Rain, the eternal background sound of the Land of Rain, like the deep wailing of the earth.
While Chiyo and a select few held a war council to determine Suna's future direction, the majority of other Suna ninja were on alert and resting in makeshift tents or observation posts.
Ninja warming wet clothes by the stove, a few others secretly gathered to play cards, logistics personnel applying rust-proof grease to weapons...
The newly promoted jonin, Baki, was still green and not yet qualified to participate in the war council. He simply lay on his bed, eyes closed, resting.
The sound of rain hitting the tent roof made him drowsy. The camp was permeated with a tired yet buoyant atmosphere.
They all believed that Suna would surely defeat Konoha this time, and they were all enjoying the rare brief peace during wartime.
However, this brief peace was shattered.
"Ah!"
"Enem—"
A sharp, short shriek came from outside the tent, instantly piercing the quiet of the entire camp.
That direction...
"Lord Chiyo's main command tent!"
Baki's eyes snapped open. He immediately got up without hesitation and, along with other equally alert ninja, instantly body-flickered towards the main tent.
The entire camp instantly stirred. Footsteps, collisions, the metallic scrape of weapons being drawn, immediately replaced the previous calm.
However, just as they burst out of their respective covers and their gazes fell upon the center of the camp.
Everyone's movements froze simultaneously.
Boom!!
The solid ground seemed to be violently thrust upwards by an invisible giant hand from below. The wooden stakes supporting several tents groaned sickeningly before being ripped out by their roots.
Dirt, stones, and broken wooden fragments were flung into the air by the violent force, scattering indiscriminately like shotgun pellets with immense kinetic energy!
"Ah!"
"Ugh!"
Several more screams, caught by surprise, rang out. Sharp objects deeply impaled ninja who couldn't dodge in time, and massive stones crushed bodies into a bloody mess.
Baki dodged in time and was not affected, but when he looked at the main tent where Chiyo and the others were, his pupils sharply constricted.
Countless shattered human limbs and internal organ fragments were seen being flung into the air, then splashed down in all directions under the force of gravity and impact!
It was as if a horrifying rain of flesh and blood had fallen, heavily splattering onto the heads, faces, and shoulders of some ninja!
A warm, sticky, intensely foul smell instantly permeated the entire camp!
And amidst the billowing smoke that rose, a massive, terrifying giant shadow vaguely appeared.
"What is that?!"
The dust gradually dissipated with the rain, and under the horrified, almost eye-bursting stares of countless Suna ninja.
"No!"
"Help!"
"Lord Chiyo, sav—"
They clearly saw dozens of their comrades, flung into the air, struggling futilely mid-air, screaming as they fell into the open maw of the giant shadow.
Those shrill, terrified screams instantly vanished. The last image was the giant maw of the massive black shadow suddenly clamping shut!
Squish! Crunch! Gnash!
A horrifying, bone-chilling chewing sound, like grinding ice, accompanied by the distinct sounds of flesh and bones being crushed and bitten...
And finally, a viscous, gulping sound that made hearts stop...
Gulp!
All sounds at this moment transformed into a chilling sensation, crawling inch by inch up their spines, as if their blood had frozen!
Fear, bone-deep fear.
Death, so close to them.
"That's, the salamander... Ibuse..."
Looking at the terrifying creature that only existed in the tales of elders, Baki stood stiffly in place, his face blank as he mumbled.
Numerous Suna ninja similarly looked up with blank expressions, gazing up at that incredibly tall and terrifying figure.
The dust cleared, and the form of Salamander Ibuse was revealed before them.
Massive! Ferocious! Bloated!
Its greenish-grey, slippery skin, constantly dripping with highly toxic mucus, cast a despair-inducing shadow from its mountain-like body under the shattered tents and dim light!
Its enormous head swayed slightly, as if savoring something. Viscous saliva, mixed with large amounts of blood, internal organs, and bone fragments, dripped like a waterfall from the corners of its mouth.
Beneath it, a foul, bloody pool formed, emitting a strong stench.
"Lord Chiyo..."
Baki suddenly realized something, his already dilated pupils trembling.
The other Suna ninja present also realized, yet, just as they teetered on the brink of fear and collapse.
"What are you standing around for?!"
A hoarse, ancient voice suddenly roared, carrying an icy killing intent that quelled all chaos: "I'm not dead yet!!"
This familiar voice instantly pierced the ears of all the Suna ninja who were dazed by fear and subconsciously wanted to blindly flee!
As the words fell, Chiyo's disheveled figure flew backward from the dust. She stared intently at Hanzō in the distance; two of the three puppets connected to her hands were already shattered.
But she was still alive.
Chiyo staggered a few steps, landing before the group of Suna ninja. She raised her hand, condensed chakra, and used the Mystical Palm Technique on her abdomen.
"Lord Chiyo!"
"Lord Chiyo, your injuries..."
She abruptly raised her hand to stop Baki and the others who rushed forward, suppressing the pain in her aged body as she calmly said: "It's nothing. That big fellow just looks intimidating."
Hearing this, Baki and the others paused, their previously panicked hearts calming down.
Rumble!
The dark clouds in the sky grew heavier and darker, as if they were about to crush down.
In a place unseen by the Suna ninja, Chiyo looked at the enormous figure in the distance, her eyes filled with an incredibly deep, heavy solemnity.
"What on earth is going on? Neither Hanzō's strength nor Salamander Ibuse's size is right!"
"Not only has this old man become stronger than before, but even Ibuse's size has grown!"
As she thought this, she looked at the large black rod at the base of Salamander Ibuse's tail, her eyes flickering.
She recalled that Ibuse didn't have that black rod on its body before.
Could it be because of that thing?
But what did this old man Hanzō do? How did he get stronger with age?
He said he'd have guards protecting him 24 hours a day. With this old man's current strength, who's protecting whom now?
"Hmph!"
Chiyo, soaked by the rain, subtly clenched her fist, let out a deep breath, and shook off the useless, chaotic thoughts.
Things had evolved to this point; there was no possibility of retreating.
She wasn't the kind of fool who would try to seek peace after being attacked at her doorstep.
Ibuse's appearance had too great an impact on the Suna ninja, and too many Suna ninja had died. If she were to yield to Hanzō, it would directly cause the army's morale to collapse.
So...
"It seems one of us must die here today."
A hint of sadness flashed in Chiyo's eyes. She already knew the outcome she faced.
Such weariness, the endless battles of ninja.
Fear.
Dread.
Anxiety.
"You must understand this feeling too, right?"
Chiyo looked at Hanzō in the distance, feeling his immense aura, and thought, "How fortunate you are, Hanzō."
"Whatever price you paid, to regain youthful strength, it truly makes one envious and jealous."
A ninja's entire life is spent in battle.
Even for them, these old ones abandoned by their era, their lives have been one continuous struggle.
Death and old age are pressing upon her. No matter how magnificent a figure, none can escape the fate of death after aging.
But...
"To die by the hands of an old man like you is better than lingering forgotten in an unnoticed corner, silently wasting away the little life I have left."
Chiyo's gaze became calm and resigned. She spoke: "Everyone."
In the dead silence, her voice penetrated the rain, reaching the ears of the Suna ninja behind her with utmost clarity.
Everyone was fighting relentlessly for what they believed was the right choice in their hearts.
What were they fighting for? How would they live?
For the Land of Wind, for Sunagakure, for a better life for their families, for...
No one would provide an answer; all they had was confusion.
They, too, stood here for various reasons they considered correct, looking at Chiyo's slightly hunched but still resolute back at the very front of the crowd.
Finally, Chiyo uttered a single word.
"Kill!"
The moment the command was given, it was like a spark falling on a pile of dry grass.
The incredibly strong survival instinct to return home alive, the resilience flowing in their bones, the ruthlessness forged through long periods of despair...
All emotions at this moment transformed into pure execution.
Kill!!