Duy's original body, due to maintaining high-intensity training over the years, was already riddled with hidden injuries and internal damage. This was also why he rarely activated the Eight Gates when on missions.
After receiving treatment from Tsunade and Shizune... And with Tobi fusing a small amount of his own cells into Duy's body... Although his physical strength didn't directly increase much, his now-perfect physical condition allowed him to display combat power far beyond what he previously could.
With all Seven Gates opened, he completely overwhelmed the not-yet-fully-matured Killer B.
The sound of fists pounding flesh echoed with impact.
Even Kitsuchi winced a little at the sound. In the inherent perception of most ninjas, when it came to physical strength, the strongest were always the reckless guys of Kumo, who trained in taijutsu.
Who would've thought, that Konoha, with its recent emergence of seemingly "hacked" individuals, would actually suppress the Kumo guys in battle!
A ripple spread through space.
Minato appeared beside them using a Flying Thunder God mark embedded in Shizune's ninja tool pouch.
He looked at Kei, enjoying tea with the Iwa crowd, and then at the battle outside, where the outcome was clear at a glance.
He let out a visible sigh of relief, his face breaking into a bright smile, and nodded in greeting to Kitsuchi and Ōnoki.
"Sigh..." Ōnoki glanced at Minato for a moment, then let out a long, deep sigh.
"Uh..." Minato looked at his friend, completely confused.
Was his appearance really that hard to accept? Why did seeing him make the old man sigh?
"Don't misunderstand," Kitsuchi said, with a sheepish smile, explaining Ōnoki's reaction. "He was just sighing in admiration at how Konoha is teeming with geniuses, like yourself."
He couldn't blame the old man for sighing. When he wasn't the Tsuchikage, he could leave everything to Ōnoki and not worry.
Now that he was Tsuchikage… he wanted to sigh too!
"You flatter me." Minato smiled his signature shy smile and scratched his head awkwardly.
"The Suna ninjas have arrived, but it seems their journey wasn't exactly peaceful either."
Shizune looked toward the southwest.
Blistering heat exploded in the dense forest several kilometers away, sending waves of fire into the sky.
Ōnoki and Kitsuchi immediately frowned, turning toward the source of the sound.
That was Scorch Release... Pakura?
Who was fighting over there?
Their thoughts raced, and they turned inquiring eyes toward Shizune.
"Don't look at me, it's not someone from Konoha. It's Sasori."
Shizune chuckled lightly, resting her chin on one hand as she half-reclined at the table, using her extraordinary sensory skills to perceive the distant battle in detail.
Countless streams of iron sand churned and surged underground.
Hundreds of uniquely shaped puppets flitted and danced like butterflies through the forest.
Pakura, wearing the Kage hat, struggled to defend against the unending assault of iron sand and puppets, while covering a few subordinates retreating toward the meeting site.
If it were a one-on-one fight...
Thanks to the intense heat of her Scorch Release, she wouldn't really fear Sasori's puppet-based attacks. After all, to ensure speed and agility, most puppets were made of various woods with relatively low ignition points.
Hit directly by Scorch Release, they would burn to ash in mere seconds. Even with Sasori controlling the Third Kazekage's puppet and using iron sand... As long as she avoided being surrounded by large amounts of it, she could fight him to a draw before exhausting her chakra.
Unfortunately, those accompanying her were of limited strength, including one particularly troublesome individual—Bunpuku!
If not for the One-Tail, unable to stand by and watch any longer... Complaining loudly, it condensed a mass of sand beneath Bunpuku's feet, carrying him forward.
Otherwise, this group likely wouldn't have even reached the Land of Fire's border before suffering a heavy blow.
"Sasori?" Kitsuchi looked completely bewildered, not understanding why Sasori would suddenly appear and assassinate the Kazekage.
Within minutes, figures of the Suna ninja leapt out from the dense forest, led by Pakura. They landed on the wooden platform crafted by Kei's Wood Release.
Two of the weaker Suna ninjas, panting heavily, wore expressions of having narrowly escaped death, as they looked back at the retreating iron sand that had ceased its pursuit.
"Magnet Release... hundreds of puppets..."
Ōnoki frowned deeply as he watched the iron sand and puppets gradually retreat into the forest.
The Iron Sand of the Third Kazekage was infamous throughout the shinobi world, and Suna's puppets had distinct characteristics, making them easy to identify.
But what was going on?
The Third Kazekage, along with puppet troops and the rogue Sasori, attacking the Fourth Kazekage?
Was there civil strife within Suna?
"Wait... Wasn't there news that the Third Kazekage was already dead?"
On the rooftop, Kitsuchi looked dazed as he turned to ask Kei.
"Yeah, Sasori killed him. Afterward, he turned the Third Kazekage into a human puppet. The iron sand just now was being controlled by that puppet."
"Oh... huh? Human puppet? Wait, why?"
After Kei's explanation, Kitsuchi's brain froze again—he felt even more confused!
"Sasori's parents were killed in battle by Konoha's White Fang. Later, when Sakumo died, he couldn't exact revenge, so he directed his hatred toward the Third Kazekage, who had made the wartime decisions. Coupled with his obsession with 'art' and Chiyo's neglect after the death of his parents... well..."
Kei set down his teacup and laid out everything he knew.
"...So he killed the Third Kazekage... and now the Fourth?"
Kitsuchi's face was comically twisted—he really couldn't follow Sasori's train of thought. Even if he wanted to take it out on someone, shouldn't that anger be directed at Konoha?
But instead... He killed his own village's Kage and now wanted to kill the Fourth?
"Probably because Chiyo died, and now he's taking it out on Pakura," Kei replied uncertainly.
A few days ago, Chiyo had made up her mind to die when she decided Suna would surrender. After arranging all of Suna's affairs and appointing Pakura as the Fourth Kazekage... She drank poison and faced death calmly.
Perhaps in her view, the moment Suna agreed to join forces with Konoha, the village's spirit had died. And since she was born and raised in Suna, held absolute authority, and had led the village to this fate, it was only fitting that she be buried in the desert alongside it.
"Chiyo, huh?" Ōnoki slowly nodded.
As an enemy, Chiyo had always been a bitter thorn in their side. But still, that old woman—she may have wronged many in her life, but she had never betrayed Suna.
Well... If it was Sasori who killed the Third Kazekage, then... Forget it, forget it. The man was already dead.
Don't pin the misdeeds of an unfilial grandson onto the old lady.
Every village had its struggles.
Besides, some things really couldn't be blamed on Chiyo. Konoha's power now was so overwhelming that they had no room to resist. Even if the Third Kazekage had lived, nothing would have changed.