Sacrificial Shop.
The decisive battle at the Valley of the End had not even reached its midpoint when a translucent virtual screen was already floating in midair, projecting every brutal exchange with ruthless clarity.
Li Rong sat calmly at the head of the room. Around him were Orochimaru, Sasori, Dugu Yan, Snow Princess, and several others who, by now, had long since stopped considering themselves mere observers of the Ninja World.
"Uchiha Madara really dared to be this careless in a battle where life and death were on the line," Sasori said coldly, eyes fixed on the projection. "Ridiculous."
Even for someone known as the Shura of the Ninja World, Sasori's contempt was unmistakable.
It wasn't aimed solely at Madara.
He despised anyone who relied only on power while neglecting research, planning, and learning.
Orochimaru slowly shook his head, his golden pupils narrowing slightly.
"He trusted his absolute strength too much. The moment he was transferred into that sealing barrier by Flying Thunder God, he should have withdrawn immediately."
Orochimaru's voice was calm, analytical.
"Instead, he allowed himself to be provoked, repeatedly responding to attacks inside a restricted domain. That was his fatal error."
He paused, then added, "Had he escaped the barrier at once, his sensory abilities would have ensured that Susanoo was never shattered twice in succession."
"That's how Ninja battles work," Li Rong said indifferently.
"No matter how invincible a legend appears, one mistake is enough to end everything."
Dugu Yan glanced sideways at him.
"You say that as if this had nothing to do with you."
Li Rong chuckled.
"Without that Shadow Release technique, even if Madara was struck by the Reaper Death Seal, he still might have broken free."
"That was Shadow Release, not Yin Release," Li Rong corrected casually.
"And besides, everything used was openly sold in the Martial Tower. Both sides had access."
He continued calmly,
"Madara trusted Black Zetsu's intelligence too much and never personally investigated the battlefield setup. That was the real killing blow."
"As for the Ino–Shika–Chō clans…" Li Rong's eyes flickered with approval.
"The moment they chose to bet their entire clan foundation after seeing Blood Shadow Binding God, the result was already decided."
"To make such a decisive trade after learning the cost of that technique…" Snow Princess said softly, genuine admiration in her voice,
"Their judgment, resolve, and strategic vision are all top-tier."
Sasori folded his arms.
"So," he asked bluntly, "when do we start transforming the Ninja World?"
He no longer even tried to hide it—his use of we was completely natural.
"The foundation is already in place," Li Rong replied.
"Lower-tier Ninja have learned cooperation through Sacrificial Shop missions. The higher-ups forged trust in this war."
"When the next ranking list refreshes," he said decisively,
"the transformation officially begins."
Sasori's New Creation
"What did you need Pakura's flesh and blood for?" Orochimaru asked suddenly, his interest clearly shifting.
Sasori's lips curled slightly.
"A preliminary experiment."
He lifted his chin, pride undisguised.
"After mastering Artifact Forging, I wanted to see whether flesh-and-blood refinement could be combined with the Human Puppet Technique."
He gestured, and a figure emerged.
Even by Orochimaru's exacting standards, it was flawless.
The hairstyle, facial structure, physique, Chakra fluctuations—every detail matched Pakura perfectly. Even the texture of the skin felt indistinguishable from a living human.
"I incorporated her flesh and blood directly into the forging materials," Sasori explained with reverent focus.
"The core itself is refined from her essence and inscribed with specialized arrays."
"It perfectly reproduces her Scorch Release affinity," he continued, voice growing more animated,
"And I added a natural energy array. Its Chakra reserves exceed her original body."
"It can use Sage Art," Sasori said calmly, as if stating a trivial fact,
"and all Scorch Release techniques Pakura mastered."
"I also borrowed concepts from the Sage-Immortality Pearl and added a remote-control core."
"Within one kilometer, control is instantaneous. Beyond that, delay increases with distance."
He shrugged lightly.
"In remote mode, resistance to Sealing Jutsu and barriers is lower. That still needs improvement."
"But in direct combat?" Sasori smiled.
"Even Pakura herself wouldn't last ten rounds."
Li Rong applauded sincerely.
This wasn't courtesy—it was genuine appreciation.
Even Orochimaru's gaze grew sharper, reevaluating Sasori's talent.
"What about you?" Sasori shot back smugly.
"You joined the Sacrificial Shop earlier than I did. What have you achieved?"
Orochimaru replied smoothly,
"All Grade-2 pills can now be refined perfectly, including Longevity Pills."
"I didn't ask about pill refining," Sasori cut in.
"I asked about research."
Orochimaru's lips curved into a strange smile.
"All Grade-1 healing pills have completed localization upgrades. Chakra recovery pills are also progressing steadily."
Seeing Sasori about to press further, Li Rong intervened just in time.
"Sasori," he said, "interested in making another puppet specifically for auction?"
"This one's just a test subject," Sasori replied indifferently. "Selling it doesn't matter."
"Imitating someone's appearance without consent isn't ideal," Li Rong said.
"Why not create a special auction piece? Let the Ninja World witness your art."
Sasori paused, then nodded slowly.
"…Then what should I do with this one?" he muttered, rare hesitation flickering across his face.
"The best solution," Li Rong said flatly,
"is to sell it to Pakura herself."
Sasori raised an eyebrow.
"Can she afford it?"
Li Rong shot him an annoyed look.
"You used her flesh and blood. Charging material cost alone is already shameless."
Sasori shrugged and stored the puppet away.
Dugu Yan laughed loudly.
"Orochimaru, you'd better work harder. If only Sasori's work appears at auction, you'll lose face."
For the first time, Orochimaru's expression truly darkened.
Jiraiya's death saddened him—but souls could be retrieved.
Being outshone by Sasori?
Unacceptable.
Aftermath and Shadows
Despite catastrophic losses, the sealing of Uchiha Madara triggered celebration among the Five Villages.
Elsewhere, in the shadows—
Black Zetsu cursed endlessly.
"That arrogant lunatic!" he hissed.
"Without the Rinnegan, everything is ruined!"
Attempting to steal Shikaku's flesh had failed. The Rinnegan had fused completely—extraction was impossible.
Without it, the Ten-Tails plan was dead.
And without the Ten-Tails—
She could never be revived.
"What do we do now?" Tobi asked uneasily.
"Cease all operations," Black Zetsu growled.
"Recall all White Zetsu. We wait."
"What about the Jinchuriki?" Tobi asked, pointing.
"Kill them."
Tobi hesitated.
"If they die, the Tailed Beasts will reincarnate—and leak everything."
Black Zetsu froze.
Information about the Gedo Statue would spread instantly.
At that moment, a White Zetsu piped up excitedly:
"Why not sell them to the Sacrificial Shop and use the coins to break the seal?"
Black Zetsu went silent.
Then—temptation flickered.
"Forty-five million…" he muttered.
Grinding his teeth, he finally nodded.
"Escort them. We're going to the Sacrificial Shop."
At this point—
He had nothing left to lose.
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