"Kusagakure is actually this evil?"
"How bold!"
"If this is true, then they are truly wicked."
"Who knows how many innocent people they killed, and how many innocent families they ruined?"
For a time, the people throughout the entire Land of Wind denounced Kusagakure fiercely.
Some of them had heard of the Wolf Spider Sand Bandit Gang mentioned in the newspaper headline.
It was said that they were very strong, appearing and disappearing without a trace.
Some victimized villagers had attempted to fight back. The daimyo of the Land of Wind had also sent subordinate soldiers, and even Sunagakure's ninja had accepted several commissions to capture this sand bandit gang.
But all of them had failed.
Many people in the Land of Wind hated the Wolf Spider Sand Bandit Gang deeply.
"So the Wolf Spider Sand Bandit Gang were actually ninja sent by Kusagakure!"
"No wonder they were so strong."
"No wonder they had such good sources of intelligence."
"Kusagakure has gone too far!"
"They're simply inhuman."
"As a ninja village, sending ninja to disguise themselves as sand bandits… this is not something a ninja village should ever do. If every ninja village acted like this, the entire shinobi world would fall into chaos."
"Kusagakure must be punished for this!"
Many ninja condemned and spat upon Kusagakure.
However, there were also a small number of ninja who seemed to gain some kind of inspiration.
"Ninja villages can do something like this?"
"If we do this as well, our village's difficulties could be solved."
"Why can't we do it?"
"Those bandits who aren't even as strong as us can live so well. We train bitterly day and night, so why do we have to live so miserably? That isn't fair!"
"Since we have strength, we should seize things for ourselves."
"The money of those merchants and nobles also came from exploiting others anyway."
One copy of the newspaper was delivered into the hands of Kusagakure's leader.
He opened it.
Immediately, the headline entered his sight.
The leader of Kusagakure's expression changed on the spot.
"Kusayanagi!"
The leader of Kusagakure could not help cursing.
Kusayanagi was indeed a ninja of Kusagakure.
And having Kusayanagi disguise himself as a sand bandit had also been Kusagakure's order.
But the leader of Kusagakure knew the truth about the Wolf Spider Sand Bandit Gang.
There was no way it had been that exaggerated.
Killing thousands of civilians in the Land of Wind.
Robbing hundreds of merchant caravans.
Ambushing hundreds of Sunagakure ninja.
Was that something the Wolf Spider Sand Bandit Gang could possibly have accomplished?
"Nonsense. What is your goal?"
"You not only betrayed the village, you're trying to frame the village too?"
The leader of Kusagakure's face turned extremely ugly.
The moment he saw Kusayanagi's name, he knew that Kusayanagi had already betrayed Kusagakure.
Otherwise, there was no way Sunagakure could have known that the Wolf Spider Sand Bandit Gang was connected to Kusagakure.
And the order he had given Kusayanagi was that once there was any risk of exposure, he had to commit suicide immediately and protect the village.
The leader of Kusagakure remembered very clearly that Kusayanagi had agreed decisively at the time.
"As a ninja, Kusayanagi, you are far too unqualified!"
"Not only were you captured, you sold out the village so easily."
"Kusagakure has no ninja like you!"
The leader of Kusagakure was disappointed in Kusayanagi to the extreme.
He also hated him to the extreme.
The leader of Kusagakure could already imagine what discussions about Kusagakure would become after this issue of Ninja Major Events Weekly was released.
Kusagakure's reputation was completely ruined.
As for whether the claims were true or false, the leader of Kusagakure felt that no one would investigate deeply.
And they would think—
Even Kusayanagi said this.
He even swore to the heavens.
Could it be false?
Kusayanagi was a ninja of Kusagakure.
Since Sunagakure dared to openly publish Kusayanagi's name, Kusayanagi must have defected to Sunagakure. If someone went to Sunagakure, they might even be able to see Kusayanagi and verify it.
"Newspapers… this thing's power is too great."
"In one blow, it spreads across the entire shinobi world."
"Relying on this thing, Sunagakure doesn't even need to dispatch a ninja army to destroy a ninja village."
The leader of Kusagakure stared hard at the newspaper in his hand.
"Just because of that little bit of trouble caused by the Wolf Spider Sand Bandit Gang, they directly published it in the newspaper and damaged Kusagakure to this extent. Sunagakure's desire for revenge is too strong."
"They're only bullying Kusagakure because we're a small ninja village."
"The Wolf Spider Sand Bandit Gang didn't do that much at all."
"It's all slander!"
After seeing the headline in the newspaper, the leader of Kusagakure felt that Sunagakure's retaliation was far too heavy.
Over such a small matter, they were going to destroy Kusagakure's reputation.
But very soon, the leader of Kusagakure would understand what Sunagakure's real retaliation looked like.
What did destroying Kusagakure's reputation in a newspaper count for?
A small ninja village had dared act so boldly, committing so many acts against a major ninja village.
Destroying their reputation was only an insignificant prelude.
A Kusagakure ninja ran toward the leader of Kusagakure at high speed.
"Leader-sama, this is bad!"
"What is it now?"
The leader of Kusagakure was already in a terrible mood because of the newspaper headline.
"Sunagakure's army is attacking!"
"Ah?"
The leader of Kusagakure's eyes widened.
"What?"
A trace of fear appeared in his eyes.
At that moment, the leader of Kusagakure no longer dared say that Sunagakure's retaliation against Kusagakure was too extreme.
Because Sunagakure's true retaliation had arrived.
This was not something as simple as writing content in a newspaper and damaging Kusagakure's reputation.
They had led Sunagakure's army straight to Kusagakure's gates.
Only then did the leader of Kusagakure become afraid.
Only then did he regret ordering those series of actions against Sunagakure.
"How can Sunagakure be like this?"
This was exactly what Rasa wanted.
A mere small ninja village had actually dared be so arrogant?
Previously, Sunagakure's situation had been terrible, and it had no attention to spare. That was one thing.
But now, Sunagakure had already ended the war and had even achieved a great victory against Kirigakure.
At a time like this, Kusagakure still had not stopped its actions.
And Sunagakure had even obtained evidence.
Then Rasa had no intention of being polite to Kusagakure in the slightest.
"I will use Kusagakure as an example to make every person and every force in the shinobi world understand one thing—"
"The current Sunagakure is no longer the Sunagakure of before."
"Those who provoke Sunagakure will inevitably face Sunagakure's revenge."
"I will make everyone with thoughts of targeting Sunagakure cut those thoughts off completely."
"Those who offend Sunagakure must be killed!"
The leader of Kusagakure rushed to the front line at the fastest speed possible.
At this moment, the Sunagakure army led by Pakura had already crossed the border of the Land of Grass.
Facing Sunagakure's army, Kusagakure's ninja collapsed almost on contact. They could not hold out for even the slightest amount of time.
Against Kusagakure, Sunagakure's army displayed absolute suppression.
Especially Pakura.
In all of Kusagakure, not a single ninja could contend with her.
It was a complete dimensional crushing.
An air of despair spread through Kusagakure.
The leader of Kusagakure's eyes turned blood-red.
"No!"