"Clang!"
The iron staff struck with a deafening crash, only to rebound off Fudō's unmoving head.
The immense recoil left Akimichi Shitō's arms numb.
"Impossible… how is his head completely unharmed?"
Shimon, who had just broken free from his restraints and was about to join his teammates in the attack, froze at the horrifying sight.
Still, he braced himself and swung his kunai at the opponent. As expected, when the blade struck Fudō, the sound was once again that of metal clashing against stone.
"So many rats scurrying around!"
Though the successive attacks hadn't injured Fudō in the slightest, they had stoked his fury.
At that moment, Takeshi, who had been hiding in a safe position while observing the enemy's movements, drew the White Fang Blade—its blade wreathed in both fire and lightning—and slashed fiercely at Fudō's back.
"Ahhh!!!"
A shrill scream tore from Fudō's mouth. The once-impenetrable body was ripped apart by the White Fang Blade, a massive wound opening across his back. The acrid stench of charred flesh lingered in the air.
"Damn it… a Lightning Release shinobi?!"
Realizing his defensive ninjutsu had been countered, Fudō staggered a few steps back. Forming hand seals, he transformed the terrain around him into a forest of jagged spikes:
"Earth Release · Rock Spear Prison!"
But Takeshi had already begun retreating the moment Fudō started weaving seals. By the time the sharp earth spears erupted from the ground, Takeshi had reached a safe position.
Shimon wasn't so fortunate. Unable to react in time, his calf was impaled by one of the rock spikes, leaving him trapped in the deadly formation.
Fortunately, Fudō himself was gravely injured. Now lacking the strength to finish his prey, he took advantage of the squad's retreat from his attack range to perform the Earth technique, slipping past the towering rock wall in an attempt to regroup with Sasori.
"Wind Release · Wind Cutter!"
Takeshi unleashed a slicing gale, shearing off the spikes pinning Shimon before rushing to his side to check his condition.
"Hold still—I need to pull it out."
With the enemy's whereabouts unknown, there wasn't much time.
Takeshi wrenched the spike from Shimon's leg. Before Shimon's scream could fully escape, Takeshi's hands glowed green as he used medical ninjutsu to staunch the bleeding.
Under the emerald light, the torn flesh knit together, sealing the gaping wound.
"Such powerful Earth Release… his strength is clearly on the level of a jōnin."
Standing guard beside Takeshi, Akimichi Shitō eyed the towering stone wall warily, reassessing Fudō's power.
"The enemy possesses a technique that hardens his body and can also cast large-scale Earth Release. We need to tread carefully."
Takeshi shared what he had observed with his team.
"This Earth Release nature transformation can be countered with Lightning Release."
"But aside from you, Captain, none of us have mastered the Lightning element."
Shitō's expression grew troubled. Against such impenetrable defense, his taijutsu-based attacks were nearly useless.
"Watch out! The enemy has reappeared—and he's brought another chakra user with him!"
Before Shitō could think further, they sensed a new chakra signature approaching.
With a thunderous rumble, the rock wall isolating the Kanroji estate from the outside world crumbled. Fudō's battered figure emerged into view.
But more than Fudō, everyone's eyes fell upon the shinobi standing beside him.
The one hidden within Hiruko—Sasori.
"Do Konoha shinobi all enjoy meddling this much?"
Sasori's hoarse voice cut through the air as his gaze swept across the four before him.
"Careful—that's the puppet master who attacked Konoha alongside the Uchiha!"
Shimon recognized him instantly.
After the battle with Sasori, Sakumo had given the Intelligence Division a detailed description of Hiruko's appearance, which they used to create a sketch. Thanks to that, Shimon was able to identify Sasori so quickly.
The moment Sasori heard Shimon's voice, Hiruko's head snapped toward him.
The mouth beneath the mask suddenly opened wide—and without warning, several poisoned needles shot out, straight toward Shimon.
Takeshi reacted instantly, swinging his blade to deflect the projectiles.
"Sharp reflexes. You must be the jōnin leading this squad. Surprisingly young."
Sasori's words rasped out even as he manipulated Hiruko's tail, striking at Shimon once again.
"Not on my watch!"
Sheathing the White Fang Blade, Takeshi began weaving seals:
"Water Release · Great Exploding Water Wave!"
A torrent of water gushed from his mouth, surging forward like a tidal wave to engulf Sasori and Fudō, halting Hiruko's tail strike.
The moment Takeshi saw Hiruko's distinctive form, he recognized Sasori. Knowing Sasori's mastery of hidden weapons, Takeshi abandoned close-quarters combat and instead unleashed a wide-range ninjutsu barrage.
"Ice Release · Descent of the Snow Maiden."
As the water spread, Takeshi seamlessly transitioned into Ice Release. A frigid chill swept through the air, freezing the surface beneath their feet.
Sasori and Fudō, only just regaining their footing, felt their bodies stiffen under the sudden cold.
For Sasori, it was even worse. The ice had seeped into Hiruko's joints, drastically reducing its mobility. Several mechanisms failed to function, and with Hiruko already damaged by Sakumo in the past, it was clearly unfit for further battle.
So this little one… the White Reaper?
As Takeshi's Ice Release spread, Sasori realized who he was up against.
And in that moment, desire surged within him. He yearned to claim the boy's body, to make him into one of his works, and once again exact vengeance upon Hatake Sakumo.
...
Seeing Hiruko's carapace coated in a thin sheet of ice, Takeshi finally moved in for close combat.
"Earth Release · Earth Flow Wall!"
Shaking off the ice from his body, Fudō gritted his teeth and raised a massive wall of stone.
But against the White Fang Blade, it was useless. Takeshi's blade cleaved through it as easily as tofu. In the next instant, he stood before Hiruko.
With one clean stroke, Hiruko was cut in half. Sparks of fire and lightning exploded, setting the puppet's shell ablaze.
Not giving Fudō time to form more seals, Takeshi encased his arm in crystalline ice and sent Fudō flying with a single punch.
At the same time, he noticed something crucial—Sasori's body was no longer inside Hiruko. The enemy had slipped out when Fudō used his Earth Release.
"Magnet Release · Iron Sand World Method!"
As expected, black iron sand filled the battlefield, manipulated by Sasori through the Third Kazekage's puppet.
Massive clumps of iron sand clashed together, their repulsive magnetic fields shaping them into deadly spikes that rained down relentlessly.
The puppet of the Third Kazekage extended its left arm, transforming into a spinning saw blade that carved toward Takeshi.
"Everyone, get back! The iron sand is laced with poison!"
Takeshi urgently warned his squad as he directed the ice crystals on the ground to counter the Iron Sand World Method.
"Ice Release · Great Ice Circle!"
Cold clashed with iron. In the first exchange, the sheer density of the iron sand shattered the ice.
Sasori's lips curled into a faint smile.
It seemed the battle was already decided.