Hiruko vs. Kumogakure Shinobi

"Who... are you!"

Looking at the Sasori of the Red Sand who had appeared, the leading female Cloud ninja shouted in alarm.

She had short, pale-gold hair and tan skin.

She wore a short-sleeved top that stopped at her midriff with a fishnet chest covering, and a fishnet miniskirt.

In a word, she had a smoking hot figure!

If one looked closely, they would find that she looked very similar to Samui from the Darui squad in the original work.

"Heh, why don't you take a guess?"

At this moment, another young voice drifted down from the branch above Sasori of the Red Sand.

This immediately caused the female Cloud ninja to look over with extreme vigilance.

She saw a young man with bright eyes and dark gray hair looking down at them with a playful gaze.

It was none other than Uchiha Ye!

"Watch out, this guy has an accomplice!"

The female Cloud ninja shouted to the two people behind her, her body instantly tensing as she drew the long blade from her back.

"Oroi, Katai! Call for reinforcements from Yugito; these two are not to be trifled with!"

As the leading female Cloud ninja spoke, electric arcs began to dance along her blade: "I'll hold this old man off first!"

"You two keep that young guy busy! Do not act alone, understand?"

With that, a blinding light suddenly erupted from her body: "Lightning Illusion: Lightning Flash Pillar!"

The intense radiance forced even Uchiha Ye to raise his hand to shield his eyes, his vision severely obstructed.

Hiruko was the same, squinting against the piercing glare to find relief.

And the crisis arrived in that very instant.

"Cloud Style Slash!!"

The blonde female Cloud ninja had actually used a Body Flicker technique to rush right in front of Sasori of the Red Sand, her long blade enveloped in a sharp aura as she slashed toward Hiruko.

Even if it was just a simple upward swing from the side.

With the power generated by the corresponding chakra burst, the destructive force was naturally not to be underestimated.

And that was the very purpose of swordsmanship!

"Got you!"

Seeing the attack land, the female Cloud ninja was overjoyed that Sasori of the Red Sand still hadn't reacted.

But!

The joy on her face froze the very next moment.

A tail stinger suddenly shot out, blocking her sword strike.

Furthermore, Hiruko tore open his mask, and a cloud of toxic mist spewed out: "Poison Mist Spray!"

The female Cloud ninja had no time to react before she was hit.

She only felt that the poison mist smelled sweet and cloying, yet it immediately made her head spin.

So much so that when she retreated at high speed and landed, she stumbled, unable to stand steady.

"Samui!!"

This scene completely stunned the remaining two Cloud ninja.

The dark-skinned male Cloud ninja named Oroi, and the fair-skinned, tall male Cloud ninja Katai.

They had only just sent out the distress signal, and their captain, Samui, had already been defeated?

How much time had even passed?

Not even twenty seconds!

The defeat had come far too quickly!

It couldn't help but make the two of them panic.

"Don't panic, I'm fine!"

Seeing this, Samui waved her hand at them.

She immediately began weaving hand signs at high speed: "Poison Healing Technique!"

Wriggling, worm-like strands of chakra instantly appeared on her body and burrowed into her skin.

One could see her condition, which had been rapidly deteriorating due to the poison, recovering again at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Soon, dark, worm-like strands emerged from her skin, falling to the ground and dissolving into pools of black blood.

"A medical ninja?!"

Uchiha Ye couldn't help but feel a bit surprised at the sight.

It was rare enough for a medical ninja to possess such formidable combat capabilities.

Let alone one who also possessed such advanced medical techniques.

To say she was a rare talent within the Cloud Village would be an understatement.

Even in Konoha, she would be counted among the very few.

Witnessing this scene, even Sasori of the Red Sand, hidden within Hiruko, could not help but offer his praise: "As expected of someone from the Cloud Village, you are truly impressive!"

"You are the first person to ever neutralize my poison so quickly."

Yet, faced with Sasori of the Red Sand's praise, the female Cloud ninja named Kamui merely let out a scoff, then stared at Hiruko and said, "My luck is truly something! To think I would encounter the legendary Sasori of the Red Sand here!"

"It's enough to make one's blood run cold and fall into despair!"

She had actually recognized Sasori of the Red Sand!

Though, upon reflection, it was only natural.

With Hiruko's distinct puppet visage, and considering the few renowned puppeteers in the Ninja World, it was easy to identify the identity of the enemy before her.

"Interesting!"

Hearing Kamui call out his identity, the low voice of Sasori of the Red Sand emanated from within Hiruko: "Since that is the case, I have no reason not to turn such an excellent specimen into a puppet!"

"I'll take these three, Ye, do not interfere!"

With that, the tail stinger on Hiruko's back shot out, hurtling straight toward Kamui's face.

The speed was such that it reached her in a mere instant.

"How is it so fast!"

Faced with the cold, rapidly enlarging tail stinger, Kamui could not help but be shocked, lightning immediately erupting from her body as she accelerated backward.

Beside her, Katai and Oroi dodged to either side while simultaneously beginning to weave hand seals.

"Lightning Style..."

The two spoke almost in unison, "Sandamudo!"

Lightning spheres appeared in both their hands, simultaneously firing terrifying, tree-branch-like bolts of lightning that tore through the air to strike Sasori of the Red Sand from both sides.

Clearly!

Judging by the destructive aura, both had mastered the nature transformation of Lightning Style, elevating the power of their ninjutsu to a higher level.

Furthermore, the pincer attack, combined with the inherent speed of Lightning Style, made it even more lethal than Hiruko's tail stinger.

"And it's obvious..."

Uchiha Ye watched Kamui, who had vanished from the battlefield at some point: "Even if Hiruko manages to dodge this combined strike, Kamui will follow up immediately with a fatal blow. She won't give Brother Sasori a chance to breathe."

This was perfectly in line with the combat style of a ninja squad!

Two provide the pincer attack, while one delivers the critical strike.

"Whoosh!"

Faced with the violent Lightning Style assault, Hiruko leaped into the air to evade.

But just as Uchiha Ye had anticipated!

"I've been waiting for you!"

Kamui suddenly appeared above Sasori of the Red Sand, gripping her blade with both hands and shouting with a sharp, exposed edge: "Cloud Style: Sun Slash!"

Her presence suddenly became as overbearing and fierce as the sun, making the blade's edge feel infinitely more dangerous.

"Squelch!"

Caught in mid-air with no means to counter, Hiruko was cleaved directly in two.

"Did I... get him..."

Kamui was clearly a cautious person.

Seeing the legendary genius puppeteer taken down by her own hand, she felt no urge to let her guard down.

Sure enough!

The Hiruko that had been split in two immediately dissolved into sand.

Sand Clone!

She realized it instantly: "I didn't get him after all!"

She immediately shouted to Oroi and Katai below, who had let their guard down thinking the sneak attack was a success: "Watch out, he's fine! Surround him!"

Once Oroi and Katai received Kamui's warning, Katai immediately wove hand seals to activate his sensory abilities.

He was a sensory ninja!

"Found him, to our right!"

Katai called out sharply, drawing his blade in an instant: "Oroi, go!"

The two surged forward with lightning crackling around their bodies, dashing ahead and swinging their blades.

In the next instant!

Hiruko had barely appeared before it was besieged by the two of them.

"Hmph!"

Seeing this, Hiruko remained completely unfazed, its tail stinger lashing out once more.

This time, however, it did not attack the two of them, but instead coiled tightly around itself to form a defense.