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Though Rasa's words contained no profanity, they deeply irritated Sasori.
"Die! Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Method!!!"
Like Rasa, Sasori was a capable ninja. Once he got serious, he would use the strongest means to eliminate his opponent as quickly as possible.
Seeing the human puppet of the Third Kazekage go all out, Rasa didn't dare to be careless. The Iron Sand World Method was one of the most powerful techniques in their lineage's Magnet Release arsenal.
Using iron sand to form an irregular, massive cage, every inch of the area covered by the iron sand was imbued with lethal intent.
However, Magnet Release had one key characteristic—it operated through magnetic force and fields.
And Rasa possessed this power too. Based on the principle that forces act reciprocally…
"Magnet Release: Gold Sand World Method!!!"
The black iron sand clashed violently with the golden gold sand, neither yielding to the other. Eventually, they formed a uniquely colossal structure—a towering building of intertwined gold and iron sand.
Seeing that the Third Kazekage's ultimate technique couldn't gain the upper hand against Rasa, Sasori's expression turned fierce. He pulled out a scroll from behind him and unfurled it in the air.
This scroll was a storage scroll. As Sasori formed hand seals, dense white mist quickly spread, and countless crimson figures emerged from within.
At the same time, Sasori shed his Akatsuki cloak, revealing his horrifying body.
Rasa, still locked in combat with the Third Kazekage's puppet, immediately noticed something amiss. Upon seeing Sasori's true form, Rasa couldn't help but curse inwardly, a hint of fear creeping into his heart.
"This madman! Turning my teacher into a human puppet wasn't enough—he even turned himself into one!"
If Sasori had heard Rasa's thoughts, he would have sneered. Rasa was nothing more than a traditional inheritor who clung to the legacy of his predecessors. But Sasori was different—he was a genius of the puppet arts, a peerless prodigy who had pioneered the path to eternal life. The eternal beauty of puppets was something mere mortals could never comprehend.
"Crimson Secret Technique: Hundred Puppet Manipulation!"
As Sasori opened the chamber in his right chest, countless chakra threads connected him to the army of red-clad puppet warriors he had summoned. This technique, said to be capable of conquering a small nation, now manifested before everyone's eyes.
With Sasori's movements, the Crimson Secret Technique was unleashed.
Without fear, without the possibility of death—even in their final moments of destruction, these human puppets continued their relentless assault. They now swarmed toward Rasa in an unrelenting pursuit.
Witnessing this scene, Rasa felt his scalp tingle. Though Magnet Release was known as the bane of puppet techniques, that depended on who wielded it.
Moreover, there were varying levels of mastery over Magnet Release.
The Third Kazekage's ability to control iron sand far surpassed Rasa's control over gold sand. With most of his gold sand already tied up, how could Rasa possibly fend off this ferocious army of puppets with only the meager amount of gold sand left at his side?
In an instant, the tide of battle turned sharply against Rasa. Step by step, he was forced into retreat, barely managing to stay alive.
At this moment, Rasa could only describe his feelings as frustration—utter frustration. He had originally intended to use this battle as a chance to defect, but at this rate, he'd be lucky if his own people didn't call him the weakest Kazekage.
Sasori seemed to notice Rasa's predicament but paid it no mind. A hint of disdain played on his lips. "Just as expected—the Hidden Sand Village is full of useless fools. Leaving that broken village to pursue eternity was indeed a wise decision."
Under Sasori's precise control, the amount of gold sand Rasa could manipulate dwindled further.
"It's time. Die, weak Fourth Kazekage.
Magnet Release: Thousand Spear Strike!"
In an instant, the iron sand that had been battling Rasa dispersed, transforming into over a thousand sharp spears.
"Die!"
Under Sasori's murderous intent, the spears lunged mercilessly toward Rasa.
Despair filled Rasa's eyes. His remaining gold sand was insufficient to form an effective defense. There was only one outcome for him now.
Death—
The momentum of over a thousand iron spears was truly terrifying. Even Jiraiya and Orochimaru, still locked in battle nearby, were startled and instinctively turned their attention toward Sasori.
Sasori, who had been poised to claim victory and collect his spoils, suddenly furrowed his brow. To his surprise, Rasa's chakra hadn't disappeared. Instead, an even more immense chakra now emanated from Rasa's position.
"These two chakras…"
Sensing one overwhelmingly powerful chakra and another eerily familiar one nearby, Sasori grew unusually solemn, more serious than during his fight with Rasa.
When the dust settled, the onlookers finally saw what had transpired.
A red giant stood where Rasa had been, clad in a flowing robe. Its head resembled that of a beast with a crooked jaw, revealing two glowing eyes.
What had blocked Sasori's fatal attack was a massive shield held by the giant.
Indeed, this giant was none other than the legendary divine power wielded by the Uchiha clan—the Susanoo.
And its wielder was none other than the current young leader of the Uchiha clan—Uchiha Itachi.
As for why Itachi had intervened so timely, it naturally involved Ye Wen's machinations.
From the moment Sasori and Rasa began their battle, Ye Wen had already confidently predicted Rasa's defeat. After all, Sasori's opponent wielded the human puppet of the Third Kazekage, widely regarded as the strongest Kazekage. Though both used Magnet Release, the Third Kazekage's scale and power far exceeded Rasa's, as iron sand was far superior to gold sand. Not to mention, Sasori also possessed terrifying, unparalleled puppet techniques that overwhelmed Rasa in every aspect.
With all that stacked against him, how could Rasa possibly win!?
But the Sand shinobi had only recently been assimilated into Konoha, and Ye Wen didn't want Kakashi's hard work to go to waste. If the Fourth Kazekage were to die here, it might spark rumors unfavorable to Kakashi.
Thus, Ye Wen urgently notified Kakashi to send Uchiha Itachi to intervene.
Why didn't Ye Wen notify them directly?
Ye Wen was their supreme leader! How could he personally interfere in such trivial matters? He was the God King, after all—did he not have any pride?
And so, this scene unfolded.
"Are you alright?" Uchiha Itachi asked indifferently.
Though Konoha and Sunagakure had begun to merge, Itachi couldn't simply forget the enmity between their clans so easily.
Still, Itachi's restraint was commendable, considering the Uchiha clan was known as the "Clan of Love."
Hidden in the shadows, Ye Wen gazed intently at the Yata Mirror held by Itachi's Susanoo, his eyes filled with curiosity.
After all, the divine artifacts carried by Susanoo were among its most mysterious aspects. Were they physical objects or innate abilities of Susanoo itself? The anime had never provided a definitive answer.
"I'll have to study this carefully once things settle down. I have a feeling Susanoo isn't as simple as it appears on the surface."
Having organized his thoughts, Ye Wen prepared to continue watching the live performance—albeit a heavily modified version of it.
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