"You guys went too far!"
Kankuro's face twisted in rage. As a puppeteer who treated his creations like a second life, nothing angered him more than hearing someone insult them—especially for how they looked. It felt to Kankuro as if he himself had been personally insulted.
[Black Secret Jutsu: Hand Blade]
From its wrist joints, the Corpse Crow extended four blades coated with an eerie sheen—clearly laced with poison.
Chakra threads extended from Kankuro's fingertips and connected to the Corpse Crow's body. Emitting a clicking sound, the three-eyed crow sprang into motion under Kankuro's control and lunged at Ino.
"Clang"
The blades froze just inches from Ino's face, surrounded by a crimson aura of energy. No matter how Kankuro struggled, the blades wouldn't move even an inch closer.
"So this is your Puppet Technique? Seems pretty underwhelming to me!"
With her palms raised, Ino held a swirling mass of crimson energy, matching the glow surrounding the Corpse Crow's limbs. Wiggling her fingers slightly, the blades on the puppet gradually retracted back into their hidden compartments.
"What kind of ability is this?" Kankuro stared wide-eyed. He tried using chakra threads to command the Corpse Crow again, but some strange force was interfering with his control. The joints around the puppet's wrists were now completely unresponsive.
"[Chaos Magic] — an ability that combines control and destruction," explained Sakura softly to Kakashi and others nearby. "Ino can use Chaos Magic to control absolutely anything—including raw energy itself. So obviously, Kankuro's puppets don't stand a chance. Additionally, Chaos Magic carries illusionary effects, although those require close-range activation. As for destruction..."
Its strength ultimately depends on Ino's inner willpower."
"Here, I'll return your puppet to you."
With a sharp flick of her hand, Ino cloaked the Corpse Crow in crimson energy and hurled it straight toward Kankuro. The chakra threads connecting him to the puppet had already been forcibly severed by Chaos Magic.
"Don't throw it!" cried out Kankuro in horror. Watching helplessly as the Corpse Crow flew through the air, he quickly pulled out a scroll and summoned Sanshouo, the next puppet. After rapidly connecting chakra threads to it, he maneuvered Sanshouo to leap up and catch the Corpse Crow mid-air.
"At least it isn't damaged."
Breathless, Kankuro rushed over to inspect the Corpse Crow, which Sanshouo held tightly in its mouth. Relieved, his tense expression softened slightly.
"Sure it isn't broken?"
Ino smirked, stretched her right hand outward, and the energy still clinging to the Corpse Crow resonated with the power in her palm. She then clenched her fist forcefully.
"Crack!"
As the Corpse Crow's limbs shattered apart one by one, so too did Kankuro's heart feel torn into pieces.
Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-One: Kankuro's Sorrow [Part 2]
"My Corpse Crow..."
Kankuro threw himself forward and hugged the puppet, trembling with heartache. The look on his face suggested he might burst into tears at any moment.
"I only snapped the limbs off your puppet. You can fix it yourself after the match, right? Is it really worth getting this upset over?"
Ino was completely unsettled by Kankuro's over-the-top reaction—as though he'd lost someone dear—and couldn't help but shiver. She'd heard rumors that some people in the world could grow emotionally attached to lifeless objects, even sacrificing themselves for them. Could she have actually run into one of those extreme types?
"You don't understand anything!" Kankuro shot back. "Corpse Crow has been with me since I graduated from the ninja academy. For years, I've handled it with nothing but the utmost care. And now, you've gone and broken its limbs! How could I not be heartbroken?!"
"I won't judge you for being upset," Ino replied, "but please don't sneak attack me from behind while you're at it. That kind of behavior makes you look like a total jerk!"
She lifted her left hand slightly, stopping two blade-tipped arms that had shot out from behind her. The blades were serrated and looked vicious—being slashed by them would be disastrous.
"You talk about caring for your puppet so much, but you're just using that act as a cover for another sneak attack!"
"Damaging puppets during battle is inevitable—I've long accepted that. As for sneaking attacks..." Kankuro stood up, all traces of sorrow vanishing from his face. "Ninjas survive in darkness. It's warriors who fight head-on, not ninjas!"
"If you can dodge two blades, how about six together? Can you handle that?"
With swift finger movements, Kankuro summoned four more blades hidden inside the puppet's limbs. They flew out from the shadows, aimed directly at Ino's vital points.
"Only six blades again? You're seriously underestimating me!"
A confident smile curled Ino's lips. "Your little flurry of blades? That's kindergarten stuff compared to Tenten's attacks!"
A dense crimson Chaos Magic manifested around her body like solid armor. All six blades halted midair, their sharp edges hovering barely inches from Ino, unable to penetrate the magical barrier.
"She blocked all six blades from Black Ant? But surely, you must be reaching your limit by now."
Kankuro first showed shock, then broke into a grin. His fingers twitched, and the fallen Corpse Crow took flight once again. Its head opened wide, revealing rows of tiny, glinting needles.
[Black Secret Technique: Poison Needles from Karasu's Mouth]
Countless fine needles shot out from Corpse Crow's mouth, each gleaming coldly. A closer look revealed a deep green coating along their tips—clearly smeared with deadly poison.
"I used the six arms from Black Ant to keep you busy, then reactivated Corpse Crow for the real strike. Although I can't control too many complex actions with Corpse Crow right now, triggering a simple mechanism isn't a problem. These poison-tipped needles will kill you if you don't receive treatment quickly enough."
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