Uchiha Gen didn't immediately press the attack on Sasori of the Red Sand. Instead, he spun around, hands flashing through seals.
Shizukamaru dropped from the air, shortening as it spun, until it slammed into the ground and expanded into a broad silver-white shield.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
A hail of black iron needles struck the shield and bounced away harmlessly.
Sasori's expression twitched. Again? That strange sword wasn't just flexible in length, it could fight on its own, like it had a will. Even his human puppets needed to be manipulated, yet this thing behaved almost alive.
Overhead, Konan shifted, her paper wings scattering into countless spears, each one tipped with Explosive Tags. They rained down like a storm.
Fire Release: Exploding Flame Bullet!
Gen spat out a string of deep red fireballs, each one swelling as they caught the wind, expanding to the size of a human head before colliding midair.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions clashed with explosions, fire bursting across the clearing in waves of blistering heat. The spears ignited one after another, their chakra dispersing.
Konan twisted gracefully through the chaos, wings beating as she dodged the incoming fire.
On the ground, Sasori raised a hand. Chakra threads slithered from the dirt like snakes, whipping toward Gen's joints.
Puppet Performance: Human Body Manipulation.
It was a technique meant for corpses, to control them when puppets were destroyed. But Sasori had refined it so far he could even grasp the living.
The threads snapped forward.
But Gen tilted his head, moving like he had eyes in the back of his skull. Wind chakra flared on his palm as he chopped down, severing the chakra threads midair.
They fell, inert.
"Kid, did you really think your tricks could escape my Sharingan?" Gen smirked, Shizukamaru sliding back into his hand.
"Kid?" Sasori snapped, fury flickering across his normally lifeless face. "You look younger than me!"
He jerked his fingers and the Third Kazekage puppet lunged forward. Blades shot from its arms, each one slick with poison, while black iron sand churned around its body like a storm cloud ready to burst.
Above, Konan's wings unfurled into massive paper shuriken. They spun outward in erratic arcs, cutting off every escape route.
But escape was never the problem for someone who could teleport.
Earth Release: Earth Dome!
Gen slammed his palms to the ground. Earth surged upward, hardening into a thick hemispherical barrier. The paper shuriken clattered against it harmlessly. The Kazekage's blades bit in but could not pierce.
Then Sasori's voice cut the air:
Magnet Release: Iron Sand Spire!
The black sand condensed into a towering prism, spinning violently before dropping like a guillotine.
Boom!
It crashed into the barrier, cracking it wide open. The chakra weave broke apart, and the dome collapsed in rubble.
Through the smoke, Gen leapt clear, his expression calm.
"That's enough," he said flatly. "I've had my fun. Keep pushing, and I won't hold back."
The words made both of them hesitate. Until now, he had only been playing. They both knew it, if he had been serious, neither Sasori nor Konan would have lasted.
"Arrogant Uchiha brat!" Sasori snarled, controlling the Kazekage to strike again.
But as the puppet lunged, the earth at Sasori's feet suddenly split open.
Another Gen surged upward.
"I was ready for that!" Sasori sneered, lashing out with a kick. From the sole of his sandal, a spray of hidden poisoned needles shot forward and sank into nothing. Gen's body melted into mud.
Behind him, the air shimmered.
Gen's true self emerged, blade already at Sasori's throat.
A cold edge pressed against his skin.
"Go on then," Sasori said stiffly, unflinching. "If you're going to kill me, do it."
Gen arched a brow. "Straight to the point, huh?"
He tilted his head upward, calling to the woman circling above.
"Hey, beautiful should I cut him down or not?"
Konan descended slowly, her expression unreadable. "What does it matter to me? Before you interfered, he was my opponent."
"Oh?" Gen's lips curled. "Then why did you two fight side by side the moment I appeared? That doesn't look like enemies to me."
Her silence was answer enough. She finally asked, "What do you want?"
Gen grinned. "That's better. Since you two attacked me without a word, I think it's only fair you compensate me."
Konan's eyes narrowed. "What kind of compensation? Don't get greedy. If you cross the line, I won't agree."
Gen stroked his chin, his eyes sliding over her with amusement.