Unlike the comfortably living ninjas on the Rain Country battlefield, the Leaf ninjas on the Wind Country front had been having a tough time recently.
While the incessant rain in the Land of Rain was annoying, the endless sandstorms in the Land of Wind offered no better experience.
The harsh environment was a minor issue.
What the Leaf ninjas detested most were the Sand ninjas who lurked in the shadows, launching sneak attacks with their puppets.
After two frontal assaults where they lost a batch of elite Sand ninja under the fierce onslaught of the Uchiha clan, the remaining Sand village ninja, led by Takuma, had completely shifted their offensive strategy from direct confrontation to covert operations.
Their earth-yellow uniforms blended almost perfectly with the desert sands; the extended control range of their chakra threads allowed puppeteers to launch surprise attacks from afar.
The problem was that puppets, being inanimate objects, emitted almost no chakra fluctuations when not being controlled. This 'ground-hugging' offensive tactic truly infuriated the battle-hungry Uchiha members who were itching for a fight.
Imagine, staring with Sharingan eyes, wasting chakra, for a long time without detecting any enemies. Then, the moment you turn around, several strangely shaped puppets jump out from the sand dunes and attack you from behind.
If not for the Uchiha clan's superior reaction speed and dynamic vision after awakening their Sharingan, ordinary ninjas would likely have been annihilated by the Sand's hit-and-run tactics.
Even so, the situation for the Leaf had not been good lately.
The attack power of the puppets themselves was limited by materials and the controller's skill. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't be very powerful. But the trouble lay in the Sand puppeteers' combat habits.
Due to their limited abilities and means, low-ranking Sand puppeteers often poisoned the weapons of their puppets to compensate for their lack of offensive power.
Ordinary poisons wouldn't be much of a problem.
But who was Chiyo?
She was arguably the strongest puppeteer in the ninja world, second only to the first generation puppeteer, Monzaemon. Her skill in creating and using poisons was, without exaggeration, at the pinnacle of the ninja world.
And Takuma, as Chiyo's son, was a powerful Jonin who inherited Sasame's sand manipulation abilities and Chiyo's puppeteer talent, making him extremely proficient in these basic puppeteer techniques.
The Sand village, fighting on their home turf, fully exploited their advantages. While the Leaf was also strong in numbers, the enemy simply refused to engage them head-on. They couldn't be caught when they retreated, and if the Leaf didn't pursue, the Sand would return to launch sneak attacks.
Watching more and more Leaf ninjas lose their combat effectiveness due to poisoning, Hatake Sakumo, the commander, was so worried that his hair had turned white. You mean it was already white?
Well, now it's even whiter!
"Lord Sakumo, the medical team said..."
"Two comrades might not make it."
Kato Dan, who had recently been promoted to Jonin, entered Hatake Sakumo's tent and delivered the grim news.
Hatake Sakumo nodded slightly, his brows knitted tightly.
"The strongest medical ninjas accompanying the army are barely at Chunin level."
"There are simply too few medical ninjas capable of performing the 'Fine Poison Extraction Technique'."
"Many comrades have seen their conditions worsen due to lack of timely treatment. If this continues..."
A flicker of pain crossed Kato Dan's eyes, and he sighed helplessly.
"There are still too few medical ninjas in the village."
"If Princess Tsunade were here, it would be great. Her mastery of medical ninjutsu is extremely high, and she's skilled at developing various medicines."
"However..."
Kato Dan's lament sparked an idea in the worried Hatake Sakumo.
"That's right!"
"Intelligence reports indicate that Hanzo is currently engaged in battle with Chiyo, so the pressure on the Rain Country battlefield should not be significant."
"With Orochimaru's strength, he should be able to handle a weakened Hidden Rain village without Hanzo's presence!"
"Why not..."
The more Hatake Sakumo thought about it, the more appealing the idea became. He nodded in satisfaction at Kato Dan.
"Dan, you've reminded me."
"Here's what we'll do..."
Hatake Sakumo picked up a brush and paper and quickly wrote a letter, handing it to Kato Dan.
"The Sand ninjas have been lurking and haven't made a move recently. There won't be any large-scale battles during this period."
"Take this letter and make a trip to the Hidden Rain Village for me. Deliver it to Orochimaru, and see how he arranges things."
Kato Dan's heart stirred slightly, and he nodded gently.
"Yes! I will depart immediately and request Princess Tsunade's presence as quickly as possible."
Hatake Sakumo waved his hand gently.
"Go!"
...
"Little girl, don't be afraid. This is a Leaf village camp set up on the border of the Land of Rain."
"My name is Tsunade. You might not have heard of me, but my grandmother is Uzumaki Mito. You must have heard of her, right?"
Tsunade sat by the bedside, gently stroking the girl's trembling body as she spoke softly.
Upon hearing the name Uzumaki Mito, the girl's eyes suddenly lit up. She timidly looked up at Tsunade, a hint of anticipation and excitement in her eyes.
"Lord Mito..."
"Does she know I'm here? Where is she?"
Tsunade's arm stiffened for a moment, then slowly lowered.
"Grandmother... has passed away."
A flash of panic and sadness crossed the girl's eyes. Realizing she had asked something inappropriate, she looked at Tsunade helplessly, her face full of guilt.
"I'm sorry..."
"I didn't know Lord Mito had..."
Tsunade smiled at her and shook her head gently.
"It's alright, it's all in the past!"
The girl was silent for a moment, then asked softly:
"Then... Lady Tsunade, did Lord Mito send you here to save me?"
Tsunade struggled internally for a moment, took a deep breath, and nodded forcefully.
"Yes!"
"My grandmother said before she died that if there was a chance, I should find all the Uzumaki clan members who were displaced by the war."
"Fortunately, we found you!"
The girl's eyes dimmed for a moment, and she softly hummed in response.
"I'm sorry! Before, when you and that adult looked like those bad guys, I..."
"I... my name is Uzumaki Nari. Please guide me!"
The girl hesitated for a moment, then bravely looked up at Tsunade, her face red as she spoke her name. Then, she bowed deeply to Tsunade as a junior, remaining in that position for a long time.
"Nari..."
Tsunade murmured the name, then gently helped her up and embraced her small body. She patted her back and said softly, "It's all over!"
"No one will be able to hurt you again."
"I swear!"
Uzumaki Nari's stiffened body instantly softened after Tsunade's vow. She let out a sob and burst into tears.
"Yes!"
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade!"
"Silly girl, just call me 'Sister'!"
"Mmm... hic..."
Uzumaki Nari cried inconsolably, her little face scrunched up. With a sobbing voice, she softly hummed through her nose.
"Sister Tsunade!"
"Mmm! Nari, don't be sad. Everything will be alright!"
"Mmm!"