The Nightmare Continues

The Hidden Sand medical station was in desperate need of supplies from the transport team, but word arrived that the convoy would be two days late. Upon hearing this, the entire medical station erupted in complaints, and many wounded soldiers, consumed by despair, gave up on treatment and passed away.

The death toll at the medical station had already exceeded 500, and the logistical failure only added insult to injury, pushing the facility to the brink of collapse.

As night fell, the true nightmare for the Hidden Sand forces began.

With silver hair and a short white blade strapped to his back, the White Fang of the Leaf, Sakumo Hatake, led his assassination squad as they stealthily infiltrated the Hidden Sand camp. They moved like ghosts in the night, arriving without a sound.

The assassination squad hugged the walls until they reached a row of Hidden Sand barracks. Sakumo Hatake gave a subtle wave of his hand, and his two subordinates drew their blades, slipping into a room in total silence. A moment later, they emerged just as quietly, as if nothing had happened—yet the fresh blood dripping from their blades served as a grim reminder that everyone inside was dead.

The Leaf assassination squad had struck true, and the White Fang had already gauged that the average Hidden Sand ninja was woefully lax in their defenses against such stealth attacks. He used hand signals to assign tasks to each member, then waved his hand once more. The squad scattered, vanishing into the darkness as if they had never existed.

Sakumo Hatake personally took on the task of assassinating the Hidden Sand squad leaders. He hung upside down from the roof, coldly watching his prey on the bed. He reached back and drew his short blade with a gentle motion; the white edge glinted with a faint, chilling light, and the surrounding temperature dropped by several degrees. Unfortunately, the man sleeping on the bed remained completely unaware.

Suddenly, Sakumo Hatake's body flickered and vanished from his spot. A moment later, he appeared at the doorway, his blade already slowly sheathed. Not a single drop of blood stained the White Fang's weapon, but on the bed inside, a pool of blood was slowly spreading, soaking the entire quilt in crimson.

After the White Fang stepped outside, his squad regrouped. A team of dark silhouettes hid within the shadows of the sand huts; their mission for the day was complete, and they prepared to withdraw.

Sakumo Hatake merged into the shadows as well, and the assassination squad disappeared once more. They came and went without a trace, making them nearly impossible to detect. Only the faint scent of blood in the air served as proof that they had ever been there.

Following their plan, the White Fang and his men focused on assassinating the enemy's mid-to-low-level commanders. In a single night, they took out 17 squad leaders and 3 platoon leaders. With so many leaders lost at once, Ebizo was forced to promote others to fill the gaps. Those who were promoted were initially happy, thinking that a higher rank meant better treatment.

But the next day, the White Fang and his squad killed another 12 squad leaders. Then came the third day...

Ebizo was at his wit's end. Even if he wanted to promote people, no one was willing to be a leader anymore. The assassination squad only targeted leaders, and some even proactively requested to be demoted, hoping to serve as ordinary ninjas—a situation that left Ebizo both laughing and crying. Furthermore, the new recruits being promoted had virtually no command experience, making the situation deeply concerning.

The Hidden Sand quickly responded by strengthening the protection around their mid-to-low-level commanders. On the advice of the Leaf command, the White Fang's squad suddenly changed their target, focusing on ordinary ninjas—specifically one person from a group of Hidden Sand ninjas sleeping together.

In one night, the White Fang's squad visited over 20 Hidden Sand barracks. The next morning, many woke up to find their bunkmate had become a blood-soaked corpse. The terror in their hearts reached an unbearable peak, and fear spread rapidly through the Hidden Sand ranks.

In truth, the White Fang's squad hadn't killed that many people; compared to the casualties on the front lines, it was nothing. But the psychological terror caused by the "White Fang of the Leaf" and the "Death God of the Night" made people turn pale at the mere mention of them. No one wanted to die so inexplicably in their sleep.

As the assassinations continued, some in the Hidden Sand even felt a sense of relief when they discovered the victim was their companion, grateful that the White Fang hadn't chosen them. The Hidden Sand ninjas lived in constant fear, waking up from nightmares and jumping at the slightest sound, their complexions growing gaunt and listless.

The incompetence of the medical station left them dissatisfied, angry, and desperate. The trapped transport team and the shortage of supplies pushed them to the brink of collapse. The White Fang's assassinations left them terrified and panicked, afraid to sleep at night. These successive blows crushed the morale of the Hidden Sand; the ninjas had no heart left for battle, and deserters began to appear, while others lost their minds under the pressure.

Next, the Leaf and the Hidden Sand engaged in their second head-on battle. The Hidden Sand ninjas had learned their lesson, fighting desperately to protect themselves and minimize injuries, yet they still suffered over 900 casualties. Because the Hidden Sand ninjas were exhausted from playing defense, the Leaf's casualties were significantly reduced. The Leaf pressed their advantage, and the Hidden Sand were forced to retreat 20 kilometers before they could stabilize their lines.

This month, the front lines had collapsed again and again, and the Hidden Sand had retreated over 120 kilometers. By now, the Leaf forces had pushed more than 200 kilometers into the heart of the Land of Wind. The morale of the Hidden Sand troops was at an all-time low; a sense of defeatism and pessimism permeated their main camp, and the fear and despair were driving the ninjas to the brink of madness.

These Hidden Sand ninjas were listless, mentally drained, tense, and irritable. At the slightest sign of trouble, they would become frantic, terrified of their own shadows. Looking at their sallow faces, dark circles, and bloodshot eyes, one might think the Hidden Sand Village had produced a whole batch of Shukaku Jinchuriki; the little panda Gaara would certainly not have to worry about being an outcast here.

During the day, the Hidden Sand ninjas faced the Leaf's fierce offensives, struggling just to survive and fearing that a single injury would lead to a miserable death in the medical station. At night, they had to take turns standing guard, or they might wake up to find a corpse in their tent. Some even began sleeping during the day and staying active at night.

Despite this, after discussions by the Leaf command, the White Fang changed tactics again, directly assassinating the ninjas on guard duty. This decision meant that as soon as the Hidden Sand ninjas heard they were assigned to night watch, they would wail and lament, finding it more painful than being sent to the execution ground. At least at an execution, you knew when you would die, but those on guard duty...

In short, everyone in the Hidden Sand felt endangered, as if no one in the camp was safe. Upon learning that the transport team was late again and that the supplies they carried had been significantly reduced, they lost the last shred of hope.

Perhaps they could only hope that the Hidden Sand would surrender soon and end the war...

Chiyo was treating the wounded, a medicine bottle in her hand. The toil of the past month had left her haggard, as if she had aged ten years overnight.

"Lady Chiyo, the head of the general supply station ordered me to inform you that the blood supply has run out! There are only enough medicines left for 1,000 people." A messenger ninja knelt before Chiyo, his body trembling.

"What? Even the general supply station is out of supplies?! That was half the Hidden Sand Village's reserves!" Chiyo turned back, her face full of shock.

"Over 4,600 people have been injured in the last few days, most from excessive blood loss. We've already used 30,000 bags of blood. The head of the supply station has already informed the Kazekage in the village, and they are looking for a solution..."

"Then what is left at the supply station? Bring it all to me!" Chiyo felt a maddening urge to scream, her heart filled with a rage she had nowhere to vent.

"There is still some... gauze... sutures..." the sand ninja's voice grew lower and lower.

"Bring it all! And what about the supplies from this transport team?" Chiyo pondered for a moment; there were still some supplies in the convoy that could solve their immediate crisis.

"M-My Lady... the transport team was ambushed. The ninjas thought the Leaf would just scare and harass us like they usually do and then run off, so they didn't react immediately. They didn't expect them to actually be serious this time... All 16 carts of supplies were burned. Including the blood and medicine..." The sand ninja buried his head even lower, waiting for the volcano to erupt.

Chiyo stood there, stunned. Bad news followed bad news, striking at her fragile heart.

What were they to do without these supplies? The medical station was paralyzed! Compared to dying in battle, dying a painful death in the hospital was even more despairing. Many ninjas would rather die than go to the medical station for treatment...

Just then, a Hidden Sand ninja rushed over: "Report, Lady Chiyo! Tsunade is leading the Leaf's elite forces in an attack!"

"Understood. Inform the troops to prepare for retreat," Chiyo said flatly. She didn't know how many times they had retreated in the last few days; retreating had almost become a habit.

The messenger didn't leave, his face showing hesitation as he opened his mouth to speak: "My Lady, the Leaf ninjas are shouting slogans as they attack..."

"What slogans?"

"Capture... Chiyo... the old hag... alive..."

"Snap!" Chiyo crushed the medicine bottle in her hand. Her face was twisted with fury, her eyes wide and bloodshot, and steam seemed to rise from her headscarf.

"How dare they! Damn the Leaf! How despicable! That damn Monster Strength Woman!! I will fight you to the death!!!" Chiyo roared in extreme rage.

But she perhaps forgot that she was the one who had used this tactic against Tsunade in the first place; whenever Tsunade took charge of the medical station, she would appear on the battlefield with her elites.

It seemed she could finally understand how Tsunade felt back then.