#130 - Chapter 130: Rainy Sand Village! Sunny Konoha! Two Armies Confronted

Rain Country.

Led by Chiyo, a thousand Sand Shinobi, like a giant dragon, rampaged through the rain, tumbling and soaring.

The speed of their march was simply appalling.

Not only were they faster than cheetahs, but they were also as light as swallows, landing almost silently, and their endurance was unbelievably strong.

At this speed, dashing over a hundred kilometers in one breath was completely effortless.

However, just as the Sand Village was less than 20 kilometers away from the Rain Country's border, dozens of Sand Shinobi squads, who had been assigned to clear the way and scout ahead, rushed back like arrows released from a bow.

"Stop."

Chiyo, who was at the forefront, issued an order, and the entire army halted.

Although she didn't possess pupil techniques like the Byakugan or Sharingan, as the Sand Village's premier puppeteer, her eyesight was exceptionally sharp.

Even in the Rain Country's perpetually stormy and dimly lit environment, she could still clearly see the returning Sand Shinobi, each of whose faces was filled with terror.

"It's, it's Leaf Shinobi."

"At the border between the Rain Country and the Land of Fire, we discovered Leaf Shinobi."

Zangetsu seemed to be infected by Chiyo's composure and immediately steadied his mind.

"Is it a scouting party?"

Upon hearing this, Chiyo immediately assumed it was a scouting party sent out by the Leaf Village, and she couldn't help but curse her luck.

Just as the Land of Fire's border was in sight, they had the misfortune of running into a Leaf Village scouting party.

"Not a scouting party."

"It's a Leaf Shinobi army with a number no less than ours."

Zangetsu lowered his head and spoke with shocking words.

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Chiyo's pupils couldn't help but contract slightly.

She could calmly accept running into a Leaf Village scouting party, but what was with running into a Leaf Shinobi army?

"It's true."

"Lady Chiyo."

"Those Leaf Shinobi, as if they had foreseen our marching route, are gathered in formation ahead of us, just outside the Rain Country's border."

Zangetsu said in a deep voice.

Among the many Sand Shinobi, his strength was not outstanding, but he was one of the few sensory ninjas.

When clearing the way and scouting ahead just now, he suddenly discovered hundreds and thousands of chakra signatures in his sensory range, almost causing him to cry out in alarm.

Then, regardless of whether it would expose their whereabouts, he immediately returned to the Sand Village army at the fastest speed.

"The information, it's impossible for it to have been leaked."

Chiyo shook her head.

"Then that means the Leaf Village's sensory ninjas found and locked onto our position in advance."

Ebizo's expression remained calm, but a hint of heaviness had already flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"Impossible."

"We are very familiar with the Leaf Village's methods and know them inside and out."

"The only ones who can find us in advance are the Inuzuka's ninja dogs, but this is the Rain Country, with torrential rain, and even a dog's nose is rendered mostly useless."

Chiyo denied her younger brother's statement.

"Sister, regardless of how the Leaf Village discovered us, it's no longer important."

"What we need to consider now is what to do next?"

"Dispersed combat? Or a temporary retreat?"

Ebizo shook his head.

Originally, he had been thinking of infiltrating the Land of Fire and occupying Mount Xu Fu before the Leaf Village could react.

To occupy or destroy all the herbs in Mount Xu Fu that were unfavorable to the Sand Village.

The location of Mount Xu Fu was on the border of the Land of Fire, and as long as they crossed the Rain Country's border, another hundred kilometers or so would take them to Mount Xu Fu.

This distance was but a moment's journey for the Sand Village army, where everyone was at least a Chunin.

After a brief moment of shock, Chiyo calmed down and her brain raced rapidly.

Dispersed combat?

Since the Leaf Village could locate the Sand Village's position in the torrential rain, then dispersing would be the same as sending them to their deaths one by one.

Temporary retreat?

What a joke! Heaven blesses the Sand Village. They finally waited for Hatake Sakumo to die. With family feuds and national hatred, she had no reason to retreat.

"Who's leading the team?"

Chiyo looked at Zangetsu in front of her.

"The Leaf Village's Sannin."

"Tsunade."

Zangetsu immediately reported.

"The Slug Princess?"

"I knew it, it must be her."

Chiyo muttered to herself, her eyes flashing with a hint of determination:

"Sand Village warriors."

"Before entering the Land of Fire, it would certainly be good if we were not discovered by the Leaf Village, but it doesn't matter if we are discovered by the Leaf Village."

"The Leaf Village, which has lost the White Fang and only has the Slug Princess left, is not worth worrying about at all."

"Victory will only belong to our Sand Village. This is an unquestionable fact."

"Since the Leaf Village has already lined up to welcome us, then we have even less reason to slink away."

"Pick up your kunai, take out your puppets, prepare your ninjutsu, and crush them."

"Let the Leaf Village witness the Sand Shinobi's spirit."

Faced with a sudden change, Chiyo not only quickly stabilized the situation, but also, in a few words, pushed the Sand Village's morale, which had been fluctuating, back to its peak.

Hearing Chiyo's words, all the Sand Shinobi quickly entered combat readiness.

Some held kunai, some held samurai swords, some gripped the scrolls containing their puppets tightly, and others had their hands clasped together, ready to form hand seals at any moment.

Chiyo glanced at the Sand Shinobi behind her, and seeing that everyone had entered combat stance, she nodded in satisfaction, and then took the lead, charging to the front.

Thousands of Sand Shinobi, like a volley of ten thousand arrows, followed closely behind.

A distance of 20 kilometers would take even a car traveling at 120 kilometers per hour a while, but for the Sand Shinobi, it could be crossed in an instant.

In less than 10 minutes.

The Sand Shinobi, led by Chiyo, stopped their rushing footsteps, standing in the pouring rain, staring ahead.

At this moment.

500 meters away from them, outside the Rain Country's border, within the Land of Fire's border.

Just outside the sky-covering rain.

Led by Tsunade, a thousand Leaf Shinobi stood in a line, lined up in front.

On one side was the Sand Village, immersed in the rain, exuding a chilling aura of slaughter.

On the other side was the Leaf Village, immersed in the sunlight, yet surrounded by a murderous aura that chilled even the brilliant sun.

"Sand Village."

"Chiyo."

"We've been waiting for you for a long time."

Tsunade held her head high and chest out, her gaze first sweeping over the many Sand Shinobi in the rain, and finally focusing on Chiyo.

"Long time no see."

"Slug Princess."

"Can you tell me, how did you discover us?"

Chiyo and Tsunade exchanged a glance, their four eyes filled with frosty killing intent.

It was especially infuriating when enemies meet.

Although her son and daughter-in-law were killed by Hatake Sakumo, if not for Tsunade's ability to detoxify all poisons, the Leaf Village Shinobi would have collapsed long ago.

How could the events of Hatake Sakumo slaying Sasori and slaughtering Magescorpion have happened.

Since she could not take revenge on Hatake Sakumo, she would put the blame on Tsunade.

Similarly.

In Tsunade's eyes, she also hated the Sand Village to the bone.

Because her last remaining relative.

Her younger brother Nawaki died from a Sand Shinobi's explosive tag trap.

Even if it wasn't Chiyo who personally killed him, she still blamed Chiyo for it.