Fierce Battle!

Boom!

The earth split apart, and the air howled.

Yet such a scorching punch had failed to break through the shield. It was astonishing.

Uchiha Ye couldn't help praising him. "What incredible reflexes. You really are a Kage Level warrior!"

He naturally didn't dare linger and immediately retreated.

At the same time, copious amounts of lava erupted from his body, blocking Sasori of the Red Sands from pursuing him.

From their exchange just now, he had already recognized one of his weaknesses: he lacked strength.

"His attacks are fierce and swift, his reflexes lightning-fast, and the moment a strike misses, he withdraws without hesitation, never drawing things out..."

Watching from the air, Konan was shaken. "He's really only thirteen? That's incredible!"

Being at a jonin's level at thirteen was already remarkable.

And he could face Sasori of the Red Sands, a Kage Level fighter, with such ease.

He was practically a monster reborn!

"Your judgment is sharp. In that case, I'll get a little more serious too."

A shield suddenly sprang from Hiruko's left arm to fend off the incoming scorching lava. Its right arm, however, burst open, revealing countless sealing talismans. "Thousand Hands Manipulation!"

In an instant, a dense mass of arms surged out, swarming toward Uchiha Ye from every direction.

Cold blades covered every arm. It was an absolutely lethal attack.

He could fend them off by turning into lava, but then Sasori of the Red Sands would seize the chance to attack again, leaving him no room to maneuver.

He had to escape this attack as quickly as possible.

"Great Eruption!"

A blazing red fist erupted through the air, instantly incinerating all the arms. Its momentum undiminished, it continued straight toward Sasori of the Red Sands.

"A wise choice!"

Sasori of the Red Sands' voice rang out again. He actually abandoned Hiruko, revealing his true body, and spread his arms, firing two high-pressure jets of water. "Corrosive Flow!"

Water met fire!

It instantly turned into billowing, scalding steam that blanketed the entire area, completely obscuring both their views.

"Hm?"

Sasori of the Red Sands had planned to ambush Uchiha Ye while the steam concealed his movements.

But Uchiha Ye had already attacked before he could.

"Meteor Fire Rain!"

Lava condensed into fist-sized projectiles and pelted down like a torrential rain. The steam glowed red in an instant, and every projectile shot with uncanny precision toward Sasori of the Red Sands.

"Not bad, kid!"

Sasori of the Red Sands immediately recalled Hiruko and dodged.

The heat of the lava was the last thing he wanted to face.

After all, heat countered Puppets!

"Lord Sasori, we're not done yet. Watch out!"

Uchiha Ye's voice rang out again from within the steam.

Sasori of the Red Sands immediately sensed danger beneath his feet.

"Lava Scorch Shot!"

After the earth trembled violently, a column of intensely hot red lava burst from the ground, striking Sasori of the Red Sands head-on.

Even Sasori of the Red Sands couldn't help narrowing his eyes. He praised him sincerely. "What incredible sensory ability."

Even with his vision obstructed, Uchiha Ye could attack with such precision. He was truly not to be underestimated.

"Sand Clone!"

At the moment he was about to be hit, Sasori used a Sand Clone to evade the attack.

But something happened that startled him once more.

His true body had only just emerged from the steam, trying to escape the disadvantageous situation.

Yet Uchiha Ye's smiling face was already rushing toward him again, rapidly growing larger in his field of vision.

His blazing red fist, hot as a branding iron, came with him.

"Hellhound!"

"Flame Prison Dance Formation!"

Sasori of the Red Sands was a top-tier fighter, after all, and reacted in time.

Two terrifying jets of flame burst from his palms. Their searing heat was accompanied by tremendous force, stopping Uchiha Ye in his tracks.

"Just as expected of Lord Sasori. Those reflexes are incredible!"

Seeing that his attack had failed, Uchiha Ye immediately retreated. Several kunai shot from his sleeve, forcing Sasori of the Red Sands back and preventing him from seizing the chance to counterattack.

But—

His expression suddenly shifted, and his body turned to lava.

Squish!

A vicious steel cable mercilessly pierced his chest.

It was the steel cable coiled around Sasori of the Red Sands' abdomen. It had burrowed underground before launching its surprise attack.

"So it didn't work after all?"

Sasori of the Red Sands' eyes sharpened at the sight. "That's some impressive sensory ability. Even across the entire shinobi world, there aren't many who could calmly dodge that attack of mine."

"Uchiha Ye, I acknowledge you!"

As he spoke, Sasori of the Red Sands' expression grew solemn. He drew a black scroll marked with the character 'Three' from his back. "In that case, I'll give you a proper fight!"

At this, Uchiha Ye licked his lips and took a deep breath, his eyes burning with excitement. "I'm honored!"

He knew exactly what that scroll represented!

Konan, hovering in the air, was also a little surprised. "He actually made Sasori take out that scroll. Is Uchiha Ye really that strong?"

Even when facing the many jonin of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, Hiruko alone had been enough.

But now Sasori had brought out his trump card to deal with Uchiha Ye.

How could she not be surprised?

"Still, that incredible sensory ability really is troublesome. Without that scroll, Sasori might not have been able to gain the upper hand!"

"I suppose 'Madara' ran into trouble because of it too. That must be why he specifically warned me before I left!"

While Konan was thinking this, Sasori had already unfurled the scroll and summoned one of his prized creations: the Third Kazekage!

"Watch out, Uchiha Ye! The fight from here on won't be the little skirmish we just had."

"You're about to face my finest creation, the Third Kazekage, known as the strongest Kazekage!"

After warning him, Sasori activated the Third Kazekage's Kekkei Genkai—Magnet Release!

Black Iron Sand drifted from the Third Kazekage's mouth, then transformed into countless densely packed Iron Sand bullets. "Iron Sand Drizzle!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The forest behind Uchiha Ye was instantly filled with flying splinters and billowing smoke.

Uchiha Ye's body turned to lava once more. The fierce Iron Sand bullets struck him, but not one of them caused him the slightest harm.

"Just as I thought?"

Sasori of the Red Sands wasn't surprised by this, but the corner of his mouth suddenly lifted. "But if you think that strange ability lets you ignore my attacks, you're wrong!"

"Corrosive Mist Poison!"

A mass of black Iron Sand suddenly surged from beneath Uchiha Ye's feet, then spewed out a huge cloud of purple poison gas.

Uchiha Ye's expression changed at the sight.

While he remained in his elemental form, it was difficult for him to take any other action.

That meant that while his ability let him ignore the Iron Sand Drizzle, he couldn't avoid inhaling the poison gas.

To avoid inhaling the gas, he would have to retreat, but then he couldn't maintain his elemental form precisely enough to dodge every Iron Sand bullet.

He was caught between a rock and a hard place!

"Just as I thought! My guess was right!"

Sasori of the Red Sands grinned at the sight. "When you use your ability to ignore the physical attacks of the Iron Sand, it becomes extremely difficult for you to take any other action."

"Then it's over!"

As he spoke, the Iron Sand Drizzle grew even denser. "No matter what you choose, you're going to lose!"