The desert wind whipped up fine sand particles, whistling across the battlefield.

Tsunade stood at the very front, her golden hair fluttering in the wind, her bright brown eyes coldly gazing at the dense Hidden Sand troops ahead.

Three to four hundred Ninjas surrounded them in a fan shape, led by a middle-aged Ninja.

He was none other than Ebizō, the commander of this surprise attack operation against the Medical Ninja by Sunagakure.

The role of a Medical Ninja was self-evident to all the major villages.

Prioritizing surprise attacks on Medical Ninjas was even a primary strategic requirement for many villages.

Ebizō held his hands inside his sleeves with a calm expression, as if victory was already in his grasp.

"Princess Tsunade, surrender."

Ebizō spoke slowly, his voice hoarse yet carrying an unquestionable sense of oppression.

"You are already surrounded. Continuing to resist will only needlessly increase casualties."

Tsunade did not answer; she only slightly turned her head and whispered to the Medical Ninjas and combat troops behind her.

"Everyone, close in on me."

Her voice was not loud, yet it carried an irresistible majesty.

The Konoha Shinobis, who had been somewhat flustered, quickly adjusted their formation. The Medical Ninjas were protected in the center, while the combat troops formed a defensive circle on the periphery.

Ebizō narrowed his eyes, seeming somewhat surprised by Tsunade's calmness.

A Jonin wearing a Hidden Sand forehead protector beside him couldn't help whispering.

"Lord Ebizō, if we drag this out any further, Konoha's reinforcements might arrive..."

Ebizō raised his hand to signal him to be quiet, his gaze still locked onto Tsunade.

"This is your last chance, Princess Tsunade."

He said slowly.

He still did not want to give up these Medical Ninjas right before him.

Tsunade looked at him, a sneer curving the corner of her mouth.

"You talk too much nonsense."

As her voice fell, she slammed her foot heavily into the ground.

Boom!!!

The ground shattered instantly, and her terrifying monstrous strength whipped up wild sand. The frontline Hidden Sand Ninjas were caught off guard and directly forced back several steps by the shockwave.

Seeing Tsunade's resolute expression, Ebizō said no more, his eyes turning sharp.

"Do it!"

Ebizō ordered sternly.

"Kill!!!"

Three to four hundred Sand Ninjas erupted simultaneously.

"Wind Style: Sandstorm Array!"

"Wind Style: Great breakthrough!"

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

"..."

Amidst the Wind Style jutsus, the rattling sounds of Puppets came sweeping over like a tidal wave.

"Earth Style Ninjas, step forward! Defensive formation!"

Tsunade had suffered consecutive expenditures, both healing and fighting. Her Chakra was almost drained, and her body had reached its absolute limit.

But right now...

Tsunade still stood at the very front, conducting effective commands.

Three or five Ninjas stepped forward and quickly formed hand seals.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!" rose from the ground, barely blocking the first wave of attacks.

But Hidden Sand's numbers were simply too great and their attacks too dense; the second wave followed closely behind.

"Medical Ninjas, prioritize protecting the severely injured Ninjas!"

While commanding, Tsunade suddenly rushed into the enemy ranks, smashing a Puppet to pieces with a single punch.

With a backhand grab, she seized a Sand Ninja by the neck and slammed him fiercely into the ground.

"Don't let them get close to the wounded!"

The Konoha Shinobis gritted their teeth and fought to the death, but the gap was too vast. As their numbers dwindled, their defensive line was gradually compressed.

Ebizō stood at a high vantage point, apathetically watching the battlefield.

"It is over."

However, just as Hidden Sand was about to break through the final defensive line—

Rumble.

A blazing Fire Style descended from the sky, instantly tearing a gap through Hidden Sand's offensive.

"That is...?! "

Ebizō frowned slightly.

Amidst the dust and smoke, a figure rushed into the battlefield like lightning, their crimson Sharingan exceptionally striking in the sandstorm.

"Sorry I'm late."

Uchiha Chiye had finally arrived.

The sandstorm howled, and the killing intent on the battlefield was as biting as a blade.

Tsunade looked at the suddenly appearing figure, her pupils contracting sharply.

Her golden hair was blown disarrayed by the fierce wind, and her breathing was rapid.

Uchiha Chiye, the one who went missing on the battlefield of the Land of Rain...

Her own man.

At this moment, he stood right before her, his crimson Sharingan exceptionally glaring amidst the flying yellow sand.

Her heart trembled violently, and her fingers clenched unconsciously.

He...

Was truly still alive!!

In this instant, all her exhaustion, anger, and despair were washed away by a suffocating ecstasy.

She opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to cry out something, but then forcefully bit her lower lip, compelling herself to calm down.

No, now was not the time...

She suppressed her churning emotions, her gaze turning firm once again.

Yet the slight trembling of her fingertips exposed the violent fluctuations within her heart.

Uchiha Chiye used Fire Style to clear a path, breaking through Village Hidden in the Sand's blockade to arrive before Tsunade.

At this moment, Tsunade's face was stained with dust and dirt, and the fatigue revealed in her eyes clearly showed she had reached her limit.

"Leave the rest to me!"

Uchiha Chiye affectionately ruffled her head with a hint of heartache.

She had come to the battlefield for his sake, and now she was exhausted like this from the surprise attack.

Now that he had arrived, how could he let Tsunade stand in front of him again?

At this moment, Tsunade no longer had her previous haughtiness.

Looking at Qianye, a touching smile appeared on her face.

"Mm."

Ebizō coldly watched this scene, a trace of mockery appearing on his aged face.

"Heh, someone from the Uchiha clan?"

He sneered, sweeping his gaze between Tsunade and Qianye with a disdainful tone.

"Since when has the princess of the Senju Clan become so close to someone from the Uchiha?"

The Hidden Sand Jonin beside him also wore a disdainful look, chiming in in a low voice.

"The Senju and the Uchiha are supposed to be mortal enemies."

"To disregard ancestral blood feuds and huddle together like this is truly disgraceful!"

"The Senju Clan princess whom we regarded as a troublesome opponent is, in the end, nothing more than a love-struck fool!"

"..."

Hearing the chatter of the surrounding Sand Ninjas,

Ebizō raised his hand slightly, signaling the Sand Ninja troops behind him to prepare for the attack.

"Since you have chosen to debase yourselves, then die together here."

"Do it!"

The Hidden Sand Ninjas erupted instantly. Three Jonins lunged straight for Tsunade, while another ten elites sealed off all of Qianye's retreats.

Tsunade gritted her teeth. Her physical strength and Chakra had been exhausted in the successive healings and battles, and her movements were half a beat slower than before.

A Hidden Sand Jonin seized the opening and quickly formed hand seals.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"

She barely sidestepped to avoid it, but her wrist was entangled by another person's Puppet strings, dragging her fiercely to the ground!

"Tsunade!"

Qianye's pupils constricted, and he wanted to rush over, but he was blocked tightly by the Hidden Sand Ninjas.

No...

She couldn't hold on anymore!

Qianye's gaze suddenly turned icy. The Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes spun wildly, ultimately distorting and fusing.

The originally pitch-black three tomoe now transformed into a six-petaled blood-red Red Spider Lily pattern.

"The Other Shore of the Underworld!"

In an instant, as blood dripped from his bloodshot eyes, the world seemed to fall into a standstill.

With Qianye as the center, an invisible Domain suddenly expanded, and the movements of the surrounding Hidden Sand Ninjas all froze.

Their skin withered and cracked at a speed visible to the naked eye, their vitality being sucked away like a receding tide. Before they could even emit a scream, they turned into dried corpses and crashed to the ground.

Ebizō's expression finally changed.

"What... kind of Dojutsu is this?!"

Tsunade was also stunned. Staring at the corpses littering the ground and that pair of eerie Mangekyō Sharingan on Qianye's somewhat cold face, shock filled her heart.

But quickly recovering her wits amidst the confusion of the Hidden Sand troops,

she shattered the Puppet strings binding her with a single punch and flipped up into the air.

Before she could excitedly come to Qianye's side, she saw his bloodshot eyes and the blood rolling down from them.

"Qianye!"

She shouted loudly.

"Are you alright? Don't push yourself!"

Qianye did not answer, only slightly turning his head with a familiar smile curling the corner of his mouth.

"Rest assured, I am not that easy to fall."

The Hidden Sand troops began to waver, but Ebizō quickly steadied their footing and shouted sternly.

"Don't panic! His Dojutsu must have limitations!

Everyone, disperse formation and consume him from a distance!"

Hearing this, Qianye sneered, the patterns inside his Mangekyō Sharingan slowly spinning.

"Consume from a distance? Then I shall wait and see!"

His gaze locked onto Ebizō, and an invisible ripple transmitted once again.