"I didn't expect a filthy snake like you to recognize me."
Sasori's surprise didn't slow him down. Chakra threads danced between his fingers as he manipulated the iron sand. The metallic particles swirled in the sky, solidifying into a massive iron spike. On his other side, the Third Kazekage puppet's left hand cracked open layer by layer, revealing the intricate seals carved within.
"Thankfully, you're not one of his men. Otherwise, I might not have been able to add you to my puppet collection..." Sasori's voice was cold. "Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets!"
Crack! Crack!
With sharp snapping sounds, thousands of puppet arms erupted from the seals, forming a tidal wave of limbs. The arms surged forward, fingers outstretched, grabbing at Orochimaru as he flew backward through the air. They locked around his limbs and torso, binding him tight. Then the iron spike formed from magnetized sand came crashing down with a piercing screech.
"Turn me into a collectible?"
Caught by the puppet arms, Orochimaru quickly recovered from the shock of seeing Menma. "If I'm going to become one of your boring trinkets, then I guess I'll have to show you my real power today."
Before the spike could fully impale him, Orochimaru's neck stretched grotesquely, his mouth unhinging to an impossible width.
Teaaaaar!
The iron spike tore through Orochimaru's body just as a slimy, writhing form slipped out of his distended jaws, completely unharmed.
Orochimaru Substitution Jutsu!
"You're as slippery as a loach, Orochimaru!" Sasori scoffed, flicking his ten fingers. The puppet arms and iron spike released the snake-like body, resuming their pursuit.
Orochimaru remained unfazed by the insult. He glanced at Menma standing guard in the distance, then rapidly formed hand seals. "Since you won't let me escape, I'll show you my ultimate ninjutsu."
As he spoke, a massive bulge visibly expanded across his body. Eight enormous white snake heads covered in razor-sharp scales erupted from the swelling flesh. In the blink of an eye, a gigantic eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent replaced him, towering as high as a small mountain.
"The Eight Branches Technique!"
The colossal white serpent roared, its heads smashing into the puppet arms and the iron spike.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal striking stone echoed through the air. The puppet arms and magnetized spike were all blocked by the serpent's impenetrable white scales, leaving only shallow scratches.
"I didn't expect Orochimaru to be hiding something this terrifying!" Sasori cursed, immediately trying to recall the Third Kazekage puppet.
But the eight-headed serpent was faster. One head knocked away the iron spike like a pebble. Two other heads coiled around the puppet arm, following it back to the Third Kazekage puppet in a flash.
CRUNCH!
Sharp fangs crushed the puppet completely. The magnetized iron sand scattered wildly, losing all cohesion.
"Hehehe! Your 'Eternal Art' shatters with the slightest touch!" Orochimaru emerged, covered in slime, from one of the snake's gaping mouths. "I suggest you rename it 'Fragile Art' instead!"
He hadn't forgotten Sasori's earlier jab.
"Fragile Art?" Sasori's eyes burned with icy killing intent. He pulled a scroll from his back and tore open the cover on his right chest.
Hundreds of red-robed puppets erupted from the scroll like dumplings thrown into boiling water, flooding the sky like a dark thundercloud. Chakra threads poured from Sasori's chest, connecting to every puppet.
"Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets!"
Though named for a hundred, over two hundred and ninety puppets swarmed the air.
"I used this technique to conquer an entire Nation once," Sasori said. "Let's see how long you can last against it, you eight-headed freak."
The puppet army charged, weapons gleaming.
"Hehehe! Your Kazekage puppet couldn't break my defense. You think these trash puppets can?" Orochimaru sneered. "Let me show you reality!"
The eight serpent heads lunged into the puppet swarm. The impacts sounded like stone striking jade again and again. As Orochimaru predicted, the puppets' weapons could barely scratch his scales. But each swing of the massive serpent heads shattered multiple puppets.
If this continued, even if Sasori used every puppet he had, he couldn't take down a single snake head.
"Orochimaru... I truly underestimated you." Sasori's voice grew cold. "If this were my old self, I might have lost. But fortunately, I have a new leader now."
As he spoke, golden-red chakra seeped from Sasori's core. The chakra threads on his chest shifted from blue to gold-red. The weapons of every puppet in the sky ignited with the same golden-red aura.
"This is Nine-Tails chakra! He actually gave you that power?" Orochimaru's eyes widened. "And this 'new leader' you mentioned..."
He turned sharply to look at Menma in the distance. "So this is why you joined Akatsuki!"
But the only response was a blade coated in Nine-Tails chakra swinging toward him.
The Nine-Tails' power turned Orochimaru's supposedly invincible scales as fragile as paper. A single, casual slash tore through his body, leaving a massive gash.
Sensing his defeat was inevitable, Orochimaru didn't hesitate. He spun around and activated his escape technique.
On top of that, he could sense Konoha ninjas approaching Hidden Sound. Their arrival would only increase his odds of getting away alive.
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