Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 551 Ebizo's Impotent Fury

Danzo's laughter, which shattered the enemy's will, still echoed in the desert.

This laughter was like the last straw that broke the camel's back for Ebizo, who was already on the verge of collapse below.

"Aaaaaahh ...

He's completely gone mad.

"Come out! Come out here!"

He drew his kunai and, as if possessed, frantically stabbed at the surrounding air.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

Blades of wind shot out from his mouth, slashing haphazardly at the empty sand, stirring up waves of sand.

He was like a clown fighting with thin air, both comical and pathetic.

"Get out here!"

"You bunch of cowards who only know how to hide in the shadows! If you have the guts, come out and fight me fair and square!"

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound.

It was Chiyo. She finally couldn't stand it anymore. She flashed in front of her younger brother and slapped him hard across the face.

"Wake up, Ebizo!"

Chiyo's angry shout was like a thunderbolt, "Look at your men! They're still waiting for you to lead them out of this desperate situation! Is this how you, as their commander, set an example for them?!"

"Write a report to Lord Kazekage, telling him everything that happened here in detail."

This slap finally pulled Ebizo back from the brink of madness.

The madness on his face faded, replaced by a deathly stillness.

He stared blankly at his sister, at the fearful and bewildered looks around him, as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant.

After an unknown amount of time, at Chiyo's urging, he tremblingly took out a communication scroll and pen and ink.

He wrote and crossed out a line of text, crossed out and wrote again, the ink mixing with his dripping cold sweat, spreading stains on the scroll.

"Mission failed... We... We were... played..."

"....."

"Mission failed... We've been played..."

After writing that last short line, he felt as if all his energy had been drained away.

After an ANBU ninja used a secret technique to send out the message, Ebizo looked up.

Unable to contain his humiliation and rage any longer, he raised his head and let out a heart-wrenching roar at the gray sky.

"ah------!"

That voice was filled with resentment and despair at the loss of all dignity.

This roar heralded the complete failure of Sunagakure's first proactive counterattack against Konoha, in an almost absurd manner.

……

Sunagakure Village, Kazekage Building.

The atmosphere in the brightly lit hall was so oppressive it was almost frozen.

The Third Kazekage, Retsumon, sat quietly in his high position.

An urgent message, just delivered by the secret service, was laid out in front of him.

Liemen stared at the hasty, trembling handwriting on the scroll, at the report that was so brief it was suffocating, yet his face showed none of the anger or worry that a Kazekage should have.

Instead, a hint of appreciation slowly bloomed on his usually stern face.

An ancient, hoarse voice whispered within his body.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi... these guys under you are actually quite interesting."

Black Zetsu could sense the deep-seated fear and despair that Ebizo was conveying, but it felt an unprecedented excitement because of it.

This method of manipulating people's hearts is wonderful.

"but……"

Black Zetsu's voice shifted, carrying a hint of cold decisiveness.

"The game is over. We're tired of this cat-and-mouse game."

"Since we can't catch them, then... let them walk in on their own."

Liemen leaned forward slightly, his yellow pupils flashing with an excitement and eeriness unseen for a thousand years.

He picked up the pen on the table and slowly moved it across a brand new map of the Land of Wind.

A more ruthless and insane plan than before was quietly brewing in his mind.

The sky over Sunagakure is gray.

It wasn't just because of the persistent sandstorms, but also because of the dark cloud of panic that permeated the hearts of every ninja.

The news of the elite pursuit force led by Advisor Ebizo's hasty retreat spread like ink into clear water, quickly staining the entire village black.

More than fifty elite ninjas not only failed to harm the enemy, but were also completely outmaneuvered on their own territory. In the end, even their water and food were looted. If they had not retreated in time, they would probably have become the first elite unit in the history of the ninja world to die of thirst in their own desert.

shame.

An unprecedented humiliation.

Rumors and gossip spread like wildfire.

"Have you heard? Lord Ebizo and the others..."

"How is that possible?!"

"Who exactly is the enemy? Could it be those lunatics from Kumogakure attacking?"

"Impossible. This method doesn't seem like the Cloud Recluse... It's too bizarre, like something out of a ghost story."

The villagers and ninjas whispered among themselves in the streets and alleys, and everyone's face was filled with unease.

For the ninja leadership, this unease transformed into real fear.

The most terrifying enemy is the unknown one.

This ghostly method, which leaves you unable to even touch its shadow, yet can precisely strike your most vulnerable spot, sent a chill down the spines of all the Sand Ninja who had experienced the cruelty of war.

Fengying Building, highest conference room.

The atmosphere was so oppressive it was almost palpable.

The elders and advisors of Sunagakure sat in a circle, each with a somber expression.

"This is outrageous!"

An elder slammed his fist on the table, his wrinkled face flushed red with rage. "This is the most vicious provocation against Sunagakure! We must retaliate! Immediately dispatch all sensory ninjas to dig out those three Konoha scum!"

"Dig? How do we dig?"

Another, more rational elder scoffed, "Our village's sensory ninjas were among the team led by Ebizo, and what happened? They were made fools of like monkeys for a whole day and night! Now the entire desert is their playground; our people going in is just sending them to their deaths!"

"Then what do you suggest we do? Are we just going to stand by and watch them run rampant in our house? Where is the Kazekage's authority? Where is the reputation of Sunagakure?"

Arguments erupted one after another, and the entire conference room was as chaotic as a vegetable market.

The Third Kazekage, Retsumon, who sat at the head of the table, was unusually calm. He listened quietly to the argument below, his usually stern face showing no emotion.

Black Jue's voice echoed softly within his body, carrying a hint of amusement.

"Look at these wretches, despair, fear... what a wonderful seasoning."

Liemen did not respond, but simply tapped the table lightly with his fingers, making a soft "tap, tap" sound.

The monotonous yet rhythmic sound seemed to possess a strange magic, gradually quieting the noisy conference room.