Chapter 164: Never Again
Chapter 164: Never Again
The power of a Tailed Beast's jutsu was certainly no joke. Even with Sage Mode activated, Mizuki—after taking a direct hit—suffered serious consequences. Fortunately, he'd managed to raise his chakra shield in time. The elemental damage from the jutsu wasn't too bad, but the physical impact was massive. Mizuki was blasted across the battlefield, his body grinding against the ground for several meters.
"Even with a body hardened like a mini Tailed Beast, I almost couldn't take it… And this is just a casual attack? That's the sheer power of a wild Tailed Beast. Just how terrifying would a perfect Jinchūriki be…?"
Though this wasn't his first time dealing with a Tailed Beast, it was the first time he'd faced one in full form head-on.
But now wasn't the time to reflect. Though he'd taken Shukaku's Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet head-on, the chakra shield had absorbed most of the damage. Apart from some internal shaking, Mizuki was relatively unscathed. With the enhancements from Sage Mode, this level of impact barely dented his combat capabilities.
Staggering to his feet and shaking off the disorientation, Mizuki blinked a few times—only to see Shukaku crouched low, belly inflating and mouth wide open. Another Drilling Air Bullet was about to fire his way.
"Persistent bastard… I can't even catch my breath."
But this was a fight with a Tailed Beast—no logic, no reasoning. Mizuki had no illusions that the creature, acting purely on instinct, would let him off the hook.
Of course, Mizuki wasn't the powerless chūnin of the past anymore. Facing a beast with seemingly infinite chakra might still rattle him a bit—but lying down and taking it wasn't in the cards. Especially not after defeating Sasori and riding the high of that victory.
Firmly resolved, Mizuki raised one of his nature energy-formed giant hands and grabbed the barely-functioning puppet body of Sasori. With a crushing squeeze, he shattered any remaining resistance and flung the lifeless puppet straight at Shukaku's mouth—right into the path of the incoming Drilling Air Bullet.
Then Mizuki swiftly began weaving hand signs.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
With the jutsu unleashed, a massive ball of searing chakra-imbued fire began to form. As the natural energy and Sage Chakra poured in, the fire grew, shifting from deep red to pale blue, shimmering with power. With a roar, the blazing dragon surged forward—heading straight for Shukaku.
The blazing dragon and Shukaku's Wind Chakra sphere collided.
The clash of Sage Art and Tailed Beast Jutsu rang out across the battlefield. Most ninja never witnessed something this intense in their entire careers. And yet now, not only were they seeing the might of a Tailed Beast, but the power Mizuki displayed—someone who not long ago had merely been a chūnin—left everyone speechless. They'd heard he'd been promoted to jōnin by Tsunade herself, but no one had expected he'd be strong enough to face a Tailed Beast head-on.
Among the living on the battlefield, the most unfortunate was undoubtedly Sasori.
Caught at the center of the clash between Mizuki's Sage Art and Shukaku's Tailed Beast jutsu, he was utterly obliterated. Fire and wind combined, turning into a blazing inferno, the destructive vortex spinning outward with unstoppable momentum. It was like a hellish storm, forcing everyone to retreat from the battle zone.
As for Sasori—nothing remained. Even the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu wouldn't be able to find a single intact fragment of his puppet body.
"Rest now, you who sought eternal art… in the unchanging silence of death, none shall disturb you again."
No one had ever fully understood what Sasori truly sought. Not even Chiyo—his beloved grandmother—ever truly grasped the depths of his heart.
But from their brief exchange, Mizuki had gleaned something: Sasori, rare even among humans, had never changed his goal—even after joining Akatsuki. Perhaps like Orochimaru's pursuit of immortality and the Sharingan, Sasori sought transformation—an escape from the agony of orphanhood, loneliness, and the burden of being human. Eternal puppet art, the Rinnegan—these were just stepping stones.
But now, all of it was reduced to ash.
"In the end, the world of man has no place for such an aberration—even one born human. And with his death, the technique of human puppetry is lost forever…"
Sasori was gone—truly gone. Though most had retreated from the blast zone, ninja eyes were sharp; it was clear: the genius puppeteer of Suna had perished.
"He's just… dead?" Kankuro muttered in disbelief, watching from afar. "Dammit… after everything we did—what was the point?"
If anyone understood Sasori, it was fellow puppeteer Kankuro. Once, he'd idolized him. But after Sasori betrayed their village and attacked Gaara, all admiration turned to rage. When the mission came to capture him alive, Kankuro had resolved to confront Sasori himself.
He never expected Sasori would die like this—without a word.
"Kankuro," Maki said gently, "don't blame anyone. Mizuki didn't do anything wrong."
"…I know. But still—"
"No need to say it. I understand how you feel. But the battle's not over yet. Jun's already sacrificed her life—we have to keep fighting."
Shukaku's presence had completely thrown the battlefield into chaos. While Mizuki and the Tailed Beast clashed, the surrounding shockwaves had brought many skirmishes to a standstill.
"Yura, you'll need to help watch over Gaara—hmm? Yura?"
Maki, caught up in orders and strategy, turned to delegate—only to stop short.
Yura… wasn't responding.
From his eyes, nostrils, and ears, streaks of dark red-black blood were leaking out. Before Maki could even comprehend what was happening, Yura collapsed—dead.
And just like that, one more mystery unraveled… and one more danger passed—too late to stop the damage already done.
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