Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 431 The more it yearns for the light, the deeper its roots must extend downwards.
Behind Sasori, a puppet clad in a black robe quietly appeared; it was none other than the Third Kazekage, who had been turned into a human puppet.

Magnetism Release: Iron Sand Rain.

The Third Kazekage puppet opened its mouth, and a large amount of iron sand poured out, condensing into countless sharp senbon needles that shot out and pierced through the incoming giant Rasengan.

"Immortal Technique: Needle Earth Treasury!"

Jiraiya's white hair instantly hardened and grew wildly, enveloping his entire body.

Dangdang Dangdang!
Thousands of letters struck the iron-hard hair, producing a dense clattering sound and sparks flying, yet they could not penetrate it.

"Immortal Technique: Thousand Needles of Hair".

Jiraiya's hair suddenly exploded, and countless hardened strands of hair shot out indiscriminately in all directions from him like a torrential rain.

These needles not only struck the Third Kazekage's puppets and Sasori, but also covered a large area below, riddling many puppets that reached out to pounce on him with holes.

The thousands of needles aimed at Sasori were all blocked by the thick iron sand wall formed by the Third Kazekage's puppet, which was manipulated in time.

"Sage Art: Wind Release - Sandstorm." Shima, the sage on Jiraiya's shoulder, opened his mouth and blew.

A sudden gust of wind, mixed with sand and gravel, burst forth, instantly filling half the space. It not only interfered with the puppet's senses but also obscured the scorpion's vision.

"Immortal Technique: Binding Through Tongues!"

A long tongue shot out from the sand and dust, wrapping around the body and arms of the Third Kazekage puppet.

"So fast." Scorpion's eyes flickered slightly.

Two sharp blades suddenly sprang out from the joints of the Third Kazekage puppet's arms, flashing with a cold light, about to sever the tough toad tongue.

But at that moment, another toad tongue, hardened by infused with Sage Chakra, shot out and slashed at the waist of the Third Kazekage puppet, which was temporarily bound.

Click!

The enhanced body of the Third Kazekage puppet was cleaved in two by this "Tongue-War Slash".

Several puppets simultaneously raised their hands, unleashing powerful gusts of air from their palms that instantly dispersed most of the swirling sand and dust, clearing the field of vision once more.

Just as the sandstorm was blown away, a figure, like a ghost, approached Scorpion from behind!
It was Aburame who took the root!

His entire body was covered in nano-sized venomous insects. He didn't use any fancy moves, just the simplest and most direct punch, which slammed hard into Scorpion's back.

boom!
Purple "phosphorus worms," ​​almost invisible to the naked eye, landed on the scorpion's body.

Succeeded?
wrong.

Aburame Torune felt his fist strike the target solidly, but the sensation was not the softness of human flesh; rather, it was as hard as metal.

Click...click...

Almost simultaneously, dozens of chakra threads suddenly emerged from the fracture surfaces of the upper and lower sections of the Third Kazekage puppet, which had been cut in two.

With a crisp sound, the two pieces of the puppet's torso were forcibly pulled back and spliced ​​together by these chakra threads. The upper body suddenly turned around in a twisted and grotesque posture, its mouth open.

Whoosh! !

From the mouth, which was covered with tiny holes, countless books shot out, covering a wide area and instantly enveloping Aburame Torune, who was trying to retreat.

Aburame Torune's expression changed, and she retreated hastily while brandishing her short sword.

Clang clang... Pfft!
Most of the senbon were knocked away, but three or four still managed to pierce through the gaps in the blade's light and embed themselves deeply into his left arm and right leg, causing a sharp, numbing, and burning sensation to spread immediately.

poisonous!

Aburame Tori let out a muffled groan, enduring the dizziness brought on by the poison, and flew backward at an even faster speed, putting distance between himself and Sasori and the Third Kazekage puppet.

"Back to the days!"

Hyuga Takashi instantly rushed in front of Aburame Torune, his body spinning rapidly, his chakra forming a perfect hemispherical defense, deflecting all the poison senbon that followed.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Aburame Tokun staggered to the ground, knelt on one knee, quickly took out an antidote pill and stuffed it into her mouth to suppress the spread of the poison, but her face had already turned somewhat blue.

He raised his head and looked at the scorpion who had turned around leisurely, his eyes filled with solemnity.

Phosphorus rotten insects, ineffective?

"A very rare poisonous insect."

Scorpion's face remained expressionless as he glanced at Aburame Torune and said calmly, "Unfortunately, you seem to have misunderstood something."

"Eternal art seeks to transcend the suffering and weakness of flesh and blood."

"I have long since transformed myself into an eternal being."

He slowly raised his hands, and this time, the eyes of all the puppets around him suddenly lit up, surrounding Jiraiya and the other two in the center, assuming an attack stance.

The Third Kazekage's puppet also rose gracefully, hovering beside Sasori, with black iron sand gathering like a tide.

“What you’ve done,” Scorpion said coldly, his eyes lowered. “was doomed to failure from the very beginning.”

Jiraiya stood in front of Hyuga Takashi and Aburame Torune, frowning as he looked at Sasori, the Gedo Mazo, and the puppets around them.

"You... you've transformed yourself into a puppet?" Jiraiya asked in a deep voice.

The scorpion did not answer.

Or rather, his actions themselves are the answer.

The intricately designed circular muzzle in his palm contained rapidly gathering chakra, emanating a dangerous aura.

At the same time, the Third Kazekage puppet floating beside him manipulated the black sand iron to rotate and condense around him, transforming into several sharp sand iron spears.

呲!
The palm cannon's eerie blue beam and the sand iron spear tore through the air almost simultaneously, shooting towards Jiraiya and his two companions who were surrounded by a group of puppets!

Its speed is extremely fast, and its power is incredibly concentrated!
At the same time, hundreds and thousands of puppets surrounding them launched an attack on the three from all directions!
Sharp bladed feet, extendable grappling hooks, and venomous needles...

"Crush the vendors technique!" Jiraiya bit his thumb and slammed it to the ground.

boom!
A gigantic toad, the size of a small mountain, wielding a massive steel fork and shield, crashed down on a large area in front of Jiraiya and his companions with the force of a mountain falling down.

Boom! !

The terrifying weight and impact instantly crushed dozens of the leading puppets within the landing range of the toad into fragments, with parts flying everywhere.

At the very moment that Gamaken appeared, Sasori's beam of light and iron sand also struck.

"Although I'm very clumsy..."

Gamaken's deep, resonant voice rang out as he raised the massive shield in his hand, blocking the beams of light and the sand-iron spears.

Bang! !

A deafening bombardment rang out, and the beam of the palm cannon exploded into a blinding light on the shield's surface. The sand iron spear, with terrifying penetrating power, slammed into the shield.

The massive body of the toad was pushed backward several meters by the impact, carving a deep trench in the ground, but it still withstood the fatal blow.

"...But in terms of defense, we can still do something."

After saying the second half of his sentence in a muffled voice, Toad Jian forcefully deflected the shield, releasing the remaining energy of the palm cannon to the side, blasting a large crater in the ground.

"Well done, Gamaken!" Jiraiya shouted, and he, along with Hyuga Takashi and Aburame Torune, took the opportunity to leap onto Gamaken's broad back.

Sasori remained expressionless as he manipulated the chakra threads in front of him. The Third Kazekage puppet controlled even more iron sand, which surged forth from all directions like a black tide.

The scattered puppets quickly regrouped, like an ant colony, and launched another attack on Toad Ken and the three people on his back from different angles.

Tear these invaders and the giant toad to shreds and drown them in the torrent!

Boom! Crack! Crack!

Hamaken kept swinging his huge steel fork, smashing several puppets into pieces with each swing, while his heavy shield constantly blocked the attacks.

But more puppets immediately filled the gaps, leaving its massive body covered in scratches, scorch marks, and holes, forcing it to fight and retreat amidst the puppets' onslaught.

"Cough!" Toad Jian leaped up and clung to the steep wall, coughing up a mouthful of blood that tasted sweet and foul, a sign of poisoning.

"There are too many of these. This can't go on!" Hyuga Takashi rolled his eyes, his face turning slightly pale.

In his field of vision, the puppets were so numerous that they almost filled the entire space, and they were still pouring in from other areas.

Moreover, the giant statue beneath Sasori's feet provided an almost limitless amount of chakra, allowing Sasori to squander it without restraint.

"I really am useless," Hama Ken muttered.

Sasori remained indifferent, but his fingers, which were manipulating the chakra threads, moved even faster, and a giant hand made of iron sand grabbed at Gamaken on the wall... Rumble!
A dull, violent tremor suddenly came from above.

The tremors were so strong that the entire vast space shook, dust fell from the rock walls, and the lights flickered.

Scorpion paused, looking up at the source of the vibration, which was higher up, in the direction of the power room under Shennong's control.

"Has the wind side succeeded?" Aburame Torune asked in a low voice, standing on Gamaken's back. "If that's the case, my plan will also work."

“Little Jiraiya,” Fukasaku the Sage said.

"Honey, should we use that move?" Shima asked.

Jiraiya's gaze swept over the still endless array of puppets below, finally settling on the ominous and grotesque Gedo Mazo.

"Sasori is no longer important; we must destroy that thing that is suspected to be a Tailed Beast weapon."

As he spoke, he clapped his hands in front of his chest, causing his chest to bulge, and the two immortals on his shoulders, Fukasaku and Shima, also puffed out their cheeks at the same time.

"Sage Art..." Jiraiya's voice rang out, "Goemon!"

boom! !

Jiraiya spewed out sticky toad oil from his mouth, pouring it down onto the puppets below, while Shima and Fukasaku unleashed raging sage flames and hurricanes from their mouths.

The oil was ignited by the fire, and the fire was fueled by the wind.

Like a waterfall of fire, the temperature was so high that it distorted the air, and it poured down on the puppets below and the withered giant statue itself in a way that engulfed everything.

"This power..." Scorpion's inhuman gaze narrowed slightly. He moved his hands, manipulating all the puppets below to surge up recklessly, attempting to form a human wall.

The Third Kazekage puppet also collected all the iron sand and frantically condensed it into layers upon layers of incredibly thick iron sand barriers!

Boom! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The viscous, scorching fireballs crashed into the dense swarm of puppets, and countless puppets melted instantly before they could even explode.

The iron sand melted at a visible speed under the attack of the fire and oil, and most of the workshop was melted into molten iron.

An unstoppable sea of ​​fire surged and engulfed the seated heretical demon statue and the scorpion at its fingertips!

This boiling oil, heated to thousands of degrees Celsius, could theoretically melt everything.

The force of the single strike nearly wiped out the entire area.

Despite the devastating torrent of oil, Scorpion showed no fear, though his fingers trembled almost imperceptibly.

He was considering whether he should resort to his ultimate means.

However, just as the scorching heatwave whipped up the hair on his forehead...

Swish!Swish!
Two figures appeared instantly in front of Scorpion, blocking the torrent of oil between them and Scorpion. They wore identical black robes with red clouds, and their auras were cold and deathly, unlike any living person.

One of the figures stepped forward, facing the oil that could melt everything, raised his hands, palms facing forward, his face expressionless.

"Sealing Technique Absorption Seal." The indifferent voice of Pain of the Hungry Ghost Path rang out.

The next moment, the powerful oil was forcibly absorbed and devoured the instant it came into contact with those two palms, leaving only white mist rising up.

In just a few breaths, the oil that was enough to clear the area was completely absorbed by the Hungry Ghost Path Pain, leaving only a large area of ​​cooled and solidified molten metal slag.

"Nagato." Looking at the two figures blocking his way, Sasori spoke, "I can still..."

"We don't have time to waste on you."

Another figure interrupted him, turning his head slightly. His Rinnegan was devoid of any emotion as it swept over Sasori behind him. It was none other than the Animal Path Pain.

On Gamaken's back, Jiraiya stared intently at the two figures and said in a deep voice, "Nagato?"

As expected, too much time was wasted, and Nagato arrived in time.

Animal Path Pain slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed on Jiraiya, and said, "Since you're here, stay here, Jiraiya-sensei."

Looking at the withered giant statue at the other's feet, Jiraiya questioned, "Nagato, is this the 'Tailed Beast Weapon' you spoke of?"

"Do you still naively believe that this power can bring peace?"

Payne remained silent, his face expressionless, like a true puppet, causing Jiraiya to involuntarily narrow his eyes.

It was just a habitual attempt to probe and win someone over, but Nagato remained silent.

Boom! !
Another violent roar and tremor came from above everyone's heads, followed by the sound of the structure breaking under the strain!
Suddenly, the ceiling above cracked and collapsed, with large chunks of metal and rock crashing down amidst the dust and smoke!

Also falling was a massive figure covered in scorch marks and lacerations.

It is indeed a ye (険).

On its scarred back lies the mountain wind, its left arm severed at the shoulder and a hideous wound on its chest.

"Feng!" Aburame Torune's expression changed, and his figure instantly disappeared from Gamaken's back, appearing beside Yamanaka Fu and supporting his swaying body.

As the smoke and dust cleared, another figure nimbly landed beside the two Pains and Scorpion.

It was Pain, the Asura Path, shirtless, with bloodstains still remaining on the serrated edges behind him. Clearly, the injuries on Nue and Yamanaka Fu were inflicted by him.

"You have no idea what you're facing."

The silent beast, Payne, spoke again, his voice still flat and monotone: "Everything you are doing now is nothing but a futile struggle, a path to your own death."

Jiraiya's brows furrowed deeply as his gaze swept over the heavily injured Yamanaka Fu. He quickly weighed the situation in his mind, knowing that if the fight continued, everyone might end up here...

"Jiraiya-sama!"

Just then, Yamanaka Kaze raised his head. Although his face was ashen and blood was still seeping from his severed arm, his eyes were unusually calm.

He looked at Jiraiya and said hoarsely, "Please evacuate immediately. We have a way to destroy that thing."

"What?" Jiraiya was stunned. "Why are you all..."

"Once that technique is used, we won't be able to escape."

Beside him, Aburame Torune shook his head and said, "Back then, Lord Danzo stole the Fifth Hokage's diary, and there was a sentence in it that left a deep impression on us."

"The more it yearns for the light at the top, the deeper its roots must go—down into the soil, into the depths of darkness," he said.

“We’ve known all along that Lord Danzo was too obsessed with the Hokage position and too eager for light, and that he had already betrayed the will of Root. Now it’s our turn to carry it out…”

"Whatever you want to do, don't even think about it," came the voice of the beastly Pain.

The Asura Path of Pain beside him tore his wrist and arm apart, and a string of missiles shot out from the severed arm, aiming them at Jiraiya and the others in the distance.

On the other side, Scorpion also raised his arms expressionlessly, bringing them together in front of him, the muzzle of his cannon lighting up...

"Mom!"

"understand!"

Fukasaku and Shima, perched on Jiraiya's shoulders, leaped high into the air simultaneously, their cheeks puffed out.

Quack quack!!
Two ultra-high frequency sound waves suddenly erupted from their mouths, forming an invisible and intangible sound illusion that instantly enveloped the three Pains and Scorpion.

Immortal Technique: Frog Croaking.

The three Pains and Scorpion all stiffened involuntarily.

"Let's go quickly." Yamanaka Fu coughed up blood and said, "Tell the Fifth Hokage that we are very grateful that he still trusted us even after Danzo's defection."

"Let us be able to fight to the very end as Konoha ninjas in the Anbu."

Jiraiya exhaled, no longer hesitating, turned around abruptly, grabbed the still somewhat dazed Hyuga Takashi, and disappeared from sight at top speed.

"Don't even think about it." Scorpion actually broke free from the influence of the frog's croaking faster than Payne.

But at that moment, Aburame Torune slammed his hands onto the ground, and a huge purple barrier appeared, covering the entire area where the Gedo Mazo was located and extending upwards.

"Nue!" Yamanaka Fu formed the final hand seal with one hand and roared, "Explode!"

"Roar!" The pheasant beneath his feet raised its head and roared, its massive body emitting a blinding light.

This was a secondary explosion after absorbing the entire Zero-Tails and a large amount of Tailed Beast chakra.

A blinding white light first engulfed everything, followed by a terrifying roar that shook the heavens and the earth...

boom! !

(Phew, this was really tiring to write. Compared to high-level 1v1 matches, this kind of large-scale war is definitely harder to write. Fortunately, it's finally coming to an end, and the protagonist should make his appearance.)
(End of this chapter)