Chapter 10: The Third Kazekage
BOOM!
The earth cracked under the force of the impact, and the air itself seemed to howl in protest. Yet, for all its scorching power, the molten fist could not break through the chakra-infused shield. Its defensive strength was remarkable.
Seeing this, Uchiha Naoki couldn't help but voice his admiration, even as he recoiled from the clash. "What a swift reaction. As expected of a Kage-level powerhouse!"
He knew better than to linger. The moment his attack failed, he withdrew, putting distance between himself and Hiruko. Simultaneously, he sprayed a wide fan of lava from his body, creating a searing barrier to deter any immediate pursuit from Sasori. The brief exchange had highlighted one of his key weaknesses: his raw physical strength was still lacking.
"His attacks are swift and fierce, his reactions are sharp, and he retreats the moment he fails to secure a kill, without a hint of hesitation…" Konan observed from her vantage point in the air, a flicker of astonishment in her eyes. "Is he truly only thirteen years old? That's incredible."
To possess Jonin-level prowess at thirteen was astounding enough. But to face a seasoned Kage-level fighter like Sasori with such composure and tactical acumen? It was the mark of a monster, a true reincarnation of genius.
"A very decisive judgment! Since that's the case, then I should be more serious."
Sasori's voice rasped from within Hiruko. The puppet's left arm extended a secondary shield to block the spattering lava, while its right arm suddenly disassembled, revealing a complex sealing matrix. "Puppet Technique: A Hundred Arms Execution!"
Immediately, a dense swarm of mechanical arms, each tipped with glinting, poisoned blades, erupted from the seal, swarming toward Uchiha Naoki like an overwhelming tide. It was an absolutely lethal assault.
While his elemental body could likely resist the blades, doing so would leave him static and vulnerable. Sasori would undoubtedly seize that opening to launch a follow-up attack, leaving him with no room to maneuver. The only option was to break through this wave of offense immediately.
"Great Eruption!"
A colossal fist of magma burst forth, incinerating the swarm of arms in an instant and continuing its destructive path toward Hiruko with undiminished fury.
"A wise choice!" Sasori's voice held a note of approval. To Naoki's surprise, the puppeteer abandoned Hiruko entirely, his true, youthful form ejecting from the puppet's back. He spread his arms, and from the palms of his hands, he unleashed two high-pressure jets of water. "Water Release: Great Water Stream!"
Water met fire with a furious hiss, instantly generating a massive cloud of billowing, superheated steam that enveloped the entire battlefield, completely obscuring everyone's vision.
Hmm?
Sasori had intended to use the cover of the mist to launch a surprise attack. But he never got the chance. Uchiha Naoki moved first.
"Meteor Shower!"
Fist-sized globs of condensed lava shot through the steam like a torrential downpour, their fiery glow painting the mist a hellish red. Every single one flew with extreme precision, homing in directly on Sasori's position.
"Good brat!" Sasori's core immediately retracted into a spare Hiruko puppet, which scuttled away at high speed. The intense heat of the lava was the one thing his puppets feared most.
"Lord Sasori, it's not over yet! Be careful below!" Uchiha Naoki's warning call echoed tauntingly through the mist.
Sasori immediately sensed the chakra surge beneath his feet.
"Lava Burial!"
The ground trembled violently before a pillar of incandescent magma erupted directly underneath the Hiruko puppet, enveloping it completely.
Even Sasori couldn't help the slight contraction of his pupils within his core. "What formidable perception," he conceded, genuinely impressed. To pinpoint and attack him with such accuracy through the blinding steam was no small feat.
"Sand Clone!"
At the moment of impact, he substituted the puppet with a clone of compacted sand, avoiding the blow.
Yet, something happened that surprised Sasori once more. His core had just rematerialized outside the edge of the mist, intending to reposition, when Uchiha Naoki's grinning face rapidly filled his vision. Accompanying it was a fist, glowing like a branding iron.
"Hound Dog, Chase the Red Lotus!"
"Flame Emission!"
Sasori, after all, was a top-tier expert. His reaction was instantaneous. Two jets of intensely focused flame shot from the puppet's palms, the scorching heat combined with a powerful concussive force, forcing Naoki's punch to a halt.
"It's you, Lord Sasori, whose reactions are truly fast!" Seeing his attack neutralized, Uchiha Naoki immediately leaped back, but not before hurling several kunai from his sleeve to force Sasori to maintain his distance, preventing a counter-attack.
But then, his expression suddenly shifted. His body dissolved into lava just as a vicious, segmented steel cable—the one concealed in Hiruko's tail—shot up from the ground where it had been buried, piercing mercilessly through the space his heart had occupied a moment before.
"It really didn't work?" Sasori's eyes narrowed within his core. "That perception ability is exceptional. There are few in the entire ninja world who could evade my hidden attack so calmly." A note of finality entered his voice. "Uchiha Naoki, I acknowledge you."
As he spoke, Sasori's true form straightened. He drew a black scroll from his back, the character for 'Three' clearly marked upon it. "In that case, I will fight you seriously!"
Hearing this, Uchiha Naoki licked his lips, his eyes burning with a mixture of heat and intense focus. He took a deep breath. "I'm deeply honored."
He knew exactly what that scroll represented.
Konan, floating above, felt a jolt of surprise. "Is Uchiha Naoki really so strong that he's forced Sasori to bring out that scroll?"
When dealing with entire squads from the Five Great Nations, Hiruko was usually more than sufficient. But now, to deal with a single thirteen-year-old, Sasori was resorting to his ultimate treasure. It was staggering.
"However, his perception is incredibly troublesome. If he doesn't use that, he truly might not gain the upper hand," she mused. "No wonder 'Madara' specifically warned me before I set out."
While Konan was lost in thought, Sasori unsealed the scroll. In a puff of smoke, his proudest masterpiece was summoned: the Third Kazekage!
"Be careful, Uchiha Naoki!" Sasori offered a final warning. "The battle from this point on will be nothing like before. What you face now is my most proud creation—the Third Kazekage, renowned as the strongest Kazekage in history!"
With that, he activated the puppet's legendary Kekkei Genkai—Magnet Release!
A cloud of black iron sand floated from the Third Kazekage's mouth, then coalesced into countless, densely packed projectiles. "Iron Sand: Drizzle!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The jungle behind Uchiha Naoki was shredded, sawdust flying and plumes of dust erupting as the high-velocity iron sand bullets tore through everything in their path.
Naoki's body had once again transformed into lava, and the violent barrage passed through him harmlessly, leaving him unscathed.
"Is that so?" Sasori was unmoved by this display. Instead, a smirk touched his lips. "But if you think your unique ability alone will allow you to ignore my attacks, you are gravely mistaken!"
"Iron Sand: Toxic Mist!"
A patch of the black iron sand at Uchiha Naoki's feet suddenly churned, and from it erupted a massive, billowing cloud of violet poison gas.
Naoki's expression finally shifted. While in his elemental state, he was immune to physical harm, but it severely limited his other actions. He couldn't move effectively. That meant while he was immune to the Iron Sand Drizzle, he couldn't avoid inhaling the poisonous mist now enveloping him. If he wanted to avoid the poison, he would have to dodge physically, but in doing so, he wouldn't be able to maintain the precise elementalization needed to phase through the relentless rain of iron sand.
He was caught in a perfect, inescapable dilemma.
"Just as I suspected!" Sasori couldn't help a low laugh of triumph. "When you use your ability to ignore physical attacks, your mobility is severely hampered. So, which will you choose? To be pierced by the iron sand, or to succumb to my poison?"
His voice turned cold and final. "No matter your choice, this ends now!"