Two More Bottom Cards Revealed

The red-haired youth was named Sasori, a rising star who had emerged in Sunagakure after the Second Shinobi World War. "Sasori of the Red Sand"—that was the moniker he had carved out for himself.

However, none of that was the point. The true point was the chakra core he held in his hand; if he succeeded in crafting it, it would bear a new name: the Core of Rebirth.

This object was the key to transforming a living human into a puppet while allowing them to retain their original consciousness and control over their body.

It was also Sasori's next goal after completing his Third Kazekage puppet. He intended to turn himself into a living puppet, a supreme masterpiece created by his own hands—an eternal art.

Clearly, however, Sasori's progress was not going smoothly. He was stuck at the most critical and important step: the Core of Rebirth.

To make matters worse, misfortune struck when he was already struggling. Sasori, who had been failing for half a month, had just suffered a major mental blow. He had been on the verge of success, feeling as though he were about to grasp that vital spark of inspiration, when a loud crash suddenly erupted from above.

Not only did it make his body flinch and damage the chakra core in his hand, but it also shattered the inspiration that had been on the verge of bursting forth.

Sasori was currently in a state of extreme rage.

Glancing at the strongest human puppet he had crafted half a month ago, Sasori took action.

He was going to go up there and see exactly who had caused that commotion. How dare they disturb his most important research.

Meanwhile, above the underground space where Sasori resided:

"I really must thank you lot, a bunch of brats who don't know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth." As he drew closer, the elite jonin of Sunagakure wore a savage grin.

"Hell Stab: One-Finger Nukite."

The short figure struck with blinding speed, the sudden turn of events leaving the elite Sand Ninja stunned.

It was one of those three brats, but how could he possibly unleash this kind of speed?

Caught off guard by a sneak attack, it was difficult for him to evade.

Besides, the technique the brat had shouted out... was he serious?

Although he was absolutely certain that a Konoha brat couldn't possibly know that signature ninjutsu of the Raikage, the extreme speed the boy had unleashed, combined with his raised finger, made the Sand Ninja's eyelids twitch violently.

Quickly adjusting his body, he attempted to dodge Kawaki Aoba's attack.

However, Kawaki Aoba, who had been lying in ambush and had paid a heavy price to meticulously prepare this move, would not let him get away so easily.

He left a trail of afterimages in his wake, and the power gathered at his index finger erupted the moment it made contact with the Sand Ninja.

The force pierced through the ninja vest, striking the Sand Ninja directly in the waist.

Blood bloomed, and the sensation at his fingertip told Kawaki Aoba that he had shattered some internal organ. That position... it was the kidney, no doubt about it.

"Hmph!" The Sand Ninja let out a muffled groan due to the intense pain.

Though he found it unbelievable, he had indeed been wounded by a brat, and it was no ordinary wound.

With a nimble flick of his wrist, he gripped a kunai and slashed toward Kawaki Aoba's neck.

Damn brat, die!

Kawaki Aoba read the intent in his eyes.

The man had lost a kidney, after all. He felt a measure of sympathy for him and could certainly understand the bone-deep hatred that made the man want to tear him limb from limb.

But understanding was one thing; letting the man get his revenge was quite another.

Stomping his feet against the ground, Kawaki Aoba once again displayed the extreme speed he had shown earlier, vanishing from the Sand Ninja's sight.

It was Shave, one of the Six Powers from the world of One Piece, a technique for high-speed bursts over short distances that required a high level of physical fitness to execute.

This gamble had forced Kawaki Aoba to reveal another trump card.

The move he had used for the sneak attack was also one of the trump cards he had been hiding.

Of course, it wasn't the ninjutsu of those brutes from Kumogakure, but rather Finger Pistol, another of the Six Powers.

After the strike, he hit and ran; Kawaki Aoba was already far away from the elite Sand jonin.

He glanced back. Good, the guy wasn't chasing him.

"Pfft."

Suddenly, a mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth without warning.

Kawaki Aoba was injured.

Using the Six Powers' Shave placed an immense burden on the body. In the world of One Piece, where everyone was a tank, any officer of rank could use it without stress.

But this was the Shinobi World, where everyone was a glass cannon. Kawaki Aoba wasn't an Uzumaki, Senju, or Kaguya; it would have been a miracle if he hadn't been injured after forcing such a high-speed burst.

The same went for Finger Pistol. Without the corresponding physical constitution, the price of forcing it was a fracture.

It was fortunate that Kawaki Aoba had the miraculous energy of chakra in his body; otherwise, having used the Six Powers three times in a row without the necessary physical foundation, he would likely be lying in a coffin by now.

Even with chakra, Kawaki Aoba wasn't having an easy time. Not to mention the muscle strains all over his body and the fracture in his right index finger, his most severe injuries were internal—otherwise, he wouldn't be coughing up blood.

This was why Kawaki Aoba treated these two moves as trump cards. A trump card, by definition, was something that couldn't be used lightly.

If a move could be used easily without paying any price, could it really be called a trump card? It would just be something used to deal with small-fry.

White Lightning: Are you being polite?

Fortunately, these injuries were minor to him. A mere internal injury didn't even count as a fatal wound.

Two vials, one red and one blue, appeared in his hands, and Kawaki Aoba drank them without hesitation.

Hmm, aside from his injuries, Kawaki Aoba's chakra had also bottomed out.

At barely ten years old, the amount of chakra he could refine was truly limited—likely not even half a Kakashi's worth. A single burst of power was enough to drain his blue bar completely; how miserable could one get?

Oh, right, there were blue potions. Never mind then.

Still, chakra was a truly miraculous energy. If used solely for traveling, it wouldn't run out even after a day and a night, yet if used for ninjutsu, a few techniques were enough to exhaust it.

As for Kawaki Aoba, two small vials—one red, one blue—were enough to restore his state to the basics, whereas that Sand Ninja was a different story.

With his kidney severely wounded, he naturally hated Kawaki Aoba to the core. However, the boy's speed and that previous Hell Stab were far too bizarre, causing him to lose any desire to pursue him and instead set his sights on the other two brats.

"Run! I'll cover your retreat!" Kawaki Aoba threw himself sideways, blocking the only path the Sand Ninja could take to pursue them.

But in the time it took him to turn around, he discovered that his two little companions had already abandoned him and bolted far into the distance.

Damn it!