Tsunade's smiling face suddenly faded, and though the faint black flames still flickered around her, Shikaku and the others knew that her darkened rage hadn't subsided.

She opened the envelope slowly, reading its contents with growing disbelief. Her expression darkened with every line.

Then, as she recalled Kaito's strange outfit, her expression twisted again. By the time she finished reading, her face was stormy enough to drown a village.

Now she understood exactly what Shikaku meant earlier.

She slammed the envelope on the table, her gaze sharp. "Is everything in here true, Shikaku?"

"It's true," Minato Namikaze replied calmly. "Jiraiya-sensei had it personally delivered to the village."

"And you're sure the person in this report is the same one as before?" Tsunade asked again, voice low.

Shikaku didn't respond. If not for that man, who else could've shaken Tsunade like this? Her reaction made it clear—her connection with Kaito wasn't as simple as they'd thought.

Seeing Shikaku and the others hesitate, Tsunade gritted her teeth. Fine. She'd admit it—maybe that bastard really was the one in the report from Hiruzen-sama.

"Forget it! I don't care anymore. I'm heading into seclusion to develop the antidote." With that, she ignored the others and stomped into an empty tent.

Once she was out of sight, Shikaku's eyes sharpened. He hadn't missed what she said earlier—letting Kaito teach Chiyo and her group a lesson.

If Kaito was on the move, he was likely headed to confront the Sand Ninja.

And if he really had clashed with Chiyo and the others, this war might be over before it began.

With that in mind, Shikaku quickly began coordinating their next moves.

...

Sand Ninja Camp.

While Konoha's base was muddy and practical, the Sand Ninja camp was carved from golden dunes, lined in perfect military precision.

Their tents were arranged cleanly, forming rows like a disciplined army.

It was clear from a glance—Chiyo was no amateur in warfare.

Around the base, Sand Ninja patrolled in shifts, sharp-eyed. Transparent chakra threads crisscrossed the perimeter, each strung with warning bells.

In the center of the camp stood a massive tent, far larger than the others.

Two imposing Chūnin guarded the entrance, while inside, voices rose—Chiyo and Ebizo.

"Sister! We burned Konoha's supplies, and Minato Namikaze was almost surrounded. Just when it was about to end, Konoha's reinforcements arrived!" Ebizo reported bitterly.

"What happened?" Chiyo snapped. "I ordered constant surveillance—Tsunade never left camp!"

"Yes, Shikaku came to help, but it was already too late. You had half an hour! With your strength, how could you not take down Namikaze Minato?"

"We spent an entire month planning this—manpower, strategy, resources—and this is what I get?!"

Chiyo's voice cracked with fury.

"Sister! It wasn't just Shikaku. Another group from Konoha arrived ahead of them!"

"Who?" she growled. "Even with a few more, your elite should've overwhelmed them."

"There were three," Ebizo admitted, "Two were Jōnin. The third… he was something else. He killed three of our Jōnin in seconds. And Namikaze Minato, with his space-time jutsu, escaped!"

"Space-time?" Chiyo scoffed. "The Flying Thunder God Technique of Tobirama. But what about this masked man? You expect me to believe he took down three Jōnin instantly?"

"It's the truth. He wore a mask, no Konoha forehead protector. Didn't seem like one of their shinobi. But something about him felt familiar."

Chiyo gave him a blank look. "A stranger helping Konoha? That's your story?"

"I think I know who he is!" Ebizo suddenly said, smacking his forehead. "We got vague intel a week ago about a massive battle near the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth."

"Onoki and two tailed beasts faced off against a single masked man—and lost."

"That's ridiculous," Chiyo muttered, but Ebizo continued.

"The intel said he wore an Anbu mask. We were too busy fighting Konoha to care, and the details were fuzzy, so I ignored it."

Chiyo's glare could melt stone. "So, today's failure is his fault?"

Ebizo nodded grimly. "Yes."

Suddenly, bells rang violently across the camp—alarm!

Chiyo's eyes lit with rage. If this was a Konoha incursion, she'd meet them with war.

Ebizo followed quickly. His sister's temper was legendary—almost as bad as Tsunade-sama's.

In the center of the Sand Ninja camp, bodies lay sprawled, their eyes wide open in death. At the center of the carnage stood a lone figure in a mask—calm, unmoving.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Moments later, Chiyo, Ebizo, and the Sand's high command emerged from the central tent.

__

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