"Do you think we've got a shot at winning?" Hiashi Hyuga suddenly asked Mizuki, just as everyone braced for the coming fight for their lives.
"Eh?" Still not fully recovered, Mizuki had been quietly setting up some barriers and traps—doubtful they'd make much difference under the influence of Red Sand of the Desert's Iron Sand Body technique. It wasn't much, but it was something. Completely focused on his tactical preparations, Mizuki never expected Hiashi to ask him such a question at a time like this.
"Not by much..." Mizuki answered carefully. Dealing with someone like Hiashi meant staying sharp—it always paid off.
The [Hundred Puppet Army] was undeniably powerful. Though many experts scoffed at raw numbers, unless one possessed strength strong enough to render them meaningless, it remained an impossible challenge. Worse still, most of Red Sand of the Desert's puppets were deadly human puppets.
"Your tactical ability is truly impressive. Without you, we wouldn't have lasted this long..." Every battle-hardened ninja was no fool, especially an influential figure like the head of the Hyuga clan. "Got anything else up your sleeve?"
"No way out now," Mizuki shook his head. "Our hidden cards have all been revealed. I'm sure the enemy has reached their limit too. It'll come down to who can hold on longer in the end."
Hiashi gave a noncommittal nod, seemingly accepting Mizuki's explanation. Although Deidara and Red Sand of the Desert were formidable, they still fell within the realm of ninjas and Ninjutsu. Even the Nuclear Core pushed physical limits, but ultimately belonged to the traditional puppet master lineage—nothing beyond conventional understanding.
In contrast, that massive technique earlier—the [Planetary Devastation]—with its unimaginable power and enormous impact, could simply not be ignored. The horrifying spectacle was rarely seen even in the oldest myths.
"Do you still have the chakra to pull off something like [Planetary Devastation] again?" Despite trying not to sound overly interested, Hiashi couldn't help asking.
"No chance. How often do you see something like that?" Obviously fishing for information about the Rinnegan, but even if he wanted to use it now, it wouldn't work—the enemy wouldn't fall into the same trap twice. Moreover, whoever used it first might end up crushed into dust by the Rinnegan itself. While Deidara and Red Sand of the Desert had survived the [Planetary Devastation], his own side definitely didn't have that kind of resilience. The Rinnegan's power was just too overwhelming—anyone caught in its effects would likely die instantly.
Hearing Mizuki's response, Hiashi felt somewhat disappointed. He couldn't tell exactly what Mizuki had used, but if there were another technique with such devastating power, their side would feel much safer, and their enemies more cautious. At the same time, Hiashi privately wanted confirmation—was it really the legendary Rinnegan he'd seen?
There was no time left for further preparation. Before long, a giant white bird rapidly approached, circling above not far away, carefully watching Konoha's group of six while searching for potential weaknesses.
"What should we do? The puppet master's attack range is also quite long..." Out of the six of them, Kurenai Yuhi was probably holding up the best. She'd taken almost no damage and hadn't burned through nearly as much stamina as the others. Even Temari, who'd already burned through a ton of chakra with her big jutsu, was in worse shape than Kurenai.
Kurenai's question left everyone uneasy. It was pointless to try ranged attacks or throwing weapons—there was no way senbon, kunai, or shuriken could actually hurt someone like Red Sand of the Desert. As for large-scale long-range offensive techniques, aside from whether anyone could even use them, did they have enough chakra left to cast those jutsu now? If they were gonna pull off anything powerful now, it'd have to come from a tailed beast—like that compressed air bullet. Depending on Gaara in his current state to capture Red Sand of the Desert and Deidara riding high above on a giant bird was extremely unrealistic. And as for Temari's Wind Release techniques, while their power might barely be enough now, it was unclear whether she had enough chakra to use them again.
"There's no choice now. Though the puppet master can extend his chakra threads far away, if he truly attempts that, he will surely suffer a terrible fate." Although clearly concerned, Hiashi Hyuga didn't seem overly troubled by Kurenai's question. The longer the puppet master extended his chakra threads, the easier it became for Hiashi to strike. Without control, the puppets themselves were completely useless.
"The current situation is indeed much better than before. At the very least, there's still a chance to fight back," Mizuki jumped in. Not long ago, that overwhelming wave of puppets had nearly crushed them with despair.
"Can we help in any way?" Both Temari and Gaara were now unfit for front-line combat. Their stamina was nearly depleted, and their chakra levels were precarious. Particularly Gaara—if this continued, the One-Tail Shukaku would grow restless again. If later enemies not only included Red Sand of the Desert but also a tailed beast, they would all certainly be doomed.
"Just focus on protecting yourselves..." Hiashi knew well that these two Suna shinobi could no longer be relied upon for now. Ko Hyuga still had a bit of stamina left, while Mizuki, having escaped all this time, began benefiting gradually from the life-saving pills' effects combined with recent medical ninjutsu treatment. He was just worn out—nothing life-threatening anymore. His body had been drained severely, though.
"I wonder if this time there'll be an outbreak of side effects. If I crash like last time in the Land of Waves, there'll be no one left to drag me out..."
Last time, he'd been safely backed by his team, victory already in hand. This time, everyone was barely managing to survive. Maybe they'd all die here. And when that happened, who'd even bother checking if someone was still breathing on the ground?
"Are the others just supposed to keep throwing shuriken and kunai at birds like that?" Leaving aside whether hurling kunai at a puppet would have any effect, Mizuki doubted such attacks would do anything considering how agile those birds were in the air. Even attaching explosive tags wouldn't matter much since they weren't actually living creatures vulnerable to minor injuries.
Even if Mizuki tried pulling that Chakra Thread ambush stunt again, it wouldn't work this time. Both Deidara and Red Sand of the Desert had already fallen for it once—they weren't falling for it again. That kind of sneaky trick might work once by catching someone off guard, but after being exposed, trying such minor techniques in front of a Puppet Master like Red Sand was nothing more than showing off in front of an expert.
Nobody had an answer for Mizuki's question. Right now, their only shot at offense was Hiashi Hyuga's Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm. But with its obvious wind-up and sluggish speed, the chances of actually hitting anything were practically zero. They needed another plan.
But before they could come up with one, the enemy's Red Sand of the Desert struck first. In the distant sky, a puppet was deployed, and the moment those below saw its all-too-familiar features, shock rippled through them.
"How is this even possible?" Temari gasped, her face going pale at the sight of the Third Kazekage's Human Puppet. Even Gaara, who rarely showed any emotion, couldn't hide his surprise.
Unfamiliar with what was happening, Hyuga Ko'ya asked warily, "What's the big deal? What's with that puppet…?"
"It's not about right or wrong," she replied. "That's the Human Puppet of the Third Kazekage."
"A Human Puppet?" As a member of the Hyuga clan, Ko'ya had seen a lot in his life. After all, the Third Kazekage vanished over a decade ago—no one would've linked a puppet to someone who'd been missing that long.
"Indeed," Hiashi Hyuga confirmed with a nod. "It really looks just like the old Third Kazekage... Does this Human Puppet have any special abilities—this thing you called a 'Human Puppet'?"
Still reeling from shock, Temari kept staring at the airborne puppet as she answered, "A Human Puppet is a forbidden Puppet Technique created by Red Sand of the Desert. It's made from a living human body, capable of retaining their chakra, ninjutsu skills, and even kekkei genkai—all while turning a living person into a puppet. This technique is nothing short of legendary—a taboo among puppets."
"You're saying that body is transformed from a real person?" Hiashi asked, astonished. "And you're certain you said kekkei genkai?"
"Yes," Temari replied bitterly. "The Third Kazekage, once hailed as the strongest Kazekage, disappeared without a trace. No one ever suspected he'd been turned into a puppet."
"Truly amazing puppetry," Mizuki added sincerely, envy creeping into his voice at Sasori's talent. Compared to his own frustrating attempts that just churned out half-baked jutsu riddled with side effects, Red Sand's skill was clearly leagues beyond his reach. The ability to copy kekkei genkai—those rare bloodline limits—so easily and without any drawbacks was seriously impressive. "Can't believe one Puppet Master changed the whole ninja world's power game. No wonder the Third Great Ninja War broke out over the disappearance of the Third Kazekage."
Had it not been for that global-scale war, no one could say how Obito Uchiha's plans might've unfolded. The entire world's destiny might've gone down a totally different path.
"Kekkei Genkai…" Hiashi stared at the puppet's face, so similar to the image of the Third Kazekage imprinted in his memory. A firm decision formed within him.
No matter what, I absolutely cannot die here. The Byakugan must not fall into enemy hands—otherwise, I'll become a traitor to my clan...
If Red Sand of the Desert had to pick among the six people present, Hiashi Hyuga was the prime target. Especially his Kekkei Genkai—the Byakugan, a legendary dojutsu rivaling the Sharingan, was tempting beyond measure. And as the head of the Hyuga clan, he didn't carry the Caged Bird seal. That meant if Hiashi died here, nothing would stand in the way of Red Sand claiming the Byakugan through human puppetry.
But this frustrating state of having the will yet lacking the power was truly maddening. Though battle was about to erupt at any moment, everyone understood—they were standing at the very moment that would decide life or death.
Red Sand of the Desert, with immense combat experience, did not immediately engage in close-quarters combat using the Third Kazekage's human puppet. If circumstances like this allowed the Konoha ninja to seize an opportunity—should Hiashi sever the chakra threads and destroy the Third Kazekage's puppet—it would be a serious loss. Capturing tailed beasts wasn't important to Red Sand. But human puppets like the Third Kazekage's body were incredibly rare and hard to come by.
So basic traps and hidden mechanisms like full-body blades became meaningless. What Red Sand first employed was the Senju Art: Kamaitachi. As the spell talismans on the puppet's arms flared brightly, countless steel limbs surged forth, crashing down rapidly on the group below. Amidst the storm of metal limbs, only Mizuki—who moved the fastest, knew the most about Red Sand's tactics, and fully understood his fighting style—managed to dodge just in time. Others weren't so fortunate; barely dodging vital areas was already considered extraordinary under the circumstances. Among them, Gaara bore the brunt of the attack—he was the slowest to react and got slashed multiple times directly. Besides Gaara, others also sustained minor injuries, though none hit any vital areas.
However, the actual damage caused by Red Sand's Senju Art didn't come from the steel limbs themselves, but rather the massive amount of poison mist they released. As the toxic gas mechanism activated, thick clouds of poisonous smoke engulfed the five individuals before they had any chance to react.
Mizuki, having exhausted nearly all of his techniques, could now only watch helplessly as the rest faced danger without the ability to assist. Some ninjutsu simply left you powerless—you couldn't always counter every technique you faced. Simple ones that stood the test of time and continued spreading were often the most headache-inducing. And Red Sand alone embodied two of these—flooding the battlefield with endless enemies and poisoning the air itself.
As Mizuki watched helplessly while the five struggled within the toxic fumes, he could only throw ninja tools around to create interference, delaying Scorpion from advancing further for just a bit longer.
[Rotation] technique... Just when Mizuki felt his heart sinking deeper, finally a violent whirlwind of chakra erupted, shattering many limbs binding the group. The powerful force generated by Rotation even slightly dissipated the thick layers of poisonous fog.
As Hiashi Hyuga pushed forward with force, Kurenai Yuhi seized the chance to break through first. Then Hiashi Hyuga pulled Hyuga Nagare out of the poison mist, with Temari rushing out last while carrying Gaara, who looked in terrible shape.
"Quick, use the life-saving pills!" Mizuki deeply feared the immense power of this toxin. Even Sakura Haruno, whose Medical Ninjutsu had matured significantly after three years of training, still found [Red Sand of the Desert]'s poison extremely difficult to handle. Using Mizuki's Omnipotence life-saving pills as an antidote—just how effective they would be was still unknown, and then there were the terrible side effects to consider. But using too much could be disastrous—it was definitely not an option.
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