227. Naruto vs Sasori -2

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"Iron Sand Rain!"

The Third Kazekage Puppet opened its mouth, releasing a black cloud of iron sand that quickly morphed into hundreds of small iron spheres, each the size of a fingernail.

The spheres shot out like a relentless rainstorm.

Kankuro immediately manipulated his puppet to block the attack, raising the shield-like structure on Sanshōuo's back.

"Steel Sanshōuo! This puppet has the strongest defence," Kankuro declared confidently. "With my modifications, this kind of attack is nothing!"

However, the scattered iron sand began infiltrating the puppet's joints, flowing with deliberate precision. A mocking smile appeared on Sasori's face.

"Crow, Black Ant, and Sanshōuo… it's been a while."

Despite the puppet's static face, Sasori's craftsmanship was impeccable. The puppet's expressions were lifelike, making it feel disturbingly human.

If Sasori lived in the modern world, Naruto thought, he could probably empty otaku wallets with lifelike, moving replicas.

Chiyo interjected with a stern warning, "Don't get careless! All three of your puppets were originally designed by him."

Naruto couldn't help but detect a subtle note of pride in her voice, as though she were saying, Look at how talented my grandson is.

Unfazed, Kankuro retorted, "So what? Designing puppets is one thing; controlling them in battle is what really matters. Let's go Puppet Showdown!"

Kankuro directed Crow and Black Ant toward Sasori. However, he quickly noticed that Sanshōuo was no longer moving.

"What the—what's happening?!"

Chiyo answered grimly, "The Third Kazekage's iron sand can jam puppet joints. For a puppeteer, it's like a nightmare."

Kankuro's frustration grew, but he adapted. Sanshōuo was primarily a defensive puppet, so its loss didn't hinder his offensive tactics. Crow and Black Ant continued to circle Sasori, looking for openings to fire poison needles or deliver direct strikes.

Sasori, however, was unbothered. With a flick of his finger, the iron sand condensed into a massive black cuboid, blocking Kankuro's attack.

Naruto observed the scene and muttered to himself, That really looks like a coffin…

The image sparked a thought: The Kazekage family has a theme going on here. The Third Kazekage carries coffins, the Fourth Kazekage supplies gold for burials, and the Fifth Kazekage will probably build pyramids. One-stop funeral services!

Sasori's Counterattack

Despite his best efforts, Kankuro was completely outmatched. Sasori dismantled two of his puppets with ease, exploiting the weak points in their joints.

"No matter how strong a puppet is, the moving parts will always be the weakest," Sasori said condescendingly, as though teaching a novice.

"Damn it!" Kankuro growled. Though frustrated, he couldn't deny Sasori's superiority.

Naruto, who had been quietly observing, wasn't idle. He had already sent out ten shadow clones to surround Sasori. Each clone carried a Big Ball Rasengan, while three more remained stationed by the real Naruto, ready for backup.

Sasori's puppet head turned slightly, observing the incoming clones. "Shadow clones, huh?"

The clones charged, Rasengans in hand, but Sasori wasn't going to let them get close. The Third Kazekage Puppet launched dozens of iron sand spikes, skewering six clones on the spot.

Kunai, marked with Naruto's Flying Thunder God seals, fell to the ground as the clones vanished. The remaining four clones threw their kunai into the air before being struck down by a coffin-like block of iron sand.

Sasori, ever tactical, manipulated the Kazekage Puppet to deflect the kunai mid-air. But this played right into Naruto's plan.

In an instant, the three clones stationed by the real Naruto teleported to the deflected kunai, appearing beside the Kazekage Puppet.

Each clone slammed a Rasengan into a different part of the puppet's head, abdomen, and back.

The resulting explosion obliterated the Kazekage Puppet. Fragments of parts, mechanisms, and poison-coated weapons are scattered everywhere.

Naruto sighed in relief but kept his distance. "Glad I didn't go in myself. That poison would've been nasty."

As the Kazekage Puppet's remains clattered to the ground, Sasori's voice broke the tense silence.

"Flying Thunder God, huh? A troublesome technique, but I've heard of it before."

Sasori stretched out his palms, and twin jets of fire erupted from them. The flames melted every remaining marked kunai, along with the new shadow clones Naruto had sent out for another attack.

He then turned his fiery palms toward Naruto.

Naruto quickly ducked behind Sanshōuo, with the other Sand ninja following suit.

Sasori's flames burned relentlessly, heating Sanshōuo's metal shell until it glowed red-hot. Kankuro winced as he watched his beloved puppet begin to melt.

"Sage Art: Water Style Water Dragon Bullet!" Naruto called out, summoning a massive water dragon. The creature surged forward, its dense, chakra-infused body colliding with the flames.

The clash created a massive cloud of white steam that obscured the battlefield. When the steam cleared, Sasori stood unharmed, his puppet body fully exposed.

The wings of his True Form spread wide, propeller-like blades spinning as he hovered above the ground.

"Impressive," Sasori admitted. "Using a Water Style of that scale in the middle of a desert… You remind me of someone equally irritating."

Naruto smirked, undeterred. "Oh, there's more where that came from."

"Sage Art: Water Style Water Severing Wave!" Naruto unleashed a high-pressure jet of water from his mouth, sweeping it toward Sasori.

Sasori deftly evaded, his propeller wings allowing him to move with surprising agility. "Interesting," he said, smirking. "I didn't expect to see such ninjutsu today."

He retaliated, unleashing twin streams of high-pressure water from his palms. The streams spun in thin, deadly arcs, cutting down several of Naruto's shadow clones attempting a sneak attack.

"Annoying brat," Sasori muttered. "How much chakra do you have? Do jinchūriki think chakra grows on trees?"

Naruto grinned, creating more shadow clones. "You'd be surprised what I can do."

The two clashed repeatedly, Naruto's versatility and Sasori's mechanical precision pushing each other to their limits. As the battlefield became littered with scorched earth and shattered puppets, one thing was clear this was a fight neither would forget.

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