"Swish, swish, swish!"
A volley of pitch-black kunai shot out from the depths of the cave, streaking through the air at an astonishing speed.
The man in the black robe stood unmoved, his expression unreadable beneath the mask.
The next moment, the kunai—seemingly on target—passed straight through his body, as if he were made of nothing but air. The weapons embedded themselves into a tree behind him, quivering slightly upon impact.
"Very perceptive."
Beneath the mask, his scarlet eyes narrowed slightly.
"Shhh!"
A soft crackling sound followed as the kunai's tails revealed a deadly surprise—each one was tethered to a detonating tag.
With a sudden spark, the tags ignited.
"Boom! Boom!"
A chain of explosions erupted, sending waves of fire and debris surging outward. The flames roared, engulfing the figure of the black-robed man in an inferno.
From the cave's entrance, a lone figure stepped into the fiery glow. His exquisite face, so stunningly refined that even women would feel ashamed in comparison, was illuminated by the flickering light.
Sasori.
He frowned slightly, his gaze scanning the burning area ahead. Pursuers? How did they manage to find this place?
He had placed numerous traps around the dense forest, yet none had been triggered.
As he muttered to himself, a dark silhouette emerged from the flames, strolling forward as if untouched by the destruction around him.
Sasori's eyes narrowed, flashing with intrigue.
"What kind of ninjutsu is this?" he asked, a trace of curiosity creeping into his tone.
He wasted no time, swiftly retrieving a scroll from his back. With a flick of his wrist, he unfurled it, releasing a thick mist. A puppet materialized beside him, its joints clicking into place as it sprang to life.
Fine azure chakra threads extended from Sasori's ten fingers, connecting him seamlessly to his puppet.
"Rustle!"
With a subtle movement of his fingers, black iron sand gathered around the puppet, coalescing into countless sharp needles.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
In an instant, a barrage of iron needles shot forward like a relentless storm, dark and lethal.
Yet, the black-robed man didn't flinch. He merely murmured to himself, "The Third Kazekage's Iron Sand?"
The deadly rain of needles tore through his form, but just like before, they passed through as if he were nothing more than an illusion.
Sasori's expression shifted to one of disbelief.
"Impossible... Is it speed?"
Even the Yellow Flash of Konoha, hailed as the fastest ninja in the world, couldn't remain so unshaken in the face of such an overwhelming attack.
But this wasn't just speed. The attacks truly passed through him!
Throughout the history of the ninja world, no shinobi had ever displayed an ability like this.
Sasori pressed on, manipulating his puppets to continue their assault, but every attempt yielded the same result—penetration, as if he were attacking a mirage.
Finally, the black-robed man halted a few steps away.
"There's no need for alarm," he said, his voice eerily calm. "I am not from the Five Great Nations, nor am I here to capture you."
Sasori's frown deepened. "Then what do you want?"
"I admire your talent. I've come to recruit you."
Sasori chuckled, his tone dripping with amusement. "Recruit me? Sorry, but I'm not interested."
As he spoke, he suddenly leaped backward, his hands forming a rapid sequence of seals.
"Boom!"
The ground beneath the black-robed man trembled violently before collapsing. His body plummeted into the pit as countless detonating tags illuminated the walls with a sinister glow.
"You can't escape."
Before the explosion ignited, the black-robed man chuckled.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
A deafening series of blasts shook the forest, flames and smoke billowing into the sky. The tranquil atmosphere shattered under the force of the destruction.
From a safe distance, Sasori watched the explosion with a confident smirk.
But before his expression could settle into satisfaction, a familiar voice drifted through the air.
"I told you… you can't escape."
His eyes widened in shock as the space ahead of him began to twist, warping like a vortex.
And from that swirling distortion, the black-robed man stepped forward, completely unharmed.
Sasori's body tensed as he instinctively leaped back. Upon landing, he muttered in astonishment, "Space-time ninjutsu!?"
To his knowledge, only one person in the ninja world—Namikaze Minato—had mastered space-time jutsu. And even then, Minato required marked coordinates to teleport.
But the man before him?
There were no signs of seals or marks—he had moved freely through space itself.
"What exactly do you want?" Sasori asked, his tone darkening.
The black-robed man chuckled. "You despise Konoha, don't you?"
His words struck a nerve.
"Your parents were killed by Hatake Sakumo and Namikaze Minato, correct?"
Sasori's expression twisted with suppressed rage.
"So what if they were?" he growled.
"Well," the man continued smoothly, "it just so happens that I have a grudge against Konoha as well... and against Minato Namikaze."
Sasori scoffed. "Are you planning to take revenge on Konoha?"
"Indeed."
Sasori smirked mockingly. "You may be powerful, but do you truly believe you stand a chance against Minato Namikaze?"
"Besides him, there are still the Three Legendary Sannin, Konoha's White Fang, the Third Hokage, and Uchiha Yoruki, who has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Even the combined forces of the Four Great Nations failed to defeat them. Do you think you and I alone can accomplish what they couldn't?"
The black-robed man's voice remained unwavering.
"So, are you afraid?" he asked. "Are you abandoning your parents' vengeance?"
Sasori's expression darkened further.
"Of course not!" he spat.
But deep down, he knew the truth. If he wanted to destroy Konoha, he needed to reach a level on par with Uchiha Madara.
And that was impossible.
The black-robed man's voice cut through his thoughts.
"You know as well as I do that relying on your own strength alone, you'll never have a chance."
Sasori's fingers twitched slightly.
"You already tried once, didn't you? You deliberately revealed Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God mark to the Sunagakure leaders, pushing them to war. You even used the Four Great Nations to further your revenge. But in the end, it still wasn't enough."
"Even the Third Raikage perished. Despite all your efforts, Konoha still stood tall."
Instead of being angered, Sasori chuckled. "So? Are you suggesting that just the two of us can accomplish what the Four Great Nations couldn't?"
"I think you misunderstand." The black-robed man's tone remained calm.
"When did I ever say it would be just the two of us?"
Sasori's eyes flickered.
"Wars aren't won by strength alone. If we bring the battlefield to Konoha, how much of their power do you think they can truly wield?"
Sasori remained silent, his mind racing.
The man's words were bold, but undeniably logical.
"In order to destroy Konoha, I need your strength."
"But even without you, the plan will still proceed. It will only be… more difficult."
"Think it over. Before we begin, I will return for your answer."
With that, space rippled once more, swallowing the black-robed man in a vortex before he vanished.
Sasori remained standing, his gaze locked on the empty space where the man had just stood.
His fingers clenched slightly.
Revenge…
A slow smirk crept onto his face.
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