Hearing Scorpion's words, the Third Kazekage smiled. "Don't worry. This time, I'll make time to see your puppets for myself.
I have high hopes for you. I hope you'll become a pillar of Sunagakure one day."
"Thank you for your faith in me, Lord Kazekage."
The two groups drew closer. Just as the Kazekage and Scorpion passed each other, Scorpion moved his ten fingers almost imperceptibly.
Countless Poison Needles and Concealed Weapons burst from the desert sand, surrounding the Kazekage in an instant.
"Lord Kazekage, look out!"
Scorpion shouted at the critical moment, his fingers whipping through the air. A puppet flew out from behind him, seemingly to help the Kazekage block the attack.
With no time to consider Scorpion's warning, the Kazekage gathered two masses of black Iron Sand at his sides.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Metal struck metal in a rapid series of blows, but the Iron Sand walls beside the Kazekage did not budge. Behind him came the sound of weapons biting into wood as Scorpion's puppet blocked every Poison Needle fired from that direction.
Neither of them was hurt, but all four Ninja accompanying them were dead.
Just as the Third Kazekage relaxed his guard a little, one of Scorpion's fingers twitched.
The puppet stood right beside the Third Kazekage. He had never imagined Scorpion would turn on him. A Poison Needle shot from the puppet's mouth and pierced him in an instant.
Pain stabbed through the Third Kazekage's back, then spread rapidly through his body. In the blink of an eye, his entire back went numb.
By the time he turned around, he had lost control of his body and collapsed to the ground.
Scorpion's face was familiar, yet it had never seemed so strange. The Kazekage had never seen that expression on him before. Scorpion