Scorpion of the Red Sand took out a scroll with the words "Third Kazekage" written on it and said in a cold voice.
Bang—
Accompanied by white smoke, the puppet of the Third Kazekage appeared.
"Magnetic Style: Iron Sand Rain—"
Iron sand surged like waves, transforming into countless fine needles. They fell like rain, attacking Spore Clone No. 1.
"Susanoo—"
Spore Clone No. 1 activated Susanoo to shield himself.
The rain-like needles struck Susanoo's surface, producing clinks, but failed to penetrate the defense.
"Magnetic Style: Iron Sand Triangular Pyramid—"
Seeing Iron Sand Rain ineffective, Scorpion of the Red Sand manipulated the Third Kazekage puppet to condense iron sand into a large triangular pyramid and slammed it at Susanoo.
Susanoo raised the Yata Mirror with its left hand, facing the oncoming triangular pyramid.
The pyramid struck the Yata Mirror and immediately disintegrated into iron sand, nullified by the mirror's property-changing nature.
Then, from the Ten-Fist Sword in Susanoo's right hand, a flame-like sword light extended and slashed at the orange-haired youth—Scorpion of the Red Sand.
"Sand Iron Wall—"
Scorpion swiftly manipulated the Third Kazekage puppet to create a solid iron sand wall in front of him.
Crack—
The iron sand wall was cleaved, and Scorpion, behind it, was also sliced in half.
Had he not transferred his true core—the regeneration core—into the Third Kazekage puppet at the last moment, he would have died instantly.
"Mechanical Arm—"
From the puppet's left arm, a thousand mechanical arms extended and attacked Spore Clone No. 1.
Puff—
Spore Clone No. 1 swung the Ten-Fist Sword, cutting all the arms at once.
However, a black poisonous mist erupted from the severed arms and rushed at Spore Clone No. 1.
"Amaterasu—"
Releasing Susanoo, Spore Clone No. 1 activated Amaterasu with his right eye.
Black flames enveloped the poisonous mist, burning it away instantly.
"Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets—"
Scorpion used the puppet to unseal a scroll.
Hundreds of puppets emerged, armed with various weapons, hovering in the sky.
Densely packed, they rained down and attacked Spore Clone No. 1.
"Amaterasu—"
Spore Clone No. 1 cast Amaterasu again, igniting the incoming puppets.
Wrapped in black flames, the puppets broke free from Scorpion's control and dropped like rain, their metal bodies burned to ashes.
"Magnetic Style: Iron Sand Wings—"
Scorpion, shocked and furious at the destruction of his treasured puppets, manipulated the puppet to sprout wings of iron sand from its shoulders.
The puppet ascended, flapping its wings, releasing iron sand feathers that shot at Spore Clone No. 1.
Swish—
Spore Clone No. 1 dodged, but the iron sand feathers turned midair and resumed their pursuit.
These feathers had tracking capabilities.
"Susanoo—"
Spore Clone No. 1 summoned Susanoo again. The feathers struck Susanoo's barrier but failed to penetrate it.
Then, the Ten-Fist Sword extended a fiery blade upward, striking at the Third Kazekage puppet.
The puppet narrowly evaded by flying higher and behind Susanoo, condensing a giant iron sand spear to pierce from behind.
Crack—
The Ten-Fist Sword slashed backward, splitting the iron sand spear in two and continuing toward the puppet.
The puppet agilely flew higher, escaping the sword's range.
Hovering high above, Scorpion launched another aerial assault.
At that moment—
Spore Clone No. 1 had Susanoo throw him upward.
Susanoo vanished, having depleted its chakra and ocular power, as Spore Clone No. 1 soared near the puppet.
"Amaterasu—"
Black flames engulfed the Third Kazekage puppet.
"Not good!"
Scorpion realized the danger.
He conjured waves of iron sand to extinguish the flames.
But the black fire clung like tar—impossible to peel off.
Bang—
The puppet fell from the sky, consumed by Amaterasu.
Its regeneration core, Scorpion's life essence, was also burned to ashes.
With the core destroyed, Scorpion of the Red Sand perished.
Meanwhile, Hoshigaki Kisame grinned as he charged Spore Clone No. 2.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique—"
A massive shark-shaped torrent surged forward.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique—"
Spore Clone No. 2 countered with the same jutsu.
Two torrents clashed, canceling each other out.
"A Konoha ninja dares use Water Style in front of me?"
Kisame's grin twisted with rage.
"Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave—"
A torrential flood erupted from his mouth, forming a vast lake.
Spore Clone No. 2 leapt high to avoid the flood, but the land below became submerged.
"Water Style: Four Sharks Dance—"
Kisame pressed a hand to the water. Four sharks sprang up, lunging at Spore Clone No. 2.
"Water Style: Water Wall—"
A defensive wall of water surged, blocking the sharks.
"Still using Water Style?"
Kisame grew more furious.
"Water Style: Thousand Hungry Sharks—"
A thousand water sharks materialized, swimming at high speed, surrounding Spore Clone No. 2.
An S-rank jutsu.
"Not just chakra reserves—his Water Style mastery is exceptional."
Spore Clone No. 2 analyzed.
He wasn't provoking Kisame intentionally—his Ice Release, a fusion of Water and Wind Styles, made Water Style his natural affinity.
"Ice Style: Freeze—"
Faced with overwhelming power, Spore Clone No. 2 changed tactics.
Frost radiated from his body, freezing the water beneath and around him.
All the sharks froze solid into a massive block of ice over 100 meters wide.
"Ice Style? You're from the Yuki Clan?! Impossible—how are you with Konoha?"
Kisame was stunned.
"Ice Style: White Whale—"
Spore Clone No. 2 remained silent. A massive icy whale surged forth like a ship, charging at Kisame.
"Water Style: Super Shark Bomb Jutsu—"
Now serious, Kisame summoned a colossal shark to counter the whale.
The shark began absorbing the whale's chakra.
But absorption had limits.
Puff—
The shark shattered.
The weakened whale struck Kisame directly.
Kisame swung his weapon to block, but was blasted back like a cannonball, palms cracked, fingers numb.
"Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave—"
Kisame spewed water, forming a massive spherical prison of water that trapped both of them.
He could breathe in it. The clone could not.
"Ice Style: White Whale—"
Despite the pressure, Spore Clone No. 2 summoned another whale, diving inside it himself.
"Water Style: Super Shark Bomb Jutsu—"
Kisame dodged as the ice whale destroyed his water shark.
This time, the whale missed.
But Spore Clone No. 2 leapt out from the whale.
"Ice Style: Ice Prison—"
A massive cube of ice trapped Kisame midwater.
"Ice Style: Ice Thorns—"
Dozens of jagged ice spikes impaled the prison from all sides, piercing Kisame's body.
His eyes widened. He struggled—but it was futile.
Impaled all over, Hoshigaki Kisame died on the spot.
(End of this chapter)
***
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