The wind in the Rekkū Valley (Rifting Wind Valley), carrying coarse sand, stung people's faces.
Hatake Kakashi stood at the forefront of the caravan, his exposed right eye narrowing slightly.
"Stop."
He raised his hand, and the entire team stopped immediately.
Behind him, Aburame Jun pushed his sunglasses, a slight buzzing of insect wings coming from his cuffs.
Morishita Tetsu silently gripped the ninja sword on his back, his body tense.
"Kakashi, what's wrong?"
Aburame Jun asked in a low voice.
"Something's wrong."
"There's the smell of puppets in the wind."
Kakashi's voice was light, but enough for the two to hear clearly.
Puppets required special lubrication and maintenance daily. No matter how much they were cleaned, some smell would remain.
A ninja of Hatake Kakashi's level could easily detect it.
"Puppets?"
"Sunagakure?"
Morishita Tetsu's expression changed.
"Probably."
"And... experts."
Kakashi scanned the steep rock walls on both sides.
He was too familiar with this smell.
Although the Ninja War had ended, during missions outside, he had been ambushed by puppet masters more than once.
"Prepare for battle."
"Jun, use insects to scout the rock walls on both sides. Tetsu, protect the caravan and retreat."
Kakashi drew a kunai from his pouch.
"Yes!"
Aburame Jun formed seals with both hands, and black insect swarms poured out from his cuffs, splitting into two groups and flying towards the top of the rock walls.
Morishita Tetsu quickly retreated to the caravan, signaling the coachmen to turn the carriages around.
But it was too late.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh...!"
The sound of breaking air rang out from both sides of the rock walls simultaneously!
Not shuriken, not kunai.
But puppet arms!
Dozens of puppet arms shot out from the shadows of the rock walls like arrows leaving the bowstrings, pouncing straight at the caravan!
"Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall)!"
Kakashi formed seals instantly, and an earth wall rose from the ground.
"Bang bang bang!"
Puppet arms crashed into the earth wall, making muffled impact sounds.
But more puppet arms bypassed the earth wall, attacking from both sides.
"Mushi Kabe no Jutsu (Insect Wall Technique)!"
Aburame Jun's insect swarm turned into a black barrier, blocking attacks from one side.
"Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)!"
Morishita Tetsu slashed out a wind blade with his ninja sword, cutting off the puppet arms on the other side.
But there were too many puppets.
And the attack had just begun.
On the rock wall, Chiyo's ten fingers danced, her Chakra threads almost invisible in the strong wind.
The twelve puppets Chiyo controlled were improved versions of her proudest work, the "Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets".
Each puppet was specially reinforced, with metal plates covering the joints.
"Hatake Kakashi..."
"Today, I'll make you pay the price for what your father did back then!"
Cold light flickered in Chiyo's eyes.
She remembered clearly.
In the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha's White Fang Hatake Sakumo, alone with one blade, killed her son and daughter-in-law.
That was a nightmare she could never shake off in this lifetime!
"Kill!"
Twelve puppets moved simultaneously, like twelve living people, jumping down from the top of the rock wall, pouncing straight at Kakashi's squad.
"Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets..."
"Chiyo!"
Kakashi's pupils constricted sharply.
He recognized these puppets.
And recognized the white-haired old woman standing on the rock wall even more.
"Jun, Tetsu, retreat!"
"This isn't an opponent you can handle!"
Kakashi shouted sternly, simultaneously lifting his forehead protector, revealing the Sharingan left by his best friend.
"But Kakashi..."
"Execute the order!"
"Raiton: Chidori!"
Kakashi interrupted Aburame Jun, forming seals with both hands at the same time.
Piercing bird chirps rang out, and blue lightning gathered in his hand.
But Chiyo's puppets were faster.
Three puppets surrounded Kakashi in a triangle formation, sharp blades glinting in their hands.
The other nine puppets pounced on the caravan, Aburame Jun, and Morishita Tetsu.
"Damn it..."
Kakashi gritted his teeth, forced to give up the attack and turn to rescue.
"Chidori Nagashi (Chidori Current)!"
Lightning erupted from his body, turning into an electric net to protect himself, temporarily forcing the puppets back.
But Chidori Nagashi consumed huge amounts of energy; he couldn't last long.
Aburame Jun and Morishita Tetsu were in a worse situation.
Although both were Tokubetsu Jōnin (Special Jōnin), facing puppets personally controlled by Chiyo, they were not on the same level at all.
"Mushi Dama (Insect Sphere)!"
Aburame Jun tried to wrap the puppets with insect swarms, but the metal plates at the puppet joints left the insects with nowhere to bite.
"Fūton: Shin Hazan (Wind Release: True Blade Slash)!"
Morishita Tetsu's ninja sword slashed on a puppet, leaving only a white mark.
"Careful!"
Along with Aburame Jun came a puppet's sharp blade.
Morishita Tetsu wanted to dodge, but another puppet had already sealed off his retreat.
Unavoidable.
"Tetsu!"
Kakashi's eyes were splitting with rage. He wanted to rescue, but was firmly entangled by three puppets.
The corner of Chiyo's mouth curled into a cold arc.
Killing this Tokubetsu Jōnin would be considered interest.
But just as the puppet's blade was about to pierce into Morishita Tetsu's body...
"Boom—!!!"
A red giant shadow descended from the sky like a meteorite, smashing heavily into the center of the battlefield!
The earth shook, sand and stones flew.
Even the strong wind was scattered for a moment by this impact force.
Everyone was stunned.
Including Chiyo.
She stared wide-eyed, looking at that... thing slowly standing up in the smoke and dust.
It was a tail.
A huge, thick, red-black tail...
The end of the tail connected to a small, thin figure.
Uzumaki Naruto.
A five-year-old child, currently wrapped in a scarlet Chakra cloak, demon fox facial markings emerging on his face.
Of those blue eyes, one had already turned into a scarlet vertical pupil.
But his other eye remained azure blue and clear.
"Teacher said. Anyone who bullies Konoha people..."
"Has to get beaten up."
The voice, a mix of childishness and beastly growl, came from that small figure.
Voice falling, tail raised!
"Bang!"
Three puppets were directly slapped away, crashing into the rock wall and shattering into parts.
"Kyūbi... Jinchūriki?! How can he be so young and already..."
Chiyo's face changed drastically. Before she finished speaking, Naruto had moved.
Not Body Flicker, not Ninjutsu.
But pure, savage, explosive movement propelled by the tail.
"So fast!"
Baki exclaimed.
Naruto's figure shuttled through the battlefield like red lightning.
Every time the tail swung, a puppet was shattered.
Every time claws waved, a Sunagakure ninja was slapped away.
Not killed.
Just slapped away.
Kaze had taught him: treating enemies can be ruthless, but cannot be indiscriminate killing.
"Bastard!"
Chiyo roared, her ten fingers dancing frantically, the remaining puppets all pouncing on Naruto.
But it was useless.
With the boost of Kyūbi Chakra, Naruto's speed, strength, and reaction far exceeded ordinary Jōnin.
What was more terrifying was that the Kyūbi inside him seemed... to be cooperating with him.
"Brat, left!"
The Kyūbi's voice rang in Naruto's mind.
Naruto's tail swept horizontally to the left, slapping away two sneak-attacking puppets.
"Above!"
Naruto jumped up, claws tearing apart a puppet descending from the sky.
"Insects behind, use Chakra to shake them off!"
Naruto's body shook, red Chakra erupting, shaking a few Sunagakure poisonous insects Aburame Jun missed into powder.
Perfect cooperation.
As if Naruto and the Kyūbi had fought side by side for countless years.