"So… so powerful!"
"One against two, and he's still fighting them to a standstill?"
"Those rumors must be true!"
The spectators from Sunagakure, immobilized and lying on the ground, voiced their astonishment.
Unlike Temari and Shikamaru, they hadn't witnessed Shinho's prior battles.
Seeing his combat prowess firsthand now left them thoroughly shaken, especially since his opponents were Sasori of the Red Sand and the Third Kazekage.
The flames dissipated, revealing scorched ground and wreckage.
Sasori's demeanor had shifted; now, he was taking the fight seriously.
Previously, Sasori had dismissed the stories about Shinho capturing Orochimaru as exaggerated.
But after this direct confrontation, he realized the Hokage was even stronger than the rumors suggested.
Sasori decided to hold nothing back. He produced a second scroll, unfurling it to summon an overwhelming number of puppets.
In an instant, over a hundred puppets surrounded him.
"This can't be real!" Kankuro's voice trembled as he stared at the horde, a sense of despair creeping over him.
An average puppet master could control three to four puppets at most and they would still be considered skilled in their craft.
Even Chiyo, Sunagakure's most elite puppet master, could only handle ten puppets simultaneously.
Now, over a hundred puppets moved with precision under Sasori's control.
Can he really control that many? Temari exchanged a glance with Baki. Although they weren't puppeteers, as high ranking officials of Suna, they knew far more about puppeteers than an ordinary ninja.
They had never even heard of something like this before.
The other puppet masters among the Sunagakure ranks were stricken with fear, their understanding of puppetry shaken to the core.
Secret Red Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets!
This technique had once allowed Sasori to destroy an entire nation.
His fingers danced like a pianist's over invisible keys, commanding the swarm of puppets to charge, though their true target was only one: Shinho.
It was true, he could indeed control that many puppets at once.
The poisoned shinobi on the ground could only watch in horror, their pale faces betraying their belief that they would be visiting the pure land soon.
Fixed Sound Gu!
With a casual wave of his hand, Shinho unleashed an invisible sound wave that rippled outward.
The advancing puppets froze mid-motion, an eerie sight as the entire horde was immobilized in an insan.
But then, Shinho noticed a shadow descending rapidly toward him.
Above, the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release: Iron Sand Gyroscope spun with immense speed as it plummeted.
Djiin Transformation!
Shinho activated his Djinn mind Gu, Djinn Heart Gu, and Djinn Body Gu simultaneously to form the killer move, Djinn transformation.
His body began to grow proportionally, halting at a towering height of five meters.
With his massive frame, he clenched his fist and delivered an upward punch.
A sonic boom echoed through the battlefield as the gyroscope shattered under the force of his strike, black iron sand raining down like droplets, shaking the ground.
Sasori's composure wavered slightly.
"What kind of jutsu is this?" he muttered to himself, though his fingers continued moving.
The Fixed sound Gu limited by rangem and it had only stopped about a third of his puppets. The remaining ones resumed their assault, converging on Shinho from all directions.
The puppets attacked in unison. Some brandished sharp blades, others launched poison needles, while a few hurled kunai.
The needles and kunai struck Shinho's body harmlessly, his Turtle Jade Wolf skin Gu activating automatically to shield him. The dense barrage couldn't possibly penetrate his defense.
Shinho's fists tightened, and his muscles rippled with explosive strength. A golden light enveloped his body as he activated his Golden Aroura Gu.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With his every punch, a puppet was reduced to fragments.
Though Sasori's puppets were of the highest craftsmanship, they were no match for Shinho's raw power.
Enhanced by the Golden Aroura Gu, Shinho moved with blinding speed. In less than ten seconds, over half of the puppets were obliterated.
Sasori finally realized his mistake. Hastily, he recalled the remaining puppets.
Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Order!
Under Sasori's control, the Third Kazekage formed hand seals.
Waves of black iron sand coiled and twisted like beams of light, creating a massive spherical shape with Kazekage as the centre.
This was his most terrifying magnet release Jutsu.
With this sphere of iron sand, Sasori could launch countless long, black spikes at will.
Sound of wind breaking rang though the barrier as these spikes, acting like venomous serpents, converged on Shinho.
Body Flicker Technique!
Shinho evaded the initial barrage of spikes, but they seemed almost sentient, redirecting their trajectory toward him.
Unfazed, Shinho struck out with his fists, meeting the black spikes head-on.
Clang! Clang! The sound of metal clashing echoed repeatedly. Though the spikes didn't break, they relentlessly pressed forward.
"Are they indestructible?" Shikamaru muttered, his brow furrowed.
Temari and Baki exchanged worried glances, while Sasori felt a glimmer of hope. The spikes were holding their ground, unlike his previous attacks.
"Not bad," Shinho said aloud, his tone calm.
Group Strength Gu!
Earth Overlord Gu!
Dragon Elephant Strength Gu!
Galloping Horse Strength Gu!
Shinho's body erupted with even greater power. As he struck again, a spectral image of a dragon-elephant materialized, its massive strength augmenting his punch. Behind it followed a phantom steed, galloping with unrelenting force.
This time, the black spikes shattered instantly.
Accelerating, Shinho closed the distance to the Third Kazekage in a flash.
With another punch, he tore through the puppet's body. Limbs and fragments rained down, scattering across the battlefield.
To the spectators, Shinho's movements were a blur. A single flash and a punch, all were executed within the span of a second.
Sasori's composure broke, his heart pounding with a mixture of anger at losing the Third Kazekage and shock at Shinho's incredible strength.
He was ata disadvantage now. His two most powerful puppets were the Third Kazekage and Himself. Now that he had lost the kazekage, his strength was effectively reduced to half.
"That's… the Third Kazekage? Beaten? Just like that?" Baki whispered in disbelief.
"He's… terrifying," Temari said, trembling slightly. The Third Kazekage was considered the strongest in Sunagakure's history, yet Shinho had dispatched him so effortlessly.
Kankuro's face was pale, his confidence shaken to its core.
Today's battle had shattered his perception of puppetry and had revealed the mountain that was Sasori. It made him realise he'd been sitting in a well, thinking he had achieved it all.
Yet even that mountain that he thought he wouldn't be able to surpass in this lifetime was being single handedly mowed by Shinho.
How… how could a puppet master this strong lose to him? Kankuro thought to himself, overwhelmed by doubt.
"As expected of Shinho," Shikamaru said with a relieved sigh.
The situation was finally turning in their favor.
"You're worthy to witness my full strength," Sasori said, his tone cold, as pressed his hand to his chest, activated his trump card.
"I thought you didn't like wasting time? Doesn't the useless dialougs count as wasting time," Shinho asked with an eyebrow.
But maybe because of the sound produced as his body underwent drastic trasnformassions interrupting his hearing, or because he chose to ignore the snide, Sasori didn't reply.
Sasori's abdomen opened, revealing retractable steel cables, while large spiral blades extended from his waist. His entire frame bristled with lethal, poisonous weapons.
Shinho shrugged.
Without fear, he strode forward.
Sasori's steel cable shot out from his abdomen like a sharp arrow, aiming directly at Shinho. It reached him in an instant, twisting and coiling around him to bind his movements.
At the same time, the spiral blades on Sasori's back began to spin, their razor-sharp edges whirling toward Shinho like a deadly meat grinder.
"Is this all you've got?" Shinho raised both arms to block.
The spinning blades struck his forearms, yet they didn't even leave a scratch.
"What… are you?" Sasori asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
He had already noted Shinho's incredible defenses, but he hadn't expected them to withstand his Spiral Blades.
These blades were crafted from the finest materials in the shinobi world, capable of cutting through nearly anything—even his Hiruko puppet's metal tail couldn't resist them.
"I'm human, of course," Shinho replied calmly, gripping both the steel cable and the spiral blades.
The connections between Sasori's weapons and his puppet body became a liability as Shinho tightened his grip.
Sasori attempted to retract his cable, but it wouldn't budge.
Realizing he was at a disadvantage, Sasori's back opened, and a scroll shot out. However, Shinho acted faster.
White Elephant Primal Strength Gu!
A translucent image of a white elephant appeared behind Shinho as he raised his foot and stomped down.
In his Djinn Transformation state, Shinho towered over Sasori, his sheer size dwarfing his opponent.
Boom!
The ground beneath Sasori cracked open. Before he could retrieve his scroll, he was smashed into the ground and partially buried.
Shinho reached out and plucked the Core from Sasori's chest.
Although Sasori had transformed himself into a human puppet, his essence—the Core of living flesh—still contained his soul. This allowed him to transfer his consciousness between bodies or puppets, effectively granting him immortality.
However, if the core were destroyed, Sasori would die.
The act reminded Shinho of Thanos extracting the Mind Stone from Vision in The Avengers.
With the core removed, Sasori's body collapsed, rendered inert like an ordinary puppet.
Holding the core in his hand, Shinho didn't immediately destroy it. Killing Sasori outright would be a waste.
He had an idea.
Sasori's Secret Red Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets could be incredibly efficient for labor. Hundreds of tireless, unpaid puppets would be perfect workers.
The challenge, however, was convincing Sasori.
Shinho considered it possible. After all, in the original timeline, Sasori had willingly died at the hands of Chiyo and later found salvation through Kankuro during the Edo Tensei.
[Achievement Unlocked: "I Am Not a Puppet" (Sasori)
Reward: Amethyst Relic Gu.]
[Amethyst Relic Gu: A Rank Five consumable Gu worm that instantly advances the user by one minor rank within the Rank Five realm.]
Shinho's eyes lit up at the reward.
The simplicity and usefulness of the reward was what gave him joy.
Without hesitation, he activated the Gu, advancing from Rank Five Initial Stage to Rank Five Middle Stage.
Delaying its use was unnecessary. Akatsuki was on the move, and every boost in power would be useful going forward.
"Is it over?" Kankuro asked numbly, still processing the fight.
"Sasori is dead," Shikamaru confirmed after observing the battlefield.
"Unbelievable…" Temari marveled, unable to hide her astonishment.
"Regardless, the crisis has passed," Baki sighed, though his relief was tempered with unease.
The threat was over for now, but as long as Shinho lived, Sunagakure would forever remain in his shadow.
Snow Wash Gu!
Shinho waved his hand, and white leaves descended upon the poisoned shinobi, neutralizing the toxins immediately.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage!" Baki said as he stood, bowing deeply. Temari, Kankuro, and the others followed suit, thanking him with respect.
Shinho nodded slightly.
Suddenly, a scream echoed from above.
"No!" Deidara cried out in anguish. "Brother Sasori!"
Seizing the opportunity, Gaara raised his hand.
Sand Binding Coffin!
A surge of sand flew forth, wrapping around Deidara's arm.
Crack!
Blood sprayed as Deidara's right arm was crushed. The pain shocked him back to focus as he directed his clay owl to dive and evade Gaara's follow-up attacks.
Holding his mangled arm, Deidara glared at Gaara and Shino.
His situation was dire: he was injured, Sasori was dead, and Akatsuki's reinforcements were nowhere in sight.
Coupled with the fact that Shinho was here, there was absolutely no chance for him to win.
His only logical option was to flee, but retreating didn't suit his charecter.
"You were right about one thing," Deidara said, his voice hoarse. He forced a grin and shouted with all his strength, "Art is an explosion!"
All of Deidara's chakra condensed into a black sphere at his core, rapidly expanding. His body turned pitch black, radiating an overwhelming light.
C0: Ultimate Art!
A colossal energy sphere erupted, encompassing a ten-kilometer radius. Its shape resembled a massive starfish, hovering in the air and casting its shadow over half of Sunagakure.
"What… what is that?!" Kankuro stammered, collapsing to the ground.
"It's enormous!" Baki's face went pale, staring at the apocalyptic sight.
Will Sunagakure be wiped out?
Panic and despair spread among the remaining shinobi and villagers.
Gaara's heart pounded as he summoned every ounce of his power. Waves of sand surged toward the sky, forming a protective dome over the village.
Air Sand Protective Wall!
This technique had previously defended against Deidara's C3: Number 18, but C0 was far more powerful.
"It's Gaara! We still have hope!" Temari exclaimed, her face lighting up.
"Use every defensive Jutsu You have!" Baki shouted desperately. Behind him, every available ninja began weaving defensive jutsu, raising walls of earth and water.
However, their efforts paled in comparison to the vast scope of C0.
Gaara's shield barely covered half the village, and the explosion was imminent.
In that moment, Shinho raised his hand.
Water Curtain Skyflower Gu!
A massive dome of water manifested, enveloping the entire village.
"Lord Hokage?!" Gaara gasped, feeling a surge of relief as he reinforced his sand shield with his remaining chakra.
The detonation came like the end of the world. Torrential air currents and chakra waves mixed, forming towering white clouds.
The intense heat and pressure obliterated everything in the blast radius.
"We… we blocked it!" Kankuro screamed in disbelief, his voice breaking.
Shikamaru exhaled deeply, his face pale but relieved.
Tears glistened in Temari's eyes as she fought back a sob. Baki collapsed to the ground, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.
"We're alive!"
"We survived!"
"Thank you, Lord Hokage! Thank you, Lord Kazekage!"
Ninjas and villagers alike cheered, overwhelmed with gratitude and joy.
Deidara's C0 had been mitigated, half by Gaara's sand and the rest by Shinho's Water Curtain Skyflower Gu.
[Achievement Unlocked: "This One's Called Goodnight" (Deidara)
Reward: Multiplier Gu]
[Multiplier Gu: Specializes in augmenting the effectiveness of other Gu worms. It can amplify the effects of any Gu worm it is paired with by five times.]
The reward stunned Shinho.
The Multiplier Gu was a game-changer. As a Rank Five Gu worm, it amplified the effects of other Gu by five times, usable across all paths.
For instance, using it with a Strength-path Gu would quintuple his power. With a Defense-path Gu like the Water Curtain Skyflower Gu, it would provide five times the protection.
The only drawback was the fivefold consumption of Primeval essence, and it was limited to Rank Five Gu or lower. Still, as a trump card, its potential was unmatched.
"Amazing," Shinho murmured, already formulating ways to use it.