Konoha cat breeder

Chapter 186: The Fall

Standing beside Tonari, Kakuzu's face was filled with astonishment.

"When did this happen?"

"It began when each of his puppets shattered. Tiny particles of dust would fall, appearing to be ordinary wood shavings from the damaged puppets. Unless observed carefully, it's nearly impossible to notice," Tonari explained, rubbing his hands together as if brushing off some residue.

"So, you figured out he was using poison from the start?"

"Not exactly. At first, it just seemed suspicious. Every time one of his puppets broke, it would lunge toward the Third Kazekage before shattering. Once or twice might have been a coincidence, but repeatedly doing so was clearly intentional.

"Each broken puppet released a small dose of poison—so negligible that it could easily be dismissed. However, with each successive release, the toxin accumulated. The more puppets the Third Kazekage destroyed, the faster the poison built up in his system.

"If the Third Kazekage had gone all out from the beginning, he could've defeated Sasori before the poison accumulated to a lethal level. But he hesitated, perhaps out of guilt or sentimentality. Sasori exploited that moment of weakness to his advantage."

Tonari's eyes sparkled with a mix of admiration and calculation.

From a certain perspective, Sasori and Tonari shared many similarities. If circumstances allowed, Tonari might have considered recruiting him into the organization. But Sasori's ruthlessness made him a difficult candidate to handle.

"Should we intervene now?" Kakuzu asked.

Tonari shook his head. "It's too soon. You're underestimating the Third Kazekage. If we step in now, we risk a mutual takedown—or worse, being completely overpowered."

As Tonari finished speaking, the Third Kazekage, who had been kneeling in apparent defeat, suddenly stood up.

A surge of violent chakra erupted from him, lifting the iron sand that had fallen to the ground. Without hesitation, he launched a full-on assault against Sasori and his puppets.

Gone was any trace of mercy.

Despite his pale face and heavy breathing, the Third Kazekage's sheer determination brought him to the brink of a desperate counterattack.

Sasori, startled by the sudden resurgence, found himself struggling to keep up.

His remaining puppets were quickly destroyed, leaving him to face the Third Kazekage directly.

Though visibly struggling, the Kazekage gathered the remaining iron sand into a massive spinning drill-like structure. The whirring weapon seemed to symbolize his last shred of life and willpower.

Sasori's options were dwindling. He reached into his storage pouch and pulled out a final scroll. With a bite to his finger, he summoned two puppets—one male and one female—crafted in the likeness of his deceased parents.

The sight of these puppets caused the Third Kazekage's resolve to waver momentarily. Though he still attacked, the hesitation weakened his strike.

The massive iron drill struck Sasori, sending him flying backward. He tumbled across the sand, leaving a deep trench in his wake.

With that final attack, the iron sand collapsed, and the Third Kazekage fell to his knees. His breathing slowed, then ceased altogether as his body succumbed to the accumulated poison.

Even as his vision dimmed, he forced his gaze toward Sasori, waiting to see if his last attack had succeeded.

A bloodied hand emerged from the trench.

The Third Kazekage's dilated pupils lost their light. His body collapsed, and the iron sand scattered lifelessly to the ground.

Sasori staggered to his feet, clutching his side. The last attack had nearly killed him, but he survived thanks to the buffer provided by his parent puppets.

Walking over to the shattered remnants of his parent puppets, Sasori's expression turned complex.

These were the first puppets he ever made, a replacement for the parents he had lost. And now, they had saved his life one final time.

Turning to the Kazekage's lifeless body, Sasori began to laugh hysterically, his voice echoing across the desert.

This was it—the moment he had dreamed of. The revenge he sought for his parents was complete.

As he laughed, a slow clap interrupted him.

"Bravo. Truly impressive. Sasori of the Red Sand, you've managed to defeat the Third Kazekage," a voice echoed.

Sasori spun around, his guard immediately up.

Two figures clad in black cloaks stood nearby. One wore a cat-faced mask—Tonari. The other was Kakuzu, his green eyes glowing faintly as they locked onto the Kazekage's corpse.

"Who are you?" Sasori demanded, his tone icy.

Tonari stepped forward. "We're here to make a deal."

"What kind of deal?" Sasori's grip tightened around a small red sphere in his hand—a hidden explosive.

Tonari's masked face tilted slightly as he pointed at the Kazekage's body.

"We'll take the Third Kazekage's corpse. In exchange, you get to keep your life."

Sasori's pupils narrowed, and his expression darkened.

"You come here to steal my prize and expect me to simply walk away? At least tell me your names so I can remember who dared to cross me!"

Tonari didn't hesitate. "Akatsuki. We are the dawn of a new era."

Sasori's gaze bore into the two cloaked figures, memorizing every detail of their appearance. Then, with a quick movement, he activated a hidden mechanism.

Explosive devices buried in the sand erupted, creating a massive shockwave.

Tonari acted swiftly, grabbing the Kazekage's corpse and a fragment of a shattered human puppet before retreating.

"Move!" Tonari shouted to Kakuzu.

The two dashed out of range as the explosions obliterated the battlefield, leaving a massive crater that was quickly filled by the returning sands.

When the dust settled, Sasori had vanished.

---

Back at the site, Kakuzu turned to Tonari.

"You knew he had those explosives. Was it worth letting him escape?"

Tonari removed his mask, revealing a calm expression.

"This was his failsafe, designed to destroy all evidence. If we had killed him, the Kazekage's body would've been lost too. And between the two, the body is far more valuable."

Kakuzu didn't argue. "Fine. What now? Take it to the bounty station?"

Tonari smirked. "Not yet. If you cash it in now, Sunagakure will hunt you to the ends of the earth. For now, preserve it. It still has other uses."

Kakuzu sighed but complied. "Fine. But if it doesn't pay off, don't blame me for being upset."

Tonari chuckled, already forming new plans for the Third Kazekage's remains.

---

In Konoha, deep in his underground lab, Tonari's real body opened his eyes.

"Everything is falling into place," he muttered, stretching his arms.

The winds of the Third Shinobi World War were beginning to stir, and Tonari intended to ride them to his advantage.

(End of Chapter)

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