The surging flames swept toward Sasori like a raging river. Wherever they passed, the sand melted with a sizzling hiss. "Sasori, taste the power of this!"
Sasori's expression shifted slightly. He clearly had not expected Yuhi Shinku to unleash such a high-intensity Fire Release. He hurriedly manipulated his puppet to raise its shield before him while retreating several steps. A trace of barely perceptible surprise entered his voice. "I never expected you to have another trick up your sleeve. Female ninja, you're more tenacious than I imagined."
"The tenacity isn't mine—it's our determination to stop you!"
Yuhi Shinku panted heavily, her chest heaving. This technique had clearly consumed a great deal of her chakra. "Kawaki, now! There's a gap in his defenses!"
A flash of resolve crossed Kawaki Aoba's eyes as he gathered every last bit of chakra in his body into his short blade. A faint white glow shone from its edge. He teleported to Sasori's side and thrust through a gap in the puppet's shield, shouting, "Sasori, no matter how strong your puppet is, it has weaknesses! Today, I'll shatter your fantasy of eternity!"
Sasori snorted and swiftly adjusted the puppet's shield. At the same time, its other arm extended, and poisoned needles shot from its fingertips toward Kawaki Aoba's chest. "Weaknesses? My puppets have no weaknesses! Such reckless behavior will only make you die sooner!"
"Is that so? Then take a look at this!"
Kawaki Aoba twisted aside, dodging the poisoned needles. With his other hand, he pulled an Explosive Tag from his ninja tool pouch and swiftly slapped it onto the puppet's shield, then teleported backward to open the distance. "Explode!" A violent boom rang out once more as the Explosive Tag's flames instantly engulfed the puppet's shield. Fragments scattered, and sand and dust filled the