OBS Chapter 607 Wind Shadow
Chapter 607 Wind Shadow
The Third Kazekage, hailed as the strongest in history, felt unprecedented pressure. He convened an emergency high-level meeting overnight, the atmosphere in the meeting room unusually heavy. The Kazekage sat in the main seat, his face grave. He sensed that Konoha's strength was no longer something Sunagakure could easily contend with, and that continuing the stalemate would only lead to greater losses for Sunagakure. He made a startling suggestion—to negotiate peace with Konoha.
However, his proposal was met with the fiercest opposition.
"Peace talks?!" Granny Chiyo sprang from her seat as if possessed, her face contorted with rage and boundless grief, her eyes bloodshot and practically spitting fire. "He killed my son and daughter-in-law! He killed Sasori's parents! I swear I will tear Konoha's White Fang to pieces!" Her voice was shrill and hoarse, each word dripping with deep-seated hatred, completely disregarding the Kazekage's expression. She utterly disagreed with any peace talks. For her, there was only revenge, only the blood of Konoha to atone for her fallen loved ones.
Faced with Chiyo's near-fanatical opposition and the rising tide of revenge within the village, the Third Kazekage felt utterly helpless. He knew that peace negotiations were impossible under such circumstances. Ultimately, he could only issue an ultimatum—Sunagakure would gather all its forces for a final, decisive battle against Konoha! "If we win, we will advance all the way into the heart of the Land of Fire and end this war once and for all!" The Kazekage's voice carried a hint of tragic resolve. "If we lose... then we will cease hostilities and sign a peace treaty, no matter how harsh the conditions may be!" This was a desperate gamble, wagering the fate of the entire village.
After the meeting, Granny Chiyo didn't linger for a moment; she immediately went to her most secretive laboratory. The tragic deaths of Sasori's parents had almost driven her to madness, leaving only boundless hatred. She took out all the deadly poisons she had developed over the years, those terrifying agents capable of instantly paralyzing nerves and corroding flesh, laid them out one by one. Emulating Hanzo of the Salamander's methods against Konoha, she began to create various high-purity poison gas bombs, coating each puppet with the deadly poison. She wanted the Konoha ninja to pay a bloody price, to let those self-proclaimed powerful ninjas die a painful death under the corrosive effects of the poisonous fog and toxins! "White Fang! You will surely die!" she hissed in the laboratory, like a vengeful demon.
Driven by Granny Chiyo, the desperate Sunagakure, like a raging beast, launched wave after wave of fierce attacks on Konoha. Chiyo personally manipulated her puppet army, combining it with her concocted poisons to unleash devastating power on the battlefield. Poison gas filled the air, and the puppets surged like a tide, forcing the Konoha ninja into a crushing retreat and inflicting heavy casualties. The battle lines were constantly compressed, and Konoha's defenses teetered on the brink of collapse.
However, there was some good news. On the other side of the battlefield in Iwagakure, because Zhang Hai had previously destroyed its largest logistical supply point, the Iwagakure ninjas were fighting on empty stomachs every day, their morale was low, and supplies were extremely scarce. In the end, they could no longer hold on and voluntarily withdrew from the battlefield, which greatly relieved the pressure on Konoha on the western front.
Upon receiving this news, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, immediately reassembled the "Three Legendary Sannin" scattered across various locations and rushed to the aid of the Sand Village battlefield. The arrival of Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru was like three towering mountains, instantly stabilizing the precarious situation in Konoha and temporarily halting the Sand Village's fierce attack.
Even so, casualties continue.
In a fierce battle, Zhang Hai's friend, Kato Dan, a user of the Spirit Transformation Technique, unfortunately had his weakness discovered by the Sand Village ninjas. During the brief moment when Kato Dan used the Spirit Transformation Technique, his soul leaving his body to attack, the enemy seized the opportunity and attacked his physical form. By the time his soul returned to his body, it was too late—his internal organs were almost completely shattered, his flesh mangled, and his injuries were devastating. Even Tsunade's swift arrival and use of top-tier medical ninjutsu were insufficient to save him. Kato Dan's life force was slowly draining away.
Upon learning of Kato Dan's critical condition and death, Zhang Hai's heart skipped a beat. He disregarded his other duties and rushed over. When he arrived, a light drizzle was falling, washing away the bloodstains on the ground, but unable to cleanse the sorrow permeating the air. Kato Dan lay on a makeshift stretcher, his face as pale as paper, his breathing so weak it was almost inaudible. He struggled to open his eyes, and when he saw his friend Zhang Hai before him, a glimmer of light flashed in his unfocused pupils.
“Dark…Zhanghai…” Kato Dan said with difficulty, his voice as weak as a mosquito’s buzz, “It seems my life has come to an end… It’s a pity I won’t see the day of peace.” His eyes were filled with regret and resentment.
Zhang Hai felt as if his heart was being torn apart; the intense pain made it almost impossible for him to breathe. He knelt beside Kato Dan, tightly grasping his hand, his voice heavy with sorrow yet resolute: "No! That day will surely come! Peace will surely come, and Konoha will be victorious in the end!" He tried to support Kato Dan with his own belief, to dispel the shadow of death.
Kato Dan coughed up a mouthful of blood with difficulty, the blood staining his pale lips. With his last strength, he spoke with a mixture of sorrow and pleading, "I...I used to have a younger sister, and she...she also died on the battlefield..." He gasped, each word uttered with extreme difficulty, "Now, only a niece remains...her name is Shizune...Zhang Hai...I know you're strong...if you have time in the future...please take care of her for me..."
This was Kato Dan's last wish, his concern for his only bloodline. Zhang Hai's eyes instantly welled up with tears. He nodded forcefully, his voice choked with emotion yet incredibly solemn: "Okay, don't worry! Your family is my family too! I will definitely protect her! I promise you!"
Hearing Zhang Hai's solemn promise, a trace of peace finally appeared in Kato Dan's unfocused eyes. A slight smile played on his lips, as if he had finally let go of all his worries. Then, he slowly closed his eyes, and fell silent. He had left forever, leaving behind his hopes for peace and his protection of his loved ones for the living.
The rain poured down harder and harder, as if trying to wash away all the sorrow in the world. Zhang Hai knelt in the mud, tightly holding Kato Dan's cold hand until the last bit of warmth completely disappeared. Looking at his friend's lifeless face, he was filled with immense grief, and an uncontrollable rage exploded in his chest, almost burning him to ashes.