However,
What shocked everyone even more was...
...
["Hehe~"]
"Come out, everyone!"
"Today is the day we make our name!"
"Don't embarrass me, either of you!"
"We absolutely have to make a name for ourselves!"
"Who said only the Anbu ninjas of Konoha could be part of the 'Jinchūriki' army, Naruto's personal guards?"
"We puppeteers can do it too!"
These words were spoken.
Only then did everyone realize what was happening.
No wonder some of the Sand Village members didn't seem surprised or taken aback by this.
His face was filled with fanaticism.
[Earth Release: Super Heavy Rock Technique!]
[Snap! !!!]
Kimimaro's expression changed slightly.
Looking at my protruding bone spurs.
[As thin as paper.]
[It was shattered by a single punch from the puppet.]
He immediately tried to retreat.
But just as he was preparing to act...
[In an instant.]
An invisible force was exerted upon him.
[For a time.]
Kimimaro was unable to move.
We had no choice but to strengthen our defenses.
He took the punch head-on.
[boom--]
Kimimaro's bones were shattered into pieces.
He himself was sent flying backwards.
[soon. ]
The bone fragments on the ground turned into white paper scraps.
[They all flew back to him.]
Kimimaro stared at this scene in disbelief.
His bones.
It has never been broken.
This power... is stronger than I imagined!
Onoki: "Hahaha~"
Onoki: "It seems that my Earth Release: Super Heavy Rock Technique has been recognized after all."
Kurotsuchi: "Tch~"
...
[Assemble!]
[Bang bang bang—]
[at the same time. ]
[Among the hidden members of the Sand Village.]
[Dozens of puppeteers stepped forward.]
[Unseal all the seals on the scrolls.]
[soon. ]
[Before them appeared the same strange puppets that Kankuro had previously brought out.]
Chiyo glanced at it.
A rough calculation.
At least twelve more!
Chiyo's smile vanished.
[You brat!]
[You had something good but didn't give any to your mother-in-law, and you kept it a secret for so long!]
Kankuro was completely enjoying himself at that moment.
I've never heard laughter.
[Above.]
[Explosion Release: Clay Bird (Up)]
Deidara's eyes widened.
[He stared in disbelief at the tall, massive iron lump on the ground.]
This speed...this power...
[familiar! ]
[This looks so familiar!]
There's absolutely no way it could be wrong!
[This is definitely the old man's earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of escape technique)!]
[Super Lightweight Rock Technique!]
[Super Weighted Rock Technique!]
[The difficulty of this Earth Release technique is no less than that of a Bloodline Limit Break!]
Most importantly...
This is neither the Light Rock Technique nor the Heavy Rock Technique.
[Instead, it's Super! Light-Heavy Rock and Super-Heavy Rock!]
Deidara was also confused for a moment.
But...right now...
[Wasn't it the Allied Shinobi Forces of the Three Ninja Villages coming to subdue the Land of Whirlpools?]
And the new leader, Naruto Uzumaki, will also take them down.
Aren't they supposed to be adversaries?
This technique.
[It's like Dust Escape.]
[It's almost exclusively associated with the old man (the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki).]
[Sealing Scroll - Sealing Ninjutsu.]
Deidara knows this.
He himself can also create sealing scrolls for Explosion Release.
[But...]
Here's the problem.
[How did they obtain the Super Light Heavy Rock Technique and Super Heavy Rock Technique from the sealed scroll containing this enormous iron lump?]
Could it be...?
Deidara's pupils suddenly contracted!
[not good! ]
That damn old man... he hid it so well!
[Damn it... Iwagakure, even the Kage are the new boss's men!]
[Damn it!]
[He always puts on such a sanctimonious act, old man!]
I look down on you!
[You treacherous old fool!]
[...]
Deidara cursed Ōnoki in his mind.
Onoki: "..."
His face was terribly dark.
Deidara crossed his arms.
He kept nodding.
Deidara: "Hmph!"
Deidara: "I knew all along that the old man was this kind of guy!"
Onoki: "????"
You dare show your face?!
Onoki: "Come here, little Deiko, come here. Grandpa promises to love you to death~!"
Deidara: "Pah!"
Deidara: "I've never seen a Tsuchikage who betrays his own people!"
Deidara: "I've seen the Hokage before!"
? ? ?
Somewhere in the ninja world.
Itachi Uchiha lowered his head.
Looking at my body covered in needles.
It has been decided.
We will never allow the war in the black-framed world to repeat itself.
...
"A direct attack on me... would achieve the same effect."
"This is incredible!"
"This is indeed Lord Orochimaru's masterpiece."
Upon hearing this, Kankuro, inside the puppet pod, laughed heartily.
"This is a masterpiece?!"
"Yes, I thought so at first too."
"Until I witnessed just how outrageous Sasuke's Susanoo was... and the moment Orochimaru and Tobirama themselves said it was comparable to Sasuke's Susanoo."
"I just realized they weren't just saying that."
"But it is truly achievable."
"Because...this is a task that Naruto-kun gave to Orochimaru."
Suddenly.
Kankuro's eye twitched slightly, as if he had just thought of something.
[never mind. ]
[Let's get the puppet first.]
[The rest...we're going all out!]
[The worst that can happen is I'll get beaten half to death by Temari!]
[Above.]
Compared to Deidara's shock and fury.
Scorpion, on the other hand, was completely stunned.
It was as if the whole world had fallen silent.
He stared intently at the lump of metal below.
A feeling I couldn't describe rushed straight to my head.
["Hehe~"]
["I see..."]
[oi~]
"Silly boy, let's go to Konoha later and meet our new boss."
"What?!" Deidara turned his head with a look of utter delight.
The scorpion's lips curled slightly.
His gaze swept over the few lumps of iron that had appeared below the Sand Village, slightly inferior to Kankuro's combined puppets.
"The latest puppet."
"It's more my responsibility to take charge!"
"Puppetry is the most perfect art form in the world!"
"Huh? So you've agreed to completely submit?"
"This doesn't look like yours... Wait!!!"
["oi~!"]
"The most perfect art should be an explosion!"
[Ignoring Deidara.]
Scorpion slowly took out several scrolls from his body.
["So."]
"We need to finish this quickly."
"Deidara."
"Go, go and disrupt their formation."
"Remember what the leader said. Do whatever the new boss tells us to do."
["Pooh!"]
"Did you order me around?"
Scorpion chuckled softly.
[Bang--]
[In an instant.]
It's getting dark.
Everyone's attention was drawn to it.
Look up.
[That image of something covering the sky and blocking out the sun.]
[It was actually formed by countless puppets standing in mid-air!]
Simultaneously controlling thousands of puppets?!
Chiyo was momentarily lost in thought.
She recognized Scorpion at a glance.
The old man's cloudy eyes quickly welled up with tears.
It's all my fault...