Shinobi adept in stealth and assassination know well the dangers of toxins. After everyone used Mizuki's specially-formulated antidote, the situation improved slightly. However, poison's threat is not only in its lethality—it's also in the excruciating pain it causes mid-battle. The damage toxins inflict cannot be reversed quickly. When confronted by powerful enemies, the added pain becomes a liability. Fighting through agonizing injuries magnifies every weakness and can lead to fatal outcomes.
"Heads up—it's coming again…" Hyūga Hiashi warned his team. The Red Sand Scorpion—Sasori—had clearly learned from his previous mistakes. He wouldn't let his guard down again. His enemies weren't helpless; one of them had surprised him earlier with a sudden strike—likely linked to the Rinnegan user. That encounter had been a wake-up call: this group had the means to end both him and Deidara.
Sasori, now cautious, saw his Thousand-Arms technique had failed to eliminate his targets. Shifting tactics, he deployed the puppet of the Third Kazekage and began unleashing his signature Jutsu—Iron Sand. From the puppet's mouth, black sand surged forth, suspended and writhing in midair, reshaping itself constantly.
"Don't engage! Evade!" shouted Hiashi. To him, the puppet of the Third Kazekage—reputed as the strongest Kazekage in history—was no stranger. Wielding Magnet Release: Iron Sand, the Kazekage combined the One-Tail's sand manipulation concepts with his own unique kekkei genkai, creating a lethal offense and defense. The Iron Sand was not only deadly—it corroded weapons, destroyed chakra tools, and was laced with a powerful poison. Its reputation as a shinobi-killer wasn't undeserved.
To neutralize the numerically superior Konoha forces, Sasori unleashed Iron Sand Drizzle, launching countless sand bullets with incredible speed. Without preemptive movement or predictive response, dodging was nearly impossible.
Fortunately, Mizuki's all-purpose antidote bolstered the team's poison resistance, alleviating some fear of Iron Sand's toxins. Still, damage from impact was another issue.
As the iron projectiles rained down, the Konoha six-man team barely dodged in time. Gaara, still weakened, leaned on Temari for support. Though unable to fight now, his recovery under Mizuki's medicine showed promise. While his sand lacked Iron Sand's offensive bite, it could still mitigate some attacks through its origin in the same sand manipulation technique.
Sasori's puppet didn't relent—the barrage continued. The six Konoha shinobi were constantly forced to retreat, zigzagging to avoid being pinned down.
"This can't continue," Hiashi thought grimly. "Under prolonged pressure, someone will slip up."
Though Hiashi had identified Sasori's core—the regenerative cylinder sustaining his puppet body—it was unreachable for now. Delay was the only option. If reinforcements arrived in time, the odds might shift.
Deidara and Sasori, airborne atop a giant clay bird, remained nearly untouchable. Even if Deidara was momentarily weakened, the Kazekage puppet alone controlled the battlefield.
Sasori's Iron Sand techniques also formed potent defenses like the Iron Sand Wall and Iron Sand Shield. The Magnetic Release allowed him to repel enemy shuriken, kunai, or even senbon effortlessly.
Though this was less chaotic than Sasori's previous Performance of a Hundred Puppets, the Kazekage puppet's power compensated for the drop in numbers. Without backup, Konoha's odds were bleak.
"Mizuki, Kurenai—cover me!" Hiashi ordered. "We must bring them down."
Leaving their enemies airborne meant surrendering the initiative. The only viable plan: create an opening for Hinata to strike. Her precise Gentle Fist could paralyze Deidara, grounding him for good.
"This is almost like throwing a kunai to shoot down a plane," Mizuki muttered. "Good thing we're ninja, not bound by logic."
Though reluctant, Mizuki, now supported by Kurenai and Hiashi, prepared to engage. Hinata's combat skill hadn't caught up to her father's expectations, so the burden fell on them. Temari and Gaara were in no condition to help—exhausted and injured.
"I'll take the lead. I'll shield you from the Iron Sand." Mizuki activated his Chakra Shield, uniquely effective against scatter-type attacks like Sasori's.
They advanced under heavy fire. Mizuki, burning through chakra reserves built up via Breath Control Technique, had already used over 70% of his accumulated stores since yesterday. Still, he gritted his teeth and pushed forward.
With chakra shield engaged, Mizuki charged toward the giant clay bird. Kurenai and Hinata flanked him. The rest were left behind—unable to contribute.
"That bird is fast, but not agile," Hiashi assessed. "We close the gap. Mizuki defends, Kurenai—once we're close enough—use Genjutsu to immobilize Deidara. I'll finish him."
"Got it," Mizuki replied. As long as he didn't have to fight in close quarters, he could manage.
...
The chase was brief. Mizuki, despite heavy chakra drain, reached the sky-bound pair. Sasori tried to block them, but Mizuki's speed and deception bought time. Deidara, barely holding control of the bird, struggled to react.
"Now!" shouted Hiashi. He had calculated the optimal striking range with his Byakugan.
Mizuki threw several smoke bombs. Sasori responded with Iron Sand bullets, bursting the bombs midair and engulfing the zone in thick gray clouds.
"Perfect," Mizuki muttered. "I'll go first."
He shot forward, trailing chakra thread-wrapped kunai into the smoke. From Sasori's view, the attackers emerged again—one of them already supposedly incapacitated.
"That silver-haired pest again? Didn't I take care of him?" Sasori scowled. The chakra thread tactic—used by puppeteers—was nothing new to him.
Before the kunai reached, they were deflected by Iron Sand. Mizuki didn't care—he was already in motion, hurling kunai laced with explosive tags.
Sasori split his Iron Sand into offense and defense, attacking Mizuki while shielding the bird.
Then—another figure dashed from the smoke.
"Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion—Naraku Seeing Technique!" Kurenai weaved rapid seals and cast her illusion. Deidara, mentally fragile and low on chakra, instantly succumbed. His eyes widened with horror at the hallucinations.
Sasori, sensing Deidara's distress, prepared to infuse chakra and cancel the Genjutsu.
Mizuki pressed forward, shielding against Iron Sand with chakra. One of his thrown explosive-tagged kunai finally hit the sand shield.
"Explosives aren't Deidara's monopoly," Mizuki smirked.
BOOM. The clone exploded violently, shaking the air. Deidara and Sasori flinched under the blast. Hiashi, reading their movements with Byakugan, saw his opening.
"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"
The smoke cloaked his stance. The chakra pulse struck Deidara square in the abdomen, cutting off his chakra flow. The bomber tumbled from the bird.
"That's a hit!" someone shouted.
"Kurenai, fall back!" Mizuki yelled.
Kurenai had exposed herself to get close enough for her Genjutsu. Mizuki's clone—her shield—was gone. And he himself remained beside Hiashi.
Too late.
The explosion smoke hid another Iron Sand Drizzle. Kurenai barely avoided a fatal hit—but a projectile struck her hard. She cried out and crashed.
Mizuki bolted forward in alarm—his comrade had fallen.
Visit patreon.com/Morgansenpai to get 30+ chapters