Land of Wind
Outside the examination grounds.
Scorpion and Kakuzu had already arrived at the base.
But the agreed time had come, and Tobi, who was supposed to deliver the scroll, had not arrived.
"Something's not right," Kakuzu said cautiously.
Scorpion sensed something unusual as well and placed the scroll somewhere he could grab at any moment.
Kakuzu left an Earth Clone behind.
Scorpion and Kakuzu turned to look toward the sandstorm.
"Hm? The sandstorm stopped?"
Scorpion glanced over. "It's about time. It should be stopping."
At that moment, someone slowly rose from the ground nearby. Before he even came over, his somewhat exaggerated voice rang out.
"Dear me, this dump of yours is really hot."
Tobi grumbled as he walked over.
"You're late," Scorpion said dully.
Kakuzu added, "Gaara is outside right now, not in the village. This is the best opportunity."
Tobi walked up before them and said, "Is that so..."
"Here's the puppet scroll..."
The instant Tobi handed over the puppet scroll, enormous branches suddenly split off and stabbed toward Scorpion and Kakuzu.
Kakuzu did not even grunt before turning into chunks of earth and falling to the ground.
Scorpion's back plate flipped open, blocking the branches with a bang.
Tobi clapped his hands together, and the branches burst forward.
Hiruko sprayed a great deal of pale yellow liquid onto Tobi.
"Ahhh! Ah! It hurts!" Tobi wailed miserably.
He barely managed to form a few hand seals, and that body turned into a wooden shell as he shed it and emerged from within.
Tobi raised his hand and shot out a branch. When it reached Hiruko, it suddenly exploded, becoming thick branches that drilled toward Hiruko.
Hiruko suddenly came apart, and a figure leaped out from inside.
Scorpion's true body landed beside Kakuzu, who had emerged from