A flicker of astonishment crossed Sasori's eyes as he watched vines burst from the ground ahead, binding his puppets.
Several years ago, he had encountered the squad these two belonged to. Back then, they had struggled even against ordinary jonin-level puppets, and his Kazekage Puppet had driven them to the brink.
If Shisui Uchiha had activated Susanoo, he certainly could have turned these two into puppets and avenged his dead parents.
But now, he could no longer fully suppress the pair.
Partly, this was because Kakashi and Yamato had grown stronger. But having used the Puppet Technique to modify his own body, he could only improve his strength by upgrading his puppets.
And since managing to kill the Third Kazekage through a stroke of luck, he had never had another opportunity to acquire a better puppet.
As they grew stronger and he stagnated, he had become "weaker" by comparison. This might be his last chance for revenge.
With that thought, Sasori took out the scroll on his back and summoned another batch of uniquely shaped puppets. Each was hideous and radiated a powerful presence.
These were all human puppets. In life, they had been Hiruko's test subjects, killed by modifications their bodies could not withstand. Turning them into puppets was, at least, a way to salvage the failures.
Under his control, dozens of dark figures hovered in midair, then charged toward Kakashi together.
With so many puppets, even Sasori could not control them precisely. He could only resort to a crude bombardment of projectiles.
Senbon, kunai, and explosive tags whistled down like rain.
The violent explosions briefly turned the night sky into day.
Flames climbed the trees, sending sparks crackling through the air. The incomplete combustion filled the desert with thick smoke.
"Cough, cough..."
Choking on the smoke, Yamato opened