Action!

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique"

A massive fireball, over ten meters in diameter, rolled over the target head-on like a bulldozer.

Itachi's attack perfectly demonstrated the Uchiha Clan's profound mastery of Fire Style; the power displayed by a C-rank Ninjutsu looked like that of a B-rank.

As soon as it entered the attack range, Itachi launched an attack, taking advantage of Sasori's inability to recall the puppets to his side.

The immense power that erupted just now not only shattered the tsunami-like quicksand, but also severely damaged Sasori's puppet formation. The unusually strong and strange power even severed his Chakra Threads, and the puppets, out of control, were scattered in all directions and buried by the sandstorm.

"Damn it, where did that bastard White Zetsu go?"

Cursing the missing White Zetsu, Sasori abandoned his plan to recall the Human Puppet. Chakra Threads connected with the original ten puppets, forming a pale blue Chakra shield that blocked the fireball's path.

The continuous Chakra shields transformed into a solid barrier, withstanding the enormous fireball head-on.

"Boom!!"

The fireball exploded, spreading into a powerful shockwave. The brute force pushed the puppets backward on the ground, their legs carving deep furrows into the earth.

"Uchiha? Troublesome guys."

The chaos caused by White Zetsu of response quickly subsided; after all, he was a top-tier ninja in the Shinobi World, and his mental fortitude was far from weak.

Accidents are common in combat. No matter how perfectly a plan is executed, unexpected problems can still occur; otherwise, they wouldn't be called accidents.

Although the disappearance of White Zetsu made him uncertain about his ability to escape the current perilous situation, and this unexpected event was somewhat fatal... he would not give up, and would fight to the death.

While controlling the puppets to resist Itachi's attack, he moved quickly into the distance, trying to get as close as possible to the Human Puppet that had been blown away. Even he wasn't so generous as to casually abandon these thirty Human Puppet, five of which were even top-tier puppets with Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai.

The most difficult part of creating these Human Puppet is collecting the raw materials. Hunting Jonin and preserving the corpses as intact as possible is no easy task.

"Spread out, don't get too close, attack from a distance, use Explosive Tag."

Itachi urgently issued the order. His elite Root troops were not weak, but they were still no match for a top expert like Sasori. Approaching rashly would likely result in significant losses.

To deal with a master, you need a master yourself.

Otherwise, we can only use human lives to build the ladder to victory.

"Blow up these puppets."

Itachi's subordinates instantly understood their Deputy Chief's meaning and hurled Explosive Tag without hesitation. The puppets, which had been forced back by Itachi's fireball, were once again bombarded and thrown about. Even Sasori was unable to control the puppets and prevent them from escaping the blast wave.

However, these creatures were indeed crafted by Scorpion, and their quality was extremely high. The barrage of attacks only made the puppets look more dilapidated, without causing any further damage.

Taking advantage of the puppets' momentary lapse in concentration, Itachi swiftly broke through the defenses and gave chase to Sasori.

Itachi has not yet awakened the Mangekyo; his eyes are only at the Mitsudomoe level. He does not possess powerful long-range attack methods, and his abilities are mostly concentrated in Genjutsu).

To drag a scorpion into Genjutsu, it's difficult to do so without getting close.

In a swift chase, Itachi displayed an exquisite Shurikenjutsu, leaving several bloody gashes on Sasori's body, the deepest of which revealed the bare bones.

Enduring the pain in his body, Sasori was extremely decisive. He directly gave up control of the ten puppets, gritted his teeth and endured it, refusing to look at Itachi. He just kept running around, Chakra Threads flying on his ten fingers, recalling the Human Puppet buried in yellow sand and mud one by one.

Before planning this operation, he had gathered as much information as possible about Konoha. With the help of White Zetsu, he had also gained a lot of knowledge about the situation in Konoha and had a general record of the powerful figures he needed to be wary of.

Uchiha Itachi was one of them.

The Uchiha Clan had two exceptional talents. Uchiha Shisui was known as the Body Flicker Technique Body Flicker Technique, having mastered it to an extremely terrifying level, almost reaching the level of Space-Time Ninjutsu. Combined with his Sharingan, he became another master of the Instant Kill style after White Fang.

Uchiha Itachi was famous for his Genjutsu. His mastery of Genjutsu was unparalleled. He could drag his opponent into Genjutsu without even making eye contact, killing them silently. The enemy would remain immersed in the illusion until death without realizing it, or even if they did know it, they would have no way to break Itachi's Genjutsu.

He gathered some of this intelligence using his position in the Sand Village, and another part came from intercepting White Zetsu's help.

"Magnet Release, Desert Wave."

Finally, after being slashed all the way by Itachi's Shuriken, Sasori managed to find all the lost puppets.

The quicksand formed a barrier in front of him, blocking Itachi's attack, allowing him to quickly inspect the puppets.

The thirty Human Puppet were damaged to varying degrees; four were severely damaged, eleven suffered moderate damage, and the remaining fifteen sustained only minor injuries.

Human Puppet are not without flaws compared to traditional puppets. In order to preserve the puppet's Ninjutsu and Kekkei Genkai its lifetime, it is necessary to retain a certain degree of flesh and blood. However, the modifications that can be made on this basis are very limited. Even top Puppet Master like Sasori can not make many modifications.

In terms of strength and toughness alone, it is actually inferior to traditional puppets made of a mixture of refined steel and special wood, and its resistance to impact is not high.

Otherwise, there wouldn't have been so many casualties. You have to understand that the previous ten puppets withstood a barrage of Shuyuan's combined Ninjutsu attacks without collapsing.

"Tch! Half of it damaged?"

The wrinkles on the scorpion's forehead revealed its inner unhappiness.

"Well, at least the five high-quality corpses are still intact."

The five puppets, possessing the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai, were fortunate enough not to suffer major injuries; their Chakra systems remained intact. As for the injuries to other parts of their bodies, they were insignificant and could be easily repaired afterward.

Of course, all of this is based on the premise that he still has a future.

White Zetsu a trace, presumably either he escaped or he was captured by Konoha, and neither of these possibilities is good news for him.

"Fine, fine, let's have a proper fight right here today! I've always heard how powerful the Sharingan is, but unfortunately I haven't had many opportunities to see it for myself."

With the puppet by his side, Sasori stopped running, while Itachi stopped and did not try to force his way closer.

The quicksand barrier before him was clearly Magnet Release, but he didn't remember Sasori of the Red Sands possessing Kekkei Genkai. Moreover, he saw Chakra flowing within the puppets, a strange situation that made him even more vigilant.

Moreover, he had no need to take any risks; he could simply stall for time until...

"Boom!!!"

Just as Itachi was thinking this, a deafening roar of thunder echoed through the sky. (To be continued)