Chapter 97: Puppet Nemesis
The entire defense zone was clearly visible under the shadow clone's radar perception. The whereabouts of the Sunagakure puppet team were revealed before they even entered the area. Sasuke quickly led his team to support them. According to his analysis, the enemy team was composed of one jonin and three special jonin, a very powerful force. To increase their chances, he also called Ebihiko's and "Die" squads to help him.
Soon, they set up a huge explosive tag trap on a riverbank outside the "Bingzu" squad's patrol zone, waiting for the Sunagakure team to enter the net.
'Could it be Ebizo's revenge?' Sasuke thought. It was practically impossible for Sunagakure to send such a valuable elite team on a simple infiltration mission; it was like sending them to their deaths. 'It must be Ebizo's revenge.'
His ultrasonic radar confirmed it: the leader's puppet was a more sophisticated mechanical shield model than that of Ebizo's disciple he had killed. He ordered a hidden clone not to participate in the battle, but to activate the infrasonic radar to steal the new puppet master's techniques.
The Sunagakure team, despite their stealth, moved quickly. Soon, they entered the center of the trap.
Sasuke performed the Tiger seal.
A loud bang was heard. Dozens of explosive tags, with power almost equivalent to an A-rank ninjutsu, engulfed the squad. One special jonin died on the spot. The other two lost their main puppets and were severely burned. Only the leading jonin, thanks to his Thousand Faces armor, was unharmed, but he was stunned by the shockwave.
Sasuke completed a ninjutsu. "Water Style: Starch Syrup Capture Field!"
He spat a large amount of sticky syrup onto the stunned Sunagakure ninjas. These, unaware of the technique, tried to defend themselves with their spare puppets, but these were completely trapped, losing all movement.
"Ebihiko's squad takes care of the one on the left, 'Die' squad of the one on the right. Tekudo, you three, support Ebihiko," Sasuke ordered. "I will take care of containing the jonin in the middle."
The two special jonin, without their main puppets, were like toothless tigers. With fifteen people besieging them, their defeat was imminent.
The leading jonin, on the other hand, was more difficult. But for Sasuke, there was no pressure. He already knew his techniques, and his syrup was almost his nemesis.
"Thousand Needle Rain!" the jonin attacked with a rare Black Ant puppet.
"Water Style: Sticky Syrup Armor!"
Sasuke covered himself with a layer of golden armor, now reinforced with diamond sand. The senbon bounced off ineffectively.
"Water Style: Water Syrup Binding String!"
He wielded his whip. The jonin, fearing being trapped, was forced to constantly dodge. He attempted a surprise attack from underground.
"Black Secret Technique: Infernal Black Ants!"
But under the radar's perception, all secret actions were visible. Sasuke easily dodged it and continued to press, forcing the jonin to use various techniques that his hidden clone frantically learned.
After a long while, a scream was heard. One of the special jonin, unable to resist the siege, was cut in half. Soon, the other followed suit.
"Do you want to escape now? Don't you think it's too late?" Sasuke scoffed, perceiving that the leading jonin was preparing to flee.
At that moment, a steel ball shot out from Sasuke's back, turning into a huge windmill blade. But he easily avoided the surprise attack and blocked the jonin's path.
"Konoha-Ryū: Yanagi!"
Suddenly, the jonin's mind trembled. The world around him dissolved into a whirlwind of dancing willow leaves. While he was helpless, a figure appeared in his blind spot. A flash of cold sword energy. And then, nothingness. A thin scar appeared on his neck.
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