The rain had stopped...
Sakumo Hatake was moving through a remote alley, keeping his chakra sensing spread to its maximum range.
"They found me that quickly..."
"How did they find me?!"
Sakumo rapidly thought it through, then suddenly looked up.
"Could it be... this rain?!"
Suddenly, Sakumo stopped and swiftly stepped aside.
Whoosh!
A steel wire coated with deadly poison shot through the air, grazing his raincoat before embedding itself into the stone wall behind him, instantly corroding a large section and producing black smoke.
"Here they come!"
Sakumo's pupils narrowed. The White Fang short blade had already slipped from its sheath, its edge reflecting a cold gleam in the lingering rainwater.
BOOM!
Hiruko crashed down from above, sending water splashing everywhere.
The crimson puppet body looked especially vicious in the rain, while Sasori's hoarse and crazed voice echoed from within.
"Hatake Sakumo... Konoha's White Fang! Today, you'll die by my hand!"
Before the words finished, Hiruko's abdomen, back, and arms opened at the same time. Dozens of chains tipped with poisoned needles shot out like venomous snakes, sealing off every route of escape.
Sakumo's eyes sharpened, and his body instantly became a silver-white blur.
"Razor!"
The White Fang flashed like lightning, drawing several sharp arcs through the rain curtain and cutting apart every incoming chain.
The severed chains fell to the ground with green poison dripping from them, corroding the surface with hissing sounds.
"What a fast blade..."
"Back then, this is the blade you used to kill my parents, right?"
The killing intent in Sasori's eyes deepened. Hiruko suddenly spread its arms, and a pair of huge mechanical scorpion tails unfolded from its back. Their tips sprayed out large amounts of black poison mist, instantly covering the entire alley.
"You killed my parents? Who are you?"
Sakumo frowned slightly.
He had killed too many people. He didn't remember.
His feet tapped rapidly across the ground as he moved at high speed through the poison mist, swinging his blade and sending out chakra wind blades that tore openings through it.
"Your poison won't work on me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Sakumo had already closed the distance. The White Fang cut downward toward Hiruko's head with a thunderous whistle.
Clang!!
The blade slammed into the puppet shell, throwing sparks everywhere.
Hiruko actually blocked the strike head-on, while its tail stabbed toward him at the same time.
Sakumo pulled back and retreated, only to discover a faint layer of poison already coating the blade, slowly corroding it.
The White Fang was actually starting to break apart.
"Hehe... I'll make you wish you were dead..."
"After you're poisoned, you'll realize death is better than living..."
"This is the newest poison I developed specifically for the ninja war. Even the Third Kazekage couldn't escape it. How long... can you last?"
At that moment, Hiruko's chest suddenly split open, and a more refined puppet flew out from within.
It was Sasori's true puppet body, the vanguard of the Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets.
More than a hundred puppets filled the air, accompanied by countless puppet strings.
"Performance of a Hundred Puppets!!!"
At this point, Sasori was consumed by revenge. He no longer cared about intelligence gathering or hidden trump cards.
Right now, he only wanted to throw every technique he had at Hatake Sakumo and torture him to death.
He still had the Third Kazekage puppet, but there was no need to use it.
"So it's Sasori of the Red Sand... Sunagakure's puppet master. No wonder you're so arrogant."
Sakumo's eyes turned completely cold.
He remembered now.
He really had killed Sasori's parents back then.
Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law.
Sakumo threw away his old blade and replaced it with a new one.
He always came prepared.
No longer holding back, his speed suddenly increased. He became a streak of white lightning weaving through the rain.
The White Fang spun into a curtain of light. Everywhere the blade passed, puppet strings were cut apart and poisoned needles were knocked away.
Although Sasori's attacks were airtight, they still couldn't truly touch Sakumo.
"Damn it... this guy's even faster than the reports said!"
For the first time, Sasori felt wary.
But it only made him more crazed.
"Then let me show you true power!"
Hiruko suddenly retreated. The puppet body forming Sasori's true self brought its hands together in a seal as a large amount of chakra surged out.
"Red Secret Technique: Puppet Manipulation - First Form!"
In an instant, the walls of several nearby buildings exploded apart.
More than ten puppets that had been hidden in ambush rushed out and completely surrounded Hatake Sakumo.
These puppets all had different forms. Some wielded scythes, some sprayed poison, and some released illusion-inducing smoke. Every single one was being controlled simultaneously by Sasori alone.
Within the rain curtain, the sounds of blades, poison mist, chains, and puppets colliding echoed throughout the street.
For the first time, Hatake Sakumo was forced to become truly serious. His breathing gradually grew heavier, yet he still handled everything with ease.
Every slash precisely cut through a puppet's critical joints, displaying astonishing destructive power.
"Konoha's White Fang... truly lives up to his reputation."
High atop a tower, the Deva Path of Pain spoke calmly as he observed the battle through the Rain Tiger at Will Technique.
Konan stood behind him, her brows slightly furrowed.
"Should we step in?"
"No rush."
The Deva Path answered calmly.
"Let Sasori test him a little longer... I want to see just how strong Konoha's White Fang really is."
———
[Inside The Top-floor VIP Ward Of Konoha Central Hospital]
A lingering intimate scent still hung in the air.
On the large hospital bed, Arisu was lazily leaning against the headboard, wearing only a loose robe.
The television in the room was on, showing Konoha Children's Channel.
This was something that had only become common in recent years.
The picture was clear, the colors bright, and the host's voice was gentle and easy to hear.
Arisu had subtly encouraged Mount Myoboku to push the development of technology in the ninja world.
Not because of any grand goal.
He simply found life too boring and wanted some entertainment.
Konoha benefited from it as a result. Televisions, simple household appliances, and even some civilian-use ninja tools had gradually become widespread.
Tsunade had just finished bathing and walked over in a loose robe. Her damp blonde hair hung casually over her shoulders.
"Husband, look at yourself. You're getting lazier and lazier."
She sat beside the bed and poked Arisu's face, her tone carrying both teasing and affection.
"Huh? I'm already this old. If I don't take it easy, what am I supposed to do? Go out on missions? Fighting and killing every day is exhausting."
Arisu yawned, casually pulling her into his arms and rubbing his chin against the top of her head with a smile.
Tsunade leaned against his chest and chuckled.
Then she suddenly brought up something else.
"Hatake Sakumo is around your age, and he just went out on an S-rank mission. Didn't you know?"
Arisu's lazy posture immediately stiffened. Confusion appeared on his face.
"He went on a mission? Where did he go?"
Arisu lowered his head to look at Tsunade, his brows slightly furrowed.
Tsunade shrugged, tracing circles on his chest with her slender finger.
"How would I know? S-rank missions are classified. I'm not part of the village leadership anymore, so there's no way I could access that kind of information. You should know better than I do, right?"
Arisu fell silent for two seconds.
His eyes slowly narrowed.