"Lord Tsunade and the others are waiting for the right moment. But Chiyo truly lives up to her reputation as a veteran of the ninja world—cunning and shrewd. Even if her plan succeeds, she won't act rashly."
Minato remarked. Indeed, Chiyo's scheming mind surpassed even that of Tsuchigawa, the leader of Iwagakure during their earlier clashes in the Land of Rain.
It was clear that Sunagakure owed its standing in the Ninja World to brilliant minds like Chiyo's.
"So then," Mikoto asked curiously, watching Minato, "did our village come out on top against the Sand ninja in this battle?"
Though they were close friends, she realized it was only on the battlefield that she could see many hidden traits of Minato revealed.
Minato smiled faintly and shook his head. "The situation on the battlefield changes rapidly. But... considering both sides' current strengths, the result will likely end in a stalemate."
"I see. Then all I can do now is protect you, this 'important person,' right?" Mikoto said with a soft chuckle.
Of course, the only reason she was allowed to visit Minato daily was because of Lady Tsunade's orders; otherwise, ordinary Konoha ninja wouldn't be permitted near where Minato trained.
In truth, it was Minato who had specifically asked Tsunade for this arrangement.
Though Mikoto was undeniably skilled, her role held little strategic importance in the current conflict.
Yet Tsunade had hinted that Minato was indispensable to this war.
Actually, even without her saying so, anyone could have figured it out.
Hearing her words, Minato simply shrugged noncommittally.
As conceited as it sounded, Mikoto was absolutely right.
"Let's go," Mikoto said again, hoisting Minato onto her back. The poison mist was still spreading toward them, albeit somewhat weakened. Still, she only carried one antidote, so she needed to get Minato out of this dangerous place to ensure his safety.
...
Before the valley, Chiyo led the Sand ninja unit, silently waiting for the poison mist to thin out. Meanwhile, more than ten Flying Puppets hovered above the valley.
"Boom! Boom!"
Suddenly, a noise came from the forest, and in an instant, two figures shot into the sky at an astonishing speed!
Despite their incredible speed, Chiyo, Kouhi, and Liufei still managed to catch fleeting glimpses of them.
"They're definitely unharmed!" Chiyo exclaimed. Those two soaring into the sky were none other than Sakumo Hatake and Hiashi Hyuga.
Each dashed toward a different Flying Puppet.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
[Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!]
Lightning crackled across the skies above. Within seconds, Sakumo and the other man reached their respective puppets and instantly obliterated both the Sand ninja pilots and their machines.
"Now, quickly move aside!" Chiyo shouted at last.
After killing one Sand ninja, Sakumo took out several kunai midair. All these blades shimmered with lightning chakra as he hurled them all in one direction in a single motion.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Within seconds, over a dozen kunai crackling with lightning chakra sliced through the air. At that moment, Sakumo began descending.
Meanwhile, Hiashi Hyuga thrust both hands outward in opposite directions. The air was instantly compressed, unleashing invisible shockwaves.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
In an instant, half a dozen Flying Puppets were struck. Though some weren't completely destroyed, they sustained significant damage, crippling their mobility and sending them plummeting from the sky.
Watching this unfold, Chiyo's face contorted in anger. It had taken Suna over a month to prepare these Flying Puppets—each one painstakingly built at great cost.
Losing nearly half of them at once meant an enormous loss for the Suna forces.
Yet Sakumo Hatake and Hiashi Hyuga continued their relentless assault. By the time they stopped, only four of the original Flying Puppets remained.
The Suna ninjas aboard the remaining puppets were paralyzed with fear before hastily steering their machines clear of the battlefield.
Chiyo's eyes burned with murderous intent so intense it turned her gaze blood-red toward the two figures hovering above.
"What incredible coordination!"
From atop Mikoto's back, Minato watched the aerial skirmish unfold and murmured in awe.
Of course, Sakumo Hatake and Hiashi Hyuga couldn't have leaped that high or moved that fast by themselves.
They took turns ascending into the sky—one launched upward by Tsunade's immense strength after another.
...
Chiyo watched the two descend from the heavens, her fists clenched tightly. Her gaze swept across both sides of the valley as she shouted.
"Tsunade! If you're here, stop hiding in shadows—come out!"
"Boom!"
As soon as she finished speaking, figures began dropping rapidly from the cliffs on either side of the valley.
Chiyo and the Suna ninjas behind her stood motionless.
When the sound of footsteps faded, sudden violent gusts erupted from opposite ends of the valley.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Two massive winds collided head-on, lifting the poison mist upward and revealing both groups within each other's sight.
[Playing hide-and-seek again?] You've always fought like cowards hiding in the shadows ever since the Great Ninja War," Tsunade sneered as she landed behind Sakumo Hatake and Hiashi Hyuga, who had descended from the valley's heights.
"And yet it was your Sand shinobi sneaking into our Hidden Leaf Village, carrying out despicable schemes no better than common thieves."
Chiyo shot back icily. She noticed how few casualties there were among the Leaf ninja before her—clearly due to Tsunade having created an antidote using Desert's Sorrow.
"You should focus more on guarding your own gates properly instead of worrying about dying in your sleep someday," Hiashi Hyuga chuckled.
Furious beyond words, Chiyo still couldn't figure out how the Konoha ninja had infiltrated Sunagakure and stolen Desert's Sorrow.
Minato's Uzumaki Sealing Technique and natural sensory abilities played decisive roles in Konoha's success, making Leaf's strategy difficult for Chiyo to anticipate.
As enemies, Tsunade certainly had no intention of explaining anything to them.
"Hehe... very well then. You've truly impressed me. In just over a month, you managed to master Desert's Sorrow and counter my poisons.
Chiyo wore a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Desert's Sorrow was of immense value, and its significance to the war effort was extraordinary.
Both specimens had been stolen by Konoha at once. Even with her Poison, she couldn't afford to act recklessly now.
And with Konoha's Aburame Clan added to the equation, Chiyo no longer wished to fight this battle.
Yet the furious Third Kazekage had issued strict orders—if Konoha continued gaining the upper hand within our borders, it would severely damage the prestige of both Sunagakure and the Land of Wind.
This could even impact the ruling positions of both sides. Therefore, this battle could not end in retreat.
Chiyo swept her gaze over the Konoha forces and spoke sharply.
"Where's that blonde brat who keeps making me lose?"
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