"Big Brother, how was the operation? Are you hurt?"
"Not long after you left, Chiyo led a large group of Suna ninja to attack, but we drove them back. It's a pity we didn't capture her."
As soon as Sakumo entered the camp, Kawakaze appeared in front of him. A feeling of warmth welled up in Sakumo's heart—this brat still cared about his brother.
"Let's talk while we walk. Is Tsunade still busy? I still have wounded here, and I'll need her help."
The Konoha ninja Sakumo brought back were all injured, with the seriously wounded needing Tsunade's treatnt. Without stopping, Sakumo entered the camp alongside Kawakaze. The battlefield had been cleaned, but traces of blood remained, and the strong tallic sll lingering in the air confird the cruelty of the previous battle.
"She's still preparing the antidote, but it's nearly ready," Kawakaze said, scratching his head. "I took a peek, but she kicked out."
"That's good. All the Suna ninja supplies were destroyed." Sakumo's tone was calm, but regret flashed across his face. "It's a pity we couldn't bring all our people back."
"You've done enough, Lord Sakumo," ca a voice from behind.
A Konoha ninja with a limp, supported by his companion, looked at Sakumo with gratitude. He was one of the two Sakumo had single-handedly rescued.
"Go straight to the dical area and get treated," Sakumo instructed. "I'll be right there."
Sakumo then followed Kawakaze to Tsunade's dicine room, where she was fully focused on preparing the antidote. She had already analyzed the poison's components.
"Why are you here again? I told you to stay out of my way," Tsunade said, her voice carrying both frustration and exasperation. Looking up, she noticed Sakumo.
"Big Brother is back," Kawakaze muttered awkwardly, rubbing his nose, clearly not feeling welco.
"Sakumo brought back the wounded; they need your treatnt," Kawakaze added.
"The mission is complete," Sakumo said, summarizing quickly. "It was only after that Kawakaze told the camp was attacked by Chiyo and her n. Fortunately, we managed to burn the Suna ninja's supplies."
He glanced at Tsunade, his expression expectant but restrained. He knew there were other wounded in the camp and couldn't prioritize any one group, so he refrained from asking directly.
"Wait a mont, I'll be right back."
Tsunade finished preparing the antidote pills with a serious expression and handed the finished product to the other staff.
"Let's go."
The three of them left the dicine room and headed to where the injured ninja Sakumo had brought back were being treated.
"Lady Tsunade," the ninja greeted as she approached.
"Let take a look."
Tsunade examined their injuries and instructed the staff to bandage the minor wounds. For the severely injured, she directly used the Mystical Palm Technique to stabilize their conditions. Though so would likely face long-term disabilities, their lives had been saved.
"Rest well, and I'll send you back to Konoha when you're feeling better," Tsunade reassured them gently.
Sakumo stood silently to the side, his expression dark and heavy. Kawakaze had already stepped out of the tent, lost in thought as he considered their next move.
"eting," Tsunade ordered as she exited the tent, instructing her subordinates to gather key personnel.
A few minutes later, a dozen people had assembled in the central tent.
"Hayato Yamanaka, did you get any useful information?" Tsunade asked as she took her seat in the center.
"They're all small fry who've only learned so basic Ninjutsu, so there's nothing of value," Hayato replied, shaking his head. His gaze shifted to Kawakaze, clearly displeased. If that Arashi hadn't died, their intel might have been more substantial.
"Why are you looking at ? I didn't kill him," Kawakaze said sharply, imdiately catching on to Hayato's thoughts. If he hadn't personally delivered the final blow, he didn't count it as killing—no problem there.
"It's nothing, Lord Kawakaze," Hayato muttered quickly, shifting his eyes away. He had no desire to provoke Kawakaze into beating him up, which would be a real loss.
"Sakumo, did you manage to eliminate any key figures this ti, apart from burning the food supplies?" Tsunade asked, steering the conversation toward Sakumo. These recent battles were critical, and every detail mattered.
"There was a puppet master couple with quite so strength, who might be related to Chiyo," Sakumo replied. He had roughly guessed this based on their imitation puppets but wasn't entirely sure. After all, he couldn't see any resemblance between the couple and Chiyo.
"Lord Sakumo, a brief description, please," Hayato Yamanaka spoke up, confident that he knew everyone of importance.
Sakumo briefly described the couple's appearance and abilities.
"They are Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law," Hayato Yamanaka determined imdiately. His gaze shifted between Kawakaze and Sakumo. These brothers are truly amazing. When will the Yamanaka Clan have such experts?
"Good. Chiyo returned this ti to find the supplies burned and her son tragically dead. I can only imagine her anger," Tsunade remarked. Her eyes lit up with excitent, showing not the slightest trace of rcy.
They were an enemy nation, after all.
"Let's see if she dares to attack the camp next ti."
"Chiyo's puppet army has lost six out of ten, and its strength has dropped drastically," Kawakaze added. "The Land of Wind will definitely send more supplies, and their morale and strength are currently weak. I think we can launch a large-scale attack. Even if the battle goes badly, they won't have the ability to pursue."
"What do you think?"
Now was clearly a good ti to attack. If executed well, they could break through the Suna ninja's defense.
"I think it's possible. I'll go gather so more information," Hayato Yamanaka said, greeting Tsunade before getting up and leaving.
"Everyone, don't be shy, speak your mind," Tsunade encouraged.
"I support Lord Kawakaze's opinion," soone from the Konoha crowd spoke up.
In the enraged Konoha Shinobi didn't have a single dissenting voice.
"Good, then it's settled."
"Our supplies will arrive soon, and Sunagakure can't send reinforcents as fast as we can. We'll attack then."
Tsunade made the final decision, and the first large-scale battle with the Suna ninja was about to begin. While Konoha was sharpening its blades, Chiyo returned to the defensive camp in a state of grief.
"Lady Chiyo , we only found the bodies."
A Suna ninja knelt a short distance in front of Chiyo, his voice shaking slightly. Chiyo's son's body was only found after a long search. Not far from him, under a white cloth, lay two other bodies. The cloth covering their heads had been opened, as if they had died in a hurry.
"Kawakaze Hatake, Sakumo Hatake..." Chiyo muttered, her head bowed, her expression dazed, her eyes red.
Ebizō, who was standing nearby, looked sad. He reached out to comfort his sister but stopped in mid-air, unable to bring himself to do so.
The Suna ninja in the sand house were too afraid to speak at the mont, all trembling with fear.
"Sister, you have more important things to do right now."
After all, he was her younger brother, and after a while, Ebizō spoke up. He was sad too, but in the face of a war, personal emotions seed to be of little consequence.
"Take her back to the village for burial. Don't tell Sasori yet," Chiyo's voice was hoarse. She looked up, closed her eyes, and the tears that had gathered fell silently.
She was pale, but she was not hysterical. When she opened her eyes again, her expression had cald. She was not only a mother, but also the commander of the Suna ninja.
"Yes, Lady Chiyo."
Several Suna ninja carried the body out of the sand house.
Chiyo took one last look and a deep breath.
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