Under the relentless assault of the puppets, the two remaining Mist shinobi were forced into constant retreat, eventually regrouping with their leader.
The three stood back-to-back, barely holding off the encirclement.
Several times, they attempted to break through and rush toward Sasori, but each time the puppets suddenly accelerated, forcing them back.
Such exquisite control… as expected of Sasori of the Red Sand.
He's playing with them.
As Uchiha Yuan observed, the puppets' attacks were becoming faster and more coordinated. Their offense and defense flowed seamlessly, completely suppressing the three Mist shinobi.
The Mist ninja also realized this.
The pressure was mounting.
If they wanted to break the situation—
They had to attack Sasori directly.
A puppeteer was both the core and the only weakness.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
With his subordinates covering him, the Mist leader seized an opening.
He leapt high into the air—
And expelled a massive torrent of water.
The surging flood roared outward, instantly submerging an area dozens of meters wide.
Yuan leapt upward with Pakura in his arms, landing lightly on a floating branch.
His body rose and fell with the current.
Glancing down, he saw the two Mist shinobi moving like fish beneath the water, quickly regrouping with their captain.
Moments later—
The water receded.
Yuan landed on a tree and looked toward the center of the flooded area.
A mound of earth bulged upward.
CRACK!
The mound shattered—
Revealing Sasori.
The three Mist shinobi landed in front of him.
Seeing the broken puppets scattered around, the leader sneered:
"So this is the famous Sasori of the Red Sand? Not so impressive."
Sasori looked at them calmly.
"I've lost interest in playing with you."
Yuan's eyes flickered slightly.
He could tell—
Sasori was already looking at them as dead men.
"Arrogant!"
The Mist leader roared and charged forward.
But—
In the next instant—
His body froze mid-motion.
Then he collapsed.
The other two tried to move—
But their expressions changed drastically.
They fell as well.
Their skin rapidly turned purple-black.
"Poison… the puppets' weapons are poisoned!"
The leader realized in horror.
His body went numb.
Dark, foul-smelling blood seeped from his wounds.
Only then did he remember—
Sasori was not just a master puppeteer.
He was also a master poison user.
A faint, sickly sweet scent filled the air.
The three Mist shinobi's corpses began to smoke—
And soon melted into puddles of viscous liquid.
Sasori turned his gaze toward Yuan.
Meeting his eyes, Yuan smiled faintly.
"What terrifying poison."
"As expected of Sasori of the Red Sand—someone even Konoha fears."
"The toxins you created caused us quite a bit of trouble."
"If not for Tsunade's antidotes, defeating Sunagakure wouldn't have been so easy."
Yuan still remembered—
Even Orochimaru had once admitted he couldn't counter those poisons quickly.
Sasori's gaze lingered on Pakura in Yuan's arms.
Then shifted upward.
"Tsunade… one of the Legendary Sannin…"
He muttered softly.
Then, looking directly at Yuan:
"Hand her over."
Yuan glanced down at Pakura and smiled.
"Sorry."
"I don't feel like giving her to you."
A trace of displeasure appeared on Sasori's otherwise calm face.
"I originally planned to spare you since you saved her."
"But I don't have any Uchiha specimens in my collection."
"Today… you'll become one."
With a wave of his hands—
The broken puppet parts reassembled.
Four puppets lunged at Yuan.
Yuan stepped lightly and leapt into the air, easily avoiding the attack.
Sasori's fingers moved again.
Click! Click! Click!
The puppets accelerated.
Hidden mechanisms opened—
Senbon, giant shuriken, and kunai shot toward Yuan from all directions.
Yuan kicked repeatedly through the air.
The air trembled visibly.
He used Moon Step, moving midair in unpredictable yet fluid trajectories, effortlessly dodging the barrage.
Then—
With another kick—
He dashed forward and appeared before one puppet.
A whip-like kick—
BOOM!
The puppet shattered instantly.
Sasori waved again.
The remaining three puppets opened their mouths—
Revealing tubes that unleashed flames, acid, and poison gas.
Yuan kicked off the air and shot upward, escaping their range.
Then—
He unleashed three powerful aerial kicks downward.
The shockwaves struck the puppets.
They exploded into fragments.
Yuan descended slowly, stepping through the air as if walking on invisible ground.
Landing lightly, he smiled at Sasori.
"Aren't you worried your puppets might hurt Pakura?"
Sasori replied calmly:
"I'm not."
"They won't."
"Confident in your control, I see."
Yuan tilted his head slightly.
"From everything I've seen, Pakura has been abandoned by Sunagakure."
"You want her back… to kill her?"
Sasori fell silent for a moment.
A trace of complexity flickered in his eyes.
"I won't kill her."
Then his gaze sharpened.
"Hand her over."
"I won't allow her to be taken away by Konoha."
Yuan glanced at Pakura again.
"Relax."
"I'm not giving her to Konoha."
Then he smiled faintly.
"She's too beautiful."
"I just happen to be lacking a maid."
"She'll do nicely."
Sasori's expression instantly turned cold.
"Uchiha brat…"
"Are you provoking me?"
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