It's All the Ice Red Tea's Water (Referring to the Poison)

The sky was thick with dark clouds. No one knew what had suddenly transpired, but it felt as if the heavens themselves sensed Tsunade's grief, and rain began to lash down in torrents. Tsunade looked at the lover in her arms who had already lost his warmth, her pupils trembling incessantly.

"Tsunade..." Jiraiya approached her from behind, attempting to reach out and embrace her, but his hand stopped abruptly in mid-air, halfway through the motion.

Tsunade lifted her head, tears streaking down her cheeks.

She looked at Jiraiya with a vacant expression.

Orochimaru glanced at Kato Dan's corpse, then raised his hand, watching the rainwater slide through his fingers. He muttered to himself, "Look, life... what a fragile thing it is. How truly pathetic."

At this moment, because of Kato Dan's death, the mood among the Sannin grew increasingly heavy. The seeds buried deep within their hearts were all different—perhaps it was a hatred for war, a lament for life, or a yearning for peace.

The three stood where they were, burdened by their thoughts. They simply stared at the sky, none of them speaking, letting their tears or the rain soak their armor.

After a long while.

Tsunade buried Kato Dan right there.

"I'm fine now. Let's hurry back; I don't know how things are going with the White Fang of the Leaf." Tsunade rubbed her red, tear-swollen eyes and took a deep breath.

It was strange, to say the least. On the front lines, the Sannin and the White Fang of the Leaf, Sakumo Hatake, had all been deployed to deal with Chiyo. But the moment Chiyo saw Sakumo Hatake, her rage had surged instantly. Her furious eyes locked onto the White Fang of the Leaf, and at that moment, she had eyes for no one else. Although the Sannin didn't know exactly what had happened or why Chiyo acted that way, since the White Fang of the Leaf could temporarily hold her off, they had seized the chance to rescue Kato Dan's squad. That was the fundamental reason they had arrived when they did.

"How is that brat doing now?" Orochimaru's hoarse voice rang out.

Tsunade looked toward the makeshift surgical room that seemed devoid of movement. She spoke slowly, "The Third Kazekage's Iron Sand doesn't just absorb chakra; it also carries a unique toxin. The boy has too much toxin accumulated in his system and needs time to recover. I'm afraid he won't be able to move for at least a week, and... I fear he may remain unconscious..."

Just as Tsunade finished speaking.

Uchiha Chiba reached a hand out from the makeshift surgical room and sighed, "I feel like my body has been hollowed out (physically)..."

Tsunade: ?

"Great, Chiba, as long as you're okay. From now on, just stay with Orochimaru at the command post. As for the battlefield missions, we'll handle them," Jiraiya let out a long sigh of relief. After all, he had been one of the supporters when Tsunade suggested Chiba join Kato Dan's squad. Dan was already dead; if his first disciple had also died, Jiraiya's personality meant he would have regretted it for the rest of his life.

Seeing that Chiba was only a bit weak but his body seemed intact, Orochimaru breathed a sigh of relief. He said, "Although you possess Kage Level chakra, you are still a child. Combat experience is something that must be accumulated slowly. Don't rush. After we return to the Leaf, I will have the White Fang of the Leaf teach you how to use a short blade. Until then, just stay by my side and rest easy."

Just as Orochimaru finished speaking.

Suddenly.

He noticed Chiba's right eye, which had turned completely white.

"Izanagi," Orochimaru blurted out.

In an instant, all three turned to look at Chiba's right eye.

Chiba: This is bad. If I had known, I would have transplanted my own eye back first. Now I can't explain why I have two pairs of Three Tomoe Sharingan!

"It's nothing. Since the jutsu exists, it's meant to be used. It's no big deal," Uchiha Chiba said, looking at the three of them with his left eye, which was on the verge of blindness.

Izanagi.

Its function is to record the user's state with the Sharingan the moment it is activated. Then, within the effective duration of the jutsu (which varies by person, generally determined by the strength of the eyes), any damage the user sustains—even death—can be physically restored to the state recorded by the Sharingan (though the user's consumed chakra is not restored, and the eye used for the jutsu is not counted as intact).

The price is that the eye used for Izanagi permanently loses its sight, which is why it is classified as a forbidden jutsu.

Incidentally, Izanami counters Izanagi, though both are forbidden jutsus.

Meanwhile.

On the front lines between the Leaf and Sunagakure.

The sunset's afterglow spilled over the desert outside Sunagakure. The standoff between Sakumo Hatake and the puppeteer Chiyo was like a string pulled to the breaking point. The wind whipped up fine sand, swirling between them as if setting the stage for this heart-stopping battle.

Sakumo Hatake gripped the White Fang Blade, its edge still casting a chilling glint in the dim light. His eyes were calm and sharp, like a hawk in the desert, locked onto Chiyo. Chiyo stood behind her row of terrifying puppets, her withered fingers twitching slightly, the strings controlling the puppets shimmering with a faint light under the sun.

The battle erupted in an instant.

"Hundred City Puppets!"

Chiyo gave a light shout, and the puppets lunged at Sakumo like ghosts. Some held sharp blades, while others sprayed toxic mist. Sakumo's figure flickered, the White Fang Blade dancing into a silver light in his hands, easily parrying the puppets' attacks while seizing opportunities to counter. His speed was immense; every swing of his blade kicked up a cloud of sand. The puppets' blades clashed with his White Fang Blade, sparking a string of fire.

"Sakumo Hatake! I want you dead! Go and be buried with my son and daughter-in-law!!!!!!" Chiyo pulled a scroll from behind her back, and the next second, the white smoke dissipated.

In the flickering shadows, a massive puppet lay hidden beneath Chiyo's feet.

Seeing her attack blocked, Chiyo quickly formed hand seals, and the puppet formation shifted abruptly. A giant puppet burst from the ground, its sand-pot-sized fist whistling through the air as it smashed toward Sakumo. Sakumo remained unhurried; he tapped his toes against the ground, leaping up as lightly as a swallow. He flipped in mid-air, dodging the heavy, powerful blow. At the same time, the light of his blade flashed, and a fierce slash cut toward the puppet group.

Chiyo manipulated the strings, causing the puppets to scatter rapidly. But the blade aura still severed the limbs of several puppets, and broken parts scattered across the ground. Chiyo frowned, sighing inwardly; Sakumo Hatake, who had killed her son and daughter-in-law, was truly as formidable as rumored.

She took a deep breath, deciding to use one of her ultimate techniques. She pulled a special puppet scroll from her robes, and after injecting chakra into it, the puppet's eyes glowed with an eerie red light.

"Chikamatsu Ten Puppets: Blade!"

This puppet moved with extreme agility, instantly closing the distance to engage Sakumo in close-quarters combat. Sakumo felt a surge of immense power and bizarre attack angles coming at him, and for a moment, he was caught off guard. But he quickly calmed down, adjusted his breathing, and focused on countering. The White Fang Blade and the puppet's arms collided repeatedly, emitting the harsh sound of metal grinding against metal.

In the heat of the exchange, Sakumo spotted an opening and let out a roar, thrusting the White Fang Blade with all his might directly into the core of the special puppet. Chiyo's expression changed, and she hurriedly pulled the strings to make the puppet dodge, but she was a split second too slow. With a "puff," the White Fang Blade pierced the puppet, and it instantly ceased all movement.

Chiyo felt a pang of pain; these puppets had accompanied her for many years, and their damage filled her with burning rage. However, what angered her even more was the passing of her children.

She manipulated the remaining puppets to charge at Sakumo regardless of the cost, seemingly intent on mutual destruction. Sakumo stood with his blade sheathed, his eyes firm, preparing to meet this final attack...

Suddenly!