Revolution in the Ninja World

Whether it was Kakuzu somewhat closer, or Sasori of the Red Sand a bit farther away, both immediately noticed the sudden appearance of the gigantic serpent construct. Orochimaru's flashy yet chilling chakra signature might not have been jaw-dropping, but it was certainly enough to put anyone on high alert.

But then, before the eight-headed monster could even begin to display its power, it was abruptly engulfed by a vast sea of fire.

The color of the intensely hot flames shifted rapidly from a deep orange-red to a searing white that resembled flowing light. Any flesh-and-blood body would struggle to withstand such temperatures, likely reaching thousands of degrees. The aroma of roasting meat barely had time to spread before being replaced by an unbearable stench of charring.

Based on the destructive urges hidden deep within the human heart, one could draw this conclusion… setting fires is quite enjoyable, especially when burning certain living things.

"Casually unleashing ninjutsu on this scale… Konoha truly churns out monster ninja," Kakuzu couldn't help but remark, watching the massive inferno rage.

It wasn't surprising for Orochimaru to use any sort of exaggerated ninjutsu; he was, after all, one of the renowned Sannin. What was surprising was that, right after Orochimaru unleashed his big move, the relatively unknown Kakashi Hatake could actually counter with a compound ninjutsu on the same scale… Alright, perhaps just pulling rank due to his age, Kakuzu could still consider "Kakashi of the Sharingan" relatively unknown.

Looking at the fire Kakashi had set, then thinking back to the fire he had just set, Kakuzu had to admit the difference in scale and power was rather significant.

Considering Kakashi's current age, Kakuzu suddenly felt a pang of indignation for some reason.

"Power isn't everything. A jutsu that can end the fight is a good jutsu. What's the point of moves that instantly drain your chakra in a real battle?"

Orochimaru was struggling within the flames, looking quite pathetic, but Kakuzu didn't believe he'd actually burn to death. However, it was obvious that his opponent was already dead within his compound ninjutsu.

Of course, Kakuzu wasn't particularly concerned about Orochimaru's life or death. If Orochimaru did happen to fail spectacularly, Kakuzu wouldn't mind helping out with a little bit of petty revenge.

Orochimaru was an anomaly; ninja possessing his level of vitality and survival abilities were ultimately few and far between. It wasn't surprising Kakuzu was so confident—under normal circumstances, Habara should have already been carbonized.

After confirming there was no more movement within his own blaze, Kakuzu turned and began walking towards Orochimaru's location. If Orochimaru couldn't handle Kakashi, Kakuzu was prepared to deliver some well-deserved mockery.

So, what about Habara?

He definitely wasn't dead. He had simply made a swift exit. Not because the fight with Kakuzu was meaningless, but because a sudden situation had erupted elsewhere, forcing him to intervene immediately and save the day.

On the other side of the ruins.

Zaemon Matsuyo was already kneeling on the ground, her body covered in wounds. One shoulder and part of her back were even impaled with a gruesome assortment of blades – senbon, kunai, shuriken, sickles, short swords, you name it… Clearly, she had been defeated by Sasori of the Red Sand. Her puppets lay scattered around her in pieces.

Such an outcome wasn't entirely unexpected. Facing Sasori as a fellow Puppet Master, the fact that she had held out for so long was already commendable.

"Should I call this arriving right on schedule? It seems I've been active in this area for a bit too long. Today is turning out to be exceptionally lively," Sasori remarked, casually pulling a long sword embedded in the ground free. He walked step by step towards the immobilized Zaemon Matsuyo.

After witnessing something like the Eight Branches Technique, Sasori had no intention of getting into a head-on confrontation with the ninja gathered here. Instead, he planned to take the opportunity to escape.

Sasori was always conceited, often arrogant, but that didn't mean he was brainless. If he encountered certain powerful ninja one-on-one, he might entertain the idea of testing his skills against them. But if multiple enemies exceeding a certain standard appeared together, then "making a run for it" was the correct choice.

Although he didn't know why so many powerful ninja were after him, Sasori was certain they were here for him. With two or three different factions converging on this spot for his sake, choosing to leave was definitely the right move to avoid falling into a trap.

"Zaemon, you have made some progress over the years, but… ultimately, this is the extent of your strength," Sasori said, raising the long sword in his hand. The sharp edge hovered directly above Zaemon's neck.

Clang!

However, as the sword descended, it was caught firmly by a hand.

"This person is my contact with Sunagakure. Her death would be troublesome," Habara stated, having appeared just in the nick of time.

He blocked Sasori's attack, then clenched his hand. With a simple exertion of force, Sasori's long sword crumpled into a pile of metal fragments.

Habara glanced at Zaemon Matsuyo's condition. Although she looked like she'd lost a lot of blood, her injuries seemed mostly superficial. "Since when does Sasori of the Red Sand show mercy?"

A Puppet Master who didn't use poison was operating at less than half capacity, and there were no obvious signs of severe poisoning on Zaemon.

However, it probably wasn't mercy. More likely, Sasori simply hadn't needed to go all out when dealing with Zaemon.

Blocked once again, Sasori let out a sigh. "So, you really won't let me leave easily?"

He casually tossed aside the broken hilt, took a few steps back, then reached behind him and produced a scroll with the character for "Three" (三) written on its cover.

"Although I don't believe any of you are worthy of forcing me to use an artwork of this caliber… unfortunately, it seems a swift conclusion is necessary here."

Sasori then shot Zaemon a specific look. "Now you should have no doubts about why I will never return to Sunagakure."

He released the seal on the scroll and summoned a special puppet.

Zaemon, who had remained stoic even through defeat and near-death, finally showed an expression of utter disbelief and shock. The puppet's features were so distinct that she recognized its identity instantly.

"The Third Kazekage..."

Zaemon had seen the "Strongest Kazekage" when he was alive. The era pioneered by the Third Kazekage was not a distant memory for her generation of shinobi.

The Third Kazekage's ultimate fate had been a mysterious disappearance. Now, it seemed, he had died at the hands of Sasori of the Red Sand.

"See? The internal competition within these 'village enterprises' is always so brutal…" Habara commented, looking at the "human puppet."

At this moment, Habara's attention was completely captivated by the puppet figure, so much so that he seemed to have forgotten something… Now that he had come over here, what about Kakashi, currently sandwiched over there?

Everyone was focused on the Kazekage who had been dead for years, yet no one spared a thought for Kakashi, who was, for the time being, still breathing. How tragic.

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