The two summoned beasts had utterly annihilated the enemy. There wasn't even much left of the bodies-Manda had eaten most of them. Barely a tenth of the Suna forces managed to escape, making this a decisive victory for Xin's squad.
Even though the Konoha ninjas had only been spectators, their safety was guaranteed, and their lives spared.
And to top it off, their village had gained yet another powerful figure. These combined factors had everyone in the squad cheering with joy.
At that moment, Usagi Xin was their hero, the one who had protected them.
"Alright, enough shouting,"
Xin commanded. "Hyuga Kaze, send a report to the village and our base camp. We continue moving forward."
Among the ninja accompanying Xin, there were those responsible for relaying intel. Being attacked while escorting the wounded was a significant event, one that had to be reported immediately.
After all, the sooner they made their report, the sooner Xin's achievements could be officially recorded.
"Yes, sir!" Kaze replied.
The mood of the group was now buoyant, with over a hundred of them chatting away about Xin expressing admiration and awe.
Their conversations made Xin slightly uncomfortable. Using the excuse of scouting, he distanced himself, heading ahead of the group.
Their enthusiasm was overwhelming, and Xin wasn't used to such attention.
Manda, once its summoning time had ended, returned to Ryuchi Cave. Xin didn't have to worry about the massive snake getting lost.
The intelligence was quickly relayed back to Konoha and the base camp.
Meanwhile, some distance from the battlefield, Chiyo sat inside a cave, waiting for news from her troops.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, she sensed several familiar chakra signatures approaching rapidly, and her heart sank.
The battle couldn't have ended that quickly.
In an instant, Chiyo darted out of the cave.
"Chiyo-sama!"
The Suna shinobi who had remained behind followed her outside, standing in the rain. A sense of foreboding gripped Chiyo as she gazed into the distance.
Soon enough, her worst fears were confirmed. Several disheveled figures appeared on the horizon, clearly members of the Suna Puppet Brigade. Chiyo knew each and every one of them well.
Something terrible had happened.
Ignoring the rain, Chiyo rushed forward at top speed toward them.
"Who goes there!?"
The surviving Suna ninjas, already in a state of panic, flinched at the sudden approach. But when they saw it was Chiyo, they cried out. "Chiyo-sama, terrible news! The intel the village has on Usagi Xin... it's all wrong!"
"Wrong?"