An Interlude Behind the Scenes

The battle at the Sunagakure was raging.

At this moment, it wasn't just Katsuki was acting alone. Shortly after Katsuki left, Sakumo began his attack on the Sand Ninja. Based on prior intelligence, he mobilized his troops, and squads of men left the oasis camp, heading menacingly towards the several oases where the Sand Ninja were stationed.

"Lord Sakumo is truly enraged this time."

"Who can argue with that? These bandana-wearing scum deserve their bad luck. How can they not pay a heavy price for daring to provoke Konoha?"

In the vast desert, a group of Konoha Ninja in green vests marched along the undulating sand dunes in one direction.

"Stop!"

Orochimaru stopped in his tracks and made a hand gesture. The Konoha Ninja behind him, who stretched out like a long snake, all stopped in their tracks, holding their breath and not making a sound.

Hidden behind a small sand dune, one can peek out and see the oasis at the edge of their field of vision.

"Come over."

With a flick of his finger, a Hyuga Clan Chunin approached.

"Find all the Sand Village spies for me." Orochimaru gave the order, and the Hyuga Clan ninja nodded hastily, quickly forming Hand Seals and activating their Byakugan to search carefully. One by one, all the Sand Village spies hidden in the desert were discovered without exception.

Led by Orochimaru, the Jonin, skilled in stealth and assassination, moved together, silently approaching the sentries and swiftly taking their lives.

Konoha's army began to rush towards the oasis at top speed. Even if these scattered sentries were dealt with, there would still be sensory ninjas monitoring the surrounding area in the oasis. They just couldn't sense things from a distance, otherwise there would be no need to set up sentries. Dealing with these sentries was just to minimize the reaction time of the Sand Ninjas.

When it comes to truly standing up, it's all about strength.

"Shadow Snake Hands"

Orochimaru leaped up, no longer concealing his presence. Long snakes suddenly shot out from his sleeves, instantly capturing the three patrolling Sand Ninja. The snakes opened their mouths wide, their sharp fangs piercing the carotid arteries in the necks, and blood gushed out like a fountain. The three Sand Ninja died without even uttering a sound.

"Summoning Technique." Orochimaru bit his finger, pressed his hands to the ground, and with the rising Chakra smoke, huge pythons appeared all around, their bodies as thick as water tanks, their eyes like lanterns, and their wide-open mouths spewing out a foul stench.

"Enemy attack!!!"

The loud cries echoed over the oasis. Orochimaru moved so fast that the Sand Ninja didn't even have time to react until the giant pythons appeared at the edge of the oasis, at which point the Sand Ninja cried out.

"Kill! Kill all the enemies, leave no survivors."

The cold, ruthless command ignited the bloodlust within everyone, and figures followed the python deeper into the oasis, engaging in fierce battle with the Sand Ninja.

Soon after, the four oases that the Sand Village used to intercept the Konoha's attack fell one after another. No matter how desperately the Sand Village defended themselves, not a single soldier came from the village. In the end, they could not withstand the overwhelming offensive from the Konoha.

"Clean this up quickly. Take all the intact bodies back, and bury the rest that aren't of much value."

"Hurry up, don't forget these Kunai and Shuriken."

Sakumo stood atop a well-preserved house in the oasis. Houses in the Land of Wind were always rounded, wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, with the rooftops being only five or six square meters in size. At this moment, Sakumo stood there, ignoring his subordinates who were cleaning up the battlefield, and instead turned his gaze westward.

That's the direction of Sunagakure.

He had great confidence in Katsuki's strength. After returning to the village from the war in the Land of Rain, he couldn't resist the urge to spar with Katsuki. The result was somewhat unexpected. Even without riding the Thunder Chariot, Katsuki's Lightning Release Technique had already reached a level of unparalleled mastery.

He held back in his first attack and failed to take down Katsuki, which led to him being at a disadvantage in the subsequent protracted battle. The stamina of the Uzumaki Clan is truly terrifying!

Furthermore, the Lightning Release Technique that Katsuki used were incredibly powerful, reaching at least S-rank. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them Forbidden Jutsu. Even with Katsuki's constitution, they would inevitably damage her body, let alone others.

"I hope Katsuki will return safely."

Sakumo sighed. Having confidence was one thing, but he couldn't help feeling worried. He wondered if his decision had been too impulsive, placing such a heavy burden on Katsuki alone.

"Damn Sand Ninja."

Thinking of his pregnant wife at home and his disciples fighting on the battlefield, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anger, wishing he could kill a few Sand Ninja to vent his rage.

"Someone come here."

"Lord Sakumo, what are your orders?" A nearby Jonin over and stood in front of Sakumo.

"After the battlefield is cleaned up, we will retreat to the main camp. Orochimaru will handle everything. I will not be returning to the main camp for the time being." As Sakumo spoke, he tightened his Forehead Protector and leg wraps, making no attempt to conceal the intense killing intent emanating from him.

The Jonin's expression changed, and he hurriedly said, "Sir, you are the commander-in-chief of the army, how can you go out alone..."

"Enough with the nonsense. With my abilities, I can fight or leave as I please. The Sand Village can't stop me." Sakumo didn't give them a chance to advise him. He straightened his clothes, which were slightly disheveled from the previous battle, and then left on lightning. In the blink of an eye, he had disappeared a hundred meters away and quickly vanished from the sight of the Konoha Ninja.

The departure of the commander caused a small commotion, but it was quickly calmed down by the Jonin. In any case, Konoha was currently in the upper hand, so there was no need to worry too much without Sakumo in charge.

In contrast to the relaxed demeanor of the Konoha, the Third Kazekage was in an extremely foul mood.

"The village was attacked?"

The icy tone seeped into his very bones, and the Sand Ninja who delivered the message collapsed to his knees on the sand, trembling as he looked at the furious Lord Kazekage.

"Yes... yes, the garrison was completely annihilated. The elders and patriarchs of the various families are engaged in fierce fighting with the attackers, but for the time being... they cannot defeat the attackers."

Suppressing their fear, the Sand Ninja delivered the message and explained the situation.

"Hmph! A bunch of useless trash..." The Third Kazekage snorted coldly, his disgust for the useless old men in the village reaching its peak. He secretly resolved to ignore the Sand Ninja who had brought the news once he returned, and said directly, "Chiyo, let's retreat. The One-Tail has been sealed. Let's go back and tear that damned attacker to pieces."

"Yes, Lord Kazekage."

Chiyo responded, Jonin quickly assembled and headed back to the village.

"The village was attacked... Is this a lesson? How arrogant... Konoha, just you wait." The Third Kazekage secretly hardened his heart, his black wings suddenly unfurled, leaving Chiyo and the others behind, and flew rapidly towards the village.