The chaos began within Konoha.
Sunagakure completely shut down its village.
To be precise, after the death of the Fourth Kazekage was exposed, Sunagakure instantly lost a critical combat asset.
This led to numerous issues in the village.
Faced with threats from all sides, the first action was signing a contract with Konoha.
Sunagakure was already struggling, but on top of that, it had to face the covetous eyes of other ninja villages.
The village had no choice but to declare a complete lockdown.
In such circumstances, any ninja village attempting to cause trouble would essentially be preparing for outright war with Sunagakure.
And under this kind of threat, no one wanted to let others reap the spoils of conflict.
Furthermore, Konoha's internal strife had suddenly drawn the attention of the ninja world, allowing Sunagakure to avoid any immediate threats.
The area surrounding Sunagakure was originally a desolate wasteland.
No signs of human habitation.
Even before the village was sealed, entering Sunagakure was no simple task.
Now, it was even more challenging.
However, amidst the barren desert of endless yellow sand, two figures were slowly advancing.
Shielded against the sandstorm and wearing straw hats, they steadily approached the direction of Sunagakure.
Thanks to the cover provided by the sandstorm, Sasuke and Kimimaro didn't have to worry about being discovered for the time being.
They arrived less than a hundred meters from the village's outskirts.
Behind a rock formation.
Sasuke halted and glanced back at Kimimaro.
"Wait here! Be ready to assist me at any moment!"
Kimimaro had initially thought that Sasuke wanted him to act together this time, but to his surprise, Sasuke still intended to go alone.
"Lord Sasuke, allow me to assist you!"
Hearing this, Sasuke shook his head.
"Unnecessary. If even the weakest Sunagakure could trouble me, all my training would have been in vain."
"But…"
"Don't worry. There will be a time for you to act; you might need to cover our retreat then."
Cover the retreat?
Kimimaro was momentarily stunned. The fight hadn't even started, yet Lord Sasuke was already so confident of victory?
What extraordinary self-assurance!
"Then I will wait here for Lord Sasuke. Should there be any danger, you can signal me immediately!"
"Rest assured."
Sasuke nodded, turning and disappearing into the sandstorm.
'What an impressive Body Flicker…'
Watching Sasuke vanish without a sound, Kimimaro realized his earlier worries might have been unnecessary.
What he should be concerned about was how long the Sunagakure ninjas could endure against Lord Sasuke.
Inside Sunagakure!
Although it was daytime, the harsh weather made it appear no different from nighttime.
The yellow sand obscured the sunlight, forcing the villagers to light lamps for illumination.
From a distance, glowing light could be seen emanating from the windows of the spherical buildings.
Under the dim light, one could barely discern the streets.
At the highest point of the village, in the Kazekage's office despite the absence of a Kazekage the village's higher-ups were dealing with various matters.
Baki's expression was grim.
"The wind is picking up again. The sandstorm is too strong; it's best to minimize outdoor activities today."
"Anyway, no one pays attention to Sunagakure right now, so the guards can relax a little."
Hearing another high-ranking official's words, Baki remained silent.
His primary concern was Gaara's condition.
If Gaara couldn't grow stronger quickly, the future of Sunagakure would be… bleak.
He could only hope for the best.
"I'll go check on Gaara."
With that, Baki left the office and headed to another part of the village, braving the sandstorm.
Yet, as he navigated the streets amidst the relentless yellow sand, he found it hard to keep his eyes open.
But as he turned a corner on one street, he suddenly froze.
Standing in the middle of the square was a dark figure.
The figure held a lifeless Sunagakure ninja in one hand, seemingly interrogating him.
Baki surveyed the surroundings carefully. Despite the sandstorm, he could clearly see… the fallen bodies of ninjas around him.
'This… this is…'
Upon closer inspection, he was startled to realize that the ground was littered with ninja corpses.
They were all Sunagakure ninjas.
At least twenty could be seen with the naked eye.
Someone had invaded Sunagakure and, without a sound, had eliminated so many Sunagakure ninjas.
How was this possible?
It was well-known that Sunagakure's overall strength ranked among the top of the Five Great Nations.
In response to covert actions like assassination, they were also the most vigilant.
How could someone silently kill so many Sunagakure ninjas…?
"Stop!"
Suddenly, Baki shouted. Sasuke, who was about to snap the neck of another Sunagakure ninja, paused.
He turned to look at Baki.
Sasuke smiled faintly.
Crack!
The crisp sound of breaking bones echoed.
With his face obscured by a hat and scarf, and further concealed by the sandstorm, Baki couldn't see Sasuke's features.
Sasuke casually tossed the lifeless ninja aside and began walking slowly toward him.
Baki was immediately overwhelmed by a wave of murderous intent.
This person was no ordinary ninja.
He was incredibly strong!
Yet, judging by his height, he seemed… rather short!
"Who are you…? Which village are you from? Who sent you to invade Sunagakure? What is your purpose?"
Faced with Baki's questions, Sasuke said nothing.
He continued walking forward.
Seeing Sasuke's complete disregard, Baki grew enraged.
To kill so many Sunagakure ninjas and still act so arrogantly…
'Courting death…'
He raised his hands to form seals.
"Wind Release: Beast Wave Palm!"
Boom! A gust of wind blades erupted from his palms, concealed within the sandstorm, and hurtled toward Sasuke.
The next moment!
Baki heard the sound of sand brushing against clothing.
Boom! Boom!
His wind blades struck the ground, but the enemy was gone.
Shing~~~
A long, icy blade appeared behind him, its edge lightly pressing against his throat.
The chilling sensation from the blade made Baki freeze.
Sweat poured from his brow.
'Such… such incredible speed…'
'Is this man a monster? How can someone move so fast…?'
Even he hadn't managed to track his opponent's movements… How was that possible?
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