Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand seals were incredibly fast. Even though Sasori wanted to interrupt him, there was nothing he could do. All he could do was command his puppet to release Iron Sand, forming a sand wall for defense. Meanwhile, he hid behind the wall and quickly created a Sand Clone, while his real body stealthily burrowed underground.
"Earth Release: Earth Flowing River!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen swiftly completed his hand seals, transforming tens of square meters of ground in front of him into flowing mud. Taking advantage of the terrain, the mud surged toward Sasori. Upon impact with the Iron Sand wall, the torrent split into two streams, pouring out from both sides.
"This old man... is he getting senile?"
"Who would this kind of ninjutsu even work on?"
Sasori's Sand Clone observed the attack and couldn't help but scoff internally, feeling slightly at ease.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
However, just as he relaxed, Hiruzen swiftly changed his hand seals. The flowing mud on either side of Sasori suddenly halted, rapidly forming two dragon heads. The twin mud dragons opened their mouths and fired high-speed mud bullets at Sasori. Despite being composed of earth, the projectiles moved at such high velocity that their lethality was terrifying.
Sasori hadn't anticipated that Hiruzen could layer additional ninjutsu on top of a previously cast technique. Most shinobi merely released ninjutsu as a standalone attack, without incorporating additional transformations. It was similar to how an Uchiha's Great Fireball Jutsu was typically used—most wouldn't be able to modify it mid-release into a Fire Dragon Bullet.
Caught off guard, Sasori was directly struck by the mud bullets. They tore through his body, sending him crashing to the ground, while his Iron Sand wall collapsed.
"Did it work?"
"As expected of my father… my mastery of ninjutsu is far behind his."
Asuma looked at Sasori lying on the ground, admiration evident in his eyes. Hiruzen allowed himself a faint smile upon seeing the results of his attack, but his expression quickly hardened. Without hesitation, he grabbed the black staff beside him and swung it forcefully at the ground in front of Asuma.
"What?!"
Asuma was startled by his father's sudden action and instinctively leaped backward. As he landed, he glanced at the ground—and immediately broke into a cold sweat.
Where Asuma had been standing just moments ago, Hiruzen had smashed a large hole into the earth. At the bottom of the pit, scattered puppet parts lay motionless, while sharp, needle-like weapons gleamed with an unknown liquid. The sinister glint made it clear—they were coated with poison.
Looking back at where Sasori had fallen, all that remained was a patch of yellow sand—his real body was nowhere to be seen.
"He's hiding underground."
"Earth Release: Earth Turn Palm!"
Hiruzen thrust his black staff into the ground and swiftly formed hand seals before slamming his hands down. Instantly, the terrain trembled violently. Cracks spread outward from where he and Asuma stood, rapidly expanding in all directions.
The once-flat battlefield fractured under the force of Hiruzen's jutsu.
"Swish!"
From one of the widening cracks, a figure leaped out—it was Sasori, who had been lurking underground. Gone was his earlier composure; his Akatsuki robe was riddled with holes, and his puppet body bore visible damage. However, since his body had been fully converted into a puppet, these injuries meant little to him. Had he been human, he would have been critically wounded by now.
Even after releasing multiple large-scale jutsu, Hiruzen was starting to show signs of fatigue. His breathing had become slightly heavier—an imperceptible shift, but one that did not escape Sasori's keen observation. Taking advantage of the moment, Sasori quickly distanced himself from Hiruzen and retrieved a massive scroll, tossing it into the air.
As the scroll unfurled, countless dark silhouettes leaped out, filling the sky with an overwhelming number of puppets.
"Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets!"
Numerous chakra threads shot from Sasori's chest, attaching to the puppets. Lifeless just moments ago, the puppets now sprang to life under Sasori's control.
"A puppet army of this scale?!"
"This guy is on a completely different level than Chiyo!"
Hiruzen stared in shock at the sheer number of puppets blanketing the battlefield. He was well-versed in the techniques of Sand Village's puppet masters—typically, a skilled puppet user could only control one puppet effectively. An elite like Kankuro could manage three or four at most, while a true master like Chiyo could manipulate ten simultaneously.
But Sasori had summoned hundreds.
From his hiding spot, Deidara also looked on in astonishment. He knew his partner was a prodigious puppet master, but seeing Sasori manipulate such an army in real-time still took him by surprise.
"Is this the old man's art? Hmm! It's not as impressive as mine, but I have to admit, it's pretty flashy!"
Deidara mentally praised Sasori's display while stealthily sinking underground with Earth Release. With Hiruzen's focus locked onto Sasori's puppets, Deidara saw the perfect opportunity to plant explosives throughout the battlefield.
If things went well, he could even claim Hiruzen's body as a trophy and present it to Onoki.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen and Asuma stood tense, their full attention on the incoming puppets. Their muscles coiled in preparation for the inevitable clash.
"Consider yourselves honored to die at the hands of my art."
"This technique is powerful enough to destroy an entire nation—using it against the two of you is overkill."
"Now, struggle all you like!"
Sasori's voice was calm, yet laced with chilling confidence. At his command, the sky-darkening puppets surged forward. These weren't ordinary puppets—they were human puppets, retaining the chakra and jutsu of their former selves, capable of unleashing various elemental attacks.
In an instant, a barrage of Fire, Water, Wind, and Lightning Release techniques rained down upon Hiruzen and Asuma, alongside a storm of hidden weapons—poisoned senbon, kunai, and iron needles. The sky, once ominous and dark, now exploded with dazzling destruction.
"Summoning Jutsu: Rashomon!"
Recognizing that Earth Release alone wouldn't be enough to block such a massive assault, Hiruzen bit his thumb and performed a summoning. In the next second, a towering Rashomon gate erupted from the ground, shielding them from the onslaught. Explosions rocked the battlefield as countless attacks slammed into Rashomon's demonic visage.
Yet, Sasori's puppets weren't deterred. They swiftly maneuvered around the massive gate, seeking to flank Hiruzen and Asuma.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was well aware of the trouble his opponent's ninjutsu posed. Without hesitation, he formed a Shadow Clone, pulled Asuma back, and pressed his back against Rashomon while unleashing wide-range ninjutsu in three directions.
Hiruzen's chakra reserves were nowhere near as terrifying as Uchiha Madara's, nor was his attack range as vast. However, with the aid of Wind Release, the power and spread of his Fire Release greatly increased, instantly engulfing the incoming puppets. The black cloth covering them burned away in the raging flames, but beneath the fire's glow, the puppets gleamed with a metallic sheen.
"Heh!"
"These puppets are all crafted from special metals. Fire Release? Hmph!"
The raging inferno had no effect on them. If not for the strong winds impeding their advance, the puppets would have already overwhelmed Hiruzen and Asuma.
Noticing the problem, Asuma called out urgently, "Father, these puppets are made of metal! Fire Release won't work!"
But Hiruzen ignored his son's warning, continuing the onslaught.
"Just a little more!"
His sharp gaze analyzed the puppets, noting that the intense heat had caused their surfaces to soften and partially melt. The moment he judged it sufficient, he ceased the fire jutsu and swiftly changed his hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
Hiruzen spewed out a high-pressure water blade, and even his Shadow Clone did the same.
The cutting waves slashed through the air, slicing apart the now-brittle puppets. The sudden cooling effect left them fragile—some shattered instantly, while others, even if not directly hit, developed deep cracks from the sheer force of the water.
The once-imposing puppet army was now more than half-destroyed. Thick mist spread across the battlefield, obstructing visibility.
"Asuma, if we keep defending, we'll lose. Use this chance—take out the puppet master!"
Hiruzen shouted, his voice laced with urgency. His Shadow Clone dispersed, and an overwhelming fatigue crashed into him. He was old. Using multiple large-scale ninjutsu in succession had significantly drained his stamina.
Concealed by the mist, Hiruzen pinpointed Sasori's location, took a deep breath, and lunged forward. Sasori, his vision clouded by the steam, failed to notice the incoming attack until it was too late. By the time he reacted, Hiruzen was already behind him, swinging his staff at his left chest.
At the same time, Asuma charged forward, his deadly trench knives aimed directly at Sasori's heart.
Faced with the sudden attack, Sasori had no time to react. His core detached from his puppet body just as Asuma's trench knife pierced his chest. A moment later, Hiruzen's staff came crashing down, shattering Sasori's puppet frame.
"Crash!"
Sasori's body crumbled like a ruined structure. Just as the father and son thought they had landed a decisive blow, a dark shadow darted from the scattered garments and vanished into the thick fog.
"Clank, clank, clank!"
Moments later, the broken puppet parts on the ground twitched before reassembling. The Third Kazekage puppet moved as well, and in an instant, Iron Sand walls rose on all sides, enclosing Hiruzen and Asuma in a deadly trap.
"Extend, Monkey King!"
Hiruzen slammed his staff into the ground and pulled Asuma onto the end, shouting a command. At his order, the staff elongated at high speed, propelling them out of the Iron Sand entrapment just before it fully sealed.
"Poof!"
Encased in Iron Sand, the Monkey King Enma, in his staff form, could no longer maintain the Summoning Jutsu. A puff of white smoke signaled his disappearance. Hiruzen, who had narrowly escaped the trap, now fully realized the strength of their opponent. For the first time in the battle, a retreat crossed his mind.
"The Nara boy should have escaped by now. We should use the mist to retreat."
Hiruzen gently patted Asuma's shoulder and spoke softly. Though reluctant, he knew the battle had turned against them. A significant portion of Sasori's puppets remained intact, whereas he and Asuma had expended a great deal of chakra. With Enma gone, they had lost one of their biggest advantages.
Given the current circumstances, retreat was the wisest option.
"Shhhhh!"
Just as the two prepared to escape, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air. Through the fog, five or six four-winged clay birds hurtled toward them at high speed. Covered by the mist, they reached their targets in the blink of an eye—then detonated.
A deafening explosion shook the battlefield. When the smoke cleared, a sturdy earth wall stood in place. Behind it, Asuma crouched on the ground, panting heavily, while Hiruzen remained standing in front of him, shielding his son.
"Father! Are you alright?"
Asuma stood up, relieved that Hiruzen had reacted in time. But Hiruzen didn't respond. Instead, he staggered back a few steps before collapsing onto the ground.
Only then did Asuma notice the wound on his father's chest. His light armor had been torn open, and blood oozed from a deep gash, trickling down his body.
"Father?!"
Asuma's voice trembled as he rushed to support him.
For the first time, he was at a loss for words. His usually composed demeanor shattered, and his eyes turned red with emotion.
"The clay birds were too fast… I couldn't block them completely."
Hiruzen forced himself upright and brushed Asuma aside with one hand.
"Go. I'll hold them off."
As the earth wall crumbled and the mist dissipated, rain began to fall. Under the gray sky, Sasori and Deidara walked forward, their cold gazes locking onto the father and son.
The Third Kazekage puppet floated beside Sasori, and behind him, a dense swarm of puppets filled the area, cutting off all escape routes.
"You won't get away."
Sasori's fingers twitched as he spoke. During the earlier attack, his core had detached from his puppet body, and he had quickly transferred into another. The enemy's assault had inflicted no real damage.
Deidara, now fully revealing himself, smirked at his handiwork. He had successfully wounded Hiruzen and no longer saw the need to remain hidden.
"I'll take good care of your corpses. You'll make excellent additions to my collection!"
Sasori's fingers moved slightly, and the Third Kazekage puppet's arm transformed into a long spike, shooting toward Hiruzen and Asuma.
Hiruzen, weakened by his injury, couldn't dodge in time. Asuma tried to carry him away, but two clay birds swooped in, cutting off their escape route.
"Is this it?"
"Did I just kill my father?"
"Father… I'm sorry."
Asuma's mind spiraled with guilt. He wasn't afraid of death—but he couldn't forgive himself for dragging Hiruzen into this desperate situation. Tears welled up in his eyes as the enemy's attacks closed in.
"CRACK!!!"
Just as Sasori and Deidara's combined assault was about to land, two bolts of lightning suddenly tore through the sky. One struck the puppets, shattering them instantly, while the other incinerated the clay birds in mid-air.
The battlefield fell into stunned silence. Both Sasori and Deidara instinctively looked upward.
Then, a voice rang out.
"You're way too old to be running around like this."
"Look at you—getting yourself injured."
"If your student finds out, they'll make me run errands for you again!"
"Don't worry, old man."
At some point, a figure had appeared in front of Hiruzen and Asuma. Dressed in a flowing black imperial robe, the newcomer was a striking young man with a long blade strapped to his waist. His crimson hair cascaded loosely down his back, and as he ruffled it lazily, he let out a lighthearted sigh.
The moment he arrived, the air grew heavy. An overwhelming pressure surged across the battlefield, forcing both Sasori and Deidara to tense in response.
(End of Chapter)