The Unsheathed Murderous Blade

"The killing unit is ready."

"The support squad is ready."

"The sensory squad is ready."

"The assault squad is ready."

Konoha's forces lay hidden not far from the Sunagakure Ninja camp, prepared to begin the final offensive with a surprise attack.

Hatake Sakumo raised his right hand high, slowly curling his fingers down one by one as he began the countdown to the attack.

"Move!"

"Earth Release: Great Earth Core!"

At Sakumo's command, dozens of Konoha ninja proficient in Earth Release lined up and cast their techniques together.

The ground beneath Konoha's killing unit shook violently as thick pillars of earth surged upward, forcibly creating high ground with Earth Release.

Every Konoha ninja standing atop those earthen pillars was a Special Jonin skilled in Wind Release and Fire Release.

Now that Konoha's ninja had gained the positional advantage, they stood above the enemy and poured their Chakra down upon the Sunagakure Ninja camp.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

"Fire Release: Majestic Dragon Flame!"

Hundreds of Konoha ninja cast their techniques at once. Howling winds and devouring flames intertwined, their power towering to the heavens.

On this borderland, yellow sand and green leaves existed together in an unusual harmony. Yet in that instant, both became fuel for the flames.

The entire earth ignited, and the main Sunagakure Ninja position was instantly swallowed by raging fire.

"The enemy's Chakra signatures are still normal. Watch out for an ambush!"

The Hyuga clan ninja activated their Byakugan, assessing the results of the attack as they loudly warned their comrades.

As the flames dispersed, rows of sturdy earthen walls were revealed.

Those thick Earth Release walls had blocked Konoha's blazing fire.

A cruel gleam shone in the Sunagakure Ninja's eyes as they charged forward viciously.

Though it was night, Nara Shikayama felt as though he could see the mocking look in Ebizo's eyes.

"Assault squad, kill with me!"

Sakumo paid them no mind. With a low roar, he drew the White Fang Short Blade and led the charge himself.

Against a force commanded by Chiyo and Ebizo, he had never expected to succeed in a single blow.

They were veterans of the Shinobi World. How could they possibly make such a basic mistake as being caught off guard?

Sakumo had ordered Konoha's forces to use such large-scale ninjutsu mainly to clear the Puppet Technique traps Sunagakure Ninja had placed on the ground, paving the way for his charge.

"Die!"

Yellow sand surged as several savage puppets sped toward Sakumo under their Puppet Masters' control.

Hatake Sakumo did not slow down. His breathing became ever steadier, and he entered a mysterious state.

There was only the enemy before him and the blade in his hand.

Silver light flashed, and the puppets the Sunagakure Ninja took such pride in stopped where they stood like scraps of broken metal.

Hatake Sakumo's serious sword slashes could easily sever the Chakra threads controlling the puppets!

"Pfft—!"

The white short blade paused at the Puppet Masters' throats for only an instant before continuing forward without hesitation.

The Sunagakure Ninja clutched their throats helplessly, but they could not stop the blood. Powerless, they collapsed onto the ground.

This was Hatake Sakumo's fighting style: swordsmanship sharpened to the utmost extreme, paired with the speed gained by using Lightning Release Chakra to activate his body.

He was the most perfect fusion of Samurai and ninja!

Hatake Sakumo continued charging ahead, while the remaining Konoha ninja had their bloodlust awakened and began fighting the Sunagakure Ninja in pairs.

"You're not allowed to run wild here!"

Just as Sakumo intended to keep charging and carve his way through the Sunagakure Ninja alone, Chiyo stopped him.

Unlike ordinary Puppet Masters, Chiyo could control ten powerful puppets at once. The puppet force they formed was difficult even for him to deal with.

Shiro Hijutsu: Chikamatsu Jūninshū!

A masterpiece passed down from Monzaemon, the creator who summoned the ancestor of Puppet Masters, hailed as a creation capable of defeating a thousand with one machine!

Not only were their shells made from hard materials, they could also unleash all manner of combined ninjutsu and Fuinjutsu. Their power was not to be underestimated.

"Puppet Technique: Sanbō Kyūkai!"

Three white, demon-like puppets formed a triangle and opened their huge mouths. The characters on their masks changed as a terrifying tornado dragged in everything around it!

Rather than retreat, Sakumo advanced. Borrowing the tornado's pull, he gathered Chakra beneath his feet, his afterimage streaking swiftly across the ground.

Chiyo watched Sakumo with a cold smile. Sanbō Kyūkai was far more powerful than this. If he dared charge into the formation like that, he could wait to be crushed into pulp!

Her fingers moved, and the three puppets shifted their stances as the tornado continued to gather force.

In the original story, this technique had directly destroyed dozens of Sasori's puppets.

Sakumo looked at the puppets as a long Chakra blade gathered around the White Fang Short Blade in his hand. Then he swung it at tremendous speed!

"Useless. You Konoha ninja cannot possibly imagine how durable the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets are!"

Chiyo curled her fingers, only to discover that she had already lost control of the three puppets.

The White Fang Short Blade was the Hatake Clan's treasured heirloom. It possessed extremely strong Chakra conductivity, allowing Sakumo's Chakra to become incomparably vicious blades.

The White Fang in Sakumo's hand blazed brilliantly as one savage slash after another severed the resilient Chakra threads connected to the puppets.

This was a Puppet Master's fatal weakness. As long as one had a means of dealing with Chakra threads, a Puppet Master's abilities were crippled by ninety percent.

Sakumo suddenly exerted force beneath his feet and charged toward Chiyo at incredible speed. The White Fang in his hand was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, fixed upon her throat.

A sharp and vicious slash flew toward Chiyo. With this strike, Sakumo intended to separate the old woman's head from her body!

Chiyo calmly watched the incoming slash. Even she had not expected the Chakra threads she had honed for years to be cut so easily.

With a gentle movement of her fingers, the remaining Shiro Hijutsu puppets surged forward. Facing the ever-growing slash, they formed a bizarre formation.

"Puppet Technique: Kikō Junbū!"

The puppets lined up and spat out streams of energy. Chiyo manipulated the Chakra, combining it into a massive azure Chakra shield.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

As the smoke from the Chakra collision dispersed, seven puppets extended weapons of different shapes from their bodies, shielding Chiyo tightly.

For a Puppet Master, being approached at close range was the most dangerous moment.

Sakumo's incomparably sharp slashes posed a deep threat to the Puppet Masters' very lives.

Sakumo looked at Chiyo, then retreated without expression. There was no need for him to become entangled with an enemy like her.

As long as Sakumo killed enough people, Chiyo would come to him herself.

After all, although Sunagakure's Puppet Technique had been created and developed by the Second Kazekage, becoming the foundation of Sunagakure's rise, its threshold was not low.

Every Puppet Master was like a bloodline ninja, a guarantee of the village's future prosperity.

Hatake Sakumo's thoughts raced as he swept his gaze across the surrounding Sunagakure Ninja and charged toward a Puppet Master who was pursuing Konoha ninja.

Seeing Sakumo retreat, Chiyo frowned. She had originally thought he would try to forcefully kill her.

But when she withdrew the puppets and saw the direction Sakumo was rushing toward, Chiyo's eyes nearly split apart as she screamed madly:

"Hi! Watch out for an enemy attack!!!"

Unfortunately, a clear flash of blade light passed by, and the young red-haired Sunagakure Ninja simply fell.