Chapter 73: The Art of Puppetry vs. The Sword
"Which one of you is Yagyu Ryuzen?"
Deidara sat casually atop Gaara's lifeless body, surveying the seven ninja before him. His gaze first flickered over Naruto—with his crimson vertical pupils—then settled on the silver-haired youth with a tachi at his waist.
A grin spread across his face. "That silver-haired brat—it's you, isn't it?"
SHUN—
Before the words fully left his mouth, Ryuzen vanished from Deidara's sight.
No Body Flicker trace. No warning. He simply appeared before Deidara in an instant.
SHING—
Silver-white blade-light flashed like a shooting star, passing through Deidara's waist.
Deidara's eyes went wide. "So fast..."
The same reaction as Uchiha Itachi. The same as Kisame.
Then his bisected body dissolved into white clay.
Deidara's real form reappeared at the cave entrance, Gaara's body tucked under one arm. His expression had shifted from arrogance to genuine wariness.
"Brother Scorpion! Be careful!" he shouted. "That guy's killing intent is serious! His speed and sword are both problems!"
Sasori of the Red Sand's voice emerged flat from his puppet body. "Worry about yourself first, brat."
Deidara hooked a finger toward Naruto, a mocking smile returning. "Hey, Kyubi. Want this guy's body back?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
"If you want it, follow me."
He sprinted from the cave, tossing a clay bird into the air. His fingers formed a seal, and the model exploded into white smoke, revealing a massive avian construct. He leaped onto its back and soared away.
Naruto's expression twisted. The Nine-Tails' chakra flared around him.
"BASTARD! GIVE GAARA BACK!"
He charged after them without hesitation.
Kakashi followed immediately, Jiraiya's warnings about Naruto's potential失控 echoing in his mind.
Sakura stood frozen, uncertain.
Ryuzen's voice cut through her indecision: "Hinata. Shino. Sakura. Go. Support them. I'll handle the one here."
"And me." Chiyo stepped forward, her ancient eyes fixed on the red-haired puppet. "I'll stay. I want to see what my grandson has become."
Sakura found her resolve. With Hinata and Shino, she departed.
The dim cave now held only four—Ryuzen, Chiyo, and Sasori.
Ryuzen's right hand rested on his sword hilt. He looked at Chiyo with calculated curiosity. "Elder Chiyo. You said he's your grandson, correct?"
Chiyo nodded silently.
"Before we left," Ryuzen continued, drawing his blade slowly, pointing it at Sasori, "the Fifth Hokage informed us that the Akatsuki is an organization of S-rank missing-nin. This man is a missing-nin. One of the murderers of the Kazekage—an ally of Konoha."
He paused deliberately.
"So if I behead him here... you won't hold it against me, will you?"
Chiyo's expression remained flat. "Do as you wish. Sasori is not as weak as you imagine."
"Kill me?" Sasori's puppet eyes fixed on them both, bloodshot with killing intent beneath the crimson amber. "Perfect timing. I need two more puppets. You'll make fine additions to my collection—eternal art!"
SHUN—
Before he finished speaking, Ryuzen vanished.
No Body Flicker. No trace. Just absence.
Then shadow fell, and silver-white blade-light erupted like daylight piercing darkness.
"So fast—!"
Sasori's instincts, honed through countless battles, didn't fail him. A scorpion tail shot from beneath his cloak, intercepting the strike.
CLANG—SHLIIICK!
The tail met the blade—and parted.
A severed scorpion tail flew through the air.
But Sasori had already moved. His crimson amber puppet eyes dilated, and a storm of poisoned senbon needles sprayed toward Ryuzen like a rain of death.
Ryuzen was already gone.
He had read the attack before Sasori launched it. Shave carried him backward, retreating to Chiyo's side in an instant.
From several meters away, he raised his black-coated blade high.
BOOM!
Sword energy five to six meters high tore through the earth. The sheer force of it—the crushing pressure, the twisted airflow—shattered the incoming senbon storm and continued toward Sasori with undiminished fury.
Sasori's puppet eyes widened behind the safety of distance.
A terrifying brat. Just like Kisame said—S-rank secret slashes on demand.
The Puppet Master profession was terrifying. Their creations housed countless hidden weapons, all coated in deadly poison. A master puppeteer couldn't be measured by chakra alone—they routinely defeated opponents far above their apparent rank. Those who fought puppeteers often died without understanding how.
But puppets had a weakness. An obvious one.
They were weak at close range.
Against a powerful taijutsu specialist or a sword-wielding ninja, the advantage flipped. The puppeteer became the hunted—constantly wary of approach, desperately protecting their creations.
Ryuzen was clearly his natural enemy.
This was why Pain had warned him. Why Deidara had shouted precautions.
The Red Sand Scorpion, legendary puppet master of Sunagakure, had finally met his match.
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