The blazing light of the explosion lasted for dozens of seconds before finally fading.
Kakashi dropped to one knee, gasping heavily, his body covered in wounds of all sizes.
Some had been inflicted by the Iron Sand barrier, while others had come from the recent explosion.
His head buzzed, his consciousness blurred, and he could pass out at any moment.
Drip—
Hearing the sound, Kakashi lowered his head. A crimson drop of blood fell to the ground and burst into a tiny blood blossom.
He wiped his face, only to find his palm covered in blood.
At the same time, a fierce stabbing pain suddenly surged through him.
Kakashi covered his left eye and squeezed it shut. The pain was as though someone had used a magnifying glass to focus sunlight and burn his pupil.
He had only just awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, yet he had used it on such a massive scale without restraint. The fact that Kakashi had not gone blind or died on the spot was already proof of his incredible luck.
"What happened? What was that explosion just now?" Kakashi asked.
"A true artist died," Sasori said softly.
Sasori dismissed the defensive net formed by hundreds of puppets and sat unharmed atop a boulder, coldly watching the heart of the explosion.
Kakashi pulled another kunai from his waist. He wanted to assume a fighting stance, but he could not raise his arm at all, as if the small kunai weighed a thousand tons.
"Don't force yourself, mediocrity."
Sasori's cool voice carried over. "The Mangekyō Sharingan... it truly is an interesting ability. Unfortunately, it doesn't belong to you. You are still using someone else's work."
"Cut the crap."
Kakashi slowly rose to his feet, staring fixedly at Sasori.
"If you want to fight, then keep fighting."
"Not