"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands."
Just as Rasa was slightly distracted, Orochimaru's hoarse voice suddenly rang out.
Immediately afterward, more than a dozen massive snakes burst from his sleeves, their jaws wide open as they lunged toward Rasa in the sky.
"Nani!?"
Snapping back to his senses, Rasa immediately kicked off the golden sand platform beneath his feet and leapt backward.
The movement was just enough to avoid the snakes' vicious bites.
Even so, cold sweat broke out across his back.
"Eh heh heh… what a pity."
Watching Rasa retreat in panic, Orochimaru let out a sinister chuckle, his golden pupils narrowing with amusement.
But despite his mocking tone, Orochimaru himself felt a trace of frustration.
Rasa had been deliberately maintaining altitude the entire time, floating high in the air atop his Gold Dust.
That distance gave him ample room to evade any attack.
It made landing a decisive blow incredibly difficult.
"Huff… huff…"
Rasa breathed heavily, steadying himself.
The Gold Dust beneath his feet surged again, lifting him even higher into the sky.
His gaze shifted toward Kikyo Castle in the distance.
Then, his eyes turned toward Chiyo's battlefield.
Without hesitation, Rasa abandoned Orochimaru and flew rapidly toward Chiyo.
--
Jingle… jingle…
"The Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu… is that all?"
While fending off the relentless assault of the puppets, Yagami turned his head slightly, his gaze falling upon Chiyo outside the battlefield.
Chiyo's hands moved at blinding speed, leaving afterimages in the air as she manipulated her puppets.
Each movement was done with focus and precision leading to flawless combination.
And yet—
It still posed no real threat to Yagami.
Of course, that did not mean Chiyo was weak.
It simply meant that she had encountered someone whose abilities directly countered hers.
"Ahhhhh!!"
Hearing Yagami's calm words, Chiyo grit her teeth in fury.
Her fingers moved even faster.
Her entire body seemed to blur, her form flickering like a phantom as she pushed her puppet manipulation to its limits.
But even then—
Yagami felt no pressure.
"In that case… it's about time I fight back."
Yagami spoke calmly, his expression unchanged.
After observing their coordination for so long, he had already grasped the full capabilities of the Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu.
Their combination was indeed terrifying.
Earlier, he had remained cautious, wary of their poisoned weapons.
Even a minor scratch could prove fatal.
But now—
He understood.
Their attacks simply lacked the power to penetrate his defenses.
His Armament Haki armor was absolute.
His earlier caution…
Had been unnecessary.
With that realization, Yagami stopped swinging his blade defensively.
Jingle—!
The instant his guard dropped, every puppet thrust its weapons toward him simultaneously.
Blades.
Spears.
Hidden mechanisms.
All converged upon his body.
And yet—
Not a single one could pierce his Armament Haki.
"How is this possible!?"
Chiyo's eyes widened in shock.
Until now, Yagami had been blocking their attacks, making her forget—
He had never needed to.
"It's my turn."
Yagami murmured.
He reached out and grabbed one of the puppet's arms.
Then—
He raised his black blade high above his head.
"Ahhhhh!!"
Chiyo roared, pouring even more chakra into her puppets.
The blades pressing against Yagami trembled violently.
But no matter how much force she applied—
They could not advance even a single inch.
Cang—!!
Boom!
Yagami brought his blade down without hesitation.
The puppet was split cleanly in half from head to toe.
Though these white puppets were incredibly durable—
To Yagami, who had reached the realm of cutting steel in swordsmanship, they were no different from paper.
Especially now that his blade was coated in Armament Haki.
Enhanced further by Wind-nature chakra.
Their destruction was inevitable.
Seeing her puppet destroyed, Chiyo waved her hand swiftly.
The remaining puppets instantly scattered.
"Sealing Technique: Lion's Roar!"
A puppet behind her bent forward, launching a lion-headed sealing construct toward Yagami.
Cang!
Boom!
Yagami swung his blade casually.
A massive slash, tens of meters long, erupted outward.
The sealing technique was shattered instantly.
The puppet that launched it was reduced to fragments, scattering across the battlefield.
"Chiyo-sama!!"
"Chiyo-sama!!"
The Sand shinobi watching from outside cried out in alarm.
Moments ago, Yagami had been surrounded.
And yet...
In the blink of an eye, the situation had reversed completely.
They could not comprehend what had happened.
But Chiyo understood.
She was being overwhelmed.
"The Three Treasures Absorption!"
Chiyo shouted urgently.
Three puppets stacked themselves in a triangular formation.
Click… click…
Their mouths opened simultaneously.
BOOOOM—!!
A massive tornado burst forth.
The terrifying suction immediately grabbed hold of Yagami.
"Disappear beneath the slash… and turn to dust."
Yagami spoke calmly.
[Atomic Slash.]
His body was suddenly pulled forward.
The bracelet on his wrist—the one that reduced his weight several times over—made resisting the suction difficult.
He allowed himself to be drawn in.
But at that same moment—
A dazzling white slash erupted from his blade.
Pipipi—
Silently.
Everything in its path—
Rock.
Earth.
Grass.
Was instantly reduced to dust.
A deep trench carved itself into the ground.
The three puppets maintaining the formation were erased entirely.
Gone without a trace.
The slash continued forward.
Straight toward Chiyo.
Buzzing—!!
The terrifying sound reached her ears.
Her instincts screamed danger.
Without hesitation, she abandoned the remaining puppets and leapt aside.
But—
She was too slow.
Pipipi—
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
A heart-wrenching scream echoed across the battlefield.
Her left forearm was gone, severed cleanly by the passing slash as if it had never existed, leaving only a mangled stump behind while blood burst forth uncontrollably, staining the ground beneath her feet.
The sight was horrifying.
"Chiyo-sama!!"
"Chiyo-sama!!"
The Sand shinobi outside the battlefield screamed in terror.
Without hesitation, they rushed forward, charging toward the gravely injured Chiyo.
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