As the white smoke from the summoning technique gradually dissipated, Asuma's figure became visible. At this moment, his attire had changed significantly.
He was now clad in light armor, and in his hand, he held a long, slender black staff. The end of the staff had pierced through Hiruko, Sasori's puppet, and was embedded in the ground.
"What is this?"
Not far away, Nara Shikamaru stared in astonishment at the weapon Asuma wielded. He had never seen Asuma use such a weapon before. However, after a brief moment of surprise, relief filled Shikamaru's eyes.
The current Asuma gave him an overwhelming sense of reliability. The fact that he had been able to shatter Sasori's puppet in a single strike was proof of his formidable strength.
"A summoning?"
"It's rare for a summoned creature to transform into a weapon like this."
There was no emotion on Sasori's strikingly handsome face. Having turned himself into a human puppet, he had long since discarded most of his emotions.
"In that case, allow me to play with you for a while."
Sasori murmured as a scroll slipped from his sleeve. With a flick of his wrist, he unfurled it, and a surge of white smoke billowed out. A blue-haired puppet emerged on the battlefield.
Asuma's expression turned serious. He was well aware of what this puppet represented. According to the intel Konoha had gathered, Sasori had transformed the body of the Third Kazekage into a puppet after assassinating him.
This puppet not only retained the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release and Bloodline Limit, but it had also been modified so that every part of its body was a potential lethal weapon. It was nearly impossible to guard against.
The initial plan had been to eliminate the troublesome Deidara first, then focus the entire team's strength on Sasori. However, with Deidara successfully evading the assassination and lurking nearby, and Izumo and Kotetsu now completely incapacitated, Asuma and Shikamaru were left to fend for themselves. A single misstep could mean their deaths.
Shikamaru understood the gravity of the situation, and tension gripped his heart.
"Hey, Shikamaru, don't worry."
"As your sensei, it's my duty to protect my students."
Just as Shikamaru momentarily lost focus, Asuma stepped in front of him, shielding him with his body and offering reassurance.
"Sensei Asuma?!"
Shikamaru looked at him in shock, momentarily dazed.
"If you find an opportunity, run."
"I'll buy you time."
"Enma, let's go!"
With a low command, Asuma lunged forward. The black staff transformed from Monkey King Enma swiftly retracted before shifting direction. The next moment, it extended rapidly toward the woods near the gold exchange.
"What? Have I been discovered?"
Deidara, who had been hiding, saw the black staff shooting toward him and immediately leaped out of the bushes. A second later, the staff slammed into the spot where he had just been, creating a deep crater.
"Phew~ That was close~"
Perched on a tree branch, Deidara patted his chest with a grin. Though his words suggested fear, his tone was as carefree as ever.
"I missed..."
Asuma took a drag from his cigarette before flicking the burnt end away. The black staff quickly retracted. Just as Asuma prepared to launch another attack, the tip of the staff suddenly opened an eye, and Enma's voice came through.
"Hey, kid."
"Don't waste your energy on pointless attacks."
"Extending such a distance drains a lot of chakra."
"These two enemies aren't ordinary. Use the Reverse Summoning Technique and bring Hiruzen here!"
Although Enma lacked detailed intel on Akatsuki, he had fought alongside Sarutobi Hiruzen for decades and could recognize powerful enemies at a glance. In the ninja world, the strong exuded an undeniable presence.
"Reverse Summoning?"
"The old man's too old. Let him enjoy his retirement. I don't want to drag him into this."
Asuma shook his head. He understood the threat of their enemies all too well. Someone capable of assassinating the Third Kazekage wasn't just strong—they were in a completely different league.
It was precisely because of this that Asuma refused to summon Hiruzen. He didn't want to pull his father into such a dangerous battle.
"Hmph, kid, I know what you're thinking. But don't underestimate Hiruzen!"
"Against these opponents, you will die. And this boy won't escape either."
"With Hiruzen here, at least you stand a chance of survival!"
"Besides, do you really think Hiruzen wouldn't want to come if he knew what was happening?"
Before Enma could continue convincing him, Sasori, growing impatient, sneered.
"Hey, are you done with your little strategy meeting?"
"If so, let's begin!"
Sasori extended all ten fingers, controlling chakra threads that connected to the Third Kazekage puppet. The puppet lifted its head, spread its arms, and from beneath its robe, an enormous wave of iron sand erupted, surging toward Asuma and Shikamaru.
"Here it comes!"
Asuma exhaled sharply, his eyes flickering toward the nearby woods, keeping both Sasori and Deidara within his field of vision.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"
Shikamaru was not one to remain passive. He quickly formed a seal, and his shadow shot toward both Sasori and the Third Kazekage puppet.
However, the flying iron sand showed no signs of slowing. Shikamaru's Shadow Possession had no effect against the Magnet Release of the puppet.
"Move!"
Asuma grabbed Shikamaru and swiftly dodged. But the iron sand twisted mid-air and continued to chase them relentlessly.
"Split up!"
Making a quick decision, Asuma and Shikamaru dashed in opposite directions. The iron sand divided into two separate streams, pursuing each of them.
Meanwhile, from the treetops, Deidara watched the battle unfold. This was his first time witnessing Sasori's true abilities, and he had no intention of intervening. Instead, he saw it as an opportunity to observe his partner's strength.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"
Seeing that he hadn't caught his targets, Sasori altered his approach. The iron sand quickly gathered and condensed into thousands of sharp needles, which shot toward Asuma and Shikamaru like a torrential storm.
At the same time, a portion of the iron needles veered off course—toward Izumo and Kotetsu, who lay helpless on the ground.
"Let's see how you handle this!"
Sasori smirked, choosing to observe how his enemies would respond.
"Damn it! They're attacking Izumo-senpai and Kotetsu-senpai, who are already down?!"
Despite his intelligence, Shikamaru's lack of battlefield experience betrayed him. Seeing the attack heading for his comrades, he hesitated—and that split-second delay cost him. An iron sand needle pierced his calf, causing him to collapse.
The remaining iron sand needles shot toward him, ready to finish the job.
"Damn it!"
Seeing this, Asuma gritted his teeth and abandoned his attempt to rescue Izumo and Kotetsu. He pivoted, sprinting toward Shikamaru instead. Moments before the deadly rain reached him, Asuma swung his black staff, deflecting the attack.
On the other side, Izumo and Kotetsu were completely engulfed by the iron sand barrage. When the dust settled, all that remained was a bloodstained crater.
"Izumo! Kotetsu!"
Gritting his teeth, Asuma pulled Shikamaru to his feet just as the iron sand rain ceased. Without hesitation, he rushed toward the nearby woods, slipping out of Sasori and Deidara's sight.
"Trying to run?"
"Heh, like I'd let you escape that easily."
Hidden in the trees, Deidara chuckled, releasing a swarm of clay beetles. Some burrowed underground while others took flight, swarming toward the direction where Asuma and Shikamaru had disappeared.
Sasori, however, made no move to pursue them. Instead, he calmly retrieved the remains of Hiruko, sealing them into a scroll, as if he had lost interest in continuing the battle.
"Fire Release: Flame Dragon Bullet!"
Suddenly, from within the forest, countless dragon-headed fireballs erupted into the sky. Each was more than a meter wide, illuminating the battlefield like a blazing sun. The storm of flames surged toward Sasori.
"What?!"
Sasori's eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected such a large-scale Fire Release technique from Konoha's forces. This wasn't something an ordinary shinobi could accomplish.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Just as the fireballs were about to descend, a powerful gust roared from the forest. The added wind strengthened the flames, magnifying their intensity and engulfing Sasori in a blazing inferno.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A series of deafening explosions shook the battlefield. The once-dark sky was illuminated by the raging fire, but moments later, rain began to fall. The raindrops sizzled as they struck the burning earth, sending up wisps of steam.
This sudden attack not only took Sasori by surprise, but even Deidara hesitated. His initial urge to pursue Asuma and Shikamaru faded, and instead, he shrank back, trying to conceal his presence. The clay beetles he had released moments ago had been incinerated, leaving him blind to what was happening in the woods.
As the flames died down, Sasori and his puppet became visible. Yet despite the intensity of the attack, Sasori himself remained unharmed—his clothes weren't even singed. However, the Third Kazekage puppet bore noticeable scorch marks, its robes torn and charred in several places.
Still, for a puppet, such damage was negligible.
"I can't fully defend against large-scale techniques with the Iron Sand Walls alone. The range of that attack was massive..."
Sasori analyzed the damage, his eyes locked onto the forest where Asuma and Shikamaru had vanished. He could sense a new presence—one unlike the others.
"Whoosh!"
A sudden gust of wind carried the sound of something slicing through the air. Before Sasori could react, an old man in light armor appeared behind him, wielding a massive black staff. Emblazoned on the back of his armor was a single kanji—"Fire."
"Who?!"
Sasori snapped his head around, his fingers twitching. Instantly, the iron tail from his discarded puppet Hiruko lashed out, positioning itself between him and the incoming attacker.
But the old man didn't respond. Instead, his iron staff crashed down with immense force, shattering the iron tail upon impact. The weapon didn't stop there—it continued downward, slamming directly into Sasori's head.
Yet, rather than a spray of blood, the impact caused Sasori's head to shatter like brittle wood.
"A puppet?!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi landed smoothly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the battlefield. A single glance was enough for him to determine that the "body" he had just struck was not human. His frown deepened, and without hesitation, he leapt back to create distance.
"That's Konoha's Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen!"
Deidara, still hidden among the trees, widened his eyes in shock. He hadn't expected that the battle would escalate to the point where a Hokage himself would appear. Even if Hiruzen had retired, he was still a former Kage—a living legend.
A grin crept across Deidara's face.
"If I kill Konoha's Hokage, the old man will be shocked."
Seeing Hiruzen reminded Deidara of Onoki, the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure. After Deidara's father had died, Onoki had taken care of him, and the two had a deep bond. However, their artistic ideals clashed—Onoki never understood Deidara's obsession with explosive art.
Deidara had left Iwagakure to prove his artistic talent. And now, he saw an opportunity to achieve something that would undoubtedly astonish Onoki.
"Hmm! If I kill a Hokage, even the old man will recognize my genius!"
Excitement gleamed in Deidara's eyes as he subtly shifted his position. His hands dipped into his ninja pouch, molding clay rapidly.
At that moment, Hiruzen turned his head slightly, his sharp gaze locking onto Deidara's hiding spot.
Unlike Asuma and Shikamaru, Hiruzen was a true master of sensory ninjutsu. He may not have specialized in it, but as one of the most experienced shinobi in the world, he could sense Deidara's intent.
"Hmph."
Just then, Asuma appeared at Hiruzen's side. He glanced down at Sasori's fallen form before leaning in to whisper.
"Father, this man is Sunagakure's puppet master, Sasori."
"His entire body has been transformed into a puppet. The only part that remains human is his heart."
"His weak point is there—nowhere else will deal real damage."
Though Asuma kept his voice low, Sasori still heard him. He had planned to play dead and catch Hiruzen off guard, but Asuma had exposed his secret.
For years, Sasori had ensured that no one knew of his true form. And now, his greatest secret had been revealed. Even he couldn't hide his brief flicker of shock.
But the moment was short-lived.
The Third Kazekage puppet moved instantly, releasing a flood of iron sand that surged toward Hiruzen and Asuma.
"Hmph?!"
Initially, Hiruzen had been skeptical of Asuma's claim. In his experience, no one could survive without a head. He had assumed Sasori had merely used a substitution technique.
However, as the "corpse" on the ground suddenly sprouted multiple chakra threads, Hiruzen's suspicions vanished.
"The dead don't manipulate chakra..."
Now, he knew Asuma's intel was correct.
"Asuma, stand back!"
Hiruzen stepped forward, gripping his black staff tightly as he began forming hand seals.
"Now, my son... let me show you how I fight!"
(End of this chapter.)