Sasori slowly extended all ten fingers, chakra threads lifting the puppet into the air.
The Third Kazekage puppet opened a panel on its chest—
Blue chakra surged outward.
"Embrace death."
"There's no way you can dodge this."
"Iron Sand World Method!"
The moment his voice fell—
Dense iron sand exploded outward like branching trees.
The expansion speed was terrifyingly fast, the coverage enormous.
Like Hashirama's Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence—
No matter how agile you were, you couldn't completely escape.
Even Tsunade couldn't avoid it entirely.
Black iron spears rained down.
She avoided the vital points—
But her shoulder was grazed.
Dust cleared.
Tsunade knelt on one knee, eyes closed.
A wound was clearly visible on her shoulder.
Sasori smiled faintly.
"The greatest medical ninja in Konoha…"
"Still fell to my poison."
"You can't move now, can you?"
Tsunade did not answer.
She remained motionless.
Sasori's lips curled upward.
Resigned to fate?
He guided the Third Kazekage puppet forward.
"Don't struggle."
"It's over."
The blade thrust toward her.
Genma and the others tried to rush in—
But it was too late.
And Orochimaru still stood nearby, watching calmly.
At that moment—
It seemed as if Tsunade had reached a dead end.
The Reversal
Just as Sasori moved in for the kill—
Tsunade moved.
No flourish.
No delay.
One punch.
CRACK!
The Third Kazekage puppet shattered—just like Hiruko before it.
Sasori's eyes widened.
Damn it—!
The iron sand lost its magnetic chakra support and collapsed instantly.
For a brief second—
Sasori was stunned.
Why can she still move?
Impossible.
His poison had surpassed even Chiyo's.
He trusted it completely.
Yet—
Tsunade stood unharmed.
"You're confused, aren't you?" she said calmly.
"Wondering why I'm not poisoned."
Sasori nodded.
"You didn't fully evade the attack."
Tsunade smirked.
"I didn't avoid the strike."
"But I avoided the poison."
Sasori frowned.
"…Explain."
"It's simple," Tsunade replied casually.
"The instant I was struck, I temporarily stopped blood circulation in the wounded area."
"For ordinary people, that's impossible."
"For a top-tier medical ninja?"
"Easy."
"Poison spreads through blood flow."
"I prevented it from spreading."
"Only someone with precise chakra control could do that."
"And unfortunately for you…"
"I'm exactly that kind of person."
Sasori finally understood.
Medical ninjutsu… used like this.
He had anticipated her skill—
But not this level of application.
Sasori's True Body
Despite losing the Kazekage puppet, Sasori remained composed.
Kage-level fighters did not crumble so easily.
He smiled faintly.
"When I said I would fight with my own body…"
"I didn't expect it to become reality."
"You should feel proud."
"You forced a puppet master this far."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
A puppet master—
Fighting in close combat?
Suspicious.
She healed her shoulder wound cleanly—without letting a single drop of blood fall.
Her hemophobia demanded that much.
The retained toxin would be dealt with later.
For now—
Capturing this Akatsuki member was priority.
Interrogation meant intelligence.
And beating Uchiha Akihito in mission results.
Just imagining his irritated face made her grin.
Senju are superior to Uchiha.
Deal with it.
Sasori tore off his cloak.
Tsunade's eyes widened.
He had turned his own body into a puppet.
Madness.
Pure madness.
"Life cannot compare to art," Sasori declared.
"My eternal body is perfection."
Tsunade shook her head.
Hopeless lunatic.
Fine.
Let's finish this.
Fire and Water Assault
Sasori unsealed a scroll—
Flames burst forth.
"Flame Prison Unbound!"
Tsunade moved to dodge—
But the flames continued endlessly.
"Heaven Kick!"
She raised a wall of sand to block.
Sasori extinguished the fire—
Replaced it instantly with high-pressure water jets.
The sand wall dissolved.
Tsunade clicked her tongue.
Fire and water?
What is this, a child's trick show?
Still—
The continuous barrage forced her backward.
Distance favored puppet masters.
If she couldn't close in—
This would drag out.
But Sasori had no patience.
He stopped the barrage.
"This is tedious."
"Let's end it."
"I'll show you my true ultimate technique."
"A mechanism capable of destroying an entire nation."
Tsunade's gaze sharpened.
Chiyo could conquer a fortress alone.
Destroy a nation?
Bold claim.
Sasori unfurled a scroll.
Red puppets poured out—
Hundreds.
Clattering across the sky.
"My ultimate art."
"Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets!"
"No one can withstand this."
"Surrender."
Tsunade's expression turned serious.
Chiyo controlled ten at peak.
This boy—
Hundreds.
But she did not fear.
"Numbers alone mean nothing."
She cracked her knuckles.
"Come on, kid."
"Show me."
The Puppet Army
Provoked, Sasori's eyes sharpened.
"Dance of death."
Hundreds of puppets lunged at once.
Tsunade calmly removed her coat.
A brawl battlefield?
Perfect.
CRASH!
The moment they clashed—
Several puppets shattered instantly.
At this scale, Sasori's average control output left each puppet around Chunin-level.
Against Tsunade?
Crushed.
Still—
Controlling hundreds at Chunin combat level was monstrous skill.
Even Chiyo at her peak might struggle.
Tsunade acknowledged it internally.
Yes.
This army could wipe out minor nations.
But destroy a Great Nation?
Dream on.
She unleashed monstrous strength—
Blasting through waves of puppets.
But as numbers decreased—
Control precision increased.
Chunin level.
Special Jonin.
Approaching true Jonin.
If reduced below twenty—
They might reach Elite Jonin tier.
Twenty elite Jonin simultaneously?
Even a Kage must tread carefully.
Tsunade focused.
This was no ordinary opponent.
Without attribute advantage—
This would be far harder.
Sasori, too, felt genuine admiration.
He had never lost so many puppets in one battle.
But the thought of adding Tsunade—
One of the Sannin—
To his collection—
Filled him with exhilaration.
The Third Kazekage.
A Sannin.
Who could then challenge him?
The title—
Greatest Puppet Master in the Shinobi World—
Would be his alone.
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