Naruto:Suna Shinobi

Hatake Sakumo closed Nara Hirano's eyes, slung the unconscious middle-aged ninja over his back, then grasped his White Fang short sword tightly.

His sharp gaze turned toward the horizon of the desert.

There, a massive black cloud of iron sand was advancing toward him.

Even with all his skill, breaking into Wind Country had come at a cost.

And the only person in Sunagakure capable of wounding someone of Hatake Sakumo's caliber—was the Third Kazekage, the strongest Kazekage in history.

The dark mass in the sky was visible from miles away.

Upon seeing it, Ishido exhaled in relief.

"No need to run anymore—we're safe."

The other Sunagakure ninja followed his gaze upward, their tension easing.

"That's… the Third-sama's Magnetic Release!"

Nanaken, watching in awe, clenched his fists.

Nanako, however, let out a soft sigh, sitting on the hot sand.

"But… Kyuichi Jonin sacrificed himself to stall Konoha's White Fang. If he hadn't stayed behind, we'd all be dead."

Her voice carried a heavy weight.

To those unaware of the full truth, it would seem Kyuichi had given his life in a selfless act, ensuring the team's survival.

And in a way, he had—he had held off White Fang for long enough to buy them time.

"Still," one of the special jonin muttered, tearing a bandage from his ninja tool pouch, "we failed the mission. A jonin is dead, and we didn't capture the Uchiha."

"Let me help," Nanako said. Her palm glowed green as she channeled medical chakra into his wound.

Ishido, however, wasn't so pessimistic.

"No. If we kill or even severely injure White Fang, this mission is a success."

His five human puppets stood in formation around him, ready for battle.

Swallowing a soldier pill, he felt his chakra replenish.

"If I can stall White Fang for a few moments, the Sandaime will handle the rest."

Turning to a chunin messenger, Ishido barked, "Send word to the village immediately!"

Nanaken stepped forward.

"I'll take command and lead the team back to Black Sand City to recover."

"Good. Go now."

With that, the team split—

Ishido and his squad headed toward danger, while Nanaken led the others back to safety.

Unlike most of Sand Country, Black Sand City was prosperous.

A river from River Country flowed into Wind Country, stopping just before the mountains forced it to veer toward the sea.

With water, a settlement was possible.

With iron ore, an economy could flourish.

And with the Third Kazekage's discovery of a massive ore deposit twenty years ago, Black Sand City had boomed.

Its iron mines supplied Sunagakure's weapons, its metals were prized by ninja artisans, and its location near the border made it a hub for trade and war alike.

Even after the Konoha team's raid, the city remained alive with activity—a stark contrast to the death and destruction left behind at the mines.

Normally, Hiriito might have wandered the city streets, taking in the sights and sounds after a mission.

But tonight, none of them were in the mood.

"I wonder how the Sandaime and Captain Ishido are doing," Nanako murmured.

She sat on the roof of the Sunagakure outpost, gazing at the moonlit sky.

Nanaken, seated beside her, frowned.

"The Sandaime will be fine. Even the Third Hokage himself couldn't defeat our Kazekage. But Captain Ishido…"

His voice trailed off.

"White Fang is… dangerous."

In the courtyard below, Hiriito and Sasori worked on repairing their puppets.

The Fat Puppet was untouched, but Little Boy had taken damage.

Thankfully, Hiriito had spare parts in his sealing scroll, so he could fix it overnight.

Sasori's Termite, however, was beyond repair.

The salamander puppet had sustained some damage, but it was fixable.

Still, the loss of a puppet was no small setback—especially in a warzone.

Nanako looked at her brother.

"How strong is White Fang?"

Hiriito paused, wrench in hand, turning his attention to the rooftop siblings.

Before reincarnating, he had heard of White Fang—

He knew Hatake Sakumo was legendary.

He knew he was Kakashi's father.

He knew he was so powerful that even the Sannin respected him.

But there were no actual battle scenes in the anime.

Until now, White Fang had been just a name.

Now, Hiriito had seen him in action.

Even though he had been fleeing, he had felt it—

That presence.

That sheer pressure.

He knew that if he had been any weaker, he wouldn't have been able to move at all.

Sasori remained silent, but his expression darkened.

Nanaken sighed.

"I probably won't be much help. One year ago, our Sixth Squad was almost wiped out.

I was seriously injured early on—nearly unconscious.

I never even saw White Fang in action.

All I know is that everyone who faced him died."

Nanaken shook his head.

"If you want details, wait for Captain Ishido to return."

As if on cue, a shadow loomed overhead.

A massive cloud of iron sand descended from the night sky.

Standing atop it, wearing his white Kazekage robe, was the Third Kazekage himself.

And in his arms, Ishido—bloodied and unconscious.

"Are there any medical ninja here?" the Kazekage's voice rang through the courtyard.

"Ishido is gravely injured."

Nanako and Nanaken jumped down from the roof.

"I studied under Lady Chiyo's medical class," Nanako declared.

"I'll stabilize his condition!"

The Third Kazekage handed Ishido over, watching as Nanako carried him inside the building.

He then turned his piercing gaze to the remaining squad members.

"You're Nanaken, correct?"

Nanaken snapped to attention.

"Yes, Lord Kazekage!"

"You became a Special Jonin at sixteen… Not bad."

Nanaken's heart raced.

The Kazekage knew his name.

He was being acknowledged.

Nanaken bowed deeply.

"Thank you for your praise, Third-sama!"

(End of Chapter)