But not long after they began moving, someone caught up with them—Sasori, masked and silent. Kankurō immediately engaged, the clash of puppeteers inevitable. Despite his growth and talent as a puppet master, Kankurō's skills were still far behind Sasori's. The latter, once the pride of Sunagakure, had long transcended human limits by converting himself into a puppet and wielding the deadly "Hiruko."
Their duel was fierce but short-lived. Kankurō unleashed his upgraded puppets—Karasu, Kuroari, and Sanshōuo—in a coordinated attack, but Sasori effortlessly countered with his own puppet weapons and overwhelming poison techniques. Before Maki and her unit could arrive to assist, Kankurō was already on the ground, paralyzed by Sasori's potent neurotoxins, gasping as the venom shut down his muscles.
The invasion had thrown Sunagakure into chaos. With their Kazekage abducted and one of their top shinobi downed, a wave of panic swept across the village.
Meanwhile, far from the desert, under the pale glow of the moonlight, the Konoha Village training ground was immersed in the shadows of rustling trees. The night air was still, but inside the forest, a silent intensity filled the space. Kakashi Hatake, masked and alert, crouched behind a tree, his breathing labored. Sweat clung to his brow. Hours of battle had worn him down.
He murmured to himself between breaths, "That guy… still hasn't shown a hint of fatigue?"
Kakashi glanced at the clearing, where Naruto stood with calm eyes. "Unbelievable stamina. That chakra reserve of his really makes him unstoppable."
On a raised viewing platform nearby, Tsunade and Jiraiya quietly observed. As a trained medic-nin, Tsunade's eyes quickly picked up on subtle details.
"He's still holding back," she said.
Jiraiya nodded. "Naruto hasn't gone all out yet. He's mastered Sage Mode—complete, balanced, and perfected."
Tsunade's eyes widened. "Perfect Sage Mode? Like Grandpa Hashirama's?"
"Exactly," Jiraiya said. "He can draw in natural energy seamlessly without the aid of the Toads now."
She clenched her fists, both impressed and surprised. "He's already reached that level?"
They watched closely. Tsunade could already see how the tides were turning. "Kakashi can't win this match… not anymore."
Down on the field, Sakura approached Naruto, her breathing heavy and her chakra waning. Her muscles were sore from training, but Naruto stood upright, steady, not even a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek.
"Sensei must be reaching his limit," Sakura said. "If we push forward now, we can take the bells."
Naruto remained silent, deep in thought. Something about Kakashi's defenses made him reconsider. Despite his vast chakra pool and strategic mind, Kakashi's battle intuition was no joke. A straightforward approach might not be enough.
Hatake Kakashi didn't earn his reputation as "The Copy Ninja" by luck.
Naruto's brows furrowed. He began contemplating alternatives. Maybe Sage Mode would end this faster, but then, a familiar thought surfaced—a trick that once worked. He waved Sakura closer and whispered something into her ear.
She blinked in surprise. "Are you sure that'll work?"
"We'll decide as we go," Naruto replied. He wasn't entirely confident. After all, he'd relied on this move during the original bell test—but the dynamics were different now. Kakashi wasn't going to fall for the same thing twice… or would he?
Still, it was worth a try. If it failed, he'd use Sage Mode to wrap things up quickly.
Five minutes passed. Kakashi, alert as ever, noticed the eerie stillness. "What are they doing?" he muttered. "No movement at all…"
He didn't dare relax, but this brief lull gave him a chance to regulate his chakra and breathing.
Then—boom!
Naruto and Sakura burst from the canopy above him. Kakashi's reflexes kicked in. "I knew it," he whispered, forming seals.
But Naruto shouted something unexpected—something odd—and Kakashi's hands stalled. Confused for a moment, his defenses dropped. That's when Sakura lunged in, snatching at the bells.
"Bang!"
Kakashi's figure dispersed in a puff of smoke.
"A shadow clone?!" Sakura gasped. "He wasn't even here?!"
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "That trick worked before… why didn't it now?"
From another tree branch, Kakashi dropped down with a dry look. "That was terrifying," he said, shaking his head. "If I hadn't prepared a shadow clone earlier, I would've lost."
He rubbed his neck and sighed. "Honestly, Naruto… using that kind of dirty trick again? I expected more."
Naruto frowned. "How'd you have enough chakra left to prepare a shadow clone in advance? You should've been almost out."
Kakashi's tone turned serious. "That's the thing. I haven't seen you show any signs of chakra exhaustion. When someone has as much chakra as you, it makes me extra cautious."
Naruto's lips curled into a grin. "I get it now. My calmness spooked you."
He exhaled, then dropped his act. "Fine then. No more games, Kakashi-sensei."
Sakura could feel it. His presence changed. "His eyes…" she muttered. "They're different now."
Kakashi narrowed his gaze. "So you've been holding back after all…"
Naruto slowly brought his hands together. His eyes closed. A calm silence enveloped him. Within moments, nature energy from the environment began converging into his body at a frightening rate.
Both Jiraiya and Tsunade reacted at once. As sage users themselves, they could sense it.
"He's drawing in natural energy…" Tsunade whispered.
"In perfect sync with his own chakra," Jiraiya added. "No toad transformation at all."
In under ten seconds, Naruto's eyes snapped open—orange pigmentation surrounded his eyelids, and his pupils transformed into sharp horizontal toad-like slits.
Sage Mode—perfected.
Tsunade's mouth parted slightly. "So that's what a perfect Sage Mode user looks like…"
A wave of sage chakra radiated from Naruto's body like heat from a fire.
Even Kakashi, composed as he was, took an unconscious step back.
This wasn't just training anymore.
This was the power of a shinobi on par with the Sannin themselves.