"Come out, Ibuse!"
Buzz—!
A low hum resounded through the area as sand and dust suddenly exploded from the ground. A giant puppet, far larger than Crow and Black Ant, burst out from beneath the sand. Its massive body stood firmly on the desert floor, covered from head to toe in thick, hard scales. Its head was broad and flat, its eyes glimmering with an eerie green light. Its mouth and nostrils opened and closed slightly, giving off a faint fishy stench as an overwhelming pressure swept across the battlefield.
The instant the giant puppet landed, the ground sank slightly beneath it. Sand and dust were forced outward by its enormous frame, while a grim, sinister aura enveloped the entire field.
Kawaki Aoba's expression finally changed slightly. His gaze locked onto the Ibuse puppet, sweeping over its heavy scales, sealed body, and ferocious head as his expression grew increasingly solemn.
Seeing the rare seriousness on Kawaki Aoba's face, Kankuro finally regained some confidence and sneered.
"Scared now? This is my strongest puppet, Ibuse. It can attack and defend, and it comes with deadly poisonous miasma. There are no exposed weak points, no easy transmission gaps. Let's see what your eyes, so good at finding flaws, can find this time!"
Kawaki Aoba spoke slowly, his voice steady and firm. "A larger body and a more complex structure don't mean there are no weaknesses. It only means your methods of hiding them are more sophisticated than before."
Kankuro's eyes sharpened as he drove his chakra threads with all his strength. "Ibuse, release the miasma!"
Click—!
The Ibuse puppet's mouth snapped open, revealing a vast, pitch-black cavity. Then thick gray-green fog poured from its mouth. The mist spread with astonishing speed, carrying a rich, sickly-sweet scent of poison as it instantly engulfed the