Then she looked at the three people on the battlefield. Her murky eyes darkened slightly, flashing with hatred as she rasped,
"Leaf... White... Fang...!!"
At the woman's inexplicable hatred, Hatake Sakumo's gaze sharpened, and he warily readied himself.
Though the woman desperately wanted to kill Sakumo where he stood, she didn't rush to attack. Instead, she shielded Sasori and looked toward the hulking shadow on the battlefield, saying gravely,
"Captain Chidong, it seems you were the one who saved Sasori. Thank you."
Chidong shook his head at her words and replied in a muffled voice,
"No need to thank me, Captain Chiyo. I didn't realize this child was your grandson, either."
"But we can discuss that later. For now, we should deal with this man first. I'm afraid I can't take him on by myself."
At Chidong's words, Chiyo narrowed her eyes slightly and glanced at his shoulder.
His right arm had been severed at the shoulder. He had wound Chakra Threads around the stump to stop the bleeding, but his condition was still dire.
The two of them watched Sakumo with grave expressions. Chiyo slowly drew a scroll from behind her and began unrolling it, her eyes fixed on Sakumo as she said,
"White Fang of the Leaf, today I'll settle the score for my son's death once and for all!"
Sakumo's gaze tightened slightly at her words, and his expression grew grave.
Meanwhile.
Amid the howling sandstorm, which sounded like ghosts wailing,
a group of people finally arrived outside Sunagakure after traveling at a breakneck pace.
Looking at the strange structure standing alone in the desert before them, the old man in the group said gravely,
"Sunagakure. I never thought I'd come here again in my lifetime..."
A few of the people beside him looked momentarily stunned