Kagami spoke with absolute confidence, claiming both enemies had been dealt with.
Under normal circumstances, he would have been right. But unfortunately for him, the ninjas he was facing this time were anything but normal. Whether it was Kakuzu or Sasori, though they had been momentarily outmaneuvered, they were effectively unscathed.
"Being overconfident isn't exactly a virtue. Those two aren't the kind of people you can finish off so easily," Diarmuid said with a chuckle.
To predict the Sharingan's next move without looking into the user's eyes, by focusing solely on the limbs and subtle muscular shifts, was a tactic developed by Might Guy after years of sparring with Kakashi. Using this strategy, Guy had even managed to face Itachi without falling prey to the Sharingan's influence.
Diarmuid hadn't been here long enough to master such a feat, but he had Observation Haki. He could fight perfectly well with his eyes closed.
As soon as he finished speaking, the "tortoise shell" of Hiruko fell apart once more. The somewhat handsome Sasori stepped out from within, his expression radiating pure irritation.
He was physically unharmed.
However, he was fuming internally. He had just finished scoffing at Diarmuid for looking down on him, only to have his Hiruko puppet trashed again immediately after.
Still, Kagami's bizarre Sharingan and this "Mangekyo" business had caught Sasori off guard. He hadn't known the Sharingan possessed levels beyond the standard three-tomoe. He felt a flicker of relief; thankfully, he had been cautious enough not to come alone. He had brought Kakuzu, and Kakuzu had brought Diarmuid.
Otherwise, he might have actually met his end here today.
"A puppeteer?" Kagami's expression shifted to one of slight surprise. Seeing that Sasori was fine, he immediately took Diarmuid's warning to heart and prepared to put distance between himself and Kakuzu, who was behind him.
But before he could move, the Earth Grudge Fear black threads, which had seemed to lose their vitality, suddenly surged with life. They erupted from the ground like spears, instantly impaling Kagami through the chest.
However, Kakuzu's expression soured the moment he turned around. Sure enough, in the next second, the "Kagami" who had been run through exploded into a cloud of smoke with a poof. A broken log fell to the ground; the real Kagami had vanished.
Substitution Technique.
One of the basic E-rank Academy Jutsu. Though it was fundamental and seemingly low-level, it often produced miraculous results. Theoretically, the Substitution Technique could even be classified as a Space-Time Ninjutsu, as it required an instantaneous spatial swap between the user and an object like a log.
It looked unimpressive, but it was a technique that frequently rewrote the tides of battle.
Reappearing on a tree trunk not far away, Kagami frowned. There was one individual whose depth he still couldn't gauge, the one who hadn't truly made a move yet, and the two he thought he'd killed were both alive.
The puppeteer survived through his craft, which was normal enough, but what was the deal with this man bursting with black threads?
An immortal body?
Suddenly, a realization struck Kagami. His eyes widened as clarity dawned. "You are Kakuzu, the S-rank rogue ninja from Takigakure. And that brat over there... he must be the genius puppeteer who went missing from Sunagakure a while ago, Sasori of the Red Sand."
As an elite ninja, Kagami kept a vast amount of intelligence stored in his mind. After a brief mental comparison, he had identified Kakuzu and Sasori.
It wasn't that surprising. Although Kakuzu wasn't a household name across the entire shinobi world, he had been active for over fifty years and was a listed S-rank rogue. He usually didn't seek out trouble, preferring to focus on making money. But when he did strike, famous ninjas who usually acted invincible tended to end up dead at his hands. Thus, while not "famous" in the traditional sense, Kakuzu was no mere background character.
Sasori, on the other hand, was even more renowned. He was the poster child of Sunagakure's current generation. He had completed ten S-rank missions and twenty-nine A-rank missions despite his relatively short tenure as a ninja. He had built a terrifying reputation in record time, hailed as a genius and a master of the puppet arts.
Originally, he was supposed to be the new hope of Sunagakure. Instead, he had vanished without a trace.
The Third Kazekage had disappeared at the same time.
At this point in time, most people in Sunagakure believed Sasori and the Third Kazekage were off on a secret mission or perhaps trapped somewhere by a mysterious power. No one yet suspected that Sasori had become a rogue ninja. After all, his lineage was prestigious; his family were high-ranking officials in the village.
"It seems there are still those who recognize this old man," Kakuzu remarked, playing the role of the seasoned elder.
Sasori didn't speak; he simply glared at Kagami with localized annoyance.
Seeing they didn't deny it, Kagami's mind raced. Sasori's presence gave him a very bad feeling. The current Great Ninja War had been triggered by the Third Kazekage's unexplained disappearance, which prompted Kumogakure to aggressively invade the Land of Wind, dragging all the nations into the conflict.
And Sasori, the man who vanished with the Third Kazekage, was right here, wiping out Konoha and Kumo ninjas alike, and clearly intending to silence him as well.
What did this mean for the Third Kazekage?
Had Sasori defected? Or was this entire war a grand scheme orchestrated by Sunagakure? Was the Third Kazekage actually hidden in the shadows, waiting to lead Sunagakure to some greater goal?
The world of ninjas was incredibly complex, and Sasori's identity was exceptionally sensitive. His appearance forced Kagami to change his priorities. Previously, Kagami intended to kill the three of them and then see if he could rescue the ninjas swallowed by the darkness.
But now, Kagami had decided to retreat. Regardless of anything else, this critical intelligence regarding Sasori of the Red Sand had to be reported back to the village. Especially since Sasori was flanked by an S-rank rogue and another unknown powerhouse!
"He's going to run!" Kakuzu suddenly barked.
As a veteran of the shinobi world, Kakuzu was expertly attuned to such details. Just from the way Kagami's mindset shifted upon identifying them, visible in only the slightest twitch of body language, Kakuzu knew he was planning an escape.
Sure enough, the moment the words left Kakuzu's mouth, Kagami didn't hesitate. Realizing he'd been seen through, he channeled chakra into his feet, kicked off the tree trunk, and bolted back the way he came.
He was incredibly fast. It wasn't just his Body Flicker and Substitution techniques that were quick; he was an elite ninja in every aspect.
Speed wasn't Sasori's forte, so as Kagami fled, he shouted, "Kakuzu, Diarmuid! Stop him!"
Kakuzu didn't move. Instead, he glanced at Diarmuid and asked, "Are you going to do it?"
"Of course. I was just about to test his measure..." Diarmuid replied.
He raised his arm, pointing it toward the retreating Kagami, and whispered, "Universal Pull..."
A black vortex seemed to manifest in his palm, swirling with a massive gravitational pull, like a localized black hole. The surrounding earth, stones, scattered senbon needles, and debris were all sucked toward Diarmuid's palm, vanishing into the black vortex.
Sasori, watching from the side, was stunned once again. What kind of jutsu is that? What kind of Kekkei Genkai is this?!
The fleeing Kagami felt the overwhelming suction. He couldn't resist it at all and was dragged backward through the air toward Diarmuid. It was like a legendary soul-sucking technique.
With one hand raised, Diarmuid kept his eyes closed, using Observation Haki to track Kagami's status. With his other hand, he slowly drew the blade hanging at his waist: Kokorowatari.
At this moment, Sasori felt like his mind was on the verge of a breakdown. Ever since he met Diarmuid, he had been in a constant state of "shock."
What kind of sword is that? Why does it exude such a thick, ominous aura the moment it's drawn? The feeling was evil and dark, as if it carried some sort of ancient curse.
Diarmuid made no superfluous moves; he simply aimed Kokorowatari at the incoming Kagami. If things continued on this trajectory, Kagami would essentially impale himself on the blade.
The Mangekyo in Kagami's eyes spun violently. Perhaps the mysterious Magatsuhikami could save his life?
However, just as Kakuzu and Sasori expected him to use that damage-transferring trick again, Kagami let out a thunderous roar: "Susanoo!"
The roar put Sasori and Kakuzu on high alert. They didn't know what the technique was, but the sheer intensity of the aura Kagami was emitting was formidable.
Even Diarmuid felt a flicker of surprise.
In the next instant, a massive surge of crimson chakra erupted from Kagami's body. In the blink of an eye, it enveloped him entirely. It wasn't the Perfect Susanoo, Kagami hadn't reached that level yet. It was a skeletal, half-bodied construct. As the ribcage appeared, Kagami used the sheer mass of the Susanoo to anchor himself against the powerful suction of Diarmuid's Universal Pull.
The distance between them wasn't great. The half-bodied skeleton possessed only one arm, which gripped a massive blade. It swung down toward Diarmuid with crushing force.
The sequence of events was lightning-fast. From Kagami being pulled back to him unleashing Susanoo and delivering the strike, it all happened in a single heartbeat. His timing was perfect. The strike seemed unavoidable!
In that moment, Diarmuid's eyes turned pitch black, looking terrifyingly hollow.
He simply looked up at the descending Susanoo blade. He made no other move.
Yet, when the blade was less than half a meter from him, it slammed into an invisible barrier. A massive shockwave of opposing forces and air currents exploded, causing the Susanoo skeleton to shudder and lose its balance.
"Impossible!" Kagami cried out in shock.
In his mind, Susanoo was his ultimate trump card, an invincible defense and offense. How could this be happening?
Diarmuid remained expressionless. He didn't say a word as he sheathed Kokorowatari into the ground and cancelled the Universal Pull.
Before Kagami could react, Diarmuid brought his hands together in a prayer-like clasp.
"Planetary Devastation..."
The ground beneath them instantly shattered. A powerful gravitational core formed at the center of the Susanoo, beginning to compress everything toward it. In mere moments, Kagami and his Susanoo were encased in a sphere of earth and stone, sealed in place.
Thick black smoke billowed from the surface of the sphere, the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, as it began to relentlessly devour the Susanoo from within!
"Is that all?" Diarmuid frowned slightly. It felt different from what he had imagined; it was almost too easy.
Behind him, Kakuzu looked at Diarmuid as if he were looking at a monster. After a long silence, he shook his head and admitted to himself, I was right. This guy is a total freak of nature...
Sasori was beyond disbelief. The vague sense of power he had felt from Diarmuid was now laid bare in terrifying clarity. He knew for a fact he was no match for him. This final "Planetary Devastation" alone was horrifying; he doubted he could have even dodged it.
Thinking about it, partnering with Diarmuid didn't seem so bad. At least he had a powerful boss covering for him now.