In terms of strength, Sasori was without doubt at the Kage level. On top of that, he excelled at the Red Secret Technique, which allowed him to control multiple puppets at once—making him far stronger than any ordinary puppeteer.
So even though his most reliable puppet had been destroyed, no one could afford to underestimate Sasori without his tools. At any second, he could open the mechanisms hidden in his arms and unleash weapons he had already built into his own body.
After all, Sasori had gone as far as hollowing himself out, turning his own body into a puppet. Just how many hidden weapons and attacks he had was a mystery—one only Sasori himself truly knew.
And besides, even Hiruko was a puppet. It had been designed precisely because puppeteers were most vulnerable to close combat. Hiruko wasn't just for defense; it had countermeasures as well. Just moments ago, Sasori had nearly been caught off guard by the Ino–Shika–Chō formation, but Hiruko's hidden mechanisms suddenly opened, spewing out a blazing dragon of flame. From that alone, it was clear that Sasori had more trump cards in reserve.
That sudden burst of fire was so powerful that even solid rock melted into molten liquid within moments. The group hurriedly pulled back, widening the distance to a safer range.
Nara Shikaku frowned, deep in thought.
"That attack is strange. It doesn't feel like a standard ninjutsu, nor like a pre-prepared scroll. It looks more like a mechanism installed inside the puppet itself."
That was the brilliance of the Nara clan—their insight was razor sharp. Without even dissecting Sasori's puppets, Shikaku could already deduce that the attack wasn't ninjutsu or a stored technique, but rather a weaponized mechanism.
The others were startled, finding it hard to believe. Akimichi Chōza scratched his head and asked, puzzled:
"Mechanisms inside the puppet? Then… could it be that his real body has been hidden away all this time, and the figure we're fighting is just a puppet?"
Yamanaka Inoichi shook his head firmly.
"No—that's impossible. I can see the chakra threads. And during the fight, every time that guy's fingers moved, the puppet reacted accordingly. That means this is his true body.
"As for those weapons, I'd say they're external mechanisms—something like what Sunagakure's puppet masters sometimes carry for emergencies. I've heard of cases where they equip wearable mechanisms in case their bodies are attacked."
Shikaku's eyes narrowed.
"That matches with something I once heard. Back when my father fought alongside Orochimaru during the war against Sunagakure, he faced off against Elder Chiyo. She had lost a wrist to my father's blade. But afterward, that wrist was replaced with a detachable mechanism, loaded with hidden weapons. It made her extremely troublesome to deal with."
He paused, then added gravely:
"If that's the case, then we can still handle it. But what worries me… is whether Aoyama will join the fight. Don't forget, his strength is at least on par with any of us. One-on-one, none of us would likely be his match. If he decides to intervene, the situation could quickly turn against us."
The others exchanged uneasy glances, all casting a wary look at Aoyama. Each was already thinking about how they might adjust their strategy if he stepped in.
On Sasori's side, impatience gnawed at him. He wanted to press the attack, but with most of his puppets destroyed beyond use, his options were limited. To be forced to reveal his trump cards this early—it was a humiliation for any puppeteer.
After a moment of consideration, Sasori raised his gaze to Aoyama and spoke seriously:
"Help me hold off one of them. I can take care of the rest."
Five opponents—if Aoyama blocked one, that left only four for Sasori to deal with.
His tone was as proud and aloof as ever, but his words were nonetheless a request.
Aoyama didn't refuse. Instead, he pointed lazily in a direction—his finger landing squarely on Hatake Kakashi. With a smirk, he said:
"Then I'll take Kakashi. We've always had a bit of history. And if you can't manage the others, I could block two for you instead."
Sasori didn't doubt him. He remembered too well the mission with Kakuzu, when they had once tried to test Aoyama's strength. It had ended in a disastrous defeat.
Both he and Kakuzu had been crushed by Aoyama's summoned beasts. Even unleashing the Red Secret Technique hadn't changed the outcome. They'd been beaten soundly, left questioning if Aoyama had refrained from killing them purely out of disinterest.
For Sasori, it had been a chilling realization: those summoning beasts were terrifying. He had met many strong shinobi and seen many summons in his lifetime, but few—if any—could compare with Aoyama's.
Suppressing those memories, Sasori pulled out a scroll and, with a flick, drew back the broken fragments of the Third Kazekage puppet using chakra threads.
"No need. I can manage. Just keep one occupied for me."
Aoyama gave him a look, then shook his head.
"Forget it. Might as well do it properly. I'll block a few more for you, at least until you get your puppet repaired. Otherwise, what will you fight with?"
Sasori hesitated for a beat, then gave a curt nod.
"…Then I'll trouble you."
"Summoning Jutsu!"
"Not good! Aoyama is joining in!"
"Thankfully, we destroyed Sasori's puppets earlier. Otherwise, with the two of them together, this would've been a nightmare."
"Even now, it won't be easy. Look at that summon—Kongō. He's holding… an axe? I think he's gotten stronger!"
At Kakashi's warning, the group turned and stared in shock. Sure enough, the giant ape, Kongō, was gripping a massive, strange axe in one hand.
Its eyes glowed with feral light as it let out a thunderous roar, pounding its chest with the axe-hand before fixing its gaze—exactly where Aoyama was pointing: on Kakashi and his Sharingan.
Without hesitation, Kongō charged forward.
Kakashi glanced around, only to see Might Guy and the Ino–Shika–Chō trio tactfully retreating, leaving him the perfect "dueling ground." He cursed them silently but had no choice but to face the oncoming beast head-on.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A blazing sphere of flame roared forth like a meteor, straight at Kongō.
But then—an unbelievable sight. Kongō lifted the axe with one hand and brought it down in a savage cleave. With a single strike, he split the fireball in two.
Aoyama grinned.
"Ha! That's just like Garen's Brainless Slash—cutting off a spell mid-cast. A perfect example of pure nonsense power."
Kongō bellowed again, swinging wildly. Kakashi's thrown kunai were effortlessly cleaved apart, the blade's edge so sharp it sheared even hardened steel kunai in half.
Meanwhile, Sasori quietly worked on repairing his puppet. His apparent vulnerability was tempting to the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, but every time they thought of moving in, their eyes flicked toward Aoyama. His silent, looming presence was enough to chill them, and the thought of a sneak attack died in their throats.