"I-Is this… reinforcements?"
Kusunoki stared at the massive earthen wall that had suddenly risen before them, momentarily stunned. Then realization dawned on him.
But his expression quickly turned even uglier.
His original plan had been to reach the Konoha shinobi stationed at Kubisaki City and have them immediately transmit the intelligence back to the village.
But now that contact had happened prematurely, he wasn't pleased at all.
The stationed forces weren't strong enough to deal with that monster.
Garrisoned shinobi were usually average in strength.
Patrol units, in particular, were mostly composed of chūnin and genin.
That was why Kusunoki had intended for them to relay information—not join the fight.
But now—
The patrol had come to them.
This was simply—
Suddenly, Kusunoki frowned.
The earthen wall before him seemed excessively large.
And the quality of the chakra—
It made him uneasy.
"That's not from the patrol unit… Then who? Passing mission shinobi?"
As he pondered, a figure appeared—
Clad in Konoha ANBU attire like them,
Wearing a bird-shaped mask.
Kusunoki's expression turned complicated.
ANBU? What was going on?
Why were there ANBU here?
Were they on a nearby mission?
Had they come to receive them?
Or had they just happened upon the situation?
Before Kusunoki could speak, Natsuhiko asked first,
"Are you all right?"
At the same time, he subtly withdrew part of his chakra.
He couldn't maintain that wall for too long.
"I'm Nightingale, captain of Squad Three, First Division. What happened here?"
"Nightingale? You?" As a Commander, Kusunoki was familiar with most operatives in the corps. "What are you doing here—"
Before he could finish—
Natsuhiko suddenly grabbed his shoulder and leapt backward.
The next instant—
A thunderous crash erupted.
A massive tail-like stinger pierced straight through the earthen wall—
And impaled the ANBU standing at the very front clean through.
Natsuhiko's eyes remained locked on their pursuer, even while he spoke. He realized he had caught a "big fish." He hadn't noticed earlier, but the man he just saved was a high-ranking Commander. For a Commander to lead a mission personally meant the stakes were astronomical.
Moreover, Natsuhiko noticed something else.
A group of shinobi nearby hadn't drawn closer, even though they were injured.
He immediately understood.
Not everyone wearing ANBU attire was actually ANBU.
They were likely Root members.
In Konoha, only Root would infiltrate the Land of Wind.
Everything clicked into place.
"Interesting," Sasori spoke from within Hiruko. "There are reinforcements. It seems your mission truly was worthwhile. In that case… I'll take this a bit more seriously."
As he spoke, Sasori ceased attacking with Hiruko—
But he didn't emerge from it either.
Instead, he casually took out a scroll.
On it was the character "Three."
Natsuhiko's eyelid twitched.
He immediately drew several kunai—
But before he could throw them, white mist suddenly billowed outward.
When the mist cleared—
A human puppet stood before him.
Black iron sand floated ominously around it.
And the face—
Even in death, it was unmistakable.
Kusunoki's face turned deathly pale.
With trembling lips, he whispered,
"Th-That's… the Third Kazekage?"
Not just him—
The ANBU, the Root members, and even the newly arrived Kakashi all stared in disbelief.
What was happening?
Why was the missing Third Kazekage here?
And worse—
He had been turned into a puppet?
Just how terrifying was this ghost-like man?
"This is my most satisfying work to date. Konoha's shinobi… enjoy my art."
Sasori's raspy voice echoed from within Hiruko.
The Third Kazekage puppet burst forth with astonishing chakra.
Seeing this, Natsuhiko decisively put away his kunai.
He tapped Kakashi lightly with his fist and spoke in a low voice:
"The ones over there are Root. Take the least injured one and retreat north—back to Konoha."
The ANBU had split into two groups—something that should never happen under ANBU protocol.
Combined with what Natsuhiko knew about Kusunoki's situation, it was easy for him to deduce—
Those who hadn't gathered together were very likely Root members.
And he absolutely couldn't call Kakashi by name—
Nor use the title "White Fang."
The man before them was Sasori.
Kakashi was far too important.
Natsuhiko wouldn't dare expose him.
"Yes." Kakashi didn't waste words. He simply nodded.
"Wait—what's your plan?" Kusunoki looked at Natsuhiko in confusion. He still hadn't grasped the situation.
Natsuhiko glanced at him—
But gave no reply.
Whether it was Sasori himself or the Third Kazekage puppet—
Neither was something he could handle right now.
He wasn't thinking about how to stall this monster.
He was thinking about how to escape.
The ANBU and Root present were practically combat-ineffective.
And Natsuhiko, sharp-eyed as ever, noticed that nearly all of them were wounded to varying degrees.
Sasori wasn't just terrifyingly powerful—
He also embodied a defining trait of puppet masters: Poison.
He excelled at it.
He had integrated toxins into nearly every aspect of his combat style.
In other words—
Aside from Natsuhiko and Kakashi,
Everyone here was likely compromised.
Under these circumstances, Natsuhiko's choice was simple:
Prioritize the most valuable targets.
This mission was clearly led by Root.
So he had Kakashi take the least-injured among them.
As for himself—
He locked his gaze onto Kusunoki.
Though Kusunoki didn't carry the highest intelligence value, he held rank and influence within ANBU.
Saving him would greatly benefit Natsuhiko's future in the organization—
Even if Kusunoki had ties to Danzō.
Thinking this through, Natsuhiko clenched his teeth slightly and gave Kakashi a subtle look.
"Finished planning?" Sasori suddenly spoke. "Then I'll make my move."
As his voice fell—
The iron sand floating around the Third Kazekage puppet transformed into countless fine needles.
They rained down like a storm—
Firing wildly toward Natsuhiko and the others.
Seeing this, Kakashi immediately stepped forward.
His hands flashed through hand seals.
Chakra surged violently through his body—
And aurora-like blue lightning arcs burst forth.
"Lightning Release: Chidori Current!"
Brilliant arcs of electricity spread outward—
Intercepting and deflecting the incoming needle storm.
Natsuhiko nodded inwardly at the sight.
Then he formed hand seals as well.
In an instant, his technique was complete.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
A massive torrent burst from his mouth under precise control—
Rushing rapidly toward Sasori.
The moment the water met the lightning—
The violent electric current traveled straight through it toward Sasori.
Natsuhiko knew full well—
This wouldn't truly harm him.
Sasori had long since transformed himself into a puppet.
Lightning like this posed little threat.
And his true body remained hidden inside Hiruko.
"But that's enough."
The moment the jutsu concluded—
Natsuhiko grabbed Kusunoki by the collar.
Without looking back, he fled south at full speed.
At the same time—
Kakashi cut off his technique,
Took a single stride,
Seized a Root shinobi—
And dashed north without hesitation.