Chapter 159 – Warm-Up Complete
The tide of battle shifted so quickly—and so much in Mizuki's favor—that even he was surprised. He had expected to have the upper hand in raw power with Sage Mode, but he didn't expect Sasori's Third Kazekage puppet to be so much weaker than anticipated.
Maybe it was because Sasori wasn't coordinating closely like before, or maybe he underestimated Mizuki's destructive capabilities. He never expected his Iron Sand techniques to be broken through so directly.
By the time he realized things had gone wrong, it was already too late.
Sage Mode really boosts a ninja's capabilities in every possible way…
This kind of enhancement wasn't just quantitative, but qualitative. Sage Chakra was far superior to normal chakra—a higher-level energy that elevated every part of a shinobi's power.
Normal chakra already distinguished a ninja from ordinary people.
Sage Chakra was the key to stepping through the door into true strength.
Of course, there were plenty of strong ninja without it—bloodline limits, secret techniques, and raw talent were all valid paths. But Sage Chakra? It was the purest, most potent force. A weapon that cut straight to the essence of battle.
"You're still hiding?" Mizuki sneered toward the scorched battlefield.
"So cautious… Truly your style, huh? With no Hiruko to shield you, you just watched as your Iron Sand puppet got dismantled. Cold-blooded as ever…"
The fact that Sasori didn't intervene even as his prized puppet was being dismantled showed just how far his caution went.
No wonder he created a defensive monstrosity like Hiruko and rarely stepped out of it. If the situation wasn't crystal clear, he'd never risk his own body.
In the original story, he likely only died because of the emotional pull from his grandmother Chiyo and the "Father" and "Mother" puppets. Otherwise, his cold mechanical will wouldn't have allowed such vulnerability.
Though the Third Kazekage puppet looked battered, it still had some combat power left.
As long as it could use Iron Sand, it remained a terrifying threat.
Even with that in mind, Mizuki didn't let his guard down.
"You're just going to give up on fighting back?"
The Iron Sand had stopped its offensive stance—now forming an iron wall in front of the puppet, with a swirling mist of sand as a defensive screen.
Looks like Sasori had fully switched to defense.
If Mizuki tried to get close, the puppet couldn't win in raw power.
"Fine. If you won't come out, I'll stop waiting."
Without hesitation, Mizuki began preparing another jutsu.
A target that gave up on fighting back was nothing more than a sitting duck.
Iron Sand wasn't particularly resistant to fire-style techniques—especially not when they were enhanced by Sage Chakra. The heat would pass right through the defenses, and the burns would be unavoidable.
Sasori had no good way to stop Mizuki's onslaught.
This kind of unrelenting, close-range pressure was rare for puppet masters.
Normally, they were focused on keeping their bodies safe.
Few puppet masters ever had to protect their puppets so desperately.
In most cases, they'd simply retreat.
But Sasori hadn't given up yet.
Why?
Maybe because he still had backup.
Even if his teammates weren't reliable, they were a variable he could count on to hold out longer.
While Sasori hid behind his defenses, Mizuki continued to test combinations of ninjutsu and Sage Chakra.
So far, natural energy showed remarkable compatibility.
It not only enhanced chakra techniques—it could be used on its own as a powerful force.
One perfect example was Sage Art: Frog Kumite and Sage Art: Frog Call,
both techniques that directly used natural energy to enhance perception and power.
Of course, that kind of refined usage required extremely strong natural energy control.
But Mizuki wasn't trying anything fancy.
He extended a giant hand made purely of natural energy from his right fist, smashing repeatedly against the Iron Sand's defensive barrier.
While not as powerful as a direct punch, it was still effective—and he could keep it going for a while.
"Iron Sand is both offense and defense, but now it can't attack and can barely defend.
Are you giving up, puppet genius?"
Defeating Sasori in a weakened state wasn't much of an achievement,
but the fact that Mizuki had gone on the offensive first had put Sasori at a major disadvantage.
This was the ninja world.
Victory often came down to a single decision, a single moment.
Sasori probably hoped the attack on the other squad would be the real fight—
that this would be a minor skirmish.
Maybe he thought he could wear Mizuki down and wait for Akatsuki reinforcements.
He never expected Mizuki to go all out from the start.
Now, the Iron Sand's wall was splintering under the repeated blows.
Just as it was about to collapse, a massive stream of flame erupted from the shadows and tore through the battlefield, heading straight for Mizuki.
Mizuki was forced to stop attacking and retreat quickly.
"That must be one of those scroll-based jutsu…
Flame Prison Encampment, right? Not bad.
The focused firepower is impressive."
Scroll-based ninjutsu allowed one to store powerful jutsu in advance, then release them later with minimal chakra cost.
It wasn't mainstream, but for someone like Sasori—who didn't specialize in elemental jutsu—it was an excellent technique.
As Mizuki evaded, Sasori controlled the flames to expand into a wall of fire—
cutting off Mizuki's path and retrieving the Third Kazekage puppet behind it.
Sasori gently touched the scorched puppet's surface.
"You finally came out, huh?" Mizuki said coldly.
"Sasori of the Red Sand… You're more famous than your overly cautious nature deserves."
Sasori's face was still the same—
that forever-young expression, a cold smile beneath crimson bangs, untouched by time.
His handsome teenage appearance was frozen in time.
"Missing-nin?" Sasori tilted his head.
"I don't recall defecting. I merely disappeared—together with the Third Kazekage…"
"I'll take that as a joke," Mizuki replied.
Fighting such a non-human monster, any small exchange of words was more a formality than anything useful.
"A joke? So that old crone Chiyo is finally trying to drag me back?"
"You revealed too much during your last outing.
You think your old comrades would just ignore that?
Suna mobilized multiple jōnin for this 'covert' mission.
You think you're not the target?"
"They're as stupid as ever—always chasing meaningless things."
"And what are you chasing, in that puppet shell of yours?" Mizuki said, glancing at Sasori's mechanical body.
"After abandoning everything human, do you even feel curiosity?
All for your so-called 'eternal art'?"
"You know about that too?
Did Deidara tell you? No… doesn't seem like him.
I see, I really did choose the right opponent.
You're full of surprises.
That combat form of yours—truly impressive.
I didn't expect you to improve so much.
I've clearly miscalculated."
"And that mistake might cost you your life.
We're done talking, aren't we?
The probing's over. Got any last words?"
"…You never thought of it? That maybe… we could cooperate?"
Mizuki laughed, forming another giant hand of natural energy in his palm.
The massive, glowing fist hovered over Sasori.
"Cooperate?
With someone who's not even human?
Yeah… I don't think so."
"I suppose that's a pity," Sasori murmured.
"I thought I'd found another who could grasp power over fate.
But it seems… not today."
"Power over fate?
Your fate is to die here."
With a swing of his right arm, the enormous fist launched toward Sasori like a divine judgment.
"If you'd just retreated, you might've had a second chance.
But now?
Pray for a miracle."
With Sage Mode's strength and speed, Mizuki would catch up long before Sasori's chakra ran out.
A puppeteer with no puppets?
Dead.
"You'd risk everything to save a puppet? I respect the sentiment.
But I won't show mercy to someone like you."
"…So arrogant.
Then let's see who lasts longer."
"All the bold words have been said.
Now it's time to back them up."
…
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Maki wore a grim expression as he faced the oddly dressed Kakuzu.
His earlier probing attacks had left Maki shocked.
"Earth Release with high endurance and resilience, plus solid speed and raw strength…
This kind of opponent is always a nightmare."
Not one of those glass cannon ninjas with strong attacks and weak defense,
but a well-rounded monster.
Earth and Water users often had few weaknesses.
Unlike Lightning, Fire, or Wind styles—known for offense but lacking defense—
Earth users were stable and tough.
That's why Earth-style ninja were often among the most balanced and difficult to deal with.
"This is bad. Should I call for help?"
Suna had started strong—three jōnin overwhelming Hidan.
Once the Binding Technique trapped him and restricted his weapon, he lost his combat power.
Forced into a corner, Hidan had to beg Kakuzu for help.
Only with Kakuzu's intervention did Hidan escape.
From 3v1 to 3v2, the numbers alone didn't tell the full story.
The shift in momentum was terrifying.
Now, with Maki pinned by Kakuzu, he couldn't coordinate or protect his allies.
"Looks like we're splitting up. Chiyo, Yura—be careful."
Even if Hidan's immortality was known, it was obvious he still had more tricks.
The same was true of Kakuzu.
He hadn't yet revealed his true strength.
And knowing that the Akatsuki was full of monsters…
What they'd seen so far was just the warm-up.
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