Sasuke Uchiha vs. Red Sand Scorpion!

Clang!

The Kusanagi Sword clashed with Hiruko's tail stinger, scattering sparks!

The tail stinger retracted slightly, then snapped back with tremendous force!

Clang...!

Sasuke used the momentum to flip backward and land on the bridge's rope, forming hand seals with one hand!

—Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire!

Boom! A massive fire dragon exploded against the bridge deck where Hiruko stood!

Sasuke immediately changed his hand seal!

—Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!

Boom!

A fierce wind swept through, feeding the flames while battering Hiruko within them!

When the flames cleared, the bridge deck was scorched and battered. Through a tear in the Akatsuki Robe, Sasuke saw Hiruko's puppet construction, and his gaze sharpened.

"So that's it. You hide your real body inside a mechanical puppet..."

Kabuto Yakushi told me Orochimaru would appear at Tenchi Bridge, but Sasuke Uchiha was waiting here instead, and he attacked without a word...

Red Sand Scorpion reached his conclusion. "I see. You had Kabuto set this trap to lure me here. Where is Orochimaru?!"

Sasuke dropped from the bridge rope and declared firmly, "Your opponent is me!"

"Big words!"

—Needle Eight Waves!

Click!

The mechanism in Hiruko's mouth opened, and the talisman inside fired a dense barrage of poisoned needles and spikes straight ahead!

Clang, clang, clang...!

Sasuke rapidly swung the Kusanagi Sword, knocking down the poisoned needles flying toward him!

His Sharingan saw everything clearly. They're all poisoned, just like the tail? A classic puppeteer's trick! This time, I haven't gained poison resistance from Orochimaru, so I absolutely cannot let them hit me...

Crackle! After blocking the first wave of poisoned needles with the Kusanagi Sword, Sasuke precisely channeled Lightning Release chakra into his shinbones and evaded at high speed!

Hiruko pursued swiftly, adjusting his firing angle, the poisoned needles dogging Sasuke's every move...!

Clang, clang, clang...!!

Sasuke swung his blade to parry as he moved, but the barrage was too dense and too fast. While still wielding his sword, he formed hand seals with his free hand, stopped abruptly, and stamped his right foot against the bridge deck!

—Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!

Boom...!

The moment Sasuke stamped his foot on Tenchi Bridge's broad deck, a thick earth wall rose, completely blocking Needle Eight Waves!

"Hm?!"

Inside Hiruko, Sasori's expression finally changed.

He realized Sasuke was nothing like what he had expected!

"Lightning Release, Fire Release, Wind Release... and now Earth Release. In this brief exchange, he's already used ninjutsu with four different nature transformations. His repertoire is this broad at his age? More remarkable still, his movements are extraordinarily agile, and his timing is perfect. Everything he does shows experience and composure far beyond his years. I see... Itachi's... little... brother..."

Behind the earth wall, Sasuke's thoughts raced. That puppet armor is incredibly tough. It can block ordinary ninjutsu without a scratch. I need a way to break it, but even burdened with that puppet, he's exceptionally agile, and it's packed with mechanisms. Catching him won't be easy. I'll use that technique...

Sasori attacked again.

Click!

Hiruko raised his left arm, spraying poisonous smoke from the launcher in his left hand. The smoke's thrust propelled a cylindrical weapon diagonally upward, leaving it hovering behind the earth wall, directly above Sasuke's head!!

—Hiruko: Prosthetic Arm Senbon!!

Shhk, shhk, shhk, shhk, shhk, shhk!!

The weapon fired countless cylinders in every direction. As each cylinder scattered, it released the poisoned needles packed inside. It took longer to describe than to happen: less than a second passed between the weapon's launch and the torrential downpour of needles!

Unlike Needle Eight Waves, which fired a linear attack forward and, though fast, still left room to dodge!

Prosthetic Arm Senbon spread from a single point to cover an entire area. The individual needles' trajectories were impossible to predict, making the attack impossible to evade!

This was the unique advantage of Prosthetic Arm Senbon's design over other puppet mechanisms. In theory, only a swiftly deployed defensive ninjutsu could block it, or Space-Time Ninjutsu could evade it!

Sasuke knew nothing about Sasori's abilities. How could he possibly anticipate such an ingenious secret hidden within his puppet's mechanisms?!

Click, click, click...!

In a single instant... the space behind the earth wall became a hell of needles!

Whoosh!

Hiruko leaped onto the earth wall and, just as expected, saw Sasuke lying motionless below, already turned into a "hedgehog."

Sasori sneered coldly. "Hmph. Even the Sharingan can't evade this puppet mechanism. When you reach hell, blame Orochimaru's recklessness for sending you in first..."

Poof!

Just then... the Sasuke lying on the ground suddenly turned into a cloud of white smoke!

"A clone?"

Indeed, against an opponent whose abilities were unknown, one might not be able to counter an attack once it began, but one could still prepare beforehand!

Bzzzt! As Sasori stared in surprise, a hidden technique formula appeared on the earth wall beneath Hiruko!

His expression changed sharply. "A triggered Water Prison Trap! He can even use Water Release this advanced...!"

Boom!

The next second... the earth wall collapsed with a crash. A hole appeared in the bridge deck, and river water surged up from below, forming a solid water prison that trapped Hiruko inside!

"He got me. That brat... anticipated that I'd jump onto the earth wall to confirm his death!"

Whoosh!

Sasuke sprang from his hiding place beneath the water onto the bridge. Lightning Release chakra gathered in his right palm, shrieking like a thousand birds as he lunged at full speed toward Hiruko, trapped in the water prison!

Red Sand Scorpion shouted, "Don't underestimate me! This water prison can restrain Hiruko, but it can't restrain me...!!"

—Secret Technique: Adhesion Unbinding!

Splash...!

A second before Sasuke reached him, the water prison burst apart...!!!

Hiruko retreated at high speed...!!

Sasori said, "Too bad. Your plan failed..."

But at that moment, Sasuke thrust out his left hand, which he had kept ready all along!

—Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!

Crack, crack, crack...!!!

"Get back here!!!"

Several thick, gnarled trees surged forward, overtaking Hiruko, binding him tightly, and dragging him back!

Sasori's expression twisted in shock. "Wood Release... You've got to be kidding me!?"

In haste, Sasori directed Hiruko's lethally poisoned tail stinger straight at Sasuke!!

But the Sharingan gave Sasuke the ability to evade danger even while charging at high speed!

As he dodged the tail stinger, Sasuke drove his right hand forward!!

—Chidori!!!

Crack...!!!

Lightning pierced Hiruko's chest armor...!

Whoosh! Almost simultaneously, a dark figure escaped through the panel that opened on Hiruko's back!

"..."

Crack! Sasuke pulled his right hand out of Hiruko. The trees extending from his left hand hurled the ruined puppet into the rushing river beneath Tenchi Bridge before retracting out of sight.

Watching the battle from the woods, Orochimaru smiled. "It seems they've both finished warming up..."

Kabuto Yakushi pushed up his glasses and said tensely, "Now the battle to the death begins..."

"Whew..."

Sasuke exhaled softly and looked toward the figure that had landed in the distance.

"I see it now. Orochimaru really did send you to kill me..."

Speaking in a soft, delicate voice completely unlike the one he had used inside Hiruko, the man pulled back the hood of his Akatsuki Robe, revealing short red hair and refined features.

Sasuke studied him. "So that's Red Sand Scorpion's true body? Not quite what I imagined..."

"That Lightning Release thrusting technique... the White Fang's... son... Kakashi Hatake taught it to you, didn't he...?"

A sinister killing intent threaded through Sasori's soft voice as he slowly took out a scroll.

"Then I'll send you on your way with my finest masterpiece..."

Snap!

The scroll unfurled, revealing the character for "three"!

He raised two fingers before his chest in a hand seal.

—Human Puppet: Third Kazekage!