The puppet's condition was horrific—its right arm was broken, its body badly damaged, and parts of it were turning to stone.
And yet… its power hadn't weakened. If anything, it had grown stronger. What was once just a lifeless husk now seemed to pulse with vitality.
Manda didn't dare let his guard down. Since mastering Sage Mode, his beast instincts had sharpened, and right now, they were screaming: this enemy is dangerous.
Without hesitation, he spewed out a thick stream of poisonous mist.
The Third Kazekage moved with surprising agility, soaring through the air to evade the attack—far more fluid than when Sasori had been controlling him. But no matter how agile, he was no longer made of flesh and blood. He was steel. This body still felt foreign.
The mist grazed his lower limbs, and a dull, gray sheen began creeping up his legs like spreading corrosion.
Kazekage spun mid-air, then steadied himself. His gaze dropped to his petrifying legs—unflinching, indifferent. A massive blade sprang from his left arm. With a single, clean motion, he severed his lower legs and let them fall.
As if irritated by the unfamiliar machinery within him, he casually swung the blade once more, then turned his gaze to his attacker.
He looked past Manda—straight at Orochimaru, perched above.
"...Orochimaru. I know you. You killed me. You made me like this?"
His voice was cold and raspy, with a strange mechanical resonance—but Orochimaru noticed something disturbing: there were no vocal cords. No throat. Only metal and gears inside the puppet's mouth.
Sasori wouldn't leave useless parts... so where was that voice coming from?
But more importantly… the Kazekage's current state was far more fascinating.
A glint of intrigue flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.
"The one who killed you wasn't me," he said. "It was a ninja from your own village—Chiyo's grandson, the Sasori of the Red Sand."
"Sasori…"
The Third Kazekage repeated the name, his voice calm, unsurprised.
"He tried to assassinate me three times. So… he finally succeeded."
"Tsk tsk… Three times? You really indulged him." Orochimaru gave a sinister smile. "But his rebellion has caused quite a bit of trouble for Konoha. You know, Sand and Leaf are allies now. These things… will need to be explained."
"Mm. I see."
The Third Kazekage was quiet for a moment, then sighed.
"But I'm already dead. Let the current Kazekage deal with it."
The chakra core that bound his soul to the puppet was weakening. The only reason he remained was to uncover the truth behind his death.
Contrary to what Sasori might have expected, the Kazekage was not consumed by rage or grief. He had accepted death with an open heart. No wild vengeance. No mindless attack.
Still, Sasori had gotten what he wanted. Orochimaru's attention was now focused on the puppet. Whether the Kazekage lived or not no longer mattered to him.
"Third Kazekage-sama," Orochimaru purred, licking his lips, "you may not care about the Sand Village anymore… but what about you? I saved you from Sasori. What will you do with that second chance?"
In that brief exchange, Orochimaru had already pieced it together.
Human puppets—created from the corpses of powerful shinobi, preserving their abilities and some trace of their soul.
And this one… still had will.
Normally, when the soul returns to the Pure Land, the body is nothing more than rotting flesh—useless and inert. Even if someone were to manipulate it, it shouldn't be able to match a machine of steel, let alone wield a ninja's abilities.
Yet, judging by the current state of the Third Kazekage, Orochimaru couldn't help but think: perhaps human puppets and the Reanimation Jutsu share the same goal—reviving the dead—but through different vessels.
"You saved me..." the Kazekage said slowly. "Though it may not have been your intention, in reality… that's what happened."
As a former Kazekage—one of the top shinobi in the world—he had too much pride to deny this truth.
He glanced toward Kakuzu, locked in battle with Tsunade in the distance. "I'm already dead. There's not much I can do to help you. So I'll repay your kindness… with his life."
"You don't need to bother with that," Orochimaru replied with a sly smile, glancing in the same direction. "A mere rogue ninja isn't worth my attention. I have something else I want your help with."
The Kazekage's eyes remained fixed on Orochimaru. Feeling a shift in the air, he narrowed his gaze. "What is it?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Orochimaru replied, still smiling. "But until then… I'll have to ask you to stay put."
Despite his polite words, the malice in his tone was unmistakable. Beneath him, Manda lunged like a fired arrow, aiming straight for the Kazekage.
"You plan to imprison me like Sasori did?"
The Kazekage's voice was calm, but his eyes gleamed with cold defiance. "Then show me what you've got."
In an instant, a surge of black iron sand erupted from the ground. It twisted into a massive cage of interwoven wires—an elegant trap.
Manda rushed forward… and crashed directly into it.
It was no coincidence. The Third Kazekage hadn't been idle. Even in death, the instincts of a former Kage remained sharp. He would never entrust his safety to someone else entirely.
He always left a contingency.
"Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation!"
Manda hissed as he was confined. Natural energy surged from him, breathing life into the surrounding inorganic matter. The very terrain awakened, clashing against the iron sand as both sides vied for control.
Manda could've used this technique earlier to escape—but he had chosen a more conservative move to set up a sneak attack instead.
"Sage Art, huh...?" murmured the Kazekage, his voice distant with recollection. "A powerful technique from the snakes of Ryūchi Cave... I once had a companion like that."
Below, waves of black sand churned like a storm-tossed sea. Though the cage's structure began to collapse, even empowered by natural energy, it wasn't enough to suppress the Third Kazekage completely.
His title as the strongest Kazekage wasn't just for show. And now, in his soul-bound state, chakra exhaustion was no longer a concern.
But instead of deterring Orochimaru, the spectacle only deepened his fascination. While the Kazekage was busy with Manda, Orochimaru leapt into action—charging straight toward him.
The Kusanagi Blade sliced through the sand defenses like a spear of light. With one clean motion, he cleaved through the Kazekage's head.
But a quiet voice echoed at the same time:
"You're fast. That Sage Art is powerful… but you've forgotten something important."
"I'm already dead."
As the words faded, the Kazekage's torso—missing all but the right arm—suddenly morphed. Spikes shot outward from within, turning his body into a spiny sea urchin. Dozens of black spears burst out, impaling Orochimaru in an instant.
Only for Orochimaru to vanish in a puff of white smoke.
"A shadow clone…"
The Kazekage's gaze narrowed. In the space before him, black sealing symbols began to spiral into view.
"Uzumaki sealing arts. So that was the real goal."
The fierce sword strike had only been a distraction—to draw his attention while the true trap was set.
Still, the Kazekage showed no panic. As if watching a game of shogi, he murmured to himself:
"When did he make the clone?"
"…Or was I talking to a clone the entire time?"
There was no answer.
Only the wind.