Chapter 88

Chapter 88

*Swish, swish, swish!*

While Haneda was deep in thought, the puppets had already surrounded him completely.

Their mouths, hands, and other parts fired countless poison-coated needles. If even one needle pierced the skin, death would follow in less than three minutes due to the lethal poison!

The puppet techniques of Sunagakure often involved poison as well.

Haneda's Sharingan spun rapidly, searching for the best escape route. However, the dense, rain-like barrage of poisoned needles left no openings.

"Earth Style or Wind Style?" he quickly wondered.

Without further thought, Haneda rapidly formed hand signs.

An earthen dome rose from the ground, encasing him. But just then, Sasori's Third Kazekage puppet advanced!

"Magnet Release—Iron Sand World Method!"

Countless large, spiked iron pillars shot up from the ground, surrounding Haneda like a cage, trapping him inside. The puppet, however, could move freely within this iron sand barrier.

"Fire Style—Ash Pile Burning!"

Asuma spewed a ball of hot ash from his mouth, attempting to tear open the iron sand barrier surrounding Haneda.

But the heat was ineffective against the iron sand, and the ensuing explosion of ash failed to penetrate the sand's defenses.

This was the terrifying power of the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release.

Even elite Jonin would struggle to handle it!

"Haneda!!"

"Haneda-bro!!"

Yūhi Kurenai attempted to cast a genjutsu on Sasori, but it was completely ineffective, as if Sasori were immune to illusions.

Meanwhile, Asuma was horrified as he saw the puppets closing in on Haneda, tightening the noose.

"Is it over?"

Sasori controlled several puppets, their hands extending sharp blades, poised to pierce the earthen dome.

This attack couldn't be avoided. It had to be withstood head-on!

"Seems like it's not over yet."

Suddenly, Sasori enveloped himself in iron sand for protection, as Haneda's figure appeared behind him.

Using the earthen dome as cover, Haneda had employed the *Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Technique*, tunneling underground to reappear behind Sasori.

The sound of *Chidori* echoed through the air, lightning crackling on Haneda's short sword!

"Lightning Style—Chidori Blade!"

The short sword struck, unleashing a concentrated burst of high-voltage electricity that completely disrupted the magnetic field!

The iron sand surrounding Sasori fell to the ground!

"I've got you now."

As the iron sand dropped, Sasori's indifferent eyes were revealed once more.

With a slight flick of his right hand, controlled by chakra strings, Sasori sent Haneda crashing into a nearby tree five meters away.

Waiting for Haneda were a storm of projectiles and a tidal wave of iron sand rolling across the ground.

"Haneda-bro!!"

Asuma shouted in desperation, rushing forward to cut down the incoming projectiles with his blade.

But at that moment, a voice rang in his ears.

"You should run, Asuma. This level of battle is beyond your abilities."

Haneda, blood staining the corner of his mouth, spoke with his Three-Tomoe Sharingan spinning, seemingly slowing down time.

*Clang, clang, clang!*

Haneda's swordsmanship was swift and precise, with no wasted movement. In a flash, he deflected or cut down all the incoming projectiles, leaving the ground covered with marks and debris.

The iron sand approaching from below was also halted by the current of *Chidori Stream* radiating from Haneda's feet.

Haneda, glaring sharply at Sasori, turned to Asuma and Kurenai and said:

"Go. Find the Konoha reinforcements."

"Haneda-bro! I can't just abandon my comrades like this!" Asuma shouted, refusing to leave.

"I won't become someone worthless!"

Asuma understood what Haneda was trying to do. He was just making an excuse to get him and Kurenai to leave safely.

They were near the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind, far from the Land of Fire. It would take at least half a day to reach the border and return.

By then, the battle would already be over.

"I didn't think you'd remember that line," Haneda said with a smile, casting a genjutsu he had just created.

He called it the *Mission to Call for Reinforcements*.

Asuma and Kurenai were instantly caught in the genjutsu and began running toward the Land of Fire.

But unexpectedly, Kurenai quickly broke free of the illusion.

She glanced at Asuma and then at Haneda, who was wiping the blood from his mouth, unsure whether to stay or leave.

"Go! You'll only burden me and Uncle Sakumo if you stay."

Haneda's cold voice echoed through the rain-soaked forest.

Knowing they couldn't help, Kurenai gritted her teeth and followed Asuma, escaping into the distance.

Sasori, standing before Haneda, simply watched as Asuma and Kurenai fled without making any attempt to stop them.

"I never expected an Uchiha to be so sentimental."

"Tell me your name."

"I'll remember it and name your puppet after you when I turn your body into a piece of art."

Sasori's cold, mechanical voice echoed as he stared at Haneda with his modified puppet eyes, completely unaffected by the Sharingan's gaze.

"Uchiha Haneda. Remember it well."

"Next, I'll destroy your puppets—and your ugly body," Haneda declared, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan fixed on Sasori as his short sword began to crackle with lightning once more.

"That's eternal art, the highest form of beauty, Uchiha Haneda!" Sasori corrected him.

With that, the puppets controlled by Sasori moved in to surround Haneda once more.

Last time, Sasori hadn't anticipated Haneda tunneling underground with Earth Style.

But this time, Haneda wouldn't have the chance!

"It doesn't matter," Haneda said coldly, charging at Sasori.

As for abandoning Uncle Sakumo and running away?

Haneda couldn't do that.

He couldn't betray his conscience, nor could he bear seeing the disappointment in Kakashi's eyes.

Besides, Madara and Black Zetsu were already watching him. Running wouldn't solve anything.

Sasori watched Haneda rush forward, a small smile creeping onto his face.

With a slight flick of his fingers, the puppets, including the Third Kazekage, charged at Haneda.

The force consisted of one Kage, five Jonin, and twelve Chunin-level puppets!

With this setup, Sasori estimated that based on Haneda's current strength, he wouldn't last more than a minute!

*Zzzt, zzt!*

The crackling of electricity echoed as steam rose from Haneda's body.

This was the Fourth Gate of the Eight Gates: the Gate of Pain!

Haneda's speed increased exponentially as he broke through the iron sand defenses, slicing through three puppets with swift strikes.

Thanks to the dynamic vision of the Sharingan, Haneda could easily track the puppets' movements.

And with the temporary boost in speed from the Eight Gates, Haneda could quickly exploit the gaps in Sasori's puppet control to close the distance!

Sasori of the Red Sand was too powerful!

Even if Haneda severed the chakra strings or destroyed the puppets, Sasori could quickly regain control and repair them.

This meant that the only way to end the battle was to kill Sasori!

That was the only solution!

*Swish, swish, swish!*

The iron sand surged after Haneda like a tidal wave, while the sand beneath Sasori's feet lifted him into the air, wrapping around him for protection.

But Haneda's short sword, charged with *Chidori*, tore through the heavy iron sand, aiming directly at Sasori.

An arm was severed, falling to the ground.

"I've got him!!"

A glimmer of hope flashed in Haneda's eyes, but a cold voice whispered in his ear:

"What makes you think my Magnet Release is as weak as before?"

"You Uchihas are all prodigies, but so am I," Sasori added with a smirk.

***

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