A piercing, ear-splitting roar erupted across the battlefield!
At some point, unnoticed, a Sand ninja within the ranks of the Sand army stared at his chest, his eyes filled with incomprehensible terror.
What… is this?
A fist-sized hole had appeared in the Sand ninja's chest, a chilling cavity through which one could clearly see the ground behind him.
He tried to call for help, but his strength ebbed away like a receding tide, as if even opening his mouth was an impossible task.
Thud…
His body collapsed to the ground, producing a dull sound…
The Sand ninja's comrades froze in place, turning in disbelief to where their teammate had just been.
There was… nothing…
Why… was he dead?
No one answered their questions. Only a single kunai lay quietly embedded in a stone behind the fallen ninja.
"It's stained with blood, isn't it…?"
A voice, unfamiliar yet somehow familiar, rang in the ears of the Sand ninja's comrades.
A figure with pink hair appeared out of nowhere, calmly bending down to pluck the bloodstained kunai from the stone.
It was as if she had appeared solely to retrieve that kunai.
They didn't recognize her, but that voice…
It was the Leaf ninja who had just been trading barbs with Elder Chiyo!
Her name was…
Haruno Sakura!
Pulling the bloodied kunai free, her emerald eyes scanned her surroundings.
Thud!
The Sand ninjas around her widened their eyes in disbelief, faces contorted with despair…
What… when?
When did this Leaf ninja strike?
But no one answered their questions, and even if someone had, they could no longer hear.
In just an instant, the kunai in Sakura's hand had torn through their throats.
No resistance, no defense, no reaction.
In her presence, even raising a blade against her felt like an unattainable luxury.
"Not bad, it seems."
Having casually dispatched another nameless Sand ninja, Sakura calmly surveyed the bodies strewn around her.
This was an application of Yang Release and Yin Release.
Yang Release caused Sakura's cells to evolve, exuding a predatory aura like a tiger facing a rabbit, combined with the chakra techniques of Yin Release to create a localized suppression field.
Let's not forget—Sakura was a genius when it came to genjutsu.
Not using genjutsu and being incapable of it were two entirely different concepts.
In the past, she found genjutsu troublesome because it required hand seals.
But the fusion of Yang Release taijutsu and Yin Release techniques created an overwhelming presence, allowing Sakura to forgo hand seals entirely.
Or rather, it could be understood as the dominance of a superior being over an inferior one.
Just as a tiger's mere scent could terrify weaker creatures, Sakura's presence alone was enough to paralyze her foes.
This technique was something Sakura had come up with on a whim, and its effectiveness was surprisingly impressive.
Of course, it wasn't absolute suppression. Those with courage, obsession, or sufficient strength could break through it.
Like the person standing before her now…
A brown-haired girl gripped her kunai, trembling. Though her mind teetered on the brink of collapse, she neither fled nor abandoned the hope in her heart.
Sakura looked at the girl, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
Sai?
She was Gaara's apprentice, wasn't she? Sakura hadn't expected to see her here.
With that thought, Sakura reached out toward her…
But…
A hand grabbed her wrist.
"That's enough."
A tall, one-armed man stared at the pink-haired ninja with a grim expression.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
Present!
The girl named Sai, seeing the Kazekage himself arrive on the battlefield, felt her newfound courage drain away. She slumped to the ground, nearly collapsing.
Terrifying…
So terrifying…
Is this really a human?
She's the same age as me…
And yet, just standing there, she scares me so much I can't even move…
"Sai, leave this place."
Clearly, Sai was a somewhat notable ninja in the Sand Village, as even Rasa, the Kazekage, recognized her.
"Y-Yes… Lord Kazekage…"
Sai struggled to her feet, trembling, and left under Sakura's calm gaze.
"Do you know?" Sakura said, looking at Rasa.
"What?" Rasa replied, eyeing the pink-haired ninja warily.
It had only been a few months since they last met, but this girl's strength had undergone a seismic transformation.
Rasa didn't recall her being capable of intimidating Chunin with mere killing intent just months ago.
Clearly, Rasa had misunderstood. He mistook the predatory suppression Sakura exuded for simple killing intent.
But that was irrelevant now.
"Among all the Kage, your strength is… notable," Sakura said, her words seemingly acknowledging Rasa's power.
"Heh, is there any point in saying that now?" Rasa scoffed.
"You'll die in this war."
"Next year, today will be your memorial day."
Rasa misunderstood again—Sakura's words were no compliment.
"No, what I mean is, your strength ranks among the lowest of all the Kage."
Sakura looked at Rasa, correcting his misconception with a calm tone.
"You're insulting me!" Rasa roared, furious.
"I'm merely stating a fact."
Sakura's gaze fell to her wrist, still held by Rasa, who showed no intention of letting go.
"And right now, you're doing something very dangerous."
Her emerald eyes flicked upward, and in that moment, the ferocious glint in them made Rasa's hair stand on end!
It was as if a herbivorous rabbit had come face-to-face with a fully grown Siberian tiger!
The instantaneous, life-threatening danger sent a chill through Rasa. He immediately released Sakura's wrist and leaped back!
Sakura watched with interest as Rasa, now on high alert and visibly sweating, treated her like a formidable enemy.
"See? I told you."
"Your strength ranks among the lowest of all the Kage."
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