The desert wind howled violently.
Fine sand swirled between Tsunade and Sasori, partially obscuring their figures.
The earlier exchange had already proven one thing—
Neither of them was an opponent that could be taken lightly.
Sasori slowly retracted Hiruko's mechanisms.
His tone was flat, but his killing intent was unmistakable.
"You are troublesome."
"As expected of the strongest medical-nin."
Tsunade rolled her shoulder slightly, completely uninjured.
"You're not bad yourself."
"But hiding inside a shell like that…"
"Is that what you call art?"
Sasori's eyes darkened.
"You wouldn't understand."
"Art is eternal."
"And my body… is already eternal."
As his voice fell—
Hiruko's outer shell split apart.
Mechanical components unfolded.
The puppet shell cracked and collapsed to the ground.
For the first time—
Sasori revealed his true form.
A red-haired youth.
Calm expression.
Cold eyes.
Yet his body bore visible puppet modifications.
Artificial joints.
Hidden mechanisms.
Tsunade's gaze sharpened.
So he had turned himself into a human puppet.
That explained his confidence.
Genma muttered quietly from behind.
"He… modified his own body?"
Raido swallowed.
"That's insane."
Orochimaru's lips curved slightly.
He watched with clear interest.
This battle—
Was worth observing.
Sasori slowly raised his hand.
Scrolls unfurled around him.
Puppets began emerging one after another.
The desert air filled with killing intent.
"Secret Red Technique…"
"Performance of a Hundred Puppets."
Dozens of puppets hovered in mid-air, suspended by chakra threads.
Each carried concealed weapons.
Poisoned blades.
Hidden launchers.
Area suppression.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
So this was his true strength.
She stepped forward instead of retreating.
"You think numbers matter?"
Her chakra surged violently.
The diamond-shaped mark on her forehead flickered faintly.
Though not fully activated—
Her control was already monstrous.
The first wave of puppets attacked.
Blades flashed.
Needles shot outward.
Tsunade vanished in a burst of speed.
She smashed the first puppet with a single punch.
Wood splintered.
Metal bent.
The second puppet lunged—
She kicked it in half.
A third descended from above—
She grabbed it mid-air and hurled it into another group.
Explosions rang out continuously.
But the puppets did not stop.
Sasori controlled them calmly from the rear.
"You can destroy them."
"But can you destroy all of them?"
More mechanisms activated.
Poison gas dispersed across the battlefield.
The air grew hazardous.
Tsunade immediately adjusted her breathing.
Medical chakra circulated internally.
Neutralizing toxins before they could spread.
She leapt high—
Then descended with terrifying force.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
The ground fractured violently.
Dozens of puppets were shattered in a single impact.
Sand erupted like a tidal wave.
Sasori's expression remained unchanged.
From within the remaining puppets—
Hidden blades extended.
They moved in coordinated formation.
Precision.
Control.
No wasted motion.
Sasori's chakra threads were nearly invisible in the desert glare.
Each puppet attacked from a blind spot.
Tsunade's sleeve was sliced slightly.
A shallow cut formed on her arm.
Poison.
Sasori's eyes gleamed.
"Even you cannot avoid everything."
Tsunade glanced at the wound.
Then—
Green medical chakra enveloped her arm.
The toxin neutralized instantly.
She smirked.
"Is that all?"
Sasori's voice grew colder.
"You are impressive."
"But let us see…"
"How long you can maintain that."
More puppets surged forward.
This time—
Their attacks synchronized perfectly.
Blades locked her angles.
Needles sealed escape routes.
Tsunade inhaled slowly.
Then—
She activated it.
"Strength of a Hundred Technique!"
The diamond mark spread across her body.
Regenerative chakra burst outward.
Her presence changed instantly.
Wounds closed.
Fatigue vanished.
Her chakra pressure intensified.
She charged directly into the swarm.
Punch.
Kick.
Elbow.
Each strike destroyed multiple puppets at once.
Wood, steel, and sand filled the sky.
The desert trembled under her relentless assault.
Sasori's pupils narrowed.
Regeneration on that level—
So this was her true power.
He pulled out another scroll.
A single puppet emerged.
Humanoid.
Elegant.
Distinct.
The Third Kazekage puppet.
Tsunade paused briefly.
"That puppet…"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.
Interesting.
Sasori spoke calmly.
"My greatest masterpiece."
"The strongest Kazekage in history."
Iron Sand began to flow.
Black metallic particles filled the air.
They condensed into blades.
Spears.
Wings.
Iron Sand rained down like a storm.
Tsunade smashed through several waves—
But the density was far greater than before.
The iron sand adapted.
Shifted.
Formed barriers.
Formed drills.
It was overwhelming area control.
Tsunade frowned.
Magnetic Release.
So he had turned the Third Kazekage into a puppet.
The Iron Sand surged forward like a tidal wave.
Tsunade planted her foot.
Chakra surged.
She punched forward with full force.
The impact shattered a massive Iron Sand construct—
But more immediately reformed.
Sasori observed coldly.
Regeneration has limits.
Chakra has limits.
Even you, Tsunade—
Will eventually run dry.
Tsunade wiped sand from her face.
"You talk too much."
She burst forward again—
Directly targeting the Third Kazekage puppet itself.
Iron Sand spears descended like rain.
She ignored them.
Several pierced her body—
But regenerated instantly.
She reached the puppet.
And punched.
The impact shattered its torso.
Cracks spread across its structure.
Sasori's eyes flickered.
He retracted the puppet quickly—
Preventing total destruction.
So reckless.
Using regeneration to ignore damage entirely.
Tsunade landed.
Breathing steady.
Chakra still abundant.
The desert battlefield was littered with puppet debris.
Sasori slowly withdrew the remaining puppets.
He stared at Tsunade silently.
She stared back.
Neither side had fully committed their final trump cards.
But both understood—
This was no simple encounter.
Orochimaru finally spoke.
"That's enough."
"We did not come here for an extended war."
Sasori remained silent.
After a moment—
He lowered his hands.
The remaining puppets retreated into scrolls.
Tsunade did not chase.
She could feel it.
If this continued—
The destruction would escalate.
And this was still within Sand territory.
Sasori's voice echoed faintly.
"Tsunade."
"Next time…"
"I will complete my collection."
Tsunade snorted.
"Try it."
The desert wind rose once more.
Orochimaru and Sasori vanished into the dunes.
Genma exhaled deeply.
"That was terrifying…"
Raido nodded stiffly.
Iwashi remained speechless.
Tsunade deactivated Strength of a Hundred.
The markings faded.
She looked toward the horizon.
"So…"
"Akatsuki really has gathered monsters."
Her expression hardened.
"Good."
"That just makes this interesting."
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