Between the mountains, the battle raged, accompanied by the constant drizzle. The sounds of ninja fighting echoed through the misty terrain.
"Kill!"
The Konoha reinforcements, who had initially felt hopeless, now fought with bloodshot eyes. Seeing the bodies of their fallen comrades beside them stirred a primal, almost beast-like desire to kill.
On the other hand, the Sand Ninjas, who had launched this ambush, were now engaged in a head-on fight. Despite having fewer numbers, they relied on the quality of their ninjas, which far exceeded that of their opponents.
Above all, they had Elder Chiyo—a legendary ninja whom even the Third Kazekage deferred to.
But everything changed the moment the survey team, led by Hatake Sakumo, joined the fray.
Chiyo, the most powerful of the Sand Ninjas, now found herself locked in battle with Sakumo. She didn't dare underestimate him. After all, she knew that Tsuchiguki, one of the top Rock Ninjas, had fallen to Sakumo's blade just days ago.
Tsuchiguki had been a close confidant of the Sandaime Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, and his Earth Release ninjutsu had been top-tier. Yet, he had still died at the hands of the man standing before her.
Chiyo considered herself stronger than Tsuchiguki, but she had never expected to find herself in such a passive position while facing Hatake Sakumo.
In just one minute, Sakumo had destroyed four of the ten puppets she controlled. His speed and skill left her astonished.
However, her shock didn't end there.
The two puppets she had sent to deal with a blond-haired boy were also destroyed in just a few rounds. His movements were far too fluid for someone his age.
After destroying Chiyo's puppets, Minato immediately joined the battle against the Sand Ninja forces.
As for Chiyo, while Hatake Sakumo might not have been able to defeat her outright, he could certainly hold her at bay.
With four of her six remaining puppets destroyed, Chiyo found herself in a difficult position. While the number of puppets surrounding her had been reduced, the threat they posed was still significant.
Using all ten fingers, Chiyo controlled her puppets with precision. Each puppet she wielded was as strong as an elite ninja.
However, as the number of puppets decreased, her ability to control them with greater accuracy increased. This meant that although there were fewer, the remaining puppets were deadlier than before.
In terms of speed, Sakumo was far superior to the puppets, but Chiyo wasn't aiming to attack him directly. Instead, she spread her remaining puppets in a defensive formation around her.
Swish!
Sakumo's eyes sharpened, and his figure disappeared in a blur. His Body Flicker Jutsu was exceptionally fast—one of the quickest among ninjas of his caliber, even faster than many who specialized in the technique.
But Chiyo was not at his level now.
She could no longer track his movements accurately. However, she deftly twitched her fingers, and the heads of the two puppets to Sakumo's left and right tilted slightly, their mouths opening.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, a barrage of kunai and shuriken shot out from the puppets' mouths.
Sakumo had no idea how the puppets could fire such powerful ninja tools from their mouths, but it didn't matter. His focus was unshakable.
He held his chakra blade horizontally in one hand and placed his other hand on the blade.
Swish!
Blue lightning crackled from the chakra-infused sword, the sound of electric current filling the air. The lightning spread wildly, colliding with the incoming kunai and shuriken.
Clang clang clang!
The kunai and shuriken fell harmlessly to the ground. Even though Chiyo's weapons were laced with poison, it made no difference.
Swish!
As Sakumo deflected the ninja tools, the two puppets that had been positioned at the four corners of Chiyo's defense suddenly closed in on him, attempting to trap him just as they had before.
Meanwhile, Minato had targeted a Sand Ninja Jonin.
Unlike the Rock Ninjas, the Sand Ninjas excelled in Wind Release ninjutsu. Their speed was second only to the Jonin of the Cloud Ninja Village among the Five Great Nations.
Even so, the Sand Ninja Jonin could do little more than parry Minato's attacks—he had no chance to strike back.
"What kind of monster is this kid?"
Ding ding ding!
The relentless clash of kunai continued, and the Jonin's shock deepened with each blow. The expression in Minato's azure eyes was cold and focused, as if all distractions had been abandoned. His sole thought was to eliminate his opponent.
As the two engaged in close combat, the Jonin's defense began to crumble. Minato raised his special kunai and, with a swift motion, knocked aside the Jonin's arms, which had been raised to protect himself.
Seizing the opening, Minato spun and delivered a powerful kick to his opponent's abdomen.
Bang!
Though Minato was small, his strength was enhanced by the Nine-Tails' chakra. The force of his kick sent the Jonin flying half a meter away. Blood surged through the Jonin's body, and he coughed violently, spitting out blood.
Sensing an opportunity, the Jonin quickly formed hand seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
Finally, he unleashed his ninjutsu just as Minato was about to close in again. A large wind sphere, the size of a human head, hurtled toward Minato.
"You're dead!" the Jonin thought gleefully. Minato's rush had made him an easy target.
At such close range, even the Body Flicker Jutsu couldn't save him.
But just as the wind sphere was about to strike Minato, his figure blurred, turning into a Yellow Flash, and vanished.
A moment later, the yellow light reappeared beside the Jonin, and Minato's special kunai was plunged into his side.
The sharp pain shot through the Jonin's body, paralyzing him with shock.
Minato gripped the kunai tightly with both hands and pulled hard, slicing through the Jonin's body from his lower back to his abdomen. Blood sprayed out in a torrent, and the Jonin's internal organs were severed.
Minato's attack was brutal but precise—the deadliest way to disable an opponent. The Jonin collapsed into a pool of blood, his body twitching violently as he let out a final, animalistic wail.
The gruesome scene drew the attention of nearby ninjas. Even hardened warriors couldn't help but tremble as they witnessed the blood-soaked battlefield.
Finally, the Jonin's cries grew weaker and faded away. He was dead.
Tick!
Blood dripped from Minato's kunai, mixing with the rain as it fell to the ground. Slowly, Minato turned, his eyes locking onto his next target.
The Sand Ninja caught Minato's gaze, and their hearts quivered in terror.
What they saw before them wasn't a mere boy from the enemy village, barely ten years old.
They saw a demon, returned from the depths of hell, bathed in blood.
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