Chapter 38: 37: Speculation
Thousands of poisoned needles rained down from the sky like scattered flowers. Sakumo held his White Fang—a precious chakra sword capable of channeling chakra.
With this sharp weapon in hand, he seamlessly combined his Kenjutsu, causing invisible white sword lights to intercept every single needle. Not one managed to breach Sakumo's defensive circle.
He was engaged in battle with two adept puppet manipulators from the Suna Village.
A man and a woman, slightly older than him, likely a married couple. Their synchronization and coordinated attacks were remarkable. If it weren't for Sakumo's presence, any ordinary Jōnin would have been overwhelmed by the relentless barrage and fallen.
Even though he successfully blocked the multitude of poisoned projectiles launched by the two using their puppets, Sakumo couldn't afford to be careless.
Coating the puppet's hidden weapons with poison was a common assassination technique employed by puppeteer ninjas from Suna Village.
Accidental contact with the skin could lead to the spread of poison through the wound and into the flesh, resulting in a highly troublesome situation.
Fighting against these puppet masters left no room for error.
However, over the years, Sakumo had gained experience in battling puppet masters through numerous S-rank missions. Even though the two opposing puppet masters had superior puppetry skills compared to those he had encountered before, their weaknesses were equally evident.
Controlling a puppet required chakra, and puppet masters themselves were generally physically weak.
Disrupting their chakra flow would only temporarily hinder their puppet control. They would quickly regain control by reestablishing their chakra connection and resume the battle.
Therefore, instead of severing their chakra flow, the best tactic was to bypass the puppets altogether and directly target the puppet masters.
But how could he bypass them?
The Suna ninja, the man and the woman, constantly switched positions and executed dazzling techniques.
The puppets they manipulated remained hidden beneath their dark robes, making it impossible to discern the mechanism behind their projectile attacks.
This disrupted Sakumo's ability to analyze the situation.
Moreover, the opponents seemed well aware of his strengths, avoiding close combat and keeping a safe distance from him at all times.
This left Sakumo feeling extremely challenged.
His enemies possessed an abundance of combat skills. Among the puppet forces of Suna, they were undoubtedly significant figures.
"Let's give it a try!"
Delaying any further was not an option. The flawless coordination between the two puppet masters was becoming increasingly worrisome. With time passing, Sakumo grew more concerned about Shiraishi's situation.
Infusing chakra into White Fang in his hand, a radiant white light emanated from the blade, appearing as if it had been bathed in the moon's gentle glow. The sword stood out conspicuously in the dim forest.
Unable to identify any weaknesses in his opponents, Sakumo had no choice but to forcefully break through and create an opportunity.
Drawing the puppet back, the male ninja retreated, while the female ninja beside him followed suit. Though they didn't exchange words, they silently manipulated their puppets, yet they both understood the other's intentions.
Witnessing the white light emitted by the White Fang, they knew what Sakumo intended to do.
They couldn't allow him the opportunity.
Cutting through the rainstorm of projectiles, Sakumo's figure became nearly invisible, only the faint white light streaking through the air as he sliced through every incoming projectile. He pressed forward without deviation.
The two puppets, clad in black robes, positioned themselves alternately in front of Sakumo, appearing like elusive phantoms.
A clean cut sliced through the black robe, revealing the wooden puppet body beneath.
"What!?"
Sakumo vanished from their sight.
The gleam in the man and woman's eyes sharpened.
The male ninja shoved the female ninja aside and, from shoulder to chest, received a deep gash from Sakumo's blade, blood pouring forth.
Sakumo's eyes widened in surprise. He had anticipated attacking the woman, but he hadn't expected the man to effortlessly push her away.
However, he only experienced a brief moment of astonishment. Without hesitation, he pressed on with a second swing of his sword.
This time, the puppet that the male ninja swiftly pulled over from a nearby location intercepted the fatal blow on his behalf.
'This guy!' Sakumo's gaze grew solemn.
Knowing that he couldn't avoid the initial strike, the male ninja didn't attempt to dodge at all. Instead, he effortlessly pushed the female ninja aside and pulled the puppet into position. Just as Sakumo swung his sword for the second strike, the puppet skillfully moved to block the attack, shielding its master.
The unwavering composure in the face of life and death, maintaining absolute calmness, presented a formidable challenge for Sakumo.
Boom!
A smoke bomb detonated, temporarily obscuring Sakumo's vision.
In the next moment, countless senbon and kunai were hurled from the other end of the smoke, leaving Sakumo no choice but to defend himself with his white-toothed dagger.
As Sakumo rushed forward, the man and woman had already vanished from sight.
"Sorry, but if we meet again in the future, they are likely to see through my previous tactics" Sakumo muttered, looking at the deserted forest before him.
Choosing not to pursue the man and woman, Sakumo hurriedly returned to the battlefield where Shiraishi and the others were engaged in combat.
Upon arrival, he found that the battle had already concluded.
It seemed that, based on the retreat signal of the man and woman, the ninjas who had fought against Shiraishi and the others were also retreating. From a distance, Sakumo could barely make out their fading figures.
Should he give chase?
As this thought crossed Sakumo's mind, he noticed Ayane and Ruri sitting tiredly against a tree, receiving Shiraishi's healing technique to restore their stamina and chakra.
Seeing this, Sakumo had no choice but to abandon the idea. Dealing with so many ninjas alone would be overly ambitious.
Engaging the Suna duo had already depleted his physical strength and chakra. It was time to focus on resting.
"Shiraishi, how are their injuries?" Sakumo asked, fatigue evident on his face as he approached.
Engaging those two Suna nins had kept him on high alert, wary of any scratches from their poisoned hidden weapons.
"It's nothing major, just superficial wounds. However, their chakra levels are a bit depleted," Shiraishi replied.
Ruri and Ayane were in the process of replenishing their stamina and chakra, leaving no time for a response.
"That's good." Sakumo nodded, a smile forming on his face. "You all performed better than I anticipated. Even when faced with three Chunin and several Jonin, you managed to hold your ground. It exceeded my expectations."
"That's because you, Sakumo-sensei, you were keeping the two strongest puppet masters occupied" Ayane remarked. With her Byakugan, she could clearly see the rain of kunai falling like a torrential downpour. Even with her Byakugan, she felt a tingling sensation on her scalp. Escaping unscathed from such an onslaught was impossible for Sakumo.
As the saying goes, the most lethal abilities often appear ordinary. Puppet masters exemplify this notion.
A mere scratch or a momentary lapse in concentration could result in being impaled by countless hidden weapons.
This is why the Suna puppet army has been a formidable challenge for many ninjas.
"Don't say that. Given your age, you'll surely surpass me in the future. I believe in your potential. Until that day comes, I, as your captain and part-time teacher, will do everything in my power to keep you safe."
"With Sakumo-sensei vouching for us, I feel much safer. But the current situation doesn't look promising. How could such a formidable elite force infiltrate our country?" Ayane furrowed her brow, bewildered.
"Instead of that, shouldn't we be contemplating why Suna's troops include ninjas skilled in earth jutsus? The consequences of this issue are more severe, don't you think?" Shiraishi interjected.
At the mention of this, the expressions of the other three individuals changed slightly.
"It's true. The kind of power exhibited by those who can perform earth jutsu is not something ordinary ninjas possess. It wasn't indicated in the information we received. As direct troops of the Hokage, what is Anbu doing?" Ruri voiced her dissatisfaction with Anbu's inaction.
Sakumo stood there, feeling somewhat embarrassed. While he, too, questioned Anbu's recent performance, they were an elite unit directly under the Hokage. It was possible that he was simply being negligent and hadn't noticed any issues.
Anbu's actions usually held great weight.
"Perhaps we are overthinking things, and there are occasionally ninjas proficient in earth jutsus," Sakumo offered, though Shiraishi and the others found it difficult to believe.
Their nerves were on edge, given the current circumstances.
With Suna launching an all-out attack on Konoha, would Iwa, who had previously remained neutral, truly miss such a golden opportunity to plunder the Land of Fire?
Perhaps Iwagakure hadn't initially intended to join the war, but now the situation seemed uncertain.
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