In a flash, Ino used the Flying Thunder God Technique twice in quick succession, rescuing Kankuro from a heavy encirclement.
If it weren't for Choji acting as a meat shield, she wouldn't dare to use the Flying Thunder God Technique in battle. Using that Ninjutsu with her current nerve reaction speed was like dancing on a knife's edge—use it once, dizzy for two seconds? It was simply too dangerous.
"Thank you," Kankuro, covered in wounds but still conscious, expressed his gratitude for her rescue.
Handing the guy over to Temari, who was carrying him, Ino placed her left hand on Temari's shoulder and her right hand on Choji's shoulder, preparing to use the Flying Thunder God to find Shikamaru.
"Hm?" Her normally clear spatial positioning suddenly became blurry.
Space-time Ninjutsu has very strict requirements for positioning. Forcibly using it when the positioning isn't clear enough would result in death.
What was interfering with the positioning?
Following her senses, Ino looked over and saw five light blue Chakra threads emerging from Hiruko's right index finger. The other end of the threads was connected to Sasori's prized possession, the human puppet made from the Third Kazekage!
Wearing a tattered robe, with a stiff body and a "clack-clack" sound from his jaw, the human puppet was indeed the former Third Kazekage. This Kazekage was hailed by the Ninja World as the strongest Kazekage in history. At this moment, the human puppet was being controlled by Sasori, who was mobilizing the Magnet Release Chakra within its body to spray countless tiny Iron Sand particles in all directions.
These Iron Sand particles, imbued with Magnet Release Chakra, interfered with a portion of the magnetic field, causing a significant deviation in Ino's spatial positioning.
Minato might still be able to correct it with his rich experience, but she, a novice, could not.
"Let's see where you run," Sasori's voice came from inside Hiruko, eerie and filled with obvious malice.
The Flying Thunder God is a Ninjutsu, and as long as it's a Ninjutsu, it has weaknesses and countermeasures.
The Fourth Hokage popularized the Flying Thunder God Technique, but he wasn't its creator. The Second Hokage developed the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The Second Hokage used the Flying Thunder God Technique and Edo Tensei to withstand successive attacks from the Four Great Shinobi Villages, so the Four Great Shinobi Villages naturally conducted a lot of research.
In the original timeline, during the Fourth Shinobi World War, facing Kabuto's Edo Tensei army, the Five Great Ninja Villages brought out a large number of Sealing Tags, Sealing Jutsu Formulas, and Sealing Cloth. Where did these come from? Were they made on the spot? No, these were all prepared back then to deal with the Second Hokage.
Leaving aside Chibaku Tensei, during the first three Shinobi World Wars, collective wisdom was still effective.
Edo Tensei can be sealed, and the Flying Thunder God can also be countered.
The reason the Second Hokage let Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, and others escape while he stayed behind to cover their retreat was partly because he was severely wounded and didn't have long to live, and partly because the Flying Thunder God Technique was being countered, preventing him from remote positioning.
The Second Hokage had told Ino about these things when he was teaching her. She hadn't expected that before she even mastered the Flying Thunder God, the countermeasures would come, and so quickly!
Sasori, this guy, it's hard to say if he's smart or foolish. He used his trump card just like that, and in front of a whole bunch of Sand Ninja.
The Iron Sand around them grew denser.
Dense, rain-like poisonous needles spewed from Hiruko's mouth.
Temari spun her three-star fan into an impenetrable shield. Facing so many poisonous needles, Choji still wanted to charge forward. Ino quickly pulled him back. Are you a wild boar? You're still charging? Do you have a death wish?
Sasori blocked their path, and the Sand Ninja pursued from behind. They were caught in the middle, and the situation was quite critical.
"You guys go first, I'll hold them off," Ino nodded to Choji, indicating that she was confident and not trying to die.
The fat man's breathing rhythm was about to give out. It had already dropped from "four breaths" to "two breaths." Years of accumulated fat were almost depleted, and his face was covered in sweat, showing extreme fatigue.
"I'll catch up after I deal with this puppet user."
Ino stared at Sasori, quickly forming hand signs: "Wood Release: Descent of the Tree World!"
As Yang Release Chakra was injected into the earth, countless trees shot up from the ground. Brick and stone structures were instantly covered by countless vines, and trees the size of bowls quickly grew, soon transforming into an ocean of plants.
Sasori, who was already quite curious about her Flying Thunder God Technique, was stunned. "What the hell? She's also a Ninja who uses Wood Release?"
Seeing Ino's blonde hair and bangs, he felt it looked familiar. His little brother seemed to have the same hairstyle?
His interest in Ino greatly increased. If a Ninja with such a Bloodline Limit were made into a human puppet, he would wake up laughing in his dreams.
Temari, focused on being a supportive older sister, bit her lip: "If I'm not mistaken, that's the Third Kazekage. He used Magnet Release when he was alive. Be careful."
"Got it."
Ino used the trees to forcefully push Sasori and the Third Kazekage aside. Choji led the way, and Temari, carrying Kankuro, rushed out through the gaps in the trees.
More Sand Ninja, however, were blocked by the dense trees.
The originally orderly, desert-style village instantly transformed into a sea of trees.
Sasori didn't even look at Choji and the other two, his eyes fixed on Ino.
Numerous Iron Sand particles emerged from the gaps in the trees, rushing towards Ino's position from all directions.
The Iron Sand was controlled by the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release Chakra. Wood Release could absorb the Chakra within it.
However, the sheer quantity of this material was too great, and the Iron Sand particles were too small. Wood Release has never been a refined Ninjutsu. While the Descent of the Tree World caused most of the Iron Sand to lose its magnetism, a small portion still managed to penetrate the encirclement.
"Become my collection!" Sasori said with full malice.
Ino sneered, "With you?"
A Wood Clone remained in place, and she used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge far away, causing the numerous Iron Sand particles to miss.
The Third Kazekage's right hand transformed into a sharp blade, striking at her throat. She gripped her short sword in reverse, infusing it with Water Release Chakra to forcefully parry. The human puppet possessed great strength, and the blade was laced with potent poison. Ino, at a disadvantage in terms of strength, formed a hand sign for Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere, forcing the human puppet back.
Before she could catch her breath, Hiruko's scorpion tail shot out like an arrow from an odd angle. Ino waved her hand, and seven or eight vines wrapped around the scorpion tail. Hiruko performed a tail-whip, using the blades that appeared on both sides of its tail to cut the vines. Ino seized the moment of his 'grass-cutting' action, and a light blue Big Ball Rasengan appeared in her palm. She slammed it into Hiruko's side. Sasori then controlled the Third Kazekage to condense an Iron Sand spear, thrusting it towards her heart. She quickly used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge.
Wood Release, Rasengan, advanced Body Flicker Technique, Wind Release, Magnet Release, one-handed hand signs, human puppet control—in just a few rounds, both had used all their techniques, each aiming to defeat the enemy in the shortest possible time.
If Ino wanted to break through the magnetic interference of Magnet Release, she had to destroy the Third Kazekage. When she attacked the Third Kazekage, Sasori would assist from the side. If she attacked Sasori, the controller, the Third Kazekage would unleash various Magnet Release Ninjutsu without restraint. This combination was much stronger than Ino had anticipated.
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