As Sasori finished speaking, nearly a hundred Impure World Reincarnation puppets swarmed forward, charging toward Kakashi and Yamato.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Kakashi slammed his hand on the ground. A massive earthen barrier shot up, carved with dog heads on three sides, forming a ring that encased them.
"We're outmatched," he told Yamato. "Take Sakura, find Naruto Uzumaki, and retreat!"
"No way, Kakashi-senpai. You're the one who needs to pull back. I'll cover your escape."
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "I'm stronger than you. I should be the one to hold them off."
"Exactly why I should go," Yamato countered, his face hardening. "You've got more stamina. I can delay them while you get the others to safety."
"Stubborn, aren't you?" Kakashi sighed, his gaze deadpan. He pulled his headband up, revealing the crimson Sharingan. "I can survive this. You might not. So stop arguing and move."
Without waiting for a reply, Kakashi grabbed Sakura by the collar and tossed her toward Yamato.
Just then, the surrounding walls exploded.
Several Impure World Reincarnation puppets—missing limbs, carrying Explosive Tags—regenerated instantly and lunged. Behind them, the rest finished their hand seals. A barrage of Fire, Water, and Wind jutsu rained down indiscriminately.
Friendly fire meant nothing to Sasori. These puppets couldn't die, and their chakra was bottomless. Even if their power was only chunin-level, the sheer numbers made them infinitely more dangerous than his old hundred-puppet army.
"Struggle all you want," Sasori smirked. "I'd love to see how you handle an army that never runs out of steam."
Screeeech!
Lightning crackled in Kakashi's hand. A blinding blue arc sliced through the air, and he appeared on the other side of the line. Every puppet in his path was sent flying, their chests charred black.
But more were already forming seals.
"Yamato!" Kakashi shouted.
On cue, Yamato's hands flashed through seals. "Wood Release: Tree World Wall!"
"Wood Release: Wood Barrier Wall!"
Snap.
Wooden pillars erupted from the earth, curving inward to form an arch. Vines and roots twisted wildly around it, creating a dense shield.
The first wave of ninjutsu hit. Boom! Boom! Boom!
Water scorching, fire burning, wind cutting—the wooden barrier held for only two seconds before exploding.
But it had done its job. The first volley was nullified. The second wave was already incoming.
Yamato's face went pale. He summoned a thick wooden pillar to shield Sakura as the second blast tore through the archway, ripping a massive hole in the defense.
"Kakashi is gone?"
Sasori scanned the battlefield. That's when he noticed: his own Impure World Reincarnation puppets were being pulled underground, vanishing into the earth. They were trapped by Kakashi's Earth Release: Headhunter Technique.
"Stalling for time?" Sasori scoffed. "Pointless."
With a twitch of his fingers, the puppets blasted through the soil, regenerating as they crawled out.
While Sasori was distracted, Kakashi had slipped into the ranks of a different puppet group, invisible and masked by their movements.
His Sharingan locked onto Sasori's head. Slowly, the tomoe shifted, transforming into a spiral arrowhead.
Kamui.
A jet-black dot appeared on Sasori's forehead. Space warped violently, twisting like a black hole.
"What kind of jutsu is this?!"
Sasori reacted instantly, throwing himself backward. The distortion was too fast. He barely dodged the fatal blow to his head, but the space around his neck twisted violently.
With a sickening crunch, his head was severed and sent tumbling into the Kamui dimension.
"Gotcha," Kakashi gasped, panting heavily.
But before he could celebrate, Sasori—headless—grabbed a nearby Impure World Reincarnation puppet. He ripped out his own chakra core and jammed it into the puppet's chest.
The puppet dissolved into gray dust. The core remained.
Sasori stood there, perfectly intact, his body a puppet.
"You... turned yourself into a puppet?" Kakashi realized, his eyes widening.
"So you finally figured it out." Sasori's voice was cold. "Now, what else do you have? Your Mangekyou Sharingan relies on sight."
Sasori positioned three puppets directly in front of him, blocking Kakashi's line of sight.
"So? You're out of options."
Kakashi wiped sweat from his forehead, a faint smile on his lips. "Maybe. But I bought enough time."
He pointed into the distance.
Sasori turned. His Impure World Reincarnation puppets were stiffening, their movements sluggish as Yamato shook them off and bolted.
But escape wasn't on the table. From the sky, the giant clay bird carrying Deidara dove at terrifying speed. A massive explosion erupted, engulfing Yamato and the cloud of smoke.
Then, a flash of red.
The clay bird emerged from the smoke, wreathed in Nine-Tails chakra. In its talons, it held Sakura—bloodied, unconscious, but alive.
"Boss Sasori!" Deidara shouted from the bird's back. "Mission accomplished, yeah! The clay mines are set to block the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. We can pull out now, hm!"
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