Hiruzen persuaded me to die

As the battle continued, Chiyo's frown deepened.

As the creator of the Ten Puppets of Monzaemon, she knew each puppet's abilities inside and out.

But now—

These puppets, which had somehow been altered, also seemed to know everything about each other!

It was as though they had become conscious beings!

Even worse—they could communicate and coordinate seamlessly!

Chiyo felt like vomiting blood!

This felt like battling her own hands!

And what made it more maddening—

If the five puppets now under Hyuga Naraku's control were destroyed, she would be the one feeling heartache.

They were hers to begin with!

"Elder Chiyo's fingers are still impressively agile,"Hyuga Naraku observed as the puppet skirmish unfolded.

The five puppets infused with Tenseigan chakra no longer required his direction at all.

Now that they had developed semi-autonomy, they fought together with precise teamwork!

In fact—

If not for their mechanical appearance, someone watching might assume they were five highly trained shinobi!

But Chiyo wasn't exactly a novice.

Despite being over 60 years old, the speed and dexterity of her fingers controlling her puppets was dazzling!

In today's shinobi world, her puppet control was perhaps only rivaled by her grandson, Sasori of the Red Sand.

Though Sasori surpassed her in puppet-making, in pure manipulation technique—

Chiyo was still a monster.

And she still had over ten years of experience compared to how she appeared in her canon fight with Sasori during the Kazekage Rescue Arc!

Back during the Third Great Ninja War, she had still been active in battle.

It wasn't until Sunagakure's crushing defeat in that war that she finally withdrew into seclusion.

Now hearing Hyuga Naraku's flippant comments, her face darkened.

Couldn't he just shut up for once!?

He had the nerve to hit her using her own puppets and then talk smack about it!?

"Those puppets must be operating with injected chakra,"Chiyo thought grimly, analyzing the strange scene.

She could see no chakra threads.

So if the puppets were moving, they had to be infused with chakra directly.

But even with that knowledge, she still couldn't explain how they moved like this—

No puppet should be able to talk or move on its own with such clarity!

Suddenly—

The puppets under Naraku's control withdrew from the battle!

"Out of chakra?"Chiyo's heart surged with hope.

If the stalemate continued, she might not be able to endure much longer.

High-speed battles between puppet masters were mentally and physically draining!

But—

Her brief flicker of hope quickly extinguished.

Three of the puppets repositioned themselves in a triangular formation!

CLACK—CLACK—CLACK—

The trio performed the Tiger seal in unison!

Their mouths opened wide, each revealing a different kanji: "Buddha", "Dharma", and "Monk"!

"Three Treasures Suction Technique!"

The three puppets chanted together!

WHOOSH!!

A massive suction force exploded outward, drawing in sand, trees—everything!

Chiyo's chakra threads trembled!

Even she was being pulled!

"The Three Treasures Suction?!"

Chiyo's eyes narrowed.

This was the ultimate technique of the Ten Puppets of Monzaemon!

The vacuum pull was so intense, even her own puppet threads couldn't withstand it.

Grimacing, she was forced to sever her chakra threads from two puppets!

The two helpless puppets were immediately drawn into the center.

"Retreat and evade!"

The puppet marked "Buddha" spoke up and leapt back.

"Dharma" and "Monk" followed suit, instantly ceasing the technique and retreating.

BOOM!!

The two discarded puppets self-detonated, creating a crater in the battlefield!

"How ruthless,"Hyuga Naraku said calmly.

"But now, Elder Chiyo, we each have the same number of puppets."

He still controlled five puppets.

Chiyo had three remaining from the Ten Puppets of Monzaemon—and her original "Father" and "Mother" puppets.

Her expression tightened.

The five puppets Naraku took over were the strongest of the Ten Puppets!

Now?

She was stuck with the more defensive ones—limited offensive power.

"Still want to keep going, Elder Chiyo?"

Hyuga Naraku smirked.

"Any longer and your collection might really be gone."

Chiyo's face turned black.

How could he speak so shamelessly!?

Still—

She knew he was right.

She clenched her teeth and launched her next move!

Another of the puppets she had left—one with Kakashi-like gray hair—opened its mouth.

A strange white scroll-like device launched out!

"Sealing Art: Lion's Roar!"

Chiyo declared.

She hurled the white item—not toward Naraku—but behind him!

"Hm? Not aimed at me?"

Naraku raised an eyebrow.

The seal soared past him and struck a tree in the forest.

BOUNCE!

It rebounded sharply—toward Gaara!

"Aiming for Gaara, huh?"

Naraku calmly grabbed Gaara and stepped aside.

BOOM!

A pulse of repulsion blasted out from his palm!

The white seal collided with it midair and was launched skyward, exploding into several falling tree trunks!

"Trying to seal Gaara?"

Naraku looked at Chiyo, unshaken.

"It seems you're out of options."

Though Chiyo's puppetry was elite, she couldn't contend with the self-aware Tenseigan puppets.

CLACK—CLACK—CLACK—

Naraku's puppets tightened formation around Chiyo.

She couldn't move.

"Defeated… by puppetry…?"

Chiyo's eyes trembled.

She had prepared to lose to Wood Style.

But to be outdone in puppet technique!?

How ironic.

[System Notification: Defeated Chiyo — Chakra +400]

Across the field—

The battle between the Fourth Kazekage and Pakura neared its climax.

Though the Kazekage was clearly stronger, he was spent.

He'd already had much of his chakra drained by Hyuga Naraku.

And earlier, he had briefly clashed with Uchiha Obito.

Now—

Facing Pakura of the Scorch Style, he was barely holding on.

Pakura had earned her title of hero during the Third Great Ninja War.

Her Scorch Style could instantly dehydrate and kill her foes!

The forest around them withered with each blast.

"Huff… huff…"

Rasa gasped.

The damage to his arms was critical—blistered and blackened from Pakura's attacks.

He could barely form hand seals.

His hands trembled uncontrollably.

"No one can save you now."

Pakura looked past him toward Chiyo—completely pinned by puppets.

"..."

The Kazekage didn't respond.

His face was grim.

His heart sank.

No ordinary Sunagakure ninja could help now.

Even Chiyo, the one he had begged to come out of retirement—

Had failed.

Rasa's mind reeled.

Is this the end?