After the initial shock passed,
Pakura finally remembered the important matter. She abruptly stepped forward, raising her voice.
"Sasori! Why are you here? Where have you been these past few months? The village has been looking for you… Where is Lord Third Kazekage?! Do you know where he went?"
"…Heh."
Sasori curled the corner of his mouth, a cold smile appearing on his delicate, handsome face.
He did not answer Pakura's question. Instead, he asked coldly in return:
"Shouldn't I be the one asking questions right now, Jōnin Pakura?"
"Why is a Sunagakure ninja mingling with a Konoha ninja, and why are you here in the heart of the Land of Wind? If I'm not mistaken, that white-haired brat beside you should be the recently famous 'White Reaper,' right?
"Don't tell me that, as a Suna ninja, you've already been bewitched and turned by Konoha, becoming a spy who sells out Sunagakure?"
Faced with Sasori's counterquestion,
Pakura was momentarily speechless.
Her current actions really did not conform to the rules.
After all, it was an established fact that Mikami Yuu had defeated Rasa at Mount Kikyo and crushed Sunagakure's main force. Although every side had its own position on the battlefield and mutual killing was perfectly normal, as a Suna ninja, she indeed should not have too many private dealings with Yuu.
This was also the reason Pakura had not told Chiyo and Karura the true purpose of her trip when she left Wildfire City.
Now, Sasori stood on the moral high ground and openly pointed this out, leaving Pakura unable to respond for a moment.
However…
while the two Suna ninja were silent,
Yuu coughed lightly and entered the conversation.
"Sasori of the Red Sand, right?"
"I've long heard that your intelligence abilities are extraordinary. Your 'Memory-Concealing Sand Manipulation' can even deceive the Yamanaka clan's Mind Body Switch Technique. Seeing you now, it truly lives up to its reputation. Even though you've already defected from Sunagakure, you still know its situation like the back of your hand."
"Defected?"
Sasori narrowed his eyes slightly and finally shifted his gaze from Pakura to Yuu. His expression seemed somewhat disdainful.
"As far as I know, Sunagakure has not yet defined my actions, right? And even if it had, since when was it your place, as a Konoha ninja, to speak?"
"True."
Yuu nodded.
"After all, you're Elder Chiyo's grandson. Out of consideration for her, who would dare casually define what you've done? At most, you're just the village's young master having a whim and going out to play.
"Even though you abandoned your guard duties, assassinated the Third Kazekage, defected from the village, indirectly plunged Sunagakure into war, and then watched your comrades suffer in the flames of battle without lifting a finger… you're still a good Suna ninja, right?"
"?!"
At that moment, Pakura's eyes widened sharply. She turned her head and stared at Yuu in disbelief.
"Hey, little white-hair… what did you just say?"
Sasori of the Red Sand… killed the Third Kazekage?!
This…
This was a matter that could shake the heavens!
Did Elder Chiyo know about this? Did she know and hide it? Or had even she been kept in the dark?
Wait… no, no. Why was she so quick to believe this white-haired brat's words? Was it possible that he was deliberately sowing discord, wanting to see her and Sasori kill each other?
But… with this white-haired brat's personality, would he tell such an easily exposed lie? As long as they confronted Sasori face-to-face, everything would become clear.
Pakura's mind was in complete chaos.
Across from them,
Sasori's eyelid also twitched, and a look of astonishment flashed across his face.
He had never told anyone that he had killed the Third Kazekage and turned him into a human puppet. Even Chiyo merely thought that he had something on his mind and had temporarily left the village. Many other Suna ninja even believed he had met with misfortune together with the Third Kazekage.
And now…
such a secret had been exposed by a Konoha brat?
How did he know?!
Had Konoha's intelligence network already developed to such an extent? Or had his Memory-Concealing Sand Manipulation been broken? Where exactly had something gone wrong?
"…Heh."
Compared to Pakura, Sasori's mentality was much more stable.
After briefly thinking and failing to find an answer, he decisively gave up digging deeper. A sharp killing intent suddenly erupted from his body.
"Since you already know, there's no need for me to continue acting."
"That's right. The Third Kazekage was indeed killed by me, and I turned him into a puppet. He's already dead, and neither of you should think of leaving alive! Obediently become my new collectibles. After I kill you, I'll naturally learn all your secrets!"
As he spoke,
Sasori drew a scroll from his sleeve, tore it open, and waved his hand. A tall man with blue hair and a white robe appeared in midair.
It was the Third Kazekage, whom Sunagakure had been searching bitterly for nearly a year, the man known as the strongest Kazekage in history.
"…Fuck."
Pakura's pupils shook.
Hearing Yuu say it was one thing.
Seeing it with her own eyes was another.
It was confirmed.
Sasori of the Red Sand really had killed the Third Kazekage!
As a Sunagakure ninja, attacking the Kazekage was already an act of great treason. But after killing him, turning his corpse into a human puppet… such behavior was utterly monstrous. They needed a word even worse than "beast" to describe what Sasori had done.
Mm… thinking carefully, perhaps only a certain white-haired Hokage who loved reanimating other clans' loved ones from their graves, using them as human bombs, and even not sparing his own elder brother, could be compared to him.
Beside them,
the three weasel brothers also sensed the tense atmosphere. They could not help taking a few steps back, huddling together in a guarded stance while lowering their voices and squeaking among themselves, seemingly discussing whether to leave or stay.
Logically, this matter had nothing to do with them. After all, they had only come out this time to "escort" them, and that goal had already been achieved.
But unfortunately, they had just signed summoning contracts with Yuu and Pakura. They had an obligation to assist in battle. In theory, even if they went back, they might just be summoned over again.
So the three brothers were extremely nervous now. Jirōmaru, whose sense of smell was especially sharp, was almost twitching from the killing intent coming off Sasori.
Only Yuu began calming his mind and considering the next tactics.
Without a doubt, Sasori was Kage-level.
Although at this point he had not yet modified himself into a human puppet and had not equipped Hiruko, just the Third Kazekage puppet alone was enough to firmly place him on the Kage-level stage.
In the original story, Chiyo and Sakura had nearly been sent off by this puppet. If Sasori had not had a moment of mental malfunction and let Sakura smash it, those two would never have survived until Sasori used his real body to fight. Their deaths would have been basically certain.
Now…
Yuu and Pakura's combined stats should be slightly stronger than the Chiyo–Sakura pair. But Pakura's ability system was naturally countered by the Third Kazekage, so how much of her strength she could actually display was unknown.
And Sasori's poison techniques were very powerful. Yuu had not expected to run into him here, so he had not prepared an antidote. If he and Pakura were poisoned during the battle, things would become very troublesome.
"This won't be easy… Can we make peace, Sasori?"
"Hmph!"
Sasori launched the attack first.
His ten fingers trembled lightly, and the mouth of the Third Kazekage puppet behind him abruptly opened to an unnatural degree.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"
Buzz—!
Along with a low hum, countless tiny black particles of iron sand condensed and compressed in front of the Third Kazekage puppet, then transformed into a black barrage that blocked out the sky. With terrifying kinetic energy, they tore through the air and poured down.
"Scatter!"
Yuu and Pakura both tapped the ground with their toes, their bodies drifting backward like falling leaves.
Almost the instant they left, a dense series of hissing, trembling sounds rang out. The iron sand bullets, thick as rain, slammed viciously into the ground where they had just been standing, riddling that patch of sand with holes in an instant. Thick yellow sand rose into dust, confusing the line of sight.
And this was only the beginning.
The attack range and duration of the Iron Sand Drizzle were greater than expected. In an instant, it covered several hundred meters around them, forcing the two to constantly dodge and leap within limited space. Every landing was accompanied by the blast of sand being blown upward.
Seeing Yuu and Pakura's response,
Sasori snorted coldly, his ten fingers dancing even faster.
"Let's see how many times you can dodge!"
Before his voice even fell, a large amount of black iron sand fluid, thick as ink, twisted and shaped itself rapidly in the air. In the blink of an eye, it condensed into dozens of giant iron sand needles as thick as adult arms, their tips flashing with a cold, ghostly light. Then, with sharp sounds of tearing wind, they stabbed forward.
Buzz!
Under the acceleration of powerful magnetism, the speed of these iron sand needles faintly broke the sound barrier.
"Scorch Release: Over-Steam Kill!"
Pakura finally began to counterattack. As she brought her hands together, a row of orange-red Scorch Release fireballs instantly condensed in front of her. Dragging crimson tails, they met several of the giant needles shooting toward them. The fireballs contained terrifying heat, enough to instantly evaporate all moisture from the human body.
But…
compared with iron sand's melting point, Scorch Release's temperature was still lacking. At most, it could scorch and soften the outer surface of those constructs, but it could not affect the inside.
With a hiss,
the Scorch Release fireballs slammed hard into the pitch-black giant iron sand needles. They only left small dark red scorch marks on the needle bodies before being forcefully pierced and torn apart, scattering into sparks. The needles continued stabbing toward Yuu and Pakura with almost no decrease in speed.
"What?!"
Pakura's pupils contracted sharply. She rolled sideways in a somewhat awkward manner. The giant needles grazed past her cloak and shot into the sand, leaving deep, bottomless holes.
Seeing the second wave of giant iron sand needles coming, the white-haired boy's figure flickered and suddenly appeared in midair. His right fist clenched, and he punched the sides of the needles several times.
Super Strength!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Under the support of highly condensed chakra, Yuu's fists seemed to contain immense force. They directly knocked several bucket-thick iron sand needles off course, sending them flying diagonally past him and Pakura into distant sand dunes.
However,
the price of doing this was that several blackened corrosion marks appeared on Yuu's gloves. A faint, sweetly fishy special smell spread through the air. It was clearly an extremely corrosive poison, coated within the iron sand.
"…As expected."
Yuu was not surprised by this result at all. Expressionless, he tore off the corroded gloves and casually threw them onto the scorching sand. Then he reminded Pakura beside him, "Be careful. This guy's iron sand is poisoned, and it's extremely potent."
"…I saw."
Pakura pressed her lips together, her expression becoming even more complicated.
Judging from the current situation, Sasori's modifications to the Third Kazekage's corpse were more thorough than she had initially expected. Of course, the Third Kazekage had been missing for nearly a year. That was enough time for Sasori to hollow out his body.
As a Suna ninja, this scene made Pakura almost unbearably furious.
At the same time, she also felt a bit of panic.
After all, Pakura did not know whether Sasori's actions were purely personal, or whether they had been ordered by Chiyo. If it was the latter, then that would be terrifying. It would mean Sunagakure's entire high-level leadership had become completely untrustworthy.
However…
now was not the time to dwell on such questions.
"Pakura, your Scorch Release is ineffective against iron sand. Use Wind Release to support me. Also… Tarōmaru! You three help too. You don't need to fight that guy with blades. Just blow some wind."
Yuu said.
"Squeak!"
The bodies of the Tarōmaru brothers trembled when their names were called.
Just now, when Yuu and Pakura had been attacked, the three brothers had also been forced to dodge the giant iron sand needles in a panic. It was only thanks to the Kamatari Clan's ability to turn into wind that they had not been directly skewered. But facing an enemy with such terrifying killing intent, the brothers were still somewhat scared.
However…
Sasori had no intention of giving them time to breathe.
After realizing the first round of attacks had failed,
Sasori again manipulated the Third Kazekage puppet, pulling the iron sand scattered around them into more giant needles, as well as various rectangular prisms and cones. After briefly gathering force, he released them again. This time, they were even faster than before.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!
Seeing the second round of attacks already before them, and with even greater momentum than before,
Pakura was the first to react. She formed hand seals and released Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.
Scorch Release was a kekkei genkai formed from wind and fire.
Being able to awaken this kekkei genkai meant Pakura's proficiency in Wind Release was already extraordinary. Now, she desperately gathered chakra and spat out a Great Breakthrough with astonishing force. Although it was weaker than Orochimaru's, it already deserved the title of a jōnin-level technique.
The Tarōmaru brothers also instantly reached a unified decision to resist the enemy together. Their small bodies stood in a row, and at the same time they puffed out their cheeks and spat out three highly condensed "air cannons."
Four Wind Release techniques were released almost simultaneously, forming expanding ocher-yellow wind tornadoes that rushed toward the flying iron sand constructs.
At this moment,
Yuu also moved.
He casually formed two hand seals with both hands. The chakra in his body surged like floodgates opening, transforming into devastating, blazing energy that suddenly erupted from his mouth.
"Great Fireball: Burnout!"
It was as if the scene from Mount Kikyo, when he fought Rasa, was being reenacted.
Only this time…
Yuu was not attacking. He was defending, while also looking for a chance to counterkill.
The blue fireball, seven or eight meters tall, had just appeared in midair when it burned the surrounding air until it twisted and warped. As the fireball pushed forward and slammed into the fiery tornado stirred up by Pakura and the three weasel brothers, there was only—
Whoosh!!!
A thunderous sound exploded at that moment.
Wind fed fire.
At that moment, the originally relatively gentle pale-blue fire wave seemed to be injected with a violent soul. In a single instant, it began to stretch, rise, and expand. From an initial diameter of several meters, it transformed into a towering wall of flame more than fifteen meters high, sweeping forward.
It was no longer a fireball, but a surging sea of blue flames, carrying the aura of burning all things to ash.
Where the flames passed, the sand below was directly melted, forming a trail of destruction flowing with dark red magma. A suffocating heat spread through the air, making both Pakura and the three weasel brothers feel their skin burn.
After passing through this sea of flames, the Third Kazekage's second round of attacks had almost completely lost their original speed and momentum, becoming weak and limp. Pakura and the three weasel brothers did not even need much effort to dodge them.
The few that could not be dodged were kicked away by Yuu. After all, very few toxins could withstand a temperature of one or two thousand degrees. This was basically a natural disinfectant and needed no further explanation.
"…I see."
Sasori narrowed his eyes slightly. For the first time, a serious expression appeared on his face.
He had indeed used Memory-Concealing Sand Manipulation to leave spies in Sunagakure. Through them, he had learned information about Yuu, including how he had defeated Rasa at Mount Kikyo. That was why he had become curious about this legendary Konoha genius and wanted to personally investigate him.
But there was still a huge difference between third-party reports and seeing it with his own eyes. Besides, many Suna ninja had not actually understood how Yuu had won.
Only now
did Sasori understand why Rasa had lost so miserably.
It was because this Konoha boy's Fire Release had developed a nature transformation different from ordinary people's. Its temperature was far beyond normal Fire Release, and it could even interfere with and destroy the magnetic structure of iron sand. Once it lost the support of magnetism, iron sand was nothing more than a pile of relatively hard metal.
Unfortunately…
"Unfortunately, the one standing before you this time isn't that trash Rasa!"
It was the Third Kazekage, known as the strongest in history!
Next, Sasori's ten fingers danced rapidly again. He manipulated the Third Kazekage puppet, gathering a large amount of iron sand on its back. With a rustling crash, it formed a pair of huge black wings made from countless grains of iron sand, then flapped hard.
Magnet Release: Iron Sand Wings!
This was a ninjutsu capable of aerial combat, similar to Rasa floating on a gold dust platform, but much more flexible and lightweight. Its movement speed was also far greater.
As the giant wings flapped, the Third Kazekage's body rose from the ground and soared toward the sky a hundred meters above, directly leaping over the surging blue sea of flames below. Then, with a light flap, countless pitch-black "feathers" fell from the sky.
At the same time, the scattered iron sand, as well as other metal particles from the surrounding desert, were all pulled together by powerful magnetism, madly gathering toward this place. They formed dozens, then hundreds, of cones and rectangular prisms flashing with deadly cold light, ready to be launched.
From the ground, these iron sand weapons were like a cloud of death, densely filling the sky and reflecting a cold gleam under the sun.
Of course…
after learning from Rasa's mistake, Sasori did not forget to leave some iron sand around himself, forming a moving barrier in front of him that could block Yuu's sudden attacks at any time.
"This is true art!"
Sasori's voice carried a trace of fanaticism.
"Experience the density of despair! Fall!"
Before his voice faded,
his fingers pressed sharply downward.
Buzz—!
In an instant, over a hundred iron sand spikes poured down toward the targets below with piercing sounds of breaking the sound barrier. It was as if, in this desert, there was a torrential rain named death.
"Great Dragon Fire: Burnout! x3!"
Yuu did not pause at all. He merely leaned his head back and exhaled.
Along with a violent consumption of chakra, he spat out three blue Burnout fire dragons in succession.
This was the theoretical upper limit of the Great Dragon Fire technique, an ability Yuu had only recently mastered.
Pakura and the three weasel brothers' Wind Release followed only a little behind. From below, it crashed hard into the three pale-blue fire dragons rising into the sky. It was like adding several piles of dry firewood to an already raging blaze.
And so…
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Wind and fire merged.
The three pale-blue fire dragons, empowered by the gale, suddenly expanded several times in size. They tangled together and transformed into a world-ending fire dragon with a diameter of seven or eight meters and a length exceeding twenty meters. With a nearly terrifying momentum, it charged straight toward the rain of death descending from the sky.
Ultimate high heat. Pitch-black iron rain.
One surged forward without hesitation. The other pierced through all things.
Two equally destructive forces collided in the sky above the Death Desert at an unbelievable speed, erupting with the momentum of a meteor striking the earth.
Boom—!!!
The roar was ear-piercing.
At that moment,
Pakura widened her eyes forcefully, staring at the gorgeous yet deadly blue flames. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, and her orange-red hair was pressed against her cheeks by the violent airflow. She could clearly feel the terrifying heat wave in the air, almost enough to set a person ablaze, and the vibration beneath her feet.
"This guy…"
Did he become even stronger than before? Did his growth really have no limit?
The three weasel brothers were equally stunned. Tarōmaru excitedly waved his tiny claws, as if the fire wave had been blown out by him.
Only Yuu, before the outcome of the clash between flames and iron rain had even been decided, entered Transparent Escape. His figure shot toward Sasori like lightning, and as he moved, the Sword of the Thunder God was already unsheathed.