Among those present, only Aizen, besides Zashi and Yoru, truly understands the horror Hatake Sakumo. The first terrifying aspect is that Sakumo mastered a unique chakra nature transformation! Contrary to popular belief, the white light emanating from his "White Fang" blade wasn't a reflection, but a form of white lightning. This lightning chakra, however, was refined to such a degree that it appeared as pure white light.
Aizen's exceptional perception, honed to detect even the faintest traces of lightning within the light, allowed him to see through this illusion. Furthermore, Sakumo likely developed his own "White Lightning Chakra Mode," granting him enhanced speed, strength, and physical prowess surpassing most jonin. This power alone puts him above Mitarashi Zashi. But the true terror lies in the second point.
Aizen sensed the powerful sword intent emanating from Hatake Sakumo. Indeed, Sakumo remained a formidable swordsman with an exceptional sword mind. At this level, a swordsman could control their body's energy at will, unleashing incredible power. The thought of White Chakra Sabre merging with Sword Intent made even Aizen shudder.
Sakumo effortlessly eliminated elite jonin, as if they were mere fodder. Weaker opponents stood no chance against him, meeting swift deaths. Notably, the souls of swordsmen were remarkably strong due to years of tempering. Ordinary mental illusions were ineffective against them.
In the Soul Society, Retsu Unohana's swordsmanship allowed her to sense the deception surrounding Aizen's death. Even Yhwach, who claimed to be all-knowing, wasn't entirely immune to the illusions of Kyoka Suigetsu. This demonstrated the resilience of strong swordsmen against mental attacks.
Sakumo was an all-around fighter with unparalleled offense, speed, defense, stamina, and mental fortitude. He had no discernible weaknesses. Aizen estimated that Sakumo's strength was nearly unmatched among Kage-level shinobi. He could even hold his own against a weaker Otsutsuki clan member.
This immense power explained why other villages instructed their ninja to abandon missions if they encountered Konoha's White Fang, an honor later shared only by Minato Namikaze. Since the era of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, only Sakumo and Minato could truly claim to be the strongest in the ninja world. In this particular era, it was Sakumo's time to shine.
"Damn it, Konoha's White Fang, don't get too cocky!" Among the Suna shinobi, the red-haired leader could no longer tolerate Sakumo's overwhelming display of power.
He moved slightly away from the center of the Suna ninja formation, controlling three humanoid puppets with each hand, and charged towards Hatake Sakumo. This bold move immediately caught Sakumo's attention.
"Eager to die, are you?" Sakumo muttered, pausing briefly and tightening his grip on his short blade as he observed the young ninja, who was like a fearless calf facing a tiger.
With a burst of speed, the six puppets, carrying a fierce murderous intent, closed in on Sakumo from six different directions.
"A near-Kage level puppeteer! Not bad..." Sakumo remarked, his eyes unwavering as he assessed the puppets' movements. The white light surrounding him began to recede, concentrating and intensifying on his blade.
In a flash, Sakumo vanished. His speed was so great that even a Kage-level shinobi would only see an afterimage. A faint white light flickered, and Sakumo reappeared behind the red-haired Suna ninja leader.
The Suna ninja's eyes were filled with confusion, but a moment later, blood seeped from his chest, and excruciating pain coursed through his body. His vision darkened as he lost consciousness and collapsed onto the cold ground. The near-Kage level Suna ninja had been killed instantly by Konoha's White Fang.
Witnessing this horrifying scene, countless Suna ninja retreated in fear, creating a wide berth around Sakumo.
Suddenly, a shrill scream pierced the air. A female ninja, who had been standing beside the red-haired leader, rushed towards Sakumo with a crazed look of hatred and bloodlust in her eyes.
"Don't go, Rikako!"
"You're no match for him!"
"No!"
Many in the Suna ninja army seemed to know this female ninja. They tried to dissuade her from her reckless charge, but it was too late.
Sakumo saw the woman charging head-on and didn't hesitate. He didn't even bother to activate his White Chakra Sabre technique, simply making a normal horizontal slash that sent her to her death.
"Ah!! White Fang, I will definitely kill you today!"
The two individuals Hatake Sakumo had just killed were Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law. This triggered a powerful emotional response in Chiyo, who was engaged in a fierce battle with Mitarashi Zashi in the distance.
With a sudden burst of chakra, Chiyo frantically manipulated her puppets and, in a desperate move, broke through Zashi's blockade, charging towards Sakumo.
"Konoha White Fang, go to hell!
White Secret Technique: Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets!"
Overcome with grief and rage, Chiyo unsealed a scroll, releasing ten puppets – her ultimate trump card. This was the pinnacle of puppet mastery, a technique created by Monzaemon, allowing simultaneous control of ten puppets.
These puppets were crafted through special methods, boasting exceptional strength and capabilities. When controlled by a skilled puppeteer like Chiyo, even a Kage-level shinobi would find this technique challenging to overcome. In her youth, Chiyo had used this technique to conquer an entire city, a testament to its extraordinary power.
"It seems the two I just killed were close to you, Chiyo," Sakumo observed, his eyes remaining calm and unwavering as he faced the formidable Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets technique.