"No wonder there's been no news about the Third Kazekage all this time. So you turned him into a human puppet."
Seeing the Third Kazekage beside Sasori, spewing black iron sand, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with the excitement and satisfaction of uncovering a hidden truth.
Sasori's expression remained calm as ever. Chakra threads extended from his fingers, connecting to the Third Kazekage puppet.
"Knowing now is far too late. Take this secret with you and sleep forever beneath the earth."
Although he had been branded an S-rank missing-nin by Sunagakure, the village's efforts to capture him had never been particularly intense.
But if word spread that he had killed the Third Kazekage and turned him into a human puppet, he would face the village's relentless pursuit.
The moment Sasori summoned the Third Kazekage puppet, it meant there would be no retreat—only a fight to the death.
Vast amounts of iron sand gathered in the sky, forming a gigantic cylinder and a massive triangular pyramid.
"Die!"
Under Sasori's control, the cylinder and pyramid crashed down toward Orochimaru.
Orochimaru snorted coldly. "This is your so-called eternal art?"
"Turning people into clumsy puppets—what's there to be proud of?"
"Summoning Jutsu · Triple Rashōmon!"
Three enormous iron gates carved with hideous demon faces rose before him, blocking the Third Kazekage's assault entirely.
"Eight Branches Technique!"
With a low shout, Orochimaru's body swelled and transformed in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, he became a colossal white serpent with eight heads.
"Roar!"
The great serpent's massive body writhed as its huge heads smashed toward Sasori and the Third Kazekage puppet.
Boom!
The earth shook as if a dragon had overturned beneath the ground.
Watching Sasori retreat in disarray, Orochimaru leaned halfway out from one of the serpent's heads and sneered.
"What can your puppets possibly accomplish against me in this state?"
"Magnet Release · Iron Sand World Method!"
Sasori let out a sharp cry. The iron sand spread across the sky, forming a vast barrier.
Within the barrier, countless spear-like iron sand spikes pierced into Orochimaru's body, instantly riddling the Eight-Headed Serpent with holes.
The iron sand pyramid and cylinder condensed into a massive iron blade that swept down, severing several of the serpent's heads in a single stroke.
Yet Orochimaru's smile only deepened, a mocking glint in his eyes.
"It's useless. You can't kill me."
In just a few moments, the serpent's body regenerated completely.
Sasori frowned and could only continue directing the Third Kazekage to launch relentless attacks.
Watching the battle unfold, Yuzuru couldn't help but nod slightly, a trace of admiration appearing in his gaze toward Orochimaru.
In this world where bloodline reigned supreme, Orochimaru had carved out his own path through sheer effort.
Wherever he lacked, he developed ninjutsu to compensate.
Though he wasn't peerless in every field, he always had a countermeasure ready for any opponent.
For a civilian ninja with no bloodline and no background, reaching this level was already remarkable.
As Yuzuru pondered, the clash between Orochimaru and Sasori grew increasingly intense.
With the Eight Branches Technique activated, Orochimaru firmly suppressed the Third Kazekage.
In the next instant, countless venomous snakes burst from the ground beneath Sasori's feet.
"Die!"
The snakes sank their fangs into Sasori and swallowed him whole.
With the loss of control, the Third Kazekage froze in place.
Seizing the opportunity, Orochimaru slammed into the puppet, smashing it into pieces.
"Yuzuru-kun, I've won."
Orochimaru returned to his original form, breathing slightly heavily.
The Eight Branches Technique was powerful, but its chakra consumption was immense.
If he hadn't transplanted various powerful cells into his body, sustaining such high-intensity combat for long would have been impossible.
Yet Yuzuru spoke calmly. "Orochimaru, take a look behind you."
Orochimaru froze.
The moment he turned around, fierce flames erupted, incinerating all the venomous snakes. Sasori reappeared before them, completely unharmed.
"How is this possible?"
Orochimaru's expression changed, disbelief flashing across his face.
Bitten by so many venomous snakes at once—even if he didn't die, he should have been incapacitated.
"Red Secret Technique · Performance of a Hundred Puppets!"
Sasori snorted coldly. A mechanism on his abdomen opened, and in an instant, one hundred puppets poured out.
"What madness… You've turned yourself into a puppet as well?"
Orochimaru looked at Sasori, a flicker of recognition in his eyes.
So they were alike—both dissatisfied with the human body.
Just as he prepared to step forward and resume the fight, Yuzuru pressed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's getting late. To avoid delaying dinner, I'll take it from here."
Seeing Yuzuru step forward, a hint of wariness flashed in Sasori's eyes.
Though he had never witnessed Yuzuru's combat firsthand, being called the strongest in the ninja world meant his strength was beyond question.
Sasori decided to strike first.
But when he tried to control his puppets to attack, he found them sluggish, their movements severely hindered.
His expression changed.
Only then did he realize that, at some unknown moment, the air had become filled with countless grains of sand.
The particles had already drifted silently into every puppet joint.
"Magnet Release · Continuous Bullet Sandstorm!"
In an instant, all one hundred human puppets were blasted into fragments.
Yuzuru's figure vanished from sight and appeared before Sasori in the blink of an eye.
His blade flashed, and with a few swift strokes, Sasori's body was cut into several pieces.
The Red Sand's Sasori—who had fought Orochimaru to a standstill—looked as fragile as a child before Yuzuru.
Yuzuru picked up Sasori's core and said calmly, "Sasori, how about becoming my subordinate from now on?"
The core trembled slightly. Yuzuru released his grip.
Sasori quickly seized another puppet body and inserted his core into it.
He stared at Yuzuru coldly. "You are indeed strong. I am no match for you."
"But if you think I'll serve you, you'd better abandon that idea now."
Seeing Sasori's resolute expression, Yuzuru's face remained unchanged.
"It's too early to say that. First, take a look at the gift I've prepared for you."
After speaking, Yuzuru pressed both hands onto the ground.
"Impure World Reincarnation!"
In the next moment, two White Zetsu struggled as they transformed into a man and a woman.
The instant Sasori saw their faces, his eyes widened.
The two people he had longed for day and night suddenly stood before him. For a moment, he was at a complete loss.
"Father… Mother…"