Sasori studied his opponent, who stood tense and battle-ready. He guided Hiruko to a slow halt about ten meters away.
"Looks like I got it right."
Ephemeral didn't respond, but the chakra swirling around him was answer enough—violent and ominous, sending a faint chill through Sasori.
A combat-ready jinchuriki was indeed far more challenging than the One-Tail jinchuriki he and Saitama had once worked together to pursue.
A matured jinchuriki could tap into the tailed beast's power and wield it as their own, making them extremely troublesome.
"Are you from Akatsuki?"
Ephemeral frowned, twirling the flute-like weapon between his fingers. At the first sign of danger, he would strike without hesitation.
"Oh? So you're not completely clueless after all. You actually know who I am…"
Sasori's voice rasped, like an old man speaking through thick phlegm.
"Since you know who I am, then you should already understand my purpose, shouldn't you?"
From beneath Hiruko's body, a massive metal tail slowly emerged with a "clinking" sound.
It gleamed a silvery white, yet shimmered faintly with an eerie purplish sheen in the sunlight.
Ephemeral narrowed his eyes. Anyone capable of poisoning an entire village unnoticed was clearly a master of toxins—he needed to stay sharp.
"Surrender now, and maybe I'll go easy on you… Not that you have a choice."
Kaboom!
Before Sasori could finish speaking, Ephemeral launched his attack.
He clamped the weapon between his teeth and spat out countless small bubbles straight at Sasori.
The bubbles moved at blinding speed. In an instant, they reached Hiruko and exploded all at once.
Sizzle!
Sasori swung the tail forward to block. The explosion sent him flying backward with tremendous force.
"It seems you've chosen a rather unwise path…"
His voice turned cold and sinister, instantly raising goosebumps on the skin of anyone who heard it.
Fwoosh!
The tail stabbed into the ground, halting Sasori's retreat.
[Hiruko – Storm of Deathly Needles!]
With a loud *click*, Hiruko opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of densely packed black poison needles and spikes toward Ephemeral.
They shot forward with terrifying speed, covering most of the battlefield in moments—a dark storm descending like a deadly sky upon Ephemeral.
Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
The moment the piercing whistles filled the air, Ephemeral sprang into action.
Once again, he gripped the weapon between his teeth. As chakra surged, a thicker, darker bubble formed around him, instantly enveloping his body.
Fshhh! Fshhh! Fshhh!
The poison needles struck the bubble, their speed drastically reduced. Though they managed to pierce a short distance inward, they failed to break through the seemingly fragile shield.
Sizzle!
Seeing that his defense held, Ephemeral immediately leaped backward to create distance.
However, he was fast—Sasori was even faster.
The moment Sasori fired his poison needles, he immediately closed the distance.
He didn't think such a simple attack could take down Ephemeral, who looked surprisingly young for a jinchuriki.
"Swish!"
"Scorching Maw of Hiruko – Tail Spike!"
A silvery tail gleamed under the warm sunlight, radiating bone-chilling coldness as it pierced toward the bubble surrounding Ephemeral.
"Puff!"
The bubble burst. The tail kept going, aiming straight at Ephemeral's exposed chest.
Ephemeral's pupils constricted. He leaned back to dodge, trying to create some distance.
But it was useless. Sasori had already predicted his movements and dodging angles.
The situation quickly turned dangerous—the enemy's ninja tools were surely smeared with deadly poison. Ephemeral dared not risk blocking directly with his body.
Even though he was a jinchuriki with immense regeneration and high poison resistance, his opponent was definitely no ordinary foe.
[Ninjutsu – Chi-Rou-Kyu!]
Leaning back, he realized he had no choice but to strike back—falling into a standoff was bad enough; losing his life was worse.
He inflated his throat, locked eyes on the tail already half a meter away, then spat out a thick, dark liquid.
It was grayish, like phlegm—but strangely, it didn't look repulsive at all.
"Zizzz!"
The corrosive fluid splattered onto Hiruko's tail instantly, sending up puffs of white steam as the metal surface began to erode with an audible sizzling sound.
And that wasn't all—it continued past the tail, heading straight for Hiruko's core body.
"Hmm," Sasori muttered, clearly surprised. Just as I thought—this jinchuriki has some unnatural ability.
So this highly corrosive liquid must be one of Six-Tails' signature techniques!
Unfazed, he retracted the tail and raised it in front just in time.
This acid was powerful. Even though the tail was made of specially treated metal, the acid still corroded it.
Hiruko's main body, designed for greater mobility, used only aged wooden materials. Though somewhat durable, they wouldn't withstand such an acidic assault.
Therefore, he had no choice but to withdraw the attack to protect himself.
"Zizzz!"
The tail blocked most of the acid, but some droplets still landed on Hiruko's body, burning holes through the black robes adorned with red clouds, emitting continuous wisps of white smoke.
Still, only a small amount had landed—hardly enough to cause any real harm to Sasori.
[Water Release: Bubble Technique!]
Having spat out the acid and countered Sasori's attack, Ephemeral wasted no time launching another ninjutsu.
On the other side, Sasori glanced at his tail, noticing countless craters now marred its previously shiny surface, leaving it rough and damaged.
All because of that earlier acid.
"Hmph. Looks like I'll have to bring out some real skill now."
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
More yellow bubbles rapidly approached. Without hesitation, Sasori maneuvered the tail forward to intercept them head-on.
"Gooom! Gooom!"
The bubbles detonated. This time, the explosions were even more intense—but entirely expected.
"Shwaa!"
A violent explosion erupted, enveloping Sasori in a thick cloud of smoke.
"Did I hit him?"
Ephemeral stood just outside the blast zone, squinting through the haze.
Still keeping the flute—his weapon—pressed to his lips, Ephemeral stayed alert, showing no signs of letting up.
The enemy belonged to a mysterious organization. Although he himself was a jinchuriki with natural advantages, he absolutely couldn't underestimate these ninjas who dared target the tailed beasts!
"Hoo!"
A gust of wind blew through, scattering the smoke and revealing what lay inside.
A broken tail lay cracked and scorched black on the ground.
Ephemeral fixed his gaze on the enemy's main body, spotting the turtle-like figure crouched motionlessly on the floor, its clothing ragged and torn.
"That's..."
He noticed the body beneath the clothes—it had an extremely unnatural skin tone, almost like wood...
"Puff!"
Just as he hesitated, the figure standing there exploded, and a new form leapt out from within.
"So... this is the real you after all!"
Vivid red hair, bright and striking, paired with a handsome young face.
Ephemeral narrowed his eyes—this enemy looked surprisingly young—probably around his own age!
"You seem quite shocked… Six-Tails Jinchuriki!"
Sasori's voice changed, now matching the youthfulness of this new appearance—clear and youthful.
Indeed, his appearance was highly deceptive; at first glance, he could easily pass for some harmless neighborhood kid.
As Sasori spoke, he slowly raised his left hand, revealing a scroll marked with a large crimson character: [Shoku! "Purple!"]
Ephemeral eyed Sasori and suppressed his surprise—he hadn't forgotten he was still in battle. And this enemy clearly wasn't harmless.
He noticed something else—the nails were painted with flashy nail polish, the color matching his vivid red hair—an eerie, almost unnatural shade.
On the little finger of his left hand sat a ring embedded with a large gemstone.
Etched onto that ring was a single engraved word: "Tama."
"Is that their organization's code?" Ephemeral speculated boldly.
From the brief exchange earlier, he had already begun to grasp some of the enemy's techniques.
This opponent was a puppet master from Sunagakure's special ninja branch.
That earlier puppet, which had given him trouble, was likely just a disguise the enemy normally used.
"A puppet sealed inside the scroll too?"
Ephemeral watched the scroll in Sasori's left hand carefully, growing more alert.
In these few seconds, he was also searching his mind for any information about this enemy.
A puppet master, rogue ninja from Suna…
Though Ephemeral wasn't very old, he possessed considerable intelligence.
Looking at the youthful face before him, he frowned.
After thinking it over, one name surfaced in his mind.
But the ages didn't match! This enemy looked his own age—surely couldn't be the legendary puppet master he remembered—the genius who vanished when he himself was still a child: [Sasori of the Red Sand]!
Could this be another emerging puppet prodigy?
Ephemeral's back muscles tensed as chakra surged outward from all over his body.
He decided to step it up and take down the enemy fast!
Though he was alone, his opponent might not be just one. He had confidence in a one-on-one fight, but handling multiple powerful ninja at once was impossible.
"Zzzzt!"
Chakra burst from his body—some forming into a chakra cloak clinging to his surface, others transforming into bubbles constantly rising upward...
Ephemeral's aura began shifting. His face twisted into something terrifying and monstrous.
"Roar!"
He let out a beast-like roar toward Sasori in the distance.
"Shhhk!"
A grayish-white tail streaked with traces of blue patterns extended from his lower back and swayed violently behind him.
"This is Tailed Beast transformation... interesting!"
This was Sasori's first encounter with a Jinchuriki. Last time when targeting the One-Tail, since it was only a small child, there hadn't been much resistance—not even a complete Tailed Beast transformation.
But now, this Six-Tails Jinchuriki was already an extremely strong ninja. After transformation, his combat power would definitely double!
"Pop!"
With a snap of his thumb against the scroll in hand, the scroll instantly unfurled with a "swish!" sound, while Sasori himself revealed a devilishly charming smile.
Wild and sinister—that was exactly what Sasori was right now.
"This is the puppet I've spent the most time making so far! He's somewhat special..."
Sasori paused here, then smiled toward Ephemeral.
"Because he used to be a Jinchuriki too..."
"Boom!"
White smoke exploded from the scroll, revealing a towering figure with a red and purple body standing before Sasori. Muscular frame, full beard—these were the features of this puppet.
"Swish!"
The puppet opened its eyes, displaying two pitch-black emotionless pupils.
It was just a puppet—a Ninja Tool of the Puppet Master, a weapon designed to kill!
"I think you two will definitely have plenty in common!"
Sasori's voice carried a chilling tone. As he spoke, Roshi's body—now a puppet—began emitting red bubbles from all over.
Ephemeral's expression changed as he looked at the puppet blocking his path.
A powerful aura surged from the puppet's body.
Accompanying it was an intense heat that made him feel uneasy.
"Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi?"
Ephemeral narrowed his eyes. In the intelligence he possessed, he knew the Four-Tails Jinchuriki had been attacked by the Mysterious Organization and gone missing.
Now Roshi appeared before him like this, causing his expression to darken.
Being a Jinchuriki himself, he naturally felt sympathy for Roshi—yet now the latter had directly been turned into a puppet by the enemy.
"If they capture me... will I end up like this too?"
His heart sank. The surrounding chakra grew more turbulent; the tail behind him swung even more forcefully and rapidly!
"Tssk!"
A red liquid drop fell from Roshi's body onto the ground, immediately creating a small crater.
"Even though he has been separated from his Tailed Beast, as a former Jinchuriki, the remnants of Tailed Beast chakra still remain within his body."
"Now, with the Kekkei Genkai I preserved when crafting this puppet, he possesses astonishing destructive power!"
"You're only the second person to see him in action!"
Sasori took a step sideways, revealing half of his body. Ten thin fingers adorned with pale blue chakra threads connected him directly to Roshi.
"Crack!"
Roshi slowly bent forward. His body was already formidable; years as a jinchuriki had reshaped him into something almost inhuman. Yet Sasori wasn't satisfied. To increase Roshi's combat effectiveness, he'd further modified and strengthened his body, making it even more suited for his control.
"I wonder," Sasori called out, "how your living jinchuriki compares to my puppet!"
He flicked his fingers with practiced ease — and Roshi burst into motion, radiating even more red chakra.
"A whoosh of air stirred the dust as Roshi vanished from his spot, leaving only a deep footprint behind."
"So fast!"
Ephemeral narrowed his eyes. A grayish-white chakra instantly wrapped around his right arm.
"Boom!"
Roshi reappeared suddenly, throwing an enormous fist forward, coated in red molten liquid.
"The sickening crunch of breaking bones echoed as Ephemeral's arm collided with Roshi's punch."
"Boom!"
After one punch came a kick. Under Sasori's manipulation, Roshi drove his foot fiercely into Ephemeral's chest.
Unprepared and unable to effectively block, Ephemeral went flying like a cannonball.
[Lava Release - Blazing Stream of Magma!]
Not stopping there, the instant Roshi sent Ephemeral flying, Sasori had Roshi unleash another attack — leaving no time to recover.
"Boom!"
Roshi opened his mouth wide and spat out a fiery ball of magma chasing after Ephemeral mid-air.
Intense waves of heat surged outward.
"Damn it!"
While airborne, Ephemeral used his tail to stabilize himself.
Seeing Roshi unleash a ninjutsu against him, he quickly pressed both hands together at his chest.
[Acid Flowing River!]
His tail acted like a flexible limb, anchoring him to the ground. Meanwhile, he sucked in his chest and opened his mouth wide, spewing forth a wave-like torrent of fluid.
"Sizzle!"
One stream glowed red-hot with molten heat, the other spewed forth as a corrosive white acid.
Upon impact, they erupted with incredible force, sending clouds of steam bursting outward in all directions.
"Hm!"
Sasori squinted through the thick steam created by the clashing techniques, momentarily losing sight of his enemy. With nimble finger movements, he pulled Roshi in front of him — though short in stature, having Roshi stand before him made for the best shield.
Eyes locked in that direction, Sasori remained alert for any sudden counterattack from his enemy.
"Heh…heh!"
Heavy breathing echoed through the steam. Controlling Roshi, Sasori urged him forward one step.
Soon, Ephemeral's silhouette emerged, hunched over and visibly battered.
Despite being a Jinchuriki, he was still young and lacked full control over the Tailed Beast's power.
Plus, his opponent was Roshi — once a Jinchuriki himself, and still holding onto traces of the Tailed Beast's chakra.
Compared to this rookie Jinchuriki, Roshi knew exactly how to use that power like a pro.
Ephemeral gasped for breath, his chest heaving like a bellows in full swing.
He struggled against Roshi's Lava Release; that intense heat seemed to suppress his acidic attacks.
But with his powerful regeneration, he quickly recovered.
His face remained serious, his brows knitted together, looking hesitant and conflicted.
In his current state, victory over the enemy seemed unlikely...
"It looks like my puppet is still stronger!"
Sasori raised both hands, and Roshi resumed his attack stance. His pitch-black, lifeless eyes locked onto Ephemeral.
"Zzzzzz!"
Red-hot magma poured from Roshi's body like water, instantly engulfing him.
[Lava Release — Chakra Mode!]
Sasori playfully stuck out his tongue, like a mischievous child brandishing a cherished toy, eager to show off whose was more impressive.
"Don't be in such a hurry — soon enough, you'll join my collection just like him."
"This is true art — beauty that will bloom on you forever!"
Sasori stared at Ephemeral, a hungry gleam flashing in his eyes.
A Jinchuriki's body was fascinating — indeed, the perfect material for [Human Puppets].
These bodies not only had exceptional durability but also retained certain unique abilities from their time bonded with the Tailed Beasts.
With Roshi as an example, Sasori found Ephemeral even more intriguing!
Of course, there were different types of Jinchuriki bodies.
One type, like Roshi's, inherited many special abilities from the Tailed Beast. Another, like Yugito Nii — the Two-Tails Jinchuriki — became nearly useless once the Tailed Beast was removed. And the third type possessed powers but had physical constitutions unsuitable for puppet conversion — such as Gaara and Fu, who were still children.
Ephemeral, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, clearly belonged to the first category!
He had inherited the Tailed Beast's special abilities, and his physical maturity made him an ideal candidate...
"You want to turn me into a Human Puppet too?"
Ephemeral locked eyes with Sasori, his gaze turning colder as the wild chakra around him surged violently.
The Half-Tailed Beast Transformation wasn't enough against Roshi anymore — he was going all out!
"Boom!"
Roshi bent his knees and launched himself toward Ephemeral. Controlled by Sasori, his movements were extremely agile and unpredictable.
This time, instead of dodging, Ephemeral solidified his surrounding beastly cloak, condensing it before charging head-on at Roshi.
Behind him, two tails swayed furiously while a third slowly extended, gradually emerging from his back.
"Roar!"
Ephemeral roared furiously — the beastly cloak exploded outward, and behind him, the tails transformed into weapons, shooting straight toward Roshi.
His tails, originally grayish-white, now carried a darker hue and appeared extremely rigid.
"Hiss!"
Roshi dodged a sweeping tail strike, and this time immediately grabbed one of Ephemeral's tails in an embrace.
"Hmm?"
Ephemeral's eyes narrowed. At this moment, as he was about to enter the Three-Tails transformation, his consciousness had already become somewhat hazy.
"Sizzle!"
Roshi was completely wrapped in scorching magma from head to toe — this was his ultimate technique, a devastating tool for close-quarters combat.
A nightmare for every hand-to-hand ninja.
The heat of the magma was unbearable for flesh.
The captured tail emitted white smoke. Although it was merely a physical manifestation of chakra, it still smelled burnt just like real flesh.
"ROAR!"
Ephemeral's eyes turned red, and his final trace of awareness slowly faded into darkness.
He let out a truly beastly roar — devoid of all human emotion, filled solely with slaughter and brutality.
"Tearing sound!"
Roshi's magma surged violently outward. With both hands gripping that tail tightly, he forcibly tore off the chakra-formed appendage.
"Boom!"
Sasori smiled slightly, watching Ephemeral gradually fall into complete frenzy.
"Now things are getting interesting! Perfect..."
Something came to mind, and a strange gleam flickered through his eyes.
Roshi discarded the grayish-white tail in his hand, letting it vanish into the air while dissipating into threads of chakra.
"So this is the Six-Tails' complete form... why does it resemble a... slimy creature so closely?"
Sasori gazed toward the direction where Ephemeral, now partially transformed into the Six-Tails, was slowly revealing his true form.
"Shhh!"
In his Six-Tailed state, Ephemeral struggled to remain conscious. If this had occurred during the time remembered by Saitama, he might have retained some self-awareness even now. But this transformation had come several years earlier than expected!
Ephemeral — or rather, the Six-Tails — opened his jaws wide at Roshi and Sasori, letting out a menacing "Hiss!"
"Just let me see how far my Human Puppets have come when compared against the strongest weapon in this world!"
Watching the Six-Tail's form, Sasori showed no fear whatsoever, his eyes instead swirling with a mad light.
Of course, he wasn't foolish — he knew full well that this Six-Tails couldn't possibly be displaying its full strength right now.
After all, it was still within the jinchuriki's body. Sasori could clearly see that circling the beast's pale-gray body, faintly tinged with blue, were some glowing runes.
Those were the runes of the sealing technique that bound the Tailed Beast — chains that restricted its freedom.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
At Sasori's command, Roshi unleashed every last bit of chakra within him at once. The magma spread outward like a river from beneath his feet, covering the surroundings.
"Now I'll test the limits of my Human Puppets!
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