As Itachi let out a piercing roar, the Mangekyo in his eyes spun wildly, turning into scarlet whirlpools. Blood Tears streamed down his cheeks and congealed beneath his chin into grotesque crystals of blood. The Chakra in his body began surging violently.
The energy skeleton around him rapidly grew Chakra muscles, then gained a layer of armor. It wielded a sword in one hand and a shield in the other.
Though it was still only half a body, its presence had surged, its power overwhelming. The ground cracked beneath Susanoo's pressure. Stones floated upward as if defying gravity, then were ground into dust by the Chakra currents.
"Has he gone mad?" Scorpion still wore his usual expressionless face. He flicked the scroll in his hand, and a new human-shaped puppet appeared.
"That's..." Izumo Kamizuki and the others watching from the sidelines were shocked.
The Third Kazekage had once been renowned throughout the Ninja World. Even shinobi from other villages who had never met him had seen his portrait in intelligence reports. There was no one who wouldn't recognize him.
What's more, after the Third Kazekage disappeared, the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire had once clashed fiercely over it. The shinobi of Konoha had an especially strong impression of his appearance.
Now, at the sight of this Human Puppet, they were terrified.
Scorpion paid no attention to the rabble. Like a man facing a formidable enemy, he stared intently at Itachi.
When he had tried to recruit Kakuzu, he had seen Itachi in action. He knew that Itachi was top-tier in Ninjutsu, taijutsu, and Genjutsu, to say nothing of his immensely powerful Susanoo.
So Scorpion went straight for the big move.
"Magnetic Release: Iron Sand World Method!"
He curled his ten fingers, and the Chakra Threads whipped upward.