The blazing sun hung overhead, and yellow sand filled the sky.
Before the ruins of Sunagakure's Eighth Outpost, Rōshi strode forward in long, heavy steps.
The irritation on his face was practically spilling over.
"Ptui!"
He spat viciously.
The saliva hit the scorching sand and instantly evaporated into a tiny puff of white steam.
"These Suna bastards sure know how to run fast!"
Ever since entering the Land of Wind, he had already smashed through seven Sunagakure strongholds.
At first, those Suna ninja had fought to the death.
He had slaughtered them until not a single one was left standing.
But starting yesterday, things had changed.
Every time he charged in, all that greeted him were piles of sand clones.
The real Suna ninja had long since vanished without a trace.
This was the eighth place.
And it was the same again.
Rōshi turned back to glance at the outpost still burning behind him.
A flicker of impatience flashed through his eyes.
What was Sunagakure trying to do?
Stall for time?
Wait for reinforcements?
Of course he could see it.
This kind of tactic was obviously meant to wear down his patience and stamina, then wait for a true powerhouse to arrive and take him down in one stroke.
Still...
A cold sneer curled across Rōshi's lips.
Good.
He was waiting too.
Waiting for Sunagakure to send some "important figure" out here.
That junior, Bunmatsu, was someone he had genuinely thought highly of.
So young, yet already an elite jonin.
Among his peers, his strength was outstanding, and his temperament steady. Rōshi had appreciated him greatly.
He had been a born commander.
And what happened in the end?
He died in Sunagakure.
Died at the hands of that so-called Kazekage.
That old bastard Ōnoki didn't say a word.
Talking about "the bigger picture" and "not acting rashly"...
What a load of crap!
Rōshi couldn't swallow that.
He clenched his fists tightly.
Crimson chakra began to stir faintly over the surface of his body.
Wave after wave of searing heat spread out from him.
Come on, then.
Let me see what Sunagakure is really capable of.
He drew in a deep breath and strode toward the outpost gate.
Then...
He froze.
In the open ground outside the gate, there was a figure that had appeared at some unknown point... a puppet?
No, rather than a "puppet"...
It was more like a steel monster.
Under the sunlight, that thing reflected a cold, heavy metallic sheen.
Its jet-black surface had no decoration at all.
Only simple, forceful lines outlined the shape of a humanoid body.
Its joints were bulkier than those of traditional puppets.
Clearly, it was a specially reinforced structure.
At the center of its chest was a section of transparent material.
Through it, the complex internal framework could vaguely be seen.
Rōshi frowned.
He had seen plenty of Sunagakure puppets before.
He had even seen Chiyo's Chikamatsu no Jūninshū (Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets).
But this thing in front of him...
Something was off.
Wooden puppets usually tried to reduce their weight as much as possible in pursuit of agility and flexibility.
But this one looked heavy at a glance.
That thick metallic texture was not something you could dismiss lightly.
A new toy from Sunagakure?
Rōshi sneered and began sweeping his gaze around the surrounding area.
When fighting a puppeteer, the key was to keep your distance from the puppet.
Do not get entangled with the puppet itself.
A puppet was only a tool.
The truly dangerous one was the puppeteer hiding behind it.
As long as he found that sneaky bastard hiding in the back, everything would be over.
His sensory perception spread out, probing every inch of the surrounding space.
Nothing.
There was no unusual chakra fluctuation at all.
No trace of a puppeteer.
There was not even the slightest sign of chakra threads.
Rōshi's brows drew even tighter together.
What was going on?
Remote control?
That would require even stronger chakra threads.
There was no way it could leave no trace whatsoever.
Pre-programmed commands?
Sunagakure's technology hadn't advanced that far, had it?
Or was it...
Was no one controlling this thing at all?
Rōshi stared at the steel puppet, an indescribable irritation rising in his chest.
Whatever.
He suddenly stomped down hard.
Crimson chakra exploded outward in an instant.
"Yōton (Lava Release): Shakugaryūgan no Jutsu (Scorching Stream Rock Technique)!"
Rōshi opened his mouth.
A torrent of blazing magma gushed out like a waterfall.
It poured straight toward the steel puppet.
The temperature of the magma was over a thousand degrees.
More than enough to melt steel and burn everything to ash.
"Boom..."
The steel puppet was completely swallowed by lava.
Scalding bubbles spread in all directions.
The sand on the ground instantly vitrified, forming a smooth field of crystal.
Rōshi stopped attacking.
Squinting, he looked toward the mound of lava still smoking.
This time, it should be...
Click.
A faint metallic scraping sound rang out from within the lava pile.
Rōshi's pupils contracted sharply.
The lava slowly slid away, revealing the sight within...
That steel puppet was still standing there.
Its black metal surface had been heated until it glowed faintly red.
But its overall structure was completely intact.
Molten lava ran down its body and dripped onto the ground with sharp hissing sounds.
But the puppet itself... was completely unharmed.
Rōshi's eyes widened.
"What..."
He stared at the puppet in disbelief, his mind going blank.
That was impossible!
That was Yōton (Lava Release)!
Magma over a thousand degrees hot!
Magma hot enough to melt steel!
This thing...
What the hell was it made of?!
At that moment, the puppet moved.
Its head turned slightly, and those eyes made from special crystal locked onto Rōshi.
Then...
Boom!
Its foot slammed into the ground.
Its entire body shot toward Rōshi like a cannonball fired from a gun.
The speed was astonishing.
Rōshi's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly twisted to the side to dodge.
Whoosh...
The steel fist swept past his cheek.
The wind pressure alone made his skin sting!
He had no time to think. He immediately threw a counterpunch.
"Yōton (Lava Release): Yōganken (Lava Fist)!"
Blazing magma wrapped around his fist.
He smashed it hard into the puppet's chest.
Bang...
With a heavy impact, the puppet was knocked several steps backward.
But only a scorched black mark was left on its chest.
There was not even a dent.
For the first time, a chill rose in Rōshi's heart.
This thing...
He couldn't damage it?
Far away, behind a concealed sand dune.
Kankurō lay flat on the ground, staring at the scene through a telescope, his lips turning pale with excitement.
"It worked... it worked!"
He lowered his voice, desperately suppressing the urge to cheer. "It really worked!"
Beside him, Sasori spoke quietly, his eyes fixed on the distant puppet.
"The structural strength is acceptable."
His voice was hoarse and calm, carrying the detached scrutiny of a professional.
"The heat resistance at the joints exceeded expectations. There's still room for further improvement."
Watching the two of them so full of confidence, Teizawa smiled and shook his head.
"Don't underestimate a jinchūriki. This is only the beginning."
Kankurō nodded repeatedly.
But his eyes never left the battlefield for even an instant.
Over there, that steel puppet was locked in combat with Rōshi.
Although it was clearly at a disadvantage and was being suppressed the whole time, it was still holding on stubbornly.
It had not gone down.
It had withstood the Yōton (Lava Release) attacks of the Four-Tails jinchūriki.
That alone was enough.
Because behind it...
There was more to come.
He glanced back over his shoulder.
There, dozens of steel puppets stood in neat rows.
Like a silent army.
And behind them, one even larger figure stood there in solemn silence, waiting for the moment that would belong to it.
A huge grin spread across Kankurō's face.
Come on.
The experiment had only just begun.
(End of Chapter)
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