In the eastern part of the Land of Wind, the scorching sun mercilessly beat down upon two distinctly different battlefields.
East Line, the edge of the desert.
"Scorch Release: Extreme Steaming Murder!"
Pakura's icy voice was like the judgment of the Shinigami. Several enormous, scorching fireballs appeared out of thin air. They were not burning, but rather emitting an extreme heat that warped the air, crashing into the Kirigakure formation like miniature suns.
The screams ceased abruptly.
The Kirigakure Ninja touched by the fireballs didn't even have time to let out the "sizzle" of their moisture evaporating before instantly turning into horrifying, completely dehydrated corpses, falling stiffly onto the sand and shattering.
The terrifying high temperature spread, causing the subsequent Kirigakure Ninja rushing forward to stop in horror, their faces etched with terror. It was as if they were facing not a Ninja, but a desert goddess who controlled drought and death.
Pakura stood tall at the front of the Sunagakure formation, surrounded by deadly orange-red fireballs, her eyes sharp. The frontal assault she delivered successfully curbed the fierce momentum of Ao's Squad's charge, firmly pinning the enemy ground forces to the edge of the desert, making advancement nearly impossible. The battle between the two sides fell into a fierce stalemate, with every clash of Ninjutsu and collision of Kunai splashing up blood and sand.
South Line, along the East Sea Bay coast.
Unlike the scorching hell of the East Line, the air here carried the saltiness of the sea breeze, but the killing intent was equally sharp.
"Boom!!"
A tremendous sound, accompanied by the grating screech of twisting metal. A huge figure flew backward like a cannonball, slamming violently into a distant cluster of reefs, kicking up a shower of water and broken stones.
The one who flew backward was Munashi Jinpachi, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and the wielder of the Explosive Blade: Foam. He stared in disbelief at the clear dent on his explosive greatsword, his hand web split open and dripping with blood.
The one who sent him flying was a silver-gray giant standing firm on the beach!
Its nearly ten-meter-tall, streamlined body reflected a cold, hard metallic sheen under the sun. Its design was not that of a traditional grotesque Puppet, but closer to the aesthetic of a humanoid weapon, with well-proportioned limbs and joints flashing with the faint blue light of Chakra conduction. Despite its massive size, it possessed a strange sense of lightness, hovering steadily half a foot above the ground. This was the latest large-scale humanoid combat Puppet created by Sayo, combining his previous life's dreams with his current life's Ninjutsu knowledge—the complete form of "mirage"!
What was even more shocking was the method of its control.
Sayo himself was not hiding inside the "mirage" or far away, but was standing quietly atop the "mirage's" broad shoulder armor! From the area of the major acupuncture points on the back of his neck, more than ten Chakra Thread, condensed like substance and flashing with faint blue light, extended! These threads were not connected to his fingers, but were directly linked to his massive mental power and nervous system, instantly transmitting his every thought to every joint and every weapon unit of the "mirage" with speed and precision far exceeding traditional methods!
This allowed his hands to be completely liberated!
Facing the other few Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist who were roaring and rushing forward again, Sayo's expression was as calm as water.
With his right hand, he performed a single hand sign, fast as lightning.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"
The black sand beneath the beach and deeper iron-bearing minerals were forcibly seized, transforming into countless sharp spikes flashing with dark light. Like a violent iron sand storm, they swept toward Tōka Yabaki (wielder of the Blunt Blade: Helmet Splitter) who was rushing at the front! A dense sound of impacts rang out. Tōka Yabaki roared and swung the Helmet Splitter to block, but the endless iron sand assault forced him to retreat repeatedly, unable to get close at all.
His left hand pressed down almost simultaneously.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Ball!"
A highly compressed, terrifying wind bullet instantly condensed, emitting a sharp shriek. It arrived later but struck first, bypassing the iron sand storm and accurately blasting toward Kuriarare Kushimaru (wielder of the longsword: needle) who was attempting to flank. Kuriarare Kushimaru rapidly dodged with his agile body, but the reef where he had stood was instantly shattered. The scattered fragments struck the surrounding Kirigakure Ninja like shuriken, eliciting screams.
At the same time, the Chakra Thread behind his neck moved slightly.
The "mirage's" massive mechanical arm lifted accordingly, and the armor plating on the outer side of the arm slid open, revealing dense launch ports underneath.
"Swoosh swoosh swoosh—!"
Countless senbon, laced with Chiyo's special poison, rained down like a tempest, covering Suikazan Fuguki (wielder of the Greatsword: Samehada) and Kisame Hoshigaki (wielder of the Decapitating Sword: Kubikiribōchō) who were charging from the other side. Samehada could absorb Chakra, and the Decapitating Sword could regenerate, but even they had to temporarily avoid the onslaught of pure physical poisoned needles, swinging their massive blades to block, the clang of metal echoing incessantly.
One person, one Puppet.
Sayo stood on the shoulder of the "mirage," controlling the giant Puppet to slash and cut, unleashing its full firepower via the threads behind his neck. Meanwhile, his hands effortlessly wove hand signs for Wind Release and Magnet Release, all while utilizing precise Medical Ninjutsu Chakra sensing to observe the entire battlefield.
He managed, single-handedly, to simultaneously restrain four notorious members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist! Moreover, he used large-scale Ninjutsu to force back numerous ordinary Kirigakure Ninja attempting to slip through the gaps in the Puppet defense line!
The "mirage's" massive body moved across the beach, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly. Its enormous metal arms swung, generating fierce winds, either blocking the Ninjas' swords or actively attacking, forcing the Swordsmen to scatter and evade. Sayo's Ninjutsu, meanwhile, seemed to have eyes, always striking at the most difficult moments, interrupting their coordination and forcing them onto the defensive.
The Kirigakure landing forces, who had been aggressive and ready to tear through the Sunagakure defenses in one go and charge straight for the Village, were utterly blocked on this coastline by him and his one Puppet! They could not advance an inch!
The Sunagakure Puppet Squad and the other Chunin and Genin, following closely behind the massive figure of the "mirage," were greatly encouraged. They were responsible for cleaning up the Kirigakure Ninja injured or cornered by Sayo's Ninjutsu, solidifying the defense line, and converting the advantage Sayo created into tangible battle results.
Sayo stood on high ground, the sea breeze ruffling his black hair, his eyes sharp as blades. The Chakra Thread behind his neck, like the tentacles of a god, radiated powerful energy fluctuations.
At this moment, he was no longer the young boy who hid in the rear repairing Puppets, nor was he the tragic hero who covered the retreat at Kikyō Mountain.
He was the bulwark of Sunagakure, the nightmare of the Kirigakure.
His edge, on the shores of East Sea Bay, was fully revealed!