Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

"The injuries to the Anbu members are not serious; they only have a few broken ribs and will recover after a period of rest. However, Kosuke was slashed in the chest by the Golden Lion's sword energy, and the wound is very deep and has damaged his heart meridian. Right now, we can only slow down the loss of his life force. He hasn't woken up yet, and we can only wait for Lady Tsunade to go and treat him to find out how he is doing."

"That's what the underling from the secret service said."

"...Notify Tsunade to go to Sakumo's place as soon as possible and do everything she can to save Kosuke. Leave the Land of Rain to Orochimaru and Jiraiya!"

After pondering for a while, Hiruzen Sarutobi gave an order to his ANBU subordinates: Although it was because Kosuke stabbed Chiyo's son that the Golden Lion went berserk, causing such heavy losses in this war, if Kosuke hadn't stabbed Chiyo's son, the battle might not have ended so quickly. In a way, Kosuke was still a key figure in this battle.

279. The Raikage was provoked.

"Hahaha! Good job! I can't believe Konoha's genin actually got lucky and managed to stab Chiyo's son! Completely useless! ヾ(^Д^*)/"

On the Iwagakure side, after being relentlessly stabbed by Hiruzen Sarutobi for several days, Onoki would normally explode with rage. However, he couldn't seem to muster any anger. Even while being constantly stabbed by Hiruzen, he couldn't help but wear a bright smile, which terrified Hiruzen quite a bit...

But he was just happy and excited!

When he first received the battle report from his underlings about the conflict between Konoha and Sunagakure, he was surprised that this bastard Shiki had stopped dawdling and was actually taking the battle so seriously. You see, he had initially suspected that Sunagakure might have gotten some benefits from Konoha and was planning to fish in the fire like Hanzo of the Salamander. After all, how could they not have arrived at the battlefield after more than three months? He was really furious when he heard that Shiki was having a BBQ on the battlefield. He was fighting to the death here and had to be wary of being stabbed in the butt by that bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi, and that bastard was having a BBQ?

After receiving the battle report from his underling, he realized he had wronged this bastard. The guy had probably done too many wicked things, constantly encountering sandstorms or tornadoes. Look at him now, fighting so fiercely, making up for more than three months' worth of losses in just one day...

After everyone was marveling at how fierce the battle between Sunagakure and Konoha was, and how ruthless that bastard Shiki was, he first noticed a small detail: Chiyo's son, the genius puppeteer of Sunagakure who had successfully risen to power in the Land of Rain, was actually stabbed by a Konoha genin.

This... can't be, right?

Does Konoha have such a formidable genin?

Or was Hiruzen Sarutobi simply blind and failed to notice?

Or maybe that Konoha genin just got incredibly lucky...

Back when he was in the Land of Rain, he had witnessed the grand entrance of Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law. It was downright outrageous. Hundreds of bodyguards, all at least special Jonin, surrounded the two of them like a fortress. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't have that kind of entourage.

Even if you could fly, you couldn't stab Chiyo's son in the back.

But now a Konoha genin has actually slept with Chiyo's son. Isn't that incredibly lucky? As long as this genin doesn't die, this incident will be something he can brag about for the rest of his life!

However, when he thought of Chiyo's son being stabbed in the back by a Konoha genin and dying, Onoki couldn't help but laugh out loud. It's not that retribution won't come, it's just that the time hasn't come yet!

It's just a pity that it wasn't that bastard Golden Lion who got stabbed, otherwise he wouldn't even bother fighting and would have immediately gone home to have a happy New Year....ヾ(^Д^*)/

He remembered everything that bastard Shiki had done to Iwagakure back then. Whether it was cutting off his nephew's little brother, taking away their Four-Tails Jinchuriki, letting their Five-Tails run wild and causing Iwagakure to be destroyed, or ruining their Takigakure plans, he hadn't forgotten any of it. If it weren't for the greater good and not wanting the story to end so soon, he really wanted to point his sword at Sunagakure and give them a good beating.

In recent years, he has vigorously developed military power, and in terms of core strength, he can be said to be second only to Sunagakure. Although Sunagakure is rich, the lack of various resources makes it impossible for them to develop much military power. However, Iwagakure faces a very embarrassing problem, that is, there is a talent gap in their village. Since he, the village has never produced a double-flower red staff. Although his son is very talented, he cannot learn Dust Release and will always be stuck at the level of a quasi-Kage.

Looking at Sunagakure, Sunagawa is still known as the "Strongest Kazekage," but all we've heard about him over the years is his concerts and hip-swaying antics. We've never heard of him fighting anyone. We don't know if he's still as sharp as Hiruzen Sarutobi or if he's past his prime. But even without Sunagawa, Sunagakure has the ever-growing Chiyo, the top-tier Golden Lion, and Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law are both double-ranked Red Knights. In other words, Sunagakure has three double-ranked Red Knights without Sunagawa's knowledge, while Iwagakure only has Onoki. This makes Onoki very upset. Moreover, it's said that Chiyo's grandson has even more explosive talent, far surpassing Chiyo in puppetry.

As for Iwagakure so far... let's not even talk about it.

He's truly afraid that one day he'll be too old to fight anymore, and who will lead this huge village to success...?

Now that Chiyo's son has been stabbed in the back, what happens in the future is another matter. At least for now, Sunagakure has lost one of its top combatants, which is a relief for him, since the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth are not far apart!

......

While there was a brief moment of conflict between Konoha and Iwagakure, Hyuga Sora and Aburame Shiwa suffered greatly on the Konoha-Kumo side.

Perhaps spurred by Shiki's impressive performance, the Third Raikage suddenly changed his fighting style midway through the battle. Previously, while the Third Raikage was also fierce when facing Shiki, he would hold back to some extent. After all, both Hyuga's pressure point techniques and Aburame's insect attacks greatly limited the Raikage. Although he was physically strong due to the constant stimulation of lightning chakra, he was still within the range of a normal human. He would get a scratch from being pricked by a kunai. The Third Raikage, who was always concerned about his image, regarded the scars on his body as a lifelong disgrace. When he fought the Eight-Tails, he was scratched by the Eight-Tails' claws, leaving a small scar that made him resentful for several years. He began to wear clothes and stop showing off his muscles in public.

So when he faced off against Hyuga Sora and Aburame Shiwa, when one or two pressure points on his body were blocked, he would first unleash a burst of power to suppress the two of them until they couldn't breathe, and then arrogantly lead his team away. He didn't want these two losers to leave any scars on him after the Lightning Release Chakra Mode was deactivated, otherwise his title as one of the toughest men in the ninja world would be a bit undeserved.

However, after receiving the battle reports from Sunagakure and Konoha, hearing that Shiki had gone berserk and blasted away Sakumo Hatake before chasing after a group of Konoha's high-ranking officials, the Raikage was truly spurred on. Ever since the Battle of Uzushiogakure, he had considered Shiki a potential rival. The two had too many things in common; both were known for their toughness. Shiki's Four-Pronged Spear was known as the strongest spear, and Shiki's swordsmanship was also extremely destructive. Their fighting styles were also remarkably similar.

He had long wanted to have a romantic encounter with Shiki, but in truth, he was Shiki's senior. He had already become Raikage when Shiki first debuted, so it was obviously inappropriate for him to challenge Shiki, and he couldn't bring himself to do it. However, that didn't stop him from comparing himself to Shiki. Now Shiki was chasing after a group of Konoha's high-ranking officials, while he had only been fighting two against Hyuga and Aburame, the two leaders, for so long. Didn't that mean he was weaker than Shiki?

Other things would be fine, but getting the Raikage to admit he's inferior to others is harder than killing him...

280. When did Konoha's genin become so awesome?

So when he heard his underlings loudly reporting the battle report from Sunagakure while he was fighting against Hyuga Sora and Aburame Shiwa, he completely unleashed his full power. He attacked with wide, sweeping attacks, without any defensive stance. His body was covered in all sorts of tiny insects, even though Hyuga Sora had blocked several pressure points. His Lightning Release Chakra Mode had completely dimmed, but he still fought on with his strong physique!

His muscle density, constantly stimulated by Lightning Release chakra, is definitely at the human limit. Even without Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he's still a master of taijutsu. While his punches and kicks don't have Tsunade's monstrous strength, they're still not something an ordinary person can withstand. A bunch of kunai stuck in his body did break the skin, but only the skin. Hyuga Sora was alright, with his Rotation ability to hold him off, but Aburame Shiki and other reptilian-type magic users really couldn't take it. The Raikage's massive body is incredibly tough; without Lightning Release chakra, his insects couldn't even bite through him...

"Return to Heaven!"

"boom!"

"How is Zhihe? Is he alright?"

Hyuga Kurenai used a backflip to withstand the Raikage's fist, which was as big as a casserole dish, and retreated to the side of Shika Aburame, who was panting and felt a tightness in his chest after being punched by the Raikage, and asked.

"Huff...no...it's nothing, just a little exhausted..."

Aburame Shiwa said with difficulty, panting heavily. His condition was not just exhaustion; he had been punched in the chest by the Raikage, and he estimated that he had broken at least two ribs. However, since it was a time of battle, he could not say it and would damage the morale of his own side.

"The Raikage seems to have been provoked..."

Hyuga Sora rubbed his aching wrists and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He wasn't feeling well either. Although his Rotation Technique was quite effective, blocking the Raikage's big fists every time, the Raikage's fists were just too powerful. He himself didn't know how many times he had used Rotation Technique. His wrists were starting to lose control, and he had very little chakra left.

"Hyuga clan, Aburame clan, come on! Let me see what else you've got up your sleeves!"

The fist, as big as a casserole dish, was once again blocked by Hyuga's Rotation. However, the Raikage, who had found his rhythm, was not discouraged. He fought with increasing ferocity, radiating an indomitable momentum, and unleashed another fist as big as a casserole dish.

Meanwhile, the Cloud Ninja's group of James's underlings seemed to be spurred on by their leader, each one like a tiger unleashed from its cage, their momentum instantly reaching its peak. On the other hand, although the Konoha side had a numerical advantage and their equipment was quite good, they really had no advantage in hand-to-hand combat against these little giants whose arms were thicker than their thighs. This time, the Konoha underlings truly experienced what it was like to be taken on by two opponents at once.

........

"That old bastard Hanzo the Salamander...! (▼he▼メ)"

At the border of the Land of Rain, the three legendary ninjas of gambling, drugs, and prostitution, Orochimaru and Tsunade, exhausted from the recent battle, offered no comment. Only Jiraiya, who had been holding back his ultimate attack for a full half hour but insisted on speaking for five minutes, stared at Hanzo of the Salamander, who had already retreated, his face contorted with rage as if his parents had died. Even after exiting Sage Mode, some Sage Chakra remained in his body, allowing him to maintain his energy for a long time; however, Jiraiya's expression was extremely grim.

The battle in the Land of Rain has ended. After being held back by Orochimaru until Jiraiya unleashed his ultimate attack, Hanzo of the Salamander keenly sensed danger from the white-haired brat who was swaggering around with the white hair of the Hatake clan. Between life and death, Hanzo of the Salamander decisively chose the former. However, before retreating, he ignored Jiraiya's gloomy face and forced a show of bravado before leading his men away.

However, Jiraiya, who had been chased and hacked by Hanzo the Salamander for several days, was really annoyed. He had finally mustered up his ultimate move, wanting to beat Hanzo the Salamander and vent his anger. But damn it, after he had worked hard for half an hour and was just about to be a real man, the old bastard suddenly stopped fighting!

"Since there's nothing else for you, we'll be going now. Honestly, you always have to hold it in for so long..."

"boom!"

After speaking, the two old toads on Jiraiya's shoulders vanished in a puff of smoke before he could reply. However, Tsunade and Orochimaru could still see the deep contempt in the toads' eyes...

"Then I'll be going too."

"boom!"

With his parents gone, Toad Wentai, not wanting to talk to his shameful little brother, followed in his parents' footsteps with a thud...

I held onto my Sage Mode for half an hour, and all the enemies were gone. How am I supposed to fight them now?!

"puff!"

"you...."

The departure of the three toads caused Jiraiya immense damage, leaving him clutching his chest and looking deeply devastated.

"...Let's go too. The teacher needs help..."

Orochimaru, having regained some of his strength, ignored Jiraiya and said calmly, "I used to be a bit troubled by my inability to master Sage Mode, since even an idiot like Jiraiya could do it..."

However, he was now so glad that he couldn't cultivate it. If he really wanted to use a move like Jiraiya's, it would take him half an hour to hold back. He might as well be dead.

".....!"

Tsunade nodded, ignoring Jiraiya as well, and turned to leave with Orochimaru...

"puff!"

Seeing his two friends' attitude, Jiraiya nearly coughed up blood, looking up at the sky with tears in his eyes: I'm fucking awesome!!!

........

"Hey guys, could you please stop spinning this? It's really getting on my nerves!"

At the entrance of the hospital operating room in Sunagakure Village, Masato looked angrily at Sunagakure and Ebizo, who kept walking back and forth, and said with a frustrated expression.

It took two days to rush back to the village with Scorpion's father and mother from the border. Then, with tears in her eyes, Chiyo led Scorpion's red-haired girlfriend to the hospital and personally performed surgery on her precious son. Fortunately, Saori managed to stabilize Scorpion's father's condition along the way and they made it back to the village on the verge of death. Seeing that Scorpion's father was still alive, Masato breathed a sigh of relief.

But the surgery has been going on for a day and a night now, and the person inside still hasn't come out. Plus, the two of them have been wandering around here all day, which is almost driving him to the brink of a breakdown...

"Sigh... What exactly happened? Weren't there already so many people protecting Jie and Yusaori? How could they still be stabbed by a Konoha genin?"

Ebizo stopped and sighed, asking curiously. Even Sunagawa beside him looked over. As the crown prince and crown princess of Sunagakure, they had no objection to Shinto's heartbreaking act of providing hundreds of bodyguards for Yoshi and Yusaori. If Sasori went to the battlefield, they would do even more outrageous things.

However, they really couldn't understand it. With security measures in place to this extent, it wouldn't be easy for even the Double Flower Red Stick to take down Jie and Yusa, since the two of them were not weaklings.

And now Jie has actually been stabbed, and by a damn Konoha genin no less!

Wow... when did Konoha's genin become so powerful?

281. Handsome Scorpion had an epiphany.

"(⊙_⊙)?.....You're asking me? Who's going to know that Konoha's genin are this strong these days..."

Masato said irritably. He was genuinely taken aback by Ebizo's question. He had been too angry before and was worried that Sasori's father would die at the hands of a Konoha genin instead of White Fang, so he hadn't thought about this question. Now that Ebizo had asked him, he realized that the genin was a Konoha genin without a disguise!

Although a group of Konoha genin will be needed to save the world decades from now, and the only jonin is dead, that's just the script. There's still a long time to go before that happens. He does know that there's a very powerful genin in Konoha, but Might Guy's father doesn't use a knife and hasn't even debuted yet. So who is this genin who uses a knife?

You have to understand that Sasori's father's taijutsu is no weakling because of his own influence. Even if a Jonin gets close, he can still protect himself. Plus, with so many bodyguards around, unless White Fang personally draws his sword, he really can't think of anyone in Konoha who could stab him in the back under these circumstances. But White Fang is currently fighting him head-on, so he doesn't have the chance to stab Sasori's father.

But now he's been stabbed by a mere genin... This news has spread throughout the ninja world. He suddenly felt it would have been better if Sasori's father had been killed by White Fang; at least he'd died heroically and gloriously, earning a good reputation. Now, being stabbed in the back by a Konoha genin... To be honest, he'd only been in power a short time during the Rain Country campaign; his reputation is probably ruined now...

Who doesn't know that Chiyo, the genius puppeteer from Sunagakure, had her son stabbed by a Konoha genin...?

“…”

If it weren't for the fact that the cute and handsome young man, Crab, was clenching his fists tightly, no one would have guessed that he was worried about his father.

At this moment, Handsome Scorpion listened to the adults' conversation beside him, clenching his fists tightly without saying a word, his mind clear as if he had fallen into some kind of enlightenment...

No matter how skilled a puppeteer is in puppetry, they can't escape the problem of weak defense. Even the most talented person has limited energy and can't be perfect. Take his own father, for example; although he perfectly inherited all of his grandmother's puppetry skills, he's still in grave danger if stabbed at close range... Wait a minute! The human body is inherently fragile. Only this damned uncle is tough enough... and the Wind Shadow's iron sand seems to be somewhat effective too...?

"Snapped!"

"Kid, you can think what you want, but whatever you shouldn't, don't think about it, or I'll strip you naked and parade you through the streets... (▼へ▼メ)"

Just as Shinto was still recalling what other awesome genin Konoha had besides Might Guy's father, that thick-browed guy who opened the Seventh Gate, his Observation Haki suddenly went off. Following his senses, he turned around and saw that Sasori's gaze had been wandering back and forth between him and Sunagawa, as if he had just had a burst of inspiration.

His body trembled! He quickly slapped the brat on the head. Good heavens, your parents aren't even dead yet, and you're already coming up with these outrageous ideas! You're not only eyeing Sunagawa, but you even dare to eye my name! Who's going to protect you after I die?! (▼he▼メ)

"Hiss... Damn it! (▼ヘ▼#)"

His sudden realization was abruptly interrupted by a sharp pain in his head. Handsome Scorpion gritted his teeth and waited for the bastard middle-aged man.

With an innate and exceptional sensitivity to puppets, he originally thought that as long as he learned all of his grandmother's puppetry techniques, he would be very powerful. However, he also discovered the drawbacks of puppeteers: their defensive capabilities are weak, multitasking is extremely difficult, and once someone gets close, they are basically not far from death, just like his father this time. Moreover, the Chikamatsu Ten Puppet Masters are just puppeteers in terms of puppetry techniques; in essence, they are still ordinary puppets. This problem has been troubling him for a long time, and he has not been able to find the answer. This time, he finally had a bit of inspiration and seemed to have grasped a key point, but he was interrupted by this damned middle-aged man.