Chapter 164: Escape!

Chapter 164: Escape!

"Wait!"

Haneda pulled a scroll from his pouch, tore it open, and a suitcase appeared by his side. He looked at Kakuzu and said, "Two hundred million. Help me get out of here, deal?"

"Two hundred million???"

Kakuzu coughed a few times, glancing at Onoki as if to say, *Time to up the offer.*

"Two hundred and ten million! Iwagakure is offering two hundred and ten million!" Onoki replied without hesitation. For him, halting Konoha's famed young prodigy was worth any price.

"Three hundred million! I swear on the honor of the Uchiha!" Haneda opened the suitcase, revealing bundles of silver notes emitting the rich scent of ink—a scent of wealth that Kakuzu found very tempting.

Seeing Kakuzu wavering, Onoki sighed, held up two fingers, and said, "Three hundred and ten million! Kakuzu, remember I'm the Third Tsuchikage. When you take a contract, you're expected to see it through, right?"

Onoki roped Sasori into his logic, saying, "Puppeteer, wouldn't you agree?"

Kakuzu looked at Sasori and Onoki, hesitating only briefly before he spoke: "Ahem... My reputation travels across nations for a reason. I would never betray my client's trust!" He turned to the others. "Let's go. Attack!"

Seeing negotiations fail, Haneda immediately tossed the suitcase into the air, shattering it. Silver notes scattered like flower petals in a breeze. Kakuzu's gaze sharpened as he reached out with dark tendrils, grasping for the falling notes. Watching, Onoki and Sasori's expressions darkened.

Taking advantage of Kakuzu's distraction, Haneda activated the Eight Gates and the Lightning Chakra Mode, combining physical prowess and ninjutsu to launch himself like a cannonball in retreat, a lightning bolt flashing away.

Onoki, ignoring Kakuzu, quickly unleashed a dust-style jutsu. White light coalesced into a cube, aiming directly at Haneda. This was the Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique—a swift and powerful attack. If touched, anything would be reduced to atoms, instant death! Even Haneda's Lightning Chakra Mode wouldn't be enough to evade it fully.

Onoki, aware of the speed of the Lightning Chakra Mode, anticipated Haneda's path. The laser-like Dust Release forced Haneda to change direction and dodge.

At the same time, Sasori acted! Manipulating the Third Kazekage puppet, he unleashed waves of iron sand at Haneda.

Boom!

The Dust Release exploded, and Haneda braced against it. Meanwhile, iron sand waves surged around him from all directions.

"Uchiha Haneda! This time, I won't let you get away!" Sasori shouted as the iron sand coalesced, forming a massive cage over Haneda. In the sunlight, the iron bars gleamed menacingly.

Haneda knew from experience that only a wide-range ninjutsu could break through. His sword techniques and lightning release might slice through, but the bars would reform as fast as he cut them. Gazing up at Onoki and Sasori, perched on a mechanical bird, Haneda's eyes narrowed.

Quickly calculating Kakuzu's distraction time, he began weaving hand signs.

In an instant, three shadow clones appeared, combining Wind and Fire Style to launch the Flame Wind Chaos Wave to the north. A sea of fire melted the iron sand, and Haneda surged forward to the north. One shadow clone headed directly for Onoki and Sasori.

Onoki shouted, "Quick! He's trying to escape!"

He immediately unleashed Dust Release, ignoring the incoming clone, while Sasori directed iron sand spears at the clone.

Boom!

The clone dissolved in smoke, and Onoki realized too late—Haneda's real body had charged them head-on.

Suddenly, three shuriken flew from the smoke, each darting in a different direction.

"Don't hesitate! One of those must be his real body!" Onoki warned, instantly analyzing Haneda's tactic.

He fired Dust Release at the northern shuriken, while Sasori summoned a hundred red-clad puppets, sending two groups after the other two shuriken.

Boom!

The northern shuriken dispersed into smoke. Onoki miscalculated again, and the eastern shuriken turned into Haneda himself. Activating Lightning Chakra Mode, Haneda slashed open a path, swiftly moving past the cage as it started to reform. Sasori's expression darkened—Haneda's swordsmanship had evolved, enabling him to slash through the cage's bars faster than they could mend.

Haneda dashed east, toward Kikyo Mountain, knowing Konoha and Kirigakure's forces would likely be there. He could use Konoha's army as cover to escape and rescue Obito and Rin—two birds with one stone.

But suddenly, waves of fire from the Flame Wind Chaos Wave burst toward him—Kakuzu's doing, no doubt. Haneda's forehead began to sweat.

Three Kage-level opponents: two with massive-scale attacks and one with a hundred puppets surrounding him. And then there was Onoki—one touch from his Dust Release could mean instant death. Relying on his Lightning Chakra Mode and Sharingan, Haneda dodged frantically, though his chakra was being drained with every movement. After creating multiple shadow clones, he had used up nearly 40% of his chakra.

As Haneda struggled, Sasori's puppets closed in, creating an encircling formation rather than attacking, cornering him. Sasori was no longer underestimating him—no more falling to arrogance. This time, Sasori's method was strategic: surround and exhaust Haneda until he had no energy left to resist.

With the Hundred Puppet Performance, Kakuzu's unpredictability, and Onoki's lethal Dust Release... It was more than enough to finish this.

Around Haneda, a cage of iron sand reappeared. But this time, it was double-layered, strengthened on all sides.

"Despair, Uchiha Haneda!" Sasori sneered. "Not even your Wood Release can save you now. Only eternity is true art!"

***

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