A shinobi from the Uchiha clan of Konohagakure... and a member of the Uzumaki clan?"
From his vantage point through the eyes of a chakra puppet, Suna's strategist, Ebizo, narrowed his gaze upon the two kunoichi.
"Tch... It seems someone in Roran's leadership has leaked our presence! There's no way these two are operating alone. Konoha must have sent additional forces."
His tone turned sharp as he gave an immediate order.
"Deploy all nearby puppet squads! Make sure those two Konoha shinobi don't leave here alive!"
Roran's connection to the Dragon Vein must remain a secret until Sunagakure was ready to strike Konoha at full force. If knowledge of Roran's power spread prematurely, other villages would undoubtedly see them as a rising threat and crush them before they could complete their preparations.
As soon as Ebizo's command was given, the mechanism within the Dragon Vein's control chamber activated, and the puppet army moved into action, surging toward the two kunoichi like a relentless tide.
From Uchiha Mikoto and Uzumaki Kanako's perspective, they had barely caught their breath before dozens, then hundreds, of puppet warriors encircled them from all sides.
These chakra-powered puppets varied in form—some bore hidden cannons within their torsos, others brandished wickedly sharp claws, and all radiated an intent to kill.
"Kanako, looks like this just turned into a real fight," Mikoto muttered, gripping her chakra-forged tanto. She stood back-to-back with her companion, her crimson Sharingan spinning as she assessed the swarm of enemies.
Kanako smirked, rolling her shoulders as chakra chains extended from her back.
"Miss Mikoto, I hope you're not planning to hog all the fun!"
As soon as the words left her lips, an explosive chakra blast erupted toward them. The duo reacted instantly, leaping high into the air, dodging the attack, and counterattacking in perfect sync.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
A raging inferno, fueled by the pressurized wind, roared forward in a vortex of flames, consuming the incoming puppet forces. The first wave of enemies was incinerated instantly, while dozens more were blown back by the intense shockwave.
Meanwhile, Kanako took a more direct approach—her golden chakra chains shot out like harpoons, skewering multiple puppets in rapid succession before she gathered chakra into her palms.
"Shigan: Ju-Renpatsu!" (Finger Gun: Tenfold Barrage!)
With a burst of sheer force, her ten fingertips fired off rapid-impact strikes, reducing the surrounding puppets to shattered remains.
Yet, despite their valiant efforts, the situation wasn't improving.
Ebizo watched from the control chamber, his expression unimpressed.
"They're strong… but they're only delaying the inevitable."
Fueled by the limitless energy of the Dragon Vein, the puppet army did not suffer fatigue, nor did they require chakra. Even the destroyed ones quickly reassembled themselves.
"Puppet Art: Dragon Vein Restoration!"
As soon as the command was issued, the fallen puppets began reforming, their shattered limbs and torsos snapping back together as if time itself had reversed. Within moments, their numbers had nearly doubled.
For the first time since the battle started, Mikoto and Kanako felt a flicker of desperation.
Even with Uchiha Shin's Sage-infused Curse Mark enhancing their chakra recovery, their physical stamina was still finite. Fighting an unending army wasn't just difficult—it was impossible.
"Mikoto, Kanako, get out of there now!"
A voice rang out from a distance. Standing atop a ruined watchtower, a masked figure—Uchiha Shin—finally spoke.
The two kunoichi, caught up in the heat of battle, suddenly realized their error.
They had been so focused on fighting that they failed to retreat while they had the chance. And now… they were surrounded.
Ebizo's eyes locked onto the masked Uchiha.
"So there was another one after all… Good. We'll eliminate all of them at once."
With another command, a portion of the puppet army redirected its assault toward Shin.
But he didn't move. He didn't even flinch.
Instead, he simply pressed his hands together.
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees."
A deep rumbling shook the battlefield.
Massive tree roots erupted from the earth, splintering through the ruined streets of Roran like living titans. Towering trees rose at an unnatural speed, their colossal trunks twisting as thick branches lashed out, ensnaring and crushing the advancing puppets in a matter of moments.
Mikoto and Kanako didn't waste the opportunity. The instant the battlefield shifted in their favor, they bolted through the growing forest, using the natural cover to flee.
"What…?" Ebizo gasped, his composure finally breaking.
Wood Release… a bloodline thought lost with the death of the First Hokage.
If this masked Uchiha had inherited such an ability, then his potential…
A cold chill ran through Ebizo's spine.
This wasn't just a powerful shinobi.
This was a future legend in the making.
And that meant only one thing—
He had to die.
"All forces, converge on him! We are NOT letting a Wood Release user escape!"
The remaining puppets redirected all available reinforcements toward Shin. Even those intended for the frontlines of the war were diverted to Roran. This was no longer about secrecy.
This was about extermination.
Ebizo himself stepped forward now, focusing every ounce of his puppetry mastery into a single, devastating move.
"Puppet Art: Dragon Vein Colossus!"
Every broken puppet, every discarded fragment, was suddenly drawn together by the pulsing energy of the Dragon Vein. They fused into a single monstrous construct—
A towering, grotesque colossus of chakra-infused metal and wood, standing taller than the surrounding ruins, with fists capable of leveling entire buildings.
"…They built a damn mecha before we even got close to industrialization."
Despite the ridiculousness of the situation, Shin wasn't intimidated. If anything, he was excited.
He wanted to see what this thing could do.
With an earth-shaking step, the giant puppet raised a colossal fist and swung it down at him. The sheer force of the attack caused a sonic boom, crushing everything in its wake.
But just before impact—
A gigantic wooden arm burst from the forest and caught the attack mid-air.
Ebizo's breath hitched.
Emerging from the sea of trees, Shin stood atop a titanic wooden warrior—a Mokuton construct nearly equal in size to the colossus.
"Wood Release: Wooden Golem Jutsu."
For the first time in decades, Sunagakure's greatest puppeteer felt the sting of fear.
If this shinobi was allowed to live…
Then he would become the next Hashirama Senju.
And that was something Ebizo could never allow.
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Bonus Chapter - 150 Power Stones