Just as Chiyo was about to meet her demise, black iron sand appeared.
Countless streams of black iron sand stretched out from behind Chiyo, rapidly enveloping her whole body and forming a triangular prism.
At the moment the black iron sand fully closed, Chiyo glared at Hatake Sumo with hatred in her eyes.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Defense!"
Hatake Sumo's blade struck the triangular defense made of black iron sand, sending sparks flying.
The triangular defense made of iron sand was astonishingly strong.
At this moment, a man with black hair, wearing a white cloak, stood in the air with his arms crossed. Beneath his feet was a circular platform of black iron sand. His gaze was calm as he looked down.
Hatake Sumo's figure flickered as he passed by the puppets behind him, quickly creating distance between them.
Looking up at the figure in the sky, his face remained expressionless, but his heart was in turmoil.
That's... the Kazekage of Sunagakure!
The war had just begun. Why was the Kazekage of Sunagakure appearing here so soon? The presence of a Kage on the battlefield signified a very different meaning.
So far, the war was confined to territorial disputes and the establishment of defensive lines.
But when a Kage steps onto the battlefield, it means full-scale war.
It's no longer just about seizing territory. It's about annihilating all of the enemy's forces.
Hatake Sumo knelt slightly on the ground, his blade held horizontally before him.
This battle was going to be more difficult than he had imagined.
"White Fang, Hatake Sumo."
The Kazekage's gaze shifted towards him, and more black material gathered around him — floating iron sand.
He had heard the name White Fang from the Sunagakure shinobi on his way here.
"Kazekage-sama, do you intend to initiate full-scale war against Konoha?"
Hatake Sumo showed respect towards the opposing Kazekage. After all, he was one of the five Kages at the pinnacle of the ninja world.
These five people, in terms of both status and ability, dictated the direction of the entire ninja world. The fact that the shinobi world still submitted to the feudal lords was largely due to the influence of these five Kages.
The ninja world had no shortage of ambitious individuals who wished to replace the feudal lords, but the will of the five Kages kept the current order intact.
Few people truly understood this dynamic.
The five Kages also kept their guard up against each other, so none of them ever cared much about the weaker feudal lords.
The Kazekage's brow furrowed deeply, his face showing a constant expression of sorrow.
"Since the war has already begun, what hope is there for reconciliation?"
The Kazekage had not wished to be the first Kage to step onto the battlefield, as it would imply a lack of confidence in his village's strength. However, Konoha had become too overbearing.
To the point of being terrifying.
In the Land of Rain, Orochimaru alone had suppressed both Sunagakure and Iwagakure, now holding the upper hand.
Even his subordinates were gradually revealing themselves as formidable warriors.
Both Sunagakure and Iwagakure were now in a tight spot.
Originally, Sunagakure had the advantage in the Land of Rivers battlefield, and the Kazekage had been ready to mock Onoki, the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure. But unexpectedly, while the Iwagakure front remained stable, their own situation here was deteriorating.
Hatake Sumo had destroyed the defensive line they had worked so hard to establish.
And they couldn't find a trace of him.
Thus, the Kazekage had decided to act first.
If Hatake Sumo were allowed to continue disrupting their rear, the defensive line in the Land of Rivers would collapse entirely.
If he could kill Hatake Sumo, they might at least regain some advantage.
But on his way here, seeing the defeated puppet masters, the Kazekage realized that the best they could hope for now was to stabilize the situation.
Ultimately, it came down to one goal: kill Konoha's White Fang—Hatake Sumo!
"Why talk anymore!" Chiyo roared, her hatred palpable.
"Kill him!"
Her killing intent towards Hatake Sumo was overwhelming.
There was no point in further conversation.
The battle began.
The iron sand gathered in the sky.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"
In an instant, the iron sand behind the Kazekage surged like waves, transforming into countless needles.
Under his control, they swarmed towards Hatake Sumo.
The iron sand filled the sky, leaving no gaps, resembling a downpour of black rain.
Hatake Sumo quickly formed hand seals.
He pressed his hands to the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Multiple earth walls rapidly formed, encasing Hatake Sumo entirely.
But under the barrage of iron sand needles, the earth walls were penetrated in an instant.
Inside, Hatake Sumo had already vanished.
"They're coming for me."
Chiyo was the first to notice the shift, quickly leaping away.
Hatake Sumo emerged from the ground but missed his target.
Ten white puppets turned and attacked Hatake Sumo, and the most dangerous threat remained the sea of iron sand, constantly surging towards him.
"As expected of the strongest, the Third Kazekage."
Hatake Sumo quickly retreated, with the ten puppets chasing closely behind.
Chiyo stood amidst the sea of iron sand, controlling the puppets.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Gathering Assault!"
Massive amounts of iron sand compressed, forming an enormous steel weapon that plummeted towards Hatake Sumo from above.
A black shadow loomed over Hatake Sumo.
The massive black iron weapon dominated the sky.
It was too large to evade with a single leap.
Hatake Sumo sprang from the ground, quickly running up the surface of the enormous iron weapon.
The Third Kazekage smirked. With a gesture, the iron sand weapon shifted again, transforming into a swirling black tornado.
This prevented Hatake Sumo from maintaining his footing. However, already at the top, Hatake Sumo kicked off the weapon with all his strength, launching himself into the distance.
"He's trying to escape!" Chiyo shouted in rage.
"I know," the Kazekage replied calmly, as the iron sand carried both him and Chiyo in pursuit of Hatake Sumo.
The two locked their eyes on Hatake Sumo, knowing that if they lost sight of him for even a moment, he would vanish.
Under their watchful eyes, Hatake Sumo found it difficult to escape.
Glancing back at the two flying towards him and the ten puppets still pursuing, Hatake Sumo knew that escaping in front of these two was nearly impossible.
However...
Who said he was trying to escape?
Just as the two closed in, the ground beneath Hatake Sumo's feet shattered, and his body shot forward.
His target was Chiyo!
The white blade flashed towards her, but the iron sand reacted swiftly. The ground beneath Chiyo gave way, and her head was buried in the sand.
At the cost of this, the puppets that had been attacking Hatake Sumo fell limp, as if their strings had been cut.
Hatake Sumo didn't relent. With greater speed and force, he stepped on the iron sand and turned toward the Kazekage.
The white blade flashed.
The Kazekage hadn't anticipated a second attack, and his reaction was a beat too slow.
Hatake Sumo was already upon him.
The iron sand exploded.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Method!"
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