Facing the faintly visible lightning beast lurking within the thunderclouds, Sasori's expression flickered with uncertainty.
As someone capable of preserving a corpse's Bloodline Limit perfectly to create a human puppet, his understanding of ninjutsu far surpassed that of an average shinobi.
Thus, he was acutely aware that what Shinji wielded was no ordinary 'Lightning Release.'
It had nothing to do with the amount of chakra; it was purely that Sasori saw through Shinji's deft technique, realizing he wasn't just facing Shinji's 'Chidori' but also the natural lightning infused with the energy of nature itself.
Against such a terrifying Lightning Release, he genuinely wasn't sure if his Third Kazekage puppet's 'Magnet Release' could withstand it.
Shinji held back, not unleashing the technique.
He didn't act rashly, as the thunderclouds formed by the convection of hot and cold air were artificially created through his large-scale Fire Release. Unlike naturally formed clouds, he only had one chance to unleash 'Kirin.'
The Hidden Leaf and Hidden Rock allied forces also refrained from making any reckless moves.
Beyond Sasori, three other Akatsuki members stood side by side in the distance, and Kakashi feared that if his side made a move, the Akatsuki would respond with a full assault.
At that point, the scale of the battle would spiral out of control.
Before the Hidden Cloud shinobi army, led by the Fourth Raikage, arrived, Kakashi truly didn't want to engage in an all-out war with the Akatsuki members so soon. Thus, he greatly admired Shinji's decision to hold 'Kirin' in reserve, believing it to be the best choice for the moment.
As Haku and Karin were about to safely escort the injured Fourth Kazekage back to the allied forces' ranks, Sasori, though tempted to act several times, held back, intimidated by the 'Kirin' in Shinji's grasp.
Moments later, Haku and Karin successfully brought the Fourth Kazekage back to the allied forces. Shizune, leading the medical team, immediately stepped forward to treat the Kazekage's injuries.
Seeing this, Jūzō Biwa shouted, "Sasori, since the Jinchūriki has been rescued, there's no need for us to keep tangling with them!"
Deidara, controlling his clay bird, took to the skies. "Big Brother Sasori, let's go!"
"Hmph!"
Sasori shot Shinji a cold glance before flashing backward, retreating to Itachi and Jūzō Biwa's side.
Undoubtedly, after weighing his options, Sasori chose to back off for now. He knew full well that reinforcements from the five great shinobi villages were steadily arriving, including formidable figures like the Fourth Raikage and the Third Tsuchikage. Continuing to linger here would only put him in grave danger.
Soon, the four Akatsuki members began an orderly retreat.
Deidara, carrying the unconscious Four-Tails Jinchūriki on his clay bird, soared high in the sky. Itachi, Jūzō Biwa, and Sasori covered the ground below, protecting the air.
The four retreated steadily, without the slightest hint of panic or any exploitable weakness!
Shinji dispelled the 'Chidori' in his hand.
Without the guidance of 'Chidori,' the lightning beast lurking in the thunderclouds soon dissolved into muffled thunderclaps, dissipating within the clouds.
Whoosh.
Kakashi landed beside Shinji.
Before Kakashi could speak, Shinji said, "I don't recommend pursuing them! If you insist on chasing, I can't protect everyone!"
Kakashi looked at Shinji with a complex expression but ultimately nodded.
As the commander of this operation, he didn't need to heed Shinji's advice, yet he respected it nonetheless.
For one, the four Akatsuki members weren't fleeing in defeat but retreating in an organized manner. Their combat strength was intact, while his own forces were incomplete, making it unwise to engage rashly.
Secondly, the battlefield was still littered with injured Hidden Sand shinobi awaiting treatment, and the allied forces couldn't ignore them to pursue the Akatsuki.
Thus, Kakashi arranged for some to clean the battlefield and treat the wounded while dispatching elite Anbu to trail the four Akatsuki members from a distance, ensuring their movements wouldn't be lost. The bulk of the allied forces, meanwhile, rested in place, awaiting the arrival of the Hidden Cloud shinobi army led by the Fourth Raikage.
Through this battle, Shinji's influence extended beyond the student squad, earning him considerable prestige among the jōnin and Anbu units as well.
His position as 'First Chair' was undoubtedly more secure than ever!
The injured Hidden Sand shinobi on the battlefield were quickly treated, and after questioning them, the group received shocking intelligence: their earlier suspicions were true—Sasori alone had defeated the entire Hidden Sand shinobi army led by the Fourth Kazekage!
Sasori had surpassed the limit of ordinary puppeteers, who could control ten puppets with ten fingers, achieving the terrifying feat of manipulating a hundred puppets single-handedly. Combined with his unpredictable poisons, he had defeated the entire Hidden Sand army with his own strength.
"Sasori of the Red Sand… truly a fearsome opponent!"
Kakashi's expression darkened.
This operation made him acutely aware of the Akatsuki's strength once again. Setting aside the mysterious and powerful Akatsuki leader with the 'Sage's Eye,' the members actively operating in the field were already enough to make an elite jōnin like him feel his scalp tingle.
Kakashi was a brilliant commander, and the village had chosen him to lead this mission precisely because of his sharp intellect.
But it was exactly because of his wisdom that he felt pessimistic about their mission to retrieve the two Hidden Rock Jinchūriki.
The Akatsuki's actions this time were too sudden, catching the five great shinobi villages off guard. The consequences of hastily pursuing the Akatsuki were evident now: wounded littered the ground, and cries of pain filled the air!
Shinji, meanwhile, joined the effort to treat the wounded. Not just him—other shinobi skilled in medical ninjutsu, like Yakumo and Sakura, were doing all they could to assist in the rescue.
Shinji's proficiency in medical ninjutsu was unquestionable. He skillfully used medical techniques to stop a wounded shinobi's bleeding, then instructed Karin nearby, "Use the bandaging technique I just taught you. Remember, you must apply pressure before bandaging."
Then, taking over another wounded shinobi from Haku, he listened to Haku's description of the injuries while considering treatment options.
After a busy period, Shinji finally clapped his hands.
Medical ninjutsu was highly prevalent in Hidden Leaf Village, and if this had been another village's shinobi army, it would have been impossible to complete the bandaging and treatment of all the wounded so quickly.
Once the basic treatments were done, Shizune's medical team began discussing how to develop an antidote for Sasori's poison. Shinji didn't participate.
At that moment, Sasuke approached Shinji, hesitating before finally asking, "Shinji, how do you know 'Chidori'?"
Shinji replied, "In front of the Sharingan, no ninjutsu seen is a secret. Don't you know Kakashi's nickname?"
Sasuke, of course, knew Kakashi's moniker as the 'Copy Ninja.' That wasn't what he meant to ask about, so he continued, "That technique you just used…"
Shinji smiled. "It's called 'Kirin.' Want to learn? I'll teach you if you do!"