The news of Sasori's parents' deaths eventually reached Sunagakure. As two of the village's top-ranked puppeteers, their casual-sounding deaths caused a massive shock in the village. The Third Kazekage, hailed as the strongest in history, even held an emergency meeting that night to discuss peace negotiations with Konoha. He already knew how powerful Konoha was—he understood that Sunagakure stood no chance against them now.
However, during the meeting, Chiyo ranted like a madwoman, cursing the Legend of the White Fang. She swore to tear him apart piece by piece and completely opposed the Kazekage's plan for peace. Forced into a corner, the Kazekage issued a final ultimatum—mobilizing all forces for a decisive battle against Konoha. If they won, they would march straight into the Land of Fire; if they lost, they would lower their flags and sign a peace agreement.
Right after the meeting, Chiyo immediately rushed to her secret laboratory, taking out every potent poison stored inside. The gruesome death of Sasori's parents nearly drove her insane. Her first thought was of the method used by Hanzo against Konoha, and she imitated it by producing various types of poisonous gases. She smeared deadly toxins onto every puppet, determined to make those Konoha ninjas pay dearly. The Legend of the White Fang must die.
Sunagakure, placing everything on one throw, launched wave after wave of fierce attacks against Konoha's forces on the battlefield. Thanks to Chiyo's poisoned puppets wreaking havoc across the field, Konoha troops were pushed back repeatedly.
Luckily, over at Iwagakure's battlefield, Iwa ninja—who had been fighting while starving due to the destruction of their main supply line—finally collapsed from exhaustion and voluntarily withdrew from the frontlines.
Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately recalled Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru to the Sunagakure Battlefield, which helped stabilize the situation.
Meanwhile, Anya's close friend, Dan Kato, had his abilities discovered by Sunagakure. Exploiting the brief moment [Spirit Transformation Technique] was active, they ambushed his physical body. They shattered his internal organs. By the time Tsunade got there, it was too late to save him.
Upon hearing the news, Anya rushed over immediately. The rain drizzled softly as Dan looked at his dear friend and said, "Looks like my life has come to an end. It's a shame I won't live to see the day peace arrives."
Anya replied with unwavering resolve, "That day will come. We *will* be the ones standing victorious in the end."
"Cough… cough…" Dan painfully coughed up a puddle of blood and, filled with sadness, said, "I used to have a younger sister who died on the battlefield too. Now, only one relative remains—a niece named Shizune. Anya, I know you're strong. After I'm gone, please find some time to watch over her."
Anya promised seriously, "Okay, don't worry. Your family is my family. I'll protect her with all I've got."
With those words, Dan finally closed his eyes and remained silent forever.
Witnessing his friend's passing, Anya felt waves of grief and anger rise within. To be fair, Dan had always been a truly remarkable person. From the moment they met, he'd always been on a path of saving others. He never hesitated to share his secret technique, the Spirit Transformation Technique, and the two had worked together on many missions seamlessly. Unexpectedly, a brutal war had led to his best friend dying right before his eyes. This was the true cruelty of war—an unforgettable tragedy.
Anya's killing intent surged as he turned to Dan Kato's teammates. "Which way did the Sand ninja who killed him go?"
The teammates instinctively pointed in one direction.
"Anya, don't be reckless," Tsunade snapped. "Going off alone like this is just throwing your life away."
Anya decided to break his promise to White Fang and turned to Tsunade. "Watch my body. They won't get away."
Soul Alchemy Technique.
Anya's dark soul burst from his body and flew toward the direction the Suna ninja had taken.
Several Sand ninja who were secretly celebrating their completed mission suddenly felt ice-cold chills run through them. The dark soul infiltrating their bodies crushed their souls within a second, silencing the enemy without a sound.
Though Anya had mastered countless techniques, the Spirit Transformation Technique remained his greatest strength. His dark soul was an existence that had survived across different worlds. Without effective countermeasures against souls and considering the vulnerability of leaving his physical body unprotected during its use, he could already dominate the Naruto world right now.
Having eliminated those Sand ninja, Anya's soul returned to his body, and his killing intent finally eased somewhat.
Standing beside him, Tsunade understood exactly what had just happened. She gave Anya a long, knowing look—but said nothing.
Anya returned to Konoha's temporary stronghold alongside Tsunade. The Three Sannin were all present. White Fang spoke first: "Although Sunagakure's recent attacks have been fierce, I've sensed their weakening. This should be their final frenzy. The biggest current problem lies with the poison gas created by Chiyo. If we can resolve this issue, they won't stand a chance against us on the battlefield."
After finishing, White Fang fixed his gaze on Tsunade.
Tsunade replied confidently, "I can neutralize her poisons. Don't worry."
Tsunade glanced meaningfully at Anya. Her confidence stemmed partly from his contributions.
Orochimaru rasped, "Poison? Actually, we could use it too."
Meanwhile, Jiraiya interjected, "No, we cannot set such a precedent. Once we start using poison gases, it'll set a dangerous precedent. Future battles could lead to even more deaths than today."
White Fang nodded in agreement. "Indeed, poison must remain only as our last-resort option."
Take Hanzo for example—why was he called the 'Demigod'? Primarily because of his deadly toxins, capable of fighting off a thousand enemies and eliminating all but the strongest opponents. That kind of power made every village reluctant to go to war against him. Unfortunately for Hanzo, it was just his misfortune—he ran into the two top detox experts from Suna and Konoha. This ruined his expansion plans and also resulted in nobody liking such a figure.
"Starting tomorrow, Tsunade will take command." White Fang voluntarily relinquished his command authority.
Without hesitation, Tsunade accepted. "Fine."
A new round of battle commenced. Each of the Sannin summoned their respective creatures and stood heroically at the forefront of Konoha's army.
On the Sunagakure side, Chiyo searched for a while without spotting White Fang's figure and couldn't help asking, "Where has White Fang gone?"
Tsunade, having already learned the root of the conflict between the two of them from Sunagakure's prisoners, stepped forward and said, "On the battlefield, fate decides life and death. If you seek vengeance for your children, then who should our countless Konoha ninja avenge?"
Tsunade's words left Chiyo speechless, and after a pause, she finally snorted coldly, "Since you've come to the battlefield, then be ready to face death as well!"
After speaking, Chiyo summoned several giant squid-like puppets. As they opened their mouths wide, a massive cloud of black, poisonous mist surged toward Konoha's position.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>