Chapter 255: The Fifth Hokage Intervenes
Sasori watched, aghast, as the ground rushed up to meet his ultimate defense.
"It's too late!"
This was the only thought left in Sasori's mind. His cold calculation, his century of experience, had failed him.
Lady Tsunade's speed and explosive power, amplified by the Sōzō Saisei (Creation Rebirth) effect of her seal, completely exceeded all his calculations!
The only choice now was to abandon his current body—the Hiruko shell—his most perfect, protective collection!
"Jiton: Satetsu no Kabe!" (Magnet Release: Iron Sand Wall!)
[Inorin's Note: Satetsu (Iron Sand) is the signature Magnet Release technique of the Sandaime Kazekage, whose body Sasori used to create his favorite human puppet (the Third Kazekage puppet).]
Sasori's ten fingers, hidden inside the shell, danced wildly.
Black, gritty iron sand—the Third Kazekage's unique weapon—gushed out from the gaps in Hiruko's puppet body, instantly forming a rapidly hardening, metallic shield in front of him!
But all of it was futile.
Before Tsunade, empowered by the Byakugō no In (Strength of a Hundred Seal), any defense seemed pale and powerless.
"Shatter!" Tsunade roared, the word imbued with destructive chakra.
Crack—!
The sound of shattering metal was deafening. Cracks instantly spiderwebbed across the entire body of the Third Kazekage Puppet, which Sasori had just emerged into.
BANG!!!
Tsunade's overwhelmingly powerful punch landed squarely on the puppet's chest!
The Third Kazekage Puppet—the supposed masterpiece that utilized Iron Sand, Sasori's greatest creation—was utterly blasted into thousands of pieces of wood, metal, and iron sand from head to toe!
Sasori's true body, the cylindrical core, was sent flying by the violent shockwave, tumbling several times across the sand before he barely regained control... dozens of kilometers away from the main fight.
Konoha's main force, the waiting army, had already retreated to a considerably safe distance from the ruined walls of Sunagakure.
However, the atmosphere within the team remained incredibly somber.
All the shinobi could clearly feel the concussive, earth-shaking battle fluctuations emanating from the distant battlefield behind them.
At the very front of the team, where the command staff was positioned, Nara Shikaku's brows were tightly furrowed, his expression extremely grim.
He stared at the explosions constantly erupting in the distant sky, his mind working at lightning speed, calculating scenarios and casualty rates.
He never doubted Lady Tsunade's strength.
Dealing with the puppeteer named Sasori should only be a matter of time and massive destruction, as evidenced by the sounds.
But the other one was the real trouble!
Since the moment the engagement began, the explosions in the sky had barely stopped.
Although Hyūga Tokuma, Uchiha Shunichi, and Iwa were all Elite Jōnin, and their three-way coordination was perfect, their primary attack methods were largely ineffective against an enemy who consistently stayed hundreds of meters in the air.
They simply couldn't reach Deidara! They were stuck in a defensive, holding pattern!
And Deidara, on the other hand, could carry out indiscriminate, terrifying carpet bombing with impunity!
If this continues, the chakra reserves of the three of them—even with Tokuma's reserves—will eventually be depleted, Shikaku thought, biting his lip.
Once a defensive loophole appeared, even a small lapse in concentration, the consequences would be unimaginable! He would lose three irreplaceable Jōnin.
They couldn't wait any longer!
A look of firm, desperate determination flashed in Nara Shikaku's eyes.
He couldn't gamble with the lives of Konoha's three precious Elite Jōnin! Their mission was to hold the line, not die heroes.
Nara Shikaku took a deep breath and, with trembling fingers, pulled out a strangely shaped kunai from his most personal, private ninja tool pouch.
It was precisely the special Amenominaka (spatial transfer) kunai that Uchiha Akira had given him for emergency contact, just in case!
Without the slightest hesitation—throwing all concern for proper procedure to the wind—Nara Shikaku forcefully injected his chakra into the kunai!
Buzz—!
The golden runes on the kunai instantly lit up with intense light, emitting a barely perceptible spatial hum that only experienced sensory ninja could detect.
The next second.
A figure emerged from the sudden, brief spatial ripple.
It was Konoha's Godaime Hokage, Uchiha Akira! He looked as clean and composed as if he had just left his office.
"Hokage-sama... Hokage-sama!"
All the surrounding shinobi, seeing the sudden, miraculous appearance of their leader, instinctively knelt on one knee. Their eyes filled with fervent reverence.
"Greetings, Hokage-sama!"
Uchiha Akira ignored them, his gaze calmly falling on Nara Shikaku.
"What happened?"
Shikaku immediately stepped forward, suppressing his relief and shock, and reported quickly, using the most concise, strategic language.
"Hokage-sama! We encountered S-rank enemies on our way back!"
"Specifically: Sasori of the Red Sand, and a rogue ninja from Iwagakure named Deidara."
"Their target is the Ichibi Jinchūriki, Gaara, who we sealed."
"Lady Tsunade is currently engaged with Sasori of the Red Sand. However, Hyūga Tokuma, Uchiha Shunichi, and Iwa are struggling to hold off Deidara."
"Deidara specializes in aerial combat and explosive Ninjutsu. Tokuma and the others lack effective anti-air. Their situation is critical and not optimistic!"
Uchiha Akira nodded slightly upon hearing this.
"Sasori and Deidara, huh..."
Akira knew the dynamic. Although Sasori was strong, encountering Tsunade, who had activated the Strength of a Hundred Seal (Byakugō no In), was purely his bad luck. Tsunade's monstrous strength, coupled with her almost immortal regenerative ability, was simply the nightmare of all puppeteers. Sasori was not a concern.
But Deidara... he was indeed a problem.
For shinobi who lacked effective anti-air methods, he was an unsolvable, high-altitude bomber. Having Shunichi and the others deal with him carried too high a risk of unacceptable casualties.
Akira's gaze swept over the crowd, then looked towards the distant sky, which was shrouded in pillars of smoke and flashing with continuous, dangerous light.
"Continue retreating, Shikaku."
"Leave this one to me."
As his voice fell...
Uchiha Akira's body floated into the air. He didn't use chakra ropes or wind jutsu. He simply rose.
Nara Shikaku watched Akira floating effortlessly in mid-air, his heart surging with a profound mix of relief and awe.
With Hokage-sama making a move... the enemy's demise is at hand.
"Yes, Hokage-sama! Thank you!"
Uchiha Akira no longer lingered. He was already focusing his power.
The next moment.
BOOM!
A circle of white, concussive air current suddenly exploded beneath Uchiha Akira's feet!
He broke the sound barrier instantly.
A long, thin white sonic boom cloud was drawn across the desert sky, an invisible spear piercing the smoke towards Deidara.
High above, Deidara watched the three figures below scurrying desperately to evade his relentless attacks. His grin grew increasingly wild.
"Hey, hey, ground crawlers! The game of hide-and-seek is over! Hm!"
He plunged his hands into his ninja tool pouch, pulling out two lumps of clay, larger and more potent than any he had used before.
"Your resistance is meaningless! It will only delay the inevitable moment you become art!"
"To reward your struggles, I'll let you witness my more advanced art! Feast your eyes!"
"Kibaku Nendo: C2 Doragon!" (Explosive Clay: C2 Dragon!)
He clapped his hands together, and a huge lump of clay was spat out!
In mid-air, that lump of clay rapidly expanded and transformed. In the blink of an eye, it became a massive, white clay giant dragon, over twenty meters long!
The giant dragon coiled beneath Deidara's feet, its ferocious, artistic head raised high.
"Next, comes the real carpet bombing!"
Below, Hyūga Tokuma, Uchiha Shunichi, and Iwa's expressions had already turned extremely grim. Their breathing was ragged. Their chakra was low.
"Damn it!" Uchiha Shunichi gritted his teeth, his chest heaving violently.
"If this continues, our chakra will be depleted! We can't keep this up!"
"There's no other way!" Tokuma shouted, sweat mixing with the sand on his face. "We can only try to buy time! Trust Lady Tsunade!"
"As long as Lady Tsunade deals with that puppeteer... it will be this bomber's end!"
"Katon: Gōkakyu no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!)
Shunichi formed hand signs again, spitting out a huge fireball, attempting to interfere with the enemy's deployment.
However, the clay giant dragon simply flicked its tail lightly, smashing the huge fireball into harmless, smoking steam.
"Useless! Useless!" Deidara laughed maniacally.
"Before my giant dragon, all your attacks are futile! Now, be destroyed by the superior art!"
Deidara controlled the giant dragon. It opened its massive mouth.
ROAR—!
Accompanied by a silent, deadly roar, five white shadows shot out consecutively from the giant dragon's mouth!
Those were five even larger, highly compressed, deadly clay flying dragons! They streaked toward the ground targets!
"Not good!" Hyūga Tokuma's expression changed drastically. He knew this was the end if they hit!
"Doton: Doryūheki Gojuu-Rō!" (Earth Release: Multiple Earth-Style Wall!)
Iwa's eyes widened with desperate resolve. He roared, squeezing out most of his remaining chakra and slamming his hands onto the ground!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Five thick earth walls, one after another, rose from the ground. Layered one upon another, they formed a desperate, unstable shield, barely blocking the three of them!
"Explode! Explode! Explode!"
Deidara's expression was frenzied with artistic passion. He waved his hand fiercely!
"Hmph!"
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!
Explosions more violent and dense than any before instantly merged into a single, terrifying, continuous blast!
The shockwave ripped through the air! The terrifying, blinding flames almost dyed half the desert sky orange-red!
The earth walls cracked, groaned, and finally disintegrated under the sustained power of the C2 Dragon's bomb run!
Deidara grinned in triumph. He had them!
But before the smoke could clear...
BOOM!
The sound barrier broke again, closer this time.
Deidara felt a single, profound wave of chakra—impossibly fast, impossibly powerful—approach from behind him. He spun the C2 Dragon around, his triumphant grin freezing instantly.
Standing perfectly still in the air, having arrived in less than three seconds, was Uchiha Akira.
He was less than fifty meters away. And he was not smiling.
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