Chapter 156: Encounter with Sasori of the Red Sand!
Chapter 156: Encounter with Sasori of the Red Sand!
*Hidden Mist Village, in Madara's secret base.*
Black Zetsu, fused with White Zetsu, emerged from the ground.
"How is the plan progressing?"
Madara sat high on a stone chair, looking down at Black Zetsu.
"Both Iwagakure and Kumogakure will start a war tomorrow, Lord Madara."
"But..."
Black Zetsu paused, his voice lowering slightly as he continued, "Haneda suddenly changed direction, heading towards the Land of Earth."
"His target is likely Kannabi Bridge, the location of the operation."
???
Madara looked at Black Zetsu with confusion.
The war between Konoha and Kumogakure was about to break out, so why was Haneda going to the Land of Earth?
And specifically, toward Kannabi Bridge?
Was he not afraid of Konoha questioning his actions?
Abandoning a mission at this time would be seen as an act of treason!
Madara asked with a slightly peculiar tone, "Are you sure? Or did Haneda receive a special mission?"
Black Zetsu replied confidently, "Lord Madara! The moment Haneda left the camp, White Zetsu followed him."
"He's definitely moving toward Kannabi Bridge—and very quickly at that."
"According to intelligence from our spies, Haneda initially received an important mission to intercept A's raiding unit but suddenly abandoned it for unknown reasons."
Hearing this, Madara's expression turned even stranger. After a while, he smirked slightly.
"Let him go, then."
"Isn't Sasori looking for him? Let that puppeteer intercept Haneda."
Black Zetsu immediately responded, "Understood, Lord Madara."
---
**Land of Frost**
Sasori, who had been waiting here for an opportunity, returned to his base and immediately noticed a piece of paper on his workbench.
Someone had infiltrated his base!
Sasori furrowed his brows, withdrew his puppets from a sealing scroll, and stepped inside, surrounded by his puppets for protection.
He picked up the paper and glanced over it, muttering coldly, "Using others to kill..."
"Interesting."
Sasori glanced at a book on lightning research on his shelf, smirking slightly.
"Uchiha Haneda, this time, you're destined to fail."
---
**Land of Waterfalls, bordering the Land of Earth**
At dawn, Haneda had already made it here from the Land of Frost.
He paused briefly, took a sip of water, and replenished the chakra he had used.
He was close to Kannabi Bridge now, only about an hour or two away.
It was not only the location where Minato's team—Obito, Kakashi, and others—was carrying out their mission but also the site of a major battle between Konoha and Iwagakure, later known as the Battle of Kannabi Bridge.
The danger of the mission showed just how critical it was.
The closer he got, the more likely he was to encounter Iwa-nin, and the higher the risk would become.
With one hand on a tree trunk, Haneda set off again as soon as his chakra recovered to 60%.
No matter what it took, he was determined to reach Kannabi Bridge and save Obito!
But just as he reached the Land of Earth's border, an unexpected figure was waiting on a cliff, quietly watching him.
It was Sasori, who had pursued him.
Using his specially crafted puppet, Sasori had arrived here ahead of Haneda.
"I've been waiting for you, Uchiha Haneda!"
For some reason, Sasori's eyes held not only his obsessive passion for art but also a hint of excitement as he looked at Haneda.
"I'll deal with you later."
Haneda, eager to reach Kannabi Bridge, had little interest in Sasori for now.
Besides, he knew that Sasori being here had everything to do with Madara and Black Zetsu's scheming from the shadows.
Seeing that Haneda was ignoring him, Sasori felt that his art had been insulted.
Especially after his last humiliating retreat, this made him feel even more enraged.
Sasori unsealed his scroll, and over a hundred scarlet puppets appeared, floating in the air.
Each puppet was controlled by Sasori's Rebirth Core, connected by dense chakra threads that made one's skin crawl.
This was none other than Sasori's Hundred Puppets Performance!
Haneda activated his Sharingan, scanning Sasori.
In Sasori's chest, there was an immense amount of chakra—the location of his Rebirth Core, which controlled the Hundred Puppets Performance!
Haneda was silently alarmed. In just half a year, Sasori had grown stronger again!
He had even developed his signature technique, the Hundred Puppets Performance!
In Haneda's memory, each puppet controlled under this technique moved as though it were an extension of Sasori's body, reflecting his will completely.
With this technique, Sasori had wiped out an entire nation!
"Troublesome."
Haneda's Sharingan locked onto Sasori.
He noticed that the Third Kazekage puppet was positioned in front of Sasori, not attacking directly.
The other puppets of the Hundred Puppets Performance scattered in Haneda's direction, quickly surrounding him.
*Zzzzzz!*
The sound of electricity crackled like a thousand birds chirping.
Haneda drew his sword, Dawn, and lightning covered the blade as he jumped forward.
"I've grown stronger, too."
"Move aside!"
With those words, Haneda's sword flashed like lightning, instantly cutting down the puppet blocking his path.
Haneda didn't pause, pressing forward.
Seeing Haneda tear through his puppets so easily, Sasori reluctantly commanded the Third Kazekage puppet to summon the hidden Iron Sand he had planted underground.
Originally meant as a trap, he now had to use it early.
Iron Sand surged like a tidal wave toward Haneda.
Haneda was forced to halt, forming hand seals and countering with a Water Style technique.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Gathering chakra in his throat, he unleashed a massive sphere of water to meet the Iron Sand wave.
*Boom!*
The water sphere collided with the Iron Sand wave, erupting in a violent clash and tremors.
Water and Iron Sand collided, sweeping through the area and toppling trees like they were mere twigs.
Suddenly, a barrage of senbon needles and various hidden weapons shot toward Haneda, dense as a rainstorm!
This attack came from the puppets under the Hundred Puppets Performance.
*Ding ding ding ding!*
Haneda swung his sword swiftly, deflecting the poison-coated weapons.
Dawn's sharpness made it easy to slice through the projectiles without much effort, saving Haneda considerable energy.
But there were so many projectiles that Haneda had to dodge, roll, and use the flat of his blade for defense while weaving hand seals during brief openings.
He raised an Earth Style Wall to block the projectiles, then burrowed underground.
However, Iron Sand quickly rose from below, forcing Haneda to the surface.
Despite having his Sharingan active, Haneda couldn't entirely evade the relentless barrage.
Back behind his Earth Wall, Haneda formed more hand seals.
A huge fireball shot from his mouth, incinerating the projectiles.
But Sasori wasn't about to let Haneda off easily.
The Iron Sand shaped itself into a cage, trapping Haneda in place.
From the start, Sasori hadn't expected mere projectiles to cause much trouble for a Sharingan user like Haneda.
His real intention was to trap Haneda, exhausting him until he had no escape.