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On the Konoha front in the Land of Rivers, Tsunade stood atop a giant slug, her hands on her hips, exuding an aura of dominance.
As one of Konoha's elite jōnin, Tsunade was in no way inferior to Orochimaru.
She was not just a medical ninja; her combat abilities were on par with those of Orochimaru and Jiraiya.
In front of her, Konoha's ninjas were engaged in fierce combat with the Sunagakure forces, turning the entire mountain forest into a battlefield.
Flames, water, fierce winds, lightning, and earth jutsu clashed continuously, reshaping the landscape. The mountain visibly began to crumble under the sheer power of the ninjutsu.
In the distance, the sound of explosions echoed non-stop.
Tsunade's gaze was fixed on a woman standing on a distant rock, her presence still commanding respect despite her age.
Chiyo of Sunagakure.
She was a ninja from the same era as the old man Hiruzen and was considered a pillar of Sunagakure. Tsunade knew better than to underestimate this old woman.
According to intelligence, Chiyo possessed puppets capable of destroying an entire country.
They stood in a standoff, with the tide of battle currently in Tsunade's favor.
The Sunagakure forces were steadily retreating under Konoha's relentless assault.
After all, Konoha was the village with the most powerful ninjutsu. Trying to outmatch them in that aspect was suicide, especially with Tsunade's slug providing healing support to Konoha's ninjas.
Wait.
"Ninjutsu?"
Tsunade's expression changed as she scanned the battlefield.
The majority of the battle was a clash of ninjutsu, with only a few puppet users among the Sunagakure forces.
But when did the number of puppet users become so few? Sunagakure was known for having an entire corps of puppet users!
Even if she hadn't seen them before, Tsunade had heard of Sunagakure's puppet corps.
Her gaze returned to the figure of Chiyo.
Without hesitation, Tsunade shot forward.
'Chiyo' remained expressionless, her hands moving rapidly through hand seals.
"Fūton: Kaze Shuriken!" (Wind Release: Wind Cutter)
Blades of vacuum air appeared out of thin air, aiming to slice Tsunade apart.
But Tsunade charged straight through the wind release jutsu.
She raised her leg high and smashed it down toward 'Chiyo'.
"Pain Heaven Kick!" (Painful Sky Leg)
The speed of the kick was astonishing, and 'Chiyo' barely managed to dodge.
"Boom!"
A massive crater formed in the ground, and although 'Chiyo' dodged the kick, she couldn't escape the flying debris.
"The real Chiyo wouldn't use ninjutsu against me."
Tsunade landed, crouching low with her fist pulled back.
"Who are you!"
She unleashed a powerful punch, and the force of her strike sent a shockwave ahead. 'Chiyo' had no time to dodge and was hit squarely. Blood spurted from her mouth as her bones shattered and her organs were crushed by the impact.
She was beyond saving.
As she died, smoke rose, revealing 'Chiyo' to be an unfamiliar kunoichi.
"Retreat!!"
A shout came from among the Sunagakure forces.
Seeing 'Chiyo' exposed, they immediately began to retreat.
Tsunade frowned as several Konoha ninjas gathered around her, kneeling and shouting in unison.
"Tsunade-sama!"
Tsunade's arrival had brought them a rare victory, and it was no surprise they were so excited.
But Tsunade wasn't pleased.
Chiyo, who was supposed to be defending, had disappeared.
She had a bad feeling.
Where was the Sunagakure puppet corps, and why was Chiyo using a decoy here?
She narrowed her eyes, staring into the distance.
"All units, follow me! We're advancing into the Land of Rivers!"
With her command, all the Konoha ninjas followed her toward the Land of Rivers.
Tsunade already had an idea in mind.
Sunagakure's target must be Sakumo!
...
Meanwhile...
Chiyo was furiously controlling ten white humanoid puppets, launching a relentless attack on Sakumo. Her eyes were bloodshot, having just witnessed her son and daughter-in-law die at Sakumo's hands.
The puppet corps had also suffered heavy losses.
It could be said that one White Fang had cost Sunagakure most of its combat power.
Sakumo's figure flashed repeatedly. Unlike the earlier one-sided slaughter, this battle was far from easy.
The ten white puppets worked seamlessly together, giving him no chance to escape.
The puppets were incredibly durable, not easily cut down.
For now, he couldn't get close to Chiyo.
These ten white puppets were the greatest masterpiece of the puppet master Monzaemon.
The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets.
Their durable bodies made their taijutsu stronger than that of most jōnin specializing in hand-to-hand combat. Their coordinated attacks could also unleash powerful jutsu.
No matter how fast Sakumo was, the Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets could keep up.
As long as the puppet master could keep up.
Chiyo was on a completely different level from the other puppet masters.
As Sakumo fought the ten puppets, Chiyo was amazed at his strength. He was overpowering the Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets. If not for her years of combat experience, she wouldn't have been able to keep up with his speed.
Her hands moved rapidly, her fingers a blur of motion.
Three of the puppets suddenly combined.
"Kugutsu no Jutsu: Sanshōuo!" (Puppet Technique: Three Jewels Suction Crush)
A powerful suction force created a massive vortex, pulling Sakumo toward it.
He drove his sword into the ground, but it wasn't enough to stop the pull, and he was slowly being dragged in.
The other puppets moved in to attack.
If this continued, he might meet his end here.
He quickly formed hand seals with one hand.
"Raiton: Jūroku Shichū Shibari no Jutsu!" (Lightning Release: Four Pillar Bind)
Gray earth transformed into a massive box, trapping the three puppets inside. Intense lightning crackled within.
Sakumo broke free from the suction and swung his sword forcefully.
A surge of chakra transformed into a blue crescent slash, forcing the approaching puppets to retreat.
"Rankyaku: Sen!" (Tempest Kick: Flash)
With three puppets trapped and the others momentarily pushed back, Sakumo's breathing shifted, electricity crackling around him.
He turned into a streak of white light, closing the distance to Chiyo in an instant.
Lightning entwined around the white crescent moon.
The wind itself screamed under the pressure of his speed.
At that moment, Chiyo's hands formed seals.
"Kugutsu no Jutsu: Kōtetsushin!" (Puppet Technique: Machine Light Shield Seal)
A white puppet appeared in front of Chiyo, its blue transparent shield raised.
Sakumo's sword clashed with the shield, emitting a bright blue light.
The other puppets were already closing in, and the ones trapped had broken free and were charging in as well.
Countless chakra threads shot out from Chiyo, quickly wrapping around Sakumo, trying to restrict his movements.
But instead of retreating, Sakumo advanced, veins bulging in the exposed half of his face.
The white light on his sword flared brightly.
He remained silent but put every ounce of his strength into the attack.
"Crack!"
A small crack appeared on the blue shield.
"Impossible!"
Chiyo stared in disbelief at Sakumo.
But it was happening.
"Crack, crack, crack."
The shield shattered in an instant.
The distance between them was now just a single step.
Sakumo's sword was already raised, moving toward Chiyo with a speed far surpassing that of the puppets behind her.
(End of Chapter)