The battlefield on the left flank had become a deathly mire woven from lethal poison, puppets, and monstrous strength.
A sickly sweet, deadly stench filled the air-the blend of toxins Chiyo had painstakingly prepared. Even without inhaling it directly, prolonged exposure would paralyze muscles and impede chakra circulation.
Puppet wreckage littered the ground: wooden fragments, severed chakra threads, shattered poisoned blades, and kunai, mingled with blood that had already clotted black.
More numerous still were the Konoha ninja lying on the ground, their faces bluish-purple, curled up in agony or already lifeless.
Tsunade's long golden hair was stained with sand and blood, plastered to her sweat-soaked temples and cheeks.
Fine scratches and signs of corrosion covered her green armored robe, and her breathing came in strained, rapid bursts.
Her eyes, usually languid or sharp, now burned with fury, yet a stubborn gloom shrouded them.
Chiyo, an opponent with terrifyingly seasoned cunning, was like a slippery venomous snake. She never met Tsunade head-on.
Under the exquisite control of her ten fingers, the Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu moved like a perfectly unified army of slaughter.
Two puppets held the front. Made of special materials and exceptionally sturdy, they fearlessly met Tsunade's Monster Strength Fist again and again.
Each blow sent them flying, breaking their components, yet they stubbornly reassembled and lunged back in, draining as much of Tsunade's stamina and chakra as possible.
The other puppets flitted like ghosts through gaps in the battlefield.
"Ibuse" spewed lethal poison mist over a vast area, forcing Tsunade to divide her attention between dispersing it with the Mystical Palm Technique and warning nearby Konoha ninja to evade; "Scorpion's" venomous tail stabbed at her blind spots from treacherous angles; "Crow" and "Black Ant" targeted ordinary Konoha ninja, one harvesting lives with speed and sharp blades, the