From the top leadership to the lowest-ranking fighters, every member of Konoha utterly despised the Sand Ninja Unit.
This was the second time their enemy had used underhanded tactics. Although in war, no method can be considered excessive, constantly facing such an opponent would inevitably breed deep resentment.
The first time, Konoha forces nearly suffered total annihilation. The second time, the reinforcement squad had almost been wiped out completely.
Had it not been for Sakumo insisting on forming a reconnaissance squad and Minato's quick thinking on the battlefield, even the reconnaissance team—including Sakumo Hatake himself—might have perished within these mountains.
Afterward, Konoha's frontline troops would also have become targets of Suna due to lack of supplies, and the consequences are easy to imagine.
"Old hag! None of you Suna ninja are getting away today!" Jiraiya roared furiously.
Orochimaru might've been a man of few words, but his deeply furrowed brow clearly expressed his inner emotions at this moment.
Sunagakure had hoped to retreat from battle just like last time—but this time, escaping would be impossible.
"Retreat!"
Though filled with rage, Chiyo's sharp mind quickly recognized there was no longer any chance of victory for Suna. With only Jiraiya and Orochimaru having arrived so far, she wasn't afraid.
However, Konoha reinforcements were likely already on their way here at full speed.
Hearing Chiyo issue orders again, the Suna ninjas who'd originally held the advantage had no choice but to obey. Their attacks immediately slackened; they no longer had any will to fight.
"Kill them!"
From among the Konoha fighters, Junko Watanabe raised her blade and shouted fiercely, her beautiful eyes brimming with deadly intent as she charged toward the retreating Suna forces.
Other surviving members of Sakumo's reconnaissance squad also gave it their all, engaging the Suna ninja in battle once more.
Previously, many among Konoha's reinforcements had begun feeling slightly relaxed since the fighting seemed to be ending—but now, they were all deeply moved by what they witnessed. Looking upon their fallen comrades' corpses, their eyes turned blood-red as they grabbed their weapons and charged toward the enemy.
Although outnumbered, they had finally entered the battle with fearless resolve.
Amidst the chaos, the only teenage boy still remaining on the battlefield had crimson pupils spinning at extreme speeds, while his white eyeballs were fully covered in blood vessels.
War's cruel passage had stripped Yan Uchiha of his former arrogance. As he felt his teammates' deaths weighing heavily upon him, his bloodlust had grown ever fiercer.
"Today, Konoha will fight Sunagakure to the bitter end!"
Seeing the scene unfold before them, Jiraiya spoke while forming hand seals.
[Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!]
A massive fireball surged forward with intense heat, sweeping directly toward Chiyo. When dealing with puppet masters, nothing worked better than Fire Release techniques or physical attacks.
He refused to believe Chiyo could counter his fire techniques with powerful Wind Release every time.
Even if she did try that, after already exhausting herself fighting Sakumo earlier, she definitely couldn't endure a combined assault from both himself and Orochimaru.
Jiraiya had immense confidence in his chakra reserves!
The two-bladed puppet was blocked by Chiyo in front of the Great Fireball. Then, the blades slashed downward fiercely, as if a sharp blade current had burst forth from the swords, colliding head-on with the fireball.
The blade current and the fireball nearly canceled each other out.
On roaring!
Yet behind the dissipating flames, another Fire Dragon Flame Bullet came roaring forward.
Do they really work together that well?
Chiyo was startled. Even Chiyo hadn't noticed there would be a follow-up Fire Dragon Flame Bullet after the Great Fireball—the coordination between Jiraiya and Orochimaru's ninjutsu was seamless.
Quickly, she manipulated two more puppets, unleashing a four-bladed chakra blade that spun rapidly, piercing straight through the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet. The blade continued onward with unabated momentum toward the enemy.
"This is Puppet Technique?"
Seeing this, both Jiraiya and Orochimaru were shocked. They'd never even heard of a Puppet Technique being used like this before.
Clang! (metal striking metal)
At this moment, Sakumo appeared wielding a tanto, blocking directly against the four-bladed chakra blade.
Puchi! Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Sakumo staggered backward. However, that same chakra blade had already pierced through the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, and Chiyo wasn't at her peak strength either. Thus, he managed to halt the spinning chakra blade.
The stopped weapon revealed itself clearly as one of the Chikamatsu Collection puppets.
"Destroy it!"
Sakumo said even while blood dripped from his lips. Upon hearing this, Jiraiya focused his eyes and threw a direct punch.
Chiyo's pupils shrank. She quickly manipulated another puppet to pull back the one using the chakra blade.
Boom!
But ultimately, it was too late. Jiraiya's punch smashed into the puppet's arm, completely shattering it.
As Chiyo retrieved the puppet, Jiraiya remained somewhat dissatisfied. Gritting his teeth, he said, "If it were Tsunade, she definitely could've crushed it completely with one punch."
"Now that the Ten Puppets are damaged, I wonder what else you can still use."
Leaning back against a broken tree, Sakumo chuckled. Each puppet within the Chikamatsu Collection was extremely powerful, but what made them truly terrifying was the way they worked together seamlessly for attack and defense. Now, although only one puppet had been damaged, for such an interdependent group of puppets, one small setback could throw everything off balance.
After retrieving the puppet, Chiyo's anger was clearly at its peak. If glances could kill, Sakumo would have died a hundred deaths under her glare.
The Chikamatsu Collection was her ace in the hole—her most cherished treasure. Although she could repair any damage eventually, it wouldn't be easy because these were masterpieces crafted by the legendary First Puppet Master, Monzayemon.
To be pushed into such a situation by some younger generation brats... It was both humiliating and infuriating for an elder of the ninja world like herself.
However, now that the Chikamatsu Collection had already sustained damage, if she insisted on continuing to fight these opponents, she might indeed take down Hatake Sakumo. But as for herself, survival likely wouldn't come out well either.
Moreover, Tsunade still hadn't arrived yet…
Chiyo glanced at the Sand Ninja who were being tightly engaged by Konoha shinobi, her heart twisting painfully. These were elite Suna warriors.
But even now, she might not be able to protect them anymore.
Her aged eyes brimmed with tears, but she still turned her gaze to Jiraiya, then Orochimaru, finally settling on Sakumo Hatake as she spoke.
"Your life, I will definitely take!"
The words filled with killing intent had barely faded when Chiyo abruptly spun around and prepared to flee.
Jiraiya still tried to chase after her, but Orochimaru held him back.
"An S-rank Ninja wants to escape. We can't stop her."
Though filled with anger, the former could do nothing but admit that if Chiyo truly wished to run away, they indeed had no way to stop her.
Sakumo leaned casually against a broken tree and merely smiled as he said, "Still, Chiyo fleeing is already the best possible outcome for today."
Both men nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
...
...(to be continued.)
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