Ch118- Victory
The sun was lowering on the horizon, casting its golden glow across the sandy terrain of the entrance to the Sand Village. Long shadows stretched behind the combatants, adding an ominous tone to the clash between wooden puppets and human warriors.
"Don't get too close! The puppets could be poisoned," Sasuke shouted, parrying a blade and slicing through another puppet. Naruto's clones heeded the warning, maintaining their distance as they engaged their wooden adversaries.
In a coordinated move, Sasuke leapt into the air, sword raised. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flame Slash!" His sword blazed with fire, casting flickering shadows on the sandy ground as he descended. With a fluid, calculated movement that left a trail of incandescent sparks in the air, he cut through a dozen puppets. The fire chakra was so intense that it didn't merely sever; it incinerated the wooden adversaries upon contact, reducing them to ashes that were carried away by the desert wind.
Naruto seized the moment to release a combined attack. "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" A gust of wind emanated from his palms, sweeping through the puppets and scattering them like leaves in a storm. Those caught in the wind were dismantled, their mechanisms failing under the stress. Naruto formed his clones, recalling Kai's words. "Your Kage Bunshin can be more than just fighters; they can relay vital information." As the clones dispersed and reported back, he felt more certain about his aim.
However, Sasori wasn't idle. His hands danced in a series of hand signs, and the puppets regained their formation. "So, you've managed to destroy a few of my creations. I'll have to use something more... exquisite."
Just as the puppets prepared to launch another set of poison-tipped weapons, Sasuke's eyes caught the chakra strings controlling them. "Naruto, aim for the central puppet!"
As Sasuke spotted the chakra strings, he remembered his training with Kai. "Puppeteers are weakest when their chakra threads are disturbed," Kai had said. Now was the time to apply that lesson.
Naruto nodded. Two clones handed him a Rasengan each, combining them into a more potent form. With a yell, he charged, Rasengan leading the way. Sasori attempted to intercept, but Sasuke was faster.
"Lightning Style: Thunderclap Arrow!" Sasuke shot a bolt of lightning from his palm, not at Sasori, but at the central puppet. The bolt struck true, severing several chakra strings and disrupting Sasori's control.
Naruto's enhanced Rasengan hit the puppet, resulting in a destructive explosion that annihilated the remaining puppets in the vicinity. As the smoke cleared, Sasuke and Naruto, visibly tired but unyielding, stared at Sasori's stunned face.
Sasori looked at the two young shinobi, his eyes narrowed. "It appears you're not to be underestimated. Very well, time to show you art that lasts forever." His hands moved, and from the scroll emerged a puppet unlike any other—it was armored and bristling with weapons. Sasori's true form.
"Naruto, this one's different. Be careful," Sasuke warned.
Naruto clenched his fists. "Right. But whatever he's got, we can handle it."
Sasori sneered. "We'll see."
Sasuke locked eyes with Naruto for a moment. "Remember what Kai taught us. I'll go for the chakra strings; you focus on their central control point."
Naruto nodded. "Got it. And after that?"
Sasuke smirked. "Try not to slow me down."
Naruto and Sasuke both sensed it—the surge of chakra flowing into the armored puppet. "Get ready," Sasuke whispered.
Sasori's puppet lunged at them, blades extended. But just before they could make contact, Sasuke's Sharingan eyes caught something—a faint ripple in the air.
"Naruto, now!"
Naruto's clones formed a barrier, Rasengans ready. They detonated simultaneously, causing a massive explosion that enveloped the area. Sasori's puppet was blown back, damaged but still functional.
"Persistent, aren't you?" Sasori chuckled. "But futile."
Sasuke and Naruto shared a look. It was time for their trump card. Sasuke concentrated his chakra, focusing it into his sword. At the same time, Naruto formed a Rasengan in his palm. Both were struggling; Sasuke's technique was still unstable, and Naruto was running low on chakra.
"Let's do this," Naruto said, his eyes meeting Sasuke's.
Sasuke nodded. "Kai-Rai Rasenken!"
As he shouted the words, something miraculous happened. The lightning chakra around his sword started to fuse with Naruto's Rasengan. Their energies combined, creating a swirling, crackling sphere of wind and lightning. The Rasengan now resembled a spiraling sword, complete with a hilt.
Sasori's eyes widened. "What is this?"
Naruto grinned. "Call it teamwork."
Sasuke, holding the blade of the Kai-Rai Rasenken, charged. In an instant, he was in front of Sasori, his Sharingan locking onto the puppet master's eyes.
"It's over," Sasuke whispered.
With a swift motion, he slashed through, the Kai-Rai Rasenken severing the chakra strings and cutting into the armored puppet. The combined chakras of wind and lightning exploded on impact, shattering the puppet into fragments.
As the smoke cleared, Sasori was revealed, slumped and defeated, his puppetry no longer a threat. Naruto and Sasuke, though drained, stood triumphantly.
Sasuke moved toward the defeated Sasori, his sword still emitting faint traces of lightning chakra. He was ready to deliver the final blow and end the fight for good.
"We don't have to," Naruto interjected, his hand reaching out to stop Sasuke's arm.
Sasuke paused, looking back at Naruto with a serious expression. "Naruto, I've seen what desperate people can do. It's better to finish him now before he gets another chance to attack."
Shaking his head slightly, Naruto reluctantly released his grip. Sasuke stepped forward and, with a single, precise strike, ended Sasori's life.
As they stood in the aftermath, Sasuke's eyes fell upon Yura, the spy who had been under Sasori's control. His lifeless body lay on the ground, littered with poison-tipped needles. It was clear that Sasori had deemed him expendable.
Sasuke sighed. "Looks like Yura got caught in the crossfire."
Naruto looked at the fallen spy and nodded solemnly. "Yeah, but we can at least take them back to the village. They deserve a proper burial."
"Let's go," Naruto said softly, carrying Yura over his shoulder.
"Yeah," Sasuke replied, holding Sasori's body in a similar fashion.
Sasuke broke the silence. "Naruto, about that technique—"
"The Kai-Rai Rasenken?" Naruto cut in, a hint of pride in his voice.
Sasuke chuckled. "Yeah, that. We should work on perfecting it. It's potent but unstable."
Naruto grinned. "You got it, Sasuke. But first, let's get these guys back to the village and get some rest. We've earned it."
Sasuke nodded. "Agreed."
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