Even though they had lost their puppets, their strength had only been halved.
But they were still the elite of the Sand Shinobi, and their sheer numbers gave them an absolute advantage.
Fifteen against three. The advantage was mine.
"Wind Release..."
The leading Sand Jonin had just formed a seal when Uchiha Shin casually flicked his wrist from a distance.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Coffin Burial!"
Instantly, a surge of iron sand erupted from beneath them, latching onto their bodies and locking them in place.
Then, the black flames of the Amaterasu ignited, consuming them whole.
Their agonized screams filled the air as their bodies turned to ash, their chakra and life force siphoned into Uchiha Shin. He closed his eyes, letting out a content sigh as power coursed through his veins.
"Ugh! Aahhh!!!"
Sasha covered her mouth, horrified as she watched the Sand Shinobi struggle in vain.
Noticing the calm expressions of Mikoto and Kanako, she forced herself to stay silent.
Her impression of Uchiha Shin had always been that of a bright and handsome young man. But beneath that sunshine exterior lurked something terrifying.
An evil spirit in human form.
Within ten seconds, all fifteen Sand Shinobi had been reduced to dust, their existence erased from the world.
Uchiha Shin, unfazed, dusted off his clothes.
"No Kekkei Genkai among them. Nothing valuable to harvest."
His voice was devoid of emotion. These shinobi had simply been a momentary distraction. The benefits of absorbing them were insignificant at best.
As if nothing had happened, he turned to the group. "Looks like this place isn't safe anymore. Let's find somewhere else to talk."
"Y-Yeah, yeah..."
Sasha, trembling, dared not protest.
Without delay, they left the ruined courtyard, evading crowds and Sand patrols until they found a secluded spot.
Uchiha Shin wasted no words, immediately explaining his plan to Sasha.
"The best move now is for you to sever the Dragon Vein's power supply. Without it, the Sand Village loses its trump card. Then, I'll go in and clean them up."
His tone was lighthearted, but Sasha felt a chill down her spine. Her gaze drifted back to the smoldering wreckage Shin had left behind in Roran.
If it came to an all-out battle between Uchiha Shin and the Sand Village, Roran itself might cease to exist.
And in their conversation, it became painfully clear—Shin had no attachment to Roran's people. They were nothing more than background noise in his eyes.
Hidden beneath his bright smile was an unfeeling god of death.
For the first time, Sasha felt an overwhelming pressure. She wasn't just trying to save Roran from the Sand Village. She had to save it from Uchiha Shin as well.
Her mind raced. As the Queen's heir, she needed to find the people who had built the underground factory. They would have maps—maps that would lead them to the source of the Dragon Vein.
If they could locate it quickly, they could cut the power before it was too late.
Meanwhile, in the Sand Village, the Third Kazekage analyzed the intel with a recovering Ebizo.
"A girl from the Uchiha Clan and a girl from the Uzumaki Clan infiltrated Roran. They might have discovered parts of our plan."
He furrowed his brows.
"And an unidentified masked shinobi intervened to rescue them. You're saying he exhibited Wood Release... and Dust Release?"
Ebizo, exhausted, nodded weakly.
"Lord Kazekage, we must find them! We also received word that Princess Sasha has been taken by them. They clearly know too much. Their objective is most likely the Dragon Vein!"
His voice was urgent.
"If they manage to seal it, the Sand Village is finished!"
The Third Kazekage clenched his fists. Without the Dragon Vein's power, they had no chance against Konoha.
His gaze returned to the surveillance footage of the masked shinobi's battle—the monstrous wooden titan clashing with the colossal puppet. Even as the Kazekage, he felt powerless watching it.
His Magnet Release was strong, enough to make him one of the most formidable Kage. If not for Hanzo's poison, he would have been far superior to the Salamander himself.
But even with his abilities, the fight he had just witnessed was beyond comprehension.
"Ōnoki's Dust Release... combined with Hashirama's Wood Release... How the hell does such a monster exist?!"
The Third Kazekage muttered, his expression grim.
If he fought this masked shinobi, he had no confidence in victory.
Their power wasn't even in the same league.
Seeing his concern, Ebizo spoke up. "Lord Kazekage, there's no need to worry so much. We have successfully integrated the Dragon Vein's energy with our latest technology."
As he spoke, Ebizo touched his chest lightly.
His body instantly split into pieces—
Revealing that he wasn't human anymore.
The torn limbs were made of clay-like material, reforming before the Kazekage's eyes.
"What the hell is this?!"
The Third Kazekage's eyes widened in disbelief.
Ebizo calmly exposed the glowing core embedded in his chest.
"This is the pinnacle of our research—Dragon Vein Puppetization."
His voice carried an eerie excitement.
"By fusing puppetry with the power of the Dragon Vein, we found a way to store human consciousness inside a core. As long as the core remains intact, the body can be endlessly replaced."
The Kazekage watched as Ebizo's artificial limbs morphed—first into a curved blade, then into razor-sharp claws, then a drill, and finally, a cannon barrel.
"With this transformation, my puppet body can change into any weapon instantly."
Ebizo's grin widened.
"Roran's Dragon Vein supplies me with endless chakra. As long as my [Soul Core] is secured, I cannot be killed—even by Dust Release."
Silence.
Then, the Kazekage smirked.
"Hah! If we can mass-produce this, we could create an immortal army!"
He clapped Ebizo on the shoulder, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
Ebizo hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice. "Lord Kazekage... there is a limitation. The [Soul Core] requires a Kage-level chakra source to remain stable."
His voice turned grave.
"As of now, I am the only one who has successfully undergone full puppetization."
The Kazekage's expression stiffened. But soon, a dark thought crept into his mind.
Losing one's flesh in exchange for absolute power and immortality?
That price wasn't so bad.
And if it meant surpassing his limits... then perhaps... perhaps he wouldn't mind paying it himself.
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Bonus Chapter - 150 Power Stones