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Your Sunagakure bought strategic supplies from Konoha and procured all sorts of things from the Land of Fire's Daimyo. What's the big deal if Kirigakure buys some standard antitoxins from Konoha?
It's not like we're helping Kirigakure crack the formulas of the latest poisons to develop new antidotes.
Under these circumstances, even if Sunagakure has complaints, they ultimately have no choice but to swallow them.
Having said his piece, Kazuki leaned back in his chair, quietly waiting for Terumi Mei's response.
"I apologize, I cannot give a definitive answer right now. This matter needs the approval of the commanding officer at the front."
Antitoxins definitely needed to be purchased, even if they were only standard ones. After all, Kirigakure's own preparations were insufficient, and transporting them from their home village was too slow. Therefore, buying from Konoha became the only viable option.
Fortunately, Konoha was only willing to sell standard antitoxins. For Kirigakure, this at least alleviated some immediate pressure. Not all of Sunagakure's puppet masters were using the latest poisons yet. Before those poisons became widespread, standard antidotes could still serve a purpose, albeit imperfectly.
The problem was, Terumi Mei couldn't overstep her authority to make a purchase. She needed to report back and wait for approval from her superiors.
"Understood." Kazuki gave a slight nod. "If you decide to purchase antitoxins, you can report directly to Jiraiya. He will arrange for your people to proceed at that time."
Kazuki couldn't stay at the border camp waiting for Kirigakure's decision. He would return to the village the next day. Whether Kirigakure bought the antitoxins or not was up to their internal deliberations. If they wanted to buy, they could bring the money and send someone to Konoha. If not, they could pretend the discussion never happened.
With the discussion concluded, Kazuki directly had an ANBU operative escort Terumi Mei out, ensuring she left the border area before returning. As for surveillance, the regular camp patrols would handle it; there was no need for the ANBU to stay specifically for that.
"Commander, did Konoha agree?" As soon as Terumi Mei returned safely, the group clamored with questions.
Rubbing her throbbing temples, Terumi Mei sighed. "Konoha refused our request. They will not help our village decipher Sunagakure's poisons or develop new antidotes. However, Uchiha Kazuki stated that the village can purchase standard antitoxins from Konoha. This matter requires discussion and approval back at headquarters."
"Prepare yourselves. We're returning to camp immediately." The longer they delayed at the camp, the worse the situation would become. Terumi Mei didn't want to waste any more time here. Just thinking about Sunagakure's various underhanded tactics made her eye twitch. So vicious. Truly the work of an old veteran who has survived several Great Ninja Wars. Her methods are exceptionally cruel.
Kirigakure had been thoroughly harassed and disgusted by Sunagakure's tactics. And it was all Chiyo's handiwork. Chiyo was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, always ready to strike Kirigakure, injecting them with her toxins. While she hadn't caused massive casualties, she had thoroughly disgusted and demoralized the Mist ninja.
The rejection from Konoha was bad news for everyone. The group fell into a somber silence.
After a brief rest, Terumi Mei led her team on a swift departure.
Leaving the border of the Land of Fire, they quickly traversed the Land of Rivers and entered the Land of Wind.
The moment their feet touched the soft sand, Terumi Mei's instincts screamed.
"Take positions! Ambush!!!"
A sharp whistling sound filled the air as a dense cloud of poisoned needles rained down from all directions. Several Mist ninja who reacted too slowly were instantly turned into human pincushions.
Only then did the enemies hidden in the sand dunes reveal themselves.
"It seems the village's intelligence was correct. We've caught a big fish." Chiyo's laughter was as grating and unpleasant as ever. Seeing several of her companions fall and the rest injured, some also struck by needles, Terumi Mei's anger surged.
This damned desert terrain is perfect for Sunagakure ambushes. One moment of carelessness, and you're caught. Once ambushed, the attacks were always with these poisoned weapons. The hardest to defend against were these needles scattered like a deadly bloom.
"Who's the big fish remains to be seen, Chiyo. If you die here today, it would be a heavy blow for Sunagakure, wouldn't it?" Puppet masters' methods were hard to guard against, but Terumi Mei was not to be trifled with either.
"True enough. But are you certain you can keep this old woman here?" Chiyo chuckled, slowly backing away with her people. She had no intention of engaging Terumi Mei in a direct fight. A successful ambush was enough. Terumi Mei's team was now wounded, some dead, others poisoned—quite enough to keep them occupied. With these liabilities, harassment and attrition were the most logical tactics. A head-on fight? Only a fool would choose that. Moreover, Terumi Mei's strength was considerable, with her two kekkei genkai posing a significant threat to puppet masters. Chiyo was old, not stupid.
If the village hadn't received intelligence about enemy movements near the border, Chiyo wouldn't have made this trip. She had suspected Kirigakure might seek aid from Konoha and had hurried over. There's a saying: perfect timing is better than early arrival. And wasn't this perfect timing? They had managed to ambush the group, inflicting significant losses.
"Bastards!!!" Watching Chiyo retreat leisurely, Terumi Mei wanted to give chase but feared further traps. With wounded comrades needing immediate care, she had no choice but to gather the injured and make a swift retreat.
Terumi Mei truly had it rough. However, for such a mission, operating alone or with a small squad would have been the most sensible approach. Why bring a whole group of potential liabilities? And as a result, they walked right into Chiyo's ambush—a costly mistake.
Observing Terumi Mei's hasty retreat with the wounded, Kazuki knew she had decided to swallow this bitter pill. Facing a troublesome old crone like Chiyo, Terumi Mei couldn't be sure if there were other traps. If she gave in to rage and pursued, she might be the one to suffer a disastrous defeat. Weighing the pros and cons, Terumi Mei chose to withdraw.
After Terumi Mei's departure, Chiyo returned with her team. Her people began collecting the scattered poisoned needles. As long as they weren't damaged, these needles could be reused. Besides, the village was poor; they had to be frugal. Moreover, there were enemy corpses left behind, which could yield valuable intelligence. They couldn't just be left there.
"It seems Kirigakure has been taking quite a few losses at your hands," a voice remarked.
While her people collected needles and bodies, Chiyo remained vigilant, scanning her surroundings. Kazuki saw no need to hide further and stepped out.
"Blind arrogance always leads to costly lessons. Konoha itself has learned that lesson quite painfully in the past," Chiyo cackled, not appearing surprised by Kazuki's appearance.
It was a fact. During the several wars between Konoha and Sunagakure, whenever Konoha forces pushed deep into the Land of Wind, they invariably suffered significant setbacks. Engaging Sunagakure ninja in prolonged maneuvering across the vast desert was a foolish decision—a lesson countless Konoha ninja had learned through bloodshed.