A bit heartbroken, he glanced at Hiruko, and Sasori of the Red Sand calmly looked at Chao Yanqian. He said, "You two are quite impressive. You dared to destroy my most precious puppets one after another. I've changed my mind. I won't just make you into puppets, I'll preserve your consciousness, so you'll remain eternally aware as puppets under my control!"
Hearing Sasori's words, Chao Yanqian shuddered involuntarily. If he were caught by Sasori today, that would be the end.
"Tch! You sure talk big. Without your toys, let's see what you can actually do," Uchiha Chizuru said with contempt.
"I'll make you understand the consequences of angering me!" Sasori said coldly.
As soon as he spoke, Sasori took out a scroll marked with the character for 'three' and said to Uchiha Chizuru and Asakura , "This is my favorite puppet. You should feel honored to witness it!"
Though Uchiha Chizuru remained outwardly disdainful, he was preparing himself in secret.
After fighting Sasori for so long, Chizuru understood just how terrifying Sasori was. As long as he had a puppet, Sasori could fight with overwhelming power.
But without a puppet, Chao Yanqian should be able to deal with him.
"Can you still fight?" Uchiha Chizuru asked Asakura.
After seeing Asakunra's earlier attack, Chizuru had grown more impressed. Especially Chao Yanqian's [Strength of a Hundred Punch] as long as it landed directly, it could easily destroy a puppet. If they had a good opportunity, Chao Yanqian could play a key role.
Asakura shook her head slightly and said to Uchiha Chizuru, "We should prepare to retreat soon. Chizuru-senpai, please take the lead."
After repeatedly using [Hardening Technique] and [Strength of a Hundred Punch], she was running low on chakra.
She could probably hold on for a while longer using the [Strength of a Hundred Punch], but at full power, she could only manage two more strikes. Unless the timing was perfect, she wouldn't risk making another move.
"Understood," Uchiha Chizuru nodded calmly at Asakura China's words.
If Sasori unleashed an even stronger puppet, Chizuru wasn't confident he could win.
He had already consumed a lot of chakra from continuous use of ninjutsu. And since Sasori had turned his own body into a human puppet, genjutsu from the Sharingan had no effect Chizuru had no desire to continue this fight.
He still needed to awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan. Until then, it was best to keep his distance from this monster.
Boom!
With a puff of smoke, the puppet of the Third Kazekage appeared before Asakura China and Uchiha Chizuru. At the same time, Chao Yanqian's clone, who had been hiding nearby, pressed the shutter on her camera, capturing Sasori and the puppet in the frame.
The moment she saw the puppet of the Third Kazekage, Chao Yanqian felt a wave of relief. As long as Sasori used the Iron Sand technique next, Chao Yanqian could retreat. But if they stayed, both she and Chizuru might not survive.
[Magnet Release — Iron Sand Drizzle]
Black sand poured from the mouth of the Third Kazekage puppet, forming iron pellets in front of Sasori before launching a rainstorm of projectiles at Asakura and Uchiha Chizuru.
[Earth Release — Earth-Style Wall]
[Earth Release — Earth-Style Wall]
Both Chizuru and Asakura simultaneously used Earth Release to defend, but the iron pellets' power far surpassed ordinary senbon, and the Earth Walls were quickly broken through.
Fortunately, Earth Release is known for its durability. The double-layered walls blocked most of the pellets, and only a few continued toward Chao Yanqian and Chizuru.
Countless iron pellets shot toward Chao Yanqian like bullets. In a flash, Chizuru pulled her to safety. With his Sharingan's insight, he narrowly dodged the remaining projectiles.
"Iron Sand?" Chizuru narrowed his eyes, examining the puppet's design. Recalling Chao Yanqian's camera, Chizuru immediately understood her purpose.
It was to gather proof that Sasori had assassinated the Third Kazekage!
"The Uchiha's Sharingan lives up to its reputation," Sasori said coldly. "If I made you into a human puppet, you'd be my finest masterpiece. I'd treasure you!"
[Iron Sand Drizzle] wasn't just widespread,it was incredibly fast, nearly impossible to track with the naked eye.
This ninjutsu was originally used by the Third Kazekage himself. Once launched, few enemies could evade it. The iron pellets could also sharpen into deadly needles for an even more lethal attack mode.
But the Sharingan's insight is no joke. In the original series, even a young Uchiha Itachi was able to dodge countless kunai from complex mechanisms during training, impressing even Orochimaru.
Though Chizuru wasn't as talented as Itachi, his three-tomoe Sharingan was still formidable.
Frankly speaking, if Chao Yanqian had Chizuru's eyes, he might have dared to face Sasori head-on.
It wasn't just Chao Yanqian most people probably thought that way. As long as they had a Sharingan, they could achieve anything. That's why so many coveted it in the original story, which speaks to its power.
Seeing Sasori mold the Iron Sand into a triangular cone shape, Chao Yanqian knew if she didn't retreat now, she might never get another chance.
Now that Sasori had brought out both the Third Kazekage puppet and the Iron Sand, once these photos were made public, it would be undeniable that Sasori assassinated the Third Kazekage and turned him into a puppet.
At that point, the tension between the Fourth Kazekage Rasa and Elder Chiyo in Sunagakure would erupt, and the enraged Suna shinobi would surely hunt Sasori down for revenge.
If Sunagakure fell into civil war, Konoha could end the war with them ahead of schedule. And behind the scenes, the Imperial Court would have achieved its goal.
"Chizuru,we can retreat now," said Chao Yanqian.
"Alright," Uchiha Chizuru nodded. In a flash, he appeared beside Chao Yanqian, took her with him, and used Earth Release to escape underground.