Chapter 134:
Ninjas, with their mastery of chakra, possess strength far beyond that of ordinary people. Their bodies are far more resilient, able to withstand blows that would incapacitate civilians.
But now, in the large tent of the temporary military base set up by the Sand Ninja, it was hard to tell that these warriors were anything more than ordinary men.
The injured Sand Ninjas lay strewn across the ground, groaning and wailing. The tent was packed with wounded, bandages soaked in blood. Some clutched their arms or legs in pain, while others simply stared blankly at the ceiling, too exhausted to react.
"What's going on this time?"
The Third Kazekage paced, his frustration mounting. When had Konoha become so overwhelming? Every encounter seemed to leave them with more wounded than before.
"It seems like Konoha has improved their detonating tags," one of the medics reported.
"An improved detonating tag? How could something like that cause so much damage?" the Kazekage demanded, his voice tight with disbelief.
"The problem isn't the tag itself," Chiyo, one of the Sand's most skilled medics, interjected calmly as she extracted a piece of shrapnel from a wounded ninja's arm. "Konoha has been cunning. They didn't use this in the smaller skirmishes. They waited until we launched a full-scale attack and hit us when we were unprepared. That's why so many of our people were caught off guard."
The Third Kazekage furrowed his brow, displeased. He quickly called for the other Jonin captains to gather, hoping to understand just how bad the situation was.