"Young doesn't mean weak."
Aoba slowly descended, landing firmly on both feet, his eyes filled with determination. "Do you think every Sunagakure ninja is necessarily strong? In my eyes, you're nothing more than a coward who hides behind puppets."
"A coward?"
As if he had heard the greatest joke in the world, Zheng burst into wild laughter, his voice full of fury and mockery. "I'm a coward? Aoba, if you've got the guts, stop hiding and fight me head-on! Don't rely on these cheap tricks!"
"A head-on fight?"
Aoba raised a brow, a cold smile curling across his lips. "Fine. I'll indulge you.
But let me warn you: once I get serious, you won't get a chance to regret it."
"Regret? I've never regretted anything!"
Zheng's gaze sharpened as his hands formed seals. The three puppets instantly merged into one enormous construct. Its body was tightly assembled from iron sand, with two scarlet eyes set in its head. Its hands gripped massive iron-sand blades, radiating a suffocating pressure. "This is my strongest puppet—the Iron Sand Colossus! Today, I'll use it to tear you to pieces!"
"Iron Sand Colossus?"
Aoba looked the massive puppet over from top to bottom. There was not the slightest trace of fear in his voice—only a hint of curiosity. "I didn't expect you to be able to merge three puppets together. Interesting.
But even merged together, it's still just a pile of scrap metal."
"You're courting death!"
Zheng roared and controlled the Iron Sand Colossus, swinging its enormous iron-sand blade down viciously at Aoba. The blade tore through the air with a howling gust, making the ground tremble faintly. "Die, Aoba!"
Aoba's eyes narrowed. Chakra burst beneath his feet as he swiftly dodged to the side. The massive blade crashed into the ground, instantly cleaving a