thefictionvixens Chapter 460 Sasori of the Red Sand and the Cult of the Evil God
Chapter 460 Sasori of the Red Sand and the Cult of the Evil God
Chapter 460 Sasori of the Red Sand and the Cult of the Evil God
Shisui remembered hearing Lord Shura mention that the Akatsuki's goal was to collect the tailed beasts from each ninja village and create the ultimate weapon!
Gaara and his group were attacked during their retreat, which clearly indicates that the attackers had been preparing for a long time and it was no accident!
From Kankuro's side, another hoarse, unfamiliar voice came: "Oh? Is this the puppetry technique of the Land of Stars?"
"Interesting. To be able to control things remotely to this extent without using chakra threads—but kid, you're too weak—"
Before the words were even finished, there was another ear-piercing sound of metal tearing and exploding!
The fighting has clearly intensified.
"Damn it! You bastard!" Kankuro's voice rang out again, filled with anxiety.
We need to provide support quickly. Shisui's mind raced.
Five kilometers southeast of Heisonglin Town —
He quickly recalled the positions and planned evacuation routes reported by each squad at the last time.
Fortunately, his squad was currently in the closest position to the Sand Squad of all the squads!
The other teams have either already entered the Star Kingdom or are heading in a much different direction.
"Send reinforcements immediately! Hold on a little longer!" Without hesitation, Shisui made the decision right away.
After shutting down communication with Kankuro, he quickly switched to the team's internal channel and ordered, "Kimimaro, Haku, immediately follow me to support the Sand Squad! The enemy is a member of Akatsuki, extremely dangerous! Their target is likely Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast, inside Gaara!"
"Yes!" Kimimaro's voice came from the treetop. The next moment, he landed silently next to Shisui, his Byakugan shining brightly in the darkness.
"Understood!" Bai stood up instantly, his eyes flashing with cold light.
"By the way, Shisui-senpai!" Bai frowned slightly as he approached Shisui, his eyes sweeping over the silent carriage.
"If we all go to provide support, what if the enemy is using a diversionary tactic, or has accomplices?"
Bai's concerns are not unfounded.
The Akatsuki organization operates in secrecy, with members often acting in pairs, but no one can guarantee that there are no other ambushes nearby.
These stone tablets, which record the ancient secrets of the Uchiha clan, are of immeasurable value and must not be lost.
Zhi Shui paused, hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand again and pressed it on the communicator, quickly switching to a specific communication frequency.
"I am Uchiha Shisui. Attention, all teams!"
"The Sand Squad was attacked by members of the Akatsuki organization five kilometers southeast of the Black Pine Forest. I will lead a team to provide support."
"However, the carriage responsible for transporting the stone tablet currently only has three Chunin for defense. Please request nearby squads to provide immediate support and protection! Repeat, requesting immediate support and protection!"
He made the call twice and sent the current coordinates.
Soon, two responses came through the communicator.
A clear, slightly childish female voice rang out: "This is the Blood Squad. I am Chino Miyajo. We are about 55 kilometers from the coordinates. Head there at full speed. We expect to arrive within 10 minutes."
The Blood Squad is mainly composed of Chino Miyagi and Toneri Otsutsuki, and is accompanied by three Chunin.
Among them, Chino Miyajo possesses the Blood Dragon Eye Kekkei Genkai and is skilled in illusion and physical combat, making her one of the best among the younger generation of the Star Country.
Otsutsuki Toneri possesses an extremely high purity of Byakugan, and his strength is unfathomable.
Both of them were Jonin, and with their team coming to meet them, the stone tablet should be safe.
"Alright! I'm leaving it to you! Keep communications open!" Shisui said, and then didn't linger.
He glanced one last time at the carriage lurking in the darkness, and at the three Chunin who, though tense, remained steadfast in their posts. He said in a deep voice, "You stay here, form a defensive array, and await backup. Do not leave the carriage's vicinity unless absolutely necessary! Kimimaro, Haku, let's go!"
call out!call out!call out!
Three figures instantly tore through the thick night and sped off towards the Black Pine Forest Town!
On the southwestern border of the land of rivers, at the junction of a forest and a desert.
This place seems like a scar left by the brutal stitching together of two worlds.
To the west lies a vast, boundless sea of death sand, with dunes stretching endlessly like frozen waves, reaching to the horizon where they meet the starry sky.
To the east, there are low, sparse, drought-resistant shrubs struggling tenaciously, and further away, the terrain begins to rise, turning into the silhouette of the jagged Heimer Mountains.
The cool moonlight poured down on this barren land, illuminating everything in perfect detail.
However, at this moment, on this moonlit wasteland, the sounds of clashing metal, the ear-piercing explosions, and the dull thuds of ninjutsu striking the ground tore apart the deathly silence of the night.
Yukimi, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro stood back to back, forming a small defensive circle.
Their makeshift camp was completely unrecognizable; the ground looked as if it had been repeatedly plowed by a giant rake, covered with a crisscrossing network of deep—
The ditches and pits were littered with the remains of puppets and kunai swords.
These are the rolling marks left by a huge, ferocious-looking salamander puppet.
What they faced was a terrifying, surging enemy!
Those were hundreds of humanoid puppets!
They were all dressed in dark red robes, their faces varied and expressionless, their eye sockets hollow, reflecting a ghostly light in the moonlight.
Armed with various weapons—kunai, short swords, chains, and even small crossbows—they surged in from all directions, wave after wave, controlled by chakra threads!
"Sand-bound coffin!"
Gaara growled and thrust both hands forward with a powerful shove.
The sand beneath his feet surged as if it were alive, instantly creating two waves that engulfed the dozens of red-robed puppets at the forefront, attempting to crush and grind them to dust.
Although most of the puppets were destroyed by the sand waves, nearly half of them still managed to break free of the sand's restraints and continue to approach!
After Gaara performed this ninjutsu, his body suddenly swayed, his breathing became noticeably rapid and erratic, fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and when he mobilized his chakra, he could feel waves of stagnation and stinging.
Beside him, Kankuro knelt beside the wreckage of "Crow," his fingers trembling slightly, his face filled with heartache and rage, his teeth grinding together: "My—puppet!!"
Kankuro's two main puppets, "Black Ant" and "Crow," had been reduced to two pitiful piles of remains.
The "black ant's" chelicerae, which are adept at grabbing and securing, were twisted off by tremendous force, exposing the transmission structure at the joints.
"Raven" was in an even worse state; its main body was almost split in two, with its intricate gears, springs, and venom conduits scattered all over the ground.
Several arms hung limply on the sand.
These two puppets are not only his most important battle partners, but also symbols of Granny Chiyo's expectations and the inheritance of Sunagakure's puppetry techniques!
"Hmph." A deep, cold snort came from the opposite sand dune.
At the top of the sand dune, the moonlight outlined a short, hunched, strange figure wearing a black cloak embroidered with red cloud patterns.
A steel scorpion tail, segmented and with a sharp barb at the end, slowly rose from behind him, winding its way to his front, its tip gleaming with a cold, eerie light.
It was the Red Sand Scorpion.
"These two puppets were just practice pieces I made casually in my early years." Sasori's deliberately altered voice came through Hiruko.
"Now it's just that the original owner is taking it apart to take a look."
"A practice piece I made on the spot?!" Kankuro suddenly looked up, staring incredulously at the strange black shadow on the sand dune.
When Granny Chiyo gifted him these two puppets, she said they were precious works left by her grandson in his early years and were one of the essences of Sunagakure's puppetry techniques!
Could it be that...?
He stared intently at the hem of the black robe with red clouds, as well as the unique puppet design and control style.
"You—you are—Sasori of the Red Sand?!" Kankuro exclaimed in shock.
"But—Grandma said—you—" He wanted to say that the grandson Grandma Chiyo described was the boy with delicate features, short red hair, and hailed as a puppet genius of Sunagakure, appearing only once in a century.
This creature was completely different from the hunched, gloomy monster in front of him!
Sasori did not answer; his eyes merely swept coldly over Kankuro's shocked face.
The name Chiyo-baba evoked a sense of nostalgia in Scorpion.
However, his last remaining relative in this world had long since died.
"Earth Release: Earth Rising Spear!" Yukimi's exclamation interrupted Kankuro's chaotic thoughts.
Xuejian formed hand seals and quickly unleashed a ninjutsu. More than a dozen sharp stalagmites burst from the ground, piercing, lifting, and crushing the dozen or so red-robed puppets that rushed in front of her.
"Gaara! What's wrong with you?" But she immediately noticed that Gaara behind her was acting strangely.
The boy's usually calm face was now flushed with an abnormal redness. He was breathing heavily, his body was swaying slightly, and even the sand around him seemed to be stirring restlessly.
"It's poison?!" Temari reacted immediately, waving her huge three-star fan, and with a "Wind Release: Great Sickle Weasel" attack, she blew away several puppets that were attacking from the side, along with the poisoned senbon they had shot out.
She looked anxiously at Gaara, then quickly glanced at herself, Kankuro, and Yukimi.
Strange, why is Gaara the only one showing obvious signs of poisoning?
The four of them were always together, so if there was poison in the air, there's no reason why only Gaara would be affected!
Temari suddenly remembered the salamander puppet that had suddenly emerged from underground and attacked them!
It's it!
When it launched its underground attack, overturned the camp, and created chaos, did it release some kind of poison gas that is only effective against specific targets?
On the sand dunes, Sasori hid in the Hiruko, controlling the hundreds of red-robed puppets with only chakra. They continued to launch an orderly attack like the most loyal soldiers, cooperating perfectly and intertwining near and far, firmly trapping Gaara and his companions in the center.
The steel scorpion tail swayed leisurely and gently.
Beside the scorpion, a tall, thin man with slicked-back gray hair and a wild expression was idly twirling a strand of hair on his forehead with his fingers.
He wore the same black robe with red clouds, and carried a blood-red crescent scythe with a huge, three-sectioned crescent-shaped blade on his back.
It was Hidan, Sasori's partner.
Hidan reached up and touched the peculiar necklace he was wearing around his neck.
He tilted his head, looking down at Gaara, who was struggling to breathe. He licked his lips with his scarlet tongue, revealing a cruel and curious smile: "Hey, Sasori, is the poison Zetsu sent that effective? It took down a Jinchuriki in just one go? Aren't Jinchuriki supposed to have high resistance to poisons?"
Sasori's gaze didn't even waver as he continued observing the battlefield, coldly replying, "After all, the person who created this thing was someone even the leader specifically recruited and whose scientific value was recognized. If he didn't have real skills, he wouldn't be qualified to join Akatsuki."
The image of the man he had seen at the Akatsuki base—a man with orange sunglasses, a full white beard, and who called himself a scientist—flashed through his mind.
"Hehe, interesting." Hidan grinned, his white teeth looking particularly eerie in the moonlight.
He took the Bloodstained March Scythe from his back, the huge blade dragging on the sand, making a rustling sound.
He casually gripped the sickle with his left hand, while his right hand clenched into a fist with excitement, his eyes beginning to burn with a desire for killing and suffering.
"So, these guys—" His gaze swept over Yukimi, Temari, and Kankuro, who were fighting hard, and a near-manic grin spread across his face.
"Let me handle this! It's been so long since I've encountered such a vibrant offering; the evil god will surely love it!"
Sasori, controlling Hiruko, slightly tilted her head, seemingly glancing at Hidan, and said calmly, "Leave that brat Kankuro behind. His puppet manipulation techniques and the signs of improvement on those two puppets are quite interesting. The Land of Stars seems to have a new understanding of puppetry; I need that technology."
"The rest is up to you."
"Understood!" Hidan replied excitedly.
Without further delay, he took off the necklace that symbolized the heretical cult from his neck, held it to his nose, took a deep breath, and revealed an almost morbid intoxication and piety on his face.
He closed his eyes, his lips moved rapidly, and he muttered in a barely audible voice, as if he were performing some kind of evil prayer.
Sasori grew accustomed to Hidan's strange behavior and stopped paying attention.
His attention returned to the battlefield, and the fingers under Hiruko twitched slightly.
Below, the red-robed puppet army's offensive suddenly became more fierce and dense, focusing on suppressing Gaara, whose condition was clearly declining, as well as Yukimi and Temari, who were trying to cover him.
"This can't go on!" Xuejian shouted, her long brown hair flying in the air currents of battle, and the few freckles on her face were particularly clear in the moonlight.
The enemy was clearly prepared, and Gaara seems to have been poisoned. The best solution right now is to retreat!
"Cover me!" Yukimi shouted to Temari and Kankuro beside her, while her hands began to form hand seals at a dazzling speed.
"Wood Release: Descent from the Sea of Trees!"
As she completed her last hand seal, Xuejian slammed her palms down onto the sandy ground beneath her feet, which had been churned up and turned into a mess.
Om-!
A surge of vibrant green chakra, centered on her palm, burst forth and poured into the earth!
The next moment, the sandy ground violently bulged and cracked!
Countless tender green saplings broke through the soil at an incredible speed and grew wildly!
In the blink of an eye, the tender saplings have grown into towering giants as thick as bowls and buckets!
The gnarled roots burst forth from the ground like giant pythons, spreading wildly. Thick branches intertwined and climbed, and dense leaves sprouted, forming a lush and vibrant forest!
This forest that appeared out of nowhere stood right between the four from the Star Kingdom and the surging army of red-robed puppets!
Countless thick tree branches lashed, entangled, and squeezed the puppet that rushed into the forest.
The tough tree roots burst forth from the ground, tripping and binding the puppet.
The hundreds of humanoid puppets were blocked by layers of branches, and their offensive stalled!
In an instant, an oasis full of natural vitality rose up from the edge of the desolate desert, becoming the most solid temporary barrier!
"Now's the time!" Xuejian's face was slightly pale. She had just experienced the great battle of the Konoha Crush Plan not long ago and had not fully recovered. Now, she was using Wood Release of this scale, which was quite exhausting for her.
She turned sharply and shouted at Temari and Kankuro, "Take Gaara! Retreat towards Shisui and the others! Quickly!"
""
Temari snapped back to reality and saw that her younger brother Gaara was almost unable to stand, barely holding on by the sand he had unconsciously gathered.
With a determined look, she disregarded everything else, hoisted the enormous three-star fan onto her back, bent down, and lifted Gaara, who was not much shorter than me, onto her shoulder.
"Kankuro!" Temari called out to her younger brother.
Kankuro glanced at the remains of his two beloved puppets, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes.
With a wave of his hands, the last three humanoid puppets that had been guarding him immediately changed formation, with two leading the way and one covering the rear.
"Go!" Kankuro roared, manipulating the puppet, preparing to cover the retreat with his sister.
However, during this brief tactical adjustment interval...
boom!!!
A ferocious figure, wielding a huge scythe, cut down several thick trees and rampaged out from the newly formed forest barrier!
Wood chips flew everywhere, and branches and leaves broke!
It's Hidan!
He had clearly finished that strange, brief prayer, and now his face was beaming with a fanatical, cruel, and impatiently excited smile.
Those pale purple pupils were fixed on Xuejian, who had just given the order, as if she had seen an interesting toy.
"Hey! I didn't give you permission to leave!" Hidan laughed wildly, swinging his huge, blood-red three-month scythe in his hand, creating a shrill whooshing sound as it hurtled towards Yukimi, who was about to turn around!
"The game has only just begun, don't even think about running away!"
"Yukimi-sensei!" Temari exclaimed in surprise.
Xuejian's eyes sharpened, and she did not flinch in the face of Hidan, who was rushing towards her with a gust of wind.
She knew very well that if she dodged, this crazy guy would immediately pounce on Temari and Gaara, who were in even worse shape.
"You guys go first!" Xuejian shouted, her chakra erupting from her feet. Instead of retreating, she charged forward to meet Hidan!
She reached into her ninja tool pouch at her waist with her right hand and a sharp kunai was already in her grasp, her eyes as calm as ice.
clang!!!
The kunai and the blood-stained three-month scythe collided violently, exploding into a large burst of dazzling sparks!
Xuejian and Hidan's tall, slender figures passed each other.
Xuejian was slightly taken aback by the attack.
Such a light touch!
No, it wasn't that the force was weak, but rather that the opponent's martial arts skills were shockingly crude!
His movements were wide and forceful, full of openings, and his way of generating power was also quite awkward, completely unlike the level that a battle-hardened ninja should have.
Compared to the previous enemy who controlled hundreds of puppets with mechanical precision, this was a world of difference.
Despite her doubts, Xuejian continued working without stopping.
Using her more agile movements and more exquisite martial arts skills, she moved around Hidan at high speed like a butterfly flitting among flowers.
The kunai transformed into streaks of cold light, precisely piercing Hidan's joints, tendons, and chakra points.
scoff!
The kunai sliced through Hidan's arm, leaving a trail of blood.
boom!
Yukimi dodged the scythe's sweeping attack by sidestepping, and a heavy elbow strike slammed into Hidan's ribs, producing a clear cracking sound.
Click!
Hidan's arm, which was wielding the scythe, was struck in the elbow joint by Yukimi's tricky kick, making a teeth-grinding sound, and the scythe almost slipped from his hand.
Within a few breaths, Hidan had seven or eight wounds on his body, and his left arm was bent unnaturally, clearly broken by Yukimi's elbow strike.
Although his attacks were frantic, and his scythe was wielded with great force, he was always a step too slow, allowing Xuejian to easily see through his attacks, dodge them, and counterattack.
puff--!
The sharp tip of the scythe grazed Xuejian's rapidly tilting cheek, taking away a strand of brown hair and leaving a shallow bloodstain less than an inch long on her fair cheek.
A slight stinging sensation came over me.
Just as Hidan's scythe missed its mark and his center was wide open, Yukimi twisted her body and stepped forward, delivering a straight punch infused with chakra that landed squarely on Hidan's nose!
boom! !
"Awooo—!!!"
Hidan let out a strange cry, as if he had been hit by a giant hammer. Blood spurted from his mouth and nose, and he flew backward, crashing into a large tree that required two people to hug before tumbling and falling onto the sand, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Xuejian slowly withdrew her fist, stood still, and breathed softly, adjusting her breathing.
She raised her hand and touched the tiny wound on her cheek with her fingertips, a trace of warm blood staining her fingertips.
She frowned slightly as she looked at Hidan, who was lying on the sand not far away and seemed unable to get up for the time being.
Won?
So weak?
While the opponent's taijutsu skills could barely be classified as those of a Special Jonin, there was still a significant gap between them and a true Jonin.
Compared to his terrifying weapons and manic aura, in actual combat, it felt like dealing with a madman who only had brute force and a relentless fighting spirit, with no rules or skills to speak of.
Yukimi even felt that if she hadn't been hesitant to help Temari and the others escape, she would have had a chance to eliminate him in a shorter time and at a lower cost.
but----
Yukimi's gaze fell on Hidan's bleeding wounds, especially his left arm, which was bent at an odd angle.
These injuries, even on a Jonin, would be enough to render them unable to fight for more than half their strength.
But why did that vague sense of unease in her heart not only not disappear, but instead grow stronger?
Just then, Hidan, who was lying on the sand, suddenly moved.
He first let out a muffled cough as if he had choked on sand, and then, with his intact right hand, he grabbed his twisted left arm.
Snap!
A chilling, sharp sound rang out clearly across the now silent battlefield!
After Hidan forcefully straightened the dislocated bones, he acted as if nothing had happened, grabbing the broken bone in his left arm with his right hand and twisting and pushing it violently!
He actually managed to forcefully reattach that arm in such a brutal way!
Although he looked a little awkward, he used that arm to support himself and stood up unsteadily.
He raised his hand and wiped the blood and sand from his face, revealing his eyes, which were now even more frenzied and excited.
Xuejian's pupils suddenly contracted.
How is that possible?!
She was very confident in her attack.
Those few blows just now definitely injured the opponent's joints and bones, and even attempted to use chakra to attack their pressure points.
Normally, the other person shouldn't even be able to stand up right now!
"Heh—heh heh heh—" Hidan lowered his head, his shoulders swaying, and let out a deep, pleasant laugh.
He bent down and picked up the blood-stained crescent scythe that had fallen to his feet.
Then, Hidan licked the trace of blood that had stained Yukimi's cheek when his scythe brushed against her cheek, and a strange, almost intoxicated smile appeared on his face.
Then, he suddenly raised his right hand and, without hesitation, slashed his left wrist hard with the sharp blade!
laugh-!
Fresh blood gushed out like a spring!
But Hidan didn't care at all. He even held his bleeding wrist up to his eyes, admiring the gushing blood as if it were a fine wine.
He then turned his gaze to Xuejian, to the wound on her cheek where blood was slowly seeping out.
Hidan stuck out his scarlet tongue and licked the edge of his scythe, where his own fresh blood had stained it, as if he was still not satisfied.
"Ah————" Hidan let out a satisfied, perverse sigh, his eyes shining frighteningly as he stared intently at Yukimi.
"Then—let's begin the preparations for the ceremony."
He drew out his words, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.
He stopped looking at Xuejian, lowered his head, and began to quickly smear his bleeding wrist, mixed with the dripping blood, on the sandy ground beneath his feet.
A bizarre formation of circles and triangles quickly took shape beneath his feet.
The blood seeped into the sand, turning it a dark reddish-black color.
Hidan stood up and stepped into the center of the newly drawn blood formation.
He gripped the handle of the Bloodstained March Scythe with both hands, turned it upside down, and aimed the sharp tip at the back of his foot, a mad, joyful, and devout smile spreading across his face.
"My turn has come, my lovely lady."
Xuejian felt a chill run down her spine, and her unease grew stronger.