"I have fought Tennin before! No one understands Tennin better than I do!"
"Calm, ruthless, and indifferent to life. He isn't bound by a woman's mercy. Therefore, ordinary sneak attacks can be completely ruled out!"
"Secondly, this guy has a multitude of methods and unfathomable trump cards. He can always pull out unexpected power to forcibly shatter your established understanding of him."
"Even now, he appears to have been severely injured in the Land of Rain—blinded, his Wind Release rendered ineffective, his Taijutsu losing its foundation, and his entire tactical system dismantled, seemingly left with no choice but to hire Kakuzu for protection."
"However, it is entirely possible that this is just Tennin's disguise!"
"After all, you know this—he is the disciple of the 'Darkness of the Shinobi.' In the dark side of the ninja world, everyone who ever underestimated Danzo Shimura ended up buried deep underground by him!"
February 21st, 9:00 AM.
In the western part of the Land of Rivers, on a gobi desert bordering the Land of Wind, two figures cloaked in black stopped behind the slope of a desert hill. One of them, a white-haired young man, spoke with a dead-serious expression, "Therefore, we absolutely cannot underestimate Tennin!"
"Heh," beside him, Sasori of the Red Sand curled his lips into a faint smile. "Everything you've considered, I've already taken into account long ago!"
"But there is one issue you have failed to consider."
Hiruko frowned, confused. "What issue?"
Sasori replied, "According to your description, Tennin—Hyuga Yu—actually has a fatal flaw. Of course, this tactical loophole only exists because you haven't fully mastered your own abilities."
"What do you mean?"
Sasori said flatly, "All Ninjutsu is driven by chakra, and the Dark Release you possess essentially serves as the absolute counter to Ninjutsu!"
"And Tennin's flaw is that his overall chakra reserves are not very large."
"To compensate for this weakness, Tennin developed a diverse, complex, and interlocking system of Ninjutsu."
"Are you saying we should use Dark Release... to counter Tennin?"
Hearing this, Hiruko immediately voiced his doubts coldly, "But I can't absorb his Wind Release!"
"Dark Release doesn't possess the ability to absorb chakra moving at ultra-high speeds."
"Wrong." Sasori shook his head and scoffed. "Your ideas regarding Kekkei Genkai fusion are very promising. But, Hiruko, the one thing you lack is the knowledge of how to perfectly utilize every ounce of power in your hands—"
"The limits of Dark Release are far beyond what you think. Your method of using it is flawed."
As a top-tier puppet master, Sasori needed an intricate understanding of the abilities, advantages, and weaknesses of each puppet to custom-design a complementary tactical system for them. This also meant that, alongside being a puppet master and a master of mechanical dynamics engineering, Sasori was an apex tactical expert.
After a brief scuffle with Hiruko, he immediately recognized that while Hiruko might be an expert in the field of biological gene fusion, he still retained the mindset of an ordinary ninja when it came to combat, tactical development, and the application of Kekkei Genkai powers.
Hearing this, Hiruko instantly furrowed his brow, looking somewhat displeased.
Sasori paid no mind to his feelings, continuing with an impassive expression: "If you want to defeat Tennin, then give me control of your body."
Hiruko immediately refused. "Impossible!"
Surrendering his body to a puppet master meant surrendering his life. He and Sasori of the Red Sand had only just met, and this guy had even tried to steal his laboratory and wealth. How could Hiruko possibly feel safe handing his life over to him?
Sasori settled for the next best thing, frowning as he said, "Then you must at least hand over control of the Dark Release: Inhaling Maw in your palms to me. With Swift Release, you can break free of my chakra threads at any time."
Hiruko hesitated.
Just then, Sasori suddenly raised a hand to cover his left eye, seemingly catching sight of something. He narrowed his eyes. "That guy is here!"
Ten kilometers away, hidden amidst the sand and gravel of the gobi desert, a "Third Eye" made of Iron Sand silently floated up from beneath the ground. Soon, the Third Eye locked onto two figures at the edge of the desert, striding toward the direction of Hiruko's laboratory. As the two figures drew closer, a more detailed image appeared in Sasori's vision.
Leading the way was a young man with long black hair, dressed in a black, form-fitting combat suit. He possessed an elegant, handsome appearance and an indescribably noble aura, alongside pale Byakugan eyes. Following behind him was a tall, heavily built man draped in a black cloak, wearing a black mask and a missing-nin forehead protector from Takigakure. He had eerie green irises and blood-red sclerae.
It was none other than Hyuga Yu and Kakuzu, who had left Numazu City and tracked Hiruko's trail all the way here!
Seeing this, Sasori furrowed his brows slightly. Just by looking at Hyuga Yu—whose face was perfectly calm but radiated an aura of confidence bordering on paranoia—Sasori immediately realized this guy was the exact same type of person as him. In fact, his unyielding will in pursuit of his goals was likely far stronger than Sasori's own!
And that confidence was definitely not faked...
Still covering his eye, he turned his head to the nearby Hiruko and said, "To the east, about ten kilometers away. Hmm? There seems to be an issue with our intelligence. The Byakugan that Tennin destroyed himself... has recovered."
"And based on the direction they're coming from... It seems my judgment was wrong."
Sasori revealed an expression of schadenfreude, letting out a cold chuckle. "The incident in the Land of Rain might not be as simple as I thought. Tennin might not have lost anything during that event after all. Which means—"
"He truly suppressed a country's civil war all by himself!"
"And your previous assassination attempt clearly enraged such a terrifying existence. Now, his reason for coming to the Land of Rivers might not be as complicated as I assumed, Hiruko. This kid is probably here to..."
"Take revenge on you!"
Upon hearing this, the last shred of luck in Hiruko's heart vanished instantly. The image of a massive forty-meter-long azure sword seemed to flash before his eyes once more, leaving his throat parched. A chill instantly shot from the soles of his feet straight to his brain. His heart began to pound so loudly it felt like it would leap out of his throat.
He immediately spun around and glared at Sasori in panic, only to see Sasori looking utterly tranquil as he began packing up the puppet components scattered on the ground used for setting up barrier formations. Hoisting various bags and bundles onto his shoulders, it seemed he was planning to...
Run away?
Hiruko immediately shouted in alarm, "Wait, what is the meaning of this?!"
Sasori, completely unfazed, shrugged with exceptional candor. "Since our intelligence assessment was wrong and Tennin wasn't weakened in the Land of Rain, then according to my evaluation—I am probably no match for him."
"An ultra-low chakra consumption S-Rank air pressure Wind Release, bizarre repulsive force manipulation, an S-Rank Wind Release that continuously stacks power through reactionary forces, and an S-Rank Wind Release Nintaijutsu whose perfect form rivals the Fourth Raikage... I don't possess the ability to dismantle his tactical system, so what point is there in staying here?"
"You refuse to cooperate, and I don't have any reliable methods against him. If I stay, I'll only end up getting dragged down by you."
"Anyway, I'm not the one who has a grudge with Tennin."
Immediately after, Sasori calmly delivered the most cowardly yet honest statement to Hiruko: "After all, my personal philosophy has always been to protect myself and not rely on others to do it."
The muscles in Hiruko's face twitched violently. Regardless of the logic, wasn't he giving up way too easily?
Simply seeing that Tennin's condition didn't match his expectations was enough to make him pack up and run?
Sasori of the Red Sand... aren't you a little too self-aware!?
"Wait!"
Hiruko gritted his teeth and immediately shouted to halt the fleeing Sasori, his expression fluctuating wildly. "Are you saying that as long as I hand over control of Dark Release: Inhaling Maw to you, you can combine our strength and defeat him?"
Sasori immediately shook his head. "If it were a blinded Tennin, that would have been enough. However, the one coming right now is clearly a Tennin at his absolute peak, possessing the power to suppress an entire nation... though I have no idea how he managed it."
"But, that's enough talk. Hiruko, you should pack up and prepare to run too."
"Or, you can go and fight him. After you die, I will collect your corpse and cherish it dearly."
Sasori looked at Hiruko nonchalantly. As he spoke, his hands moved deftly, stuffing large amounts of puppet components into a storage scroll. Hearing this, Hiruko's heart turned icy. He felt a chilling draft run down his spine; Sasori's sarcastic remarks made it feel as if Tennin had magically appeared right behind him and was blowing cold air down his back.
Hiruko knew very well that relying solely on his own strength, he was absolutely no match for Hyuga Yu in this current state—especially since Hyuga Yu had brought Kakuzu along with him.
He immediately looked at Sasori, clenching his fists, and asked through gritted teeth, "What exactly do I have to do to get you to help me fight him?!"
Hearing this, Sasori's hands paused in their packing. He frowned, lowering his head in silent thought for a moment. After a long while, he slowly raised his head. "Unless... you surrender complete control of your body to me."
"I promise I won't turn you into a puppet afterward. After all, the Chimera Technique you are currently researching... is rather interesting."
Sasori looked at Hiruko, his eyes narrowing slightly. Just as Hyuga Yu had immediately seen the potential of the Chimera Technique, Sasori too recognized the ultimate limit this jutsu could achieve: fusing five Kekkei Genkai to create a true "immortal body."
Sasori had no particular desire for immortality—after all, he could achieve that through his own techniques. But the concept of "eternity" born from this theory aligned quite well with his artistic pursuits. If Hiruko were to die at the hands of Tennin before proving the concept of "eternity" behind this jutsu, Sasori would feel it was a bit of a pity.
At this moment, upon hearing Sasori's words, Hiruko's eyes darted rapidly, his face flashing with hesitation. Soon, he looked up, staring intently at Sasori, and asked in a deep, grave voice, "How... will you prove it?"
Sasori's lips curled up. He threw off his black cloak, exposing his youthful body and brilliant red hair to the sunlight. He loosened the bindings behind his back, revealing three massive scrolls to Hiruko. "As you can see, I have three trump cards."
"The first is the puppet you've already seen, Hiruko."
"The second is a human puppet forged from Sunagakure's strongest, the Third Kazekage!"
"And the third—"
Sasori unrolled the third scroll toward Hiruko, a confident smile playing on his lips. As Hiruko looked at the unfurled scroll, he saw—
In the center of the third scroll, written in massive strokes, was the character for "Life"!
His pupils suddenly contracted.
"This is..."
Sasori stared at Hiruko with a confident grin. "Heh. This is the ultimate puppet technique, more than enough to crush Tennin!"
"I see, so it's this kind of jutsu..." Staring at Sasori's third scroll, Hiruko's expression was a mix of shock and uncertainty. After pondering it over and over, with the terrifying threat of Tennin's pursuit imminent, he finally gritted his teeth and chose to compromise. "Then I will trust you this once!"
"Combining the strength of the two of us, we will beat that brat until he begs for mercy on his knees!"
Meanwhile, just as Hiruko and Sasori of the Red Sand were conspiring on how to defeat Tennin, Hyuga Yu and Kakuzu stepped onto this gobi desert in the western Land of Rivers. By 9:00 AM, the temperature on the desert had already begun to soar. The sun hung high in the sky, its blinding rays unfurling like a golden whip that lashed down without mercy. The heat waves were sweltering, and inhaling the air left the nasal cavity feeling parched and dry.
As far as the eye could see, there were only undulating, winding dunes of brownish-yellow sand, desolate and completely devoid of human presence. It was no wonder Hiruko had been able to hide here for decades, only popping his head out during the Shippuden era. Without the Byakugan and Kakuzu's intelligence, Hyuga Yu could have run his legs off and still struggled to drag Hiruko out of a place like this.
Just then, Kakuzu handed over a canteen from behind and asked, "How much further?"
Hyuga Yu took the canteen and took a sip. Recalling the markings on the map in his mind, he quickly estimated, "We're roughly seven kilometers away from that laboratory."
Kakuzu frowned, asking, "The news of our departure from the Land of Rain has likely already reached his ears. Won't he run away?"
Hyuga Yu shook his head. "I have something Hiruko wants, so he probably won't... run, right? Besides, I've already put on a full act. Right about now, he should be thinking that I've lost my powers."
"Don't underestimate scientists. When faced with a pursuit concerning their ideals, they are willing to pay any price and risk it all."
However... was the Chimera Technique really what Hiruko desired?
Or could it be that people are forever trapped by the unattainable things of their youth? Was what he truly sought merely a way to use the Chimera Technique to hide his past, dissolve his inferiority complex, and falsely dress up his strength?
Hyuga Yu couldn't say for sure, but for now, there was no other way.
Seeing that they were getting close, Hyuga Yu channeled his azure chakra as he walked. A ring of veins instantly bulged around his white eyes. "Byakugan: Open!"
A grayish-white omniscient perspective instantly blanketed a three-kilometer radius. After sealing the evolution of his Byakugan and severing its resonance with the Giant Tenseigan, his Byakugan had returned to its original visual range—an omniscient 360-degree view covering three kilometers, capable of extending directionally up to seven kilometers.
Seeing Hyuga Yu activate his Byakugan, Kakuzu immediately asked, "How is it? Is that guy in the lab?"
"Wait, I'm looking."
Hyuga Yu replied briefly, immediately manipulating his Byakugan's vision to stretch outward. It quickly broke past the three-kilometer mark, extending further into the distance until it enveloped their destination. Scanning rapidly, he perceived a massive, yet completely empty, underground laboratory.
Hyuga Yu blinked, a hint of disappointment immediately washing over his face. "No way. This guy really doesn't have a shred of a scientist's ambition. He actually just ran off?"
Seeing the disappointment on Hyuga Yu's face, Kakuzu offered some consolation. "Let me take a look once we get to the site. We might still be able to find some clues."
However, as Hyuga Yu retracted his field of vision, he quickly spotted another unexpected, red-haired figure right in the middle of the path leading to the laboratory.
A bizarre expression involuntarily crossed his face. "Wait..."
"It looks like Hiruko ran away, but it seems this trip wasn't a complete waste. We've actually stumbled upon quite the unexpected harvest."
Kakuzu asked in surprise, "What did you see?"
Hyuga Yu spoke with a dead-serious expression: "My Iron Legion!"
"And my... Arc Reactor!"
[T/N: In this text, the name "Hiruko" is used for both the missing-nin with the Chimera Technique (卑留呼) and Sasori's infamous armor puppet (緋流琥). They share the exact same pronunciation in Japanese, which the characters acknowledge.]
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