When faced with something beyond their expectations, hot-blooded fools would charge in again without a care. Chiyo was clearly not one of them.
She pulled a puppet to her side, confirmed that the Ox-Horn Puppet broken in two did not have an Explosive Tag or anything similar attached to it, then retrieved it.
Puppets could be repaired. As long as they had not been completely pulverized, fixing them was not difficult. It was just that...
Chiyo narrowed her eyes and stared deeply at Kamizuki.
"If I'm not mistaken... since when could the Uchiha learn the Senju clan's Strength Enhancement Jutsu?"
Kamizuki flexed his fingers and said calmly, "To put it in terms you can understand..."
"A puppet forged from refined steel, with its durability multiplied tenfold, would probably be about as strong as my current body."
Chiyo had already suspected as much from the feedback of her puppets. Now that Kamizuki had confirmed it...
"Pure physical strength..."
The corners of Chiyo's lips curled up. "You really do remind me of a certain puppeteer's taboo... Oh dear, I mustn't think about it. It would set a bad example for the next generation of puppeteers."
Swish—
A scroll unfurled from Chiyo's sleeve. As eerie blue Chakra surged forth, nine puppets, including the White-Robed Puppet from before, stood in formation.
A terrifying aura spread through the area.
"The Chikamatsu Ten Puppets... Ha, there are only nine for now. You did well, brat."
"Is there really a need to go this far, Lady Chiyo?"
The earlier upheaval had caused Rasa to abandon his insistence on defeating Shikaku. He came to Chiyo's side.
As the Third Kazekage's disciple, he understood Chiyo's importance to Sunagakure better than anyone. Even if he died, he could not allow this woman to suffer the slightest injury.
Chiyo nodded slightly. "There is. It seems everything we heard before was true. This brat really does have the strength to kill those people."
"A genius youth of the Uchiha..."
"Rasa, you did not live through that era. You do not understand how terrifying this is. For the village's future, we must eliminate him as soon as possible!"
"The Chikamatsu Ten Puppets. During the First Shinobi World War, Chiyo used this technique to capture an entire city, establishing her reputation as the strongest puppeteer."
Shikaku stood beside Kamizuki, breathing lightly as he spoke. "Our opponent is the strongest puppeteer with 'The Fingers,' a recognized master of medical ninjutsu. Once she gets serious, she is practically without flaws."
"Are you sure you want to fight? If we retreat, I have a better plan with a high chance of success."
"Cut the crap."
Shikaku sighed helplessly and held out his hand. "Let me use Earth Grudge Fear. Otherwise, I have no ability to join this battle."
"There is one thing I need to confirm..."
His gaze turned serious.
"Kamizuki, if you choose to fight, there is a risk of death. You can accept that, right?"
Kamizuki tossed the Cursed Tool, Earth Grudge Fear, to Shikaku. He gripped the hilt of his blade with both hands, unable to suppress the excitement in his eyes.
"A fight without risk is not a fight."
"Understood..."
Black tendrils from Earth Grudge Fear spread out, covering Shikaku's body and forming a connection.
After Orochimaru's modifications, this creation known as a Cursed Tool could temporarily be used by others.
However, aside from Kamizuki, others could only use the Fire Style: Searing Migraine technique originally inscribed within Earth Grudge Fear.
"Then... let's go!!"
--
--
--
Land of Rain.
Atop a cliff, Hanzo of the Salamander, leader of Amegakure, wore a specially made respirator as he watched the figures chasing each other through the rain in the distance, his gaze grave.
An Amegakure ninja spoke behind him.
"Lord Hanzo, they are people from Konoha and Sunagakure. They are getting more and more outrageous. They actually dared to fight openly within Amegakure's territory!"
Hanzo fell silent for a moment. His voice was slightly distorted through the respirator. "Have their identities been confirmed?"
The Amegakure ninja took out several portraits and said quietly, "They are Mamoru, Chiyo of Sunagakure's son, and his wife Ruri. They are pursuing Hatake Sakumo of Konoha."
"That old puppeteer's son..."
Hanzo had fought Chiyo several times and knew how troublesome she was.
"Hatake... Never heard of him. He is not from any major clan."
Hatake Sakumo had previously been carrying out missions in the east. Aside from the Land of Fire, only a few people in the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Lightning knew his name.
Moreover, his exploits were mostly associated with "that shameless white-haired bastard who liked attacking people's most vulnerable spots," hardly a flattering reputation.
After pondering for a while, Hanzo shook his head and said indifferently, "As long as they leave Amegakure, that is enough. I sent notices to the higher-ups of the three great nations. This chaos should end soon."
The Amegakure ninja hesitated for a moment.
"Lord Hanzo... what if they refuse to withdraw from the Land of Rain?"
"Then... declare war!"
--
Within the alleyways, Hatake Sakumo leaped and shifted, dodging the poisonous needles shooting toward him from behind.
Rain soaked his white hair, making it cling to his forehead.
While gathering intelligence, he had noticed that Mamoru and Chiyo Ri, captains of Sunagakure's puppet forces, had left the main army and vanished to an unknown location.
His initial guess had been that they intended to infiltrate the Land of Fire and cause trouble. After tracking them down...
He discovered an even greater secret!
I have to bring this intelligence back to the village!!
Sakumo stared ahead. Under the pursuit of the people behind him, he was not fleeing toward Konoha, but toward the Land of Wind.
He lowered his head to look at the wound on his chest, which was still bleeding, and frowned tightly.
When he witnessed that secret negotiation, enemy shinobi had discovered him. Though he had successfully killed two jonin, he had also been struck by poisoned needles from Chiyo Ri's puppet.
The antidote could not completely suppress the poison. He had to find a way out quickly...
Once he left the alleyways, the open terrain would be an absolute advantage for puppeteers. That would make things troublesome.
With my current Chakra, I can probably turn around and take one of them down with me, but then the intelligence will never make it back...
As he pondered, Sakumo remembered something. His eyes sharpened, and a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
Kamizuki was in the Rain-Drenched Sand Realm. If he met up with him, they could definitely drive back the people behind him!
Ha, sorry about this.
Help your big brother out. I will waive your wedding gift later!
Sakumo suddenly accelerated, swiftly leaving Amegakure's alleys behind and racing across the lake's surface.
"He is an assassin-type shinobi, yet he is actively fleeing toward open ground... Has he panicked and chosen the wrong path?"
A red-haired male shinobi from Sunagakure spoke in a low voice.
"No, he is not someone who loses his composure."
The beautiful woman with black hair tied back said, "He was hit by my poison, yet he is willing to accelerate the poison's onset just to get there..."
"Does he have reinforcements?"
"Reinforcements..."
Mamoru smiled faintly. "Then he truly is unlucky. Our reinforcements... are there too!"
"Let's finish this early and head back. I miss Sasori."
Ruri revealed a gentle smile, her eyes filled with tenderness.
When they left to carry out this mission, Sasori had just learned to call her Mama. She missed her son every moment of every day.
Mamoru nodded and smiled. "Yes, and I still need to teach Sasori to call me Papa!"
--
--
At this moment.
In the Barren Red Sand Realm, the brutal battle had just reached its climax.
Before you continue