"Banshō Ten'in!"
As he spoke, Pain extended his hand toward Gaara. A powerful force of attraction surged from his palm, pulling Gaara toward him.
Seeing Gaara's body move involuntarily, Chiyo reacted immediately. However, with her puppets destroyed by Pain earlier, she had no choice but to extend her chakra threads, tightly wrapping them around Gaara.
Realizing Pain's intent, Gaara quickly reinforced himself with layers of sand to resist being pulled in.
But the pull of Banshō Ten'in was too strong. Even as Chiyo pulled with all her might and Gaara restrained himself with sand, neither could withstand the force.
After a brief struggle, Gaara was wrenched from his sand barrier and pulled skyward. Chiyo's chakra threads remained connected to him, causing her feet to lift off the ground as well.
Knowing resistance was futile, Gaara quickly adjusted his posture in midair. He compressed his sand into sharp cones and launched them toward Pain.
"Huh?" Pain hadn't expected Gaara to counterattack in this state. His eyes showed a flicker of surprise as he swiftly tilted his head to dodge the sand spikes. However, the pull of Banshō Ten'in did not weaken.
In an instant, Gaara was within Pain's reach.
"Whoosh!"
A black rod slipped from Pain's sleeve into his grip. Without hesitation, he thrust it toward Gaara.
"Puff!"
A thin layer of sand rose in defense, but to everyone's shock, the black rod pierced through the sand wall with ease, striking Gaara directly in the chest.
The sand, which had protected Gaara from countless attacks, was penetrated like paper.
The rod impaled Gaara's chest, blood spilling from the wound. A searing pain spread through his body as a foreign chakra invaded him, paralyzing his movements.
The black rods, infused with Yin-Yang Release, allowed Nagato to transmit chakra into Gaara's body from a distance, effectively controlling him. This was one of the abilities of the Rinnegan.
"Shukaku, capture complete."
Pain swiftly withdrew several more black rods and embedded them into Gaara's arms and legs, tightening his control. Gaara, who had been struggling, instantly froze, unable to move. A pained scream escaped his lips.
Just as Gaara was subdued, Chiyo—still being pulled toward Pain—closed in. Though she was a step too late, she managed to attach her chakra threads to Pain's body, forcing him backward.
At the same time, she grabbed Gaara, who was drenched in blood, and leaped away to create distance.
"Hmph!" Pain noticed the chakra threads too late and was forced back, allowing Chiyo to escape with Gaara. However, he quickly activated Shinra Tensei, repelling the chakra threads from his body. His cold gaze locked onto Chiyo and the others.
"Gaara!"
Kankuro rushed to Chiyo's side, his face filled with worry as he looked at his injured younger brother.
Though their relationship had been strained in the past, the bond between them had deepened. Seeing Gaara in such a pitiful state made Kankuro's heart ache.
"Why can't he move? Is it because of these black rods?!"
Chiyo examined Gaara, noticing that while his consciousness was intact, he was completely paralyzed.
A ninja with pierced limbs should still be able to move as long as their joints and nerves weren't damaged. But after being pulled away from Pain, Gaara remained motionless, which immediately caught Chiyo's attention.
"Kankuro, pull out the black rods!"
She shouted before gripping the rod in Gaara's chest and yanking it out. At the same time, her palm glowed green as she pressed it against his wound to heal him.
Kankuro, without hesitation, grabbed another rod and prepared to pull it free.
"You think I'll let you succeed?"
"Stay out of my way!"
Pain clenched another black rod in his hand and dashed toward them, intent on eliminating the two puppeteers before they could intervene further.
"Elder Chiyo, he's coming!"
Kankuro had been keeping an eye on Pain. The moment Pain moved, he shouted a warning.
Without turning back, Chiyo swiftly retrieved another scroll and unfurled it. Two puppets appeared on the battlefield. With one hand, she controlled the puppets, while the other continued tending to Gaara's wounds.
Sasori, who had been observing from the sidelines, was momentarily stunned upon seeing these puppets. A nostalgic feeling stirred within him.
These were puppets modeled after his parents—the last set of puppets Chiyo always carried with her. Though not built for combat, they still possessed sharp blades as weapons.
"Child's play again?"
Despite the puppets' presence, Pain's speed did not slow. Within moments, he reached Chiyo and the others. The two puppets sprang into action, slashing at Pain with their swords.
This time, Pain did not use Shinra Tensei. Instead, he jumped into the air, evading the attacks. He then landed directly in front of Chiyo, raising his black rod to stab her.
"Clang!"
Just as the rod was about to pierce Chiyo, one of the puppets suddenly moved, stepping in front of her and blocking the attack with its sword. Meanwhile, the second puppet maneuvered behind Pain, swinging its blade toward his head.
Sensing the danger, Pain swiftly ducked and pushed off the ground, retreating.
"A true puppeteer can reconnect chakra threads the moment they're severed."
"Grandma Chiyo, has your skill really declined this much?"
A new voice interrupted the battle.
Pain turned sharply toward the source of the voice, his eyes narrowing.
"Are you siding with the Sand Ninja against me, Sasori?"
"You dare betray the organization?"
Though his tone was devoid of anger, the killing intent emanating from him was suffocating.
"Betrayal? I don't see it that way."
"A puppeteer follows the will of their puppets. Sometimes, that means taking action."
From the shadows of the forest, Sasori emerged, still clad in his black cloak. Ten chakra threads extended from his fingers, attached to the two puppets. These were not just any puppets—they were the ones modeled after his parents.
"Following the will of a puppet? Hmph."
"No need for such excuses. You've hindered my mission, and that makes you a traitor to Akatsuki."
"And Akatsuki deals with traitors in only one way."
Pain's declaration was clear.
Sasori's words, however, had a deeper meaning, one that Chiyo immediately understood.
Those puppets were modeled after her son and daughter-in-law. The "will of the puppet" meant the will of her lost family.
"Sasori, I'll come to assist you shortly!"
Chiyo cast a quick glance at Sasori before refocusing on treating Gaara. All the black rods had been extracted from Gaara's body, and though he had regained movement, he was still gravely wounded and losing a lot of blood, requiring immediate medical attention.
On the other side, Sasori, noticing that Pain was preparing to attack him, began speaking in an intrigued tone.
"Your ninjutsu is quite fascinating. The Sand Ninja may not understand it, but I do."
"This is Kakuzu's body, yet it wields such strange abilities… This so-called 'Pain'—it's a puppet, isn't it?"
"I may not know where your real body is hiding, but the key to controlling this body must be those black rods!"
"Those rods, capable of controlling a Jinchūriki's movements… They transmit chakra, functioning like a superior form of puppetry!"
Sasori made no immediate move, instead speaking loudly, ensuring that Chiyo and the others could hear him.
"I've noticed from the start of this battle—your technique continuously tries to regulate its power."
"Why? Are you afraid of attracting someone's attention?"
"We're not far from Konoha. If I recall correctly, Uzumaki Raiden's sensory abilities should be able to reach this area with ease. Are you holding back to avoid alerting him?"
While speaking, Sasori shifted, positioning himself between Chiyo and the others, shielding them. His words made both Chiyo and Gaara's eyes gleam with realization. Chiyo quickly recalled something and turned to look at Gaara.
At the beginning of the battle, they had devised a plan for Temari to leave the battlefield and request aid from Konoha, unaware of Raiden's capabilities. Now that they knew, Chiyo reconsidered her next move.
"Gaara, get ready to fight."
With Gaara's bleeding mostly stopped, Chiyo patted his shoulder, signaling him to prepare for battle. Kankuro, sensing hope, looked excited, his previous nervousness fading.
The morale of the Sand Ninja rose instantly, and Sasori secretly smirked at the change in their demeanor. Not far away, Pain's expression grew colder—colder than a corpse.
"You damn brat!"
As he spoke, Gaara's body began to undergo a transformation. A powerful surge of chakra erupted from him. The masked man observing from a distance narrowed his eyes before vanishing.
Pain, on the other hand, started levitating into the sky.
"Are you running away?"
Seeing the masked man disappear and Pain floating upward, Kankuro smirked, assuming they were retreating.
But Sasori's expression darkened.
"No… This is a quick resolution."
"The real danger is about to begin."
Sasori pulled his puppets closer, positioning himself defensively in front of the others.
As if in response, Pain, now high in the sky, suddenly emitted a brilliant white light. Within moments, the night sky turned blindingly bright, as though day had arrived in an instant.
"Wahaha! I'm free!"
Gaara had fully transformed, and Shukaku's massive form emerged into the world. As soon as he appeared, the Tailed Beast howled in excitement.
"Shinra Tensei!"
One moment, Shukaku was laughing—the next, an overwhelming repulsive force crashed into him.
"Huh? What—?!"
Shukaku barely had time to react before being swallowed by the white light.
"BOOM!"
A deafening explosion echoed across the battlefield.
The searing white light slowly faded, revealing the aftermath.
The once-forested battlefield had been reduced to an empty wasteland. The ground had caved in, forming a massive crater dozens of meters deep and spanning kilometers.
As for Shukaku—he had been blown away entirely, vanishing from sight. Chiyo and the others had also disappeared.
"Shhhhhh!"
The silence was broken by a series of rapid cracking sounds.
Three figures suddenly appeared on the barren battlefield. All three were dressed in black, with the unmistakable Uchiha clan crest emblazoned on their backs.
After the devastating impact of Shinra Tensei, three Uchiha had arrived.
"What the hell happened here? Why is there a massive crater?"
Uchiha Obito, carrying a short sword on his back, activated his three-tomoe Sharingan, scanning the area in confusion.
"No… This terrain wasn't here before. It was created by some kind of jutsu."
Uchiha Shisui observed the lingering dust and chakra residues in the air, his Sharingan spinning as he analyzed the battlefield.
"Our master wouldn't have sent us here for no reason. Something serious must have happened."
"But I don't see any Flying Thunder God markings here… So why did we arrive in this exact location?"
"Did the master's technique malfunction?"
Shisui glanced around, but he couldn't detect any sign of a Flying Thunder God marker.
"No. The mark is here!"
Uchiha Itachi narrowed his eyes and gazed at the ground.
A moment later, the seemingly solid earth cracked open. The fissure widened rapidly, revealing a gaping hole.
From the depths of the ground, Sasori emerged, dragging Chiyo and Kankuro with him. However, both of them were unconscious.
Despite his quick thinking and ability to shield them underground, they had still suffered the effects of the impact. The fact that they were merely unconscious was a miracle.
Sasori, being a puppet, was unharmed.
As he climbed out of the hole, his gaze locked onto the three figures before him.
Uchiha Obito.
Uchiha Shisui.
Uchiha Itachi.
Three pairs of three-tomoe Sharingan stared directly at him, their presence radiating immense pressure.
Sasori, despite his usual indifference, felt a tinge of unease.
"Is this guy an enemy?"
Obito scratched his head and glanced at the disheveled Sasori before tilting his head in confusion.
(End of Chapter)