Sasori of the Sand, Trump Card Puppets

A black shadow skimmed low through the wind and sand like a hawk, the sound of it cutting through the air exceptionally shrill.

Though such terrible weather carried the constant risk of being buried alive, to this shadow, it all seemed utterly ordinary.

"Yo, interesting."

As if he'd discovered something, the corners of his mouth rose slightly. Yet instead of slowing, he accelerated even more, instantly breaking through the wind resistance and charging forward in sudden bursts. The sand beneath his feet exploded into small craters in the darkness.

What terrifying strength.

Even Genin on Miki Nagi and Suzuki Iwa's level changed expressions, clearly having noticed the anomaly.

"It probably isn't coming for us, so you don't need to worry too much."

Only after the sound had faded into the distance did Itachi speak slowly. The light in the stone house flickered, stretching his silhouette long in the firelight.

Several teammates beside him nodded as well. They could hear the wind and sand piling up outside. Though weather this unusual could turn the world upside down and blanket the sky in darkness, it generally came quickly and left just as quickly.

Before setting out, some of their companions had asked them to buy some specialty foods from the Land of Sand if it was convenient.

It was basically a shopping errand.

"This scorpion meat doesn't seem very tasty. Maybe it's because of all the wind and sand—it's too tough and gritty."

Izumi even offered her assessment. Her voice was sweet and pleasant, like a clear spring slowly dripping in the desert. Just hearing it made people feel at ease.

Still, if they cured it a little, they could bring it back for those who'd asked them to pick things up. After all, if they were truly expected to bring back gifts, they couldn't think of anything this place had besides lots of sand.

"Hehehe, it really isn't very tasty."

A distinctly sinister voice suddenly sounded from above. Then the massive stone slab overhead let out a muffled bang, accompanied by dense cracking sounds as spiderweb fractures rapidly spread across it.

Boom!

The immense force finally crushed the stone above. Chunks of rock rained down continuously; one careless moment, and they could be flattened into meat paste the next second!

But Itachi and the others seemed prepared. In an instant, they leaped outside and formed a pincer formation in pairs, completely surrounding the person who had ambushed them.

Unexpectedly, dozens of steel needles suddenly shot through the smoke, aimed directly at the spots where they would land, as though everything had been planned in advance.

Clang!

Kunai knocked the needles aside. The scattered metal fragments embedded in the ground immediately began to hiss. They were highly poisonous. This guy was ruthless!

"Sir, isn't this rather rude? We're merely travelers passing through and have no intention of offending you. Why strike so viciously?"

Itachi stared grimly at the black silhouette within the dust, his voice carrying a chilling coldness. This enemy was clearly nothing like the trash opponents they had encountered before.

This was a genuine expert. Whether it was his concealment or the force behind his ambush, he had precisely calculated every possibility to follow. In a chess match, being able to predict an opponent's next move and prepare a follow-up already made one an expert. But to still be able to control the opponent's every move after considering dozens of moves ahead—that sort of thinking was likely possessed by only a tiny handful of people.

If Itachi hadn't possessed unique insights into kunai throwing techniques, the squad would likely have already suffered severe casualties.

"You're not bad either. I didn't expect you to dodge so many of my steel needles. Who would've thought a passerby calling himself a traveler would have such a strong expert among them?"

The shadow's voice gradually became clearer. Hinata Bai frowned slightly; he hadn't expected the other party to be so young.

He was probably around the same age as himself. At that thought, Hinata Bai clenched his fists again. Damn it, another person with far greater talent than me.

"So what you're saying is that if there aren't any strong people around, then it doesn't matter if they die? You can do whatever you want because the dead can't speak? What a pity."

Itachi snorted coldly, his expression grim. Still, he had to go all out. He had no idea which Sand Village ninja this enemy was. This country's political power was chaotic; the inherited position of Kazekage had long been treated as the exclusive property of that family, forbidden from discussion by outsiders. Yet that ancient tradition had also openly led to struggles between numerous factions.

Before they departed, Lord Hokage had repeatedly warned him to be extremely careful about the situation here. One careless mistake could provoke the resentment and interception of certain powerful figures behind the scenes.

"You got it right. Too bad there's no reward. Or perhaps your reward is becoming my toy."

A very young boy in a gray robe appeared in everyone's sight. His red hair and delicate face were remarkably clean amid the wind and sand.

His eyes carried the confidence of a gifted youth. But when he realized that Itachi was even younger than he was, the greed in his gaze became all the more obvious.

"Puppet Manipulation—come out, Crow, Salamander, Black Ant!"

He suddenly pulled three scrolls from behind his back. With a bang, smoke spread out, and several dark figures immediately blocked the squad's path.

Blue chakra threads extended from his ten fingers, connecting to the puppets' limbs as he remotely controlled them like marionettes to fight at the front.

This was Sasori!

A member of Akatsuki, as well as Sand Village's young prodigy—the foremost master of puppet mechanisms of his generation.

Even Itachi felt unprecedented pressure. To some extent, he could suppress Orochimaru because of his Bloodline Limit. But against this terrifying figure who controlled countless mechanisms, even if he could match him evenly, what about his teammates?

They had run into an iron wall.

"Senior, we're Konoha ninja. We came here on a bodyguard mission. If you're a Sand Village ninja—"

Suzuki Iwa had just stepped forward to negotiate when Itachi pulled him back.

Because there was a slash across that man's forehead protector.

The mark of a rogue ninja!!!

"Konoha ninja came all the way here? Not bad. Going in means death anyway, so you might as well stay here and drink with me."

Sasori of the Red Sand sneered. A fierce aura suddenly burst from his body, kicking up a ring of sand waves around him.

"Then I'll have a taste of what you can do."

Itachi drew a deep breath, knowing persuasion would be useless. He might as well accompany this madman for a fight.

"I'll refine you into my proudest puppet. That will be your honor. You'll gain a life of eternal beauty because of it."

A cruel smile flashed across Sasori's face. Making human puppets was an effortless task for him, but there were few people truly worth the trouble and thought. Still, he wanted to know what this young man had that allowed him to see through his arrangements.

"Eternal beauty? You truly are someone who pursues art. But unfortunately, your body will soon be destroyed."