When Li Yi flew over, the Second Kazekage, Shamon, narrowed his eyes. They had only just received word that even the Third Raikage of Kumogakure had been unable to deal with Li Yi. Li Yi had killed three of the Raikage's guards and left without a care.
He hadn't expected to run into Li Yi on the battlefield this time.
Li Yi flew to a spot not far from the Second Kazekage and stopped. Looking at him, Li Yi recalled the intelligence Utatane Koharu had provided: the Second Kazekage excelled at the Puppet Technique and the Sand Control Technique, and was also highly skilled with poison. She had warned Li Yi to be careful of his toxins.
"Li Yi of Konoha, I didn't expect we'd meet on the battlefield so soon!" The Second Kazekage greeted him with considerable grace.
Li Yi replied in kind. "The Second Kazekage is the leader who helped the Hidden Sand Village flourish. Why invade my Land of Fire and leave behind such a dishonorable stain?"
Shamon smiled. What was the essence of war? An important means of resolving internal and external conflicts. If the Hidden Sand Village wanted to develop, it needed resources. And where were there abundant resources? Naturally, in your Land of Fire. How could they not wage war against you for the sake of their own development?
"Sand Hand!" Shamon reached out, and a gigantic sand hand rose from below and grabbed for Li Yi.
A massive blue orb of light appeared in Li Yi's hand. He pressed it downward, and the sand hand was instantly churned into a heap of sand that fell to the ground.
Seeing the Second Kazekage make his move, Li Yi stopped holding back. He swiftly formed Hand Seals, took a deep breath, and exhaled toward Shamon.
"Blaze Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive black-and-red fireball formed in an instant, surging toward Shamon with searing heat.
A wall of yellow-brown sand formed in front of Shamon to block the flames.
But Li Yi's flames weren't ordinary. They quickly burned through the sand, turning its surface to glass.
Shamon hurriedly dodged. Seeing Li Yi's Fire Style, he finally understood just how powerful it was.
"Sand Waterfall Funeral!" Shamon reached out toward Li Yi. Beneath Li Yi's feet, a vast amount of sand instantly formed a vortex and surged toward him, high into the sky.
It spun like a tornado, as if it would swallow Li Yi whole.
Li Yi shot into the sky. The tornado followed, but once it reached a certain height, it lost its force and fell helplessly back down. Li Yi swooped toward Shamon.
As Li Yi charged at him, Shamon made no visible move. Four puppets suddenly sprang out beside him and surrounded him. One puppet even opened its mouth and spat countless tiny needles at Li Yi.
Another puppet sprouted more than a dozen arms, each fitted with a sharp blade. A pale blue gleam shimmered along the blades, suggesting they were coated in potent poison.
The arms swung, enveloping Li Yi from every side.
"Heh. Kagero!" Li Yi said softly. His left arm turned to flame, and a column of fire shot from his palm. The poisoned needles and blades rushing at him were swallowed by the flames, along with the two puppets wielding them.
When the fire died down, the two puppets had been reduced to ash. Li Yi's Fire Style was a natural counter to the Hidden Sand Village's Puppet Technique. After all, the puppets the Second Kazekage used were made of wood.
By now, the Second Kazekage had retreated a considerable distance. Seeing his two puppets reduced to ash, he wasn't particularly surprised. If this alone could have finished Li Yi off, Li Yi wouldn't have survived this long.
"Go!" The Second Kazekage waved his hand, and the two puppets beside him charged at Li Yi.
At the same time, Shamon formed Hand Seals, and a vast layer of sand swept toward Li Yi, blotting out the sky.
"Sand Waterfall Imperial Funeral!"
Facing the sand sweeping toward him, Li Yi reached over his shoulder and drew Ryujin Jakka. "All things in the world, turn to ash. Ryujin Jakka!"
In an instant, flames raced along the blade. Li Yi swung it forward and called out, "Cut!"
A massive wave of fire burst from the blade. Wherever it passed, it carved a vacuum through the sand.
This was a powerful slash Li Yi had developed by combining Ryujin Jakka with the power of the Mera Mera no Mi. It was ideal for large-scale destruction.
There was no better use for it than cutting through the Sand Waterfall.
However, the two puppets were caught in the Sand Waterfall Imperial Funeral as well. Li Yi's slash reduced them to fragments, but the poisonous mist hidden inside them still engulfed him.
Seeing his plan succeed, Shamon smiled. This was a poison he had developed in secret. Even an elite jonin wouldn't last long against it.
What he didn't know was that Li Yi had already turned to flame and escaped the poisonous mist.
When Li Yi appeared again, he said, "Taimatsu!"
In an instant, a massive tornado of fire surrounded Shamon, its fierce flames scorching him.
But Shamon had already turned into sand. The flames gradually faded. It was a Sand Clone.
Li Yi frowned. He hadn't noticed when the Second Kazekage had used the Sand Clone.
He pulled back his Forehead Protector, revealing his Sharingan. The Three Tomoe in his eyes began to spin, and the Second Kazekage slowly emerged from the ground.
Shamon bit his finger, formed just a few Hand Seals, and pressed his hand to the ground. Three puppets were summoned.
Li Yi raised an eyebrow. These puppets seemed different. Were they Human Puppets?
They were nothing like the earlier puppets. They had been made from actual people. The Second Kazekage really was an expert in this field.
Li Yi soon understood. The Puppet Technique had been developed by the Second Kazekage and only later spread throughout the Hidden Sand Village. Chiyo and Ebizo, who were now fighting Mitokado Homura and the others, had both learned the technique from him.
Looking at the three puppets again, Li Yi noticed that they wore Kirigakure Forehead Protectors. He could imagine what had happened: the three unlucky shinobi had been killed by Shamon, the Second Kazekage, and then made into Human Puppets.
The key was that the Second Kazekage was using them against him. He was trying to counter Li Yi with Water Release.
No wonder he was the leader of a village. He had prepared for this long ago.
The three puppets moved. One swiftly formed Hand Seals and spat a vast cloud of mist from its mouth, instantly blanketing the area. Even the Sharingan couldn't see through it.
"No, there's poison in the mist too!" Li Yi's expression changed slightly. He instantly turned to flame. As the fire burned, it cleared away the poison.
"Hmm? What is this state? Could it be his Kekkei Genkai?" Shamon wondered, watching Li Yi's unusual transformation.
Before you continue