Kimimaro and Suigetsu were rushing toward the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the fight had already begun.
Guy's team had lost Neji, but for this mission, Hinata had taken his place. Thanks to her abilities, locating the remaining four tags of the Five-Seal Barrier wasn't difficult.
To break the barrier, the entire Guy team acted together, leaving Kakashi's team to guard the rear.
When the barrier fell, Deidara led Naruto and Kakashi away by using Gaara's lifeless body as bait. Simultaneously, Sasori faced Chiyo and Sakura in a ferocious battle.
A Clash of Puppeteers
This wasn't just a fight—it was the last great battle of puppeteers in the ninja world.
Unlike the original timeline, Chiyo and Sakura had already consumed significant energy in an earlier clash with Kimimaro. Sakura had lost only stamina, but Chiyo's Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu were down to seven, reducing their combat power.
Sasori hadn't fared much better. Over the last two years, he had been focused on helping Kimimaro research "mechas." While Sasori had made progress, his own skills had stagnated. Both sides were weakened, resulting in an evenly matched struggle.
Even in their diminished states, Chiyo and Sasori demonstrated their mastery of puppetry, far surpassing Kankuro, Sasori's successor. Kankuro, despite being a jonin, relied heavily on puppets Sasori had created as a teenager—a point of contention among seasoned puppeteers.
As the battle approached its climax, Chiyo addressed her grandson.
"Sasori, my dear grandson, you've strayed far from the path."
Her voice carried a mix of disappointment and longing.
"Heh. Chiyo-baa, it's your puppetry that's outdated. I was this close to creating the ultimate puppet that could change our fate forever. Pity you'll die here and never witness my masterpiece!" Sasori's manic laughter echoed, making him seem unhinged.
Chiyo felt a pang of curiosity about Sasori's so-called masterpiece. However, this wasn't the time for speculation.
"Sakura, prepare yourself. The next move will decide everything."
"Understood!" Sakura clenched her fists, her resolve unwavering.
"I must survive. I need to see Sasuke again!" she thought, her determination igniting.
Sakura charged through the sea of puppets surrounding Sasori. Any puppet in her way was obliterated by her iron fists, while Chiyo's remaining puppets intercepted those she missed.
The battle was grueling, but Sakura edged closer to Sasori.
The Arrival of Kimimaro
Elsewhere, Suigetsu struggled to keep up with Kimimaro.
"Boss, can't we take a break? I'm about to drop dead here!"
"Your stamina is as poor as ever. We need to work on your endurance training," Kimimaro replied, unimpressed.
"It's not me—it's you! Who even travels at this speed?!" Suigetsu huffed.
Kimimaro shook his head, dismissing Suigetsu's complaints. Activating his Byakugan, he scanned five kilometers ahead.
"It's nearing its conclusion," he murmured.
In the battle, Sasori's core had been exposed. Kimimaro smirked. "He hasn't made any real progress."
He turned to Suigetsu. "You rest here. I'm going ahead."
"Wait, Boss—!" Before Suigetsu could finish, Kimimaro disappeared.
Back on the battlefield, Sakura and Chiyo had seemingly emerged victorious. Sasori's body was immobilized, his core sealed.
"Have we won?" Sakura panted, utterly exhausted.
But Chiyo's sharp instincts warned her of danger.
"Sakura! Behind you!"
Sakura turned to see another puppet, with Sasori's core attached, poised to strike.
"Damn it!" she thought, frozen in panic.
The blade came down, but before it could strike, Chiyo's discarded puppets, "Father" and "Mother," intervened. Their blades aimed for Sasori's core, simulating a familial embrace—the very love Sasori had yearned for but never received.
For a moment, Sasori hesitated, his emotions betraying him. The blades closed in.
Suddenly, a white substance erupted from Sasori's core, shielding it from harm. The attack failed, and the puppet fragments fell lifelessly to the ground.
Chiyo and Sakura stared in disbelief.
"Close call, wasn't it, Sasori?" Kimimaro's voice broke the silence. Perched atop a boulder, he looked down on the scene.
"Kimimaro? What are you doing here?" Sasori's small frame turned toward him, confused.
"Just spectating. But really, Sasori, letting that attack hit you? Were you trying to die?"
"Was this your doing?" Sasori gestured to the white material protecting his core.
"Yep. That's a 'bone shield' I installed in your core as a failsafe. Remember when I said your core was too exposed? I fixed that. Looks great, doesn't it?" Kimimaro smirked.
Sasori glared. "Who told you to tamper with my designs?! It's hideous!"
Kimimaro laughed. "You're welcome."
An Unlikely Truce
Despite his anger, Sasori acknowledged his loss. "You've won. Leave."
Chiyo and Sakura were stunned. They hadn't expected mercy.
Sasori explained, "I lost. If not for Kimimaro's interference, I would've died. Go."
Chiyo and Sakura exchanged glances before retreating. As they left, Chiyo whispered, "Sasori, my grandson, choose your own path."
Kimimaro turned to Sasori, teasing, "Touched, aren't you?"
"Shut up!" Sasori snapped.
As night fell, Zetsu reported to Tobi.
"Deidara failed to capture the Nine-Tails, but he escaped. Sasori nearly died but was saved by Kimimaro."
Tobi smirked. "Interesting. Sasori losing to Chiyo—she must still be formidable. As for the Nine-Tails, it doesn't matter. Everything proceeds according to plan."
Kimimaro looked at the battlefield littered with hundreds of shattered puppet fragments, feeling a headache coming on.
"At the rate of fixing three to four puppets a day, it would take at least three months," he muttered.
Being a puppeteer was nothing short of a hassle.
Sasori raised an eyebrow as he surveyed the scene.
"It's not just the time—there's also the money. This is going to be expensive."
"Senior Sasori," Kimimaro said with a faint smile, "since we have so many parts lying around, why not consider my cyborg plan? I guarantee it'll make you stronger than you are now."
"Cyborg plan? What's that?" Sasori asked, intrigued.
"It's a long story. Let's gather these pieces first and talk about it later. I also want to see how your mech project is coming along."
"Fine."
Sasori was about to start cleaning up the puppet debris when Kimimaro stopped him.
"Don't rush, Senior Sasori. Someone very good at cleaning is on their way."
"Who?"
"Boss! I've finally caught up to you!"
At that moment, Suigetsu appeared, panting heavily as he reached the battlefield.
"Him," Kimimaro said, flashing a faint smile as he looked at Suigetsu.
Suigetsu shivered instinctively.
"Why do I feel like something bad is about to happen?"
He had a sinking feeling, but it was already too late.
Night had fallen. Zetsu appeared before Obito.
"How did it go?"
Obito sat on the edge of a cliff, not turning to face him. "Deidara failed to capture the Nine-Tails but managed to escape. Sasori almost died at Chiyo's hands but was saved thanks to Kimimaro's timely intervention. In the end, he let Chiyo and Sakura go."
Zetsu provided a detailed account of the battle.
"Failing to capture the Nine-Tails was expected," Obito said calmly. "But I didn't expect Sasori to lose to an old woman and a young girl. It seems Chiyo, despite her age, still has considerable skill. She's someone to watch out for in the future."
"No need for that," Zetsu replied.
"Oh? Why not?"
"She's dead."
"Dead?"
"Chiyo used Sand Village's forbidden technique, Reanimation Sacrifice, to revive Gaara at the cost of her own life."
"Interesting," Obito said with a cold chuckle. "I didn't think someone as selfish as Chiyo would choose to sacrifice herself to save the Kazekage at the end of her life. A pointless act of conscience."
"So, what's next?" Zetsu asked.
"With no casualties on our side, this is the best outcome. Whether the Kazekage lives or dies doesn't affect our plans. Push Kimimaro to capture the Two-Tails Jinchūriki as soon as possible. As for the Three-Tails' location, you must find it within a month."
"Understood!"
Zetsu quickly complied.
The Obito of today was no longer the naive boy he once was. Now, he carried the demeanor of a true mastermind, and Zetsu dared not act as casually as before.
To fool others, one must first fool oneself.
"By the way," Zetsu suddenly added, "Kimimaro seems a bit off. He's been interacting with Nagato a lot these past two years. Could they be hiding something?"
"As long as the Tailed Beasts aren't all gathered, they're just useful tools," Obito said dismissively. "What secrets could they have? Didn't you say that Madara left a backup plan in Nagato? He's a puppet through and through. What's there to worry about?"
"True. I was overthinking it." Zetsu nodded in agreement.