In the chaos that engulfed Sand Village after the puppet attack, Ebizo's calm demeanor was the only thing keeping the village from completely falling apart.
"Intercept those puppets immediately," Ebizo commanded with authority. "Even if we have to pay the ultimate price, we must stop them."
Through his experience and reports, Ebizo knew that Konoha's attack wasn't aimed at mass casualties—it was destruction. Buildings, symbols of strength, and infrastructure were the primary targets. But even knowing this didn't lessen the pain of watching the iconic Kazekage office crumble under the relentless explosions.
Ebizo focused on stabilizing the village. He dispatched teams to contain the chaos, ordered ninjas to intercept the puppets, and directed civilians to stay indoors. "The enemy isn't interested in residential areas," he assured them.
Still, the cost of intercepting the puppets was steep. Sand ninjas who engaged the explosive puppets often lost their lives. But Ebizo weighed the cost—better to lose a few lives than to see the entire village reduced to rubble.
A Village in Ruins
By dawn, the attack had ended. The once-proud Sand Village lay in ruins. Buildings were reduced to smoking debris, and the Kazekage office—once the heart of the village—was now nothing but a pile of rubble.
"Begin rescue operations immediately," Ebizo ordered. "Treat the wounded, recover those trapped under debris, and tally the losses. Everything—economic damage, injuries, casualties—must be accounted for."
As Ebizo reviewed the grim reports, his heart ached. The losses were catastrophic, and he knew that Sand Village could ill afford such devastation. Yet, his stoic expression never wavered.
"Send a detailed report to the Kazekage at the Five Kage Summit," Ebizo said, his tone even. "Include a copy for Elder Chiyo on the front lines."
Chiyo's Frustrations
On the battlefield, Chiyo had no idea what had happened to the village. She was preoccupied with Konoha's relentless and unconventional tactics.
This war wasn't like anything Chiyo had faced before. She was used to traditional ninja warfare—straightforward battles, honor, and strategy. But Konoha, under the guidance of Orochimaru, had turned the conflict into a maddeningly unpredictable game of deception and attrition.
Unlike her previous engagements, Orochimaru's tactics were insidious. He had no interest in fighting "fair." His strategies were designed to destabilize, frustrate, and inflict psychological damage.
Chiyo had dealt with Nara Shikaku's brilliant but honorable strategies in the Land of Rain. But Orochimaru? He was an entirely different beast.
"That snake!" Chiyo cursed as she slammed her fist onto a table. "Does he even understand what a proper war is?"
Orochimaru's Style of Warfare
Orochimaru, however, was unapologetic. To him, there was no room for tradition in war. "Victory is what matters," he often said, smirking at the outrage of his enemies. "Who wants to fight a traditional war, anyway?"
Orochimaru's philosophy led to tactics that left Sand Village scrambling. He emptied much of Ryuchi Cave's snake population onto the battlefield, creating chaos with a spectacle of writhing serpents.
One particularly devastating attack involved baiting Chiyo into ambushing a seemingly vulnerable Konoha ninja squad. As Sand ninjas closed in for the kill, massive snakes—bigger than trains—burst forth, turning the tables on the attackers.
These weren't ordinary snakes. Their size and strength made them formidable opponents, even for experienced jonin.
Orochimaru had struck a deal with the serpents of Ryuchi Cave: help him on the battlefield, and they could feast on the bodies of the fallen. The arrangement was mutually beneficial, and for Sand Village, it was a nightmare.
Chiyo's Breaking Point
Chiyo, a veteran of countless battles, was no stranger to hardship. But Orochimaru's relentless mind games and unconventional tactics were eroding her composure. Every victory seemed hollow, every gain short-lived.
"This isn't war—it's madness!" she yelled after yet another failed attempt to outmaneuver Orochimaru.
But Orochimaru reveled in Chiyo's frustrations. To him, the battlefield was a place to experiment, to toy with his enemies, and to push the boundaries of ninja warfare.
The Five Kage Summit: Negotiations Continue
While Sand Village dealt with the aftermath of the puppet attack and Chiyo raged on the front lines, the Third Kazekage remained in the Land of Iron, locked in negotiations with the Third Hokage.
The compensation demanded by Konoha had been a contentious point. What began as an outrageous 500 million ryo per village had been whittled down through relentless bargaining. By the end of the discussions, the Third Hokage held firm at 100 million ryo—a figure that still left the Kazekage reeling.
"One hundred million is absurd!" the Kazekage protested. "We can't possibly afford that!"
But the Third Hokage remained unyielding. "If you think that's too much, perhaps you'd prefer another demonstration of what Konoha's puppets can do."
The veiled threat silenced the room. The other Kage, while sympathetic to Sand Village's plight, knew they couldn't ignore Konoha's show of force.
Conclusion
As the Five Kage Talks dragged on, the cracks in the alliance against Konoha began to show. Sand Village, now crippled by the puppet attack, was losing its resolve. Meanwhile, Orochimaru's tactics on the battlefield were demoralizing their forces.
In the end, both the summit and the war were tilting in Konoha's favor. But for Orochimaru, this was just the beginning. His unconventional approach to warfare had set a new standard, and he relished the chaos he had sown.
As the Kazekage prepared to return to a broken village and Chiyo seethed on the battlefield, Orochimaru smirked from the shadows.
"Traditional war?" he whispered. "How quaint."
>>>>>
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