Chapter 251: Sasori of the Red Sand
"Who's there!" Shino shouted in a deep voice. He leaped, his figure erupting, and dodged the sudden ninja tool attack.
He turned his head and saw that Haruno Sakura on the other side had also raised an ice wall with a wave of her hand, blocking the incoming kunai with a clang, clang, clang.
Although the sneak attack had not succeeded and Squad 14 was unharmed, Shino's heart sank.
These kunai were shot with both precision and speed, covering all his escape routes. The timing was also perfectly grasped at the moment he was taking a breath while speaking. These small details were enough to show that the attacker was extremely strong. At this time, in this location, who else could show hostility towards them?
An answer had already formed in Shino's mind.
He and Haruno Sakura exchanged a look. In their exchange of glances, Sakura already knew what he meant.
Shino's plan had failed. Things had taken the worst possible turn—Squad 14 had been exposed.
Haruno Sakura's face was grim. She silently took two steps forward, protecting Shino and Terumi.
Opposite her, a figure slowly appeared in front of Squad 14.
His gaze was cold and sharp, his face was covered with a black mask, and his huge, hunched figure was hidden under a black cloak with red clouds.
Black with red clouds...? The familiar, iconic attire made Sakura immediately realize that he was a member of the Akatsuki.
If it's not Orochimaru or Sasori's subordinate, is it Sasori himself?
"You are..." the girl said, raising her head and looking at the figure that had gradually appeared on the mountain top, and asked coldly, "Sasori of the Red Sand?"
The newcomer did not answer Haruno Sakura's question directly.
"Are you Konoha ninja? Your movements are fast. I had clearly destroyed the intelligence in his brain with a sealing jutsu, yet you were still able to find your way here so quickly!"
His face was emotionless, and his tone was mechanical and stiff, like a robot, without any fluctuations, giving people a strange feeling.
As if the one standing in front of Sakura was not a real person.
However, his words did confirm, from the side, that this person was Sasori of the Red Sand.
In Haruno Sakura's mind, the intelligence on Sasori quickly flashed by.
There wasn't much. After all, he was not a Konoha ninja. It was only because Jiraiya's intelligence had mentioned that this person, Sasori, might have joined the Akatsuki that Konoha had specially collected some information on him.
Puppet master.
Uses poison.
And... very strong.
This last point, Sakura could clearly feel from the presence and chakra texture on his body.
Although the opponent had not yet fully mobilized his chakra, she could feel the unfathomable amount of chakra hidden beneath his calm surface, like a deep abyss.
This enemy was no weaker than Kakuzu!
Therefore, with just one glance, Sakura could immediately determine that this person was definitely not some small fry, but the main target of their trip, Sasori of the Red Sand.
"Shino, please protect Yūzuki. Just leave this person to me," she said to the two behind her without turning her head, her eyes not leaving the figure of the man in front of her for a moment.
"Have you already decided the order in which you'll be sent to your deaths?" Sasori said, looking down at the three of them from his high vantage point. "No need to rush. All three of you will become my collection..."
"Collection?" Terumi, who was behind her, cried out in alarm, as if she had made some terrible association.
"He's a puppet master. He probably wants to use our bodies to make human puppets!" Sakura had also thought of what Terumi had. "Even in the Sand Village, this is an extremely cruel and evil act..."
Sasori sneered, "To be able to become my collection, to be preserved forever, is not a cruel act. It should be your honor! A physical body will eventually rot. Only with the art of puppets can one exist eternally..."
Haruno Sakura couldn't help but let out a sneer.
"Hehe, eternal existence?"
To exist as someone's puppet, such an eternity is just the eternity of a dead object. No matter how nicely you put it, it can't hide his essence as a necrophiliac.
The common sarcastic laugh "hehe" from her previous life was not popular here, but Sasori completely understood the meaning of the mocking arc on Sakura's lips.
"The charm of puppets is not something a wet-behind-the-ears brat like you can understand..." His cold and gloomy voice carried a trace of slight anger. "In that case, I'll just kill you directly and burn you to ashes. In any case, with your appearance, you probably can't be made into any powerful puppet..."
He looked down on the three people at his feet and indifferently announced their fate, not paying any attention to their possible struggles.
"Hmph..." Sakura's face was gloomy, and she let out a cold snort.
Sasori's tone, as if dealing with Sakura was as easy as catching a turtle in a jar... was simply shameless boasting!
She was really annoyed!
"You keep saying you'll turn me into your collection. Do you really think you've got this in the bag, that you can definitely beat me?" Sakura clenched her fists, her knuckles cracking, and said coldly, "A mere puppet master, in front of my fists, is nothing more than a pile of scrap metal!"
This was not Sakura boasting.
According to Konoha's battle records, Tsunade's Monstrous Strength Technique was the perfect counter to puppet masters.
Puppets had a hundred mechanisms, were insidious and ruthless, and their combat power was extremely formidable. In terms of defense, the hard, special steel or hardwood shell also had a considerable degree of defense and could withstand ordinary attacks. But in the face of the Monstrous Strength Technique, which could create a small earthquake with a single punch, this kind of defense was still useless!
Back then, in the war with the Sand ninja, it was precisely Tsunade who, with the ferocious power of her Monstrous Strength, had smashed a puppet to pieces with a single punch, and had suppressed the entire puppet master unit of the Sand ninja by herself, leaving a deep impression on them!
After so many years, Chiyo still only had an impression of two people from Konoha: one was the White Fang of Konoha, who had killed her son. The other was Tsunade, the "Slug Woman" in her words, the woman who had defeated the puppet master unit she had led.
Sakura's nin-taijutsu, which had inherited Tsunade's power, was even a cut above in terms of speed and agility. Her degree of restraint on puppet masters was thus even higher. In front of Haruno Sakura's fists, Sasori's puppets were like scrap metal. It was really not her being arrogant.
With her current strength, her chances of winning against Sasori were far higher than against Kakuzu!
When opinions differ, talking is useless, not to mention they were enemies to begin with.
The girl said no more. Her chakra surged quietly, and she silently activated her enhancement-state ninjutsu.
Ninja Art: Sakura Rush - Phase Two, Open!
Ninja Art: Yin Seal, Open!
Ice Style: Frost Armor, Open!
The energy stored in the Yin Seal was converted into chakra, which swirled turbulently. The surging power stirred up a whirlwind around the girl.
And a crystal ice armor was put on the girl's body, covering the vital organs of her chest and abdomen. The form-fitting armor plates and ferocious edges gave her a valiant and heroic appearance, like a Valkyrie.
Sasori was a little surprised as he watched Sakura's presence and chakra amount instantly become considerable.
A chakra amount of about the Kage level. Such an enemy was also somewhat of a threat. A bit stronger than that man. No wonder she's standing at the very front! Sasori thought to himself.
"A little interesting..." he said, suddenly throwing off his cloak, his body hunching over.
Just a little interesting. This level of strength was not yet qualified to call his puppets scrap metal!
Sasori was just a little curious. This ninjutsu that could store up chakra... on whom had he seen this ninjutsu before?
It felt a little familiar.
In any case, if he had any questions, he could ask them after he had struck her down.
Sasori's cold gaze looked at the girl below, whose gaze was even colder.
In those green eyes, he could not see any fear. That little girl seemed to be truly full of confidence that she could fight him!
Is she ignorant of the situation, or is she really that strong?
And then Sasori heard her next sentence: "Just 'a little interesting'? Then let's pray that in a moment... you'll still be in the mood to say such a thing!"
Speaking up to this point, the dagger was already drawn.
Sasori and Sakura, in unspoken agreement, launched their attacks at the same time.
Body Flicker.
What Sakura used was a taijutsu-type Body Flicker that incorporated the Monstrous Strength Technique: she used the Monstrous Strength Technique on her legs, and in the instant she kicked off, she erupted with a huge force. The ferocious power instantly shattered the ground!
BOOM—!
At the same time as she used this Body Flicker, Shino could even feel the ground under his feet shaking restlessly!
With the reaction force from her stomp, Haruno Sakura's figure shot up. In a flash, she had already rushed in front of Sasori.
Clang, clang, clang—!
Hundreds of iron blades that had shot out from Sasori's mouth collided violently with the ice armor that had formed a shield in front of Sakura, kicking up countless sparks.
The power of the Kekkei Genkai was a cut above in this contest of hardness. The girl held the ice shield in her left hand to block the iron spikes, and rushed at Sasori like a shooting star.
"So fast..." Sasori was astonished. And then the fist was already coming at his slightly dazed eyes.
"Goodbye," Sakura said softly.
And then, the chakra gathered on her fair fist—
"Monstrous Strength Technique: Star Cannon Hammer!"
The unbeatable power slammed head-on into Sasori's body.
BOOM—!
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