On the other side, in a border town between the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind.
Chiyo was meticulously inspecting and maintaining her puppet in a hidden stronghold that belong to the Sand Hidden Village in this small town.
Ever since she learned about Hattori Masanari's deal with Iwagakure, she had secretly left, leaving only a decoy in the Sand Hidden Village.
The safety of her son and daughter-in-law took precedence above all else, and that was the only thought running through Chiyo's mind.
While her decision might seem impulsive, given her long life and numerous contributions to Sunagakure, nobody dared to question her actions.
However, with each passing day away from Sunagakure, the risk of her decoy being exposed increased.
As a prominent figure in the martial arts faction, her prolonged absence from Sunagakure could have adverse effects, potentially impacting the ongoing conflict between Sunagakure and Konohagakure.
"Cursed Hattori Masanari, where could he be hiding? He's been elusive for far too long," Chiyo muttered, setting down the puppet arm in her hand.
that man feel like a ghost with no presence.
The Ame-nin who had captured her son and daughter-in-law possessed an uncanny ability to remain hidden. Despite the extensive intelligence network set up by her younger brother in the Land of Rain, they had yet to locate Hattori Masanari.
Instead, they stumbled upon numerous individuals from other ninja villages, including active Root members from Konohagakure.
Chiyo surmised that Konohagakure's actions were likely aimed at thwarting Hattori Masanari's deal with Iwagakure and potentially seizing him.
"Well, if Konoha's interferes, it might create an opportunity for me to rescue Chisa and Shalan. Hattori Masanari, if you harm my son and daughter-in-law, I swear I'll turn you into a human puppet with my own hands," Chiyo whispered with intense hatred and a tinge of fear in her eyes.
Suddenly, a Sand Shinobi materialized in the open space behind her, kneeling respectfully. "Lady Chiyo, we've received news."
"Speak," Chiyo commanded eagerly, turning around instantly.
"We've discovered traces of Kitsuchi. He's reappeared in the border town where he previously met Masamari Hattori," the Sand Shinobi reported.
"Excellent. Dispatch immediately to that border town. If Kitsuchi is there, Hattori Masanari won't be far behind," Chiyo declared with determination.
"Understood," the Sand Shinobi acknowledged before transforming into sand and dispersing.
Chiyo swiftly tidied up her puppets and prepared to depart for the border town.
But just as she was about to leave, Chiyo suddenly halted, a pensive expression crossing her face. Doubt clouded her thoughts as she voiced her concerns, "No, the fact that those two are trading in that border town before, and are doing it again in the same place this time, seems too conspicuous. Such transactions should be carried out discreetly..."
Being an experienced individual, Chiyo couldn't shake off the feeling that kitsuchi appearance in the border town was too obvious.
Without delay, she retrieved a scroll from her belongings and unfurled it, revealing a detailed map of the Land of Rain. She quickly located the border town where Kitsuchi had appeared.
"Is it here? This location is less than 5 kilometers away from Iwagakure's defenders, and the terrain is flat enough for an earth ninja to traverse in a matter of minutes."
Chiyo soon pinpointed an inconspicuous small village on the map, a little distance from the border town where Kitsuchi's was spotted, and muttered to herself.
As she scrutinized the map, uncertainty crept into her expression, leaving her feeling uneasy.
Her intuition, honed by years of experience, suggested that the border town where Kitsuchi was currently located was merely a decoy to divert attention. The real trading site might be this small village.
However, relying solely on intuition without concrete evidence left Chiyo hesitant. She understood that making the wrong judgment could cost her the opportunity to rescue her son.
Caught between her eagerness to save her loved ones and the need for certainty, Chiyo found herself at a crossroads, unable to make a swift decision.
"What to do..."
----------
Meanwhile, Kirito walked through the Uchiha land once more, having recovered completely under Tsunade's careful treatment. However, the atmosphere in the Uchiha clan was somber, with white flowers and decorations adorning many places, and the Uchiha members wearing black clothes, their expressions heavy.
"It seems like I've come at a difficult time," Kirito remarked, taking note of the subdued mood.
He pondered the situation for a moment and realized the reason behind the somber atmosphere.
It was all because of the ongoing war.
After the Nine-Tails' seal ceremony, ninja troops from Iwa and Kumo gathered at the border started retreating within half a day. Consequently, many Uchiha ninjas who were sent to support the border efforts returned to Konoha. However, their return was marked by a lack of the joy they had before departing, replaced instead by a sense of gravity.
While Konoha, Iwa, and Kumo hadn't engaged in direct conflict, the border between Konoha and these two villages remained fraught with tension.
Once the Uchiha ninjas reached the border, they weren't mere observers; they were thrust into frontline combat, which was what they had been eager for. However, this eagerness turned into a harsh lesson as they suffered losses on the battlefield. Many paid with their lives, forever remaining on the blood-soaked frontline.
Survivors on the border were elite ninjas from various villages. The Uchiha, who initially looked down on their enemies, soon realized they were facing battle-hardened opponents who cooperated seamlessly.
As these battle-weary Uchiha ninjas returned, the specter of war loomed over the clan once more. They understood that war wasn't something to be celebrated, and their clan was no longer the fearless warriors of yore.
Times had changed, and so had the nature of ninja warfare. A clan couldn't match up against an entire village anymore.
They neither have Uchiha madara, nor a Hashirama Senju with them.
The Uchiha clan was shrouded in a heavy atmosphere, prompting Kirito to adopt a somber expression as he made his way quickly toward Chizuru's house.
Soon, he arrived at her doorstep, where Chizuru sat in a daze. Spotting Kirito's approach, she greeted him coldly, "Why are you here now? That old guy isn't home."
Kirito, noticing her distraction, inquired, "What were you thinking about just now? You seemed lost in thought."
Brushing off his question, Chizuru replied casually, "It's nothing. I was just feeling a bit bored today."
Kirito couldn't help but sigh inwardly at her poor attempt at deception. Knowing Chizuru's stubborn nature, he decided not to press further. Instead, he suggested, "I'm bored too. How about a spar to pass the time?"
Without hesitation, Chizuru stood up with a stern expression, agreeing, "Let's go."
In a bad mood, she felt the need to release her pent-up emotions through a hearty battle.
She swiftly ran off, leaping over roofs and walls to reach the Uchiha clan's training ground, with Kirito hot on her heels.
Upon reaching the empty training ground, Chizuru brandished a kunai toward Kirito, initiating the fight.
Their kunai clashed repeatedly, creating afterimages as they entangled with chakra. They also utilized hand-to-hand combat, showcasing their exceptional physical skills honed under renowned teachers.
Chizuru's taijutsu was traditional Uchiha style, utilizing both hands and feet as weapons with the keen insight of the Sharingan. Kirito, on the other hand, employed a variant of soft fist combat, enhanced by a thin blue chakra feather coat that provided superior defense.
Despite Chizuru's powerful strikes, Kirito's chakra-coated defense absorbed most of the impact. Feeling the pain from her blows, Chizuru eventually called off the physical confrontation, opting to keep her distance using lightning jutsu and launching kunai imbued with Thunder Attribute Chakra at Kirito.
Skillfully deflecting the kunai, Kirito retaliated with a swift palm strike imbued with chakra, unleashing a powerful shockwave : Empty Palm.
Chizuru countered by conjuring a Water Escape Water Formation Wall, blocking the attack and engaging in a dynamic battle of jutsu.
At that moment, a brilliant white lightning streaked through the air.
A girl with Thousands of lightning-imbued arc darted forward swiftly, utilizing a secret lightning technique to enhance her speed.
In an instant, Chizuru vanished from her position, reappearing suddenly on Kirito's left.
A flash of swordlight followed.
The Lightning Lightning Blade, crackling with electrified chakra, slashed towards Kirito with speed and ferocity.
A loud "Boom~" reverberated through the air.
Suddenly, a cloud of white smoke materialized.
Then, a sharp metallic clang echoed.
A black stick, its surface adorned with numerous wires, appeared out of nowhere, intercepting Chizuru's attack at a crucial moment.
Not only did the black stick easily block Chizuru's slashing strike, but it also pushed her back with considerable force.
Chizuru didn't resist head-on. Instead, she retreated along with the force, swiftly forming a one-handed seal.
Taking a deep breath, she unleashed a massive fireball.
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu.
As the colossal fireball surged forward, Kirito's black stick crackled with a dense blue-white current. With a forceful push against the ground, a torrent of strong electrical currents surged rapidly across the training ground, summoning forth a deluge of black iron sand from the ground.
In an instant, a thick iron sand wall formed, intercepting Chizuru's blazing fireball.
Undeterred, Chizuru swiftly sheathed her Lightning Lightning Blade and completed a series of hand seals.
A colossal stream of water gushed forth from her mouth.
Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
The massive water stream surged as a towering wave, crashing towards Kirito aggressively, mingling with the vast amounts of iron sand manipulated by Kirito using electromagnetic forces.
Observing this, Kirito promptly slapped the incoming waves with his left hand.
A dense chakra burst forth from his palm, creating a massive palm print within the center of the oncoming wave. The impact caused a massive explosion, scattering water in all directions.
Empty Palm!
While the wave crisis was averted, the surroundings transformed into a quagmire. The increased weight of the water-soaked iron sand amplified Kirito's struggle in manipulating it with electromagnetic forces, significantly draining his chakra.
"Learning water style ninjutsu so swiftly? Impressive. It'll indeed complicate my magnetic release," Kirito complimented Chizuru, observing her smile amidst their battle.
Chizuru's smile remained as she continued her hand seals.
Lightning Style: Lightning Fang!
In an instant, multiple thick electric currents materialized, transforming into lightning snakes racing towards Kirito along the water's surface.
Kirito bore the brunt of the attack, yet he remained silent.
His form suddenly transformed into a puddle of water.
Water Style Shadow Clone Technique!
" a water body! When did you---"
Chizuru's Sharingan widened in shock as she witnessed Kirito's transformation. Reacting swiftly, her entire body bristled with fine electric currents, accelerating the Thunder Shock technique, and disappearing from her position.
Moments later, Kirito emerged from the water behind Chizuru, a black blade sweeping the afterimage she left behind.
Water Style: Water Body replacement Technique!
The experiences and chakra nature understanding of the zetsu clone, proficient in Water Style, transferred to Kirito's main body.
Now, on Kirito's attribute panel, his Water Style proficiency surpassed his Yin Style, reaching level 4.
Though uncertain of what level 4 entailed, Kirito knew his zetsu clone could effortlessly defeat two elite Sand Hidden puppet masters in the Land of Rain with this Water Style level.
"You're swift, but your technique strains your body. It's wise not to rely on it constantly; it could hinder your growth," Kirito advised, watching Chizuru, now over ten meters away, with a smile.
"Less talk, more action," Chizuru retorted sternly. Electric currents surged from her body, and her sword crackled with thunderous energy.