Chapter 17
[Chapter Size: 1500 Words.]
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"Click!"
Sasori removed the plate from his right chest, and a massive surge of chakra erupted from his regeneration core, transforming into hundreds of chakra threads that connected with numerous red-clad puppets in the sky.
In that instant, the various puppets drew different weapons and advanced with the distinctive click-click sound of their movements.
It was as though a red cloud was descending upon them!
Sasuke's eyes remained calm. "Don't worry about the hundreds of puppets in the sky! Just focus on the operator himself!"
"Click!"
Susanoo drew its bow and fired an arrow, ignoring the opportunities by the sky, aiming to eliminate Sasori, the puppeteer.
Having experienced the destructive power of the arrows, Sasori calmly raised a finger to hook it on the first scroll behind him. Upon activating it, black pipes shot from his palms, aiming at the river beneath his feet.
"Boom! Boom!"
Two fire pillars erupted, instantly boiling the river water. Steam spread, engulfing Sasori's body.
Sasuke furrowed his brow, decisively raising his bow and shifting his target to the aggressive Hundred Puppets.
With such a tight formation, he could take out many with just one arrow, right?
However, almost the moment the arrow was released, the puppets in the sky suddenly scattered!
The arrow that tore through the air only managed to destroy three puppets!
This was nothing compared to the total number!
"Click, click, click!"
The scattered puppets closed in from different directions.
Sasuke observed closely with his Sharingan through Susanoo, secretly amazed: "They are clearly being controlled simultaneously, and each puppet seems to have its own consciousness and thoughts, cooperating with each other. What kind of extreme micro-control ability is this? It's hard to imagine there's only one operator…"
Hundreds of puppets surrounded Susanoo, and under Sasori's control, launched a devastating attack!
"Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!"
Fortunately, these scattered attacks were insufficient to break Susanoo's defense, but even knowing that, Sasori continued attacking relentlessly!
"He's trying to force me to drop Susanoo, to accelerate my chakra consumption…"
Sasuke knew exactly what Sasori was planning.
Because in his past life, he used similar tactics against Danzo, maintaining an overwhelming assault to force Danzo to refrain from using Izanagi, thus achieving the goal of depleting Danzo's Sharingan.
Sasuke looked down from his elevated vantage point: "It seems like this wasn't a brilliant tactic, but it was effective. Let's try this!"
"Whoosh!"
The bow and arrow disappeared, and Susanoo condensed into two swords, working together to launch a massive offensive!
"Crash! Crash! Crash!"
Wherever the two swords went, the puppets were torn apart!
Sensing Susanoo's counterattack, Sasori smirked and immediately adjusted his strategy!
"Whoosh!"
The cluster of chakra threads on his right chest moved, and the puppet army received new instructions. They began avoiding direct confrontation, engaging in a tug-of-war with Susanoo, using feints to the east and attacks from the west, launching indirect strikes!
While Susanoo was capable of both offense and defense, its mobility was lacking. In the face of such crude tactics, it was immediately stretched to its limits!
Sasori, under the cover of the water mist, used his perception to confirm Sasuke's chakra status.
"In such a tug-of-war, isn't his chakra showing obvious signs of weakening? It seems that the power of Hashirama Senju and his Sharingan complement each other. If that's the case…"
The corner of Sasori's mouth curled into a smile. "Time to add a few ingredients!"
"Twist!"
He used the chakra threads on his fingertips to hook the scrolls in the second row of the column of scrolls on his back. After activating it, he pointed his hands toward Susanoo through the mist!
Water Release: Water Stream Shooters!
High-pressure water jets shot out from the pipes in Sasori's hands, piercing the mist and striking Susanoo directly.
Under the force of the water, Sasuke took three steps back. "Has he finally made a move?"
Sasori: "Water Stream Shooters is a water-style cutting technique that can even extinguish the clouds in the sky. Your Susanoo should be no match for it…"
"Click! Click!"
Sasori turned his hands, and the concentration of the water jets was increased to its maximum!
"Crash! Crash!"
The outer armor of Susanoo's second form was forcibly sliced apart by the water jets!
Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply. "I still underestimated him. This water jutsu really has the power to destroy Susanoo!!"
Scorpion: "The flaw in Susanoo has been revealed!!!"
The red-clad puppets in the sky, waiting for the perfect opportunity, gathered!
Sasuke responded: "But the water technique just revealed your position!!"
"Whoosh!"
The arrows were collected, and Susanoo quickly fired one!
"Not good!!" Sasori sensed the danger and immediately lowered his hands.
"Whoosh!"
The water jet struck the surface of the river, and with the reverse force, his body leapt to the side!
"Boom!!"
The arrows that were fired created waves!!
Although Sasori quickly dodged, a momentary vacuum was inevitably created in his control over the Hundred Puppets!!
Sasuke ignored the need to repair Susanoo's outer armor and was about to focus another arrow to pursue Sasori!
But a sharp, sudden pain pierced his eyes, forcing Sasuke to take several steps back!
"Hmm, the Cursed Seal can't completely neutralize the side effects of the Mangekyo?"
The bow and arrow vanished, Susanoo withdrew from its second form, and Sasuke lowered the hand covering his eyes. The Mangekyo injected with blood kept Susanoo in a skeletal form!
"It was close, but fortunately, your pupil power has clearly weakened. It seems that at least those complicated arrows can't be used anymore. I won't give you any space to breathe..."
The mist dissipated, and hundreds of Sasori's puppets were mobilized and regrouped!
Sasuke silently looked up at the red cloud above his head and suddenly crossed four fingers in front of his chest.
Ninjutsu: Shadow Clone Technique!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
In the white smoke, Sasuke's shadow clones appeared, but there were only ten!
Seeing this, Kabuto was confused: "Shadow Clone!? Sasori's intention was clearly to consume Sasuke's power, and it was effective, but Sasuke chose to use multiple shadow clones that dispersed his chakra like this?"
Orochimaru smiled and said, "Since Sasuke-kun is doing the opposite, he must have found a breakthrough!"
Sasori coldly said: "You want to rely on numbers to fight numbers? But your numbers are far too weak! You're just a child after all. When you're in an unfavorable situation, you lose your judgment…"
Sasuke didn't say anything, and dozens of shadow clones launched a suicidal charge!
At that moment, Kabuto, with the help of the Sharingan, noticed something strange!
"Ah, the steel wire carried by the shadow clone, could it be?"
"Wire strings!" Orochimaru instantly understood Sasuke's intention and sincerely admired him: "He knows how to use the smallest cost for the greatest return. Even though he has completely different power now, he hasn't changed his own characteristics. Yes, this is Sasuke's true advantage, a characteristic more valuable than the power of Hashirama and Ōtsutsuki..."
At this point, Orochimaru looked back: "In the Forest of Death during the Chūnin Exams, it was this 'Manipulating Windmill Triple Blades' move that allowed me to see the potential of his immature Sharingan. Now, what can these experienced eyes do?"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
In less than ten seconds, the shadow clones were destroyed by hundreds of puppets!
"It's over..."
But Sasuke, with a calm expression as if he had won, raised the skeletal palm of Susanoo.
The ten shadow clones, through suicidal attacks, left "Wire strings" on each puppet's body that were invisible to the naked eye. The tips of these wires were all tied to Susanoo's palms!
Susanoo: Manipulating Windmill Triple Blades!
"Crash!"
Susanoo pulled with its palm, and the "red cloud," composed of the puppet army cloaked in red, covering the sky, suddenly shrank under the grip of the steel wires!
Sasori was stunned: "What!?"
"Whoosh!"
At that moment, Sasuke jumped with Susanoo, his left eye bleeding as he focused!
Amaterasu!!
"Boom!"
The black flames ignited and spread rapidly, turning the red cloud into black smoke!
"Crash! Crash! Crash!"
Amid the explosions, hundreds of puppets were set on fire!
"Wow!"
Sasuke fell into the water, and his Susanoo dissipated. He looked deeply at the bewildered Sasori.
"Sasori, your strength can't be limited to this level, can it?"
Yes, according to Orochimaru, Sasori's last scroll, which he never used in his previous life, is his true trump card and the real focus of this battle!
All of Sasuke's preparations up to this point were to force Sasori to use this scroll, giving him a true life-or-death battle and maximizing the absorption of the Cursed Seal!
Sasuke spoke in a deep voice: "If you still have any hidden power, feel free to use it!"
"Alright, then I'll do as you wish..."
After a long silence, Sasori finally extended his hand and took the "fourth scroll" he had been holding for so long and never used!
"This is a power I've never used on anyone before, and it's also the biggest reason I joined Akatsuki!"
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