Chapter 108: Someone is Aggressively Gifting Equipment (VII)
At this moment, Ui felt a profound sense of loneliness. He was disappointed in Sasori—deeply, utterly disappointed.
Okay, fine. It was unrealistic to expect Sasori to actually play along with a "Journey to the West" reference. If Sasori had actually shouted back, "Your grandpa is right here!"... well, would they even be able to keep fighting after that?
Regardless, Sasori had taken the brunt of this exchange. He never expected to encounter someone outside of Sunagakure who could wield Magnet Style.
As for Ui, he had acquired a brand-new set of gear. Original import, low-carbon, eco-friendly, waterproof, and non-absorbent: Genuine Third Kazekage Brand Iron Sand.
This is why intel is everything. You can't just throw your best props at people; otherwise, it's just "throwing meat buns at a dog"—a total loss.
Ui suspected that if the living Third Kazekage were here, even with his superior electromagnetic powers, he wouldn't have been able to hijack the sand so easily. But the Kazekage was dead. He was just a puppet. In essence, the "Magnet Style" the puppet used was powered by Sasori's chakra, converted through the puppet's internal mechanisms.
A puppet is just a "modem" for the soul. A dead legend's power, filtered through strings, could never match the original's potency. Sasori's favorite toy was a hard-countered victim of Ui's existence.
The Artist's Obsession
The sudden loss of the Iron Sand forced Sasori to halt the Third Kazekage puppet. Without its signature Magnet Style, the "Strongest Puppet" was no different from any other wooden doll in his arsenal.
On the tree, Ui finished his chuunibyou moment. He wasn't actually crazy; he didn't expect an iron jug to seal a Kage-level ninja. With a shrug, the iron gourd slid from his shoulder to his back.
He manipulated the sand to form two palm-wide iron "ribbons" that wrapped around his chest, securing the gourd. It was a blatant bit of cosplay—later on, Gaara of the Desert would rock a similar look, though his was the classic "yellow skin" version.
Sasori, missing an arm, stepped forward. "I never imagined there were Magnet Style users outside of Suna..."
In just a few rounds, Ui had provided a series of "surprises." Now, the look in Sasori's eyes had changed. It was a look of... fervor? More accurately, it was the look of a master sculptor who had just discovered a flawless piece of raw marble.
Sasori considered himself an artist, and Ui had officially become "premium material" in his eyes. Ui understood the mindset of a fanatic, but that look made his skin crawl. Sasori was likely already mentally drafting the best way to... dissect him.
"If you want to call it Magnet Style... I guess that works," Ui said, sparks still dancing across his skin as he stepped down from the tree.
In reality, his power was Lightning Style (methodologically speaking, applied electromagnetism). Their fundamental theories were worlds apart, and Ui saw no reason to give Sasori a physics lecture. He didn't even know what chakra natures made up Suna's Magnet Style—Wind and Earth? Earth and Water? He'd never cared to research it.
"It seems using that puppet against you was a poor choice," Sasori noted. He didn't need Ui to explain; he'd already killed one Magnet Style user, so he recognized the "flavor" of the power. "But today is my lucky day. I'll soon have a second Magnet Style puppet for my collection."
Sasori unsummoned the Third Kazekage. Using a Magnet Style puppet against a Magnet Style master was a fool's errand, and Sasori wasn't a fool. He operated on experience and common sense; in this world's knowledge system, what Ui did was Magnet Style, period.
Actually, even if Sasori killed him, he could never turn Ui into a "Human Puppet" like the Third. Their powers weren't even compatible; they weren't even using the same type of energy.
The Red Secret Technique
Suddenly, the rain, which had paused for hours, began to pour again.
Ui stopped in front of Sasori. The play-acting was over; he wasn't here to film a romantic drama in the rain. Sasori finally pulled out the scroll labeled with the kanji for "Red."
Red Secret Technique: Performance of Fifty-Six Puppets!
In an instant, a swarm of red-robed puppets surrounded Ui. Sasori was finally dipping into his "Ultimate" tier.
Because his "Core of Living Flesh" wasn't fully completed yet and he still maintained most of his original body, and because he only carried a limited inventory on this mission, Ui didn't see the legendary "Performance of a Hundred Puppets" that could topple a nation.
Still, being surrounded by fifty-six high-grade puppets was a massive investment on Sasori's part. Chakra threads erupted from his shoulder stump, connecting to the dolls like neural pathways. Despite the numbers, he controlled them with the precision of his own fingers.
"I acknowledge your strength," Sasori said. "I only hope you don't resist too much. I'd prefer not to damage your body more than necessary."
The tone was unnerving—like a collector warning someone not to scratch his future property.
Facing an army, Ui made a tactical decision: No more showing off. If it's time to go, go. He began to back away slowly, energy gathering in his core. Lightning illuminated the rain, cutting through the downpour.
The storm was in his favor. Given enough time, he could probably call down a natural lightning strike, but "ultimate moves" require setup.
Iron sand drifted from the gourd, forming a defensive semi-circle around him. He was effectively mimicking Gaara's combat style—absolute defense combined with multi-directional offense. It was the only practical way to handle being outnumbered.
Click-clack, click-clack.
The sound of dozens of wooden joints was grating. On Sasori's command, the red-robed puppets lunged. It looked like a chaotic swarm, but their attacks were perfectly layered.
Ui continued his fighting retreat.
- Iron sand became a shield, blocking hidden blades.
- Iron sand became a sword, striking back at those who got too close.
- Iron sand became a whip, severing puppets that tried to flank him from his blind spots.
The "Brand Name" iron sand was remarkably easy to use.
The Parting Shot
The battle carved a path from the Land of Rain back across the border into the Land of Fire. Sasori knew he was being led, but he couldn't stop—not without giving up on his "masterpiece."
Puppets are hard to kill unless you turn them into splinters. As long as the threads stayed intact, they kept coming.
Spotting a moment when a large cluster of puppets converged, Ui struck.
An orange flash pierced the rain!
Because of the storm, the trajectory wasn't a clean line of light but a tunnel of friction, high heat, and vaporized rainwater. A thick fog erupted along the path of the Railgun.
BOOM!
The sound was a series of overlapping thunderclaps. Several puppets were reduced to splinters and dust instantly.
The rest of the puppets went still. Sasori was outside the immediate range, but Ui made it clear: Step closer, and I'll do it again. He didn't care about being "exposed" anymore; the noise was already loud enough to wake the dead.
Sasori stopped his pursuit.
"Your chakra reserves... are surprising," Sasori admitted. "It seems my plans have fallen through. Half my puppets are damaged, and I cannot push deeper into the heart of the Land of Fire. I look forward to our next meeting."
By all rights, a ninja using such high-level, chakra-draining moves should have been exhausted. Yet Ui still looked ready for a second round.
"My energy is beyond your imagination," Ui bluffed. In truth, he was starting to feel the strain. The high-intensity retreat had pushed him to his limit. His strategy had worked, though—entering Fire Country had forced Sasori to weigh the risk of encountering a Konoha reinforcement squad.
Sasori was decisive. He turned and vanished into the rain.
Ui retracted his sand and lightning, his clothes tattered and his body weary. He felt a sudden, overwhelming sense of relief. Fighting Sasori wasn't just about power; it was the constant mental pressure of his poison. If he'd had a medic like Tsunade with him, he might have been more aggressive.
Five more minutes, and he would have had to go "All-In."
But he'd made it. He'd survived the Scorpion. He felt like singing.
This is a lonely sky... Falling with some sad rain...
Wait, no. Wrong song.
The Land of Rain has no tears... The heavy rain flies... You're cold and haggard...
Actually, let's just go with: I don't mind the heartbreak, as long as Sasori gives me new gear.
A beautiful encounter at the ancient border. Ui had made a clean getaway, escaping a crisis that would have claimed most ninjas' lives.