Despite Shang Qi's exceptional performance, the Red Sand Couple on the Sand shinobi side were even more dazzling, having defeated nearly half of the Konoha ninja who were now on the verge of falling.
This staggering combat record instantly caught the attention of Konoha White Fang, Hatake Sakumo. After cutting down a Sand shinobi, his gaze locked onto the position of the Red Sand Couple like lightning.
With a flash of movement, he shot toward the Red Sand Couple like a violent gust of wind.
Hatake Sakumo's movement technique was as swift and elusive as a phantom. The short blade in his hand gleamed with a piercingly cold light under the moonlight, its swordsmanship matchless and fierce.
In the blink of an eye, half of the Red Sand Couple's twelve puppets had their chakra threads severed, losing control with a loud clatter as they crashed heavily to the ground.
Even more perilous was that a split second later, Hatake Sakumo had already reached the Red Sand Couple, raising his blade to decapitate them.
At that very moment, time seemed to freeze, and the shroud of death mercilessly enveloped the Red Sand Couple.
Yet right at this critical juncture, a thunderous roar erupted. A figure completely encased in armor slammed into Hatake Sakumo with lightning speed, knocking him aside.
It was Shang Qi. At this life-or-death moment, his only option was to use his own body as a projectile, asking not to inflict damage, but merely to knock Hatake Sakumo away.
Hatake Sakumo nimbly twisted his body in mid-air and landed firmly on his feet. Staring sharply at the armor-clad Shang Qi, he demanded, "Who are you? To possess such skills, you are no ordinary person."
"My name is Shang Qi, and I will never let you harm brother Uchao and his wife!" Shang Qi stood his ground, blocking Hatake Sakumo with unshakeable resolve.
His heart hammered furiously against his ribs, a tangle of tension and excitement. This was his first time facing such a formidable opponent, yet there was not a trace of fear in his heart.
"You think that wearing armor can block my blade?" The white glow on Hatake Sakumo's short blade grew increasingly dazzling, and his presence turned all the more fierce and oppressive.
Shang Qi clearly saw the chakra gathering along the blade's edge, the wind-style chakra granting the blade-light an even sharper lethality.
His heart tightened. Though he knew his opponent's strength, he dared not let down his guard for even a second.
The armor on Shang Qi's body was pieced together from alloy modified by the Synthesis Hand, possessing extraordinary hardness.
Yet facing the immense pressure exerted by Hatake Sakumo, he dared not be the least bit careless.
At that moment, Akasuna Uchao reacted swiftly, manipulating the remaining puppets to harass Hatake Sakumo from behind.
Those puppets moved with agility and flexibility, attempting to scatter Hatake Sakumo's focus.
Meanwhile, Akasuna Takase An connected her chakra threads to Shang Qi, preparing to lend timely assistance the moment Hatake Sakumo threatened him.
The battle erupted instantly. Hatake Sakumo flashed forward, lunging straight at Shang Qi.
With his left hand, Shang Qi controlled steel wires as thin as hair, which whipped toward Hatake Sakumo like nimble serpents.
Hatake Sakumo sidestepped and swept his short blade, effortlessly deflecting the steel wires.
A short sword extended from the gauntlet on Shang Qi's right arm, thrusting toward Hatake Sakumo.
Hatake Sakumo raised his blade to parry, and with a clang, sparks flew in all directions.
Hatake Sakumo's attacks grew increasingly fierce, every single strike carrying a fatal threat.
Shang Qi fought with all his might, leaving a series of shocking slash marks across his armor.
Seizing the opportunity, the puppets manipulated by Akasuna Uchao attacked Hatake Sakumo's back.
Yet Hatake Sakumo seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; with a single pivot and a sweep of his short blade, he directly severed the arm of one puppet.
Taking advantage of the opening, Shang Qi launched another steel wire attack. Hatake Sakumo instantly dodged aside, bringing his short blade down in a direct chop toward the top of Shang Qi's head.
At this critical moment, Akasuna Takase An yanked on her chakra threads, pulling Shang Qi violently backward and successfully evading Hatake Sakumo's ferocious downward slash.
Hatake Sakumo let out a cold snort and charged at Shang Qi once more.
Gritting his teeth, Shang Qi plunged into a fierce exchange with Hatake Sakumo.
Short sword and short blade collided repeatedly, producing a continuous stream of crisp clashes.
The harassment of Akasuna Uchao's puppets kept Hatake Sakumo somewhat occupied.
Yet his swordsmanship remained razor-sharp, every strike leaving Shang Qi in mortal peril.
Beads of sweat the size of soybeans covered Shang Qi's forehead, and his breathing grew increasingly ragged, but his gaze remained as resolute as ever.
He constantly adjusted his attack rhythm, attempting to find an opening in Hatake Sakumo's defense.
Just then, Hatake Sakumo suddenly accelerated, breaking through Shang Qi's steel wire defense line as his short blade thrust straight for Shang Qi's chest.
Akasuna Takase An quickly pulled the chakra threads, dragging Shang Qi abruptly to the side.
Taking advantage of the momentum, Shang Qi executed a roll, sprang back to his feet, and resumed his valiant fight against Hatake Sakumo.
Hatake Sakumo's blade techniques grew swifter and more ferocious by the moment, while Shang Qi offered stubborn resistance.
Akasuna Uchao manipulated the puppets to launch a fierce round of attacks, forcing Hatake Sakumo to turn and defend.
Spotting an opening, Shang Qi thrust his short sword toward Hatake Sakumo's shoulder.
Hatake Sakumo dodged to the side, but his shoulder was still grazed by the steel wire controlled by Shang Qi's left hand.
The battle entered a white-hot phase as Shang Qi, Akasuna Uchao, and Akasuna Takase An cooperated closely, engaging in a life-or-death struggle against Hatake Sakumo.
Every attack from Hatake Sakumo contained immense power and precise judgment, adding fresh slash marks to Shang Qi's armor.
Yet his fighting spirit soared higher; the steel wires in his left hand rained down on Hatake Sakumo like a storm, while the short sword in his right hand thrust out without mercy.
Akasuna Uchao's puppets kept up a steady stream of attacks, disrupting Hatake Sakumo's movements.
Akasuna Takase An kept a constant vigil over Shang Qi's safety, pulling him away from danger zones in the nick of time.
During one intense exchange, Shang Qi's short sword locked tightly against Hatake Sakumo's short blade.
Their gazes met, both pairs filled with unshakeable determination.
At that moment, Akasuna Uchao manipulated a puppet to launch a sneak attack from Hatake Sakumo's rear.
Forced to divide his attention to deal with it, Hatake Sakumo gave Shang Qi an opening to increase his pressure and push Hatake Sakumo back a few steps.
However, Hatake Sakumo swiftly adjusted his footing and charged forward again.
Shang Qi felt his stamina draining away continuously, yet the conviction in his heart sustained his stubborn fight.
Suddenly, Shang Qi caught a flaw in Hatake Sakumo's defense, and his steel wires instantly wrapped around Hatake Sakumo's arm.
With a powerful yank from Shang Qi, Hatake Sakumo lost his balance momentarily as the entangled steel wires carved wound after wound into his arm.
Expending all his strength, Hatake Sakumo sliced through the steel wires and broke free from Shang Qi's control.
Taking advantage of the moment, Akasuna Uchao's puppets launched an attack; although Hatake Sakumo tried his best to resist, he was still struck several times.
Shang Qi lunged forward, thrusting his short sword toward Hatake Sakumo's heart.
Hatake Sakumo narrowly dodged, but his ribs were still grazed.
At that moment, a flicker of excitement welled up within Shang Qi. He knew full well that they were gradually seizing the upper hand.
Eventually, under the tight coordination of the three, Hatake Sakumo began to lose ground.
By this time, the main Sand shinobi force had also noticed the battle situation here and dispatched reinforcements.
Seeing that the elite force he led had failed for long to break through the Sand shinobi supply transport team, Hatake Sakumo leaped out of the combat circle and shouted, "Fall back!"
Before leaving, Hatake Sakumo said to the three of them, "You all are quite impressive."
Watching the distant figure of Hatake Sakumo retreat, Shang Qi, Akasuna Uchao, and Akasuna Takase An finally collapsed to the ground in relief.
This intensely fierce battle had completely exhausted their stamina, but they had successfully repelled a formidable enemy.
In this battle, the Sand shinobi supply transport team suffered one hundred and thirty casualties, with the remaining hundred almost all carrying injuries.
The Konoha elite unit brought by Hatake Sakumo also left behind over fifty corpses, a testament to the sheer brutality of the engagement.