"Clang!"
A piercing clash of metal rang out, and Zabuza's expression changed again.
The force coming from the scorpion tail was so immense that he could barely withstand it.
"How can it be... this strong?!"
Zabuza gritted his teeth and held on, but he was still forced backward, shock surging through him.
He was a full-fledged Kirigakure jonin, for crying out loud!
And he was being suppressed by a mere puppet?
"Are all puppet masters this powerful?"
Once driven back, Zabuza didn't dare hesitate. He formed hand seals at once.
He couldn't let himself be dragged into his opponent's rhythm.
He had to take control of the pace himself!
He was confident he could use his killing techniques to hold his own against Sasori of the Red Sands' puppet.
"Not bad reactions!"
Sasori of the Red Sands gave Zabuza's performance a rare word of praise.
Even Uchiha Ye had only reacted about as well.
But!
"I'd have to give you the chance to finish your hand seals first!"
As he spoke, before Zabuza could complete his seals while retreating at full speed, Hiruko suddenly opened its mask and fired a dense volley of poisoned senbon. "Needle Eight Waves!"
They were every bit as fast as the scorpion tail had been, and the force of their passage through the air made Zabuza's expression change again.
"Damn it, you're not even going to give me a chance to form hand seals?"
Faced with the poisoned senbon, Zabuza had no choice but to abandon his hand seals so he could dodge faster.
Not everyone could do what Jiraiya did: dodge attacks while still completing a ninjutsu without a hitch.
Forming hand seals, gathering chakra, and then releasing a jutsu—
Even veteran jonin couldn't do that if the process was interrupted.
Once interrupted, the jutsu became difficult to release.
Even if they resumed their hand seals and finished directing their chakra, the jutsu's power would be greatly diminished.
"Mr. Zabuza... is really being completely overwhelmed?"
Watching the scene, Haku was stunned.
He knew Sasori of the Red Sands was strong.
But this seemed like too much.
He was using just one puppet, yet he'd managed to suppress a powerful shinobi like Zabuza to this extent?
"Whoosh!"
Zabuza had only just barely dodged the rain of senbon when the terrifying scorpion tail shot toward him again.
"Clang!"
Zabuza could only raise his sword to block once more, and the strain immediately showed.
Even the long sword in his hands groaned and cracked under the pressure.
That was what horrified Zabuza even more.
He was being crushed so completely?
It was almost impossible to accept!
"Using Chakra Metal must have improved the speed and strength of the chakra flow, giving Hiruko such terrifying power," Uchiha Ye analyzed to himself as he watched Hiruko overpower Zabuza.
"And compared to before, its agility and speed have both improved."
"Even the scorpion tail is much sharper."
The long sword in Zabuza's hands might not have matched the quality of the Kusanagi Sword, but it was still a rare weapon.
Yet cracks had appeared under the pressure of Sasori of the Red Sands' scorpion tail. That alone said everything.
"Hiruko's performance has truly surpassed even what it achieved in the original story!"
As he analyzed it, Hiruko's mask opened again. A cloud of poison suddenly poured from its mouth and engulfed Zabuza.
"Damn it!"
He was already struggling to defend himself. How could he handle this sudden cloud of poison?
He'd only inhaled a little, but his head immediately began to spin.
He forced himself backward, trying to get out of the poisonous cloud. Staying inside it would only make things worse.
But as soon as he landed from his retreat, the deadly scorpion tail came at him again, giving him no chance to act.
"Not good!"
Zabuza hurriedly used a Water Clone to evade.
He needed to put some distance between them and then use the Hidden Mist Technique. That was his only chance to counterattack.
But!
Even though he was prepared to face danger as soon as he reappeared, the poison he'd just inhaled made him falter for an instant when the danger came.
And that—
Decided the victor!
The scorpion tail shot out like a streak of rainbow light and coiled around Zabuza, leaving him completely unable to fight back.
"It's over!"
Sasori's low voice came from inside Hiruko.
Looking at Zabuza, hoisted high by Hiruko, Sasori asked, "Well? Surrender or die!"
"I'll give you ten seconds to answer. I don't like waiting!"
Haku was even more shocked by the sight!
Zabuza hadn't even managed to use his signature Silent Killing Technique or the Hidden Mist Technique before his opponent defeated him.
"Is this... Sasori of the Red Sands, the one who successfully assassinated the Third Kazekage?"
Haku clenched his fists. "Is the gap in strength between Zabuza and him really this huge?"
Seeing this, Uchiha Ye brushed the dust off his backside and stood up.
He wasn't surprised by the outcome at all!
In the original story, Sasori had easily taken down Kankuro, who had already become a jonin.
Taking a little longer to defeat Zabuza, who didn't have the added strength of Kubikiribōchō, was perfectly normal.
After all, poison users had always been dangerous!
Once poisoned, even someone with an advantage could be brought back to an even footing.
And if they had no advantage to begin with, they had even less of a chance.
Zabuza was clearly the latter.
"It's a shame I didn't get to see all of Hiruko's abilities. I'm still a little disappointed!"
He'd fought Hiruko himself, so he knew what other techniques it hadn't used yet.
Perhaps Zabuza with Kubikiribōchō could have given Hiruko the chance to use them.
"I surrender. I accept your invitation!"
Zabuza naturally chose the outcome that favored him.
He had no reason to choose death!
Knowing when to back down was a survival skill, too.
That was especially important for wandering shinobi like them.
"That's a wise choice!"
Sasori lowered Zabuza. "In that case, I welcome you to the organization on its behalf!"
At the same time!
"So it was as I thought..."
At Konoha's Root organization, Danzo looked over the intelligence from the Third Hokage, his expression full of wariness. "Uchiha Ye actually joined forces with Sasori of the Red Sands to kill Orochimaru!"
"Has he already grown this powerful?"
He knew how strong Orochimaru was.
Even if he couldn't defeat Sasori of the Red Sands and Uchiha Ye together, he should still have been able to escape.
Yet Uchiha Ye and Sasori of the Red Sands had driven him into a death trap.
How could Danzo not fear Uchiha Ye, one of the masterminds behind it?
"But that's all the more reason to eliminate him!"
Shimura Danzo had a strong feeling that Uchiha Ye would one day threaten Konoha's interests.
And besides!
He had now confirmed that Uchiha Ye had ruined his Sharingan transplant plan. Naturally, he hated him to the core.
Whether out of personal spite or concern for Konoha's safety, he couldn't tolerate someone like that continuing to grow stronger.
"But how do I get rid of him?"
If possible, Shimura Danzo would naturally have preferred to eliminate Uchiha Ye through Uchiha Itachi.
But clearly!
That plan wouldn't work.
Not unless Uchiha Ye chose to leave the Akatsuki.
Before you continue