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The legend of the Night-Singing Sand Sea tells of a time when it was once a vast freshwater lake, rivaling the size of an ocean. Over time, however, environmental changes transformed the land, turning what was once a boundless expanse of water into a small oasis amidst an endless desert. When the northern winds howl at night, the remnants of ancient shells and fossils scattered across the sands emit eerie, hollow wails, giving the Night-Singing Sand Sea its name.
The Night-Singing Sand Sea is the closest oasis to the Land of Rain. As far back as the era of the First Kazekage, Sunagakure had been stationing shinobi there. During the reign of the Second Kazekage, Shamon, the site was further fortified, with stockpiles of grain and the digging of wells. Over time, it was transformed into the largest military fortress in the northern Wind Country. A glance at the map reveals its strategic importance—it serves as a forward base for any assault on the Land of Rain.
Today, it has become the frontline where the armies of Konoha and Sunagakure are locked in a standoff. With the advantage of fighting on home turf, the Sunagakure forces found themselves more at ease. After receiving a portion of military supplies, their morale surged, and they managed to hold their ground against the Konoha forces, which were twice their number. Under Chiyo's leadership, the Sunagakure troops stabilized their position, while Danzo Shimura showed no urgency to press the attack. The situation gradually evolved into a stalemate.
However, this slow-burning strategy was precisely what worried Chiyo the most. She knew full well that the current surge in morale was nothing but a fragile bubble. Their limited supplies would eventually run out, and when that happened, Sunagakure would face complete collapse. Staring at the map, Chiyo frowned deeply.
"Lady Chiyo, the Third Kazekage has arrived!" a messenger announced.
"Summon all unit commanders to the main camp for a meeting immediately!" Chiyo ordered.
Jinghang removed his sand goggles and veil, exhaling a long, weary breath. After traveling back and forth across thousands of kilometers and sprinting nonstop for three days and nights, even his massive chakra reserves were nearly depleted. As he wiped his face with a towel and shook the sand off his cloak, he mentally refined the plan he had been formulating during his journey.
"Everyone is gathered in the main camp, awaiting your instructions, Lord Kazekage," a messenger informed him.
"Lead the way. And find me a new cloak later—a white one," Jinghang replied, casually discarding his sand-covered cloak.
"This is the current state of the battlefield," Karura reported, her tone tinged with nervousness as she glanced at the newly appointed Third Kazekage. She wasn't sure what kind of temperament this new leader possessed.
Jinghang rested his chin on his hand, silently studying the map, which displayed the positions of the red and blue forces. The other Sunagakure commanders and Chiyo waited quietly for his orders.
"How many troops do we have left?" Jinghang finally broke the silence.
"5,874," Karura answered immediately.
"And the enemy?"
"Approximately 10,000."
"How long can our supplies last?"
"At most, twenty-five days."
"Are the supplies being transported from Lake Tsuki?"
"Yes."
"How long does it take for a supply convoy to travel from Lake Tsuki to here?"
"Fifteen days."
Jinghang fell into thought once more.
"I have an idea," he said, picking up a red pencil and drawing a circle on the map. "Let's change the location of the decisive battle to here." He pointed to the circle he had just drawn. The commanders' gazes followed his finger to the map. The circle enclosed an area labeled "Lake Tsuki."
"What about the Night-Singing Sand Sea? Are we just going to abandon it and hand it over to Konoha for nothing?" Chiyo asked, clearly puzzled. The room erupted into murmurs of confusion; it was evident that many did not understand Jinghang's reasoning.
"Heh, no need to get so worked up, Granny Chiyo. Everyone, calm down," Jinghang said with a smile, gently pressing Chiyo back into her chair.
"'If we save the people, we save the land; if we lose the people, we lose both the land and the people.' Today, we retreat boldly so that we may advance boldly tomorrow!" His words, delivered with a resounding conviction, left the room in stunned silence.
"There's a kind of victory called retreat, and a kind of defeat called occupation. If Konoha wants this place so badly, let them have it!" Jinghang declared grandly, gesturing dramatically to the room.
"By the way, where's the army's latrine?" he added casually.
"This is definitely not the work of that old hag Chiyo," Danzo Shimura muttered to himself.
Standing amidst the smoking ruins of the Sunagakure camp, even Danzo's usually stoic face couldn't hide a slight twitch. The destruction was thorough—painstakingly so.
"Send orders to the pursuit units led by Orochimaru and Jiraiya. Tell them to hound the retreating Sunagakure forces like hyenas. Don't let them retreat in peace. If they encounter heavy resistance, they are to fall back," Danzo commanded decisively.
The young Jiraiya and an equally young Orochimaru led over a hundred Konoha shinobi as they sprinted through the desert.
"Orochimaru, let's see who catches up to the Sunagakure forces first! Cough, cough," Jiraiya shouted boastfully, only to immediately choke on the sand blown into his mouth by the wind.
"Idiot," Orochimaru muttered, distancing himself from Jiraiya in disdain.
Suddenly, a lone figure appeared on the horizon. With long blue hair, a white veil, and a white cloak, the figure stood proudly atop a sand dune.
"Iron Sand: Drizzle." Without a word, Jinghang launched his attack.
Countless grains of iron sand, propelled by magnetic force, rained down like a storm upon the Konoha shinobi. Orochimaru, ever cautious, dodged the barrage with a series of backflips, while Jiraiya activated Ninja Art: Needle Jizō, wrapping himself tightly in his silver hair. The unfortunate Konoha shinobi trailing behind them, however, didn't react in time and were instantly riddled with holes.
"The Blue Tempest of Sunagakure. You must be Jinghang," Jiraiya said through a crack in his protective silver hair.
"Ah, so you've heard of me," Jinghang replied with a smile.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!" Orochimaru, having evaded the "iron rain," immediately launched a counterattack.
"Demonic Shield!" A massive black iron shield materialized, blocking the incoming snakes. However, the serpents slithered around the shield and continued their assault on Jinghang.
Impressive. Just as Jinghang prepared to deal with the snakes, Jiraiya made his move.
"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!" Countless strands of hardened silver hair shot forward, piercing Jinghang's body.
"Boom!" The impaled Jinghang vanished in a puff of white smoke.
A Shadow Clone! How does he know the Second Hokage's forbidden technique? Orochimaru wondered. (Though he probably didn't consider that anyone who's read hundreds of chapters of Naruto manga could figure out such a simple hand sign.)
The real Jinghang emerged from behind a sand dune, clapping his hands in mock applause.
"Not bad, not bad. No wonder Salamander Hanzo called you the Three Legendary Ninja. By the way, where's Tsunade? I hear she's a beauty. Care to introduce us?"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" "Wind Release: Wind Blade!" The other Konoha shinobi finally reacted, launching their attacks.
"Iron Sand: Iron Wall Technique." Behind the protective iron wall, Jinghang silently manipulated the flow of iron sand beneath the desert.
The Konoha shinobi's relentless attacks continued, heating the iron wall until it glowed red. Orochimaru and Jiraiya exchanged a glance, both sensing imminent danger.
"Iron Sand: Steel Garden Technique!"
Suddenly, the desert beneath their feet began to quake. Countless black iron vines erupted from the ground, twisting and writhing. In an instant, the desert was painted with the blood of Konoha shinobi, blooming like tragic flowers amidst the sands.