dmims Chapter 174 Two Defeats, the First Step
Chapter 174 Two Defeats, the First Step
Chapter 174 Two Defeats, the First Step
In the vast desert, under the scorching sun, a great battle is breaking out.
On one side was the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure. He raised his hands, and the surrounding desert surged as if boiling water, with large amounts of iron sand separating out and rapidly converging around him.
On the other side is Sasori, a rogue ninja from Sunagakure, and his ten masterpieces—one-man puppets.
As he waved his hands, five of the puppets lunged forward instantly, while a large number of senbon and kunai shot from their mouths, hands, and even chests toward Kazekage.
Meanwhile, the other five puppets remained at a distance, unleashing a variety of ninjutsu from their hands, including wind blades, fireballs, lightning nets, water arrows, and earth spears.
However, these were all child's play for the Third Kazekage. He dared to come to see Sasori alone, which naturally showed that he was very confident in his own strength.
Not to mention that his Magnet Release is naturally effective against Sasori's puppets, the desert terrain alone gives him a natural advantage.
Feng Ying waved his hands forward, and the floating iron sand around him instantly condensed and hardened, forming a huge barrier in front of him that radiated a cold metallic light.
"Jingle bells"
"Boom!"
"Pfft"
All physical attacks and most ninjutsu were blocked by this indestructible iron wall, producing dull impacts and explosions. Sparks flew and lightning flashed. The wind blades and earth spears only left slight scratches on the iron wall before disappearing completely.
"It's all in vain!" Feng Ying sneered, and suddenly swung his right arm forward.
The massive iron sand barrier disintegrated instantly, like clay being kneaded at will by an invisible giant hand, transforming into thousands upon thousands of slender, sharp black iron sand spears. With a piercing whistle, they rained down on Scorpion and the puppets he controlled like a torrential downpour.
Scorpion's expression changed slightly for the first time, his ten fingers trembled rapidly, and the puppet group instantly changed formation.
Five melee puppets leaped forward fearlessly, brandishing various weapons in an attempt to parry the flying iron sand spears; five ninjutsu puppets retreated rapidly and converged, with earthen walls rising to block the iron sand's pursuit.
The sharp, piercing sound of dense iron spears tearing through the air sent chills down one's spine.
The two foremost puppet arms deformed, transforming into two shields that connected together, with blue chakra condensing on the shields.
The continuous "bang bang bang" sounds rang out. The puppet only took two steps forward before being forced to stop by the impact of the iron sand spear.
Then came the sound of cracking, and in just one second, the seemingly indestructible shield shattered.
The iron spear pierced through two puppets without hesitation and continued shooting towards the three puppets behind.
Having learned from the mistakes of the previous two puppets, the subsequent puppets no longer tried to withstand the attack head-on, and instead used their weapons to continuously strike at the flying iron sand spears.
However, after only a few attacks, the puppet's movements gradually slowed down.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that tiny iron sand particles were floating around the puppet, continuously seeping into its joints and crevices.
The strongly magnetized iron sand severely hampered the puppets' movements. Naturally, these three followed in the footsteps of the previous two puppets, being relentlessly riddled with iron sand spears and becoming three "hedgehogs."
Compared to the melee puppets, the five ninjutsu puppets at the rear handled the iron sand spears with much ease, and could even launch counterattacks from time to time while defending.
"Damn it, I knew it would be like this!" Scorpion muttered to himself from afar, but his hands moved quickly, throwing out three more reels. This time, however, not all of them were human puppets.
10 ordinary puppets and 5 human puppets.
This time, there were no melee-type puppets. As soon as these puppets appeared, they dispersed to the surrounding area, completely surrounding the Third Kazekage and continuously throwing ninjutsu at him.
Faced with these attacks, the Kazekage remained unmoved, gazing indifferently at Sasori in the distance. The sand and iron around him would sometimes condense into iron blocks, and sometimes into shields, always managing to block the incoming ninjutsu in the first instance.
The iron sand in the desert, like a living black tide, continuously converged towards him, slowly rising behind him and gradually condensing into larger, cone-shaped behemoths.
The tip of the cone was pointing directly at the scorpion itself, which was controlling the puppet in the distance.
"Puppets are ultimately just external objects. In the face of absolute power, even the best puppetry techniques are nothing but a joke."
The Third Kazekage's disdainful words were carried by the wind into Sasori's ears, but he remained unmoved, instead showing an increasingly interested expression.
"Lord Kazekage, with such immense power, if I simply turn you into a human puppet as well, wouldn't that power also belong to me? And it will accompany me forever, never aging, never fading!"
"Just thinking about it excites me. Human puppets, how wonderful! This is art, timeless art!"
Scorpion manipulated the puppet in his hands, while constantly muttering to himself, his expression becoming increasingly frenzied.
"You're a complete madman!"
Fengying stopped talking and focused on dealing with Scorpion's attacks, while several huge iron sand cones above his head were about to take shape.
In the distance, Sasori looked at the giant cone above the Third Kazekage's head, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
As expected of the Third Kazekage, hailed as the strongest of all time, the power of this ninjutsu is such that even Sasori has to admit he's currently no match for him. If the Kazekage were serious and wanted to defeat him, it would only take a few more ninjutsu techniques.
However powerful you are, you are still just a mortal.
Taiyi, who was a kilometer away and sensing the battle from afar, was also deeply moved.
The majestic power of the Wind Shadow Magnet Release and the sinister and unpredictable nature of the Scorpion Puppet both broadened Taiyi's horizons.
He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he were to encounter them.
Scratching his head, Taiyi suddenly laughed. It seemed that although he might not be able to win against them, he was unlikely to lose either, because his abilities seemed to be a great counter to theirs.
Just then, another unexpected turn of events occurred.
The Third Kazekage, who had been so imposing and arrogant, suddenly began to sway, as if he could barely stand.
The giant cone of iron sand that was about to take shape in the sky not only stopped condensing, but iron sand continued to fall off its surface.
"You—poisoned me!" Feng Ying pressed his hand to his chest, blood already trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Despicable!"
"Lord Kazekage, that's laughable. What puppeteer doesn't use poison? Have the puppet troops of Sunagakure all changed their ways and stopped using poison in combat?"
Scorpion looked smug, completely unfazed by his earlier embarrassment. He glanced up at the precariously swaying giant iron sand cone in the sky, and his worries were finally put to rest.
For a fleeting moment, he almost turned and ran away; being locked onto by that enormous creature was simply too much psychological pressure on him.
At this moment, while dealing with the increasingly dense attacks from the puppet, Kazekage reached into his robes, took out a specially made antidote pill from Sunagakure, trembling as he poured out a pill and stuffed it into his mouth.
In just a moment, Feng Ying's expression changed drastically. The poison in his body was not only not cured, but it was not even relieved.
Unconvinced, he poured out another handful and swallowed it all in one gulp.
But in the end, a bitter smile appeared on Fengying's face. He had been hunting geese all day long, but today he had finally been pecked in the eye by a goose.
Feeling the waves of excruciating pain emanating from his internal organs, Feng Ying knew that he probably wouldn't be able to leave today.
Fortunately, even if it meant death, I was determined to take this traitor from Sunagakure with me.
As the Kazekage's will refocused, the chakra that had been used to suppress the poison was once again used in the battle.
The giant iron sand cone above their heads stopped collapsing and instead quickly reformed.
The iron sand around him would occasionally turn into a rain of iron sand, shooting towards the puppet in swathes, with most of it bypassing the puppet's obstruction and shooting towards the scorpion he was controlling from behind.
Sasori had initially wanted to make a sarcastic remark when he saw the Kazekage start taking the antidote pills, thinking that those mediocre poison makers in Sunagakure couldn't compare to him.
They've been just following the old recipes to make poisons without any innovation. How could their new approach to poison making possibly be countered by the antidotes from Sunagakure?
I heard that during this war with Konoha, a Konoha brat made an antidote for the poison I developed years ago in just one day. That's an interesting kid. When I have time someday, I'll make him into a puppet and keep him as part of my collection.
A kilometer away, Taiyi suddenly sneezed. He looked around suspiciously; they were underground, there was no danger. But he didn't have a cold, so why was he suddenly sneezing? Could someone be talking about him?
The scene shifts back to the battlefield. Just when Scorpion thought victory was assured, a chilling sensation immediately snapped him out of his daydream.
Upon closer inspection, Feng Ying had completely shaken off his previous dejected state. Although blood was still flowing from the corner of his mouth, his attacks not only did not weaken, but instead became even stronger.
Scorpion knew that the Kazekage was starting to fight desperately.
A dense rain of iron sand rained down, forcing Scorpion to maintain control of his puppet while simultaneously dodging the wind shadow's attacks. Before long, his body was covered in wounds.
In particular, when the first giant iron sand cone in the sky condensed and shot towards the scorpion, the scorpion's helplessness in the face of such a colossal object forced it to flee in a sorry state.
With a deafening roar, the earth shook violently, and a large amount of yellow sand was ejected into the sky, then turned into a sand rain that poured down.
As the first giant iron sand cone landed, the second, the third, and even the fourth followed suit.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
Three loud bangs rang out. Such a commotion could be felt not only by Taiyi, which was only a kilometer away, but also by the entire oasis camp.
At the scene, as the four giant objects landed, the sand and dust slowly settled to the ground, and the previously gloomy sky became clear again.
The puppets that were fighting just moments before were now lying on the ground, their clothes only fluttering slightly in the wind.
On the other side, the Third Kazekage, who had just displayed great power, now had no light in his eyes. Only his unyielding body proved that he had fought to the very last moment.
At this moment, the sand beneath a giant iron cone, which had been pressed tightly by the massive object, churned up, and a hand emerged from it. It clung to the sand on one side, struggled fiercely, and managed to pull its body out a little further.
Then, little by little, with great effort, he finally crawled out of the sand. This person was none other than Sasori of the Red Sand.
At this moment, the left half of his body was covered with wounds, and his left arm was abnormally twisted, but there was no pain on his face. Instead, he showed excitement and madness after his victory.
For a moment, he really thought he was going to die. Fortunately, at the critical moment, he took out a life-saving puppet to shield himself from the impact of the giant cone, which saved his life.
Now it was time to enjoy the fruits of victory. Scorpion struggled to his feet, his severed arm not hindering him from walking toward the Kazekage's corpse. The closer he got, the wider his smile became.
Man puppets—eternal art—soon they will all be mine!
He stretched out his still-intact right hand, wanting to touch the perfect material.
Just before he was about to touch it, his right hand suddenly stopped and froze on the spot. Scorpion looked down in disbelief as a short knife passed through his chest from behind, piercing his heart in the process.
Scorpion didn't even have the strength to turn his head. Countless memories flashed before his eyes. What puppets, what eternal art, all disappeared. In the end, only the scene of his parents dying remained, as if they were also daggers. Was this fate?
Behind him, the one who pierced through Sasori with that sword was Taiichi, who was watching from afar. He had only been watching, but after seeing the Third Kazekage and Sasori both suffer heavy losses, he couldn't help but have some ideas.
Especially with the death of the Kazekage, Sasori also seemed to have suffered serious injuries.
He used his earth-based stealth ability to lurk until he reached the body of Kazekage, waiting for Sasori to approach step by step. At the moment when Kazekage was most relaxed and triumphant, he quietly leaped out of the sand and killed Sasori with a single slash.
The process was so simple that Taiyi felt it was unreal, but reality is often like this, even more outrageous and absurd than fiction!
Taiyi dared not linger at this moment. The commotion must have alerted the Sand Village in the oasis, and he didn't have much time left.
He quickly took out the sealing scroll and sealed the corpses of Kazekage and Scorpion together, and also sealed a few human puppets, which might be useful in the future.
Then, using the Earth Submarine, it quickly fled towards the Land of Earth. After fleeing for two kilometers, it emerged from underground and continued running towards the Land of Earth. After running for another hour, it changed direction and detoured towards the Land of Rivers.
The Third Kazekage of Sunagakure is dead. Although I didn't kill him, I now have his body in my hands, so I have to report to Jiraiya as soon as possible so that the village can make preparations.
In the original story, Sunagakure used the disappearance of the Kazekage as a pretext to launch an attack on Konoha.
Less than 10 minutes after Taiichi left the scene, a large number of Sand Village residents rushed over from a distance.
Upon arriving at the scene, without even needing to examine it, the leading Sand Ninja knew with just a glance that their Kazekage must have fought there.
The scattered iron sand and the still-intact giant iron spikes all testify to the fierce battle that Feng Ying fought against the enemy here. The only question is, who was that enemy?
"Sir, come and take a look!" a Sand Village Chunin shouted, as if he had seen something extraordinary.
The leading Sand Ninja used a Shunpo (instant step) to appear next to the Sand Villager, and what he saw was a human body that looked like a puppet.
The leader of the Sand Village ninja's pupils contracted. As a high-ranking member of the Sand Village, he naturally knew what this was, and he also knew that there should only be one person in the entire Sand Village who knew this, and that person was now a rogue ninja of the Sand Village.
"Immediately seal off the scene. Everyone here is strictly prohibited from revealing a single word of what they have seen or heard. Anyone who violates this rule will be treated as a traitor."
Everyone was taken aback, but they all readily agreed. This matter was clearly not simple, and it was best for them to stay out of it.
Meanwhile, after two days of travel, Chiyo and the others finally arrived at the front-line camp in the Land of Rivers, led by the Konoha Anbu.
With the Hokage's orders and the ANBU's accompaniment, Jiraiya could no longer turn a blind eye.
Inside the central military tent, Jiraiya received Chiyo and her party, accompanied by Shikaku and two newly arrived staff officers.
When Jiraiya received the order from the Third Hokage to release the prisoners from Chiyo, he simply couldn't believe that under what circumstances could the Konoha leadership make such a "humiliating" decision.
Isn't this disregarding the lives of the ninjas on the front lines? So all the results we've achieved by fighting to the death here can be taken away by a single word from the rear?
Jiraiya took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and looked at the ANBU ninja who had come with him.
But all that was seen was a slight nod from him, clearly confirming that the order was correct.
"Elder Chiyo, releasing prisoners still requires some procedures. You've come all the way from Konoha without stopping, so you must be exhausted. Please rest for a bit, and I'll let you know once I've finished the formalities on my end."
Without waiting for Chiyo's reply, Jiraiya shouted loudly outside, "Someone, take our four friends from Sunagakure to rest, and make sure to treat them well!"
Chiyo looked at the Konoha ninja who had reached her side and was making an inviting gesture, then turned and gave Jiraiya a deep look, saying meaningfully, "Then please hurry up, Jiraiya. Those children have been away from home for too long."
"Of course, of course!"
After Chiyo left, before Jiraiya could speak, Shikaku asked first, "Lord Jiraiya, what happened? Why were those Sunagakure prisoners released? Did they pay a ransom?"