Chapter 135

Within the confines of the Secret Land of the Hellbeats, atop one of the frozen peaks where chilling winds howled as if yearning to tear everything apart, sat Kazuki, a small figure enveloped in meditation. It had been months since he embarked on his journey to master the most primal form of Senjutsu, and his progress had been steady but far from complete. Despite the subzero climate, Kazuki remained unaffected by the bitter cold, seemingly insulated by a transparent energy barrier that shielded him from the elements.

As moments passed, a sudden eruption of blood startled the serene scene. Crimson dripped from Kazuki's ears, eyes, and even through torn patches of his skin, as if some inner battle raged within him. His breathing grew heavy, each exhale a struggle against unseen forces. Abruptly, a massive, gleaming claw tore through his back, leaving a gaping wound that shattered his meditation and brought him back to consciousness with a jolt.

"Aargh! Shit, that hurts! Shiro-sama, must you always resort to such drastic measures to snap me out of my trance? Couldn't you find a subtler approach?" Kazuki exclaimed, his voice laced with pain and frustration, as he confronted the white hellbeast who had become his mentor in the art of Senjutsu. Pain had become an inseparable companion on his journey, a constant reminder of the challenges he faced under Shiro-sama's tutelage.

"Hahaha! Remember, Kazuki-kun, pain is your friend. We are not like those toads who coddle you; we believe in honing your skills in the most efficient way possible," Shiro-sama retorted, her tone laced with amusement. "No pain, no gain, as they say. And if you prefer, I can use my jaws instead of my claws to wake you up whenever you lose control," she added, her sharp teeth gleaming menacingly as she offered an alternative that Kazuki quickly declined. Despite the pain and challenges, Kazuki had made significant progress, being able to maintain his focus under the influence of Pure Senjutsu for longer durations—a feat that few among the Hellbeast clan could match in such a short span of training. Recognizing his growth, Shiro-sama intensified her efforts to guide Kazuki toward mastery.

"Well, I guess it's enough practice for today. Too much training will only harm you. Why don't you go ahead and prepare one of those special meals for me? I have already procured the best ingredients," Shiro-sama chimed as Kazuki sighed because of this gluttonous master, wiped the blood stains from his body, and began to self-administer Iryo ninjutsu.

With his mastery, such wounds were a trivial matter, and he had already delved into research to help develop a physique perhaps similar to or even surpassing that of the Shodaime Hokage. Currently, only his master Tsunade boasted such a physique, being from the Senju bloodline, closely followed by Minato, whose body had been augmented with jade bones and a hellbeast corpse. As for his own body, Kazuki had decided against alterations for the time being, unless he could achieve superior results.

"Say, Shiro-sama, has the Sage-sama responded regarding my request?" Kazuki inquired, referring to a recent proposal he had brought before the Hellbeast Sage.

"You mean regarding creating a new secret land in the vicinity of Konoha? I'm not sure if it's feasible. The lands chosen to build all the secret lands are special—natural nodes where Senjutsu converges naturally. With the thousands of seals around the sacred land, the potency only increases. As of now, the old geezer hasn't come to a decision on your request. It's not something that can be rushed, so have patience, Kazuki-kun," Shiro-sama explained as she gracefully leaped down the peak, Kazuki following suit.

Kazuki hadn't made the request to build a secret land near Konoha on a whim. No, he had asked because he knew that the land chosen by two of the greatest shinobi as the site for Konoha couldn't be ordinary. According to his research, the land where Konoha stood was a veritable treasure trove, containing a massive, untapped node of spiritual energy. If Kazuki could enlist the help of the Hellbeasts to create a similar haven nearby, then the creatures from the Forest of Death could be transferred, gradually gaining spirituality.

Eventually, it might become possible for most in Konoha to form summoning contracts. Even ordinary civilian ninjas might gain access to decent summons. Even in the current time, summoning beasts has been reserved for the most elite of clans. Not even the long-standing Nara clan had a summon beast of their own until Kazuki himself found one for the clan. Having summoned beasts would empower a Shinobi by a significant margin. To achieve all this, Kazuki needed a secret land built near Konoha, where they could secure and nourish this potential.

As Kazuki and Shiro-sama reached their dwelling area, as Shiro-sama had stated, massive, freshly caught sea creatures were being arranged neatly. Although hell beasts had no issues consuming raw meat, since Kazuki's arrival, many of them had started indulging in delicious cuisine. With more hell beasts joining each day, the workload for Kazuki only increased, but Shiro-sama cunningly called this part of their training as well. Kazuki sighed, performing a series of hand seals as his blade manifested in front of him. He couldn't help but pity the blade's fate; such a legendary weapon, created using his blood and sweat, was now being used as a fillet knife.

With another sigh, Kazuki got to work. He had to feed more than a hundred hell beasts, all waiting with their own catches. Some of them were eyeing Kazuki's blade hungrily, and he couldn't help but wonder if they were considering it as a potential meal as well. As he began to slice through the sea creatures, the hell beasts eagerly awaited their share, their mouths watering in anticipation. It was a comical sight to see these fearsome creatures eagerly awaiting their gourmet meal, and Kazuki couldn't help but chuckle despite the workload ahead of him. After all, feeding a hundred hungry hell beasts was no small task, but it seemed to be one of the many challenges that came with his newfound role as apprentice.

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In the remote desert area, the battle between Pakura and Sasori had reached its peak intensity. Both combatants had already thrown out all their trump cards, leaving nothing but sheer determination and exhaustion to drive them forward. Sasori had even released the puppet of the Third Kazekage, a testament to the severity of the battle.

"So it was you, bastard, who was responsible for his demise during the Third Shinobi War, Sasori of the Red Sand. You were the one who killed the Third Kazekage," Pakura accused, her voice heavy with exhaustion. Despite her weariness, she had managed to discern the identity of her opponent. She had seen records of the teen standing before her, but what shocked her most was the Third Kazekage's puppet, wielding the iconic Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai. It all began to fall into place for her—the puzzle of how such a powerhouse had fallen.

"Hahaha, indeed, he gave me quite a tough time. That's why he's my favorite creation. But don't worry, you'll soon join his ranks, and I'll have my second Kage-level puppet," Sasori retorted with a lack of emotion. He already considered the battle won; unlike Pakura, who was exhausted, Sasori was a puppet himself, with only his core being human. Fatigue was foreign to him, a mere inconvenience compared to the chakra consumption and the scorching flames Pakura unleashed.

Pakura huffed and puffed, desperately searching for a way to gain the upper hand. While Sasori was a top-notch puppet master, with his defensive puppet destroyed, he began to show the inherent weakness of puppet masters—vulnerability in close combat. However, the Third Kazekage's puppet posed a formidable obstacle. Excelling in crowd control and armed with iron sand smeared in poison, it proved to be a relentless adversary. Though Pakura's scorching flames could melt the iron sand, the sheer volume of it overwhelmed her defenses. With her chakra reserves dwindling and no auxiliary items to aid her recovery, Pakura found herself in a precarious position, struggling to find a way to turn the tide of battle.

In the searing heat of battle, Pakura found herself locked in a desperate struggle against Sasori's relentless onslaught from the iron sand puppet and a few other constructs. Every move she made was countered with precision, and every attack was met with an equally deadly response. The Third Kazekage's puppet loomed over her like a dark omen, its iron sand swirling ominously as it prepared to strike.

Despite her best efforts, Pakura's strength was waning. With each passing moment, the strain of battle took its toll on her weary body. Her scorching flames flickered, their intensity dimming as her chakra reserves reached their limit. Sweat mingled with blood on her brow as she fought to stay on her feet, her breath ragged and labored.

Then, in a moment of vulnerability, a spike made of iron sand tore through her skin, piercing deep into her flesh. Pain seared through her body as the poison spread, coursing through her veins like a vile serpent. With a gasp of agony, Pakura faltered, her movements slowing as the poison worked its insidious magic.

Sasori, sensing victory within his grasp, smirked triumphantly as he watched Pakura's struggle. With the poison coursing through her body, paralyzing her limbs, and clouding her mind, she was at his mercy. Within moments, she was completely immobilized, her once formidable strength reduced to nothing but a memory.

As Pakura lay helpless at his feet, Sasori stood over her, his expression cold and unyielding. In that moment, he knew that victory was his. With a flick of his wrist, he signaled the Third Kazekage's puppet to deliver the final blow, sealing Pakura's fate.

Just as the Third Kazekage puppet was about to deliver the final blow, a few hundred meters away, Kakashi revealed his Sharingan and concentrated. "Kamui," he commanded. A vortex formed right beside the Third Kazekage's puppet as it was poised to strike. The vortex tore through the Kazekage's puppet as it devoured it. Sasori, however, had the presence of mind to reseal the puppet, but even then, more than half of the puppet was completely destroyed.

"[Katon: Gōenkyū]" (Fire Release: Great Blaze Ball) Itachi, who had already completed his hand signs, initiated a large, blazing ball of flame and launched it at Sasori. However, Sasori was determined to finish Pakura off despite the incoming attack. He stacked a few puppets to form a protective wall and transformed his arm into a blade to behead Pakura in one swift strike. But before he could even move, a Konoha ANBU member overtook him, severing Sasori's head.

Shisui then appeared next to the paralyzed Pakura and picked her up. Suddenly, a metal whip attempted to pierce his back, but Shisui was faster. He flickered back, carrying Pakura, as the metal whip pierced into the sand.

Shisui, behind his ANBU mask, was surprised because he thought he had beheaded his opponent. However, he realized he was mistaken, as Sasori's head reattached itself to the body with the help of chakra strings.

"He is Sasori of the Red Sand. He is a puppet; only his core is human. We will have to destroy it." Itachi had already zeroed in on their opponent. The earlier Katon Jutsu tore through the puppet wall, and Shisui materialized next to his ANBU team, carrying Pakura.

"You Bastards! She is mine. She is supposed to be part of my greatest collection. Give her back to me!" Sasori roared in anger as his head was reattached. He had no idea how these shinobi had sneaked up on him, and with the way things were going, he was at a complete disadvantage. He didn't even know how exactly the opponents had taken out his Kazekage puppet. He needed to retreat, and he needed to do it now.

"Kamui." Just as Sasori's mind raced with countermeasures, Kakashi's voice echoed again. This time, the vortex was aimed at the core of Sasori's puppet. Sasori instinctively felt the threat and jumped aside, but that didn't save him completely, as his entire lower body was disintegrated.

"Tch, I still have to work on my aim better," Kakashi murmured while wiping a tear of blood from his Mangekyou Sharingan. Then, suddenly, he felt a fluctuation in his Sharingan, and he understood immediately that Obito was here.

Itachi's keen eyesight didn't miss the opportunity. With a swift hand gesture, he signaled to Torune and the ANBU team to advance. They moved in unison, positioning themselves strategically around Sasori, ready to launch another assault.

Before the ANBU team could enact their strategy, Kakashi's voice sliced through the tension like a blade. "Beware, guys. That bastard Obito is here!" His words reverberated with a cold edge, a reminder of the imminent threat they faced. Kakashi had anticipated Obito's arrival, knowing that he would eventually find a way to circumvent the barriers of the Kamui dimension. His Sharingan, honed through relentless training, served as their first line of defense, alerting them to Obito's presence whenever his Mangekyou Sharingan came into range.

As a vortex materialized beside Sasori's fallen form, Shisui tensed, his own Mangekyou Sharingan at the ready. But when Obito emerged, his enigmatic mask casting an eerie shadow, the ANBU instinctively regrouped, forming a protective barrier around their fallen comrade. Kakashi's gaze flickered to Pakura, her condition deteriorating with each passing moment. Without hesitation, Torune, renowned for his expertise in poisons, sprang into action, understanding the urgency of the situation.

"How bad is it? Can you neutralize the poison?" Shisui inquired, his tone laced with concern. He knew that Torune's mastery over Rinkaichu granted him unparalleled control over toxins.

With precision born of experience, Torune introduced his specially cultivated bugs into Pakura's bloodstream. The tiny creatures immediately set to work, their voracious appetites devouring Sasori's deadly poison. Yet even their efforts could not fully neutralize the potent venom concocted by the infamous Red Sand puppeteer.

"Captain, I can stabilize her. But if we truly want to save her, we must return to the village and seek Tsunade-sama's aid," Torune announced, his voice firm and resolute. Meanwhile, Kakashi remained locked in a silent battle of wills with Obito, their eyes locked in a deadly dance of anticipation and calculation.

Suddenly, Obito's focus wavered, a momentary lapse that did not escape Kakashi's notice. In the blink of an eye, Kakashi surged forward, his arm crackling with lightning as he unleashed his signature jutsu, Chidori. But Obito was swift to react, effortlessly phasing through Kakashi's attack with a ghostly ease that spoke of his mastery over space-time manipulation.

Undeterred, Kakashi pressed on, his determination unwavering. Yet before his strike could find its mark, Itachi intervened, manipulating the strings connected to Kakashi's ANBU attire to whisk him to safety. It was a testament to their teamwork and preparedness, with the ANBU having meticulously devised countermeasures to contend with adversaries as formidable as Obito.