Kazekage Ninja: The Rise of the Hidden Sand

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"Look at you now! Dejected, reeking of alcohol, a complete mess! Is this the same White Fang of Konoha who once exuded confidence and determination, whose name struck fear into the hearts of ninjas across the Five Great Nations? Damn it!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed the bottle of sake on the table, sending it flying. The clear liquid splashed across Sakumo Hatake's face, and the bottle spun a few times before crashing to the ground, shattering into pieces.

"One failure doesn't mean eternal failure. The shame you suffered on the battlefield must be cleansed on the battlefield. That is what a ninja should do."

The cold splash of sake jolted Sakumo back to his senses. For a proud man, having his pride shattered was often the hardest thing to bear.

"Lord Hiruzen, I—"

"Enough!" Hiruzen interrupted, pulling out a short blade and driving it into the table. The blade was adorned with black patterns and, under the dim light of the izakaya, emitted no reflection.

"I broke your White Fang, but I refuse to see your spirit broken as well. This is a custom-made ninja blade I acquired at great expense from the Hourglass Group. Its design is identical to your old blade, but its unique feature is its subdued gleam and exceptional durability.

"The war is upon us again, and I don't have time to waste here with you. Think it through. If you're ready, go home, take a bath, shave, and report to the Hokage's office with this blade tomorrow morning.

"If you can't figure it out…"

Hiruzen tossed the scabbard onto the table.

"Then use this blade to end it all."

Without another word, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned and left the izakaya. As he exited, he bent down to pat the head of a young Kakashi, who had been secretly watching his father.

"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns eternal. Our generation must set an example for the children."

Sakumo stared at the ninja blade before him. Through his drunken haze, his vision gradually cleared. Slowly, he reached out and gripped the hilt…

"Captain! Captain!"

Sakumo Hatake was shaken awake by his comrades.

"What time is it?" Sakumo shifted instantly from deep sleep to full alertness.

"Three fifty."

"Perfect! Let's move!"

Sakumo stretched his limbs, ensuring his gear was secure. With a single leap, he landed on a rocky outcrop. Carrying the ninja blade on his back and an iron cable at his waist, he moved like a nimble monkey, scaling the cliff face with ease, using cracks and protrusions as footholds. The ninja behind him followed closely.

In no time, the two had climbed the sheer cliff and reached the summit. They unfastened the iron cables from their waists and securely tied them to a sturdy tree. Checking his watch, Sakumo saw it was precisely four o'clock. He lit a small flame and signaled twice toward the opposite mountain.

The steel cables began to tighten slowly, eventually stretching taut like a straight line. It was clear that someone on the other side was pulling them.

"Captain, this method of yours is genius. It saved us so much effort," the ninja whispered, praising Sakumo's ingenuity.

"It's nothing. Just adapting to the situation. Those strategists only know how to draw on maps; they never conduct field inspections. If we'd followed their original plan to climb up, we'd have wasted time and energy and been too exhausted to fight," Sakumo replied in a low voice, his confidence shining even in the darkness.

Just then, the sounds of battle and clashing blades echoed from ahead, growing louder and more chaotic.

"They're here! Get ready to move!"

"Hold the line! Hold the line!"

Ren'o Shimizu swung his treasured sword wildly, shouting orders amidst the chaos. The mountain stronghold was in utter disarray, with people scrambling in every direction.

"Master Shimizu! Master Shimizu! The enemy has climbed up from the cliffside!" a lackey stumbled in, rolling and crawling as he delivered the report.

"What?! Impossible! How many of them?!"

"A… A black mass of them… Too many to count!"

"Useless fool!"

Ren'o kicked the man aside. Yet, amidst the chaos, his mind grew eerily calm. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he quickly assessed the situation.

They were surrounded. Fighting was audible from the east and south, indicating a large number of enemies. Now, with the northern cliff breached, the seasoned warrior instantly realized the stronghold was lost. Staying here would be suicide.

"Everyone! Retreat to the back mountain!"

The terrain of the back mountain was complex, with dense vegetation. Once they entered the forest, even a force of ten thousand would struggle to track them down.

"Trying to escape? Not so fast…"

Before Ren'o could react, a blade slashed across his chest. Thanks to his mastery of swordsmanship and quick reflexes, he instinctively twisted his body, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. However, a six-inch gash still tore across his torso, blood gushing out and staining half his body.

Ignoring his injuries, Ren'o guarded his lower body with his sword. As expected, the next attack came swiftly—a short blade with dark patterns and no gleam clashed against his weapon with a loud clang.

"Ancient swordsmanship?! You're the White Fang of Konoha!"

"Glad you recognize me! Wait… You're Ren'o Shimizu!"

"Indeed!"

"Hah! The heavens are kind! My drinking money for the next two years is secured. Ren'o, I'll be borrowing your head!"

With that, Sakumo Hatake shifted his stance and launched a flurry of attacks like a storm. Gone were the dazzling, flashy techniques of old—his new blade, dull and unassuming, made it nearly impossible to predict the angle of his strikes.

Ren'o struggled to defend himself, barely managing to parry the relentless onslaught. New wounds began to appear on his body.

Suddenly, a loud boom echoed as the mountain stronghold's gate was blasted open with explosive tags. A flood of Konoha ninjas poured in. Most of the Mist ninjas loyal to Ren'o fought desperately, knowing they were outmatched but hoping to buy time for their comrades to escape.

"We can't get bogged down here, or we're done for!" Ren'o growled, his sword flashing like a golden serpent as he lunged at Sakumo.

But Sakumo didn't retreat. Instead, he stepped in closer, switching his blade to his left hand to block the attack while delivering a powerful punch with his right, landing squarely on Ren'o's abdomen.

Reeling from the blow, Ren'o staggered backward. As he retreated, he quickly formed a hand seal with one hand, unleashing Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique.

Unfazed, Sakumo twisted his body into a low bridge stance, his right hand supporting him on the ground while his left hand held the blade upward. With a swift motion, he split the water dragon in half along its neck.

When Sakumo rose, he saw only Ren'o's retreating figure. He moved to pursue but was blocked by four of Ren'o's loyal subordinates, who were prepared to fight to the death.

Watching Ren'o vanish into the distance, Sakumo clenched his teeth in frustration.

"Damn it! Die already!"

As if sensing its wielder's overwhelming fury, the ninja blade in Sakumo's hand let out a faint hum.

"Kill!"

With veins bulging, Sakumo Hatake charged into the fray, his blade cutting through the chaos like a storm.