It wasn't strange for Hidezawa to have such a thought, because the size of the Earth Stone Dragon before him was absurdly massive.
'Nearly fifty meters long… this is almost comparable to some Tailed Beasts, or even the lower stages of Susanoo.'
He recalled how the height and strength of Susanoo varied with the evolution of the Sharingan. In the early stages, Susanoo was barely more than a towering humanoid avatar, a dozen meters tall at best. And Wood-style—well, that was in a league of its own in Hashirama's hand. Otherwise, Senju Hashirama wouldn't have been able to bring down Uchiha Madara with his Wood-style alone.
"What—what is this?!"
The Sunagakure ninjas who had intended to surround Hidezawa now froze in their tracks. Their lips trembled as fear overtook them.
"Such a huge mass… is this Earth-style?"
Since when had Earth-style became this terrifying?
"Damn it!"
Pakura's face twisted into a grimace. Her squad had just managed to finish dealing with a unit of Kirigakure shinobi. They were battered, exhausted, and then—more enemies appeared without giving them so much as a moment to breathe. And these ones were far worse.
That masked shinobi who moved at impossible speed was already more than enough of a headache; even she might lose to him if she wasn't careful. But the one in the distance, who had just summoned an Earth Dragon of such ridiculous proportions? He was an even bigger problem.
"Who the hell are you people?!" Pakura gritted out, her eyes narrowing. "Iwagakure? Or Konoha? Or perhaps…"
'As expected, they never believed us!'
Shisui nearly laughed in disbelief when he heard her words. He had initially felt some guilt about ambushing supposed allies. Yes, this ally had done questionable things, but he was still hesitant about carrying out such orders. Now, though? That guilt evaporated. If they didn't even trust him, then there was no reason to hesitate. Capture them first, explanations later.
Besides, Hidezawa's outrageous display of strength had taken him aback. Then again, he thought, it wasn't so surprising. This was the same man who had gone toe-to-toe with Orochimaru and walked away alive.
Yugao, engaged in her own battle not far away, was thinking the same thing. In Konoha, Orochimaru was a living legend. If Hidezawa had managed to "fight" and "escape" from him, then his abilities being this over the top wasn't exactly unbelievable.
"Don't be fooled! Stand your ground!"
The Sunagakure shinobi facing the Earth Dragon were trembling, but they weren't about to roll over and die. This was their homeland, the Land of Wind. If they could stall long enough, reinforcements would arrive. Survival was possible if they endured.
"Still trying to resist?" Hidezawa's voice was calm, almost amused.
They didn't answer. Instead, they spread out, encircling him, hand seals flashing and kunai with explosive tags flying into their hands. They weren't going down without a fight.
"In that case…"
Hidezawa gave a mental command. The Earth Dragon beneath him let out a thunderous roar and then lunged toward a Sunagakure shinobi.
"Damn it! Wind Style ∙ Wind Blade!"
The shinobi targeted by the dragon tried to counter, but the Earth Dragon's massive body gave him no chance.
*BOOM—!*
The dragon slammed into him with devastating force. The ground shook violently, and when the dust cleared, not even a corpse remained. The Sunagakure shinobi had been obliterated.
"Impressive impact force. Excellent destructive power. Its size alone makes it overwhelming."
Even as he assessed the results with a strategist's eye, Hidezawa noted the flaws.
"But the drawbacks are obvious: enormous chakra consumption, poor durability, and no self-replenishment."
That single strike had destroyed both the enemy and the dragon itself. Compared to the Wood Dragon, which could absorb chakra and mend itself, his creation was fragile.
Still, he wasn't discouraged. "So, the Sage Art amplification with Yin-style has its limits. Noted. But this isn't the only technique I can apply it to. Plenty more to test."
His musings were cut short by incoming attacks.
"Die!"
From every direction, Wind-style techniques and volleys of kunai with explosive tags filled the air.
Hidezawa calmly raised his hand.
"Earth Style ∙ Multiple Mud Wall."
*Rumble—!*
Walls of earth shot up around him, encasing him in a fortress just as the attacks struck.
*BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—!*
The explosions pounded against the walls, cracks splintering across the stone, but the defenses held firm. Enhanced by the Cursed Seal, his Mud Walls were leagues tougher than usual.
He even had the spare thought to smirk. "I wonder if I should carve some portraits into this wall, like Kakashi-senpai did once…"
The barrage finally ceased, leaving only smoke and settling dust.
"But enough playing around. Let's end this."
He clasped his hands together. Outside the earthen walls, the shattered remains of the Earth Dragon twitched—then began to move.
*ROOOOAR—!*
The Sunagakure shinobi went pale.
"What?!"
"The Earth Dragon is moving again?!"
"Impossible!"
Their fear was almost tangible.
"And now…"
The voice came from above. They jerked their heads up and saw Hidezawa standing casually atop the high wall, looking down at them with infuriating ease.
"Sayonara~" he drawled mockingly.
Under his control, the Earth Dragon reformed just enough to lunge into the air, before crashing down like a meteor toward the terrified shinobi.
*BOOOOOM—!*
The ground convulsed violently. A massive crater opened, swallowing sand and bodies alike.
…
By the time reinforcements from Sunagakure finally arrived, the battlefield was unrecognizable. Vast craters marred the desert, the sand still trembling faintly from the recent impacts. The stench of destruction hung in the air.
The shinobi stared in shock. "What kind of battle took place here…?"
None of them had an answer. Only fear clouded their expressions.
"Who fought here?" one whispered, almost afraid of the answer.
"Yes. I'd like to know as well."
A new voice rang out behind them. Instantly, they spun into defensive formation.
A young man with short crimson hair and a black cloak patterned with red clouds stood before them. His face was calm, indifferent.
"You—who are you?!" one demanded, though his voice trembled.
The young man tilted his head, unfazed by their hostility. "It seems you've forgotten me. That's fine. I didn't come here for you. I only returned to retrieve some of my things."
He paused, then added almost casually:
"Oh, and my name is Sasori. You guys once called me Sasori of the Red Sand."
Every Sunagakure shinobi froze.
"!!!"
*****
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