Chapter 223: Am I Pushing Them Too Hard?
It wasn't cowardice—it was a bad matchup.
Sasori repeated this to himself like a mantra, trying to suppress his frustration as he flung two more puppets behind him, practically gifting them to the pursuing Hyuga Miyuki.
As Hyuga Miyuki paused to retrieve and convert the puppets, Sasori turned to White Zetsu beside him, his icy gaze piercing. "You said your organization would ensure my safe escape."
"But the leader..."
Sasori cut him off coldly. "Your leader is useless right now. That leaves you. Use that special transformation technique of yours and help me escape!"
Without waiting for a response, the surrounding puppets raised their weapons, aimed squarely at White Zetsu, making it abundantly clear what would happen if he refused.
White Zetsu's eyes flickered briefly, and he let out a resigned sigh. "Fine. Just share some of your chakra with me."
Sasori complied, albeit reluctantly.
…
Having retrieved yet another pair of puppets, Hyuga Miyuki's gaze followed Sasori as he fled further into the forest.
Her eyes glinted with a mix of satisfaction and amusement.
For someone who had generously gifted her over a hundred high-quality puppets, Hyuga Miyuki couldn't help but feel some gratitude toward Sasori.
The Red Sand Scorpion wasn't just a master puppeteer; he was also a genius at creating them. Even as a child, his creations were considered masterpieces in Sunagakure. Now, as a fully matured artisan, his works were unparalleled.
Aside from a few deeply entrenched puppet masters in Sunagakure, no one could match Sasori's craftsmanship.
So why stop now? There was still so much value to extract.
However, as she continued her pursuit, she noticed something peculiar: two identical Sasoris fleeing in opposite directions, indistinguishable even to her Byakugan.
"What's going on?"
Hyuga Miyuki hesitated briefly, then glanced at the sizable collection of puppets she'd already acquired. Deciding not to overthink it, she chose one of the two paths and resumed her pursuit.
No matter—this hunt had already been fruitful enough. Anything more would be a bonus.
Besides, her funds were running low, and she needed to consider returning to the Land of Snow.
The thought of a certain companion momentarily complicated her emotions, but she pushed the feelings aside as she accelerated toward her target.
"Stop running! Face me already!"
Like hell I'm stopping!
The fleeing "Sasori" scanned the forest for an escape route, but before he could make a decision, a massive blade of iron sand crashed down in front of him, cutting off his path.
"Well, now that I have your attention, shall we have a little chat, Sasori?"
Hyuga Miyuki strolled forward leisurely, her tone laced with amusement.
White Zetsu's expression twitched as he glanced at the unmistakable Third Kazekage puppet she had just deployed.
Why didn't she use this earlier against the real Sasori? Now, facing his imitation, she brought it out immediately? Was his luck really this bad?
Or had Sasori done something to set him up?
Frowning at the thought, White Zetsu decided not to prolong the charade. He allowed his form to revert to its original state in front of Hyuga Miyuki.
"As you can see, I'm not Sasori," White Zetsu said in a low voice. "Do you need me to point out where he's headed?"
Without hesitation, White Zetsu was ready to sell out his supposed ally.
After all, he and Sasori weren't truly on the same side. On the contrary, with no one else around, he felt it would be wiser to align himself with Hyuga Miyuki, if only temporarily.
Hyuga Miyuki blinked in surprise.
…
Meanwhile, far away, the real Sasori stood beneath a tree, a rare smile gracing his lips.
"Ha! Hyuga Miyuki, you'll never catch me again. From now on, we're done! I'm immortal, after all!"
The humiliation of the past few days seemed to melt away as he reveled in his newfound freedom.
But atop the tree, hidden by its canopy, Hyuga Miyuki stood silently, watching Sasori with a peculiar expression.
So that's the plan—to stay hidden indefinitely?
With a slight shift in her stance, she dismissed her earlier intention to let him go.
As Sasori grinned in triumph, a swarm of puppets descended from above, along with the all-too-familiar sight of Hyuga Miyuki.
The light faded from Sasori's eyes as a single thought crossed his mind.
Damn it!
…
Hyuga Fuji stepped back lightly, narrowly avoiding a massive swing from the Gedo Statue.
With a gesture, he unleashed a storm of wind from his Typhoon Release, forcing the towering figure to stumble backward. Using the cloud of dust stirred by his attack, he activated his Body Flicker Technique, charging toward Nagato, who stood protected by the Gedo Statue.
Seeing this, Nagato's eyes gleamed coldly, and he moved his fingers deftly.
In an instant, the Gedo Statue's mouth opened wide, releasing a dragon-shaped phantom that spiraled toward Hyuga Fuji.
The timing was impeccable—the dragon struck Hyuga Fuji, passing through his body.
But to Nagato's dismay, the technique failed. The dragon did not extract Hyuga Fuji's soul.
Closing the distance with astonishing speed, Hyuga Fuji appeared before Nagato. Before he could react, Hyuga Fuji's palm struck his chest.
Golden markings appeared around Hyuga Fuji's eyes as he calmly uttered:
"Divine Void Strike."
Boom!
Nagato was sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth as his internal organs bore the brunt of the devastating attack.
The Gedo Statue roared in fury, its ten protrusions crackling with lightning that surged toward Hyuga Fuji.
Without even glancing back, Hyuga Fuji raised his left hand, summoning a giant chakra palm to intercept the lightning. The two forces collided and neutralized each other, while Hyuga Fuji continued advancing toward Nagato.
"Nagato, Sasori has been captured."
White Zetsu emerged at Nagato's feet, delivering the grim news.
"Nagato, retreat. We can't win this."
"I can't retreat even if I wanted to."
As the words left his mouth, a voice and figure appeared beside him.
"If you know that, then go back and continue improving yourself. The Rinnegan may be the Sage's eyes, but you haven't fully mastered its power."
It was Obito, his tone as indifferent as ever.
Nagato's initial relief at Obito's arrival quickly gave way to frustration as he noticed the scorn in his tone.
"Hey, focus!" White Zetsu shouted.
A sudden repulsive force tore through the battlefield, uprooting trees and sending debris flying.
Blocking the attack, Nagato turned to Obito. "Obito, if we work together, we can take Hyuga Fuji down now while he's alone—"
Before Nagato could finish, Obito's eyes locked onto Hyuga Fuji. His expression darkened, and without a word, he grabbed Nagato, warping them both into his Kamui dimension.
White Zetsu stared blankly at the spot where they had disappeared, stunned into silence. When neither of them reappeared, he quickly sank into the ground and vanished.
A breeze swept across the now-empty battlefield, leaving Hyuga Fuji as the sole figure standing.
He gazed at the point where they had vanished, lost in thought.
Am I pushing them too hard? Why does Obito flee every time he sees me?
Shaking his head, Hyuga Fuji chuckled softly.
"They'll move at my pace only when they understand the difference in power. With the Seven-Tails still in my hands, they'll need to find a new plan."
He paused, his eyes glinting.
"Uchiha Obito... and the 'Uchiha Hikari.' Since I've already freed her, I may as well make full use of her."
(End of Chapter)