Third Kazekage Human Puppet

On the battlefield between Sasori and the Kaguya Clan Head.

The area was already saturated with a black Iron Sand barrier and a forest of white bone, a pinnacle clash between the Magnet Release Iron Sand and the Shikotsumyaku bloodline limits.

Standing atop the Third Kazekage Human Puppet, Sasori gazed down at the bone forest below, his face filled with the thrill of the hunt.

Having already overestimated the Shikotsumyaku, he realized after truly engaging that he had still underestimated the Dance of the Seedling Fern technique.

If not for his Third Kazekage Human Puppet's ability to manipulate Iron Sand for flight, he would have been forced to fight the Kaguya Clan Head on the ground, and the outcome would have been far from certain.

But as things stood, he believed his opponent was exhausted and that victory would soon be his.

Just as Sasori expected, the bone forest on the ground began to retract; clearly, the Kaguya Clan Head no longer had the chakra to sustain the forest summoned by the Dance of the Seedling Fern.

With the secret technique ended, it meant he was beyond saving and about to be captured by Sasori.

Watching the Kaguya Clan Head emerge from the ground, Sasori immediately urged the Third Kazekage Human Puppet to use its Magnet Release power, turning the Iron Sand into a giant black hand that lunged toward the Kaguya Clan Head.

By now, the Kaguya Clan Head's chakra was completely depleted, leaving him without the strength to dodge.

Just as he resigned himself to his fate and closed his eyes, an orange-red fireball flew toward the giant Iron Sand hand.

BOOM!

The orange-red fireball and the giant Iron Sand hand collided in mid-air and exploded instantly, emitting a deafening roar. Simultaneously, a thick cloud of white smoke billowed out, completely obscuring Sasori's vision from the sky.

Such power was definitely not an ordinary Fire Release ninjutsu. An orange-red fireball—could this be the power of the Scorch Release bloodline limit?

Choosing to strike at this moment, was the target also the Kaguya Clan Head?

After recognizing the origin of the fireball, Sasori had his suspicions about the identity of the person who had suddenly appeared to intervene.

However, his expression remained largely unchanged; he did not seem worried that the Kaguya Clan Head, who was practically in his grasp, might be taken away.

When the white smoke dissipated, the spot where the Kaguya Clan Head had been was empty. Clearly, someone had taken advantage of the smoke to spirit him away.

Trying to take someone from under my nose? What a pipe dream.

Sasori controlled the Third Kazekage Human Puppet, which then used its Magnet Release to carry him as they sped off in a certain direction.

In the direction Sasori was pursuing, Pakura was moving rapidly with several puppets. The Kaguya Clan Head was already unconscious, slung over the shoulder of one of the puppets.

Having witnessed Sasori's battle with the Kaguya Clan Head while controlling the Third Kazekage Human Puppet, she realized she was no match for Sasori in a one-on-one fight, so she chose to retreat the moment she succeeded.

Even with the puppets to assist her, Pakura had no intention of engaging Sasori. The Third Kazekage Human Puppet alone put immense pressure on her; who knew what other trump cards the man might be hiding?

I never imagined that the Third Kazekage, known as the strongest in history, actually died at Sasori's hands, his corpse turned into a puppet to be manipulated. I wonder what Elder Chiyo would think if she knew about this.

As Pakura traveled, her vision suddenly darkened.

Realizing something was wrong, she hurriedly looked up at the sky, only to see a black cloud appearing above her.

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

The black cloud rained down countless black droplets. As they fell, these droplets took the shape of senbon, covering the area around Pakura like a torrential downpour.

Seeing this, Pakura hurriedly summoned four orange-red fireballs that flew upward.

"Scorch Release: Extreme Steam Killing!"

The fireballs merged in mid-air, transforming into a larger orange-red fireball before exploding.

BOOM!

The explosion of the Scorch Release fireball destroyed a large portion of the Iron Sand Drizzle, but as Sasori continued to manipulate it, the iron cloud in the sky grew in volume and continued to release the Iron Sand Drizzle.

Under the assault of this large-scale Magnet Release ninjutsu, Pakura and the others began to dodge in a sorry state.

Even with Pakura's skills, dodging this technique was a struggle, let alone the puppets beside her.

Soon, these puppets, activated by the Tenseigan, were completely destroyed by the power of the Iron Sand Drizzle. Seeing this, Pakura had no choice but to take the Kaguya Clan Head herself and flee desperately from Sasori's attacks.

In this chase, both Pakura and the Kaguya Clan Head inevitably sustained minor injuries. Just as she felt her body go limp from the poison in her wounds, a black-robed figure wearing a mask appeared in her field of vision.

Great, he finally made it.

Seeing Hyuga Lan appear, Pakura's heart finally settled.

No matter how strong Sasori was, he would likely be no match for the mysterious and unfathomable The Fool.

She trusted that with The Fool's methods, neutralizing the poison in her body would be no problem at all.

As Pakura looked at Lan, Sasori naturally noticed the strangely dressed man as well.

Seeing Pakura rushing toward the stranger with an excited expression, he immediately realized that this mysterious newcomer was, in all likelihood, Pakura's companion.

If the two of them joined forces, he would be facing a two-on-one situation, which would be quite troublesome.

If I had known, I shouldn't have held back on using more powerful Magnet Release techniques out of fear of hurting Pakura and the Kaguya Clan Head. Now, I can only watch as Pakura and Lan get closer and closer.

Just as Pakura rejoiced that she was about to escape her predicament, she did not realize that danger had already arrived silently.

The space behind Pakura distorted, and Obito's figure appeared quietly.

He then launched a surprise close-range attack on Pakura using the same method he had used to ambush Lan. The moment his hand touched her shoulder, he activated his ocular technique, Kamui. A spatial vortex appeared, beginning to twist Pakura's body.

Pakura, naturally, did not possess the ability to perform rapid, signless ninjutsu like Lan, so in her shock, she and the Kaguya Clan Head were sucked into the Kamui Dimension by Obito.

After swiftly disposing of Pakura, Obito turned his gaze back toward Hyuga Lan.

Sasori's pupils constricted as he watched a man in Akatsuki attire eliminate Pakura with such bizarre methods.

This organization is truly full of hidden talents, he thought to himself. Not only does it possess the legendary Rinnegan of the Sage, but now another individual proficient in space-time ninjutsu has emerged.

It seemed the organization he had newly joined was far from simple, but that was fine; the stronger his fellow members were, the safer he, a rogue ninja, would be.

Having reached this conclusion, he maneuvered the Third Kazekage Human Puppet to the ground, standing alongside Obito to confront Hyuga Lan.

Watching Obito and Sasori, Hyuga Lan frowned beneath his mask.

To be honest, he had not wanted to clash with the Akatsuki so soon, but since both Pakura and the Kaguya Clan Head had fallen into their hands, this confrontation was now unavoidable.

Without hesitation, he raised a hand toward Obito and Sasori.

Seeing Lan's movement, Obito prepared to activate his ocular jutsu to enter a state of intangibility at any moment, while warning Sasori, "Be careful, this guy is dangerous. Watch your defense."

Though Sasori was puzzled by Lan's actions, he saw his teammate's grave demeanor and moved the Third Kazekage Human Puppet to shield himself.

The next moment, something completely beyond Sasori's expectations occurred.

The Third Kazekage Human Puppet, which had been blocking his front, seemed to be pulled by some invisible force, flying straight toward Hyuga Lan.