At this moment, only Shindai, Sakura, Chiyo, and Sasori remained inside the cave.
Shindai locked eyes with Sasori, snarling that this time he would kill him.
Sasori responded coldly, "I told you last time too. Our next meeting will decide who wins."
As he retrieved a scroll, Shindai told Sakura, "Sakura, stay out of this. Keep watching from over there."
"But…" Sakura hesitated anxiously.
"This is a battle between us puppet masters! Whoever wins will be recognized as the strongest!"
Shindai unfurled his summoning scroll and called forth Kannazuki.
"I understand."
Feeling Shindai's determination, Sakura stepped aside.
As for Chiyo… Who cares? If she interferes, Shindai will get rid of her too.
Sasori's true form emerged directly from Hiruko, and at the same time, he summoned the Third Kazekage.
Although Chiyo had mentally prepared herself, seeing Sasori's real body along with the former Kazekage now converted into a human puppet still overwhelmed her with sorrow.
Sasori turned his gaze toward Chiyo. "What's wrong, Grandma Chiyo? Why do you look so surprised to see me? Are you moved? Makes sense—we haven't seen each other in nearly twenty years. You must feel nostalgic seeing him again."
Shindai watched their conversation like a spectator watching intently, clearly enjoying the drama.
Chiyo's voice trembled slightly. "Why… why have you become like this, Sasori?"
"Still asking such foolish questions even now? I'll just advise you not to interfere in this fight. For people like you, dying peacefully in old age isn't a bad fate."
After Sasori spoke, he turned his attention back to Shindai. "We don't need any unnecessary probing, right?"
Putting on his neural helmet, Shindai smirked. "Probing? Do I really need to test you? Don't I still have some pride left?"
Hmph," Sasori scoffed, then commanded the Third Kazekage to charge at Shindai.
Rather than manually controlling Kannazuki himself, Shindai used his neural link to read his brainwave signals, manipulating Kannazuki directly through thought.
The two puppets—Third Kazekage and Kannazuki—clashed fiercely in battle.
Clearly, Sasori had improved the Third Kazekage's design; Shindai's Iron Sand Body couldn't penetrate its interior. Moreover, the Third Kazekage could perform other ninjutsu techniques.
Unlike Shindai—who activated sealed Ninjutsu cards using chakra capacitors—the Third Kazekage performed stored jutsu scrolls using Sasori's own chakra, limiting the number of available techniques.
Kannazuki had also gotten major upgrades under Shindai's command. As Sasori manipulated the Third Kazekage trying to apply a demagnetizing effect against Kannazuki, this time it had absolutely no effect.
Iron Sand met Iron Sand in a violent clash, Puppet Techniques colliding with explosive force—the battle between both puppets sent shockwaves rippling through the entire cave.
Sasori's gaze fell upon Shindai. He noticed it too—the way some of Kannazuki's attacks didn't follow preset patterns at all. Instead, they responded unpredictably like a real person's actions, even anticipating his moves in advance.
And yet, Shindai wasn't using Chakra Threads to control his puppet… So then… it must've been the effect of that strange helmet.
Sakura watched in awe. This was the first time she had ever seen Shindai fight so seriously. Although many people claimed that Shindai was extremely powerful, his usual lazy and carefree demeanor had always made Sakura struggle to link those words to him.
Chiyo's expression darkened slightly. In this puppet duel between Sasori and Shindai, she couldn't intervene at all.
Even though Chiyo possessed the Chikamatsu Collection, legendary puppets crafted by the ancient puppet master Bunzaemon, she still couldn't join the fray—Iron Sand remained the ultimate countermeasure against puppets.
Even setting aside the issue of Iron Sand, her Chikamatsu Collection could not match up to the puppets used by Sasori and Shindai.
In terms of puppetry skill, both Shindai and Sasori had already reached the pinnacle of their craft.
Shindai scoffed disdainfully, "What? Didn't you say there was no need for testing each other earlier? It seems like your human puppet won't be able to defeat me after all."
[Kannazuki, Iron Sand Supernova Shindai]!
A third arm emerged on Kannazuki's body. After merging and compressing positive and negative magnetic fields together, a Supernova Shindai formed within this third hand.
A thin layer of finely ground Iron Sand surrounded the Supernova Shindai.
Suddenly, a wall of Iron Sand rose abruptly before Sakura, who was watching nearby.
Chiyo's heart jolted in alarm. Immediately, she summoned Mother and Father, her two parent puppets.
Kannazuki hurled the Iron Sand-infused Supernova Shindai toward the Third Kazekage.
An explosion erupted powerfully. The violent detonation caused the entire cave to collapse.
The Iron Sand particles covering the Supernova scattered outward like bullets in all directions.
Protected by Shindai's Iron Sand wall, Sakura sustained no injuries.
Using Puppet Technique: Machine Light Shield Seal, Chiyo's Mother and Father transformed their chakra into shields capable of blocking everything, successfully resisting the flying Iron Sand. Still, the shockwave from the blast sent them hurtling backward into the walls.
As for the Third Kazekage, caught amidst the detonation of the Supernova Shindai and the relentless Iron Sand assault, he instantly shattered into nothing more than scattered debris.
At this moment, due to the cave's collapse, dim light poured in from outside as sunlight struck Shindai's form.
Arms crossed, Shindai stood tall, gazing forward with cold arrogance at the rising smoke and dust.
When the haze finally cleared, Sasori remained standing unscathed where he had been.
Shindai mocked coolly, "Well, you've improved a bit. I thought you'd die outright just now."
Sasori already held a scroll in his hand: "If that's all you've got, I wouldn't even bother fighting you. Don't underestimate me, Shindai!"
[Scarlet Art of the Puppets! Chain of the Marionettes!]
A monstrous puppet, formed from countless Human Puppets, emerged before Shindai.
Sakura and Chiyo's pupils contracted to pinpricks when they saw the giant puppet, stunned by its grotesqueness. Its massive body was covered with countless human hands and faces, hideously twisted as if enduring endless torment.
Sakura clapped a hand over her mouth as nausea rose within her. She recalled Shindai's words—that Human Puppets were made from living humans—meaning every face on this monstrosity once belonged to a soul now lost.
Chiyo gazed in stunned silence at the monstrous puppet, her body trembling violently, her eyes slowly igniting with fury.
"Sasori! You're no longer human! I will end you here and now!"
Chiyo unfurled a scroll and summoned the Chikamatsu Collection.
Sasori scoffed coldly, "So be it. Fools who cannot understand my art deserve no further words."
Shindai mocked, "Calling this garbage art? Don't sully the name of art. Only my puppets embody true artistry!"
Kannazuki unleashed high-energy laser beams at the giant puppet, seeking to reduce it to fragments.
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