"Hm? That pressure… that should be Deidara. Who's he fighting? So fired up right from the start. Youth really is something."
Naruto lounged with one leg crossed over the other, listening casually, sounding like a retired old man enjoying the breeze.
The Akatsuki members had been thrown into the Konoha Proving Ground to serve as whetstones for Konoha's shinobi. Let them grind down some killing intent.
If they could be corrected, good.
If not, they could stay as sandbags for the rest of their lives.
That worked too.
"Konoha shinobi… So the Red Sun Society really is deeply connected to Konoha."
Sasori had already suffered enough to understand the rules of this place.
Behave, and life is peaceful.
Cause trouble, and punishment descends instantly—lightning, fire, freezing, crushing pressure. All kinds of techniques, appearing out of nowhere. Not cast by a person. Generated by the arena itself.
"When did Konoha become this terrifying?"
He sneered coldly.
"Whetstones? Stepping stones? Careful you don't break your blade."
Outwardly calm.
Inside, still the ruthless Sasori of the Red Sand.
Rules alone couldn't extinguish his killing intent.
---
Across the arena stood a man in green tights with a bowl haircut and a bright white grin.
"Sunagakure's Sasori of the Red Sand. Genius puppet master. I hope you don't disappoint me!"
Might Guy gave him a thumbs-up.
Sasori twitched.
What kind of lunatic smiles like that?
---
"It's starting!"
Guy vanished in a blur.
Fast.
Too fast.
In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Sasori.
Sasori's tail shot forward like a spear, aiming straight for Guy's throat.
Guy tilted his head slightly and dodged. His fist kept coming.
Crack!
Sasori's puppet tail shattered like brittle plastic under Guy's punch.
Sasori retreated immediately.
"Leaf Great Whirlwind!"
Guy's leg became a green blur.
Boom!
Sasori's outer puppet body exploded into scattered parts.
His true body reappeared elsewhere, staring at Guy like he was facing a monster.
That puppet had been crafted with the finest materials.
Shattered by one kick.
---
"This guy… pure taijutsu. A natural counter."
Sasori's expression turned grim.
His parents had died to Konoha's White Fang—a master of physical combat.
Puppet masters excelled at tricks and tactics.
But against true taijutsu monsters?
They were paper.
---
Sasori slowly unfurled a scroll marked with the character "Three."
His trump card.
Behind him rose the puppet of the Third Kazekage.
Guy narrowed his eyes.
"Is that all?"
Disappointment was written plainly on his face.
After fighting Orochimaru, Danzo, and Otsutsuki Urashiki countless times, his standards had risen.
Sasori? Strong—but not enough.
"Little Lee! Your turn!"
"Yes, Guy-sensei!"
Rock Lee stepped forward, green tights shining.
Master and disciple casually swapped places—without asking Sasori.
Sasori's murderous intent flared.
"You dare ignore me?"
---
Lee removed the weights from his legs.
Thud. Thud.
Dust rose from the ground.
He knew instantly—
This wasn't an opponent he could handle casually.
---
"Fight!"
The Third Kazekage puppet unleashed iron sand techniques.
Lee was pushed back immediately.
But his eyes burned brighter.
"A formidable opponent! I can't grow complacent. The ninja world is vast!"
He searched for an opening.
---
In another arena—
Kakashi and Kakuzu clashed violently.
Wind. Earth. Lightning. Fire.
Kakuzu fought like an entire squad by himself.
Five hearts. Five lives.
But Kakashi already knew everything.
"Only destroy all five hearts to win."
Thanks to complete intelligence, he maintained perfect control.
Without that knowledge, this opponent would have been extremely dangerous.
Fortunately, he no longer suffered chakra depletion from Sharingan.
His strength had surged over the years—pushed forward by Naruto's overwhelming growth and Sasuke's rapid progress.
Now?
He could defeat Kakuzu cleanly.
---
Elsewhere—
Deidara lay sprawled on the ground, face twisted with fury.
"This is impossible! I can't lose to you!"
Sasuke turned away calmly.
"You're not worth my time anymore."
That contempt broke something inside Deidara.
"You little brat! I'll take you down with me!"
He tore open his shirt, revealing the grotesque mouth on his chest.
"I'll use my ultimate art—self-destruction!"
Chakra surged wildly.
Then—
BOOM!
A bolt of lightning descended from the arena ceiling, blasting him flat.
His chakra was forcibly dispersed.
Sasuke looked back and chuckled.
"Don't waste your effort. This proving ground doesn't allow death. Even if you want to die, it won't let you."
Deidara lay twitching on the floor.
Staring blankly upward.
Even suicide was denied.
In this place—
You couldn't win.
You couldn't escape.
And you couldn't even die.
-------------------------
For advanced chapters, visit patreon.com/Varnok