It's My Loss...

The battlefield fell into an eerie silence.

Purple flames spread like paint brushed across the void, gradually drowning everything in their path.

They erased the fissures and filled the vacuum without a sound.

Seeing Chiyo standing frozen before the onslaught, her hands even dropping from the puppet control threads, Rasa and the others shouted in alarm.

"Lady Chiyo!!"

"Mother!!"

"What are you doing!!"

Chiyo remained deaf to their cries, her mind drifting back...

She remembered that day.

Sunagakure had unearthed a new water source, and everyone was overjoyed; she had been happier than them all.

Lord Monzaemon had finally agreed to teach her the art of puppetry.

Back then, she was just a teenage girl, unable to hide her emotions, smiling brightly and happily.

As for the memories that followed...

That annoying junior disciple, whose talent was far inferior to her own, yet who received more favoritism simply because he was the nephew of Master Monzaemon.

When did he stop being so annoying?

She had forgotten; in any case, by the time she recalled it, Mamoru had already been born.

That period of time...

Ah... it was because of Hashirama Senju.

While that man lived, everyone lived in peace, missions were without danger, relations between the great nations were harmonious, and everything seemed so beautiful...

How did it come to this...

If only it were possible...

No...

No!!

What am I thinking!!

I am the strongest puppeteer! I am a vital pillar of Sunagakure, here to help the village win this war!!

I have just acquired the sealing technique; I must bring it back to the village to create the ultimate weapon, the Shukaku jinchuriki!

How can I go soft on a brat from another village!

Soft...

No!!!

As those dim eyes lit up once more, the purple flames that had melted her Chakra threads were inches away!

She had no time to dodge.

Swish—

Bang!

Just as her thoughts returned, her body was shoved aside by a tremendous force.

It was Ruri.

She had been closest to Chiyo, and in that split second, she disregarded her own safety, taking a blade from Sakumo head-on while using her puppet to push Chiyo away!

Hiss—

There was no crackle of fire consuming wood; the moment the purple flames touched the puppet, it vanished like white snow meeting a scorching sun.

The purple flames did not continue to spread, instead splashing out as they hit the ground.

"Ruri!!"

Mamoru flew over to catch Ruri, the terrifying volume of blood instantly soaking his clothes.

From her shoulder to her abdomen ran a hideous gash, with electric arcs flickering over the wound, causing further destruction.

Swish, swish, swish—

Chiyo immediately maneuvered her puppets to shield the two, steadying her breathing as she glared at Kaminazuki, her eyes splitting with rage.

"You... what have you done! What kind of technique is that!!"

If not for Ruri disregarding her own safety, she was certain... she would have been incinerated just like that puppet!

She did not possess an indestructible body; she was far more fragile than a puppet!

Uchiha Kamizuki's aura withered visibly to the naked eye, and the flames that had constantly swirled around his body flickered out.

According to his original calculations, his taijutsu combined with simple Fire Release should have allowed the Chakra within his Earth Grudge Fear to last for a few more minutes.

However, this was his first time using this "technique" in its entirety, and he had failed to gauge the scale properly.

Having been pushed to the point of overdraft, even the black tentacles of the Earth Grudge Fear appeared dim and lacked vitality.

He looked toward Ruri and offered a faint smile.

"You are sharp enough to perceive the danger of my technique, and decisive enough to act on it!"

Despite losing the chance to kill Chiyo, Uchiha Kamizuki felt no frustration, offering only sincere praise for his opponent.

Having lost a massive amount of blood, Ruri could not respond; her pupils began to dilate, and if she were not treated immediately, only death awaited her.

Unexpected turns were a part of battle, and Uchiha Kamizuki accepted this calmly.

In that case...

He gripped the hilt of his Crimson Blade and laughed: "Too bad, I suppose I won't have the chance to kill you, old woman."

The Chakra within his Earth Grudge Fear was exhausted, and while he still had physical strength, it was impossible to kill an almost uninjured Chiyo with taijutsu alone.

Of course, he had merely lost the chance to kill her; the outcome was still uncertain, and the battle was not yet over.

Chiyo remained silent for a few seconds.

She let out a long, weary breath.

"Uchiha Kamizuki... that is your name, is it not?"

The corners of Uchiha Kamizuki's mouth curled up: "You aren't planning to say that you'll remember my name before you kill me, are you?"

"Do not get ahead of yourself."

"I have lost."

Chiyo, a pillar of Sunagakure whose prestige rivaled that of the Third Hokage, spoke these words calmly.

"Lady Chiyo! You..."

Rasa tried to say something, but Chiyo raised a hand to stop him.

She lifted a finger—the signal for retreat.

Even though Mamoru was deeply concerned for his lover's safety, he had to wait for Chiyo's decision before he dared to pick up Ruri and retreat.

Rasa cast one last unwilling glance behind him before following.

Ruri could still be saved; Chiyo was the best medical ninja in Sunagakure, and it would be no exaggeration to call her the best in the entire ninja world.

But if they continued to fight, Ruri would certainly die without timely treatment.

Chiyo would not make such a choice.

Compared to losing a loved one, the victory or defeat of a single battle meant nothing.

She took one long look at Uchiha Kamizuki, as if to etch the image of this youth into her memory.

Chiyo smiled.

"You remind me of some pleasant things. Despite being such a vicious brat, there is a hint of gentleness hidden within your lethal technique."

Uchiha Kamizuki did not quite understand; after all, he wasn't foolish enough to use those flames on himself.

He figured he must have triggered a life-review in Chiyo, leading her to mistakenly believe the technique possessed the effects of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

She gathered her puppets and tucked the scrolls into her sleeves.

Before turning away, she glanced at Hatake Sakumo, her smile vanishing.

"I have marked this blade, Hatake Sakumo... pray that you do not encounter me on the battlefield again, for I will not show you mercy!"

In her philosophy, since she had been the one to seek out Uchiha Kamizuki and strike first, she should bear the consequences of whatever counterattack he launched; she could not blame him for that.

But this white-haired man...

First, he disrupted Mamoru and the others' mission, then he inflicted such grievous injury upon Ruri that she was forced to concede and retreat—he was simply unforgivable!

Swish—

Chiyo's figure vanished, and Uchiha Kamizuki did not stop her.

He lacked the ability to detain a Kage-level powerhouse in peak condition, and any attempt to do so would have been superfluous.

"This..."

Sakumo pointed at himself, his face full of confusion.

"Even if I was the one who wounded that woman, the root cause was still you, so why do you only hold a grudge against me?!"

"It was the same last time; you were the one constantly berating Kakuzu, yet for some inexplicable reason, he stopped being angry!"

"What on earth is going on!"

Kaminazuki shook his head: "Heaven knows what these old fogies are thinking. Maybe it's because I'm more handsome."

"It seems that while their brains might be broken, their eyes still work just fine."

Tap... tap...

Crisp footsteps echoed, and Sakumo, who had just begun to relax, tensed up again.

Because the effects of the antidote had worn off, he stumbled as he turned, pitching toward the ground.

Thwack—

A pale hand caught Sakumo, and the faint scent of soapberry from long, black hair drifted into his nostrils.

This scent...

Sakumo looked up and saw a familiar face.

Orochimaru.