At this moment, Hagoromo was lonely.
He was disappointed in Sasori of the Red Sand—deeply, thoroughly disappointed.
Well, to be fair, Sasori was never going to play along with Hagoromo's line of thinking.
If Sasori had actually answered with something like "Your grandpa is right here"… would they even still be fighting?
In any case, Sasori had once again taken a loss in this exchange. He had never imagined that outside of Sunagakure, there could be someone else capable of wielding something akin to Magnet Release.
As for Hagoromo—
He had obtained a new piece of equipment.
Original import.
Low-carbon, eco-friendly.
Waterproof. Sweat-resistant.
Genuine Third Kazekage–brand Iron Sand.
This was why intelligence mattered so much in combat. Equipment couldn't be used recklessly—otherwise it was just throwing meat buns at a dog.
If the Third Kazekage himself were standing here alive, Hagoromo suspected that even with superior electromagnetic force, he wouldn't have been able to seize control of the Iron Sand so easily.
But the Kazekage was dead.
What remained was merely a puppet.
In essence, the Magnet Release used by the Third Kazekage puppet was fueled by Sasori's chakra, merely converted through the puppet's structure.
Because of that, its effectiveness could never compare to the real Kazekage using it personally.
The "strongest puppet"?
The "Magnet Release Third Kazekage"?
Dead was dead.
At best, it was just a modem.
Sasori's favorite toy happened to be perfectly countered by Hagoromo.
Losing the Iron Sand was completely unexpected. Sasori immediately halted the Third Kazekage puppet's follow-up actions.
A Kazekage puppet without Magnet Release was no different from Sasori's other puppets.
Hagoromo's earlier theatrics weren't because he'd lost his mind. He never expected an iron gourd to actually seal Sasori.
He loosened his arms, letting the gourd slide from his shoulder to his back.
Then, from both ends of the gourd, iron ribbons as wide as a palm extended, crossing over his chest and fastening together.
Alright—this officially crossed into borrowing and cosplay territory.
In the future, Gaara of the Sand would also carry a gourd—though his was yellow.
The Kazekage puppet stood motionless. Sasori, now missing an arm, stepped forward.
"I truly didn't expect there to be another Magnet Release user outside of Sunagakure…"
Over just a few exchanges, Hagoromo had delivered one surprise after another. The way Sasori now looked at him had changed.
It was… strange.
Fanatical, perhaps?
More precisely, like a sculptor who had just discovered an exceptional block of raw material.
Sasori fancied himself an artist, and at this moment, Hagoromo had unquestionably become material in his eyes.
Hagoromo could understand that kind of obsession—but understanding didn't make it any more comfortable.
At this point, Sasori was probably already planning how to play with—
cough—
dissect him.
Talking down from a tree felt impolite. Hagoromo stepped down from the trunk, one foot at a time.
"If you're talking about Magnet Release…" he said, sparks flickering around his body,
"then… I suppose you could call it that."
At most, what he used was Lightning Release. Electromagnetism was a matter of applied theory.
Their foundations weren't even the same. Hagoromo had neither the obligation nor the intention to explain it to Sasori.
In truth, even within the shinobi world, the exact principles behind Magnet Release were unclear. Wood Release was earth plus water, Ice Release was wind plus water—but what exactly Magnet Release was?
Hagoromo hadn't studied it.
"Using this puppet against you does seem like a poor choice," Sasori admitted calmly.
Without Hagoromo saying a word, Sasori had already categorized his ability as Magnet Release—after all, he had personally killed a Magnet Release user before.
"Still, it seems I'm quite lucky today. I'll soon obtain a second puppet just like this one."
Sasori sealed away the Third Kazekage puppet. Using a Magnet Release puppet against a true Magnet Release user would have been idiotic.
No matter how knowledgeable someone was, they still judged things based on experience and common sense. Sasori could never imagine a power system outside the world's established framework.
So, in his mind, Hagoromo was unquestionably a Magnet Release user.
Which left Hagoromo utterly speechless.
Even if Sasori killed him, there was no way he could turn Hagoromo into a Kazekage-style puppet. It wasn't even the same system—it wasn't chakra at all.
At that moment, the rain—absent for dozens of hours—returned.
Hagoromo walked forward and stopped in front of Sasori.
The fight wasn't over. He wasn't about to come down here just to reenact some melodramatic rain-soaked romance.
Sasori re-sealed the Kazekage puppet, then finally pulled out the scroll marked with a single red character.
Red Secret Technique: Performance of Fifty-Six Puppets!
In an instant, dense ranks of red-cloaked puppets surrounded Hagoromo.
Sasori had finally unleashed a true ultimate technique.
Because his core regeneration body was not yet complete—and because he simply didn't carry that many puppets—Hagoromo didn't witness the legendary Performance of a Hundred Puppets, capable of destroying an entire nation.
Even so, being encircled by fifty-six puppets at once was no small commitment.
Chakra threads extended directly from Sasori's shoulder wound, controlling the puppets like a neural network. Despite their numbers, they moved as if they were his own limbs.
"I acknowledge your strength," Sasori said.
"I only hope you won't resist too fiercely. If possible, I'd prefer not to damage your body too much."
The wording felt… unsettling.
Like someone persuading another person to take care of their own belongings.
Faced with so many puppets, Hagoromo made a precise judgment:
Now was not the time to show off. Retreat.
He backed away step by step, never turning his eyes from Sasori.
Energy gathered within him. Lightning illuminated the space ahead, cutting through the rain.
The weather favored Hagoromo. If this dragged on, he might even call down another bolt from the sky.
But not yet.
Big moves weren't things you threw out casually.
Iron Sand flowed from the gourd's mouth, half-encircling his body.
Offense and defense as one.
Yes—he was basically copying Gaara's fighting style now.
But to be fair, in one-versus-many scenarios, this approach was extremely effective.
Hagoromo retreated cautiously.
Clack—clack—clack—
The dense mechanical sounds were harsh on the ears.
At Sasori's command, the red-cloaked puppets surged forward together.
It looked like a swarm—but under Sasori's control, the attack had layers, rhythm, and coordination.
The strongest puppeteer indeed.
And Hagoromo?
He kept retreating.
Iron Sand formed shields, blocking the puppets' strikes.
Iron Sand formed blades, counterattacking those that closed in.
Iron Sand lashed like whips, cleaving puppets that struck from blind angles.
These were far easier to use than Iron Sand ripped directly from the earth.
Brand-name products really were different.
Puppets fell—then rose again.
Lightning flared—then dimmed.
Iron Sand condensed—then dispersed.
Hagoromo fought as he retreated.
From the Land of Rain, into the Land of Fire.
Sasori knew Hagoromo was drawing him somewhere—but he had no choice but to follow. Otherwise, he'd have to abandon the kill entirely.
Sasori's puppets were difficult to destroy completely. Unless they were smashed beyond recognition, any that could still move would rejoin the assault.
So, when Hagoromo spotted a moment where several puppets clustered together—
He struck decisively.
An orange flash pierced the rain.
Its trajectory wasn't as clear as on a sunny day.
Friction.
Heat.
Evaporation.
Vaporization.
A thick mist wrapped itself around the path of the Lightning Release.
BOOM!
It sounded like a single explosion, but in truth it was many layered detonations overlapping.
Several puppets disintegrated like fireworks, reduced to powder.
The remaining puppets halted.
Sasori was outside the effective range. If he advanced further, Hagoromo wouldn't mind firing again.
At this point, the commotion was already massive—he no longer cared about drawing attention from other shinobi.
And finally—
Sasori stopped pursuing.
"Your chakra reserves…" Sasori said slowly.
"They truly surprise me. It seems my plan has failed. Half my puppets are destroyed—and I can't advance deeper into the Land of Fire."
"Let's hope we meet again."
By all logic, with such high-consumption techniques, Hagoromo should have been drained long ago.
Yet he still looked energetic.
"My energy," Hagoromo replied calmly,
"is beyond your imagination."
In truth, he was already feeling exhausted.
He wasn't sure how much longer he could have sustained that high-intensity pursuit. Fortunately, retreating while fighting had been the right choice. Once inside the Land of Fire, Sasori had no option but to withdraw.
Sasori was decisive.
Once he chose to retreat, he turned and left without hesitation.
Soon, his figure vanished into the rain.
Hagoromo retracted the Iron Sand and lightning. He now looked thoroughly battered.
At that moment, a sense of surviving a catastrophe washed over him.
Sasori's puppets were troublesome—but the worst part had been the poison. That constant threat kept Hagoromo perpetually on edge.
If someone like Tsunade had been with him, he wouldn't have had to fight so conservatively.
If Sasori had persisted for just five more minutes, Hagoromo would've had no choice but to unleash his final trump card.
Still—
He'd made it.
Maybe sing a song to celebrate?
This is a lonely sky…
Rain falls with quiet sorrow…
Cough—wrong one.
It should be—
The Land of Rain has no tears…
The downpour flies…
You look cold and worn…
No—also wrong.
Anyway—
Making Sasori pay didn't break Hagoromo's heart.
Delivering gear was the most beautiful thing he could do.
A fleeting encounter at the oldest border.
Hagoromo had withdrawn unscathed—
From every kind of danger imaginable.
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
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