"Heh heh heh, truly worthy of being Kazuyama's disciple."
"The puppeteer's been forced into close quarters. How will you break this, Kabuto-san?"
From within the serpent sphere, Orochimaru's voice carried a playful tone.
But his expression quickly hardened once he realized what was really happening.
Kabuto, even while locked in melee, showed no sign of panic. His entire body was pitch black, and a pair of blades extended from each arm. With astonishing speed, he pulled the Third Kazekage and Kakuzu close to his side, using both puppets and his own body to forcibly withstand the ambush squad's attacks.
"Hmph! Did you really think close combat would scare me?"
"A puppeteer at the peak has no weaknesses!"
Kabuto ripped away his damaged clothing, revealing his puppet body.
"Just elemental techniques—you think I don't have them?"
As the ambush squad's expressions grew more serious, Kabuto lifted his arms with a series of sharp clicks. Under their gaze, his hands shifted once again. His original hands vanished, replaced by two cannon barrels. At the same time, several scrolls floated up behind him and rapidly attached themselves to his arms.
As though charging up, with each scroll locking in place,
Kabuto's attack activated.
A violent surge of chakra erupted instantly.
"Fall back!"
Uchiha Shisui barked the order, and the four scattered in different directions without hesitation.
Kabuto's attack resembled the giant puppets' earlier assault, but the chakra packed into it was far more terrifying. Worse yet, the projectiles tracked their targets—each arm fired two blasts, four in total, each chasing one of them.
"Trying to run? Or hide?"
"Too bad. Neither option exists with me!"
"Earth Grudge Fear! Iron Sand Rain!"
His hands might not move, but he didn't rely on them to control puppets anyway.
His puppet body was the source of everything. The black tendrils and Iron Sand burst forth together—Iron Sand from the sky, tendrils from the ground.
In that moment, Kabuto looked like a demon god manipulating the battlefield itself.
"He's this troublesome?!"
"Kamui!"
Obito, irritated by the pursuit, immediately activated his Mangekyō Sharingan. He spun sharply, using the eye's power to swallow the chakra projectile completely. Then, looking toward the others, he activated Kamui three more times in succession, warping away the remaining blasts.
"Thanks, Obito."
"Hmph! Just finish him already—I'm going to puke!"
"Fire Release: Storm Frenzy!"
Obito ignored their thanks, venting his frustration toward Kabuto before launching an attack with his Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Fair enough. In that case, I won't hold back either."
"Lightning Release: Boundary Sever!"
Breaking free from pursuit, Kakashi formed three hand seals—the ones for Raikiri—but instead of performing the technique, he gathered chakra into both hands.
Lightning surged outward the next moment, connecting like a grid as it enveloped his entire body.
Bolts raced across his muscles.
Boom!
With lightning coursing through him, Kakashi's body surged with power, his physique hardened to its utmost limit—like the Fourth Raikage himself.
"Lightning Release: Thunder Fist!"
Their counterattack erupted. Kakashi and Obito struck first, Shisui and Itachi immediately following.
All four launched another offensive, fiercer than before.
Kabuto responded as well—firing chakra cannonballs continuously, Iron Sand forming into colossal masses—but none of it could stop Kakashi at full output. Facing both the cannonballs and the Iron Sand, he didn't even hesitate. Thunder rippled from his fists, and he shattered each projectile with a single punch.
Not far away, Orochimaru continued watching. The serpent sphere around him had finally dispersed—the toxic mist had nearly dissipated.
"I must admit, Kabuto truly has pushed Puppet Technique to a height few can reach."
"But that's all it is—false artistry."
Just as he spoke, the space beside him warped. In the next moment, a loud voice burst out beside him.
"Holy crap! He's a damn Blue Punch incarnate!"
"This kid… he's going off the rails."
Orochimaru knew that voice far too well. He wasn't surprised at all. But when he turned around, the words he meant to say froze in his throat.
Because the Kazuyama Gekkō standing before him—though still recognizable—was undeniably different.
"Sensei, what's with that face?"
"So? Aren't I looking more handsome now?"
Kazuyama Gekkō grinned, shamelessly praising himself as he looked at his teacher.
Orochimaru didn't respond. He simply stared at him intently.
Only after a long silence did he speak.
"Kazuyama-kun… you've changed. You're not the same anymore."
"Oh? Really? I feel that way too. I did just go through something rather unusual."
Kazuyama didn't deny it.
He had fully absorbed the Six Paths Yin-Yang power.
With the system's help, he had forged a Sage Body entirely different from the one created by the Rikudō Sennin.
"Sensei, do you think the four of them can take down Kabuto?"
"They should. They're all your top disciples—exceptionally strong. Especially Kakashi and Obito Uchiha. Both have already reached Kage level."
Kazuyama nodded. He knew well how strong the four were.
Unfortunately, their opponent no longer followed the logic of ordinary shinobi.
"Sensei, after studying Sasori of the Red Sand for so long, you still haven't uncovered the mysteries of their puppet bodies?"
"No chance."
Orochimaru shot him a glare as if saying: Watch your mouth. I am Orochimaru.
"The chakra core acts as the power source, producing chakra endlessly and making puppet control easier."
"It's a refined craft. Thanks to it, my mecha is already under construction."
Puppets and mechs—at their core—weren't so different. They were both external constructs, and for Orochimaru, not particularly alluring.
But for Kazuyama, that wasn't the case. His eyes lit up immediately.
"The mecha is almost done?"
"Then I want to test it first! I knew you could do it, Sensei!"
"But let's watch a bit longer. Those four haven't experienced enough setbacks since they debuted. Once they're beaten down enough…"
"This battle should end."
Kazuyama's smile faded. He swept his gaze across the puppet-filled battlefield.
"Too many. Too noisy. Let's clear things up."
Snap.
In the next instant, Kazuyama lifted his right hand and snapped his fingers.