The heartland of the Land of Grass.
Sunagakure's positions were established around several high, broken walls and ruins.
The Sunagakure ninjas were like moss clinging to rocks, blending in with them. In front of countless Sunagakure ninjas stood a horrifying number of puppets.
Hundreds of puppets, each with a different form, stood in confrontation with Konoha's forces on the scorched earth. Indiscernible Chakra threads were wrapped around the bodies of all the puppets. Behind several puppets, a red-haired figure appeared.
Akasuna slightly raised his hands, his ten fingers connected to the puppets. The Suna ninjas behind him had their faces covered by masks, revealing only their sharp eyes, which held both fearlessness and hatred.
Akasuna's gaze was different from that of the Suna ninjas, there was no killing intent in his eyes. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the white figure not far away, filled with intense interest.
On the opposite side, the atmosphere on Konoha's front line was heavy.
Every Konoha ninja tightly gripped the kunai or blade in their hand, their knuckles slightly white, and deep in their eyes, besides vigilance, there was a hint of barely concealed anxiety. These puppets were too difficult to deal with.
Their gazes slowly shifted from the puppets opposite them, involuntarily turning towards the solitary, tall figure standing at the very front of Konoha's line.
Konoha White Fang, Sakumo Hatake.
He stood at the front, his posture tall and straight, his silver-white hair gently swaying in the wind. A short blade hung diagonally at his waist, looking very ordinary. There was no killing intent in his eyes either, only a calmness like the deep sea.
His presence was like a stabilizing force, suppressing the anxiety and unease in the hearts of the Konoha ninjas.
The enemy had puppeteers, but didn't Konoha have the White Fang?
The battlefield was silent. The sound of the wind sweeping across the battlefield seemed exceptionally clear.
Konoha and Sunagakure stood in silent confrontation, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.
Finally, Akasuna moved his fingers first, and the puppets in front of him suddenly flew towards Konoha. The puppets' movements broke the silence of the battlefield. It was like a stone falling into water, creating a huge splash.
Konoha and Suna ninjas' battle cries shook the heavens. Ninjas from both sides simultaneously ran towards each other, their eyes flashing with hatred.
Sakumo quickly noticed the difference in Akasuna. He had fought Akasuna on the battlefield before. But today's Akasuna made him sense a subtle abnormality.
Akasuna was too calm, his eyes even held a hint of scrutiny and playfulness. He seemed out of place with his surroundings.
Sakumo frowned slightly, a dark light flashing in his eyes.
Akasuna's pupils gleamed slightly, and he excitedly scanned Sakumo's body. At the same time, his ten fingers skillfully manipulated the puppets.
Poisoned senbon, like a dense swarm of bees, covered the area with a sharp whistling sound.
The puppets flying towards the Konoha ninjas rotated at high speed in the air, and sharp blades sprang from various joints on their bodies.
"Defense!"
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
The Konoha ninja quickly reacted, and the light of various ninjutsu instantly lit up the battlefield.
A silver light flashed across the battlefield. A pure, condensed slash sliced through the approaching puppet, cutting it in half.
Sakumo held his blade, his gaze fixed on Akasuna.
'What a fast blade!'
Akasuna's pupils suddenly contracted, and the excitement in his eyes grew even more intense.
Bang—
The short blade in Sakumo's hand heavily struck the crossed arms of the human puppet, sending sparks flying. A deep slash mark clearly appeared on the puppet's arm.
A huge impact force transmitted through the puppet, causing Akasuna's arms to shake violently and his fingers to go numb.
"Konoha White Fang, truly living up to his reputation." Akasuna's excited voice reached Sakumo's ears.
A hint of doubt flashed in Sakumo's eyes. It was very strange. Judging by Akasuna's words, it was as if they were meeting for the first time today, yet they had already fought before.
Akasuna suddenly raised his hands, his ten fingers rapidly twitching in the air. The light blue Chakra threads controlling the puppets, wrapped around his fingertips, danced wildly.
Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred puppets!
Hundreds of puppets were deployed.
The figure of Sakumo, opposite Akasuna, suddenly vanished from Akasuna's sight.
At the moment those hundred puppets converged to attack, he moved, his figure transforming into a silver lightning bolt that tore through the sky.
Countless silver lights, centered around Sakumo, suddenly erupted outwards. The silver lights formed a net in the air, completely surrounding the puppets.
"So strong…"
Looking at the silver light erupting before him, Akasuna's voice slightly trembled, but it was not fear, but excitement and thrill.
"What a powerful body…"
Akasuna's lips slowly curled upwards, and the light in his eyes burned intensely.
He raised his hands again, hundreds of puppets at his command.
…
Land of Wind.
Rasa returned to Sunagakure in a disheveled state. He was immediately taken to see the Third Kazekage.
"Greetings, Kazekage-sama."
Rasa knelt on the ground, not daring to look up. He could clearly feel the Third Kazekage's gaze on him, it was devoid of warmth.
The Third Kazekage stared coldly at Rasa, his gaze sweeping over Rasa's entire body from head to toe. This was certainly not the posture of a victor.
"Why are you the only one?" The Third Kazekage asked in a deep voice.
Even if Rasa didn't speak, the Third Kazekage already had a guess in his heart. He simply refused to believe that Amegakure, a small village that had just been established, could actually defeat Sunagakure.
And only Rasa returned.
"Where is Pakura?"
Before Rasa could answer, the Third Kazekage continued to ask.
Rasa gulped, his heart sinking to the bottom. He cautiously looked up, meeting the Third Kazekage's eyes, which were filled with suppressed fury.
Rasa took a deep breath and slowly said, "Kazekage-sama, Pakura is dead. We were defeated. Only I survived."
The Third Kazekage closed his eyes.
The Kazekage's office momentarily became silent.
Ebizo, standing behind the Third Kazekage, held his breath, his pupils trembling.
How could this be?
How could the elites of Sunagakure be completely wiped out?
After an unknown amount of time, the Third Kazekage opened his eyes, and he slammed his hand heavily on the desk, making a loud sound.
Rasa's heart gave a heavy thump. When he looked up, he found that the Third Kazekage had already come before him.