It could be said that everyone in Konoha, from the leaders to the ordinary combatants, harbored deep resentment toward the Sand Ninja Army. Twice now, the Sand Ninjas had used insidious tactics. While no method could be considered too extreme on the battlefield, anyone facing such an opponent repeatedly couldn't help but feel hatred.
The first time, the Konoha Army had nearly been wiped out, and the second time, the reinforcements were close to suffering the same fate.
If it hadn't been for Sakumo's insistence on forming a survey team and Minato's quick thinking on the spot, both the survey team and Hatake Sakumo might have been buried in the mountains. After that, Konoha's front-line troops would have become the Sand Ninja's next target due to the lack of supplies, with a devastating outcome all but guaranteed.
"Old woman, today none of you Sand Ninjas will escape!" Jiraiya said angrily.
Though Orochimaru was typically silent, the frown on his face showed his mood clearly.
The Sand Ninja couldn't afford to retreat this time like they had before.
"Retreat!"
Although Chiyo was furious, her shrewdness allowed her to see that the Sand Ninja had no chance of success now. She wasn't afraid of Jiraiya and Orochimaru, but the larger Konoha force was probably racing towards them.
After hearing Chiyo's order, the Sand Ninja, who had previously been pressing their advantage, slowed their offensive and began retreating, clearly no longer intent on continuing the fight.
"Kill!"
Among the Konoha forces, Suzuka raised her sword and charged at the retreating Sand Ninjas, her eyes filled with murderous intent. The surviving members of Sakumo's survey team fought with renewed intensity, throwing themselves into battle with the Sand Ninja.
The many Konoha reinforcements, relieved that the battle was turning in their favor, were moved by this display. Looking at the bodies of their fallen comrades, their eyes reddened once again as they rushed forward with weapons drawn.
Though their numbers were fewer than the enemy, they fought with reckless abandon, completely fearless now.
Amidst the chaos, a single boy remained on the battlefield, his scarlet eyes spinning rapidly, bloodshot from both strain and fury.
The sight of his fallen comrades had transformed Uchiha Yoruki, who was no longer the arrogant boy he had once been. The pain of loss had only made him more aggressive.
"Today, Konoha and the Sand Village will fight to the death!"
Jiraiya, seeing the battlefield, made hand seals and said, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball roared toward Chiyo, the heat radiating in waves. There was no better way to counter puppet masters than with Fire Release and physical attacks.
Jiraiya didn't believe Chiyo could summon powerful enough Wind Release techniques to counter his Fire Release every time. And after fighting with Sakumo, she certainly wouldn't be able to outlast both him and Orochimaru.
Jiraiya was confident in his chakra reserves!
Chiyo's puppet with the dual swords blocked the fireball, slashing down as if a sharp sword energy emanated from the blades, colliding with the fireball. The sword energy and the fireball canceled each other out.
Blazing!
But as the flames dissipated, another roaring Fire Dragon Flame Bomb shot toward her.
"Do they have this much coordination?" Chiyo was shocked. The teamwork between Jiraiya and Orochimaru was flawless. Even she hadn't expected the follow-up Fire Dragon Flame Bomb right after the Great Fireball Jutsu.
Quickly, she controlled two of her puppets, utilizing the four-bladed chakra sword once more. The blade spun and cut through the Fire Dragon Flame Bomb, cleaving it in half and redirecting the remaining energy toward her enemies.
"Is this puppet jutsu?" Jiraiya and Orochimaru were taken aback. They had never seen puppetry used in this way.
"Dang!"
At that moment, Sakumo appeared, short sword in hand, clashing with the four-bladed chakra sword.
"Puchi!"
Sakumo coughed up blood from overexertion, knocked back by the force of the clash. However, the chakra sword had already been weakened after cutting through the Fire Dragon Flame Bomb, and Chiyo herself was far from her peak condition. Sakumo's interception stopped the chakra sword's rotation. It was, after all, just another puppet in Chiyo's Ten Puppets.
"Break it!" Sakumo said, blood foaming at his mouth. Jiraiya's eyes narrowed in response, and he punched forward with all his might.
Chiyo's eyes widened in shock as she hastily attempted to recall her puppet.
"Bang!"
But she was a moment too late. Jiraiya's fist smashed into the puppet's arm, shattering it instantly.
Chiyo managed to retrieve the broken puppet, but Jiraiya, still dissatisfied, gritted his teeth. "If Tsunade were here, she would've smashed it with one punch."
"But now, one of the Ten Puppets is damaged. I'd like to see what else you've got," Sakumo said with a chuckle, leaning against a broken tree. Each of the Ten Puppets was incredibly strong, but their true terror came from their coordinated attack and defense. Even the loss of a single puppet was a significant blow.
Chiyo, recalling the damaged puppet, let the fury in her eyes rise to the surface. She stared at Sakumo with such intensity that if looks could kill, he would have died a hundred times over.
The Ten Puppets were her trump card, her most precious treasure. Although she could repair the damage, it wouldn't be easy. After all, these were the masterpieces of the first puppet master, Monzaemon.
Despite being a senior in the ninja world, she had been pushed to this point by a group of juniors. It was utterly humiliating.
Still, the Ten Puppets had been damaged. If she continued to fight using them, she might succeed in killing Hatake Sakumo, but the cost would be too great for her. And on top of that, Tsunade had not yet arrived.
Chiyo glanced at the Sand Ninjas, now entangled in battle with Konoha's forces, and her heart sank. These were the elite of Sand Village.
But even she couldn't protect them now.
Her eyes grew red with frustration, but she turned her gaze back to Jiraiya and Orochimaru before finally settling on Hatake Sakumo. "I will take your life one day," she spat venomously.
With that, Chiyo turned abruptly and prepared to escape.
Jiraiya moved to pursue her, but Orochimaru stopped him.
"An S-class ninja wants to escape. We can't stop her."
Although Jiraiya was angry, he had to admit that if Chiyo wanted to flee, there wasn't much they could do.
Sakumo, leaning against the broken tree, smiled weakly. "But Chiyo's retreat is the best outcome we could hope for today."
Hearing this, both Jiraiya and Orochimaru nodded in agreement.
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