110 Schemes and Intrigues

With a thunderous crash, the black creature was sent flying backward by the lash of the tentacle, crashing into the ground and gouging out a large crater, sending up a cloud of dust and debris.

After delivering the blow, the tentacle did not retract but instead stretched out horizontally, forming a solid barrier between Kakuzu and Sasori.

Kakuzu followed the direction of the tentacle and recognized the newcomer’s identity, exclaiming in surprise, “The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki?”

Wasn’t Kumo no Kuni no Shinobi no longer a match for Konoha? They had just fought a fierce battle moments ago, so why had the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki come to Tsunade’s aid?

His mind swirled with questions, but Kakuzu quickly recalled rumors circulating in the black market and said in astonishment, “Could it be that the Fourth Raikage has truly been gravely injured, as the rumors claim?”

But how could that be? The Raikage of Kumo had mastered the “Lightning Chakra Mode,” granting his body resilience far beyond the ordinary, capable even of hand-to-hand combat with tailed beasts.

“The only way to wear him down is through attrition; breaking through his defenses is nearly impossible!”

This was a fact widely accepted in the Shinobi World after the Third Great Ninja War, when the Third Raikage single-handedly held off tens of thousands of Iwa shinobi for three days and nights.

Compared to the hearsay from the black market, Kakuzu naturally preferred to trust this ironclad truth.

Yet the current actions of Kumo’s forces seemed to overturn this belief—how strange and perplexing!

Could it be that Konoha had discovered a way to counter the “Lightning Chakra Mode”?

As myriad thoughts filled his mind, Sasori of the Red Sand teased, “Looks like that 130 million ryo bounty won’t be so easy to claim.”

“I know better than you do,” Kakuzu replied coldly, glancing at the puppet beside him. “I’ll hold him off. You go take down Tsunade, then together we’ll finish off the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki—that’s a hefty bounty, too.”

At that moment, two masked creatures crawled up onto Kakuzu’s shoulders, one on each side, entering their “Deidara Mode.”

With a mighty leap, Kakuzu extended eight massive black tendrils from his back like spears, launching them straight at Killer Bee.

Sensing the ominous threat before him, Killer Bee did not dare underestimate his opponent.

The giant tentacles retracted, and a crimson chakra cloak shimmered over his body. Eight tails emerged behind him, meeting the black spear-like tendrils with a fierce counterattack.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Though the chakra-formed tails were hastily condensed, their strength was not inferior to the black tendrils. In the direct clash, they began to lose ground.

Seizing the opportunity, Killer Bee leapt beyond the enemy’s attack range.

Despite his heightened alertness, his mouth carried an arrogant tone, tinged with a strange accent.

“Yo, you’re overestimating yourself trying to fight two of us alone. Watch me block both of you.”

Forming hand seals, he created several shadow clones that surrounded Sasori, while his true body faced Kakuzu head-on.

Kakuzu’s expression remained impassive as he controlled the black tendrils to keep pressing the attack.

The black creature that had been flung away earlier soared back into the sky, spitting out countless spiked earth spears aimed at Killer Bee’s shadow clones.

Crackle, crackle...

Lightning flashed along the blade as one of Killer Bee’s clones deflected the incoming attack with a brilliant blue electric glow.

The spiked earth spears shattered midair like crumbling soil.

Sasori, observing this, flickered his gaze but could not fully concentrate on controlling the puppets to attack Tsunade.

Lightning release chakra not only counters earth release but also severely disrupts puppet techniques.

The shinobi from Kumo who had come alongside the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki could be dismissed, but the Raikage’s sworn brother—a master of lightning release—demanded cautious respect.

Within the Red Sand, Sasori could not afford to lose his own chakra core.

At this thought, he withdrew a scroll marked with the number “three” from his cloak.

Bang! A cloud of white smoke dissipated to reveal a human puppet beside Sasori.

Black iron sand swirled around it, forming a protective barrier that securely guarded Sasori.

“Magnet Release? That’s the Third Kazekage?” Killer Bee exclaimed in surprise.

The disappearance of the Third Kazekage had partly triggered the Third Great Ninja War, and the Shinobi World had long speculated on the fate of the strongest Kazekage.

No one expected that he had been killed by a rogue from his own village and turned into a human puppet.

Truly astonishing.

Swish, swish, swish...

Responding to Killer Bee’s shock were thousands of magnetized needles.

Unlike earth spears, Magnet Release is a unique element combining earth and wind chakra—their nature entirely distinct and not countered by lightning release.

Sharp needles pierced through the lightning cloak, embedding deep within the tailed beast’s chakra armor.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Under the relentless rain of magnetized needles, half of Killer Bee’s shadow clones dissolved into smoke and vanished.

Sasori exhaled in relief but refrained from ordering the Third Kazekage’s puppet into the fray against Tsunade, instead keeping it defensively positioned.

Unlike other puppets, this elite-level puppet had a significant flaw—beyond a certain distance, its chakra core would rebel, causing loss of control.

If not for Killer Bee’s formidable lightning skills posing a serious threat, Sasori would not have deployed it now.

Facing the impenetrable defense of the Third Kazekage puppet, Killer Bee found no immediate solution but had at least succeeded in delaying Sasori through his shadow clones.

Perhaps sensing Killer Bee’s strategy, Sasori sneered and intensified his control over the other puppets.

The pressure on the two Kumo shinobi teams escalated once more.

Unlike the puppets that could focus solely on offense, they had to divide their attention to protect Tsunade, making their task far more challenging.

One of the Kumo shinobi shouted urgently, “Lady Tsunade, don’t just stand there! Retreat with us now!”

At the heart of the battlefield, Tsunade bowed her head, her hair falling over her face, concealing her expression.

She ignored the Kumo shinobi’s urgings, only leaping aside when sensing an unavoidable attack.

Were the Kumo shinobi here to protect her?

Perhaps, but only for now.

Tsunade had not forgotten that when the Kumo teams first appeared, they were stained with blood like rogue S-rank shinobi, clearly having drawn their weapons in response to overhearing their conversation.

Had it not been for the tentacle wall blocking Sasori and Kakuzu, she would have silently fled with Shizune, not lingered to become a prize anyone could claim.

Their so-called protection was merely a prelude to further harm.

Those bastards could go ahead and tear each other apart!

Seeing Tsunade’s stance, the Kumo team leader could not discern whether her hesitation stemmed from her fear of blood or a deliberate choice to stay.

Helpless, he continued battling Sasori’s puppets.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the battlefield, Shizune lay motionless on the ground, utterly devoid of chakra, as if dead.

No one paid her any mind—neither the Kumo shinobi nor the bounty hunters.

Perhaps initially they had hoped to use Shizune as a hostage, but after Tsunade’s blood phobia was exposed, her value instantly diminished to nothing.