Naruto: My Unique System

Chapter 98: Defeating Hoshi

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.