pain because there wasn’t even time to cough up blood.

Ninja battles aren’t like turn-based games where one has to wait for the other to strike before attacking. The key to ninja combat is to press the advantage relentlessly. The puppet that had used Earth Release came charging again, firing another Rock Iron Cannon from its gaping mouth, which looked like a black hole.

The attack method seemed quite simple.

But as the saying goes: “Master one trick, and it can take you far.”

It wasn’t about complexity, but effectiveness.

This move, the Rock Iron Cannon, had both impressive speed and destructive power. More importantly, it didn’t consume much chakra, forcing Kakashi to dodge desperately. Because of his physical discomfort, his movements had slowed down, and he found himself suppressed by just a single puppet.

Kakashi was beyond frustrated!

This is ridiculous!

Damn it, puppets don’t even need to form hand seals to perform jutsu? He had slowed down just a little, and now even breathing hurt his chest. He hoped his ribs weren’t broken and puncturing a lung, though it probably wasn’t that serious. His chest pain was manageable, and while he felt like coughing up blood, he could still hold on.

But this situation couldn’t drag on!

Injuries only worsen the longer they're left untreated—they don’t heal with time... unless it's something minor like a small cut on the hand, and that doesn't count!

Especially when, out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi noticed that both Uchiha Itachi and Kaguya Kimimaro were each tangled up with a puppet, and Sasori, standing motionless behind his stone platform, hadn’t moved an inch. It became clear to Kakashi that retreat was the only option.

Controlling three puppets at once with such ease meant Sasori wasn’t even using his full strength! His puppet-mastering skills were undeniably impressive.

From his father's notes, Kakashi knew that for Sand Village puppeteers, controlling just one puppet made you a competent Genin. Controlling two puppets at the same time made you Chūnin-level. When someone could handle three or more puppets, they were considered Jōnin-level, and the more puppets they could control, the stronger they were.

The famous Chiyo of Sand, for example, was said to control up to ten puppets in battle.

Kakashi didn’t know Sasori's limit, but in his current condition, he couldn’t test it. Even if Sasori doubled the number of puppets to six, that might be enough to keep them all here. With his internal injuries, Kakashi was struggling to handle just one puppet.

Kimimaro, as a close-combat fighter, was having a rough time dealing with a puppet master who liked to coat all his weapons in poison. The poisoned bones he produced couldn’t be reabsorbed into his body for reuse, forcing him to continually generate new ones, consuming chakra. This was putting immense pressure on Kimimaro, whose body hadn’t fully matured yet.

The only one having an easier time was Uchiha Itachi.

While he was still young and hadn’t fully grown, he was older than Kimimaro and his fighting style was less taxing. The power of his Sharingan, with its three tomoe, gave him incredible perception. Unlike Kakashi, Itachi could turn his Sharingan on and off at will.

However, Itachi was also frustrated.

His preferred method, genjutsu, was useless against these puppets. While his skills in ninjutsu and taijutsu were just as formidable, he preferred to control opponents through genjutsu—it was less tiring and more efficient than head-on combat.

“A puppet master, huh…” Itachi sighed softly.

Genjutsu didn’t work on puppets, and Sasori, who was controlling them, was out of range for his illusions. This was Itachi's first time encountering such an annoying opponent, making him realize just how troublesome a skilled puppet master could be. Without his Mangekyō Sharingan, and lacking access to the powerful Amaterasu, breaking through Sasori's defenses was no easy task.

Aware of this, Itachi hadn’t wasted chakra on unnecessary jutsu, opting instead to rely on the precise Uchiha-style swordsmanship to battle the puppet. He patiently searched for an opening to turn the tide.

But before Itachi could find a way to shift the battle, Kakashi signaled for a retreat. Even though Itachi wanted to test Sasori’s abilities further, Kakashi was the team leader, and disobeying orders wasn’t something a good ninja would do. Retreat was the only choice.

Unlike Itachi, who was somewhat reluctant, Kimimaro was more than happy to retreat. The fight had been frustrating and uncomfortable for him, constantly forced into a defensive stance.

However, the problem was that retreating wasn’t going to be easy. Sasori didn’t understand Kakashi’s signal, but he could tell they were closing in on each other and slowly moving toward the cave entrance—it was clear they were trying to escape.

“Trying to run?” Sasori smirked.

“No way! I’m not letting my prey get away.”

His fingers moved swiftly, and in an instant, seven more puppets clad in dark red robes appeared by Sasori's side.

“Sharingan, Shikotsumyaku… such precious materials. How could I let them slip away?” he muttered softly.

His fingers danced in the air as if he were playing a piano, though no music played. Instead, ten puppets charged at Kakashi and the others. Five of them were standard puppets, attacking with various poisoned mechanisms, while the other five were human puppets skilled in ninjutsu, each wielding one of the five elemental releases: Earth, Water, Lightning, Fire, and Wind.

Earth Release: Rock Iron Cannon

Water Release: Water Severing Wave

Lightning Release: Ground Spark

Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough

The multicolored attacks surged toward Kakashi and his team like a flood breaking through a dam. The wind and fire techniques combined, as did the lightning and water, while the earth techniques didn’t hinder the others.

“Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!”

Instead of retreating, Kakashi stood his ground, gritting his teeth. Retreat had to be done methodically, not by turning tail and running. If they couldn’t block this wave of attacks, there would be no chance to escape.

“Water Release: Water Wall!”

A surge of water rose up from under Itachi’s feet, combining with Kakashi’s stone-carved dog-head wall to form a double-layered defense. Clearly, both understood what needed to be done at this moment. Kimimaro, who didn’t specialize in ninjutsu, also stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Kakashi and Itachi.

He coated his skin with a layer of bone beneath, preparing to act as a shield in case Kakashi and Itachi couldn’t hold back Sasori’s attack, even though he was a bit small for a shield.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 228: Earth Release: Earth Splitting Palm*

Kimimaro, acting as a human shield, luckily wasn’t needed yet. The stone wall summoned by Kakashi, engraved with a dog’s head, was destroyed by the combined attacks of Sasori's human puppets. However, after the wall crumbled, the momentum of the combined jutsu seemed to lose strength and was unable to completely break through Itachi’s water barrier.

But Sasori’s aim wasn’t to kill.

Destroying such valuable material would be a waste of all his efforts. The best outcome would be capturing them alive for gradual modification. If that wasn’t possible, at least keeping the body intact was crucial. Cutting off limbs might be acceptable, but making them a bloody mess beyond recognition was not.

The frontal attack of the five puppets was blocked, but they successfully delayed Kakashi’s team from escaping. With the brief pause, five more traditionally-constructed puppets circled around, cutting off their retreat. At this point, Sasori finally made a move.

Puppet masters have a distance limit for controlling their puppets. The farther the puppets are from the master, the more chakra is consumed and the harder it is to maintain control. Even for Sasori, controlling ten puppets at once required intense concentration, leaving no room for mistakes.

With a metallic clang, Itachi parried a poisoned blade with his short sword, moving like a phantom across the battlefield using a combination of Body Flicker and Substitution Techniques. His Uchiha-style swordsmanship and shuriken techniques were flawless in both close and ranged combat. If only genjutsu were effective, Itachi believed he could have already taken down several enemies.

Unfortunately, their enemies were puppets.

Genjutsu didn’t work on them.

Moreover, the puppets’ hardness far exceeded that of a regular ninja’s body. Unless someone mastered powerful Wind Release techniques or had weapons that could cut through iron like mud, it would be difficult to damage these puppets with regular tools. Right now, only ninjutsu or explosive tags seemed capable of harming them.

Through his peripheral vision, Itachi observed the situation. The puppets weren’t attacking all at once but maintained a one-on-one approach. Kakashi and Kimimaro were each occupied by one puppet, while the remaining seven blocked all possible escape routes—a frustrating situation. Itachi, known for his humility and politeness, still had some pride as an Uchiha.

Despite his modest smile when praised as a genius, deep down, Itachi held a sense of pride. Since graduating from the ninja academy, he hadn’t lost a single fight, except when facing the clan leader or Shisui.

“What now, Kakashi-senpai?” Itachi asked in a low voice as they passed each other.

Kakashi remained silent for five seconds until they crossed paths again. As they moved back-to-back, he finally whispered new orders to Itachi: “Proceed with free action. Do whatever you think is best.”

The situation was grim.

The human puppets were far more troublesome than expected. If he were uninjured, there might be a chance for a counterattack, but his deteriorating condition made it hard to last much longer. Sasori, on the other hand, had yet to go all out. And even more frustratingly, their escape was blocked. If Kakashi were alone, he could escape easily, but he had Itachi and Kimimaro with him. While they weren’t a burden, their teamwork, despite looking coordinated, was full of holes when facing an opponent of Sasori’s caliber.

Rather than forcing flawed teamwork, it was better to let them make their own decisions.

After relaying the same instructions to Kimimaro, Kakashi knew he couldn’t abandon his team and escape alone. He sighed, swallowed a pain-relief pill, and gave his full attention to the puppets, launching a fierce attack.

Though they were being pinned down by the puppets, Kakashi had grown familiar with their mechanisms over time. He carefully placed an explosive tag in his left palm, preparing for the right moment. His Sharingan helped him predict the puppet’s movements, allowing him to avoid its attacks with precision. In one swift motion, he planted the tags on the puppet’s side, thigh, and back, executing a daring and precise move.

If he had miscalculated by even a fraction, it would’ve been Kakashi lying on the ground.

But Kakashi trusted the eye given to him by his close friend to see the path forward. He knew his hard work wouldn’t betray him. And in a series of three nearly simultaneous explosions, the puppet—made of steel and wood—was blown to pieces. The poison-laced, finely crafted blades scattered far and wide, torn apart by the blast.

"Not so hard to deal with after all," Kakashi thought.

His earlier judgment had been wrong. Once familiar with the puppet’s combat style, he realized he had overestimated their threat. The pressure from Sasori’s reputation and Kakashi’s own injuries had clouded his judgment.

Though these puppets weren’t invincible, Sasori himself, who had yet to reveal his full strength, remained a formidable opponent.

Kakashi had only destroyed a traditional puppet, not one of Sasori’s human puppets. The Earth Release puppet, which had been chasing him earlier, was still blocking their retreat.

Shortly after Kakashi defeated his puppet, Itachi finally used his second jutsu.

*Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Claw Crimson*.

Small clusters of flames fell like a sudden downpour, hitting the puppet squarely before it had a chance to evade. The high temperatures of the fire caused the puppet’s wooden body to warp and twist slightly, but it did not catch fire. Every part of the puppet had been coated with fire-resistant material.

For the puppet masters of the Hidden Sand Village, fireproofing was a necessary skill. They didn’t aim to resist extreme heat or the shockwaves of explosions, but rather to ensure their puppets wouldn't ignite easily.

However, Uchiha Itachi’s goal wasn’t to burn the puppet down. The Phoenix Flower Jutsu was just one part of his attack. Hidden within the flames were shuriken, which completed the assault. Under Itachi’s precise control, the shuriken struck the puppet’s joints, and the high temperature of the flames caused the puppet’s body to deform. The shuriken became lodged in the joints, rendering the puppet’s mechanisms useless.

Even though this puppet wasn’t completely shattered like the one destroyed by Kakashi, it was still practically unusable with its stiff limbs. It became more of a burden to Sasori, distracting him and occupying one of his control slots.

Sasori quickly abandoned the broken puppet, letting it drop to the ground as he severed the chakra strings controlling it.

“Stop right there!”

With a roar like that of a young tiger, Kimimaro engaged in direct combat with another puppet.

White bones jutted out from his palms, elbows, shoulders, back, and sides, making him look like a white hedgehog. The six-armed puppet couldn’t find an opening to attack. Every strike it attempted was blocked by Kimimaro’s incredibly tough bones, which even chipped the puppet’s blades upon impact.

And this wasn’t even his limit—he could still get stronger!

Seeing Kakashi and Itachi handle their respective puppets, Kimimaro felt a surge of determination. He focused on increasing the calcium density in his bones, making them even harder. Then, with a swift motion, he drew out his own spine, using it as a whip to ensnare the puppet.

At the same time, more bones grew from his body, which he threw with all his strength. The bones crossed and pinned down the puppet, restraining it completely. Even though Sasori tried to disassemble the puppet, every part that came loose was still held fast by Kimimaro’s bone restraints.

In less than five minutes, Kakashi and his team decided to fight instead of retreating. They disabled three puppets through various means, with Kimimaro successfully restraining one. Out of breath, Kimimaro barely had time to savor the victory before noticing that both Kakashi and Itachi were already caught up in a new round of fierce combat.

This time, each of them faced off against three puppets, and another one was charging directly at Kimimaro, seamlessly continuing the assault!

Victory still seemed far out of reach.

Taking down one puppet was only the first step. Defeating Sasori of the Red Sand completely would be no easy task.

“Impressive! You’re all such excellent material!”

Despite losing three puppets, Sasori wasn’t angry. In fact, a barely perceptible smirk appeared on his usually emotionless face. After all, these were just old models. Even if they hadn’t been destroyed in battle, he would’ve disposed of them eventually. These puppets were from before he started mass-producing human puppets.

Now that his collection of human puppets was growing, the old models were becoming obsolete. Even if his human puppets were damaged, Sasori didn’t mind. Their destruction only proved that they weren’t eternal, reaffirming his pursuit of true immortality. His calm, calculating mind even wandered to thoughts unrelated to the battle.

In stark contrast, Kakashi and his team were in a much more desperate state.

Their earlier momentum had faded like a brief flash of brilliance, and now they were struggling under the relentless attacks of the puppets. The sheer ferocity of the human puppets’ assaults was overwhelming. Even though Kimimaro was only facing an old-model puppet, his chakra reserves were already below half, and the techniques he had used earlier might not work again. His situation was becoming increasingly grim.

Kakashi’s mind raced with thoughts on how to break the stalemate. Fortunately, it seemed like Sasori wanted to capture them alive, as he hadn’t been going all-out. But unfortunately, this meant Sasori was more than willing to drag the battle out for as long as it took.

The longer the fight went on, the happier Sasori seemed. Exhausted prey with depleted chakra would be much easier to capture alive. As time dragged on, Kakashi’s team would grow weaker and weaker, while Sasori, having transformed himself into a puppet, would never tire. As long as he managed his mental stamina, he was confident he could wear them down.

Kakashi didn’t know Sasori’s secret, but his instincts and experience told him that prolonging the battle was not an option.

If they couldn’t break the deadlock before their chakra ran out, they’d be done for. But this deadlock wasn’t easy to shatter…

Gritting his teeth, Kakashi steeled his resolve, his jaw tightening.

“Itachi, Kimimaro, watch your feet!”

Kakashi shouted loudly.

In a flash, he used the Body Flicker Technique to put some distance between himself and the puppet attacking him. His hands moved so quickly they left afterimages as he formed seals, gathering a large amount of chakra into his palms. He crouched down and slammed both hands into the ground.

*Earth Style: Fissure Palm!*

This was a high-level Earth Style technique.

Its destructive power was among the top-tier Earth Jutsu, capable of not only attacking targets but also damaging the battlefield itself to achieve strategic effects. It was a favorite technique of Stone ninja in large-scale battles.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 229: The Human Puppet and the Third Kazekage*

Kakashi didn’t expect that his “Earth Splitting Palm” would deal any significant damage to Sasori. As previously mentioned, this move is most effective when facing large groups of enemies. Against a single target, the best outcome Kakashi could hope for was to create some disruption and hinder the opponent.

That was exactly Kakashi’s goal—changing the terrain to restrict Sasori's movements and buy time for Itachi and Kimimaro to escape.

However—

"Your resolve is admirable, but you made the wrong choice."

Sasori’s voice reached Kakashi’s ears.

The ground beneath them had been distorted by Kakashi's attack, resembling the upheaval of a land dragon. Small hills collapsed, deep cracks appeared in the earth, and there were jagged stones and sunken pits everywhere.

Sasori stood atop one of the protruding rocks, seemingly unaffected. His puppets floated in mid-air, controlled by chakra strings. Aside from a bit of dust on the hem of his dark red robe, Sasori was completely untouched!

In contrast, even though Itachi and Kimimaro had been warned by Kakashi, they couldn’t fly like the puppets, so they were more impacted by the terrain shift. Though they weren’t injured, they couldn’t find an opportunity to escape. Their efforts had been in vain.

"You’re right; I made a mistake. But…luck is on our side."

Kakashi reached up to pet Pakkun, who had just jumped onto his shoulder.

When the battle began, Pakkun had cleverly hidden, and Sasori hadn’t paid much attention to the seemingly non-threatening dog. While Pakkun wasn’t much of a fighter, he had an excellent nose.

He had sniffed out the scent of victory.

And told Kakashi about it.

"Luck?"

Sasori repeated the word, feeling a hint of annoyance and vigilance.

Then—

With a slight twitch of his fingers, the puppets in the air dove down to attack.

Sasori, who sought eternity, despised the uncertainty of luck. The unsettling feeling Kakashi's words gave him, along with his intuitive sense of danger, made him decide to end the battle quickly. He didn’t care if some damage was done to his puppets—as long as their bodies remained at least 70% intact, it would be fine.

Whether Kakashi was bluffing or something unknown had indeed occurred, Sasori's goal remained the same.

Finish collecting materials as soon as possible. That was all.

Under Sasori’s control, seven puppets simultaneously launched their attack at the trio. Uchiha Itachi furrowed his brow and tightened his grip on his short sword, preparing to defend. Kimimaro, breathing heavily, extended his hand, producing bone-white spikes. In stark contrast, Kakashi remained completely unguarded.

Kakashi’s lack of defense puzzled Itachi deeply.

In that brief moment of hesitation, he wondered whether he should go assist Kakashi, who was acting so strangely. But just then, a flash of realization struck Itachi. Could it be related to the clan…?

Almost simultaneously, a calm voice confirmed his guess.

"Kakashi, Itachi, Kimimaro—you’ve worked hard."

A skeletal hand, wrapped in deep crimson flames, swept across the battlefield from a distance. The puppets were swatted away like mere feathers, utterly powerless against the overwhelming force. Four of the seven puppets shattered into pieces, scattering across the ground, while the remaining three looked as though they would break with a single touch.

In the blink of an eye, everyone turned to see that Sougen had appeared in their midst.

"Lord Hokage’s assistant!"

"Clan leader!"

Kakashi and Itachi stepped forward to greet him.

Kimimaro stood silently behind Itachi, glancing at Sougen with a stern expression.

"You’ve done well."

Sougen praised them sincerely.

To think they had actually tracked down Sasori—this was an unexpected stroke of luck, well worth his decision to sneak out.

"You’re too kind. If it weren’t for you stepping in, Lord Assistant, who knows how badly we would’ve been beaten," Kakashi sighed in relief, grateful to have been saved. The Red Sand Scorpion’s prowess had far exceeded their expectations, forcing them into a tough, unplanned battle.

"Don’t belittle yourselves. You still have plenty of room for growth. Just because you aren’t a match for him now doesn’t mean that’ll be the case in the future."

Sougen looked at the three before him.

There was no need to say much about Uchiha Itachi. The gap in strength between an Uchiha before and after unlocking the Mangekyo Sharingan was significant. While Itachi was already quite powerful now, it wasn’t until he awakened the Mangekyo that he would truly step onto the world’s top battlefield.

The only issue was that with Shisui still alive and well, who knew when Itachi would awaken the Mangekyo.

As for Kimimaro, even less needed to be said. He was barely ten years old. Expecting him to hold his own against someone like Sasori at this point was simply unfair.

Even Kakashi was still five years younger than Sasori and hadn’t yet reached his full potential.

On the other hand, Sasori, though he had yet to achieve the feat of taking down a small nation by himself, had already transformed the Third Kazekage into a human puppet and turned his own body into a puppet as well. By this point, Sasori had nearly reached the peak of his strength.

It was no wonder that Kakashi and the others weren’t a match for him.

"Hokage’s assistant, the head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Sougen?" Sasori stood atop the boulder, looking down at Sougen, Kakashi, and the others. "I never expected someone as important as you to personally get involved. I’m truly honored!"

Despite his words, Sasori's tone was dripping with sarcasm.

His right hand had already pulled out a scroll.

The moment Sougen appeared, he felt an indescribable yet undeniably real pressure weighing on his shoulders.

A monster!

That was his immediate thought.

It was as if he was back in his childhood, witnessing the massive sandstorm that swept across most of the Land of Wind for the first time. This man, wearing a dark blue robe, didn’t look like he was prepared for battle at all, but in his eyes, the danger was overwhelming. It was like facing a natural disaster in human form!

Facing such a monster, he dared not make even the slightest mistake. Without a second thought, he pulled out one of his strongest trump cards. As the scroll slowly unfurled, it revealed a symbol encircled by strange tadpole-like markings—the number "three."

"Is that so? Well, don't be too excited just yet. The real show... is only beginning! You had the nerve to sneak into my army and steal something, so I assume you’ve already prepared yourself to pay the price. Let’s skip the talk. Let’s see who's stronger!"

Sougen smiled as he spoke.

He waved his hand, signaling Kakashi and the others to step back. He wanted to have a good fight with Sasori.

Although his goal wasn’t to kill Sasori but to capture and control him to work for him, Sougen knew how ninjas are. Unless you beat them into submission, they won’t listen to reason. And unless you used a genjutsu as powerful as Kotoamatsukami, trying to control someone like Sasori by force wouldn’t work.

Standard genjutsu might control him, but it wouldn’t make Sasori work to his full potential! And you can’t do scientific research with a muddled brain!

Of course, Sougen wasn’t expecting to subdue Sasori in just a few moves. His plan was to show Sasori the clear difference in their power, then try to talk and see if they could reach an agreement without needing Kotoamatsukami.

At this point, Sasori’s mood had grown heavy. Sougen’s uncompromising stance made it clear that negotiations were pointless. Sasori’s plan to bargain with the corpses of over a hundred Konoha ninjas had completely collapsed. Now, there was only one path left.

Fight.

As a genius puppet master of Sunagakure, Sasori had fought countless battles, crawling out from piles of dead bodies. Even after years of being an S-rank rogue ninja, constantly on the move, his combat instincts hadn’t dulled. Realizing that there was no room for negotiation, he immediately summoned one of his strongest weapons: the human puppet of the Third Kazekage.

The puppet had dark yellow eyes, sharp yet rigid features, and was draped in a black robe.

The Third Kazekage, once hailed as the strongest Kazekage, was now nothing more than an unfeeling puppet.

“So, this is the Third Kazekage? How pitiful!” Sougen sighed.

Not only did he die, but even in death, he found no peace. His body was turned into a puppet to continue fighting in the ninja world. Worse, in the original timeline, he couldn’t even rest in peace, as Orochimaru later summoned him to fight again!

Thinking about it, it seemed like none of the past Kage had peaceful deaths—grave robbing had almost become an accepted practice in the afterlife!

“Pitiful? You can say that after you’ve experienced the Third’s abilities!” Sasori wasn’t wasting any time. Without hesitation, the puppet of the Third Kazekage opened its mouth, and pitch-black iron sand poured out, floating in the air like clouds of dark mist.

“It’s the Iron Sand technique of the Third Kazekage!” Kakashi, standing ten meters behind Sougen, blurted out.

The title of the "strongest Kazekage" wasn’t like the "strongest Hokage" title given to Sarutobi Hiruzen; the Third Kazekage had truly earned his title. The First Kazekage was known for his mastery of Wind Release, and the Second Kazekage was a research fanatic, similar to the Second Hokage. While the Second Kazekage did have the Magnet Release, his most powerful technique, like the First’s, was still Wind Release.

By the time the Third Kazekage came along, the research on the Sand techniques that the Second Kazekage had been developing finally reached its peak. The Third Kazekage was the perfect culmination of that research. His Iron Sand technique, which could be used for both offense and defense, made him nearly unbeatable. It was this ability that earned him the title of the strongest Kazekage.

Kakashi remembered his father mentioning in his notes how terrifyingly strong the Third Kazekage’s Iron Sand technique was. His father had even tried to figure out a way to counter it, but the notes never mentioned a solution—because the White Fang of Konoha had failed!

He couldn’t find any weaknesses in the Iron Sand technique.

“Interesting!” Sougen’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he looked at the black clouds of Iron Sand. He drew the long blade hanging at his waist. Ever since obtaining the Uchiha fan and the Bashōsen, it had been a long time since he fought with a regular weapon.

Today, he felt like making an exception.

“Go!”

Sasori, unaware of Sougen’s thoughts, focused on controlling the Third Kazekage’s puppet, launching the first attack.

Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle

The iron sand spread out like waves in the ocean, with thousands of tiny grains shooting out like bullets. The attack’s wide coverage left no room to dodge, like a torrential rain falling from the sky—impossible to evade.

But Sougen didn’t plan on dodging.

Under normal circumstances, the best move would be to use the Uchiha fan to protect himself. After all, the Uchiha fan was strong enough to deflect even a Tailed Beast Bomb, so the Iron Sand certainly wouldn’t stand a chance. Alternatively, using Susanoo would be a good option too. Susanoo's defensive capabilities could be adjusted at will, so he wouldn’t need to worry about the iron sand breaking through.

But Sougen chose neither.

He used Earth Release.

Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall

Without forming any seals, he summoned a stone wall, just one person high, in front of him. The thick wall absorbed the barrage of iron sand, but even the one-meter-thick stone wall was shaved down to half its original thickness.

If the amount of iron sand hadn’t been limited, it would’ve been completely worn away.

“It’s not over yet!”

Sasori sneered.

The scattered iron sand, still under the Third Kazekage puppet’s control, gathered back together in the air, forming a large, spinning triangular drill. It whirled rapidly, like a giant black top.

This technique was known as Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drilling Cone.

The range wasn’t as wide as the previous attack, but its destructive power was far greater. Even a fortress made of steel would struggle to withstand it, and its speed was terrifying.

Just one second after the Iron Sand Drizzle ended, the Iron Sand Drilling Cone came hurtling toward Sougen.

“As expected, what an impressive ability!” Sougen watched as the spinning Iron Sand Cone came at him, narrowing his eyes. He raised the blade in his right hand and gently swung it. In response, the ground beneath him surged like waves, and massive walls of stone rose up, crashing into the descending Iron Sand Cone head-on!

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 230: "Would It Be Enough If I Leave?"*

"Earth Release Technique can be used like this?"

Sougen's use of the Earth Release technique was beyond the understanding of Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi. It was well known that the effects of ninjutsu followed certain rules, not just Earth Release. The five elemental nature transformations of ninjutsu all adhered to these rules without exception.

The Earth-Style: Earth Wall technique could only create a wall of rocks and soil. Even though different users might show slight variations in its form—like how Kakashi's version of the Earth Wall had a row of dog head sculptures on top—the core element remained a 'wall' and wouldn't become anything else.

However, at this moment, Sougen's Earth Release technique defied these norms. The waves of surging earth continuously shifted forms with each rise and fall—rock walls, rock spears, rock pillars—combined with a flow that seemed almost liquid. This Earth Release technique had transformed into something unrecognizable.

The high-rising earth blocked the iron sand gyro, which was falling at high speed.

The collision caused a thunderous boom to echo out.

Dust was swept in all directions by the violent wind.

In this exchange, Sougen successfully defended against Sasori's attack. The rolling earth was torn open by the impact, but the gap was instantly filled again.

The scattered iron sand flew a considerable distance before re-collecting in front of the human puppet of the Third Kazekage, swirling like a dark cloud. It didn't launch a third attack because Sasori, after this probing exchange, had somewhat realized the terrifying power of the "Flame Demon." The Susanoo from earlier could be left aside for now.

Sasori had witnessed the might of this power during the battle between Konoha and the Cloud Village. But what concerned him more was Sougen's peculiar Earth Release technique, which was bizarre and ingenious. Though Sasori was a puppet master, having developed the human puppet technique that allowed him to wield various nature releases and even Kekkei Genkai, his understanding of ninjutsu was far above that of a typical puppet master.

From the moment Sougen appeared, Sasori had already abandoned the idea of capturing Kakashi, Itachi, and the others. Now, his desire to fight had diminished even further. Although he was proud, he wasn’t foolish enough to believe he could contend with a nearly invincible power like Susanoo after witnessing its overwhelming force.

After pondering ways to break Susanoo, Sasori had to admit that other than using a more powerful force than Susanoo itself, there seemed to be no effective countermeasure.

Sasori, being a former Sand Village ninja, knew that there were three methods to deal with Earth Release techniques like the Earth Hardening technique, which made the user tough as stone.

First, Lightning Release, which could easily break through Earth Release hardening due to the natural chakra weakness.

Second, genjutsu. Though not exactly a direct counter to Earth Release, it bypassed the physical defense by attacking the mind and spirit.

Third, poison—using toxic smoke or mist to attack, avoiding the tough physical defenses altogether. However, this method was difficult to execute and not as convenient as the other two.

In Sasori's view, Susanoo was essentially a super-enhanced version of Earth Hardening.

But unlike Earth Hardening or Lightning Release Body Reinforcement, Susanoo had no elemental weaknesses. Poison wouldn't work either because Susanoo was too massive, making it nearly impossible to poison the Uchiha hidden inside.

As for genjutsu, no one in the ninja world dared claim superiority over the Uchiha in that regard. Even the Kurama clan, during their prime, could only match the Uchiha, never surpassing them.

After considering all this, Sasori realized he had no way to deal with Susanoo. If not for this, a genius puppet master who had the audacity to assassinate the Third Kazekage and turn him into a human puppet would not hesitate to plot against Sougen.

Puppet masters relied on technique, not brute force. If they did, poison wouldn't be their go-to method to make up for the inherent lack of killing power in puppets.

Even though Sasori had pioneered human puppetry, allowing him to wield various nature releases and Kekkei Genkai, it was not perfect. The strength of the human puppet was limited by its capabilities in life. Even a genius like Sasori couldn't make the Third Kazekage's Iron Sand Technique stronger than it had been in life.

In fact, just the opposite.

The fact that Sasori could make the Iron Sand Technique of the Third Kazekage's puppet not much weaker than it was in life was a testament to his genius.

Now, Sougen had only briefly used Susanoo when rescuing Kakashi and the others, and then stopped using it in battle, opting instead to fight with Earth Release. The strange Earth Release technique he demonstrated added even more pressure to Sasori.

The thought of retreating grew stronger in his mind.

Sasori understood clearly.

Staying to fight Uchiha Sougen would bring no benefit, only waste his time. As long as Sougen used Susanoo, Sasori would be helpless. Instead of revealing more of his cards, it would be better to leave now.

Although he had no way to counter Susanoo, Sasori was confident he could escape unscathed.

"If only I had a powerful technique like Dust Release!"

Sasori sighed inwardly.

The Iron Sand Technique of the Third Kazekage puppet was certainly not weak. It was versatile and effective in both offense and defense, but in terms of raw destructive power, it paled compared to techniques like Dust Release.

Unfortunately, when Sasori went to the Land of Earth, he couldn't find the corpse of the late Second Tsuchikage. As for the Third Tsuchikage, despite his old age, he was still strong, surrounded by elite Iwa-nin bodyguards, leaving Sasori no opportunity to strike. Unlike the Sand Village, it was nearly impossible to plant spies in Iwa, not even close to the ease of infiltrating the Sand Village, where even the Third Kazekage’s inner circle had been compromised.

After some attempts, Sasori realized that he couldn't do anything about Ōnoki unless he directly confronted the village, which he wasn't crazy enough to try.

"Uchiha Sougen, if you stop here, I can return those bodies to you," Sasori said in a deep voice.

His words were half true. If Sougen agreed, Sasori wouldn't mind making such a deal. Although giving up so many high-quality materials was a pity, he had plenty of time, and since he'd already taken a significant step towards immortality, he no longer feared the passage of time.

While he hadn’t achieved true immortality, Sasori had already found his own path to a form of eternal life.

Even if Sougen didn’t agree, delaying him a bit would still be a win.

"Return them? They were Konoha's property to begin with. Returning them is only right, yet you're trying to negotiate as if you’re doing me a favor. I almost admire the thickness of your skin," Sougen laughed, but the smile quickly faded. "I've already said it—you puppet-playing coward, enough talk. Let’s settle this with our fists!"

As he finished speaking, Sougen once again swung his sword through the air.

The ground beneath his feet surged toward Sasori like a flood breaking through a dam.

“So domineering!”

Sasori's voice turned cold instantly. "In that case, let me witness the power of the Uchiha!" His taunts didn't back down one bit, and his actions followed suit. The ten puppets he'd been using were either completely destroyed or on the verge of being scrapped, or they were so restrained that they were entirely unusable.

Without hesitation, he abandoned those ten puppets, pulled out a new scroll, and summoned four new puppets. This time, all of them were human puppets, dressed in uniform dark red robes. From the outside, aside from trying to maintain the appearance they had in life, it was hard to tell any other differences between them.

Only Sasori, as their creator and controller, knew the unique traits of each puppet.

The four human puppets he summoned this time were meticulously crafted from two Iwagakure jōnin and two Kumogakure jōnin. While they weren’t as formidable as the Third Kazekage puppet, they were top-tier in every other aspect.

*[Lightning Style: False Darkness]*

*[Lightning Style: Great Snake Lightning]*

As Sougen's Earth Style attack advanced, the two puppets crafted from Kumogakure jōnin launched their assault first. One opened its mouth and unleashed a massive lightning spear—a powerful technique capable of piercing through stone and metal, a high-level Lightning Style jutsu only a few geniuses could master.

As a purely offensive technique, the greater the difficulty, the more devastating the damage. The lightning spear split the rolling waves of earth like a flood, carving a deep ravine through it.

Immediately after,

The other puppet's attack followed, a lightning bolt in the shape of a giant snake, striking the split earth. Unlike 'False Darkness,' which concentrated its destructive force on a single point, 'Great Snake Lightning' was a wide-range attack.

The lightning serpent collided with the rolling earth, shattering into wild flashes of electricity that whipped every inch of the rocky terrain. It managed to obliterate a large portion of the earth, but Sougen’s strange Earth Style technique was formidable.

Even though its power had been reduced by the two Lightning Style jutsus, the earthen attack still couldn’t be fully stopped.

The surging earth, like a raging flood, continued to advance,

But Sasori still had more tricks up his sleeve.

*[Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall]*

*[Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall]*

The two puppets made from Iwagakure jōnin acted next, simultaneously opening their mouths to release a massive amount of chakra, converting it into the nature of earth. From their mouths, thick rock walls rapidly grew, like seeds sprouting in spring, creating a vast barrier of earth that blocked the advance of the attacking earth.

First, Sasori tried to counter Sougen’s Earth Style with Lightning Style. If that didn’t work, he used Earth Style to defend against the weakened attack. Sasori's tactics were undeniably effective, as the flood-like wave of earth had lost its momentum and couldn’t break through the Earth Flow Wall conjured by the two human puppets.

Behind the wall,

The Third Kazekage puppet grabbed Sasori by the shoulders, its wings made of iron sand propelling them into the sky. Sasori, as a puppet master, wasn’t one to be easily provoked into a life-or-death battle with Uchiha Sougen.

He had already decided to retreat, and everything he did was centered around that goal. The fierce stance he showed, as if he was ready to fight Sougen for 300 rounds, was nothing more than a diversion to cover his escape.

"‘Flame Demon’ Uchiha Sougen, I wasn't prepared this time, but next time we meet... we'll have a proper showdown."

Sasori muttered to himself.

"Why wait until next time? Opportunities like this are rare. If you back down today, you might never get another chance to ‘play’ with me!"

“Uchiha Sougen?!”

The voice suddenly reached Sasori’s ears, making him, a puppet himself, feel a long-forgotten sense of terror deep in his soul. He followed the sound and saw Sougen flying toward him atop a giant black eagle.

In that instant, Sasori was shaken!

He had witnessed Sougen’s overwhelming power on the battlefield with Susano'o, but he had no idea that Sougen also mastered the *[Super Beast Imitating Drawing]* technique. Sasori never expected Sougen to possess such a rare flight ability in the ninja world, even rarer than Kekkei Genkai.

"You..."

"I’ve told you enough times, less talk, more fists!"

Sougen rudely interrupted Sasori, swinging his long sword lightly, causing a massive gust of wind—not just any ordinary wind, but a storm with the force of a typhoon. Even the Third Kazekage puppet struggled to maintain flight under its power.

The iron sand wings that formed its wings were starting to lose shape.

In other words,

The Third Kazekage puppet could no longer fly!

(End of Chapter)