the ten puppets of chikamatsu possessed both close-range and long-range capabilities. As their successor, Chiyo had once used them to conquer a city, and one could only imagine the power they could unleash in the hands of their creator, Monzaemon.
Monzaemon kept two puppets by his side and sent the other eight quickly surrounding Fūmori Masaki. They drew their weapons, pointing them at Fūmori Masaki's vital points, intending to finish him off in a single strike.
Fūmori Masaki took in the direction from which the eight puppets were charging, but he did not make a single move to dodge. Instead, he charged straight at them. Because his speed was so fast, the afterimage he left behind looked like a black line to an ordinary person.
Five iron chains emerged from the head of a bald puppet, slamming down like tentacles. The moment they collided with the black line, the iron chains were all deflected. Although they were not severed, deep cut marks were left on them.
Two puppets joined their hands together, and then a massive blade of Chakra sprouted from the head of one of them, spinning like a windmill. As the bald puppet attacked, the other puppet threw the one with the Chakra blade, the sharp light of the blade slashing toward Fūmori Masaki—
The two sides clashed once more, and the two lights crossed. Fūmori Masaki's figure appeared as the light blade collided with his wind cutter, and then the puppet's Chakra blade shattered first.
Because of this obstruction, the red-haired, twin-tailed female puppet rushed over and swung her dual blades down. Fūmori Masaki turned around smoothly, using his wind cutter to block the dual blades, while his other hand swung the stick-like scabbard, striking the puppet in the waist. With just that one blow, the puppet almost fell apart.
Monzaemon's pupils constricted slightly. The exchange had lasted only an instant, yet not only had his four puppets failed to injure his opponent, but they had also been soundly defeated. This young man was truly extraordinary.
At this moment, Monzaemon recalled the young man's identity. His student had fought this person not long ago, and it seemed that the news of him personally killing Silver Horn was not just a rumor.
Even if he sent the other puppets in for close-quarters combat, he likely wouldn't gain any advantage. Monzaemon thought to himself, his fingers moving slightly. Five puppets blocked Fūmori Masaki's path, while the other three stood in a triangular formation, their hands forming hand seals and their mouths opening. Inside, there were rotating wheels each with a character inscribed on them: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
—Ninja Art: Three Treasures Suction Crush!
Fūmori Masaki felt his body being sucked by some kind of force. He glanced back and saw the surrounding air rapidly rushing toward the center of the formation created by the three puppets, dragging him along with it.
At the same time, the other puppets raised their weapons to attack. Driven by the violent wind, their attack speed was exceptionally fast.
Fūmori Masaki was already locked in by the Three Treasures Suction Crush; even if he wasn't pulled into the center, he would be run through by the attacks of the other puppets.
It was almost a certain death situation, but Fūmori Masaki's gaze remained completely calm. Just as his body was about to be sucked into the violent wind and compressed into fragments, his figure suddenly vanished; it was only a Shadow Clone.
Monzaemon had been fighting Konoha Ninja for some time and already knew they used a type of clone identical to the original, and not one formed through nature transformation. He was not surprised and just intended to search for Fūmori Masaki's figure. However, the scene he saw next made his heart tremble.
He saw some paper tags left behind where the Shadow Clone had vanished, and they were sucked into the violent wind. Then, a blinding blaze rapidly expanded in Monzaemon's eyes.
Boom—
The puppets performing the Three Treasures Suction Crush were immediately engulfed in flames, as the wind fueled the fire. Monzaemon didn't even have a chance to react. By the time he realized what trick Fūmori Masaki had pulled, a thought popped into his mind: Impossible.
Monzaemon had imagined that an expert like Fūmori Masaki might use a clone to protect himself, but he never expected the clone to be followed by exploding tags. One had to know that puppets used as weapons in battle were naturally quite sturdy, especially puppets like the ten puppets of chikamatsu. Most people wouldn't use exploding tags as a follow-up to a clone; not only was the timing difficult to grasp, but it also couldn't damage the puppets. Unless, under the circumstances of activating the Three Treasures Suction Crush, only Fire Release amplified by the violent wind could possibly damage puppets of the level of the ten puppets of chikamatsu.
If Fūmori Masaki had set the trap because of this, it meant he knew that among the ten puppets of chikamatsu, there were puppets that could activate the Three Treasures Suction Crush. But Monzaemon couldn't understand where he had obtained this intelligence.
As a veteran Ninja who was even earlier than Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, Monzaemon had always known the importance of protecting his own information. Unless facing a formidable enemy, he would not use the unique abilities of the ten puppets of chikamatsu; ordinary Taijutsu was enough to deal with opponents. Until now, he had not used the Ninja Art of Three Treasures Suction Crush.
No matter how Monzaemon thought about it, he couldn't figure out how the Three Treasures Suction Crush had been exposed. Besides himself, the only other person who knew this was Chiyo, but she couldn't possibly betray him. Given Chiyo's personality, it was even less likely that she would reveal her teacher's Secret Technique to Fūmori Masaki.
Regarding this young Ninja, Fūmori Masaki, Monzaemon felt the fog surrounding him growing thicker. He did not come from an ancient Ninja family, yet he had a combat record even more outstanding than prestigious clans like the Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga. Now, he had even taken advantage of the characteristics of the Three Treasures Suction Crush to destroy three of his puppets in one go.
—The younger generation is to be feared.
Monzaemon sighed, feeling that he might really be about to die here. However, as a Ninja, even if he knew he was going to die, he had to complete his mission as much as possible. The longer he could drag Fūmori Masaki here, the more Zhen Ming could use Magnet Release to destroy the entire defensive fortification, bringing hope for the victory of Sunagakure.
Monzaemon pulled all the puppets to his side, providing comprehensive protection for close and long range. He concentrated his attention, sensing Fūmori Masaki's presence. If that person were to get close, he reckoned he would lose his life without even a chance to react; he had to use his full strength.
The atmosphere suddenly became heavy, and the sounds seemed to have disappeared; only the flames engulfing the three puppets were still flickering. Monzaemon suddenly felt a chill, and his body acted faster than his thoughts. The puppet serving as a bodyguard blocked Monzaemon's right side, using its body to jam the stabbing long sword.
The tip of the blade touched Monzaemon's cheek, slicing a thin wound. Ignoring the flowing blood, Monzaemon looked in surprise at the person who had appeared at his side. It was not Fūmori Masaki, but another man with a gloomy expression—Danzo Shimura.
Monzaemon was only stunned for a moment before he felt a strong gust of wind coming. He manipulated the other puppet acting as a bodyguard to cross its arms, enduring the powerful Wind Release that slammed into it—this move was the Vacuum Cannon, a Wind Release Secret Technique that could bypass an object to attack, very suitable for sneak attacks from behind.
—Did this young man use hand seals to cast it while attacking?
Monzaemon had a bad premonition. This person had suddenly appeared, replacing Fūmori Masaki in fighting him, so where had Fūmori Masaki gone?
"Old man, don't look around, or you might die suddenly." Danzo Shimura chuckled, withdrew his sword, and retreated, while simultaneously spitting out a whirlwind that bypassed Monzaemon from the front.
—Another Vacuum Cannon?
Monzaemon didn't even turn his head back; he just manipulated the puppet to block it. Given its physical strength, it was enough to endure it. However, next, he felt heat coming from behind. With a quick glance, he saw a flame like an arrow heading toward him; the Wind Release used by Danzo Shimura further amplified its power, causing a massive explosion on the ground.
Monzaemon escaped from the impact of the explosion, coughing loudly. Just a moment ago, his two puppets had been blown to pieces, leaving only five puppets unharmed. He looked at the young man who was leaping over, gritted his teeth, and said: "Uchiha Kagami!"
"Be grateful, old man. You alone can hold off two people from the Second Hokage's guard, no one else gets that treatment." Danzo Shimura sneered, "Of course, whether you can actually hold us off is another matter."
"Fūmori Masaki knew you were coming, so he used that explosion to get away." Monzaemon suddenly realized.
"Masaki's senses have always been very keen. As fellow disciples, we all know each other's thoughts, and we also know what kind of task should be given to whom." Uchiha Kagami said, "Even with my Sharingan, I cannot see through the trajectory of the Chakra circulation in this iron sand. It should be a Bloodline Limit. To quickly deal with this person, only Masaki can do it, so we will deal with you."
"If you understand, then die in peace, old man." After Danzo Shimura finished this sentence, he made the first move, and Uchiha Kagami followed closely behind.
Monzaemon hurriedly steadied his breathing and manipulated the remaining five puppets to engage in battle. He was worried about Zhen Ming's situation. With Fūmori Masaki's strength, even with the Magnet Release Bloodline Limit, Zhen Ming, who had consecutively thrown two iron blocks and had a certain consumption of Chakra, might not necessarily be able to protect himself.
But now, Monzaemon could barely protect himself. He could only pray in his heart that Zhen Ming could protect himself during Fūmori Masaki's surprise attack.
the new third hokage of konoha