Sasori of the Red Sands

The sudden arrival of two figures shattered the tranquility of the journey.

Orochimaru looked at Uchiha Shiraha with a smile, his face revealing an intense, burning desire.

Last time, he had been severely wounded, caught off guard by Uchiha Shiraha. This time, having fully recovered his strength, he would never repeat the same mistake.

"So it was you! I thought you had fled to Kirigakure; I never expected you to be hiding in the Land of Rain."

Uchiha Shiraha said with surprise, his attitude causing Orochimaru to grit his teeth, wishing he could take a bite out of him.

What did he mean by "fled"?

That was something for ordinary people; losing a fight was called fleeing, but he called it a strategic withdrawal.

The smile on Orochimaru's face vanished, his expression shifting unpredictably as he carefully tracked Uchiha Shiraha's movements, finally saying slowly, "Hand over the antidote, and I may spare your life."

"Antidote? Is your subordinate not doing so well?"

Uchiha Shiraha asked, having never imagined that the potency of his poison would actually affect a living person.

Yakushi Kabuto was merely an ordinary human, whereas the poison-making skills Uchiha Shiraha possessed were specifically designed to counter ghosts and spiritual entities.

By analogy, he could create ordinary poisons, but in front of a great scientist like Orochimaru, detoxification was as easy as flipping a hand.

Therefore, Uchiha Shiraha had not chosen to use ordinary poison.

He could do it, but there was no need.

Yakushi Kabuto was also an excellent medical ninja; his understanding of toxins was evident just from his name.

"Then let's see if you can keep me here."

Uchiha Shiraha replied indifferently; Orochimaru's threat was secondary.

What Uchiha Shiraha feared least nowadays was taijutsu and summoning techniques; as for ninjutsu and genjutsu, he could slightly mitigate them through his Sharingan.

In the three-tomoe state, ordinary jonin could do nothing to him.

Orochimaru was no ordinary jonin; he was an elite of Kage-level strength, and his true terror lay in his mastery of various forbidden arts.

Conversely, the person standing silently beside Orochimaru exerted immense pressure on Uchiha Shiraha.

Others might not recognize him, but upon seeing the attire of Orochimaru and that individual, the pressure on Uchiha Shiraha doubled.

Dressed in a black cloak with red clouds, the figure crouched on the ground, a deformed and grotesque sight.

The Jade Maiden of Akatsuki—Sasori of the Red Sands.

Sasori's greatest specialty was puppet mastery, a peerless genius who had developed the primary secret arts of Sunagakure in the Land of Wind to their absolute peak.

In his teens, he had single-handedly killed the Third Kazekage and his Shadow Guard, successfully turning him into a human puppet that retained all the secret arts he possessed in life.

Ninjutsu and taijutsu generally aimed for one-hit kills, utilizing various assassination methods and techniques.

Puppet mastery was different; by crafting all sorts of items into puppets, one could overwhelm the few with the many, torturing the enemy to death.

When facing a puppeteer, brute force destruction was the best method, provided one could actually destroy the precious puppets the puppeteer had meticulously crafted.

As Orochimaru and Uchiha Shiraha conversed, Sasori of the Red Sands grew impatient. Seeing Orochimaru still hadn't made a move, he spoke directly: "Is this the little brat who defeated you? Orochimaru, you really are trash, living in vain for so long."

Sasori of the Red Sands held no affection for Konoha ninjas; his parents had died tragically at the hands of a Konoha ninja.

As a rogue ninja from Konoha, Orochimaru was someone Sasori had always despised. He didn't understand why Zero had assigned Orochimaru to his side, but he had accepted the order in private.

Monitor Orochimaru!

The Akatsuki organization did not trust Orochimaru.

Orochimaru's cold expression faded, replaced by a sneer as he said, "Then you go ahead!"

With that, he crossed his arms and stood by to watch.

Sasori of the Red Sands' attitude proved the stance of the Akatsuki organization.

How could Orochimaru ever be content with being a mere thug for the Akatsuki?

If it weren't for his defection from Konoha, the loss of so many subordinates, and the terrifying strength of Zero, he would never have joined the Akatsuki.

The eyes of the Sage appearing on a single person had piqued Orochimaru's immense interest.

"Heh, I'll finish him in a minute."

Sasori chuckled, not taking Uchiha Shiraha seriously at all.

"Hiruko: Needle Eight Waves."

From the mouth of the Hiruko human puppet, high-density poison needles and spikes were launched. These needles were all released via seals, requiring no physical space.

Uchiha Shiraha had been wary of the two from the start. Seeing Sasori's movement, he rested his wrist against his Forward-Blade Sword and flicked the scabbard open with his left fingertip.

A chilling aura of slaughter rushed toward him.

"Thunder Breathing: Thunderclap and Flash: Ryusho Sen!"

The cells throughout his body surged violently, chakra flowing through his entire frame. His figure accelerated in an instant, dodging the countless poison needles and rapidly closing the distance to Hiruko.

Orochimaru sensed the vigilance in Uchiha Shiraha's eyes, his lips curling as he stepped back to create some distance.

Having just joined the Akatsuki, Orochimaru was not familiar with anyone. He had come out this time due to a mission from leader Zero, and had happened to run into Uchiha Shiraha.

Sasori of the Red Sands, that freak beside him, hadn't even spared him a glance, so Orochimaru deliberately kept his mouth shut to let him suffer a bit.

If Uchiha Shiraha could manage to kill him outright, that would be even better.

With this thought in mind, Orochimaru retreated directly to the edge of the battlefield.

He happened to be planning to go take a look at that other brat from the Uchiha clan.

Sasori of the Red Sands, unhurried, controlled Hiruko to spin, dodging Shiraha's first strike.

"Godspeed Draw! Iai: Draw-Sword Technique!"

Shiraha immediately seized the opportunity, his body coming to a halt as he pivoted and drew his blade, slashing toward Hiruko.

At first, he felt a solid resistance, but as the centrifugal force increased, it gradually became easier.

Clack, clack, clack!

The joints of Sasori's Hiruko emitted a series of clicking sounds.

"Hiruko: Artificial Arm: Senbon!"

Another A-rank ninjutsu; a pitch-black tube emerged from Hiruko's left arm, rapidly firing poison needles in all directions.

Shiraha's Three-Tomoe Sharingan snapped open instantly, his figure retreating sharply as he used his enhanced vision to deflect every single poison needle before him.

"People who play with techniques really have filthy hearts!"

Shiraha leisurely returned his Forward-Blade Sword to its scabbard and injected a dose of anti-venom.

In the way of poisons, if one wishes to poison others, one must first poison oneself.

Sasori of the Red Sands was a master of toxins, and most ninja chose to coat their weapons in poison.

Shiraha was extremely cautious regarding such lethal matters, avoiding any risk of infection from Sasori's toxins.

Increasing his body's poison resistance was the first line of defense against such agents.

When two masters of poison crossed blades, the effectiveness of their toxins was reduced to a minimum.

Shiraha had no intention of trying to kill Sasori with poison; the probability of it working was slim, and now that Orochimaru had defected, Sasori should have already begun the gradual process of refining himself into a human puppet.

At this point, Sasori no longer cared whether the flesh on his body was sound or rotting, black or pink.

"Do you not intend to release the Third Kazekage puppet?"

Shiraha said coldly; this guy was still testing him.

Wrapped in a shell of copper skin and iron bones, one could not harm the Sasori hidden within unless that outer shell was destroyed.

Hiruko's defenses were flawless, serving as Sasori's first layer of camouflage and protection.

It was not merely a turtle shell; it was packed with a vast array of hidden weapons.

Among them, the Third Kazekage puppet was even more troublesome, as its Magnet Release had a massive impact on sword techniques; if one wasn't careful, the weapon in their hand would simply fly away.

At this moment, Shiraha had encountered his most difficult enemy yet.

Magnet Release!

The bane of the way of the sword.