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The battle raged below, a true masterclass in puppet technique. Neji observed from above, eyes gleaming behind his mask. This was art in motion not just combat, but precision, craftsmanship, and lethal intent.
Every puppeteer had their own quirks, their own methods. Neji respected that. People who devoted themselves to a single craft, especially those who had nothing else left, always carved out a unique brilliance.
The Third Kazekage's Magnet Release was fascinating. But for some reason, Neji couldn't help but think… Just how fast could this iron sand be processed into refined metal? Could be useful in infrastructure projects…
He shook his head.
Too many memories from the last life. Still thinking like a city builder instead of a shinobi.
Down below, Chiyo had begun to falter. Sakura stepped forward, volunteering to be controlled directly.
She wasn't experienced enough to keep up alone not yet. But she had power.
With Chiyo guiding her and her monstrous strength surging through each punch, every strike was a controlled demolition. The entire cave shook, and cracks spread across the ceiling.
Neji stood.
The place wouldn't hold much longer.
In the distance, Kakashi and Naruto were already chasing Deidara. From this height, Neji could see the chakra coalescing in Kakashi's eye.
So… he's about to use the Mangekyō.
Guess he's getting ready to send more garbage to Obito.
Boom!
The cavern collapsed behind him just as Neji left.
Sakura's last punch had been too much. Even Sasori was momentarily stunned.
This girl… has some serious power.
But even so, Sasori wasn't done. He raised both hands.
"Iron Sand World Method!"
Barbed tendrils of iron shot out in all directions, filling the space with deadly spikes. There was nowhere to run.
Chiyo's heart sank. She tried pulling Sakura out with chakra strings too slow.
The thorns consumed the area.
"Sakura!!"
The technique came and went in seconds. The smoke cleared. A lone figure stood bloodied, battered, wobbling.
Chiyo gasped. "Are you… alright?"
Sakura coughed hard, barely staying on her feet.
Sasori smirked. "Told you. It's more than just spikes."
Poison. Always poison.
Chiyo's heart sank. A scratch would be enough. And from the way Sakura staggered…
She collapsed.
It should've been the end.
"I could've let her linger… maybe three days before the paralysis set in," Sasori mused. "But I prefer clean kills."
The Third Kazekage puppet lunged forward, blade unsheathing.
But then—
CRASH!
One punch. That's all it took.
The puppet shattered.
Sasori froze. So did Chiyo.
The Iron Sand technique failed. With the Kazekage puppet gone, the control medium vanished. Iron dust crumbled like rusted flakes.
Sakura stumbled back to Chiyo and pulled out a vial from her medical pouch.
"This is the last dose," she whispered. "When I treated Kankurō, I had enough ingredients left for three. I used one then, one just now… this is the last."
She injected it without hesitation.
"For the next three minutes, my body will convert all biological toxins into harmless proteins."
Chiyo stared at her in awe.
"You made that? By yourself?"
"I trained under Lady Tsunade," Sakura said, panting. "But I still can't compare to Neji."
Now that, Neji thought from above, is a good student.
Sasori, however, was stunned.
No one should've been able to develop a counteragent so quickly. He knew that formula intimately. Even he needed reference notes to synthesize it.
There was only one explanation.
Someone had access to his old materials someone using his original puppets.
His expression darkened.
"…You're good. I'll give you that. Smashing the Kazekage like that… impressive."
He slid the Akatsuki cloak from his body.
"This ends now."
What was revealed made both Sakura and Chiyo flinch.
Sasori's body was a puppet.
No longer human. No blood, no flesh. Every inch of him was a killing machine.
"That's… a human puppet…" Sakura whispered, horrified.
Chiyo closed her eyes. "So he really did it."
He had transformed himself into his ultimate creation. His finest puppet… was himself.
The fight resumed.
But Neji no longer felt the need to intervene yet. Sakura had proven herself. This wasn't the girl from two years ago.
Still… the moment Sasori's body reassembled from scattered parts, Chiyo opened a hidden scroll.
"I sealed this technique long ago," she muttered. "I never thought I'd need it again."
She released the lock.
Ten puppets materialized around her in a burst of smoke each legendary.
"White Secret Technique: The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets."
Sasori's eyes narrowed.
"Well well… it's been a while since I've seen those."
He stepped back, smile widening.
"They say a puppet master's strength is measured by how many puppets they can control."
"Chiyo… this was your masterpiece. You took a fortress by yourself with this."
He opened his chest cavity and unfurled a scroll.
"You brought ten…"
"Let me show you what I've got."
A swarm of puppets over a hundred erupted from the scroll.
"Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets."
Neji narrowed his eyes.
Sakura dropped back beside Chiyo.
"This is bad," she whispered.
Chiyo's face was grim. "He's surpassed all expectations."
"Then let's end this now," she muttered.
But before the two sides could clash again…
A voice echoed from above.
"...Mind if I join?"
All eyes turned upward.
At the cave's edge stood a figure in a black cloak, wind rippling around him. A sleek black fedora rested atop his head, casting a shadow over his face. A white mask covered his features save for a single marking carved on the left cheek.
Neji had arrived.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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