The Sand ninja, who had barely survived the poison mist, surrounded Chiyo and the other two, silently watching Meiziko weeping over Takuma's corpse and Chiyo's dazed expression, and fell into silence.
Shared sorrow and autumn grief.
The Sand ninja, who had resented Takuma for abandoning his comrades for his own selfish desires, were now filled with mixed emotions after witnessing him sacrifice his life as atonement.
They had truly just wanted an explanation. Even if they had made a big fuss, a simple perfunctory explanation from Takuma would have made them accept everything.
After all, the living were always more important than the dead…
The bleak autumn wind, carrying yellow sand, lashed against Chiyo's aged face. The slight pain it brought was far less piercing than the heart-wrenching sorrow she felt at that moment.
The child she had raised from a toddling infant, who had grown step by step, had just ended his own life in the most extreme way before her eyes, solely to atone for the colossal mistake he had made out of concern for his mother's safety.
“Everyone…”
Her unfocused eyes swept roughly over the faces of the Sand ninja. Chiyo's voice was dry as she spoke:
“My son…”
“Although he practiced his ninja way with his insignificant life, it is far from enough to compensate for the harm his reckless actions have caused to his comrades in the Sand Village.”
“I am incompetent. I can only apologize to all of you on behalf of this unfilial son!”
“Whatever grievances you have, direct them at me…”
“Chiyo… will bear it for this unfilial son!”
The Sand ninja were struck silent, and the silence stretched for a long time.
No one would resent an elder who had just lost her son. However, to immediately forgive Takuma for his past actions felt insufficient.
Such matters could only be smoothed over by time.
“Elder Chiyo…”
“Are we still fighting… with the Leaf?”
Silence always had to be broken eventually.
Finally, a Sand ninja spoke, asking the question that was on everyone's mind.
Their commander was dead, all of Chiyo's puppets were destroyed, and their force, which had once numbered over five hundred, was now less than two hundred.
Conversely, the Leaf Village, aside from those unfortunate souls swallowed by the poison mist, had nearly twice as many surviving ninja.
Furthermore, their elite combat power remained completely intact.
No matter how strong the poison mist was, the desert wind, which never ceased, would eventually disperse it.
And at that time…
Chiyo, forcing herself to maintain her composure, turned to look at the square barrier, shrouded in a faint purple glow, and slowly shook her head.
“Let's go back!”
“I alone will bear the responsibility for the Sand Village's defeat on the battlefield at the hands of the Leaf ninja.”
…
“The Sand has retreated!”
“We won!”
Through the barrier, watching the Sand ninja pack up the scattered puppet wreckage and slowly retreat into the desert depths with Takuma's body, the Leaf ninja erupted in cheers.
Orochimaru, looking at the four shadow clones that remained steadfast under the Salamander's poison mist, also let out a sigh of relief.
“Fortunately…”
“The nature of dark chakra did not disappoint me!”
It was only because dark chakra possessed the characteristic of absorbing emotions and converting them into power that it could continuously compensate for the consumption of the shadow clones maintaining the Four Violet Flames Formation. With normal chakra, even if Orochimaru's four shadow clones possessed Jonin-level strength, they would likely have been unable to withstand the constant erosion of the poison mist and would have shattered long ago.
The figures of the retreating Sand ninja finally disappeared into the yellow sand under the watchful eyes of the Leaf ninja. The poison mist surrounding the Four Violet Flames Formation also slowly dissipated as everyone watched with joy, returning to nature.
Orochimaru withdrew the dark chakra shrouding his shadow clones and observed them quietly for a while. After confirming that the shadow clones showed no signs of poison contamination, he dismissed them.
“Snap!”
With a light sound like shattering glass, the four shadow clones and the Four Violet Flames Formation enveloping the Leaf ninja disappeared. The desert wind of the Land of Wind once again blew onto the faces of the Leaf ninja.
It still carried a faint sting, but all the Leaf ninja felt an unparalleled sense of familiarity.
How good it felt to be alive!
“Lord Konchen, thank you for your assistance!”
“You are truly worthy of being Lady Tsunade's friend. Please forgive my previous disrespect in my heart!”
…
Such words of gratitude were endless. Orochimaru simply nodded lightly and, along with Sakumo, ushered the Leaf ninja back to the camp.
Seeing that the camp had not been affected by the poison mist that had spread from the Salamander, the few of them finally put aside their worries.
After accounting for casualties and sending the ninja who still required rest after Slug’s healing to the medical camp, Sakumo, along with Tsunade and Orochimaru, returned to his command tent.
“Orochimaru, we owe this victory to you this time.”
“Otherwise…”
Hatake Sakumo looked at Orochimaru with gratitude and a face full of emotion.
Orochimaru shook his head, indicating it was nothing.
“It was my oversight; otherwise, the Leaf wouldn't have suffered such losses.”
Tsunade, however, disagreed with Orochimaru's self-reproach.
“Orochimaru, don't blame yourself.”
“With the Slug's help, the ninja who didn't have time to escape were already mostly incapable of fighting.”
“You did very well to save most of our comrades!”
Orochimaru offered Tsunade a smile.
“Tsunade, you've learned to comfort people too!”
Tsunade rolled her eyes dismissively.
“The Sand lost a commander, and it will likely take a long time for Chiyo's Ten Puppet Collection to be fully repaired.”
“During this time, Senior Sakumo can put some pressure on the Sand to prevent them from getting any more lucky ideas.”
Hatake Sakumo nodded, agreeing with Orochimaru's suggestion.
In a war between two nations, victory or defeat does not signify the end of the war.
Only when one side can no longer persist for some reason, and lacks the resolve for a pyrrhic victory, will they naturally submit a request for surrender to the victor.
Otherwise, the war would continue indefinitely.
“I will leave this body here for now. I will only leave when the Sand submits a request for peace.”
“Tsunade…”
Orochimaru drew the Empty Sword from his sleeve and solemnly handed it to Tsunade.
“The Salamander Hanzo has returned to the Land of Rain. Large-scale battles are bound to erupt between the Fire and Rain countries in the near future.”
“Thank you for making the trip to deliver the Empty Sword to my main body.”
Tsunade grumbled a few times about being bossed around, then eagerly took the legendary divine sword and began to play with it.
A divine weapon!
Compared to the hardship of traveling back and forth between the two countries alone, Tsunade was clearly more pleased with Orochimaru entrusting the divine weapon to her.
In the ninja world, which ninja wouldn't be tempted by divine weapons that could enhance their strength? And which ninja would be willing to entrust a divine weapon to an outsider for safekeeping?
But Orochimaru dared to give it to Tsunade!
Tsunade naturally understood what this represented.