"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Two Human Puppets stepped in front of Sasori, jointly unleashing massive Water Release Ninjutsu to intercept the Great Fireball.
Human Puppets were Sasori's gruesome, unique secret technique. By transforming deceased ninjas into puppets fitted with a living Chakra core, they perfectly retained all the Ninjutsu and Bloodline Limits the person possessed in life. This made them exponentially more dangerous than ordinary wooden puppets.
Sasori's own core resided within one such body now.
The collision of high-temperature flames and pressurized water created a violent explosion of hissing, blinding white steam.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Kyosuke capitalized on the smokescreen. Dozens of clones burst out from the billowing steam, materializing directly in front of Sasori.
"Rasengan!"
The clones surged forward with tremendous momentum, spheres of grinding Chakra glowing in their palms.
Seeing the Rasengan for the first time, Sasori was momentarily taken aback. "Shape manipulation without hand seals? What a brilliant Ninjutsu!"
Instantly, the Hiruko armor extended its heavy, mechanical arms.
"Thousand Hands Manipulation Force!"
Thousands of wooden arms suddenly erupted from the puppet's sleeves, striking out in a frenzied barrage to intercept all of Kyosuke's clones. The wooden limbs simultaneously sprayed clouds of poison mist and volleys of needles.
Though the clones managed to smash through dozens of arms with their Rasengans, the sheer volume of attacks and poison quickly overwhelmed them. One by one, they popped out of existence.
Meanwhile, the real Kyosuke had already sunk into the earth.
Taking advantage of Sasori being distracted by the swarm of clones, Kyosuke tried to quietly burrow his way to the cave entrance using Earth Release.
However, after traveling underground for barely two seconds, the surrounding soil suddenly compressed with immense, crushing pressure.
"Earth Release: Earth Splitting Palm!"
One of the Human Puppets had slammed its hand against the cavern floor. The earth cracked and violently crumbled inward, forcing Kyosuke to leap out to avoid being crushed.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
"Lightning Release: Ground Running!"
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Under Sasori's flawless control, the four Human Puppets coordinated perfectly, unleashing a relentless, multi-elemental bombardment.
Kyosuke had barely landed before he was met with the ferocious combo. He had no chance to catch his breath, let alone form hand seals to counter. He could only dodge and flee in a desperate panic.
"Don't even think about escaping!"
Seeing that Kyosuke possessed enough skill and stamina to survive this long, Sasori's obsessive desire to claim his body only intensified. The puppet master pursued him relentlessly into the depths.
Fortunately, while the darkness of the underground cave hindered Kyosuke's escape, the rugged terrain, winding tunnels, and numerous forks made Sasori's pursuit equally difficult.
Relying on the massive reserves of Nagato's Chakra pooled in the dreamscape, Kyosuke spammed the Shadow Clone Jutsu whenever Sasori got too close, scattering decoys down every available tunnel.
Even though Sasori could dispatch the clones easily, stopping to destroy them wasted precious seconds, allowing the real Kyosuke to gain ground.
Thus began a deadly game of cat and mouse, delaying both of them in the subterranean maze for hours.
Meanwhile, far away in the rain-slicked towers of the Land of Rain, Ooka Shin was already lying flat on an operating table. Yahiko and Konan stood anxiously by his side.
Konan held a sterilized surgical scalpel. She looked down at Shin. "To reduce variables and accurately track your physical state, this surgery will be performed without anesthesia. It might hurt a little."
Ooka Shin looked up at Konan and felt a sudden chill. Why did she look a bit... excited?
She couldn't have awakened some strange sadistic fetish, could she?
"Uh, hehehe, peerlessly beautiful Sister Konan, please be gentle," Shin stammered. "I'm your most respectful, obedient little brother. If the surgery is a success, I'll take you shopping, and I'll cover all the expenses!"
Yahiko immediately picked a fight. "Shin, we're the ones funding your entire existence right now. You're literally spending our money. Where would you get the cash to take her shopping? Are you trying to trick Konan?"
Konan's expression, which had slightly softened at Shin's flattery, instantly darkened. The scalpel in her hand trembled slightly.
Seeing this, Ooka Shin's heart almost stopped. "Sister Konan, this isn't your first time performing eye surgery, is it?! Please don't let your hands shake! Maybe we should find a professional doctor? I really don't want to become a one-eyed pirate!"
"Shut up!" Konan snapped. "The surgery is starting. Be quiet, or you'll distract me, and you'll have to bear the consequences yourself!"
Hearing the threat, Ooka Shin snapped his mouth shut, pressing his lips into a tight line. However, his eyes were wide and filled with pleading, looking exactly like a puppy about to be abandoned in the rain.
Konan snorted. He brought this on himself by asking for the Rinnegan.
She worked with swift, decisive movements. She made the incision, carefully removed Ooka Shin's left eye and stored it in nutrient fluid, and then transplanted one of Nagato's Rinnegan into the empty socket. She immediately followed up with Medical Ninjutsu to heal the severed nerves and tissue.
The procedure went flawlessly. There was no permanent nerve damage.
Seconds later, Ooka Shin truly felt the presence of the Rinnegan.
An agonizing, searing pain flared from his left eye socket straight into his brain, making it feel as if his skull was about to violently detonate. Ooka Shin clutched his head tightly, letting out a raw, guttural wail.
Worse yet, the Rinnegan was aggressively siphoning his Chakra like a black hole. Fortunately, he had the direct link to Nagato's massive Chakra reserves to draw upon. Otherwise, Ooka Shin would have been drained to a dried husk in seconds.
The torture didn't last long. Just as a deeply worried Konan prepared to inject a sedative, Ooka Shin felt the blinding pain recede into a dull ache.
Having absorbed enough Chakra to acclimate to its new host, the Rinnegan stabilized.
Opening his mind to the eye, Ooka Shin vaguely sensed that the Rinnegan was like a massive, ancient treasure vault, brimming with miraculous, god-like abilities. However, the heavy gates to that vault were bolted shut. Ooka Shin lacked the specific keys to unlock and use the treasures inside.
"How do you feel?" Yahiko and Konan asked, leaning in with concern.
Ooka Shin opened his left eye, revealing the mesmerizing, ripple-patterned purple pupil.
He nodded slowly. "It's exactly as Nagato predicted. I can't deactivate the Rinnegan, nor can I actively use its Six Paths abilities. I can only act as a battery, continuously supplying it with Chakra. However, the passive abilities inherent to the eye are fully functional."
As the Sage's Eye, even if the host couldn't summon meteors or rip out souls, the eye naturally possessed kinetic insight that rivaled the Sharingan and could automatically negate visual genjutsu.
After thoroughly checking his vitals and finding everything stable, Yahiko and Konan finally relaxed.
The door opened, and Nagato walked in.
Nagato currently kept his left eye closed, a patch covering the socket. His voice remained as gentle as ever. "Shin, let's go to the training ground. I'll guide you on how to adapt to the Rinnegan's pull so it doesn't cause you any long-term physical harm."
Ooka Shin hopped off the operating table and followed Nagato. However, his mouth couldn't resist taking a jab at his surgeon.
"I wonder what poor soul Konan will marry in the future," Shin mused loudly. "Yahiko, Nagato, you two better be careful. If one of you accidentally marries her, you're in for a lifetime of rough treatment."
Yahiko burst into loud, echoing laughter, vigorously rubbing the back of his head. Nagato just kept walking, smiling faintly.
Konan's face flushed bright red. Embarrassed and incredibly annoyed, she marched over and delivered a sharp punch to the top of Ooka Shin's head.
"When you need something, it's 'Sister Konan,' and when you don't, it's just 'Konan!' You ungrateful brat!"
At the exact moment Ooka Shin successfully linked with the Rinnegan, Kyosuke, Chisuke, Kiichiro, and Mishu all felt a strange, resonant sensation echo across their shared connection.
In a muddy forest clearing miles away, Mishu pulled his blood-stained short sword from the chest of a slain Rogue Ninja. He staggered slightly, clutching his left eye.
The movement drew the attention of a teenage Kisame Hoshigaki standing nearby.
"Mishu, what's wrong?"
Mishu slowly moved his hand away and opened both eyes. "Captain, I'm fine. I'm just... a bit tired."
Kisame grinned, revealing two rows of predatory, shark-like teeth.
"After fighting all day, you really should rest. Mishu, you're quite strong. You should be able to make Chunin soon."
Mishu remained silent, his mind occupied with much darker matters.
Zabuza Momochi was about to graduate from the Academy. In the original timeline, Zabuza would massacre all his classmates during the final exam. Mishu's current subordinate, a kid named Takano Ishi, was fated to be one of them.
Although Takano Ishi was weak, he was incredibly reliable and loyal. Mishu desperately wanted to save him, but in the brutal regime of the Blood Mist Village, he still hadn't figured out a way to break the rules without getting them both killed.