"So spectacular." Setsuna couldn't help but clap in admiration. He felt that the people of Sunagakure really knew how to put on a show.
"Is that so? I also find it quite spectacular." Sasori twitched his facial muscles, performing a mechanical smile. "But what comes next is the climax of this grand performance."
He retrieved a scroll from behind. The next moment, the Third Kazekage descended upon his loyal Sunagakure once more.
Setsuna raised an eyebrow, 'Was Sasori deliberately trying to get back at Sunagakure?'
"Witness my ultimate artistic masterpiece." Under Sasori's control, the surrounding iron sand began to gather.
"Such high artistic value. Must be as high as three or four stories." Setsuna couldn't help but praise. He felt that the show was getting better and better.
Amidst the chaotic battlefield, no one initially noticed what puppet Sasori had brought out, until the Third Kazekage's human puppet began using Magnet Release.
"Magnet Release Ninjutsu! Isn't that the Kekkei Genkai of Kazekage-sama and Rasa-sama? Why is it appearing here?" A Sunagakure's Jonin noticed his kunai being affected and instinctively looked towards the main platform, only to see Rasa engaged in combat alongside the Tsuchikage against the Hokage.
Following the direction of the gathering iron sand, he looked up at the sky and was shocked to find the Third Kazekage floating in the air.
"It's Kazekage-sama!" The Sunagakure's Jonin was overjoyed at first, but soon realized something was wrong. "No, this is Kazekage-sama's corpse... even a puppet made from his corpse!"
Even without his exclamation, more and more people were noticing the anomaly in the sky.
"Oh my god, this can't be real! Kazekage-sama... was turned into a puppet?"
"Look at the direction of the Chakra Threads... it's Hiruko! He killed Kazekage-sama!"
"What's going on? Wasn't it said that someone from Konoha assassinated Kazekage-sama?"
Screams continuously erupted from the crowd.
'It really was Sasori!' Chiyo felt her hands and feet turn cold. Her ominous premonition had come true.
Rasa felt equally cold. He never imagined that his self-mocking words from before had actually come true. That the Third Kazekage was really killed by someone from the village.
'At least Sasori is still under a disguise. We can still salvage this.' Rasa forced himself to calm down and shouted sternly, "Who are you? I've long suspected something was off. Hiruko couldn't possibly possess such puppet skills. Are you a spy sent by Konoha?"
Rasa desperately tried to make eye contact with Sasori, hoping he would play along.
However, Sasori merely responded calmly: "Wasn't it you who told me to assume this identity for the match?"
After saying this, Sasori stepped out from within the puppet.
"It's him! I know him! Chiyo-sama's grandson, our Sunagakure's genius puppet master, Sasori of the Red Sand!"
"What is going on? Is Chiyo-sama the one who killed Kazekage-sama?"
"I understand now. This is all a setup. Rasa conspired with Chiyo to assassinate Kazekage-sama and tried to pin the blame on Konoha."
"Is Rasa actually a spy from Iwagakure?"
Exclamations rose one after another across the coliseum, and the chaos temporarily subsided.
But this time, Rasa was truly infuriated to the point of internal injury. He felt the world spinning, his vision darkening, wishing he could just pass out and not wake up.
Seeing the blame was about to be shifted onto him, Onoki quickly interrogated: "Sasori, why did you kill Kazekage-dono?"
"Of course because he deserved to die." Sasori said coldly, "As the Kazekage, protecting the village's comrades is his responsibility. But due to his incompetence, my parents died at the hands of Konoha's White Fang. Of course I had to kill him."
Hearing Sasori's reason, both Onoki and the Third Hokage felt a chill run down their spines.
'By that standard, we had enemies all over our own villages.'
The thought that there might be hundreds or even thousands of villagers wanting to kill them in corners they hadn't paid attention to made them shudder.
'It shouldn't be that bad, right? The Third Kazekage got Sasori's parents killed by launching an invasion. We in Konoha have always been on the defensive. Even if there were sacrifices in the process, it was to protect the village.'
The Third Hokage comforted himself internally, then cried out loudly: "Ninjas of Sunagakure! You should all realize now that you were deceived by your own village's higher-ups, right? They are the true culprits who killed Kazekage-dono. As long as you rectify this mistake, Konoha will always be Sunagakure's ally."
Hearing the Third Hokage's appeal, many Sunagakure's Ninja indeed showed expressions of shame. They had misunderstood Konoha, and it was their leaders who had betrayed them.
Rasa also grew anxious. Disregarding his own predicament, he shouted: "Everyone, I know it's hard for you to trust me again no matter how I explain now, and I am willing to take full responsibility. But we absolutely cannot stop the fight now. We have already deeply offended Konoha. Do you think they won't seek revenge afterwards?"
The Third Hokage quickly assured: "I swear on my name as the Hokage that we will absolutely not seek revenge aft…"
Before he could finish, Rasa yelled: "You in Konoha even persecute your own heroes! Your guarantee holds no credibility! All we can do now is keep moving forward. Otherwise, we will lose Iwagakure as an ally as well."
Onoki promptly stated: "That's right. As long as we point our spears outward together, Iwagakure will be Sunagakure's friend."
The three of them argued back and forth like market aunties.
The Sunagakure's Ninja looked at each other, unsure whom to listen to.
"How utterly ugly. This is why I despise this place." Sasori burned through the last of his patience and looked coldly at Setsuna, "There's no need to care about what those mediocrities think. Let us continue our battle."
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle."
The Third Kazekage puppet waved both hands, countless iron sand particles transforming into fine needles shooting towards Setsuna, their speed countless times faster than the previous poison needles.
Setsuna didn't dare to block attacks of this level head-on and could only dodge rapidly.
And his dodging meant misfortune for others.
Sasori had no concept of holding back. The crowd covered by the iron sand, regardless of their status, were instantly annihilated by the iron sand.
This tragedy served as a reminder to the Sunagakure's people.
"Internal security must come before external threats! Deal with the traitor Sasori first!"
"That's right! Avenge Kazekage-sama!"
This portion of Sunagakure's Ninjas couldn't be bothered to figure out who to listen to anymore and directed their spears at Sasori.
In response, Sasori merely indifferently activated the Third Kazekage's largest area-of-effect attack.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Gathering Assault."
Black iron sand formed massive, sharp geometric shapes in the air, while the iron sand on the ground transformed into countless spikes assaulting upwards from below.
For a moment, screams and wails were everywhere.
"Stop! Do you want to destroy Sunagakure?" Chiyo finally couldn't hold back anymore and took action, summoning ten puppets from a scroll. "White Secret Technique: Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets Collection!"
There wasn't the slightest fluctuation in Sasori's voice: "A place like this... it wouldn't be so bad if it were destroyed."