Chapter 7 — The Strongest Puppet (Conclusion)
"Pinnacle of puppetry?"
Sasori let out a cold, contemptuous laugh, his voice echoing against the stone walls of the underground chamber. "Don't make me laugh. I'll show you what true despair looks like."
His fingers twitched.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Giant Needles!"
At once, the air darkened. The iron sand surrounding the Third Kazekage puppet condensed and elongated, forming countless massive spears that hovered ominously in midair. Their tips gleamed with a deadly sheen, humming with magnetic force.
"Rest assured in your deaths," Sasori added calmly. "I'll turn you into eternal art."
The spears shot forward.
They were as swift as Shigure's blade techniques, yet far more lethal. The sheer density of chakra within them distorted the air as they tore through it.
Chiyo's first instinct was immediate—pull Seiki back, dodge, reposition.
But before her chakra threads could tighten—
Seiki charged forward.
"Granny Chiyo!" he called out, fearless. "Just go for it! These iron sand spears aren't as hard as your fists!"
The boldness of his voice startled her.
Then she remembered.
His defense.
His absurd, incomprehensible durability.
In any coordinated battle, the most important element was trust.
Chiyo's hesitation vanished.
"Seiki—smash them all!"
Her chakra threads connected to him fully this time, weaving with precision. The moment control settled into place, Seiki felt something extraordinary.
Every movement was optimized.
Every pivot of the waist, every extension of the shoulder, every shift in footing flowed with perfect efficiency. There was no wasted motion. No imbalance. Each strike launched from the most stable and devastating angle possible.
So this… Seiki thought in awe. This is the mastery of a true puppet grandmaster.
He shouted, "Let's finish this in one go!"
Bam! Bam! Bam!
His fists tore through the incoming spears. Iron sand shattered into clouds of black dust. The sound of impact thundered through the chamber as giant needles crumbled like brittle stone beneath overwhelming force.
Fragments rained down.
Without pause, Seiki lunged forward, fist cocked, aiming straight for the Third Kazekage puppet's face.
From the sidelines, Jiraiya watched in stunned silence.
He had expected recklessness.
Instead, he saw seamless coordination—offense and control fused into one fluid entity. It was as though Seiki truly were a puppet built solely for combat.
Is the puppet limiting the Kazekage's Magnet Release? Jiraiya wondered. Or is Seiki simply overwhelming it with brute force?
Sweat beaded along Sasori's brow.
"Damn it… even a scratch would end this," he muttered. The poison coating his iron sand was lethal—one touch could paralyze and finish the fight.
But Seiki's straightforward, iron-like punches radiated something else.
Pressure.
Fear.
For the first time in years, Sasori felt it.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Wings!"
The iron sand compressed and unfolded into two enormous wings from the puppet's back. With a sharp motion, the Third Kazekage puppet ascended, narrowly evading Seiki's devastating punch.
Chiyo did not withdraw.
She understood immediately—the wings were not merely for flight. They allowed tracking and ranged pursuit.
"Close combat!" she commanded sharply.
Seiki obeyed without question.
He leapt upward, chakra threads pulling at his limbs with masterful precision. His feet touched the wall—and he ran along it at blinding speed, propelled like a projectile rebounding through the chamber.
Behind him, iron sand feathers broke off from the wings and shot after him.
They were faster than the previous techniques.
Sharper.
Deadlier.
"It's over," Sasori murmured with a thin smile. Once those feathers pierced the boy, the poison would do the rest.
The feathers closed in—
At the final instant, Chiyo's wrist flicked.
Seiki's trajectory shifted midair.
Instead of fleeing, he launched directly toward the hovering Third Kazekage puppet.
Sasori's eyes widened.
"No—!"
Too late.
Seiki reached the puppet in a blur.
"Goodbye."
He wrapped his arms tightly around it, locking it in place.
The pursuing iron sand feathers had no time to change course. They struck their original target—
The Third Kazekage puppet itself.
Metal shrieked.
Sasori yanked at his chakra threads desperately, trying to free the puppet from Seiki's grip—but the magnetic interference had already destabilized its joints. The internal mechanisms ground and sparked violently.
"Damn it!" Sasori roared.
To him, art was sacred. The Third Kazekage puppet, though imperfect, was still a masterpiece born of genius and obsession.
"Sasori," Chiyo said coldly, "your puppet is finished."
"Don't compare my work to worthless trash!" he snapped.
Hidden panels across the puppet's body snapped open, ejecting the iron sand that had adhered to it.
Chiyo's eyes narrowed slightly. Even now, she had to admit—Sasori's craftsmanship might surpass even that of the legendary first-generation puppeteers.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Triangular Prism!"
A massive, spinning triangular construct of condensed iron sand hurtled toward Seiki the moment he landed.
Chiyo flicked her fingers. Seiki leapt aside with fluid ease.
"Not done yet!" Sasori shouted. "Magnet Release: Iron Sand Top!"
The prism began spinning at terrifying velocity, then abruptly altered direction midair—hurtling toward Seiki while he was still airborne, unable to fully evade.
Chiyo's breath caught.
Seiki did not panic.
He extended both hands.
Sasori almost laughed. "Fool. You think you can catch that barehanded?"
Even a seasoned shinobi would avoid such an attack. It was a spinning mass of magnetized iron sand, laced with poison and chakra.
To attempt to stop it directly was suicide.
Jiraiya reacted instantly, forming hand seals.
"Rasengan!"
The swirling sphere of chakra flew from his palm toward the iron sand top—but it struck only the rear portion, shattering part of the spinning construct yet failing to halt its forward momentum.
"Seiki!" Jiraiya called out.
Seiki shouted and seized the spinning iron sand top with both hands.
The friction erupted into blinding sparks, illuminating the chamber in flashes of orange and white. The screech of grinding metal filled the air.
Chiyo squeezed her eyes shut, heart pounding.
Sasori's voice rose in manic exhilaration. "I don't even know your name—but dying to this technique is an honor!"
The Rasengan's impact had weakened the rotation. Gradually—slowly—the spinning lost speed.
Then it stopped.
The sparks faded.
A small figure stood at the center of the chamber, smiling.
Seiki casually tossed the fractured iron prism aside. It clanged uselessly against the wall.
He examined his palms and blew lightly on them. "Haha… that stung a little."
Sasori stared.
"…Are you even human?"
"Of course," Seiki replied cheerfully. "Flesh and blood. Completely human."
"Seiki, are you alright?" Chiyo's voice trembled.
He raised his hands to show her. "I'm fine. Not even a scratch."
Jiraiya exhaled slowly.
There was no other explanation now. Seiki Sarutobi had uncovered some extraordinary method of training—something beyond conventional shinobi limits.
He was absurdly strong.
Sasori, however, felt something far worse than disbelief.
Panic.
In past defeats, he could blame elemental weaknesses or tactical disadvantages. But this boy—
This boy defied reason itself.
Seeing Sasori falter, Seiki suddenly pointed at him.
"Why not use the Third Kazekage's ultimate move? Iron Sand Absolute Realm."
Sasori blinked. "What?"
For the first time, someone mocked him by demanding he use his full power.
Embarrassment flared into fury.
"You're too arrogant!" he roared. "If I use that technique, you, Chiyo, and Jiraiya will all die!"
Jiraiya and Chiyo exchanged stunned glances.
This kid…
Sasori raised his hands.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Absolute Realm!"
Iron sand exploded outward in every direction. Spikes shot into the air, forming a massive, suffocating barrier that enclosed the chamber entirely. It was a prison of black steel, layered and interlocked.
Jiraiya was forced back against the wall.
Chiyo's chakra threads snapped under the pressure.
Seiki stood alone within the storm.
Spikes lunged at him from all directions.
Yet he moved.
Without threads.
Without guidance.
Relying solely on his overwhelming speed and instincts, he weaved between every spike, slipping through impossible gaps.
When the barrage ceased, he stood at the center of the iron domain.
He pointed directly at Sasori.
"You're finished."
"…Impossible."
Driven by rage, Sasori forced the damaged Third Kazekage puppet into one final charge.
Seiki stepped forward.
One punch.
The puppet's sword shattered.
Another.
The body crumpled inward, splintering into fragments that scattered across the floor.
Chakra threads snapped uselessly.
Sasori collapsed to his knees, staring at the wreckage.
"I lost… completely…"
Chiyo approached slowly.
"Sasori… do you understand now? What the ultimate secret of puppetry truly is?"
He shook his head weakly.
Chiyo looked toward Seiki, who stood quietly amid the broken iron sand.
"A puppet," she said softly, "is the power to protect one's comrades. Only a puppet that can safeguard what you cherish most…"
She paused, her voice steady.
"…can be called the strongest."