The newcomer was Pakura. After driving back Baki and the others, she had no time to pursue them and instead hurried to join Hyuga Lan. After all, Rasa was her main target.
Looking at the Iron Sand and Gold Dust scattered everywhere and the drastically altered terrain, Pakura couldn't help but marvel.
Who would have imagined that a battle between just two shinobi could reach such an outrageous scale? The destruction was so extensive that even a fierce battle between two teams of elite jōnin might not have caused this much damage. The environmental advantage Magnet Release users enjoyed in this vast desert was truly astounding.
Fortunately, Hyuga Lan had done most of the work against Rasa this time. If she had faced him alone, she never would have stood a chance in a desert like this.
Pakura scanned the area but didn't see the person she was looking for, so she asked in confusion,
"Where's Rasa?"
"Did he get away?"
Hyuga Lan said nothing. He simply waved a hand, and a massive Iron Sand structure ahead of them began to shake. As its iron spikes spread apart, they revealed the glittering golden pyramid inside.
"Th-this is the Gold Dust Imperial Funeral Seal!
"Don't tell me that Rasa's hiding inside?"
Hyuga Lan nodded and pointed at the pyramid.
"You arrived just in time, then. I'll open a breach, and with your Scorch Release attack, this Gold Dust Imperial Funeral won't hold out for long."
Pakura nodded at Hyuga Lan's suggestion. She rapidly formed Hand Seals, summoning four orange-red Scorch Release fireballs.
The four fireballs converged, merging into a single one several times larger than before. Its color grew more vivid, and it continued to swell, looking ready to explode at any moment.
Seeing that Pakura was ready, Hyuga Lan didn't waste any more time.
"Clap!"
He pressed his palms together, and chakra surged within him. A large mass of Iron Sand gathered before him, quickly taking the shape of a giant drill two or three meters in diameter and ten meters long.
He planted one hand against the drill's rear and shoved it hard toward the pyramid formed from Gold Dust.
Whirrrrr!
The giant drill spun furiously, its tip boring straight into the pyramid and advancing at incredible speed.
It stopped only when it had nearly reached the pyramid's center. By then, the drill had worn down badly. Each step farther in consumed drastically more chakra, and it had clearly reached its limit.
Hyuga Lan gave Pakura a meaningful glance. As he pulled the giant drill back quickly, a huge hole at the center of the pyramid came into view.
Gold Dust surged outward from inside the hole, seemingly trying to seal it.
But the instant the giant drill came out, a massive orange-red fireball flew into the hole.
"Scorch Release: Extreme Steam Killing!" Pakura shouted.
This time, she had poured most of her chakra into Extreme Steam Killing, aiming to end the fight with a single strike.
Carrying all of Pakura's fury, the Scorch Release fireball exploded inside the pyramid.
Rumble!
A deafening blast rang out, followed by clouds of thick smoke that shrouded the area until they could barely see their hands in front of them.
Whoosh, whoosh...
Hyuga Lan unleashed a Wind Release Ninjutsu, whipping up a gale that scattered the smoke. Only then could they see the aftermath of the explosion.
The top of the pyramid that had stood there was completely gone, and its center had collapsed. The entire structure lay in ruins.
But Rasa was nowhere to be seen. Had he been blown to ashes by Extreme Steam Killing?
As Pakura wondered, Hyuga Lan swept out a hand. A mass of Iron Sand flew into it and formed a long spear.
He raised the spear and hurled it with all his strength toward a spot behind the pyramid. With a sharp whoosh, it plunged deep into the sand.
Bang!
The place where the spear struck erupted into a deep crater. A battered figure leaped out and tumbled across the ground.
The man's short red hair was mostly singed, and his clothes were in tatters. The left side of his face and most of his body were bright red, clear signs of severe burns. Blood trickled constantly from the corner of his mouth. He looked gravely injured.
That battered man was none other than Fourth Kazekage Rasa.
It seemed Hyuga Lan and Pakura's combined attack had not only breached the Gold Dust Imperial Funeral's defenses but also badly wounded him.
Rasa was now weak and his chakra nearly depleted. As he watched Hyuga Lan and Pakura approach, despair flashed in his eyes. Was he really going to die here today?
Hyuga Lan gave Rasa no chance to catch his breath. He gathered chakra again and formed four long iron spikes. This time, he meant to capture Rasa alive, so the spikes weren't aimed at his vital points but at his limbs.
In Rasa's current state, if those spikes pinned down his limbs, he'd have no chance of escape.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Hearing the sharp whistles draw closer, Rasa tried desperately to dodge, but his gravely wounded body wouldn't obey. He could only watch as the four spikes closed in.
Just as Rasa closed his eyes in despair, he failed to notice the thin Chakra Threads flying in behind him and connecting to his body.
The next instant, Rasa, who had been unable to move, somehow lurched backward and narrowly dodged the spikes.
The bizarre sight stunned Pakura. She knew that Rasa couldn't possibly have dodged that attack in his condition. What was going on?
Pakura was about to step forward and investigate, but Hyuga Lan held out an arm to stop her. At the same time, a mass of Iron Sand flew in front of them and formed a wide barrier.
The instant the Iron Sand barrier appeared, countless senbon, Kunai, and even explosive tags slammed into it. The clanging impacts and rumbling explosions rang out without pause.
When the attack stopped, the barrier had been battered and was streaming fine Iron Sand. But Hyuga Lan and Pakura, protected behind it, were still unharmed. The attack had clearly failed to hurt them.
The Iron Sand barrier then dissolved into a black cloud that drifted around Hyuga Lan. From the direction the attack had come, a young man wearing a Blood-Red Cloud Robe stepped into view. It was Sasori of the Red Sands.
Sasori of the Red Sands glared at Hyuga Lan, fury practically leaping from his eyes. Hyuga Lan had disguised himself and put on a mask, but Sasori recognized him at a glance from the unmistakable power of Magnet Release: Iron Sand. Hyuga Lan was controlling his masterpiece, the Third Kazekage Human Puppet.
Meanwhile, Fourth Kazekage Rasa saw who had just saved him from death: an elderly woman, the Sunagakure elder Chiyo.
Ignoring the pain in his body, Rasa hurriedly relayed what he knew to Chiyo, warning her to be careful of Hyuga Lan.
But Rasa didn't need to explain. The moment Chiyo saw Hyuga Lan control Iron Sand, she was already deeply shocked and wary.
One look at her grandson Sasori's expression made it clear that he and Hyuga Lan knew each other and had a history.
Who exactly was this mysterious Magnet Release shinobi?
And what was his relationship with Sasori?