Chapter 47: Ebizo and Dan Kato

Fei's eyes were filled with confusion, as if wondering how he had fallen so easily. 

Looking at a dark red pool in the distance, Chiyo glared venomously at Sakumo Hatake, the anger and hatred in her heart almost erupting from her eyes. 

At this moment, even though she was renowned in the ninja world for her calmness and wisdom, she couldn't calm her emotions. 

Her grandson was still waiting for his father to come home! 

Chiyo roared, her fingers dancing. The full might of the Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets was displayed before everyone. 

"Puppet Technique: Manipulated Assault Blades!" 

"Puppet Technique: Three Treasures Suction Crushing!" 

"Puppet Technique: Lion's Roar Sealing Shockwave!" 

In this moment, Chiyo unleashed her full power, chasing after Sakumo. She was determined to kill her son's murderer with her own hands! 

The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets vividly demonstrated their power to everyone present. 

Terrifying close combat, powerful ninjutsu, and intricate sealing techniques were perfectly combined in Chiyo's hands, acting like an army of jonin. 

The Konoha ninjas along the way couldn't stop Chiyo's furious stride. 

Chiyo's ten fingers flickered non-stop, and the coordination between the puppets was flawless, showcasing the top-tier offensive and defensive capabilities of a master puppeteer. 

But this was just pointless rage. 

Sakumo Hatake's extreme speed allowed him to completely ignore Chiyo's pursuit. 

With various ninjutsu, he could break through with one swing of his blade. 

Sakumo didn't look back at Chiyo, not even once, and the blade of the White Fang continuously flashed on the battlefield, each strike accompanied by a Sand ninja's helpless scream. 

He didn't know that the red-haired ninja he had just killed was Chiyo's son. Sakumo Hatake's mission was to kill, nothing more! 

This was Sakumo Hatake's plan: to use his personal strength to destroy the foundation of Sand Village's puppet technique. 

If these puppeteers were to disappear, Sand Village's sole advantage over Konoha would vanish, and the war's balance would naturally tilt back to Konoha. 

Sakumo danced on the battlefield like a ghost, or with a light flick of his blade, leaving several Sand ninjas clutching their throats behind him. 

Or the blade's light would surge violently, splitting anything blocking his way with fierce slashes. 

In an instant, the formation of the Sand ninjas was torn apart by Sakumo, and the puppeteers were deeply alarmed. 

The lifeblood of the puppet technique lay in the chakra threads needed to control the puppets. 

And in Sakumo's hands, the White Fang was the weapon that could cut through everything. 

Sakumo Hatake's mind grew increasingly tranquil, his thoughts pure and clear. 

With a resolve to die charging into the enemy lines, he could focus wholeheartedly. 

He didn't have to think about the complex battlefield situation, the low morale of the troops, or the strange circumstances back in the village. 

All he needed to do was pick up his knife and kill enough enemies to repay Konoha for its years of kindness. 

Sakumo Hatake advanced relentlessly, increasing his speed to the limit, slashing again and again! 

Ebizo frowned; the ferocity of the White Fang exceeded his expectations. 

The Sand ninja formation was gradually disintegrating; it was about to collapse. Looking at the out-of-control Chiyo, Ebizo shouted loudly: 

"Don't break rank! Chiyo, cover our ninjas!!" 

Faced with Sakumo's frenzied assault, single combat puppeteers were like sheep to the slaughter. 

And these "sheep" had to gather together to have any chance of countering this lone wolf, Sakumo. 

Ebizo's shout snapped Chiyo back to her senses. She stopped, remotely controlling the Chikamatsu Collection to cover one sand ninja after another. 

The sand ninjas regrouped under Chiyo's protection, forming an orderly defensive formation. 

For puppeteers, open terrain and solo combat space were what they preferred. 

Shikaku Nara watched Ebizo's command from afar, quickly using Shadow Imitation Technique to dispatch the enemy in front of him before rushing to Dan Kato's side. 

The battlefield was tilting in Konoha's favor. As long as they could delay Sand's regrouping, Sakumo Hatake alone could secure this war's victory! 

"Dan-kun, can you still use the Spirit Transformation Technique? Control Ebizo!" 

The Spirit Transformation Technique, an S-rank forbidden technique, allows the user to project their spirit to invade and even control another's mind. 

Dan Kato nodded heavily. The Spirit Transformation Technique was extremely dangerous for the user; encountering a strong-willed ninja could easily lead to a backlash on the user's own soul. 

But at this moment, he had no choice but to step up. 

A beam of white light swiftly shot out, and Dan Kato's spirit form penetrated Ebizo's mind, the two fighting within their mental worlds. 

Ebizo's hands unconsciously gripped his own throat, his eyes turning increasingly red, his chakra growing chaotic, showing signs of collapse. 

The surrounding Sand ninjas panicked again. On this battlefield, Ebizo was their linchpin. 

Finally calmed, Chiyo fell into rage once more. Her son was dead, and now even her brother was at death's door. 

She couldn't bear to lose both her son and her brother today! 

Chiyo glanced at Dan Kato from afar. The distinctive trajectory of the Spirit Transformation Technique was too conspicuous on this battlefield. 

Chiyo drove the massive puppet blades of the Chikamatsu Collection madly towards Dan Kato. 

Brave and fierce Konoha ninjas surged up to block Chiyo, who gritted her teeth and activated the final mechanism of her White Secret Technique. Four of the ten puppets self-destructed in an instant, leaving only six! 

As long as Dan Kato was killed, her brother could escape from this strange state. 

Ebizo's complexion turned increasingly dark, black blood eerily trickling from his ears, while Chiyo came closer to Dan Kato. It was now a life-and-death gamble. 

Smiling slightly in the mental battle with Ebizo, Dan Kato knew he couldn't back down if he aimed to be Hokage. 

After a year of war, Dan Kato realized that Ebizo was Sand's strategist, akin to Danzo Shimura in Konoha. 

Allowing such a person to live would be detrimental to Konoha. 

Chiyo broke through Konoha ninja defenses with her self-destructing puppets, finally reaching Dan Kato and slashing down with her puppet blade! 

Dan Kato was cut in half by her strike, causing Chiyo to exhale in relief, looking joyfully back at her brother. 

Regrettably, Ebizo lay on the ground, bleeding from every orifice, evidently near death. 

Facing the youthful and resolute Dan Kato, the over fifty-year-old Ebizo had exhausted himself beyond capacity. 

Sakumo Hatake paused, silently observing the scene. The remaining Sand ninjas had successfully regrouped, posing a defensive stance. 

Ebizo used his life to preserve the spark of Sand Village's puppet technique. 

Chiyo ran to Ebizo, urging the Sand ninjas to try their best to heal him, while turning back with a venomous glare at all the Konoha ninjas. 

Sakumo Hatake slowly walked back to the Konoha ranks. At this moment, he didn't have to do anything, as the Sand ninja would automatically distance themselves from him. 

With a wave, Sakumo signaled a retreat. Having been on the offensive the entire time, he now struggled to maintain his posture. 

Coming from the Hatake clan, his chakra reserves were naturally lacking. After a fierce battle, he was already on the verge of collapse. 

Nara Shikaku silently collected Dan Kato's remains as the Konoha forces retreated from the battlefield in a steady stream. 

The Sand ninjas too began to retreat, distancing themselves from the border, gradually falling back towards the Land of Wind. 

It seemed that Sand had been defeated.