Hidden within Hiruko, Sasori of the Red Sand was brimming with fighting spirit.
Defeating Tsunade would be an honor of the highest order.
Orochimaru had always shown him thinly veiled contempt.
But if he defeated Tsunade—someone ranked alongside Orochimaru—
So what if you're one of the Legendary Sannin?
Believe it or not, I can kill you in minutes!
Sasori had long wanted to shout those words straight at Orochimaru's face.
Although, under Pain's orders, Sasori and Orochimaru were temporarily paired together, the truth was that they were completely incompatible.
Both were extreme individualists. Forcing them into a team was awkward at best.
Even Pain himself had considered switching their partners.
Unfortunately, Akatsuki's recruitment standards were high, and suitable replacements were scarce.
Sasori rapidly analyzed the situation.
Tsunade possessed terrifying physical strength and unparalleled medical ninjutsu.
To defeat an opponent like her, brute force alone would never be enough—he had to think.
Tsunade, however, had no intention of giving him time.
Punch after punch. Kick after kick. Every strike carried lethal intent.
No thinking. Just smash.
Her relentless assault forced Sasori to retreat repeatedly within Hiruko.
Fortunately, Tsunade wasn't exceptionally fast—otherwise, Hiruko would have been shattered long ago.
"Hiruko — Scorpion Tail!"
During his evasive maneuver, Sasori seized an opening and counterattacked.
"Good timing!"
Tsunade roared as she grabbed the scorpion tail coated in deadly poison.
"Monstrous Strength Impact!"
She drove her fist straight into Hiruko's body.
With a deafening crack, Sasori's prized puppet exploded into fragments, scattering across the battlefield.
Hiruko was destroyed.
Sasori finally revealed his true appearance.
Tsunade froze in surprise.
Before her stood a red-haired boy who looked no more than fourteen or fifteen years old.
What she didn't know was that Sasori had long since transformed his own body into a puppet.
His youthful appearance was a façade—his real age exceeded even Kakashi's.
That secret, of course, was known only to Sasori himself.
Still, Tsunade's instincts screamed a warning.
This opponent was far more dangerous than he appeared.
Sasori smiled faintly.
"Fighting with my own body… it's been a long time."
Tsunade snorted.
"With that fragile body of yours, can you even take one punch from me?"
Sasori's smile never faded.
"I already told you."
"Ordinary people can't understand art."
"True art is eternal. It never decays."
"After I kill you, I'll turn you into one of my most treasured collections."
Tsunade's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Kill me?"
"Do you really think you can?"
She hadn't heard words that arrogant in years.
Even the current Five Kage were, at best, her equals.
And she was a medical ninja.
Killing a Kage-level medical ninja was far harder than killing an ordinary Kage.
Sasori understood this perfectly.
Which was why he revealed his trump card immediately.
He unfurled a scroll.
A new puppet emerged.
The moment Tsunade saw it, her pupils contracted.
"That… is that…?"
Sasori's expression brimmed with pride.
"So you recognize him."
"This is the desert. You should know exactly how strong the Third Kazekage was."
"Do you still think I can't kill you now?"
The battlefield fell silent.
Genma Shiranui and the others stared in disbelief.
That red-haired boy… killed the Third Kazekage?
Was this some kind of joke?!
Orochimaru licked his lips, intrigued.
"So you're using the Third Kazekage puppet already?"
"How interesting…"
Even he rarely got the chance to see it.
With the Third Kazekage puppet deployed, Sasori finally had the confidence to face Tsunade head-on.
His fingers danced as chakra threads surged forth.
"Die."
The Third Kazekage puppet lunged.
Tsunade's heart skipped a beat.
It was far faster than Hiruko!
She activated her Chakra Scalpel and collided head-on with the puppet.
They separated instantly—neither gaining the upper hand.
Sasori attacked again.
"Secret Technique: Mechanical Arms!"
Thousands of hidden arms burst forth, mixed with countless poison-coated kunai.
Tsunade's hands became blades, her movements sharp and decisive.
Clang! Clang!
Every weapon was knocked aside.
Sasori curved his lips.
"Perfectly deflected… as expected of Princess Tsunade."
"But I'm not done yet!"
"Thousand Hands Manipulation!"
The severed mechanical arms suddenly moved again, wrapping tightly around Tsunade.
"Now!"
Purple poison mist erupted instantly.
Genma and the others panicked.
"Lady Tsunade!"
They rushed forward—only for Orochimaru to stop them with a raised hand.
"Don't move."
"Tsunade isn't that fragile."
The three hesitated.
They wanted to attack Orochimaru, but the power gap was too great.
Their mission was to protect Tsunade—as long as she was alive, the situation was acceptable.
Orochimaru's tone suggested the fight wasn't over.
Reluctantly, they waited.
The poison mist swallowed Tsunade whole.
Sasori smiled.
The strongest medical ninja… finally fell to me.
It's over.
Then—
The mechanical arms were yanked upward violently.
"Scrap metal like this—turn to dust!"
With a furious roar, Tsunade tore thousands of mechanical arms straight off the Third Kazekage puppet.
Sasori's eyes widened in shock.
He instantly severed the chakra threads, barely saving his treasured puppet.
Damn it!
This woman was terrifying.
One blow nearly destroyed the Third Kazekage puppet.
Worse—
She had been inside the poison mist… and was completely unaffected.
Sasori finally understood.
The moment the poison spread, Tsunade had sealed her breathing.
At the same time, she used raw force to disperse the mist.
His attack had failed completely.
Sasori clenched his teeth.
Prepared in advance, huh?
Lucky you.
But sealing breath didn't protect the body itself.
As long as he could wound her—even slightly—the poison would decide the outcome.
Confidence returned to Sasori's eyes.
With the Third Kazekage's abilities, harming an opponent in the desert was trivial.
He raised his hand.
"Do you know why the Third Kazekage was called the strongest?"
"Witness the power of Magnet Release."
Tsunade's expression finally grew serious.
Bloodline limits were never to be taken lightly.
Under Sasori's control, the Third Kazekage puppet formed hand seals.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"
Black iron sand surged forward like a tidal wave, instantly splitting into countless needle-thin spikes.
Wide range. Long duration. Devastating lethality.
Yet Tsunade moved.
She leapt, twisted, dodged—occasionally slicing needles away with chakra scalpels.
Against Iron Sand Drizzle, she remained astonishingly composed.
The spectators were stunned.
Genma exhaled sharply.
"Lady Tsunade's footwork…"
"Even the Hokage might not match that."
The others nodded in agreement.
Moving calmly through a storm of lethal weapons—
This was the true strength of Konoha's greatest medical ninja.
Sasori himself couldn't help but admire it.
No wonder Chiyo had always struggled against her.
But this was only the beginning.
"Iron Sand Column!"
A massive black pillar formed and slammed down.
Instead of dodging, Tsunade charged forward.
Boom!
Her fist smashed into the column.
A structure weighing several tons was sent flying.
Even Orochimaru whistled.
"Tsunade's strength… still monstrous."
"Anyone hit by that wouldn't survive—even a Kage."
Sasori stared in disbelief.
Is she even human?!
The iron sand shifted again.
"Iron Sand Triangular Prism!"
Tsunade kicked it aside.
"Iron Sand Spinning Top!"
The prism spun violently.
Tsunade finally snarled.
"Enough already!"
"I'll smash it to pieces!"
BOOM!
With one punch, the iron sand construct shattered completely.
Sasori's eyes gleamed.
Conventional attacks won't work…
Then it's time for the real thing.
Witness the Third Kazekage's ultimate technique.
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