"Damn it!"
Akasuna no Goro gritted his teeth as he yanked the last two puppets into the air. Their arms morphed, revealing dark cannon barrels, while the backs of their black cloaks ripped open to expose a multitude of weapons. It was clear they were prepared for a do-or-die confrontation!
Sakumo lifted his blade, his tone icy. "Are you sure you want to continue this fight?"
Goro shouted angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Sakumo replied matter-of-factly, "The Sand Ninja who fought me are already dead. If you're determined to go all out, you might kill Katō Dan behind me—but you will definitely die under my blade."
"Are you threatening me?" Goro's face turned red with anger, veins bulging. "You think I would believe your empty words? My wife is far more capable than I am; she won't die!"
"I'm merely stating the facts. If you stop now, we can part ways without further conflict and settle things in a future battle."
"Ha! You would let your enemy go for a half-living useless companion?" Goro sneered, shaking his head.
Sakumo remained calm, showing no signs of emotional upheaval. "This is a matter of choice."
"To me, this is not a choice!" Goro scowled, pointing at Katō Dan. "Do you think if I back down, he will live?"
"All my puppets are handmade, and each weapon is coated with neurotoxin. Unfortunately for you, your companion has been struck numerous times in battle. He's as good as dead!"
As he said this, it was evident that Katō Dan had lost consciousness the moment Sakumo showed up, his lips dark and his breathing shallow, clearly poisoned.
However, Sakumo remained unperturbed. "As I said, this is a matter of choice."
Suddenly, from the bushes on one side, rustling sounds prompted Goro's caution.
In plain view, Sakumo's shadow clone stepped forth.
Goro froze, almost as if struck by lightning, realizing that the clone was holding a woman who had passed out.
With chestnut-colored hair and a delicate face, she seemed lifeless, her breath weak and utterly unresisting.
"You!" Goro erupted in anger.
"Don't act rashly," warned Sakumo, his gaze steely, as he drew a kunai and pressed it against the woman's throat.
"You have three seconds to consider: hand over the antidote and leave, or…" he lowered his voice, "we all go down together!"
The kunai edged forward, breaking the skin, drawing out a trickle of blood.
"No!" Goro panicked, immediately retrieving an iron box from one of his puppets, unlocking it with a flurry of mechanisms before hastily tossing a pink vial to Sakumo.
Without hesitation, Sakumo caught the vial and quickly injected Dan's carotid artery.
"Let her go!" Goro urged anxiously.
Sakumo remained silent and expressionless.
Goro fully understood that Sakumo was verifying whether the antidote worked; if Dan showed no signs of awakening, Sakumo would surely kill his wife without hesitation.
Finally, as Dan stirred back to consciousness and his complexion brightened, Sakumo began forming seals, dispelling his shadow clone and letting the woman drop weakly to the ground.
Goro rushed forward to check on her, kneeling and feeling for her breath, relieved to find no abnormalities.
"From now on, in each battle, I will do everything in my power to kill you!" He turned, shooting Sakumo a venomous glare before scooping up his wife and disappearing into the forest.
Sakumo watched him leave, his brow furrowed in thought.
Only when Goro had completely vanished from sight did he turn back to carry Katō Dan toward the secret base.
"Dan, hang in there. You'll be safe once we reach camp."
"Cough, cough." Weak coughs came from behind him.
"Sakumo… you shouldn't have saved me…" Dan lowered his head, a look of remorse on his face.
"You are a comrade. As the inheritor of the Will of Fire, I will never abandon my comrades, nor betray my village." Sakumo's tone remained calm.
"But… if you had just left me behind, you could have easily killed the leaders of the Sand Ninja forces…"
Sakumo smiled faintly, "If I wanted to kill them, I'd have many more opportunities. There's no need for you to sacrifice yourself."
Dan fell silent for a long time before gazing up at the sky cloaked in green foliage, "Perhaps, as a ninja, dying in battle is the best end…"
"Don't be foolish. You don't even have a wife; why would you be so willing to die?" Sakumo teased him lightly.
Dan's irritation showed slightly. "So, only those of you who are married can go to death without regrets?"
"No, I'm not willing either." As if recalling something, Sakumo unwittingly smiled. "There are so many beautiful things waiting for me in this world."
Dan coughed a couple of times again, his eyes filled with resentment. "Please, can you leave us single guys a chance to live?"
"Also, I not only have a wife, but my son is also two years old. But…" Sakumo sighed, "I've been away for two years and haven't had a chance to see him…"
…
At the end of the year 39 of Konoha, in the western battlefield of the Rain Country, with the Uchiha clan's involvement, the Konoha forces achieved remarkable results in just one year.
Utilizing their unique eye techniques and proficient Fire Release and shuriken skills, Konoha displayed impressive combat capability, causing the Iwa forces to face significant difficulties and suffer defeat after defeat.
At this moment, Konoha suddenly altered its tactical strategy, secretly reallocating some of its elite forces, led by Tsunade, to the southern battlefield to assist Hanzō against the Sand Ninja.
On the surface, this action significantly alleviated pressure on the Rain Village, and under Tsunade's exceptional medical abilities, Chiyo's poison was completely negated. Coupled with Hanzō's strong leadership, the Sand Ninja forces suffered numerous defeats, gradually retreating.
However, turning to the western front, with Tsunade and other medical ninjas absent, the remaining Iwa forces eased their pressure, matching Konoha evenly in strength, engaging in back-and-forth skirmishes along the borders of the Rain Country.
The Sand Ninja not only struggled on the southern front but also faced a disadvantageous situation in Konoha's battle landscape.
No one had expected that Konoha would inadvertently play their trump card known as "Hatake Sakumo."
Two years ago, he was merely a junior captain with elite Jōnin strength; however, after experiencing the life-and-death trials of the battlefield, he had evolved into a powerhouse possessing the intellect and strength of a Kage-level ninja.
His lightning-fast short blade and graceful sword skills made every strike a harbinger of doom for foes. Over time, the title "Konoha White Fang" began circulating through the battlefields.
Under Sakumo's leadership, Goro's raid team suffered heavy losses, with Goro himself losing his right hand and urgently needing logistical support.
At this rate, the Third Kazekage's initial plan to "sneak attack Konoha" was quickly becoming farcical. If reinforcements weren't dispatched promptly, the entire raiding force could very well meet their end in the Land of Fire, becoming yet another example of "losing rice while attempting to steal chickens."
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