Mastermind of the Akatsuki

After successfully repelling the joint assault from Sasori of the Red Sand and Orochimaru, a manic grin appeared on Shinnō's face. His confidence soaring, he taunted them, "Orochimaru, if this is all you've got, you should get on your knees and beg for mercy now. Maybe, if I'm in a good mood, I'll let you both live!"

(AN: Classic Chinese troupe. Sigh. But... its good to have some since I have been excluding them for a while.)

Hearing this, both Sasori and Orochimaru's expressions turned odd. This was Shinnō's home turf in the Sky Ninja Village, true, but perhaps he was getting too confident. One of them was Orochimaru, the legendary "Sanin" who struck fear across the ninja world, and the other was Sasori of the Red Sand, the one who assassinated the Third Kazekage. The two of them together could easily take on even the strongest Kage of the Five Great Nations.

Retrieving his puppets, Black Crow and Gray Ant, Sasori raised the scorpion tail on his back and struck toward Shinnō with blinding speed, while Orochimaru swiftly closed in, drawing the Kusanagi Sword from his mouth.

As the two launched their renewed offensive, Shinnō pressed off the ground with his toes and vanished from sight. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared beside Sasori, bringing a heavy fist down from above. The blow left only a shallow dent in Hiruko's metal casing.

Without even turning, Sasori flicked his scorpion tail, piercing Shinnō's skin and leaving a bloody wound, while Orochimaru seized the opportunity to slice across Shinnō's body with his sword.

Realizing he'd been wounded, Shinnō quickly created some distance, clutching his head in frustration. Although the injuries inflicted by Sasori and Orochimaru weren't fatal, their weapons were laced with potent toxins. Even with his advanced medical knowledge, purging the poison would still take a significant amount of time.

Seeing this, Sasori and Orochimaru paused their attack and began to approach Shinnō. Their aim wasn't to kill him but to acquire his latest techniques and technology. They needed Shinnō alive to get what they came for.

Just as Sasori and Orochimaru were about to close in, Shinnō, who appeared weakened, suddenly sprang up, his chakra surging to several times its previous level, distorting the air around him.

In a flash, Shinnō appeared beside them, unleashing powerful strikes with both arms. A thunderous impact resounded as Sasori and Orochimaru were sent flying over ten meters, crashing into walls that cracked in a spiderweb pattern on impact.

Climbing back to their feet, Sasori's face darkened. He hadn't expected Shinnō to be immune to their poison—it seemed Shinnō was even tougher than he had anticipated. It was time to get serious.

Orochimaru's expression was equally grim. Judging by the color of the steam emanating from Shinnō, he had opened the seventh of the Eight Gates, coming dangerously close to the technique's ultimate limit. Shinnō had clearly grown considerably over the years; his prowess in forbidden medical techniques now seemed to surpass even Tsunade's.

Resolving to go all out, Sasori and Orochimaru made their preparations.

Drawing out a summoning scroll, Sasori performed a summoning jutsu, bringing forth his most powerful puppet—the Third Kazekage. Orochimaru, meanwhile, transformed his body into that of a massive white serpent.

As a sinister breeze swept across the ground, a torrent of iron sand emerged from beneath the earth, forming a storm of metal that surged toward Shinnō. Manipulated by Sasori's Magnet Release, the iron sand was both a piercing spear and an impenetrable shield.

With the iron sand constraining him, Shinnō struggled to find an opening. Orochimaru, gripping the Kusanagi Sword in his serpent's mouth, waited for the perfect moment to strike, darting around the battlefield and studying Shinnō's movements.

Though Shinnō had harnessed both the Body Revival Technique and forbidden medical jutsu to activate the seventh gate of the Eight Gates, this technique was not sustainable. Once his stamina was depleted and he fell out of this state, he would stand no chance against these two.

Scanning his surroundings, Shinnō's gaze lingered on Sasori. Orochimaru's serpent form had demonstrated formidable strength over the years, and finding a way to exploit him seemed unlikely.

But Sasori, the puppeteer by Orochimaru's side, was different. While his strength rivaled Orochimaru's, puppeteers had unique vulnerabilities compared to typical ninja. For instance, their bodies tended to be fragile, and they relied on chakra threads to control their puppets.

The chakra threads were nearly invisible and exceptionally tough, making it challenging for most ninjas to detect them, let alone sever them. However, for Shinnō, who was highly skilled in medical ninjutsu, this task was less daunting.

Intentionally creating an opening, he lured the Third Kazekage Puppet into an attack, enduring the searing pain as iron sand began to corrode his flesh. He then drew his chakra scalpel, slashing at the chakra threads suspending the puppet midair.

With the chakra threads severed, the Kazekage Puppet dropped like a kite with its string cut. Seizing the opportunity, Shinnō leapt onto the puppet, preparing to close the distance to Sasori and shatter Hiruko with a powerful blow.

But just as Shinnō closed in, the seemingly lifeless Kazekage Puppet sprang back to life. It swiftly conjured a spear of metal, thrusting it through Shinnō's body, while a torrent of iron sand surged into his bloodstream. With his iron sand now within Shinnō, Sasori gained complete control over him, casting a cold, disdainful glance at Orochimaru.

Sasori had noticed Orochimaru's repeated reluctance to assist him during the battle. While Sasori had never relied on Orochimaru to back him up, he was irked by his partner's blatant disregard for their alliance. Had Sasori not mastered a technique for remote puppet control beforehand, he might have needed to consider a strategic retreat, only to return later with an army of puppets.

Feeling the iron sand coursing through his veins, Shinnō's face darkened. These particles, woven into his blood, could claim his life at any moment. He had lost the fight, and he had lost badly. Yet one question haunted him—how had he been defeated? He was sure he had severed every last chakra thread, and without them, a puppeteer should be unable to control their puppets.

Orochimaru, too, was perplexed. He had purposely held back to gain a favor from Sasori, planning to intervene at the crucial moment. However, just as he prepared to step in, the Kazekage Puppet—devoid of any visible energy source—had unexpectedly sprung to life, shifting the entire outcome of the battle with a single, precise strike to Shinnō's back.

Noticing the expressions on their faces, Sasori, stone-faced, said, "Controlling puppets with chakra threads is the method of an ordinary puppeteer. I'm not like those simpletons. Even without chakra threads, I can still control my puppets."