"Hmph, it seems Konoha can't bear it any longer. You dare to assassinate me!" Chiyo glanced at the surrounding ruins and the sand ninja turned to ash, then looked at Tsushima charging towards her with a dangerous smile.
"I know you. You belong to the Senju clan, right? It seems you have many masters besides Tobirama. Too bad Tobirama will lose another clan member today!"
Chiyo attached strings of kunai to her ten fingers and threw them simultaneously at everyone. Thousands of poisonous needles shot out from her sleeves, creating a poisonous cloud!
"Puppet Art : Strike Blades!"
"Be cautious!"
Tsushima remained vigilant and avoided using his body to block, and the other Anbu spread out naturally.
"Is this the Four Purple Flames Formation? You're truly willing to create such chaos just to kill me. Sadly, you're digging your own graves!"
Chiyo held unfolded scrolls in each hand and in an instant, she summoned her most versatile puppets, two of them.
"I wish Yuto could still use that Fire Release just now," whispered a Nara clan ninja.
The puppets' materials were quite common, containing only metal in their weapons and machinery to maintain lightness and flexibility.
Controlled by chakra strings, they could soar through the air, move like phantoms, wield incredible weapons, and fearlessly face death. They could even be reassembled and reused, making them quite formidable.
However, they were also fragile, which is why most puppet masters had several puppets, not unlike Chiyo.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Spear!"
Without wasting time, Tsushima covered the attack area with a large-scale ninjutsu.
His logic was clear—the puppet master's body was the biggest weakness. Injuring Chiyo would quickly resolve the situation.
"Naive."
Chiyo leaped far away, escaping the attack range. Yet, her two puppets remained still, their dull and indifferent eyes open. One wielded a sickle and an axe, while the other held a whip and a shield, soaring through the air swiftly. Surprisingly, they broke through the earth spears and attacked the Anbu, like reapers.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bomb!"
"Fire Release, Fire Dragon Technique!"
Tsushima and the Anbu combined their ninjutsu, flames intermingling with earth and stones to create a barrage reminiscent of a meteor shower. Given the puppets' swift movement, evasion was impossible.
"Puppet Jutsu: Mechanical Light Shield Block!"
Chiyo's fingers moved, and the shield-bearing puppet stepped forward to block the attack. The seemingly ordinary shield suddenly expanded like a peacock's tail, forming a larger size, chakra forming a protective circle. The barrier easily withstood the assault.
"Hey—"
Simultaneously, a puppet with a metal whip snaked around the ninja who'd used Fire Release earlier.
"Danger!" Tsushima swiftly intervened, his dark and sturdy hand gripping the whip, pulling it toward him.
"Whoosh—"
The puppet caught by the whip twisted violently, the sound of snapping accompanying its transformation into a flexible sword made of metal.
The pieces of the shattered puppet began to reform, but cracks remained visible on its chest.
"Damn it, my dear brother, are you just watching?!"
One Tsushima was evenly matched against Chiyo. However, with six skilled Anbu employing strange abilities, she was being overwhelmed.
"Yes, sister!"
Ebizō, who had pretended to be a mere observer, suddenly sprang into action. His chakra exuded incredible strength, startling Tsushima. This guy was even more powerful than Chiyo!
"Damn, I underestimated his strength due to lack of information!"
In truth, Ebizō's preparations were to secretly transfer critical tasks and materials out of headquarters without informing others to avoid unnecessary alertness. Furthermore, the main assurance was that he and his sister remained close. He usually kept a low profile, unwilling to overshadow Chiyo, but he had confidence in his own power.
"Boom—!"
Ebizō unveiled two puppets, distinct from Chiyo's human-like creations. One was a massive, lizard-shaped puppet brimming with machinery, its limbs thick and its visage monstrous.
The other was a puppet in the form of a seagull that soared through the sky like an actual bird, the sound of metallic blades rubbing against one another accompanying its wing flaps.
Ebizō leapt onto the sand gull puppet, looking down upon Konoha's Anbu. The colossal lizard puppet, reminiscent of machinery, stood as a barrier in front of the group, like an impenetrable fortress.
"I'll take you on."
Ebizō gazed down coldly, the lizard puppet's enormous jaws revealing intricate machinery and countless runes.
Tsushima observed Ebizō and the other Anbu facing each other, then glanced at Takeshi, who was struggling outside the barrier. He clenched his teeth, time was of the essence. He pulled out a pill improved by Takeshi, chewed, and swallowed it. Immediately, his strength surged back.
"Tonight, while you engage Ebizō, Konoha ninja's will seize the chance to strike. Whether we succeed or not, our objective is to draw their focus!"
With a resounding cry, Tsushima executed his unique technique.
"Earth Release: Thick Earth Rock Armor!"
"Earth Release: Obsidian Skin!"
Stone fragments adhered to Tsushima's body, forging a new form. Standing three meters tall, the black stone man possessed immense strength due to his obsidian skin. He shrugged off flying projectiles, scattering most of them on the ground with a mere swipe of his hand.
Numerous projectiles were now insufficient to breach this level of defense—Tsushima even brushed off the puppets' ferocious attacks with disdain.
"Damn! Such formidable defense!"
Chiyo evaded, her frustration palpable. Tsushima's tactics posed a genuine challenge for her. Though he temporarily modified his body through ninjutsu, Tsushima's punch effortlessly shattered her poisonous barrier.
"Perish!"
Empowered by hidden aggression, Tsushima charged like a heavyweight tank, dismantling the two puppets and creating an array of mechanical arms. Then he smashed the two-armed puppet with a punch, obliterating it completely.
"Chiyo, meet your end!"
Tsushima's hidden might had been roused. He stomped on the ground, the explosive force propelling him toward Chiyo with a resounding impact.
"Puppet Jutsu: Mechanical Light Shield Block!"
Caught off guard by Tsushima's speed, Chiyo infused a surge of chakra, causing the shield-wielding ninja puppet to shield her. Bamboo leaves unfurled, and a denser chakra barrier emerged.
However, in this state, Tsushima couldn't use ninjutsu. But in exchange, his formidable destructive power became unmatched. His punch was even mightier than that of a taijutsu specialist.
"Boom!"
To Chiyo's astonishment, the shield was obliterated, and the puppet's arm was torn off as it recoiled, taking Chiyo with it.
"Elder sister!"
Ebizō, who was engaged in combat, seemed remarkably composed as he called out.
"I'm fine!"
Observing Tsushima continuing his advance, Chiyo smirked. Wiping away traces of strain caused by overexertion, she drew a new scroll.
"It's not a genuine Secret Technique yet, but it's enough to deal with you!"
**********
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