Defeat on Both Sides, One Step Ahead

In the vast desert, under the scorching sun, a great battle is breaking out.

On one side was the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure. He raised his hands, and the surrounding desert surged as if boiling water, with large amounts of Iron Sand separating out and rapidly converging around him.

On the other side is Sunagakure, a Rogue Ninja from Sasori of the Red Sands, and his ten masterpieces—one -Human Puppet.

As he waved his hands, five of the Puppet lunged forward instantly, while a large number of Senbon and Kunai their mouths, hands, and even chests toward Kazekage.

The other five Puppet remained at a distance, unleashing a variety of Eight Gates Ninjutsu, including Wind Blade, Fireball, Lightning Net, Water Arrow, and Earth Spear.

However, these were all child's play for the Third Kazekage. He dared to come to see Sasori alone, which naturally showed that he was very confident in his own strength.

Not to mention that his Magnet Release is naturally effective against Sasori's Puppet, the desert terrain alone gives him a natural advantage.

Kazekage Ying waved his hands forward, and the floating Iron Sand around him instantly condensed and hardened, forming a huge barrier in front of him that radiated a cold metallic light.

"Jingle bells"

"Boom!"

"Pfft"

All physical attacks and most Ninjutsu were blocked by this indestructible iron wall, producing dull impacts and explosions. Kakkou flew and lightning flashed. The Wind Blade and Earth Spear only left slight scratches on the iron wall before disappearing completely.

"It's all in vain!" Kazekage sneered, and suddenly swung his right arm forward.

The massive Iron Sand Wall disintegrated instantly, like clay being kneaded by an invisible giant hand, transforming into thousands of slender, sharp black Iron Sand Spears. With a piercing whistle, they rained down on Scorpion and the Puppet he controlled like a torrential downpour.

Scorpion's expression changed slightly for the first time, his ten fingers trembled rapidly, and the Puppet horde instantly changed formation.

Five melee Puppet leaped forward fearlessly, brandishing various weapons in an attempt to parry the flying Iron Sand Spears; five Ninjutsu Puppet retreated rapidly and converged, forming Earth Wall to block the Iron Sand's pursuit.

The sharp, piercing sound of dense Iron Sand Spears cutting through the air sent chills down one's spine.

The two foremost Puppet arms deformed, transforming into two shields that connected together, with blue Chakra condensing on the shields.

A series of impacts rang out, Puppet only took two steps forward before being forced to stop by the impacts of the Iron Sand Spears.

Then came the sound of cracking; in just one second, the seemingly indestructible shield shattered.

The Iron Sand Spears pierced through two Puppet without hesitation and continued shooting towards the three Puppet behind.

Having learned from the mistakes of the previous two Puppet, the subsequent Puppet no longer tried to withstand the attack head-on, and instead continuously swung their weapons at the flying Iron Sand Spears.

Before it could even launch a few attacks, the Puppet's movements gradually slowed down.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that tiny Iron Sand had begun to float around the Puppet, and these Iron Sand were continuously seeping into the Puppet's joints and crevices.

The strongly magnetized Iron Sand severely hampered the Puppet's movements, and naturally, these three followed in the footsteps of the Puppet two, becoming three "porcupines" from the relentless barrage of Iron Sand Spears.

Compared to the melee Human Puppet, the five Ninjutsu Puppet at the rear handled the Iron Sand Spears with much ease, and could even launch occasional counterattacks while defending.

"Damn it, I knew it would be like this!" Scorpion muttered to himself from afar, but his hands moved quickly, throwing out three more scrolls. This time, however, they weren't all Human Puppet.

10 ordinary Puppet and 5 Human Puppet.

This time, there were no melee-type Puppet. As soon as these Puppet appeared, they scattered around and surrounded the Third Kazekage, throwing Ninjutsu at Kazekage relentlessly.

Faced with these attacks, the Kazekage remained unmoved, gazing indifferently at Sasori in the distance. The Iron Sand around him would sometimes condense into iron blocks, and sometimes into shields, always managing to block the incoming Ninjutsu in the first instance.

The Iron Sand in the desert, like a living black tide, continuously converged towards him, slowly rising behind him and gradually condensing into increasingly larger cone-shaped behemoths.

The tip of the cone was pointing directly at the scorpion itself, which was controlling the Puppet in the distance.

"Puppet are ultimately just external objects. In the face of absolute power, even the best Puppet techniques are nothing but a joke."

The Third Kazekage's disdainful words were carried by the wind into Sasori's ears, but he remained unmoved, instead showing an increasingly interested expression.

"Lord Kazekage, with such immense power, if I were to turn you into Human Puppet as well, wouldn't that power also belong to me? And it would accompany me forever, never aging, never fading!"

"Just thinking about it excites me. Human Puppet, how wonderful! This is art, timeless art!"

Scorpion manipulated the Puppet in his hands, while muttering incessantly, his expression becoming increasingly frenzied.

"You're a complete madman!"

Kazekage stopped talking and focused on dealing with Scorpion's attacks, while several huge Iron Sand Giant Cone above his head were about to take shape.

In the distance, Sasori stared at the giant cone above the Third Kazekage's head, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

As expected of the Third Kazekage, hailed as the strongest of all time, even Sasori had to admit that he was currently no match for him in terms of the power of this Ninjutsu. If the Kazekage were to get serious and want to defeat him, it would only take a few more Ninjutsu techniques.

However, no matter how powerful you are, you are still just a mortal.

A kilometer away, Taiichi, who was sensing the battle from afar, was also deeply moved.

The majestic power of the Kazekage Magnet Release and the sinister and unpredictable nature of the Scorpion Human Puppet both broadened Taiichi's horizons.

He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he were to encounter them.

Scratching his head, Taiichi suddenly laughed. It seemed that although he might not be able to win against them, he was unlikely to lose either, simply because his abilities seemed to be a perfect counter to theirs.

Just then, another unexpected turn of events occurred.

The Third Kazekage, who had been so imposing and arrogant, suddenly swayed, as if he could barely stand.

The giant cone of Iron Sand that was about to take shape in the sky not only stopped condensing, but Iron Sand continued to fall off its surface.

"You—poisoned me!" Kazekage pressed his hand to his chest, blood already trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Despicable!"

"Lord Kazekage, that's really funny. What Puppet Master doesn't use poison? Have the Puppet troops of Sunagakure all changed their ways and stopped using poison in battle?"

Scorpion looked smug, completely unfazed by his earlier embarrassment. He glanced up at the precariously swaying Iron Sand Giant Cone in the sky, and his worries were finally put to rest.

For a fleeting moment, he almost turned and ran away; being locked onto by that enormous creature was simply too much psychological pressure on him.

At this Kazekage, while dealing with the increasingly dense attacks from the Puppet, Kazekage reached into his robes, took out a specially made Antidote Pill from Sunagakure, trembling as he poured out a pill and stuffed it into his mouth.

In just a moment, Kazekage's expression changed drastically. The poison in his body had not only failed to be cured, but had not even been alleviated.

Unconvinced, he poured out another handful and swallowed it all in one gulp.

But in the end, a bitter smile appeared on Kazekage's face. He had been hunting geese all day, and today he had finally been pecked in the eye by one.

Feeling the waves of excruciating pain emanating from his internal organs, Kazekage knew that he probably wouldn't be able to leave today.

Fortunately, even if it meant death, I was determined to take this traitor from Sunagakure with me.

As the Kazekage's will refocused, the Chakra that had been used to suppress the poison was once again used in the battle.

The Iron Sand Giant Cone above their heads stopped collapsing and instead quickly reformed.

The Iron Sand surrounding him would occasionally transform into Iron Sand Shower, shooting towards the Puppet in swathes, with a large portion even bypassing the Puppet's obstruction and heading towards the scorpion he was controlling from behind.

Sasori had initially wanted to make a sarcastic remark when he saw the Kazekage start taking the Antidote Pill, thinking that those mediocre poison makers in Sunagakure couldn't compare to him.

They've been just following the old recipes to make poisons without any innovation. How could their new approach to poison making possibly be countered by the Antidote Pill from Sunagakure?

I've heard that during this war with Konoha, a kid from Konoha made an antidote for the poison I developed years ago in just one day. That kid is quite interesting. When I have some free time, I'll make him into Human Puppet and keep him as part of my collection.

A kilometer away, Taiichi suddenly sneezed. He looked around suspiciously. They were underground, under a layer of sand, so there was no danger. But he didn't have a cold, so why was he suddenly sneezing? Could it be that someone was talking about him?

The scene shifts back to the battlefield. Just when Scorpion thought victory was assured, a chilling sensation immediately snapped him out of his daydream.

Upon closer inspection, Kazekage had completely shaken off his previous dejected state. Although blood was still flowing from the corner of his mouth, his attacks not only did not weaken, but instead became even stronger.

Scorpion knew that the Kazekage was starting to fight desperately.

A dense Iron Sand Shower rained down, and Scorpion not only had to maintain control of the Puppet but also had to dodge the wind Kazekage's attacks. Before long, his body was covered in wounds.

In particular, when the first Iron Sand Giant Cone in the sky condensed and shot towards the scorpion, the scorpion's helplessness in the face of such a colossal object forced it to flee in a sorry state.

With a deafening roar, the earth shook, and large amounts of yellow sand were ejected into the sky, then turned into sand rain that poured down.

As the first Iron Sand Giant Cone landed, the second, the third, and even the fourth followed suit.

"Boom, boom, boom"

Three loud bangs rang out. The commotion was so great that not Taiichi, which was only a kilometer away, could feel the tremors, but even the Oasis Camp could feel them.

At the scene, as the four giant objects landed, the dust slowly settled to the ground, and the previously gloomy sky became clear again.

The Puppet that had been fighting were now lying on the ground, their clothes fluttering slightly in the wind.

On the other side, the Third Kazekage, who had just Kamui, now had no spirit left in his eyes; only his unyielding body proved that he had fought to the very last moment.

At this moment, the sand beneath the Iron Sand Giant Cone, which had been pressed tightly by the massive object, surged and a hand emerged from it. It clung to the sand on one side, struggled fiercely, and managed to pull its body out a little further.

Then, little by little, with great effort, he finally crawled out of the sand. This person was none other than Sasori of the Red Sands.

At this moment, the left half of his body was covered with wounds, and his left arm was abnormally twisted, but there was no pain on his face. Instead, he showed excitement and madness after victory.

For a moment, he really thought he was going to die. Fortunately, at the critical moment, he took out a life-saving Puppet to shield him from the impact of the giant cone, which saved his life.

Now it was time to enjoy the fruits of victory. Scorpion struggled to his feet, his severed arm not hindering him from walking toward the Kazekage's corpse. The closer he got, the wider his smile became.

Human Puppet —eternal art—soon they will all be mine!

He stretched out his still-intact right hand, wanting to touch the perfect material.

Just before he was about to touch it, his right hand suddenly stopped, frozen in place. Scorpion looked down in disbelief as a Short Sword pierced through his chest from behind, passing right through his heart.

Scorpion didn't even have the strength to turn his head. Countless memories flashed before his eyes. What Human Puppet, what eternal art, all disappeared. In the end, only the scene of his parents' death remained, as if they were also wielding Short Sword. Was this fate?

Behind him, the one who pierced Sasori with that blade was Taiichi, who was watching from afar. He had only been watching, but after seeing the Third Kazekage and Sasori both suffer heavy losses, he couldn't help but have some designs on them.

Especially with the death of the Kazekage, Sasori also seemed to have suffered serious injuries.

He used his Subterranean Voyage until he reached the body of Kazekage, waiting for Sasori to approach step by step. At the moment when Kazekage was most complacent and relaxed, he quietly leaped out of the sand and killed Sasori with a single slash.

The process was so simple that Taiichi felt it was unreal, but reality is often like that, even more outrageous and absurd than fiction!

Taiichi dared not linger at this moment. The commotion must have alerted the Sunagakure in the oasis, and he didn't have much time left.

He quickly took out Sealing Scroll and sealed the corpses of Kazekage and Xie together, and also sealed a few Human Puppet, which might come in handy later.

Then, using the Subterranean Voyage, it sped away towards the Land of Earth. After traveling two kilometers, it emerged from underground and continued running towards the Land of Earth. After running for another hour, it changed direction and detoured towards the Land of Rivers.

The Third Kazekage of Sunagakure is dead. Although I didn't kill him, I now have his body in my hands, so I have to report to Jiraiya as soon as possible so that the village can make preparations.

In the original story, Sunagakure used the disappearance of the Kazekage as a pretext to launch an attack on Konoha.

Less than 10 minutes after Taiichi left the scene, a large number of Sunagakure rushed over from a distance.

Upon arriving at the scene, without even needing to inspect it, the leading Sunagakure Ninja knew with just a glance that their Kazekage must have fought there.

The scattered Iron Sand and the still-intact giant iron spikes all testify to the fierce battle Kazekage fought against the enemy here. The only question is, who was that enemy?

"Sir, come and take a look!" a Sunagakure Chunin shouted, as if he had seen something extraordinary.

The leading Sunagakure Ninja used a Shunpo (instant step) to appear next to the Sunagakure, and what he saw was a human body that looked like Puppet.

The leader of the Sunagakure Ninja's pupils contracted. As a high-ranking member of the Sunagakure, he naturally knew what this was, and he also knew that only one person in the entire Sunagakure should know this skill, and that person was now Rogue Ninja of the Sunagakure.

"Immediately seal off the area. Everyone is strictly prohibited from revealing a single word of what they have seen or heard here. Anyone who violates this rule will be treated as Rogue Ninja."

Everyone was taken aback, but they all readily agreed. This matter was clearly not simple, and it was best for them to stay out of it.

Meanwhile, after two days of travel, Chiyo and the others finally arrived at the front-line camp in the Land of Land of Rivers, led by the Konoha Anbu.

With the Hokage's orders and the Anbu's accompaniment, Jiraiya could no longer turn a blind eye.

Inside the Central Army Tent, Jiraiya received Chiyo and her party, accompanied by Shikaku and two newly arrived staff officers.

When Jiraiya received the order from the Third Hokage to release the prisoners from Chiyo, he simply couldn't believe that under what circumstances the Konoha leadership could make such a "humiliating" decision.

Isn't this disregarding the lives of the ninjas on the front lines? So all the results we've achieved by fighting to the death here will be taken away by a single word from the rear?

Jiraiya a deep breath, calmed himself down, and looked at the Anbu Ninja had come with him.

But all that was seen was a slight nod from him, clearly confirming that the order was correct.

"Elder Chiyo, releasing prisoners still requires some procedures. You've come all the way from Konoha without stopping, you must be exhausted. Please rest for a bit, and I'll let you know once I've finished the formalities on my end."

Jiraiya waiting for Chiyo's reply, Jiraiya shouted loudly outside, "Someone, take our four friends from Sunagakure to rest, and make sure they are well taken care of!"

Chiyo looked at the Konoha Ninja had reached her and was gesturing for her to join in, then turned Jiraiya a deep look, saying meaningfully, "Then please hurry Jiraiya. Those children have been away from home for too long."

"Of course, of course!"

After Chiyo left, before Jiraiya speak, Shikaku asked first, "Lord Jiraiya, what happened? Why were those Sunagakure prisoners released? Did they pay a ransom?"