"For the sake of the fact that we're both missing-nin," Zabuza said coldly, "you'd better accept that brat's offer."
He did not even bother looking at Gabirel.
Although he didn't know Gabirel's exact level, if the Bingo Book rated them with the same danger rank, then Gabirel was at least a high-level jōnin with lethal capabilities.
But that didn't matter.
If he, Momochi Zabuza of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen,
was helpless before Qianye, then there was absolutely no way Gabirel would be the brat's opponent.
Gabirel's dry lips curled into a sneer.
"I don't know why you're listening to that kid like a trained dog," he said. "But unlike you, I still have my pride."
Zabuza's expression instantly turned icy.
"…Kindness treated like garbage, huh?"
"In that case let's settle it your way."
His voice dropped to a deadly whisper.
With a single step, he dashed forward, Kubikiribōchō sweeping out in a murderous arc!
Although Gabirel spoke boldly, he did not dare take Zabuza lightly.
This was a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist a monster whose strength was known across nations.
The moment Zabuza moved, Gabirel's eyes sharpened.
His fingers flicked as he unfurled a scroll, slamming both hands onto its surface.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
White smoke exploded outward in rapid succession
and then an astonishing sight appeared:
Three fully armed puppets materialized in the sandstorm haze!
Each puppet was built in classic Sunagakure style
jointed frames reinforced with chakra metal, hidden compartments in the arms and chest, spherical eyes that gleamed with concealed weapons.
One carried a serrated saw-blade arm, one held a shield-like armature with chakra vents, and the last had thin tubes along its spine the type used for poisoned senbon launchers.
Gabirel raised his hands, ten chakra threads instantly connecting to the puppets.
Faint blue light flickered in the scorching desert air.
"Don't think a swordsman from the Mist can overwhelm a puppeteer in the Land of Wind," Gabirel hissed.
The three puppets spread out, forming a coordinated attack triangle. Zabuza's killing intent surged, the desert wind swirling violently around his blade.
Qianye watched quietly, eyes calm
as if the desert battlefield was already under his control.
I saw that above Gabriel's head, countless puppets appeared in mid-air an overwhelming swarm so dense that it almost completely blotted out the riverbank sky, like Sunagakure's puppet brigades during the Third Shinobi War!
The moment this scene unfolded, even Zabuza who had been charging in with killing intent—halted instinctively. An unmistakable shock flashed in his eyes!
This…
Isn't this a damn joke?!!
Chiye's eyes also widened in disbelief!
The number of puppets… conservatively at least a thousand!!
You must know:
Even the legendary Akahigi: Hyakki no Sōen the Red Secret Technique of the Red Sand Scorpion, Sasori can only perfectly control one hundred human puppets at once. That level of mastery was enough for Sasori to destroy an entire country, and his hundred puppets were famous throughout the ninja world.
Could this guy… be even more powerful than Sasori of the Red Sand?!
Qianye immediately shook his head vigorously.
Impossible!
Gabriel's strength, based on Qianye's observation from previous encounters, should be on par with Zabuza when it comes to raw physical output definitely not even close to the level of the Red Sand Scorpion, who turned his own body into a puppet and created a near-immortal core.
Or… is this guy faking it?
Every puppeteer has an optimal number of puppets they can control with their chakra threads. This was mentioned in the previous chapters when Qianye analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of puppeteers from the Sand once the number exceeds the limit, the puppeteer can no longer make each puppet move with precision.
At that optimal value, the puppeteer can maximize every puppet's flexibility, coordination, and destructive power.
But once they exceed that value, the puppets become a burden instead of an asset.
Because during battle, each puppet needs independent micro-control chakra thread adjustments, movement timing, attack direction, joint manipulation and once the quantity passes the threshold, the puppeteer's attention becomes scattered, resulting in poor precision and low combat value.
And now…
Chiye finally realized something else.
Most of Gabriel's puppets had obvious structural defects damaged joints, incomplete limbs, cracked armor plates. They weren't newly built battle puppets. They were more like a pile of defective products someone would normally throw away...
"Hahaha… Demon of the Hidden Mist!"
"As a traitor myself, I give you the highest respect!!"
"So take this my masterpiece!!"
"Secret Technique Dead Moon Massacre Formation!!!"
Next
Under Gabriel's manipulation, each puppet performed only the simplest slashing motion, and then surged forward like a tidal wave of death toward Zabuza!
"Sure enough…" Qianye muttered, eyes brightening.
Because Gabriel was controlling far too many puppets at once
He couldn't possibly give each puppet delicate movements.
Therefore, these puppets could only execute crude, repetitive chopping attacks.
"So… this guy intended to win purely by numbers from the beginning?"
Chiye's voice carried stunned realization.
Every puppet even the defective ones had been equipped with basic weapons.
And they all swung them simultaneously!
A single puppet's attack power was negligible… but their overwhelming quantity made up for it.
Zabuza was quickly surrounded completely forced into a defensive position!
He swung the Kubikiribōchō relentlessly.
Every time he split a puppet, another immediately leaped forward.
He had no breathing room.
No time to weave hand seals.
No time to use his Hidden Mist Technique.
Worse
Many of the puppet weapons had been smeared with poison one of the Sand's most common puppeteer tactics.
Zabuza had to maintain absolute focus one mistake, one scratch from a poisoned blade, and his body would seize up instantly!
"Although these puppets' combat strength is low, their advantage lies in sheer quantity!"
"And because they're lifeless without fear, hesitation, or pain they can keep advancing indefinitely, giving the enemy no chance to perform ninjutsu or recover their stamina."
Gabriel's voice carried eerie pride.
"These defective puppets were failures I created earlier. So no matter how many you destroy… I don't feel the slightest regret."
"So shall we see which breaks first?"
"Your stamina… or my puppet army?"
"And judging from the current situation…"
Gabriel let out a distorted, triumphant laugh.
"…things look pretty bad for you."
Under the endless onslaught of puppets, Zabuza's chakra and stamina drained rapidly. The repeated wide-arc swings of the massive Kubikiribōchō were taking their toll.
After several minutes, his movement speed visibly slowed.
Zabuza bit his lip in frustration.
If he hadn't been injured earlier
If his chakra reserves were still full
He would never have been pushed into such a pathetic situation!
But he had no time to think about that now.
The puppet army in front of him looked endless no matter how many he cut, more kept coming.
Finally, unable to endure it anymore, Zabuza shouted toward Qianye outside the battlefield:
"HEY! How long do you plan to just stand there watching?!!"
—
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