Anko's eyes sharpened as she prepared to respond.
Clang.
The sound of a blade ringing out suddenly echoed.
In the next moment, a dazzling flash of sword light exploded beside her.
Yagyu had already drawn his blade.
Clang. Crash.
Sparks scattered everywhere as Yagyu's Chakra Blade collided directly with the mechanical scorpion tail.
Supported by chakra, and with his natural strength, Yagyu's strike forced the scorpion tail to spin violently off course.
The tail flew back uncontrollably toward Sasori and slammed into the ground.
Silence.
The atmosphere suddenly became strangely quiet.
Across from them, Kisame Hoshigaki and Sasori of the Red Sand both looked at Yagyu with visible surprise.
Even the calm gaze of Uchiha Itachi showed the faintest hint of change.
"Brat… it seems I underestimated your strength."
Sasori looked at the scorpion tail that had been sent flying back by Yagyu's strike.
After a brief pause, he spoke.
"So blocking my earlier attack wasn't just luck."
Indeed.
Compared to Anko, Yagyu looked obviously much younger.
At first Sasori had not taken him seriously.
But now,
He began to pay attention.
"Luck?"
Locking his gaze on Sasori, Yagyu smiled gently.
"If strength can be called luck, then my life must be filled with endless fortune."
Sasori paused for a moment.
Then he sneered.
"A sharp-tongued brat. I was careless and let you gain a small advantage, and now you're proud? I hope that pride lasts."
Click. Click. Click.
As his words ended, mechanical sounds came from beneath Sasori's cloak.
In the next moment, the scorpion tail extended several times its original length.
It twisted through the air like a deadly serpent ready to devour its prey.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
Countless poisoned senbon needles suddenly fired toward Yagyu and Anko.
At the same time, the mechanical scorpion tail sliced through the air and attacked them again.
"My pride…"
Yagyu raised his Chakra Blade, his expression serious.
"Someone like you will probably never understand it."
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Clang. Clang.
With swift movements, Yagyu swung his blade repeatedly.
A brilliant circle of sword light formed around him.
Every single poisoned senbon needle was perfectly deflected.
Not one slipped through.
The moment the last needle was blocked,
Whoosh.
Yagyu moved.
His body shot forward like lightning as he launched a direct attack on Sasori.
The scorpion tail, now far more dangerous in range and speed, immediately twisted toward him like a venomous snake.
"Sharingan."
Yagyu narrowed his eyes as he observed the scorpion tail attacking from all directions.
"I can see everything clearly."
Every tiny movement became visible.
He could even faintly see the chakra threads controlling the puppet mechanism.
Yagyu's expression did not change.
Step. Step. Step.
His feet struck the ground rapidly.
His body moved like a streak of flexible light, weaving through the scorpion tail's attacks.
He slipped through the smallest openings.
Every strike was avoided by the narrowest margin.
At the same time, in the eyes of the other three,
A faint layer of chakra light covered Yagyu's blade.
While dodging, he kept striking the air again and again.
Clang.
With Yagyu's final swing,
The violently moving scorpion tail paused for a brief instant.
Years of battle experience gained from sparring with the Third Hokage allowed Yagyu to capture that tiny moment.
"A flaw."
Yagyu's eyes flashed with sharp light.
Thud.
Landing on the ground, he sheathed his Chakra Blade instantly.
Whoosh.
Yagyu suddenly raised his head and stared at Sasori.
"Yagyu Style Swordsmanship, Iai Four Flash."
Clang.
The sharp sound of a blade leaving its sheath echoed.
At the same time, visible wind-style chakra surrounded Yagyu's body.
Whoosh.
His body moved so quickly that friction with the air produced a sharp sound.
A faint afterimage remained where he had stood.
Then it vanished.
Yagyu had already rushed toward Sasori.
Clang.
Three dazzling arcs of blade light burst forth.
For a brief instant they even overshadowed the sunlight.
In that instant,
The blade lights cut through the scorpion tail suspended in midair.
Crack.
With a crisp sound,
The scorpion tail shattered into several pieces and scattered through the air.
Yet no one paid attention to the destroyed tail.
Because,
Boom.
A heavy sound echoed like a war drum.
Yagyu's disappearing figure suddenly appeared right in front of Sasori.
Wind-style chakra surrounded his entire body.
His clothes fluttered violently in the wind.
Clang.
Holding the Chakra Blade with both hands, Yagyu brought the glowing green blade down toward Sasori at point-blank range.
Yagyu Style Swordsmanship, Iai Four Flash.
The final flash.
The most powerful and destructive strike.
It descended toward Sasori with terrifying force.
At that moment,
Sasori suddenly raised two mechanical arms from beneath his cloak and crossed them in front of himself.
Clang.
Boom.
Metal collided violently.
The ground beneath Sasori's feet shattered instantly.
Under Yagyu's immense force, Sasori was pushed backward uncontrollably.
He slid seven or eight meters, carving a deep trench into the already broken ground.
Whoosh.
A strong wind swept through the battlefield.
The brief exchange ended for the moment as Sasori stopped retreating.
"A troublesome opponent."
Looking at Sasori standing firmly again, Yagyu's expression became serious.
"I wonder how the future Sasori was defeated by Granny Chiyo and Sakura working together."
The short battle just now.
It looked like Yagyu had the advantage.
But in reality, it meant almost nothing.
Yagyu knew the information about every member of the Akatsuki.
The Sasori before them was only the outer puppet shell known as Hiruko.
Even though the scorpion tail had been cut off, it was not a serious loss.
The real result of that clash was simply forcing Hiruko to retreat.
"That means I still have to keep acting confident."
Yagyu sighed inwardly.
His expression remained calm as he looked at Sasori as if carefully analyzing him.
"If possible, I really didn't want to show off in front of these people yet."
The problem was.
There was nowhere to run.
Thrilling?
Extremely thrilling.
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