Fierce Battle

"Water Bullet!" A palm-length, cone-shaped water column shot toward Cang at high speed.

Cang leaned back to dodge.

At the critical moment, Dosuke saved Takuto.

"Leaf Illusion Dance!" *Swish!* Three chakra-infused sickle blades slashed across Cang's body. The long scythe in Soma's hand split into three parts.

*Bang!* A substitution. Only a log, cut into three pieces, remained on the ground.

Cang vanished.

"Captain, he's up there! His chakra doesn't look like a typical ninja's," Tachie shouted, her Byakugan active.

"You're definitely suspicious. Is Konoha preparing for war with our Sand Village?" A short figure on a tree looked down at them.

"Who the hell are you?" Soma shouldered his scythe, glaring at the figure on the tree trunk.

"Who am I? Heh, I'm Erming Yang, the Ghost Master!" he declared.

*Whoosh, whoosh!* A sound of breaking air followed.

From the overturned carriage, a blood-stained bone whip shattered the roof and stabbed Soma.

Soma swung his scythe, sparks flying as it clashed with the thick white bone.

*Boom!* The carriage's compartment shattered.

Under the rising moon's light, Tai, presumed dead, stood amid the debris. A bone whip extending from his tailbone danced in the air like a twisted, blood-streaked snake.

"Captain Soma, didn't you kill him?" Dosuke asked loudly.

When the shuriken trap triggered, Soma had snapped Hang Tai's neck.

But now…

Looking at the eerie Tai, Dosuke's hands glowed with green chakra, healing Takuto's severed legs while watching Seiyo Jieren and Saidaiji.

Saidaiji was beyond saving, his limbs severed, but Jieren's chakra was merely sealed by Tachie's jutsu.

*Swish!* Dosuke, who had been squatting beside Takuto, darted to Jieren's side. His chakra scalpel swiftly cut the tendons in Jieren's limbs.

"I'm sorry," Dosuke said, looking at Jieren, who gritted his teeth in pain.

"You despicable scum! Fight me face-to-face if you dare!" Jieren shouted angrily.

Ignoring Jieren, Erming spoke. "You were just 'robbed,' yet your son and daughter were in the mood to shop in town and buy pets. Don't you think that's unreasonable?" He stepped toward Hang Tai.

"You knew we were pretending?" Tachie asked, her Byakugan's veins bulging as she stared at Erming.

"Of course. I suspected it at first, but now it's confirmed. I wanted to uncover what you were doing in the Land of Wind, but it seems you're just capturing people alive. No need to hide anymore," Erming said, waving his hand.

"Even if you hadn't acted, I would have," Erming added, his murderous intent unconcealed.

"We need to end this quickly, or the Sand Village might notice. Take Takuto and that kid and retreat," Soma ordered Dosuke and Tachie.

Soma stepped on Saidaiji's body. "Let us leave, and I'll return your captain. Also—"

"Erming, you're no ordinary ninja. Who are you really?" Soma asked again.

"Why so naive? Teammates are just tools for the mission. Who am I? I'm Erming, Sand Village Anbu, or you can call me the Ghost Master," Erming said, then fell silent.

"Sand Village Ghost Master!" Saidaiji, limbs severed and pinned to the ground, triggered a hidden explosive tag.

*Boom!* A massive explosion erupted from Saidaiji's body.

A cloud of blood mist burst forth, and Soma was knocked to the ground by the blast.

"Sensei!" Jieren's eyes widened, but with his tendons severed, he could only struggle helplessly.

"Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!"

Tachie clapped her hands, unleashing a fierce wind that dispersed the blood mist.

"Captain Soma!" Dosuke rushed over. Such a close-range explosion was devastating.

Soma's body showed widespread corrosion injuries, and the bite wound from Saidaiji was black and blue.

"Captain is poisoned! Sister Tachie, I need to treat the him immediately," Dosuke said. He drew a kunai, slicing open Soma's bite wound. Black and purple blood flowed out.

Dosuke took a test tube from his ninja pouch, poured two-thirds of the green antidote into Soma's mouth, and applied the rest to the wound.

Covering his hands with chakra, Dosuke pressed along Soma's abdomen, forcing more black and purple blood from the wound.

After bandaging the wound, Dosuke stood, leaving the unconscious Soma and Takuto, whose leg was temporarily reattached.

"Takuto, watch the captain. Your leg's only partially healed; don't move too much," Dosuke instructed.

"Got it. Give me a painkiller shot, the pain's making it hard to control my insects," Takuto said, grabbing Dosuke's arm.

"It'll last about ten minutes," Dosuke replied, tossing a syringe before walking away.

*Bang!*

Tachie stood in front of Dosuke, deflecting Tai's bone whip with a palm strike.

"Dosuke, be careful. He's the Ghost Master," Tachie warned, staring at Erming.

"Sister Tachie, you know him?" Dosuke asked.

"Yes. I've heard of the Sand Village Ghost Master, a special Jonin," Tachie said, adopting a defensive stance.

She recalled the ninja manual: *Sand Village Ghost Master. Real name and appearance unknown. Special Jonin of the Sand Village. Wanted for turning teammates into living puppets, but later recruited into Sand Anbu.*

"Impressive first aid," Erming praised, watching Dosuke's treatment.

"Tai was your teammate, and Saidaiji your sensei. You're too cold-blooded," Dosuke retorted.

"Cold-blooded? No, you don't understand. Without me, they wouldn't have survived this long. They were never teammates, just my puppets," Erming said loudly.

"This team was just me and my student, Jieren. He was meant to be my next puppet, but now I'll need a new one," Erming said, glancing at Jieren, who lay emotionally wrecked.

"What perfect creations. They're living people normally, but at critical moments, they become my puppets, retaining their bloodline limits. Look at Tai's flawless bone manipulation, what a masterpiece only I can craft!" Erming grinned perversely.

"But this beautiful Hyuga lady will be my new work, surpassing all others," Erming said, eyeing Tachie greedily.

"Water Bullet!"

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!* Over a dozen water spheres shot toward Erming.

Erming waved his hand, pulling Tai in front. The bone whip danced, deflecting all water spheres.

"Wind Blade!" A wind blade sliced silently toward Dosuke.

*Swish!* Dosuke leaped back, dodging to the side upon landing.

"Gentle Fist: Twin Strike!" Chakra sprayed from Tachie's hands, blocking the wind blade.

*Heh, heh, heh!* Tai, controlled by Erming, threw a dozen bone bullets from his hands.

"Water Wall!"

A water curtain blocked all the bone bullets.

"Dosuke, we can't win like this. Erming's Wind Release is too strong at range, and Tai's blocking me in close combat," Tachie said. "Your chakra is nearly gone after treating the captain and Takuto."

"I'll hold them off. You take the captain and Takuto and go," Tachie said calmly.

"Sister Tachie, how can I leave you alone? I'll buy us some time. You take the captain and Takuto and leave," Dosuke said, standing side by side with Tachie.

Tachie shook her head. "Dosuke, you can't face them alone. Erming's a special jounin, and Tai's corpse is too dangerous. You'd never make it."

"Sister Tachie, but if we both fight, we might not make it. I can hold them off long enough for you to get the captain and Takuto to safety," Dosuke said, his voice tense, gripping his kunai.

"No, Dosuke. We're a team. I won't leave you to die," Tachie said. "Alright we'll face them together and hold out as long as we can."

Dosuke looked at her, then nodded slowly. "Alright, Sister Tachie. Together, we'll do what we can, no matter what happens."

One faced Tai, the other Erming.