"Shhh!"
Saitama accelerated rapidly—already closing in, he could clearly sense the tailed beast's rampaging chakra.
As for Sasori, due to the "Regenerating Core," he couldn't directly perceive his chakra fluctuations.
However, from the faint sounds coming from that direction, Sasori should still be fighting with the Six-Tails—the specific situation remained unknown.
Sasori's abilities would still play an extremely important role in future battles, capable of applying significant pressure.
Puppets didn't seem overwhelmingly powerful at first glance—but they weren't helpless either.
If the opponents were Genin or Chunin, puppets would become their nightmares—unmatched, terrifying presences.
With no sense of pain and employing ruthlessly vicious techniques.
With limited offensive capabilities, ordinary ninja would find it difficult to counterattack successfully.
...
"Boom!"
The twin spiral blades behind Sasori shifted slightly as his right hand grabbed a steel chain extending from his abdomen.
Coated in toxic liquid, the chain dripped purple venom onto the ground as he pulled.
"This is getting troublesome!"
Sasori glanced down at the Six-Tails confronting him, feeling somewhat uncertain.
Yet quickly, he noticed something unusual—the tailed beast's chakra across its entire body seemed unstable, showing signs of collapse.
"Roar!"
The Six-Tails spat a thick stream of acid toward the bottom of the crater where Sasori stood. The acid moved fast, instantly reaching him—but Sasori dodged effortlessly.
"What is this...?"
Eyes lighting up, Sasori caught a glimpse of a turning point!
The Six-Tails' chakra visibly shrank, retreating into its body. A human silhouette flickered within, as if the Jinchuriki was struggling to reclaim control from the beast.
"Did the sealing technique suppressing the Tailed Beast activate?"
Sasori narrowed his eyes but didn't stop moving.
His left hand reached behind, pulling out a Scroll which he inserted into a mechanism connected to his body. With steady steps, he advanced toward the Six-Tails, whose condition appeared abnormal.
A glint of killing intent flashed in his eyes as he leaped high into the air without hesitation.
He spread his arms wide, palms facing the Six-Tails frozen in place. As he did, small openings formed in his palms, revealing dark metallic tubes flashing briefly within.
"Pfft! Pfft!"
Flames suddenly erupted. A cruel smile curled Sasori's lips.
[Scroll: Yan Di Wu Zhen!]
"Boom! Boom!"
Fiery torrents erupted from both palms, fan-like bursts engulfing the Six-Tails entirely.
"Burn—to hell with you!"
Fixing his gaze on the shape-shifting beast, Sasori intensified the flames, unleashing them directly.
Now that the tailed beast was off balance, it was time to strike hard!
He didn't bother figuring out exactly what was happening to his target, only pouring more chakra relentlessly.
He wasn't worried about killing both the beast and its Jinchuriki immediately—their combined resilience was astounding. This kind of damage wouldn't finish them off easily...
"Hiss!"
The enemy let out a roar in its half-beast, half-human form. Flames crackled and popped as if heated oil were bursting inside them.
"Shhh!"
From within the flames, several tails lashed out, slamming toward Sasori. But they were weak and slow—nowhere near the power or speed from before.
"Hehe..."
Sasori sidestepped easily, instantly vacating his original position. Still, the flames pouring from both his hands kept coming strong.
Now, he looked like a steel-hearted warrior armed with dual flamethrowers, battling a monstrous beast.
The temperature of these flames was extremely high, capable of melting rock and metal.
Furthermore, since they were directly controlled by Sasori's own body, the flames were especially concentrated—falling entirely upon the Six-Tails.
"Hiss!"
After a long time, the Six-Tails finally cried out, sounding like it was wailing in pain, after which there was silence.
He exhaled deeply.
A flicker of fatigue passed through Sasori's eyes. Activating the Flame Scroll consumed chakra continuously, all supplied by his Regenerating Core.
Previous battles had drained him greatly—first controlling Roshi, then manipulating the Third Kazekage. Now, expending such intense chakra usage made him feel somewhat depleted internally.
Luckily, the target seemed to be dealt with?
Sasori kept his arms raised without immediately lowering them, though the flames shooting from his palms gradually weakened until they finally extinguished.
At the center where the flames had burned, the target no longer moved, appearing completely incapable of resistance.
Although Sasori didn't know exactly what had gone wrong with the Six-Tails just now, the unexpected situation clearly worked in his favor—and that was good enough!
The enormous body of the tailed beast had vanished, replaced at the center of the fire by the Six-Tails' jinchuriki emitting wisps of white smoke.
Sasori maintained his posture, not acting rashly. Slowly waiting for the surrounding flames to die down completely, he prepared to step forward.
The tailed beast had once again returned into the jinchuriki, who, due to chakra exhaustion and injuries, had fallen unconscious.
Seemingly, this mission of his had been completed?
Slowly lowering his arms, mechanical sounds emanated from Sasori's body. After adjusting slightly, he began walking toward where the jinchuriki lay.
It was time to reap the fruits of victory!
This thought crossed his mind—once this mission was done, he intended to spare some extra time to handle something he had wanted to do for quite a while.
Tap tap tap!
Ephemeral's ears twitched slightly from a blind spot behind Sasori.
Yet his body displayed absolutely no reaction, remaining utterly still like a corpse lying there.
Meanwhile, within his inner world, a battle was raging.
"This is my body—don't even think about rebelling against me or seizing control of it!"
Ephemeral stared at the massive Six-Tails Katsuyu before him, deliberately enunciating every word.
Before him, the Six-Tails Saiken's beast form was wrapped layer upon layer in sealing techniques, trapped in a paralyzed state.
This was another Sealing Technique formation he had just discovered within his subconscious—the internal domain where tailed beasts were imprisoned—while temporarily losing consciousness.
Apparently, it had been a backup measure carved painstakingly into place long ago by his mentor Chiyo, specifically to prevent any future rebellion of the tailed beast.
Only when the Tailed Beast tears through its current binding seal does the deeper layer emerge — re-imposing the original restrictions even stronger than before!
"Master..."
Ephemeral stared at the Six-Tails, tightly bound in place and surrounded by numerous powerful seals. A nostalgic look flickered in his eyes.
He increasingly regretted killing his master back then — it had been a terrible mistake!
How could someone who cared so deeply for him ever intend to kill him? Yet at that time, his master had tried to extract the Tailed Beast from inside him — an act that would have surely resulted in his death as the Jinchuriki!
This paradox haunted him endlessly.
"You foolish human!"
The Six-Tails spoke, its voice filled with rage at being bound once more, its tone harsh and unfriendly.
Among the Tailed Beasts, it was considered relatively gentle by nature. However, years of imprisonment and loss of freedom had gradually twisted it into something cruel.
"Now the enemy stands right before you! Only by wielding my power can you defeat him! You foolish human!"
As the Six-Tails spoke, acidic liquid sprayed from its mouth, splattering around it. But upon contact with the surrounding black talismans, the acid fizzled out before reaching Ephemeral.
"I understand, but your power can only be borrowed — not fully unleashed. This body must remain under my control!"
Ephemeral lifted his head, meeting the Six-Tails' gaze with firm determination.
"Hmph! Human!"
The Six-Tails raised its head high. Its antennae twitched, extending and retracting rhythmically, as though processing something deep within its mind.
Seeing the Six-Tails calm slightly, Ephemeral cautiously stepped forward, entering the range of the seal where he could now tap into its power.
A silent agreement had already been reached between them.
"Goo-goo-goo!"
A ring of eerie-colored chakra began rising from beneath Ephemeral's feet, coiling upward around him.
At first, pain flashed across his face, but he quickly adjusted, his expression softening as if savoring the transformation this chakra brought. Soon, his aura grew even more immense and intimidating.
His previously emaciated frame visibly swelled with newfound strength.
"Clomp clomp clomp!"
Sasori's footsteps drew closer, yet Ephemeral lay completely still, showing no reaction whatsoever.
From Sasori's perspective, his target's upper garments were already completely burned away. The skin on his body had been scorched by Sasori's flames earlier, revealing large areas of raw flesh mixed with charred tissue.
Although the wounds were slowly healing thanks to the Tailed Beast's influence, they still looked horrifying.
*THUD!*
Sasori stopped directly in front of Ephemeral. His prey remained motionless — like a helpless fish on the chopping block.
"Hehe! Mission completed..."
A smirk curled across Sasori's lips, satisfaction evident on his face.
After all, despite facing a Jinchuriki, he had ultimately won this battle!
But before he could finish speaking, Sasori's eyes suddenly narrowed. He tried to leap backward in alarm, yet the sudden turn of events left him unable to react in time...
"Boom!"
A fist wrapped in Red Chakra slammed into his chest in an instant, catching him completely off guard!
"Boom!"
Sasori's figure immediately flew backward, and his chest shattered open, revealing the mechanical skeleton underneath with a gaping hole exposing its internal components!
"This is..."
Still airborne, Sasori looked toward his slowly rising target with a grim expression.
He had barely managed to shift his "Regenerating Core" away from the punch at the last moment, allowing the strike to land on another part of his body—avoiding fatal damage!
His eyes narrowed. Behind him, the Spiral Blades began to rotate, while the Steel Chains shot from his abdomen and embedded themselves into the ground.
Clang!
The chains tightened, halting his backward flight midair.
Grabbing the chain and sliding down, he used its tension to pull himself back to the ground, landing in a half-kneeling position.
"That move was meant to draw me in for close combat? I guess I underestimated you after all."
Sasori slightly lifted his head, looking toward Ephemeral with green liquid dripping from the corner of his mouth.
He hadn't fought anyone with a Jinchuriki's abilities before, so initially, he had treated the opponent as a Ninja.
Though Sasori had already held Ephemeral in high regard, this battle still surprised him more than once.
His chest bore heavy damage from the attack, yet although some parts were damaged, they wouldn't hinder his fighting capability because of the special materials used during his construction.
"So, is this the true power of the Tailed Beasts?"
Ephemeral uncomfortably raised his arm. He had just reached an agreement with the Six-Tails.
Control over his own body must remain his, but he could share his senses with the beast, letting it experience the outside world through his five senses rather than remaining sealed away in eternal darkness.
Though he'd borrowed the Six-Tails' strength before, the beast claimed that those chakra leaks were just byproducts of suppression—nothing compared to the freely given power now surging through him!
Ephemeral felt exactly the same; he could personally feel the difference in power as its wielder.
His eyes flickered with red light as he stared at Sasori ahead.
Right now, he felt even more confident about this battle!
Thud!
He took one step forward, instantly closing the distance of over ten meters, appearing right before his enemy.
[Boom!]
His leg radiated Six-Tails' Chakra — a crimson hue mixed with milky white.
This kick struck the arms Sasori desperately raised in defense.
Zzzzt!
Before Sasori could react, the target appeared suddenly in front of him. With no time to respond properly, he could only raise his arms defensively.
Crack!
A loud sound echoed as his arms took the impact. Even the incredibly durable material cracked under the force!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sasori tumbled continuously from the impact, rolling once again into the deep crater created earlier by the Tailed Beast Ball!
Smash! His body slammed against the rocky wall, finally stopping his rolling motion.
And Ephemeral did not attack during this entire time.
Looks like the tide of this fight is turning!
Ephemeral appeared at the edge of the crater, smirking down mockingly at Sasori below, who now looked somewhat disheveled.
Previously, he had been constantly overwhelmed by Sasori, nearly losing his own consciousness entirely within the Six-Tails' power.
But fortunately, the last sealing technique placed by his teacher pulled his consciousness back.
"Hehe... Looks like I was underestimated!"
Sasori's expression remained indifferent as he slowly and mechanically stood up, eyes cold and emotionless.
This Jinchuriki kid dared speak to him in such a tone!
"To be underestimated by a brat like you—it's truly annoying! Let me show you what it means to have the might of an entire nation within one man! The power of the Puppet Master is beyond your imagination!"
"Puppets are the most beautiful form of art in the Shinobi World!"
"Tch!"
Sasori pulled out a scroll, his expression turning slightly deranged, his voice no longer quite normal.
"The Puppet Master *is* an army of puppets. Witness my masterpiece!"
Ephemeral looked puzzled as he observed the battered Sasori. The powerful puppet that had previously overwhelmed him lay there broken and tattered, next to another puppet cloaked in a black robe, also shattered into pieces.
These strong puppets had already been destroyed by the Six-Tails before—what did he still have left?
Thinking this, Ephemeral gathered his Tailed Beast Chakra once more, while the Six-Tails urged him inside his mind to finish the fight quickly and stop prolonging things.
"Whoosh!"
He shot forward, leaped downward, and upon landing, pushed off with his toes, rushing straight toward Sasori.
"Heh..."
Sasori smiled slightly at the charging figure.
[Scarlet Secret Technique - Hundred Puppet Army!]
He tossed the scroll high into the air. A massive cloud of white smoke burst forth as countless Chakra Threads stretched outward from his chest.
"This is the force capable of wiping out an entire nation single-handedly!"
As he spoke, his deep, cold voice echoed through the crater.
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