At this moment, Hoshi clenched his teeth, struggling to breathe. With each breath, waves of pain surged through his respiratory tract and lungs, contorting his expression in agony.
The burned skin on his body also echoed similar pain in waves. He opened his somewhat sticky eyelids, eyes filled with boundless anger and murderous intent, staring at the boy in the distance, equally drenched in blood.
Tatsuma tightly pressed his lips together, observing the sand flowing on Hoshi's body. He knew it was the Hidden Sand Village's Sand Control Ninja Technique, but Hoshi's proficiency was noticeably inferior to that of the Kazekage.
However, at this point, Hoshi hadn't unleashed more Puppetry techniques. Tatsuma speculated that perhaps Hoshi truly had no other Puppetry skills left, or maybe he hadn't brought them along.
Based on the timeline, it seemed that Hoshi had left the village with his sensei, the Third Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village. As long as the Third Kazekage was present, Hoshi might not have felt the need to carry a plethora of combat and life-saving Puppetry techniques.
Third Kazekage obviously anticipated that Konoha would launch a surprise attack on the frontline base of the Hidden Sand Village. Thus, he set up an ambush to counteract it, succeeding but receiving Konoha's declaration of war in return.
In this situation, if Third Kazekage didn't want Sarutobi Hiruzen to join the war, his only option was to retreat. This was actually the only feasible solution. After all, battles between Kage had significant repercussions, involving not only the outcome on the battlefield but also the fate and future of the villages. Therefore, participating in the war lightly was not an option, and Third Kazekage wisely chose to withdraw.
However, Hoshi did not go back. Instead, he integrated himself into the Sand Ninja team on the spot. This decision made sense, considering that it would take at least four to five days for Hoshi to return just to retrieve a few Puppetry tools, which might not be worth it.
After all, Hoshi had not anticipated encountering an opponent like Tatsuma, or rather, Tatsuma turning out to be as formidable as he was today.
It was just that, as expected, unexpected events could occur, and indeed, surprises could come uninvited.
After observing for a while and confirming that Hoshi had no additional tricks up his sleeve, Tatsuma hesitated no longer. He activated the Body Flicker Jutsu, channeling chakra into his legs, allowing him to swiftly charge towards Hoshi.
"Damn it! Sand Shield!"
Seeing Tatsuma approaching, Hoshi had no effective response. He could only endure the pain and manipulate the sand to form a shield in front of him.
As a Ninja specializing in Puppet Jutsu, Hoshi wasn't particularly skilled in close-quarters combat or Taijutsu, at least not among Jonin. One could say he just met the basic requirements. He favored Puppet Jutsu more, dedicating a significant amount of time to mastering the art of crafting puppetry techniques. As a result, even his proficiency in the Sand Control Ninja Technique was not deep, otherwise, he wouldn't have suffered such severe injuries.
With his current injuries and his lack of expertise in Taijutsu, facing Tatsuma, an opponent clearly adept at close-quarters combat, left Hoshi unsure of how to respond.
Confronted with the Sand Shield, Tatsuma opted for a simple solution – to bypass it!
Executing a swift somersault, he directly brushed past the Sand Shield, then swiftly followed up with a backhand, delivering a powerful punch to Hoshi.
"Boom~"
Hoshi, whose vision was obscured by the Sand Shield, hadn't even reacted before being sent flying. His burned skin scraped across the rough ground, and in an instant, Hoshi understood the true meaning of heart-wrenching pain.
Just as Hoshi struggled to get back up, Tatsuma was already right in front of him. Seizing the moment while Hoshi was still finding his footing, Tatsuma thrust his palm directly upwards, aiming for Hoshi's throat.
In response, Hoshi had to resort to using both hands in a horizontal block. Although not particularly skilled in Taijutsu combat, Hoshi wasn't completely inexperienced either, or he wouldn't have attained the rank of Jonin.
However, Tatsuma's upward palm thrust was a feint. Hoshi's horizontal block left him wide open, allowing Tatsuma to lower his stance, shift his weight, and then pivot for an elbow strike.
Through the gap between his hands, Hoshi saw Tatsuma's elbow heading straight for his solar plexus. This sight sent a chill down his spine but also triggered his latent potential. Utilizing the Sand Control Ninja Technique, he manipulated the sand to shield his vulnerable area.
"Bang~"
Though the sand dispersed and scattered, it managed to block Tatsuma's elbow strike. However, before Hoshi could heave a sigh of relief, Tatsuma's figure was already sticking close.
Given Tatsuma's short stature, height and reach were crucial in close combat. This was currently one of Tatsuma's major disadvantages. Hence, he couldn't allow Hoshi to create distance but needed to keep the fight within his own comfort zone.
Seeing Tatsuma catching up, Hoshi hastily launched a series of attacks with both hands, attempting to force Tatsuma away. However, Tatsuma skillfully maneuvered his hands, neutralizing Hoshi's force.
Not content with just that, Tatsuma's hands quickly caught up again, snaking through to control Hoshi's arms. Having experienced Tatsuma using this technique on his subordinates, Hoshi didn't dare let Tatsuma touch his hands and quickly leaned back to evade.
Unperturbed, Tatsuma's hands instantly pushed forward, imprinting on Hoshi's abdomen, propelling him forward and upward, disrupting Hoshi's balance.
As Hoshi landed again, attempting to regain balance, Tatsuma swiftly closed in once more. Like butterfly wings unfolding, his palms pushed out again. Struck in the abdomen, Hoshi not only failed to recover his balance but also arched his body downward.
This was precisely what Tatsuma aimed for, as Hoshi was too tall for him, making it challenging to strike his head directly. Seizing the opportunity, Tatsuma's palms started moving again.
However, this time, instead of pushing forward, they rose upward.
"Splatter~"
Tatsuma's palms connected with the sides of Hoshi's lower jaw, sending him flying. In mid-air, Hoshi coughed out a mixture of saliva and blood, with a few broken teeth wrapped in the liquid.
"Thud~"
Upon hitting the ground, Hoshi couldn't immediately get back up. He felt dizzy and disoriented, even forgetting what he was doing.
Tatsuma had already closed the gap, swiftly approaching. Aiming for Hoshi's neck, he thrust a foot, but in the nick of time, Hoshi regained consciousness. Sand instantly enveloped him.
"Bang~"
Though the sand was scattered by the kick, Hoshi rolled to the side, evading the attack. As he attempted to rise, or rather, in a crouching position preparing to stand, Tatsuma once again closed in.
Without hesitation, Tatsuma delivered a swift kick towards Hoshi's face. Hoshi quickly raised his hand for defense, using the momentum of the kick to rise and retreat, creating distance.
By the time Tatsuma caught up again, Hoshi had regained his senses. Lifting his hand, he aimed a strike at Tatsuma. However, in his current state of grogginess, his strength was dispersed, posing no real threat to Tatsuma.
Tatsuma directly moved aside Hoshi's front hand, blocked his rear hand, and simultaneously lifted his leg to step on the side of Hoshi's front leg knee. As Hoshi attempted to retract his leg, he also exerted force with his hands.
Seeing that he couldn't force Hoshi to kneel, Tatsuma didn't insist. Utilizing the resistance from Hoshi's front leg, Tatsuma smoothly slid his foot along and landed on Hoshi's ankle.
At the same time, his hands prepared for the next move—move aside, block, and the next step was to deliver punches.
Tatsuma had two choices: either to throw punches and withdraw, but this wouldn't be satisfying enough. Observing Hoshi's fierce expression, Tatsuma opted for the other choice—suddenly exerting force with his foot.
"Crack~"
The pain radiating from the ankle shot straight to Hoshi's forehead. His body involuntarily stiffened. Seizing the opportunity, Tatsuma swiftly turned and twisted his waist, gathering more strength. With another turn and twist, he launched two swift punches.
Fainting the first strike to the face to raise Hoshi's guard, then Tatsuma adjusted his position slightly due to the height difference and shifted to target the solar plexus directly!
"Crack, crack~"
Hoshi's mouth opened wide, but he remained silent. Or rather, in his entire world, everything seemed to have fallen silent at this moment.
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