Fumori Masaki was taken aback by Chiyo's strength. Although he hadn't used all of his techniques, he had been serious, yet Chiyo still managed to escape.
She truly deserved her reputation as a kunoichi who survived into her seventies. To have endured the three great Ninja Wars, her strength and luck were undeniable.
Chiyo had particularly managed to dodge his instinctive reaction and the kunai laced with an explosive tag that he'd thrown. If Masaki hadn't been prepared to counter with the Eight-Point Wind Wheel, he might have been injured, or worse, caught by one of the hidden weapons fired from her puppets.
With one hand, Masaki swung his wind cutter, the chakra coating its surface causing the air to vibrate, dispelling the hidden weapons. With the other, he twisted the Eight-Point Wind Wheel, positioning the disc-shaped side to face the incoming explosion. The wind wheel absorbed and compressed the surrounding air, creating a barrier to withstand the force of the blast.
This was the defensive form of the Eight-Point Wind Wheel, a technique Masaki had developed. Not only could it be used for defense, but it could also quickly revert to its original shape and be thrown again.
However, the flames from the explosive tag clung to the wind wheel, intensifying the heat Masaki felt. Fortunately, the sensation was bearable for the brief moment it lasted. Before the fire completely dissipated, he quickly threw the Eight-Point Wind Wheel toward Chiyo. The flames trailing behind it did not obstruct its path.
Though Chiyo couldn't see past the flames, she noticed a slight distortion in the firelight. Her intuition warned her that something was amiss. Acting on instinct, she commanded her puppets to block the incoming attack, while sending others toward the source of the flames.
Once again, her quick reactions saved her life. The Eight-Point Wind Wheel, wreathed in fire, spun like a vortex and tore through her puppets. Fortunately for her, she had retreated in time and wasn't caught in the blast. However, two of her puppets were destroyed and rendered useless.
Masaki deflected the remaining puppet attacks and leapt back, noticing that Chiyo had survived the Eight-Point Wind Wheel. He felt a pang of regret; this was the first time his attack had failed to kill his enemy. While he had destroyed two of her puppets, it wasn't enough to take Chiyo out of the fight.
As he landed, Masaki saw Hyūga Kei signaling him. Kei indicated that more Sand ninja were approaching. Masaki knew that if the battle continued, Chiyo might still fall, but the question was whether he could defeat her before reinforcements arrived.
Despite Chiyo's reputation and the respect Masaki had for her, they were enemies now. He had no intention of showing mercy and hoped to eliminate such a key figure from Sunagakure. However, it seemed unlikely.
As a legendary figure of Sunagakure, Chiyo's survival instincts and strength made it difficult to take her down. Deciding to abandon the kill for now, Masaki bit his finger, smeared his blood on the ground, and summoned a large amount of his chakra.
Bang—
Chiyo felt a sudden gust of wind and raised her hand to shield herself from the blowing sand. When she looked up, she saw a massive slug with white and blue patterns towering above her.
Seeing the slug, Shimura Danzō immediately disengaged from his fight with Ebizō and rushed forward. Masaki stood atop the slug and began performing hand seals. The slug exhaled a yellow liquid, and Danzō used a wind-style jutsu to spread the liquid across the battlefield.
"Use wind jutsu, quickly!" Chiyo shouted to her fellow Sand ninja.
The ninjas reacted quickly, realizing the slug's liquid was dangerous. They unleashed wind-style jutsu to disperse it, but the liquid splattered everywhere like rain.
Cursing silently, Chiyo commanded one of her puppets to use its shield to block the falling liquid. As she continued to observe her surroundings, she noticed the liquid quickly dissolving the puppet's shield.
This is extremely acidic mucus, she thought, feeling a chill down her spine.
The liquid corroded everything it touched, creating large holes in the ground. Several Sand ninja screamed as the liquid burned through parts of their bodies. While none died instantly, they were severely injured.
"Damn!" Chiyo cursed aloud, searching for Masaki. But when she looked up, the slug had already disappeared, and Masaki and the other Konoha ninjas were gone.
"Lady Chiyo, Lord Ebizō, are you alright?" The Sand ninja reinforcements arrived just then, tending to the wounded and scanning for the enemy.
"I'm fine," Chiyo replied, her face cold, her hands clenched into fists. Ebizō, standing beside her, knew she was furious.
They had let the Konoha team escape despite their numbers. For someone as proud as Chiyo, this was a humiliating outcome. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself.
"Leave some of our men to tend to the wounded. The rest of you, pursue them. We can't let them get away so easily!" she ordered.
"Yes, ma'am!" the Sand ninja responded, equally angry. They were on their home turf, yet the enemy had slipped away.
Meanwhile, Masaki and his team were on the move, changing routes multiple times before stopping in a hidden location to recover their chakra and stamina.
As Masaki looked at the empty spots where four of their comrades had once been, he sighed. No matter how strong he and Danzō were, Sunagakure still had the advantage. They had lost four teammates in the battle, and while the Sand ninja had suffered more casualties, the loss of those four was deeply felt. They had fought together for some time, forming a bond that was now broken.
Masaki knew he had to accept the harsh reality of war. There were always casualties, especially when surrounded by enemies. But at least, he thought, some of his closest comrades from the Third Unit were still by his side.
"Masaki," Shimura Danzō called out, holding a map. "We need to discuss the next escape route. We managed to get away this time thanks to your slug, but it won't be that easy next time."
Masaki nodded in agreement. He wasn't afraid of facing the enemy, but as a commander, it was his duty to minimize losses. He couldn't afford to sacrifice too many of his men.
"You didn't manage to finish off that Sand kunoichi," Danzō remarked as he studied the map.
"She's stronger than expected," Masaki replied.
"I thought you might have wanted to capture her, like that blonde girl from Kumo," Danzō commented.
Masaki raised an eyebrow. "Is that the impression I've left on you? For a moment, I thought you were Sarutobi Hiruzen using his Telescope Technique. That's something he would say." Masaki carefully looked around him, saw that Rimi's not around, he was slightly relieved.
Danzō smirked slightly. "No, I simply thought it was unusual that you couldn't finish her off. But I see now that she's more formidable than her brother."
"A kunoichi like her doesn't come around often," Masaki said thoughtfully.
With their next route planned, the Konoha team set off again, now more cautious after their recent encounter. They learned from their experience, ensuring there would be no more close calls as they made their way toward the Land of Rivers.