Just as Mukade was getting carried away, a clear voice came from within the smoke.
"That's it? You're underestimating me a little too much."
In the next instant, an even more terrifying wave of chakra erupted from the center of the dust cloud.
The Lightning Net, which had been used for defense, changed form instantly. With Akira pouring chakra into it, the once-controlled arcs of electricity turned violently aggressive.
Crackling thunder split the air.
Hundreds of thick lightning serpents shot out like hunting pythons, tearing through the sky and striking the puppet swarm with terrifying precision.
Explosions rolled across the heavens one after another.
The war puppets, supposedly tougher than steel and built from special alloys, were as fragile as paper in front of Akira's lightning serpents.
The instant they made contact, hundreds of puppets were burned into ash by the blistering heat of the lightning.
Inside the protection of the Lightning Net, Minato, Choza, and Shibi stared in stunned silence.
"This... this is his real power? Defense and offense in one jutsu. How do you even deal with that?"
The lightning seemed alive, moving freely according to Akira's will.
Immediately after, a visible chakra storm burst from the Lightning Net and blew the surrounding dust apart by force.
The amount of chakra behind it was horrifying. Even Minato, who had seen more than most, felt his heart tighten.
That was a chakra reserve several times greater than even Hashirama Senju's.
When the dust cleared, the battlefield appeared once more.
The area covered by the Lightning Net remained completely untouched, but the ground for hundreds of meters around it had been torn apart. Deep, blackened craters scarred the earth everywhere.
The ground was covered in cracks like a spiderweb, as if the entire stretch of land was about to collapse.
Seeing that, Minato and the others were shaken all over again. Akira had not only survived such dense bombardment without a scratch, he had counterattacked and wiped out the attackers in an instant.
It looked almost divine.
Akira's gaze sharpened like lightning and locked onto Mukade's hiding place.
"Found you."
At that moment, Mukade stared at the wreckage scattered across the battlefield, completely frozen. A chill climbed from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his skull.
"How... how can this monster be that strong? Ordinary methods won't even scratch him."
Since mass-produced puppets were useless, he had no choice but to use his final trump card.
This ultimate puppet was the killing weapon he had spent more than ten years building specifically to deal with Akira.
"Ultimate Puppet, awaken!"
As Mukade's will connected to the enormous thing buried underground, a terrifying pull instantly wrapped around his body.
The Dragon Vein's violent energy used him as a conduit, rushing wildly through his body and pouring into the depths below.
"Aaaargh!"
Mukade let out a roar of pain, his face twisting beyond recognition.
The amount of chakra required to activate the ultimate puppet was simply too great. Even after modifying himself into a half-puppet body, he could barely endure the force tearing through him.
His body shriveled visibly, until he looked like little more than skin stretched over bone.
At last, the monster beneath the ground drank its fill of power and released a deep, heavy rumble.
The tower where Mukade stood began to shake violently, then collapsed with a thunderous crash.
The ground split apart like dry clay. Earth and stone erupted into the air.
Akira instantly retreated several hundred meters with Minato and the others, his expression growing serious as he watched what emerged.
A colossal puppet more than a hundred meters tall broke through the earth, blocking out the sky.
Minato drew in a sharp breath. "That thing is enormous..."
Looking at the giant before him, Akira could not help frowning slightly. "Interesting. He actually built a monster like this in such a short time. It's even bigger than Sasori's."
At that moment, a startled cry came from high above.
Queen Sāra of Roran, who had been watching the battle from the tower, was falling as the structure collapsed.
Akira vanished in a flash.
The next second, he had caught Sara safely and returned to Minato's side.
Sāra was still shaken. When she looked up at the young man who had saved her, her heart pounded wildly.
This was the first time she had seen up close the mysterious ninja who had been fighting Anrokuzan.
Akira set her down and spoke flatly. "Your Majesty, this place is about to turn into a battlefield. If you don't want to die, get far away from here."
Sāra bit her lip, her eyes filled with pain and confusion. "Anrokuzan... is he really evil?"
Deep down, she had suspected it for some time. But Anrokuzan held too much power, and as a puppet queen, she had never been able to resist him.
Akira pointed around them. "Look for yourself. This is the world he wanted."
"Where are your people? The streets are full of puppets on strings."
Sāra followed the direction of his finger and saw the "citizens" who had once walked through the streets now collapsed on the ground, their energy drained away, their wooden joints exposed.
The truth was clear.
Roran had already become a dead city.
Sāra clenched her fists, tears gathering in her eyes. "Why would he do this? Why would he hurt my people?"
Akira gave a cold laugh. "Building weapons of war takes labor. Your people were probably worked to death long ago."
"That so-called Anrokuzan is really Mukade, an S-rank rogue-nin from Sunagakure. That is all I have to say. Now go."
Before Sāra could respond, lightning flashed around Akira, and he sent her several hundred meters away to a safer area with ninjutsu.
Once the bystander was gone, Akira turned back toward the ultimate puppet looming like a mountain. A hint of fighting spirit flashed in his eyes.
"Come on, then. Let's see how tough this pile of scrap metal really is."
Compared to Akira's ease, Minato and the others looked extremely grim.
The chakra contained within that puppet was already comparable to a Tailed Beast, and even wilder than an ordinary one.
Against a monster of that level, even the Yellow Flash felt the situation was difficult.
Minato looked at Akira and asked, "Akira, do you have a plan?"
Akira touched his chin. "In theory, cutting the chakra threads should do it. But Mukade has already fused himself with the puppet."
"To sever the connection, we need to smash this metal lump apart first. The problem is, with the Dragon Vein behind it, it has unlimited regeneration."
"Unless we seal the Dragon Vein, this thing is basically unkillable."
Minato smiled bitterly. "Sealing the Dragon Vein won't be easy. Its source is directly beneath that monster's feet."
Akira nodded, his tone as casual as if they were discussing dinner. "Exactly. So we keep it simple. Smash it apart, then cut off its connection to the Dragon Vein while it's rebuilding."
Minato was speechless.
That plan sounded insane. It was like trying to break a mountain apart with your fists.
Akira ignored their shock.
He brought his hands together sharply.