"Naruto, hold on!"
Kakashi carried Naruto with his left arm and grabbed Sasuke with his right, pulling both of them away from the battlefield where Guy and A were fighting.
Seeing Naruto's terrible condition, Karin—who had just been received by Neji and the others—shoved aside the nearby Ringo Ameyuri and ran straight toward Kakashi.
Naruto's state at this moment could only be described as miserable.
Pieces of his internal organs were being coughed up from time to time, and many of his bones were severely displaced. Even Kakashi, who had seen countless battlefields, couldn't help being shocked.
If Naruto didn't have the Uzumaki bloodline, he would've already gone to the Pure Land to meet the Sage of Six Paths.
Without hesitation, Karin extended her arm and pressed it into Naruto's mouth.
As Naruto's injuries healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, everyone finally let out a breath of relief. Sasuke also relaxed, collapsing onto the ground.
"That idiot… why did he have to jump into a battle of that level?"
Now that the tension had eased, Sasuke couldn't help but complain.
Karin gave him a resentful glare, signaling him to lower his voice.
"Sorry, Kakashi-sensei, we're late."
Just as Kakashi was preparing to return to help Guy suppress A, Neji and the others finally arrived.
After Guy opened the Sixth Gate, his speed was simply too fast. Even rushing at full speed, they only managed to reach the battlefield now.
"You arrived at the perfect time. Take the wounded and evacuate. Head toward the nearest outpost. And if you encounter enemies on the way, don't get dragged into a fight—find a jōnin for support!"
Although their arrival wouldn't change the battle's outcome, the group could at least cooperate well enough to escape safely.
After giving his instructions, Kakashi turned and charged back into the battlefield.
"Daytime Tiger!"
At that moment, Might Guy seized the opening and released Daytime Tiger. The violent shockwave created plenty of room for Neji's group to withdraw.
"Move."
Seeing this, Neji didn't waste words. He ordered Lee and Tenten to take Ameyuri and Naruto—the two injured ones—and flee toward the outpost.
"Did we get him?"
After unleashing Daytime Tiger, Guy scanned the dust-filled area for any sign of A.
"Lariat!"
With A's furious roar, Guy finally found him.
As the distance between them closed, A's condition became clear.
His Lightning Armor had been completely shattered. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, the blood flowing down his head covered his left eye, and his right arm hung limply—clearly broken.
Even so, he still endured the pain and launched a deadly strike at Guy.
"He can still move?"
Seeing A rush at him, Guy was stunned.
Daytime Tiger was powerful enough to blow away second-stage Susanoo.
For A to take it head-on and still be alive was already shocking—and now he was attacking again.
"What an incredible opponent."
Murmuring to himself, Guy steadied his stance to take A's attack head-on.
"Guy, behind you!"
Kakashi's sudden shout drew Guy's attention.
A human-shaped object flew through the air toward him—crashing straight down.
A closer look revealed it was Mei Terumi, who had been fighting Pride!
Guy instantly leaped up, diving forward to catch her while dodging A's attack.
A, after unleashing this strike, could no longer suppress his injuries. He turned his head and pulled out an injector from his waist.
"No you don't!"
Kakashi charged toward A with Raikiri. He didn't know what A was holding, but anything pulled out at a moment like this had to be dangerous.
Without hesitation, A stabbed the injector into his waist—and the arm that had previously been broken suddenly lifted again, blocking Kakashi's Raikiri.
Kakashi's hand pierced through A's arm, but it went no further.
"What is that?"
Kakashi withdrew his hand and widened the distance.
A only snorted and didn't explain. Lightning crackled around him as a new Lightning Armor formed once again.
Not good.
Seeing A's condition, Kakashi broke into a cold sweat.
Judging by his senses, this guy had restored himself to the state he was in during their very first clash—meaning all the effort both he and Guy had spent had been erased.
And Guy likely couldn't maintain the Seventh Gate any longer. The recoil alone might kill him.
Retreat?
Kakashi hesitated. Retreating meant leaving someone behind to stall the enemy.
And in the current situation, just one A was already overwhelming—never mind that artificial human-looking creature nearby.
While Kakashi hesitated, Hiruko let out a miserable scream.
Without Mei's help, facing Pride alone forced him to constantly watch the ground beneath him and the trees around him for sudden transformations.
There was one upside—after a few exchanges, Hiruko finally understood the secret behind Pride's attacks.
He was using natural energy!
A shocking revelation. Even in Konoha, only a handful of shinobi could use Sage Techniques.
And now these artificial humans had mastered it—and were using it in battle.
He wanted it. He wanted it desperately.
Hiruko yearned for the body before him. He wanted to dissect the enemy with his own hands and discover how it had been made.
...
But the reality was that Pride smashed him with another punch.
And the punch landed directly on his head.
Fortunately, Hiruko activated Steel Release in time—or he would've starred in a reenactment of the Headless Horseman.
"This ends now."
A glared fiercely at Kakashi, feeling the chakra surging within him. He grinned, ready to deliver the final blow.
But for some reason, his vision began to blur, as though a thin layer of mist clouded his eyes.
No… not an illusion—real mist!
As white fog filled his sight, A suddenly covered his nose and mouth in alarm.
Don't tell me the Fifth Hokage is here?
A had personally experienced his Ice Release. The internal-organ-crushing chill was something he never wanted to feel again.
And he only had one injector—if he took another serious hit, he'd have no choice but to crawl back to base in shame.
"Die!"
A roar shook the battlefield. The Executioner's Blade swung with a harsh whistle, cleaving down toward Pride.
"Pressure's mounting—you can actually fight the Fourth Raikage? I'm honored~"
Samehada struck A at the same moment.
Zabuza and Kisame had arrived.
Both attacked simultaneously—but with very different results.
The Executioner's Blade shattered under Pride's punch, while Samehada absorbed part of A's chakra through his Lightning Armor and forced him to stagger backward.
Thanks to Zabuza, Hiruko seized the opportunity to flee from Pride's attack range.
He didn't know the strength of his unexpected savior, but Mei's defeat was obvious—so even guessing blindly, he could tell the newcomer was at most a jōnin.
Run now or never.
"He's using a sage's power! His sensory abilities are extremely strong!"
Grateful for Zabuza's suicidal rescue effort, Hiruko still took the time to explain why the ambush had failed.
"You couldn't have said that earlier?"
Zabuza's expression under his bandages twisted.
Realizing his Hidden Mist would be useless, Zabuza promptly hauled the half-broken Executioner's Blade onto his back and retreated.
"Guy, retreat!"
Kakashi's eyes lit up. This was the chance he had been praying for.
He and Guy grabbed Mei, and like Hiruko, sprinted madly away.
Kisame might be honest, but he wasn't stupid. He knew Mei's true strength—two Kekkei Genkai and monstrous chakra reserves.
Anyone who could beat her into this state was absolutely not someone he wanted to fight.
Especially with Kakashi of the Sharingan present.
So Kisame didn't hesitate. He followed the group while forming hand seals behind him, releasing a massive Water Shockwave for cover.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Shockwave!"
When the mist and the water finally cleared, both Pride and A had lost sight of everyone.
"Should we pursue?"
Pride looked to A for a decision.
"No. Konoha and Kirigakure already know about the attack. Reinforcements will arrive soon. If that damned brat shows up, things will get troublesome."
A's expression was ugly, but also slightly relieved.
"You seem afraid of the Fifth Hokage."
"Afraid? Hmph. One day, I'll make him kneel before me and wipe away my humiliation."
Even as he said it, A knew the truth.
Even with the injector's support and enhancements, he probably still couldn't beat that kid.
Maybe he really should consider the body modifications Amado mentioned.
"In that case, let's withdraw."
Pride waved his hand, opening a spatial rift and stepping in.
A followed behind him, and with the rift's closure, both vanished from the battlefield.
This operation had failed.
Just as A predicted, not long after Kakashi's group escaped, they encountered the reinforcement squad led by Aburame Shikuro.
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