The Captain Was So Cool

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

Uchiha Lan endured the dizziness brought on by the poison and swiftly formed hand seals, blasting a powerful gust at the rolling toxic fog!

Whoosh—!

The gale temporarily scattered the poison fog before him, opening up a narrow passage.

But it also blew the toxic fog into a wider area, affecting more Sand ninja. Chahachiro clearly did not care—could a poison user really poison himself to death?

However, the Black Ant Puppet's poison fog was continuously sprayed! The gap that had just been cleared was immediately filled by fresh toxic mist!

"Annoying flies!"

"Hmph!"

Chahachiro snorted coldly, his fingers dancing.

Taking advantage of the instant Uchiha Lan was distracted by the poison fog, the Salamander Puppet had already rushed in close!

Its enormous pincers shrieked through the air as they viciously snapped toward Uchiha Lan's waist!

At the same time, its poisoned tail hook shot from another tricky angle like a venomous dragon leaving its lair, silently stabbing toward the back of his neck! A pincer attack from front and rear, combined with the unceasing poison fog—its killing intent was chilling!

"Captain!" The distant Chunin cried out, but they were entangled by the poison fog and other Sand ninja, unable to rush to his aid in time.

"Hmph, don't underestimate the Uchiha Clan. Your secrets are all in my eyes!"

"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Claw Crimson!"

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Several compressed fireballs, blazing like magma and shaped like phoenix flower seeds, shot from Uchiha Lan's mouth!

Not only were these fireballs unbelievably fast, but under the Sharingan's precise control, they traced exceptionally tricky trajectories, bypassing the debris and flames in their way to shoot straight at the puppeteer behind cover!

"What?!"

The Jonin puppeteer was stunned. He clearly had not expected Uchiha Lan to lock onto him so accurately amid such a chaotic battlefield, nor to unleash ninjutsu so quickly! He hastily controlled the Scorpion Puppet to retreat and block.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The compressed fireballs slammed into the Scorpion Puppet's hard shell and exploded violently!

Although they did not completely destroy the puppet, the immense impact blasted it backward again and again, and the explosion disrupted its control links into disorder.

"Now!"

Uchiha Lan moved with his thoughts, vanishing from where he stood with a Body Flicker Technique. Almost the instant the explosion's smoke and dust rose, he appeared ghostlike at the side of the puppet!

"Lightning Release: Chidori!!!"

Bzzz—!!!!

The piercing cry of a thousand birds rang across the battlefield once more! Violent blue lightning instantly wrapped around Uchiha Lan's right hand!

This time, the Chidori shone even brighter, its arcs of electricity even more violent! He used Lightning Release chakra to forcibly stimulate his body, temporarily suppressing the poison's erosion in multiple places and gaining a burst of explosive power!

Facing the huge pincers snapping toward him, he advanced instead of retreating. His body suddenly dropped, narrowly allowing the pincers to sweep past the top of his head!

At the same time, the Chidori in his right hand surged forward with unwavering resolve. Rather than striking at the pincers or tail hook, it stabbed like a precise scalpel at the core node between the Salamander Puppet's chest and abdomen, laid completely bare by the Sharingan!

He was as fast as blue lightning tearing through the night sky!

"Nani?!"

Kankuro's pupils constricted sharply. He had never expected Uchiha Lan, even while poisoned, to pinpoint Ibuse's weakest point so precisely and launch such a fierce counterattack!

He hurriedly controlled Ibuse to defend itself, but it was already too late!

Squelch—boom!!!

Chidori's sharp lightning blade, carrying unmatched piercing force and violent Lightning Release chakra, pierced through the Salamander Puppet's heavy armored shell without resistance!

It struck that core precisely, a construct of intricate chakra runes and special metal!

Dazzling lightning erupted from within! The Salamander Puppet's massive body suddenly stiffened, followed by a series of violent explosions and the anguished screech of twisting metal!

Thick smoke and sparks burst from its joints. The entire puppet trembled violently, as though its soul had been ripped away, before crashing to the ground. Its pincers and tail hook drooped limply, completely losing their ability to fight!

That deadly tail hook had been less than an inch from Uchiha Lan's neck!

"My Ibuse!!"

Chahachiro let out a furious, heartbroken roar, his face instantly turning livid.

Ibuse was one of his proudest puppets, a work crafted by the genius puppeteer Sasori of the Red Sands—yet it had been destroyed in a single strike!

And Uchiha Lan had reached his limit as well! After an entire battle, forcibly unleashing Chidori to suppress the poison and precisely destroying Ibuse's core, his exhaustion was immense.

The poison in the wounds on his left shoulder, arm, and calf erupted together. Intense numbness and dizziness washed over him like a tide, and his vision repeatedly darkened.

He dropped to one knee, supporting himself with a kunai as he gasped heavily. The Chidori lightning around his right hand flickered unstably.

"Damn brat! I'll turn you into a new puppet!"

Chahachiro flew into a complete rage, killing intent boiling in his eyes!

No longer holding back, he rapidly formed hand seals with both hands and controlled the sole remaining Black Ant Puppet, aiming every poison-fog nozzle at the visibly weakening Uchiha Lan!

At the same time, the bandages around the enormous scroll on his back began to loosen, as if he were about to summon another puppet!

Unfortunately, his talent was limited. At present, he could only control two puppets, unlike Kankuro, who later became a Jonin and could easily control three at once.

"Puppet Performance: Black Secret Technique—!"

At that critical moment!

"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"

"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"

Several powerful Wind Release and Fire Release ninjutsu came roaring in from the side!

Their targets were the Black Ant Puppet and Chahachiro himself! They were the Chunin under Uchiha Lan's command. Having finally broken through the poison fog and the Sand ninja entangling them, they rushed over to support their captain!

Boom! Boom!

The wind fed the flames, and enormous fireballs slammed into the Black Ant Puppet. Though they did not completely destroy it, they blasted it backward repeatedly and interrupted its poison-fog spray.

The Vacuum Great Sphere forced the distant Chahachiro to break off his control and dodge in disarray.

"Captain! Lord Orochimaru has already sent the signal to retreat!"

Several Chunin fearlessly stood before Uchiha Lan, using their bodies and ninja tools to build a fragile defensive line.

It was not merely that Uchiha Lan's performance had earned their recognition. He had nearly wiped out the enemy's puppet force by himself. No wonder he could be a captain—he was so cool.

And more importantly—rumor had it that he was Lord Orochimaru's prospective disciple.

Lord Orochimaru had no interest in people like them, but if they could latch onto this new powerful backer, then their future prospects...

They wanted to improve too!

Chahachiro looked at the protected Uchiha Lan, then at the destroyed Ibuse and the stalled Black Ant, his expression so dark it seemed ready to drip water.

He knew that with the best chance for a surprise attack gone, killing that brat with the strange Sharingan and powerful Lightning Release would be extremely difficult now that the enemy was alert and had reinforcements. He might even find himself surrounded by even more enemy ninja.

And his Crow Puppet was not yet fully mastered. It had high attack but low defense, making it unsuitable for this kind of battlefield.