As the Sand shinobis began to retreat in alarm, scattering from the impact zone—
From within the massive Rasengan, Veigar twisted his body mid-air, targeting the group of Sand Puppet Masters.
The colossal Rasengan came crashing down.
Boom—!
In an instant, countless trees were obliterated. The impact gouged a crater more than thirty meters wide into the earth.
Six Sand Puppet Masters—annihilated.
Not a single corpse remained intact.
As Veigar landed, Gamajay thudded to the ground beside him. Perched on its head, Shikatsu, Jun, and Nanaki stared wide-eyed at the destruction Veigar had caused behind them.
"Captain Veigar...!"
This was the second time that Veigar had stayed behind to cover their escape, giving them a shot at survival.
"We have to trust in Veigar-sama, he'll be alright."
Gamajay didn't pause for even a second. It leapt into the air again, carrying the trio away from danger.
Only after reaching a distance of five kilometers did the great toad finally stop. Turning its head, it addressed the three atop it:
"You need to keep moving, I'm going back to assist Veigar.-sama"
The three immediately jumped down from Gamajay's head, bowing in gratitude.
"Thank you, Gamajay."
"Thank you for saving us."
"We'll return with reinforcements. We promise."
Though Gamajay heard their words, it offered no reply. The moment they dismounted, the toad spun around and launched itself back toward where Veigar had landed.
Back in the massive crater, Veigar, having decimated six Sand Puppet Masters, was now heavily depleted of chakra. Yet in one swift motion, he leapt out from the pit.
Just as his head emerged above ground—
He was immediately attacked by the Sand forces.
At the front stood Tanjiro, a veteran Jōnin of Sunagakure, his face twisted in rage. Despite holding the advantage, their prey had managed to break free.
And worse, six of their elite Puppet Masters had been wiped out in one fell swoop.
As the commander of this unit, Tanjiro could not absolve himself of responsibility.
This wasn't just shame, it was failure. A strategic disaster.
"You'll die here!"
Unable to do anything but watch his subordinates perish, Tanjiro charged forward in fury, brandishing a kunai and slashing at Veigar.
Puppet Masters were the pride of Sunagakure—strategic assets nurtured with vast resources and innate talent.
In the Sungakure, they were considered living treasures.
But facing Tanjiro's wrath, Veigar's expression remained startlingly calm. He met the incoming blow with his short blade, cutting across the kunai's path.
Clang!
Sparks erupted like fireflies against the dark.
From the start, once Veigar had locked in his tactical plan, his first targets were the Puppet Masters.
He knew their strengths lay in mid- to long-range combat, and that up close, they were vulnerable. Worse, if they had time to support their allies, they could completely shift the battlefield dynamics.
In Veigar's mind, eliminating them first was the best way to reduce the threat he faced once surrounded.
Now, after the clash, both he and Tanjiro were knocked back several meters by the force of each other's strikes.
"Kid, who are you?"
"Konoha was hiding a prodigy like you?"
Tanjiro wasn't just any Jōnin—he was an elite, seasoned in blood and fire. Seeing such power in someone so young, his heart was in turmoil.
One could imagine what he was feeling.
All these years, had he lived in vain?
He had clawed his way to power through endless peril and hardship.
And yet Veigar?
Only nine years old.
"No matter the cost, you're not leaving here alive."
It wasn't just Tanjiro, it was Sunagakure, and even the other Hidden Villages. Veigar was a threat.
Not because of who he was now, but because of what he could become.
At nine years old, he already had the strength of a Jōnin.
What would he be in ten years?
Kage?
Or even beyond that?
If Konoha gained another Kage-level shinobi, the balance of power would tilt dangerously.
For the sake of himself, for Sunagakure, for both personal and political reasons, Tanjiro had made up his mind.
Veigar must die here.
Even before Tanjiro's words had fully faded, the other Sand shinobi had already surrounded Veigar on all sides.
Their faces were murderous.
"My name is Veigar. Veigar Koshima."
"If you think you can stop me, come try."
He stared unflinchingly at Tanjiro, eyes sharp, already surveying the circle of enemies for weak points.
Veigar knew brute force alone wouldn't cut it.
He had to find a flaw in their formation.
And in the meantime, buy time for his chakra to regenerate, even if just a little.
"Kill him!"
Suddenly, five Chūnin-level Sand shinobi charged forward, their kunai gleaming with killing intent.
Clang.
Clang. Clang!
Veigar took a deep breath.
Then he plunged into battle, short blade flashing as he met all five simultaneously.
At that moment, he pushed himself to one hundred percent, navigating the chaos of multiple attacks, striking back only when he found a fatal opening.
This... this was why his decision to take out the Puppet Masters first had been so wise.
If he were fighting puppets instead of people, things would be much worse.
Because puppets don't feel pain, don't protect vital points—they attack without fear, without restraint.
Unless the puppet master is taken out, the puppet will not stop.
As the battle raged on, Veigar suddenly heard a voice.
"Veigar-sama!"
It was Gamajay.
Water Release: Iron Bullet Barrage!
Leaping high into the air, Gamajay opened its mouth and fired a barrage of powerful water bullets toward the Sand shinobi.
"Now's my chance."
Rasengan: Revolving Heaven.
Veigar sheathed his short blade in a flash.
A new Rasengan surged to life in his hand just as the enemy's attacks landed upon it.
Ittō-ryū: Iai Slash.
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