A Close Call

The three puppets generated a tremendous suction force, slowing Sakumo's steps slightly.

But that brief pause gave Chiyo an opening. An iron wire swept along the ground, about to catch Sakumo's leg.

Sakumo could only leap high into the air, escaping both the gale's pull and the entangling wire.

The moment Sakumo jumped out, a puppet wielding twin blades rushed at him and began slashing madly as soon as it got close. He dodged one strike, only for another to come swinging back at him. The assault was fierce and incredibly fast.

Just as the standoff continued, a puppet with heavy, powerful fists joined the fray. In the blink of an eye, the three puppets generating the gale also caught up.

If this dragged on, he would face the threat of being surrounded by nine puppets. Sakumo flashed to the three puppets about to join the battle, his blade radiance bursting forth as he sliced all three to pieces in an instant.

"That blade is just as terrifying as ever~"

At the sight of Sakumo's slash, Chiyo felt as though her heart had clenched tight.

But such a display naturally could not make Chiyo abandon her desire for revenge. Her hands moved even faster, and several puppets' limbs began extending, sprouting sharp spikes as they wrapped toward Sakumo.

The remaining puppets attacked together, like a thicket of thorns, shrinking Sakumo's room to move even further. When the space he could maneuver in became extremely limited, missiles continuously fired out, turning the entire battlefield into a minefield where every explosive had been triggered at once, flames soaring into the sky.

Yet Sakumo still looked completely at ease. When the missiles began bombarding him, he burrowed underground, waiting for things to calm down before looking for another chance to destroy more puppets.

But Chiyo gave Sakumo no opportunity at all. Whenever he approached a puppet, it instantly broke apart and fled. Once it had escaped far enough, it reassembled.

She was incredibly troublesome to deal with.

"Big Sister, why did you really come after White Fang!?"

Just as the battle reached a stalemate, Ebizo, his head wrapped in bandages and looking somewhat aged, arrived at Chiyo's side.

"Perfect timing, little brother. Today, we'll bury White Fang here!!"

"Reinforcements? Sunagakure truly does have ill intentions."

Seeing another powerful old acquaintance, Sakumo's blade became even faster and fiercer.

"Go back already, Big Sister! Haven't you fought White Fang several times before? Why are you still trying to take revenge this way?"

Seeing Hatake Sakumo seemingly grow more serious, Ebizo immediately wrapped his arms around Chiyo, intending to drag her away.

"Let go of me! Let go, you foolish little brother! I've worked incredibly hard these past few years. If I don't rely on this method to get revenge, what else can I rely on?"

Chiyo's face reddened as she desperately tried to shake Ebizo off. But who would have thought that Ebizo would shamelessly use Chakra to increase his grip, clinging to her like a burr.

"Ebizo, Chiyo may leave, but she must hand over the antidote."

Seeing Ebizo clinging to Chiyo for dear life, Hatake Sakumo finally understood.

"An... antidote? Big Sister, what did you do?"

Ebizo stared at the panting Chiyo with confusion written all over his face.

"Wah!"

In that moment of distraction, Chiyo suddenly drove an elbow straight into Ebizo.

"You foolish little brother. With Tsunade gone, what Medical Ninja can cure my poison? Even if you hadn't come, I could have retreated unscathed. Don't tell me everyone from the Camp came?"

"Cough, cough. Knowing we might face White Fang, of course we couldn't let down our guard. But if we really fight Konohagakure, our village will be in danger."

After taking Chiyo's elbow, Ebizo looked so aggrieved he was nearly in tears.

"Advisers, we're here!"

Countless Sunagakure Ninja swarmed in, boldly blocking Sakumo's path.

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you all doing here? Get back already!"

Seeing herself surrounded by people on all sides, Chiyo looked ready to tear someone apart.

"Th-this... Lady Chiyo, Lord Ebizo told us to come..."

"I know! Isn't that why I'm teaching him a lesson?"

Furious, Chiyo once again raised her fist, intending to smash Ebizo's sparsely haired head.

"W-wait, Big Sister. Let's wrap up this farce first. With such a huge commotion, the other villages won't fail to notice!"

"Chiyo, can you give me the antidote now? There are so many of you here. If our village's people die, they should be able to take enough of yours down with them!"

Hatake Sakumo held his blade horizontally before him. Under the bright moonlight, the blade gleamed an eerie, snow-white color.

"Th-this is White Fang, Konoha's White Fang!!"

The Sunagakure Ninja panicked. Especially those at the front, whose legs had begun to tremble.

They could not forget the terror of being dominated by White Fang. That short blade was like a meat grinder, harvesting lives on the battlefield as easily as cutting wheat.

"Who are you trying to scare? I have plenty of poison. At worst, we'll die together!!"

"Big Sister, can you stop arguing with him? If we don't make a decision soon, it'll be too late. Once we truly start fighting, who knows whether there'll be another chance afterward~"

"Later, later! How many 'laters' have there already been? If you hadn't come, I would have almost killed him. Now that you're here, every opportunity is gone!!"

Chiyo continuously berated Ebizo, even spraying his face with spittle, as though she were scolding an incompetent son who was always causing trouble.

Ebizo felt wronged, but Ebizo said nothing.

Faced with his sister whose "good thing" had been ruined, what he needed to do now was let her vent. This was how things had always been. He had endured even more humiliating things before, so he could take it.

Seeing Chiyo keep lecturing Ebizo, Hatake Sakumo let out a long sigh.

The brother and sister were old acquaintances of his. They had crossed paths more times than he could count.

Ever since he had killed their family member, the revenge had never stopped, and it was still the same now.

Chiyo was not a reckless person, but whenever anything had to do with White Fang, she became like a rabid dog, biting whoever came near.

Knowing that dragging this out might attract ninja from other villages, and that in the darkness it would be easy for things to get out of hand, Sakumo knew clashing with those villages would be extremely disadvantageous for Konohagakure.

After thinking it over again and again, Hatake Sakumo still pointed his blade at the Sunagakure Ninja, releasing boundless Killing Intent.

"Chiyo, if you don't stop now, I'll make my move!"

"Come on, who's afraid of you—mmph~"

Chiyo thrust out her chest, intending to mock Hatake Sakumo once more, but Ebizo covered her mouth.

Ebizo was suffering inside. Chiyo had a terrible temper, but why was White Fang's temper no better? Wasn't he just trying to persuade Chiyo to stop? Why were they both making trouble!

He pressed harder over Chiyo's mouth. Feeling somewhat more reassured, Ebizo cleared his throat and said, "Um... White Fang, let's talk this out. Let me persuade my sister again. If we truly fight in this pitch-black darkness, even if all our Sunagakure Ninja are wiped out, your people won't live long either. The ninja here are all carrying Sunagakure's new poison. Calm down first."

Hatake Sakumo did not know whether there really was poison, but he did not dare gamble on it. He restrained his Killing Intent and stared at Ebizo and Chiyo.

"Big Sister, take out the medicine already. Ninja from the other villages will arrive soon. If we wait any longer, we won't be able to leave~"

Chiyo turned her head aside and snorted. "If you want to leave, then leave. If you all withdraw, the ninja from other villages may think we fought Konohagakure. Then, when Three Villages Attack Konoha, I can take the chance to ambush White Fang."

Chiyo lowered her voice considerably, but Ebizo, standing closest to her, still heard every word clearly. His heart seemed to tremble.

Too bold. Far too bold!

Looking at his sister, already in her forties, whose face bore far more wrinkles than others her age due to hatred and suffering, Ebizo's heart ached terribly.

If he had not discovered her plan early enough, she probably would have still tried to kill White Fang alone using this method.

Though Chiyo's strength meant she would not be easily killed amid a chaotic battle, White Fang might not lose much of his fighting power either.

At that point, Chiyo might still end up facing White Fang. She had practically come prepared to die~

Looking at Chiyo's resolute face, Ebizo felt both sorrow and anger.

His sister and his young grandnephew were his last remaining family. Though he wanted revenge too, he never wanted to lose another relative.

Tears spilled from his eyes. Ebizo wiped at the corners of his eyes and said, "Sis, come back with me. War will break out sooner or later. When it does, I'll face White Fang with you. But this time, come back with me. I'm begging you~"

Seeing her younger brother, only a few years younger than herself yet already beginning to show his age, crying with tears and snot running down his face, Chiyo's heart slowly softened. Her rage gradually subsided.

As an adviser of Sunagakure, openly weeping in pain before so many people, Ebizo had truly thrown caution to the wind.

Once she had calmed down, Chiyo patted Ebizo's head, stood up, and tossed a pill to Sakumo.

"This is the antidote. Believe it or not, that's up to you. If you don't believe me, come find me again. All Sunagakure Ninja, withdraw!"

After catching Chiyo's medicine, Sakumo felt somewhat conflicted.

Sunagakure's hatred for him had lasted for more than a decade, but in such an environment, hatred would only breed more hatred.

If he died here today, perhaps the next person blinded by hatred would be his son, Kakashi.

Thinking of how Chiyo always seemed to have lost her mind, willing to pay any price—even her life—to kill him, Sakumo felt an even deeper sorrow in his heart.

Kakashi must never become like this. I have to keep working hard!

The thought of Kakashi strengthened Sakumo's resolve to survive.

As the Sunagakure Ninja withdrew, a Konohagakure ninja arrived at Sakumo's side.

"Lord Sakumo, how did it turn out?"

"Give this medicine to that brother. If it doesn't work, we'll make another trip to the Sunagakure Camp."

After giving the order, the ninja poisoned by Chiyo quickly swallowed the antidote pill. After observing him repeatedly, they found that the symptoms of poisoning were gradually fading.

Thus, Sakumo ordered everyone to withdraw.

Sakumo was quite familiar with his old enemy. She was an exceptionally decisive woman, so when Chiyo had so readily thrown him the antidote, he had already believed her more than halfway.

Moreover, at that moment, he could not force Chiyo to submit with so many Sunagakure Ninja protecting her. Being too aggressive might have turned the rescue into something else entirely. Therefore, each side taking a step back was also an unspoken understanding Sakumo had sensed.

After returning to the Camp, those who should sleep slept, and those who should patrol patrolled, while Sakumo read a letter sent from Konohagakure.

More precisely, it was a letter from Kakashi, personally delivered by the ninja hound Pakkun.

"I see. You want Early Graduation. Since you've made up your mind, I shouldn't stop you~"

Hatake Sakumo smiled as he wrote a reply and handed it to Pakkun.

"Pakkun, I'll have to trouble you again. Why not rest for the night first?"

Pakkun wagged his short tail and said, "No need. I've calculated the time. If I deliver it tonight, he'll summon me tomorrow."

"I see. Then go back and get some sleep first~"

Pakkun picked up the letter in his mouth, nodded, and vanished in a puff of smoke.