229. Antidote

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Sasori stabbed at Deidara with indifference. "As expected, your so-called art isn't reliable at all. Why not join me in pursuing eternal art?"

Deidara pointed at the shattered fragments of puppets strewn across the ground. "And isn't your puppet fleeting as well? True art exists in that moment of destruction. Hm."

This argument had become routine for the two Akatsuki members. If it weren't for the pressing circumstances, they might have started a full-blown fight over it.

Not far away, Gaara was flying toward the battlefield. Deidara, noticing his approach, guided his clay bird higher into the sky. "Sasori, the situation's looking bad. Let's retreat while we still can."

Sasori sneered. "I'm afraid it won't be that easy."

At that moment, Gaara landed beside Naruto. His sharp eyes scanned the battlefield, and the surrounding sand began shifting ominously, responding to his will.

The two sides faced off, tensions rising as if a group battle could erupt at any second.

Reinforcements arrived just in time Naruto's shadow clone, carrying samples of venom and poison gas back to the village, returned with antidotes and medical support in the form of Sakura Haruno.

The clone handed the antidotes to Naruto before rushing toward Sasori with a boldness that suggested its actions would soon be reported.

Sakura leapt down beside Naruto, her expression focused. She sniffed the air before declaring, "There are faint traces of airborne toxins. It won't affect us much in the short term, but prolonged exposure could be deadly."

"Checking if I'm poisoned already, Sakura?" Naruto joked, now much more at ease with Sakura's presence as their reliable medic-nin.

If Naruto remembered correctly, the medics in Sunagakure had been unable to counter Sasori's poisons even after three days of research. Yet Sakura had done so in mere hours a testament to her unparalleled skill.

Sakura examined Naruto carefully. "It's strange. With the level of toxin exposure, you should feel at least some discomfort. Your resistance is incredible."

"Maybe it's my Sage Mode… or my Uzumaki constitution… or Kurama's chakra. Who knows?" Naruto shrugged, feeling a little exasperated with how many buffs he seemed to have layered on him. "Should I still take the antidote?"

"Better safe than sorry," Sakura replied. She expertly prepared an injection and administered it before Naruto even realized it.

Sakura then distributed antidotes to everyone present. Naruto, ever curious, wondered aloud, "If you tried injecting Gaara, would his sand shield stop you?"

Meanwhile, Sasori's eyes narrowed as he observed Sakura's antidote. He knew better than anyone how complex his poisons were creating the corresponding antidote was far more difficult than crafting the poison itself. That Konoha could produce one so quickly was shocking.

"Could Tsunade herself be behind this?" Sasori mused grimly. "This changes things. Forget capturing Jinchūriki; even surviving today will be a challenge."

With grim resolve, Sasori turned to Deidara. "Deidara, not only is the One-Tail's Jinchūriki here, but so is the Nine-Tails'. I'll leave my final art here. You should leave while you can."

Deidara's expression shifted in surprise. "Sasori… are you serious?"

Sasori ignored him, retrieving a scroll from his back. He turned toward Chiyo. "The strength of a puppeteer lies in the number of puppets they can control.

"Chiyo, you were hailed as one of the best, known for the White Secret Technique: The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets. But you've never faced this. Allow me to demonstrate the pinnacle of my craft Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets!"

Sasori's right chest opened, and countless chakra threads extended outward, connecting to a hundred puppets stored within the scroll. The puppets arranged themselves in an orderly wall, forming an intimidating army.

Kankuro stood frozen. "This… isn't just advanced puppetry. He's playing an entirely different game from the rest of us!"

Even Temari and Gaara, despite their lack of expertise in puppetry, couldn't help but be awed. They had seen Kankuro control three puppets at once and thought it impressive, but a hundred? This was something else entirely.

Chiyo retrieved a scroll of her own, her expression solemn. "To think you've reached this level. I sealed this technique away myself, but under these circumstances, I have no choice but to use it."

Naruto and Sakura remained unimpressed. "Only a hundred?" Naruto muttered. "We've seen thousands of Zetsu clones before. What's so shocking?"

Deidara, however, had already made up his mind to leave. While Sasori's puppets overwhelmed their opponents, Deidara flew high into the sky. "You keep going on about eternal beauty, but in the end, your art will vanish just like mine," he muttered.

From his vantage point, he could see shattered puppets scattered below. For a moment, Deidara was silent. Then, looking at the sky, he murmured, "Maybe I'll admit it this time, Sasori. Your art… might have some merit. Hm."

His thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitched sound. Without turning, Deidara tilted his clay bird sharply to the left. A spiralling projectile cut through the air where he had just been a Rasenshuriken.

Deidara glanced behind him to find Naruto in hot pursuit, chakra wings flaring behind him. The young Jinchūriki was only a hundred meters away, a look of focused determination on his face.

On the ground below, the battle raged on. Chiyo, Gaara, and Temari fought against Sasori's overwhelming hundred-puppet army. Sakura stayed behind to provide medical support, ready for emergencies.

Naruto, meanwhile, chased Deidara relentlessly. Between Kurama's chakra, his mastery of Sage Mode, and his Flying Thunder God technique, he had all the tools necessary to keep up.

Yet Deidara's desperation made him a formidable opponent. Occasionally, he would mould a small amount of clay from his bird to create a bomb, tossing it at Naruto.

Naruto, in turn, used the Kamui space a collaboration with Kakashi to absorb these attacks without harm.

As the chase continued, Naruto's thoughts wandered. The Kamui space had proven invaluable, a shared domain for Konoha's top ninjas. It wasn't just Kakashi's space anymore; it was a vital tool for their village.

Today's battle was far from over, but one thing was clear: the new generation of Konoha ninja was carving its place in history.

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