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"Enemy general, I shall strip her!"
As soon as Sawara Kiri charged into the Sunagakure, he immediately rushed to the top of the Kazekage Building, the highest point in the entire Sunagakure, and loudly declared his victory.
Almost at the very moment these waves of sound swept through the entire Sunagakure like a storm, everyone fighting, whether from Konoha or Sunagakure, couldn't help but freeze.
Gradually, two completely opposite expressions slowly emerged on the faces of both sides.
Terror and elation intertwined in the night.
After the cataclysmic battle that had just taken place, who didn't know what the situation was now?
After only a moment's pause, all the surviving Konoha Ninja were filled with surging fighting spirit and excitement, and shouts of battle, many times more intense than the previous second, suddenly erupted from these mere hundreds of people, piercing into the surrounding Sand Ninja like sharp knives.
Kunai, shuriken, and various Ninjutsu seemed to explode all at once throughout the Village, creating a cacophony of roars and clashes.
The Sand Ninja, on the other hand, seemed to have instantly lost all will to fight; even those still engaged in battle almost subconsciously kept looking towards the figure standing atop the Kazekage Building.
The Kazekage Building, which once symbolized the glory of all Sand Ninja, and even the most revered title of 'Kazekage,' seemed to be trampled underfoot by that unknown man at this moment.
However, no one dared to harbor the slightest thought of resistance against him.
As mentioned before.
Precisely because powerful Ninja have the right to deliver a decisive blow, all Ninja hold an almost blind worship for the strong individuals of their own Village.
However, when such power is displayed to its fullest, yet is still forcibly suppressed by another strong individual, then this once blind worship will, without any conditions, transform into a strong, headless-chicken-like sense of fear. Many Ninja who are usually resolute and calm, unafraid of even death, might even find their fighting spirit collapsing just by hearing the names of those strong individuals.
This was the reason why the various Ninja Villages in the past had repeatedly issued orders allowing unconditional abandonment of missions and retreat upon encountering Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
No Village wanted to sacrifice its Ninja in vain.
And so it was now.
Although the Sand Ninja in tonight's battle had only observed from a great distance for a while, the oppressive feeling brought by Ichibi Shukaku was undeniable.
The Konoha Ninja who could defeat such a monster was naturally also, without a doubt, a monster.
After realizing this, it's unknown who led the charge, but the large contingent of Sand Ninja, who had just been charging at the Konoha Ninja, suddenly began to flee without warning.
At first, it was just a few scattered individuals escaping, then it progressed to entire squads breaking away from the main force, until finally, except for those on the front lines who were already engaged with the Konoha Ninja, the entire rear contingent scattered like dandelions blown by the wind, thinning out into nothing.
In contrast, the Konoha Ninja were now fighting with ever-increasing ferocity.
Sawara Kiri's blurred figure standing atop the Kazekage Building was like a pillar of mental support, encouraging them to bravely and desperately push forward, constantly fighting.
Until finally, squad after squad of Konoha Ninja broke through Sunagakure's thin line of resistance.
Cheers, containing an unknown mix of emotions, erupted from the Konoha Ninja who had set out with a belief in certain death but ultimately survived.
The sound grew louder and louder as time went on.
In contrast, the Sand Ninja were now like stray dogs, fleeing in panic from the Village that had given them life.
Within their scattered and disorganized ranks, one could even faintly hear cries of heartbroken grief.
Sawara Kiri, however, merely stood on the Kazekage Building, quietly observing this scene.
He naturally had the ability to chase after each of these Sand Ninja and kill them all.
But if he did so, how many of the remaining Konoha Ninja would be eliminated by the desperate Sand Ninja, whose will to resist would be aroused, before he could kill everyone? That was likely beyond his control.
Even though the Konoha Ninja currently appeared incredibly brave, in reality, they were merely taking advantage of the Sand Ninja's lack of fighting spirit. The vast majority of them were already exhausted, completely relying on a burst of energy to keep pushing forward. Just a slight push from someone could crush them here.
What's more, let alone Sawara Kiri, even Namikaze Minato could sense that the Sand Ninja still remaining in the Village to intercept them were nothing more than sacrificial pawns and cannon fodder, with most likely only Chunin to Genin level strength. Apart from the three individuals intercepting Sakumo-sensei, there were no true strong individuals left.
"They must have been relocated, right?"
Namikaze Minato stood beside him, quietly sensing.
He frowned and turned his head: "Kiri-kun, can your 'that' find those who are hidden?"
"This is just a Kekkei Genkai, not the Sage of Six Paths," Sawara Kiri said with a somewhat relaxed, joking tone. "Besides, judging by their arrangements in the Sunagakure, the truly core figures and confidential information have probably already been moved away by those Kazekage Advisors, right?"
"I didn't find that Advisor Chiyo, who once countered Lady Tsunade's poison on the battlefield."
"I originally wanted to kill her while I was at it."
Hearing this, Namikaze Minato also nodded in agreement: "One must cut the grass to root it out."
He had a slight worry in his heart about whether a Jinchuriki would be afraid of poison.
"Alright, don't think so much."
Sawara Kiri patted his shoulder, pointing at the Kazekage Building below: "I've already checked it. There are quite a few explosive tags buried at the very bottom of this building, and some books left in the offices. They're probably meant to lure us in. Be careful when you have people dismantle them later, don't detonate them."
"Mm, okay."
Namikaze Minato subconsciously agreed, then suddenly turned to him, puzzled: "What about you, Kiri-kun?"
"I'm going to rest, of course."
Sawara Kiri said with a matter-of-fact expression: "It's so cold on the rooftop in the middle of the night—besides, I suffered very serious injuries when I fought Shukaku just now… Guh-oh!"
He clutched his chest, suddenly feigning a critically injured appearance.
Minato looked at him with a subtle gaze, showing a kind smile.
"Yes, yes."
"Kiri-kun has truly worked hard."
"What's with this motherly tone?"
As the two of them bantered, the Konoha Ninja below had already begun celebrating. Many looked at the Sand Ninja fleeing into the distance, unable to help but cry and laugh.
Out of a legion of three thousand, less than three hundred remained after the battle.
Their sacrifices and contributions along the way were undeniable.
However, very quickly, everyone changed their mindset under the persuasion of the Jonin and, led by the reconnaissance Ninja, began to split up and run to several important facilities in the Sunagakure, planning to take some spoils of war before leaving.
Undoubtedly, their group would be the most meritorious in the entire Land of Wind battlefield.
As for Lord Sawara Kiri, he was the most meritorious of the meritorious.
Although his current performance was not yet so obvious, everyone had witnessed his battle with the Ichibi Jinchuriki.
They had gained a sufficiently deep understanding of the capabilities of that previously unknown young man, who many had even viewed as someone who had climbed to power by relying on his lower-body specialty with Lady Tsunade.
The only reason they were alive was due to Lord Sawara's efforts!
These people would be the staunchest supporters of the Sawara Kiri faction in the future—no, for now, the Hatake Sakumo faction.
Sawara Kiri himself might not yet have this political sensitivity, but Hatake Sakumo, observing the visible changes in the expressions of those around him, had already deeply realized this point.
"Remarkable," Hatake Sakumo muttered to himself, then smiled and shook his head, not particularly concerned about it.
"Hey! You over there!"
"Come to the Kazekage Building and lend a hand! Remember to categorize and take the confidential documents!"
"Yes—"
However, compared to the jubilance on the Konoha side, the Sunagakure side was filled with gloom.
In a distant dune valley used to house temporary wounded soldiers, many who had gradually retreated from the Sunagakure according to the predetermined failure plan—no, rather than retreat, it was now a rout.
Three or four out of ten of the several thousand Ninja originally designated to defend the Village had disappeared into the vast desert, their figures vanishing without a trace.
Some of them were due to their beloved Village being breached, their will completely collapsing;
Some people, seeing the bleak future that Sunagakure was about to face, decided that instead of struggling to survive in a Village that was almost certainly doomed to fail and would bear a heavy burden after the war, they would rather gather their own teams and venture out into the world.
With people's hearts in turmoil, all sorts of decisions were made that came as no surprise.
Furthermore, amidst the overwhelming negative emotions of comrades' deaths, broken families, and the passing of loved ones, many people's emotions drastically changed, suddenly turning mad against their companions, leading to large-scale brawls like wild beasts tearing at each other with the slightest provocation.
The mental state, taut like a bowstring and on the verge of collapse, made everyone exceptionally somber.
"Crackling."
Next to the bonfire in the center of the crowd, burning camel dung emitted a warmth that barely managed to cut through the cold desert night.
Chiyo, the Advisor who organized the evacuation of the Village, had just learned the news that her son and daughter-in-law had sacrificed themselves at the hands of Konoha White Fang.
However, the continuous failures and bad news had already plunged her emotions to rock bottom.
Even she, the highest-ranking official in the current Sunagakure, almost involuntarily developed the negative thought of 'I won't be a Ninja anymore after this.'
"Where did Sasori go?"
Just as Chiyo was immersed in the death of her children, she seemed to suddenly notice something and sharply looked up around her.
A Ninja beside her whispered, "Lady Chiyo, Young Master Sasori just went towards the mountain peak."
Chiyo was startled by the words.
Mountain peak.
Two figures sat quietly on the edge of the cliff, legs dangling, looking towards the Village dozens of kilometers away.
As soon as Sasori arrived, he noticed this scene, and his expression froze.
Originally, he had heard the news of his parents' deaths and wanted to find a quiet place to be alone.
But all around him were people who had lost various loved ones, sitting scattered everywhere, and even the pervasive low mood among them didn't seem so noticeable anymore.
Almost instinctively, he wanted to find a quiet place to be by himself.
However, he didn't expect that someone was already there.
"Lady Karura?"
As Chiyo's grandson, the ten-year-old Sasori naturally recognized Karura, the Third Kazekage's direct disciple.
But who was sitting beside her?
"Hmm?"
Hearing the voice from behind, Karura subconsciously turned her head, and the man beside her also distorted his head 180 degrees.
Sasori's expression froze.
He also recognized the other man's appearance.
That was Rasa, another disciple of the Third Kazekage, a genius who, at a young age, was known as 'Gold Dust' in the Village.
However, now he had become a puppet accompanying Karura.
Seeing this, even Sasori couldn't help but be stunned.
Was Lady Karura too heartbroken, to actually turn her lover's corpse into a puppet?
This is a bit extreme, isn't it?
"It's Sasori."
Upon seeing a familiar face, Karura's already pale face naturally showed little emotion; she quietly turned her head and no longer paid him any attention.
The various events that transpired tonight, and the blow of being forced to flee from the Village, made Sasori much stronger even when facing the death of his parents.
His heart was empty, and he wanted to fill it with something.
Now, seeing the puppet beside Karura, which was clearly made from a corpse, the urge to confide in someone and be confided in grew even stronger.
"Lady Karura, what is this?"
He carefully sat down on Karura's other side, his gaze fixed on the puppet beside her.
"It's a Human Puppet."
Karura's voice was light and indifferent, as if she had become detached from everything in this world: "A forbidden Ninjutsu that can retain a portion of the deceased's power from when they were alive."
"A Ninja who sacrificed everything to protect the Village in life, yet after death, is forced to endure such desecration…
"What a disgrace this is for us, the living."
"Sasori, do you understand?"
"..."
Listening to her words, Sasori couldn't help but be stunned.
For a young boy his age, ethics and morality, desecration and sacrifice, were all things whose necessity was difficult to comprehend.
All he could see was the pain that came from having to turn someone he cared about into a weapon.
How sad was Karura's expression now?
'Right now, she must be countless times more in pain than I am, having just lost my parents?'
Sasori listened to Karura's seemingly calm voice, and this thought inexplicably arose in his mind.
Sasori, who had been trained by his Grandmother Chiyo since childhood to become an excellent Marionettist prodigy, suddenly felt an indescribable sense of disgust towards this type of weapon.
As if he had seen something dirty.
"Everything stems from a lack of power."
Suddenly, he spoke these words.
Karura was startled by his words and turned to look at him.
As if to emphasize, Sasori calmly looked at the cliff below and said, "Whether it's the death of Lord Rasa, or the death of my parents, or the deaths of all other Sand Ninja, they all stem from the same reason."
"A lack of power."
He had just clearly witnessed the entire battle between Sawara Kiri and Shukaku; although it was from a great distance, the battle between the two was so intense that even from the distant mountain peak, they could observe the process of their fight using special Ninjutsu.
Precisely because they could see it, no one suggested foolish things like 'Let's go help them.'
Similarly, this brought immense shock to Sasori's young heart.
"Lady Karura."
"I don't want to practice Puppet Ninjutsu anymore."
Sasori's gaze was calm and resolute: "No matter how powerful a puppet is, it can't defeat a complete Tailed Beast, can it? And naturally, it can't defeat that Konoha Ninja who is even stronger than Shukaku."
"The only thing that can surpass humans is humanity itself."
"Puppets... are simply too weak."
"If possible, after the war ends, could you please introduce me to the Third Kazekage?"
Upon hearing this, Karura couldn't help but stare at him, at this little boy who was only so big this year.
Her pale expression froze for a few seconds, then slowly revealed a sickly smile:
"I will."
"Thank you very much."
At this moment, Sasori did not know that his life had taken a huge deviation due to the change in his obsession.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
After the battle in Sunagakure had settled, Chiyo had already arranged for personnel to swiftly send the intelligence back to the main camp on the Land of Fire front.
Originally, the Third Kazekage had slightly relaxed because Sawara Kiri had not launched any raids for several days.
But the intelligence that subsequently appeared on his desk suddenly made his face turn ashen.
Chiyo had written the entire process in great detail in the intelligence report, and after the Konoha Ninja had collected important intelligence and materials from Sunagakure, she returned to the Village to re-inventory, and the final result was extremely grim.
Due to the explosive tag array buried at the bottom of the Kazekage Building being discovered in advance and not being detonated in time, six or seven tenths of the remaining important information in the building was swept away; the portion that was not lost was because it had been moved out beforehand.
In addition, there was the enormous casualty and desertion intelligence of the Sunagakure defense Ninja that night, the dissipation of Ichibi Shukaku, the death of Jinchuriki Bunpuku, and a series of other bad news.
Chiyo simply ignored the remaining communiqués from the Land of Wind—they in Sunagakure were already having a terrible headache, so how could they bother with them?
The Third Kazekage also lived up to his name of 'Iron Sand'; he forced himself to read the entire intelligence report, suppressing his emotions.
However, his complexion was so terrible that even the surrounding Ninja Advisors couldn't help but hold their breath for him.
Now that the Village had become like this, the Third Kazekage was their Village's last pillar and biggest scapegoat; if anything happened to him, who could bear the current state of the Village?
The army still fighting on the front lines didn't know their homeland had been taken.
"Sigh—!"
The Third Kazekage put down the letter, took a deep breath, but still couldn't help but feel dizzy, his vision blurring.
Finally, he could only suppress his voice and calmly said, "Our defeat in this war, we lost to Sawara Kiri. Without this person's continuous incursions, defeating the Jinchuriki..."
Just as he was struggling to continue his summary, a very familiar 'boom' suddenly echoed from outside.
The Third Kazekage's expression froze.
A sharp alarm immediately sounded outside the military tent, and a messenger Ninja rushed into the tent, shouting:
"Lord Third!"
"Sawara Kiri is here again!"
"Pfft!"
That night, the Third Kazekage puked three liters of blood in his military tent.
The war was completely unwinnable.
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