This was Tatsuma's first time seeing Sakumo Hatake on the battlefield.
At this moment, Sakumo Hatake stood behind Chiyo, with a short sword, White Fang, held in reverse against Chiyo's neck. There was not the slightest fluctuation on his face, not even in his eyes, which seemed calm to the point of lacking any killing intent.
But to Tatsuma, who was observing from the sidelines and was also on the same side, Sakumo felt utterly chilling.
A hint of admiration uncontrollably appeared on Tatsuma's face.
Even though he knew this true Konoha's White Fang was formidable, witnessing his demeanor at this moment, even Tatsuma couldn't help but want to shout out, "So handsome!"
Not to mention Tatsuma, even Jiraiya and the other two looked at Sakumo Hatake with eyes shining, as if they were beholding an idol.
"Sakumo Hatake! What do you intend to do?! Do you wish to incite a war of annihilation between two nations?! If you dare to act, you will become a criminal in the eyes of the entire shinobi world!"
Seeing Sakumo Hatake holding a blade against his sister's neck, Ebizo questioned him fervently, but he didn't dare to approach Sakumo Hatake.
It wasn't that he feared Sakumo Hatake, but rather feared what Sakumo Hatake might do to Chiyo. At this moment, Chiyo seemed to have lost all ability to resist. The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets had been dispatched to attack Tsunade and had not returned to her side.
The other scrolls remained sealed because the opponent was an Enhanced Strength female like Tsunade. As for Taijutsu or Puppetry techniques, they couldn't even cause a ripple in front of Sakumo Hatake.
Sakumo Hatake had complete control over Chiyo's life and death. With just a thought, he could end Chiyo's life in an instant.
"I do not wish to incite the so-called war of annihilation, nor do I intend to become a criminal in the eyes of the entire shinobi world. In fact, if possible, I do not wish for the outbreak of war. So, let's settle this. I will arrange for negotiations. How about that?"
Sakumo Hatake didn't seem to have any intention of acting. Three days ago, he had received a plea for help from Jiraiya. Just as he had handed over the camp to the Uchiha and returned to the village from the north, he hurriedly arrived at this battlefield.
Before departing, Sarutobi Hiruzen had also emphasized to him the importance of pushing for negotiations between the two or even three parties. Although he was currently holding Chiyo hostage, he didn't wish to resort to violence.
Of course, if Chiyo insisted on resisting, he couldn't simply allow her to break free and escalate the situation further.
Chiyo clenched her teeth tightly at this moment. Although she didn't see Sakumo Hatake before her, her eyes were filled with the image of the one who had killed her son and daughter-in-law.
Chiyo even felt the urge to resist recklessly, just to gain an opportunity for revenge. However, she also understood that if she died on the battlefield, the Wind and Fire countries would move toward what Ebizo referred to as a war of annihilation. Both sides might even deploy Kage and tailed beasts, leading to a truly relentless battle with no end in sight.
Sakumo Hatake said he didn't want to become this criminal, and Chiyo felt the same. But could they simply give up the chance for revenge?
Seeing hatred and anger once again appear on Chiyo's face, Ebizo spoke in a low voice, "Sister, think of Sasori!"
At the mention of that name, Chiyo suddenly stumbled. If he hadn't reacted quickly enough, Sakumo might have accidentally killed Chiyo.
In that moment, Chiyo seemed to age decades, losing the grace of a shinobi flower. Her face, now worn and defeated, twitched occasionally, and the sound of grinding teeth could be heard between her clenched jaws.
Her eyelids drooped slowly, her eyes dimmed, resembling those of a withering person nearing death.
"I will."
She paused after uttering just two words. Her voice was so hoarse and low that she hardly recognized it herself, and the constriction in her throat prevented her from continuing.
After a moment's pause, Chiyo continued, "I will lead the Sand Ninjas to withdraw from the battlefield and will not participate in any further conflicts in the shinobi world. However, I cannot guarantee whether the Hidden Sand Village will deploy troops again."
"As long as the Sand Ninjas retreat to the Land of Wind, the antidote formula will be delivered immediately."
Sakumo Hatake's calm and firm voice made Chiyo bow her head even lower. But suddenly, she lifted her head again and said with hatred, "However, Sakumo Hatake! I will not let you off. If I find an opportunity, I will kill you, regardless of the village, regardless of the shinobi world, regardless of anyone else! This is personal vengeance!"
Upon hearing Chiyo speak such words at this moment, Jiraiya and the others showed displeasure on their faces. Ebizo became tense once again. However, Sakumo Hatake was not provoked. He simply said calmly, "I understand. If it doesn't involve others, I am willing to witness all of Chiyo's methods."
At this moment, other Sand Ninjas from the camp had also arrived at the battlefield. Seeing this scene, they dared not act rashly.
But for Chiyo, none of it mattered anymore. No matter how many people came, it wouldn't make a difference because she no longer had the heart to fight, nor the desire for war, nor even for the affairs of the village.
She also knew that after this return, she would probably need to retire. The village would give her the last bit of dignity.
The words about not letting Sakumo Hatake off were just a belief to give herself a little more reason to live. From now on, her remaining life would probably be just Sasori.
Sakumo Hatake slowly retracted the short sword White Fang from Chiyo's neck. Seeing Chiyo no longer restrained, the surrounding Sand Ninjas began to stir restlessly.
"All of you! Retreat! Leave the Land of Rain and return to the village."
However, Chiyo's command left them somewhat puzzled. Ebizo didn't explain but continued to direct the supporting Sand Ninjas to move the injured and poisoned ones affected by Explosive Tags and Kunai.
Chiyo didn't turn around but instead addressed Tsunade and the others nearby, saying, "White Fang, Princess Tsunade, Konoha's Dragon, you've won."
Ding [Strength+925], [Wisdom+8886], [Ninjutsu+1075], [Seals+1263], Would you like to claim?
"Claim!"
Tatsuma finally heard the system's announcement. In an instant, his Talent Value soared to the highest, activating the option for additional enhancement. His talents in ninjutsu and seals were also approaching ten thousand points, just one step away from the minimum requirement for a Jonin talent.
He couldn't help but marvel inwardly at how easily talent could increase. Before going to the battlefield, he thought gaining nearly a hundred points a day was already good enough. But once on the battlefield, he discovered a faster way to improve his talent through real combat.
However, he now realized that the real benefits came from commanding in battle. Unfortunately, he didn't have the strength or qualifications to truly command operations.
His unconventional command this time was only because he encountered a sensei like Tsunade, who was unreliable yet listened to his plans. Moreover, he didn't use ninjutsu for his marching formations but resources.
However, this battle had depleted all of his resources, and he wouldn't encounter a similar situation in the future to allow him to harvest abundantly again.
Watching the Sand Ninjas leave, Sakumo Hatake's face didn't show a smile. Instead, he looked at Tsunade and the others, gesturing. They nodded in response and quickly followed Sakumo Hatake towards the direction of the camp.
As they traveled in a straight line, it didn't take them too long to return to the camp, only half a day.
However, they didn't immediately enter the camp. Sakumo Hatake stopped outside the camp, took a deep breath, adjusted his emotions, and a look of anger appeared on his face. Pointing at the four individuals who had bowed their heads, he said, "You lot! Acting recklessly! Showing such audacity! Do you still respect me as your sensei?! Do you still respect me as your Hokage?!"
"Huh?!"
The few individuals who were bowing their heads in apology suddenly noticed something was amiss. They lifted their heads and found that Sakumo Hatake's face was no longer angry but had returned to calmness. He said lightly, "That line I just said was specifically instructed by Hokage-sama. I practiced it for a long time on the way here just to imitate Hokage-sama's expression. My cheeks even got sore."
"..."
Seeing Sakumo Hatake actually starting to massage his own face, the Orochimaru trio, along with Tatsuma, a total of four people, their mouths began to twitch.
Wasn't he just a handsome Konoha's White Fang?! Did he lose it on the way here?!
Could it be that his cold and stoic demeanor on the battlefield was because his facial muscles were stiff and unable to change expressions?!
After finishing massaging his face, Sakumo Hatake stretched lazily and said, "Now, onto business. Hokage-sama instructed me to 'supervise' you back to the village, to prevent you from causing trouble again. The main forces will also withdraw from the Land of Rain. Meanwhile, the Land of Iron will work even harder to restrain Hanzo and the Rain Ninja, giving us time to convene a meeting. Of course, these are plans to be implemented after your successful mission. Clearly, you've succeeded."
With that, Sakumo Hatake pointed at Tsunade. Tsunade was surprised; she originally thought that besides Tatsuma, no one would know what she was planning. But unexpectedly, Jiraiya figured it out.
Moreover, not only that, Jiraiya obviously reported to the village, and what's more surprising is that the village has taken a series of measures.
As Sakumo Hatake mentioned, the village must have already prepared two or even more sets of plans to deal with the situation of Tsunade's plan succeeding, failing, or any other circumstances.
Now that her plan has succeeded, and with Sakumo Hatake's "assistance," the Sand Ninjas will retreat to the Land of Wind, significantly easing the pressure on the battlefield.
Perhaps the Hidden Sand Village will adopt other strategies next, sending other ninja teams to initiate another war in the Land of Fire. However, in the war between the Wind and Fire countries, the banner of victory clearly leans towards the Land of Fire.
Therefore, Konoha's subsequent responses and attitudes naturally need to change accordingly, all of which will need to be decided through a meeting.
After some thought, Tsunade nodded. This victory will greatly enhance her reputation, although she doesn't care much about reputation. But considering her plan, reputation is still needed at this time.
Seeing Tsunade nod in agreement, Jiraiya and Orochimaru naturally had no objections, and as for Tatsuma, his other ideas were of no use.
"In that case, go back and rest for a while, and depart as soon as possible."
"Alright!" *4
After the four replied, they headed towards the camp together, and Tatsuma also began to read the additional enhancement options he could activate.
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