Chapter 184
2-in-1-chapter
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"Yes. If I make a move now, there's a fair chance I could eliminate that woman. But at the same time, Miss Kurotsuchi, the Konoha shinobi might go to any lengths to kill you as well." Rinba stated the situation directly and without hesitation.
Indeed, Rinba was a skilled kunoichi, no less capable than Bun'ya. If she were to intervene in the battle, joining forces with the four Chūnin, she was confident they could take down Yakushi Nonō. However, Uchiha Chihaya and Ringo Ameyuri might seize that opening to break away from their opponents and strike at Kurotsuchi. After all, their adversaries were already struggling to withstand their attacks.
In other words, if Rinba entered the fight, the most likely outcome would be mutual loss—trading Yakushi Nonō for Kurotsuchi.
To Rinba, that equation was completely unacceptable. Even if Yakushi Nonō truly was the Walking Shrine Maiden, it made no difference. Kurotsuchi, as the granddaughter of the Third Tsuchikage, had demonstrated exceptional talent since childhood and carried the immense expectations of the Tsuchikage himself. She was almost certain to become one of Iwagakure's main pillars in the future.
That was her long-term value. Even in the immediate sense, Kurotsuchi's death would be devastating. The emotional blow to the aging Tsuchikage could easily affect his health. Rinba did not dare imagine it.
The village, as it stood now, relied heavily on the Third Tsuchikage's presence. Without him, Iwagakure's future would lose all sense of stability.
Kurotsuchi froze.
She looked at Rinba. "Rinba… are you saying I've become a burden?"
"Miss Kurotsuchi, if not to protect you, I wouldn't even be here. The failure of this operation is not our fault. Captain Bun'ya made a wrong judgment—he failed to eliminate the target at the first opportunity, and that mistake led to this situation."
As she spoke, Rinba grasped Kurotsuchi's shoulder firmly. "Let's go, Miss Kurotsuchi! If we don't leave now, we won't have time." She ignored Kurotsuchi's protests, pulled her close, and sped off in the direction they had come from.
When Bun'ya noticed Rinba and Kurotsuchi retreating, he felt no resentment—only deep relief. The mission's failure was secondary; he would bear that responsibility. What truly mattered was ensuring Kurotsuchi's safety. If she were harmed and it affected the Tsuchikage's health, there would be no forgiveness for him even in death.
Still, despair weighed heavy in his chest.
"Is there really no hope left?"
He forced Kakashi back with a Fist Rock Technique, scanning the battlefield quickly under the glow of the setting sun. The sight of his comrades disadvantage filled him with guilt and anguish.
There was no saving the situation now.
Crack!
Thunder exploded across the valley.
Ringo Ameyuri swung her sword, the Lightning Blade: Kiba, and struck down her opponent. The savage current of electricity scorched the target from head to toe, charring the body until it was unrecognizable.
"You hid and dodged like a damn mole. How annoying."
Letting out a satisfied breath, Ringo glanced toward Uchiha Chihaya, whose kill count already surpassed hers by one. The murderous light in her eyes flared, locking onto Kabachi Kamimizu, who was still locked in fierce combat with Juri. That wild, predatory gaze sent a chill down Kabachi's spine.
Bun'ya saw it and sighed heavily. He knew now the operation was a complete failure.
"Retreat, Kabachi. Fall back immediately. The mission has failed. Everyone withdraw at once."
As he spoke, he too began to retreat, his hands forming seals in rapid succession. In an instant, he gathered and refined a large amount of chakra, unleashing one of his signature Earth Style techniques.
Earth Style: Stone Forest!
This technique belonged to the same class as Earth Style: Rock Pillar Spears and Earth Style: Earth Lance, all of which attacked enemies by creating sharp stone spikes from the ground. The difference lay in their hand seals; none were strictly superior, but Bun'ya happened to have mastered the Stone Forest.
Countless sharp stone spears burst upward from the earth, their wide range striking not only at Kakashi but also at Uchiha Chihaya and Ringo Ameyuri. Yet not a single allied Iwa-nin was touched. The precision of this Earth Style control made even Kakashi pause in admiration.
The Iwa-nin responded swiftly to the retreat order—or perhaps they had already been mentally prepared for it.
They weren't fools unable to read the situation. It was clear they had lost to the Konoha forces. Continuing to fight might allow them to hold out until reinforcements arrived from the border defense corps or another front, but it was just as likely they would all be wiped out.
Given Captain Bun'ya's cautious nature, the retreat order was inevitable.
The Iwa-nin withdrew like the receding tide.
Uchiha Chihaya and Ringo Ameyuri, those two battle-hungry maniacs, shattered the stone spears in their path and were about to give chase when Kakashi called out, "Chihaya, Ameyuri, calm down. Don't forget our mission. We're not here to fight to the death with Iwagakure. There'll be plenty of chances to fight later."
His words passed through one ear and out the other. Both were too fired up to listen.
"…You two. Don't forget Lord Rēn's orders."
With no other choice, Kakashi used his final resort. Watching the two halt in their tracks, he finally exhaled in relief, thinking to himself how troublesome these problem children were. Fortunately, Lord Rēn's command still carried enough weight to restrain them.
"Yakushi-senpai."
Seeing Chihaya and Ameyuri calm down, Kakashi turned to Yakushi Nonō, who was leaning against a stone wall, breathing heavily. "Are you all right?" he asked.
"Too many soldier pills."
Nonō replied simply.
Every experienced shinobi knew what that meant. The side effects weren't life-threatening but would leave her body stiff and weakened for a time, unable to fight. The exact duration depended on her physical condition and the quality of the soldier pills she had taken.
"Tell me, are you really here to rescue me, and not to silence me?"
The blunt question made Kakashi pause for a moment, but he quickly answered calmly, "To prevent any secrets of the village from leaking, if a rescue proves impossible, we are indeed under orders to perform a termination. However, the Hokage also instructed us that if there is any chance at all, we are to bring you back alive, senpai."
"I see. For the next two days, I won't be able to fight. I'll have to rely on you for protection. But with Juri here, our chances of safely withdrawing from the Land of Earth should be quite high. Juri, I'll be counting on you this time."
"Nonō, aren't you afraid I might kill you?"
Juri stepped out of the shadows and walked toward them.
Unlike Kakashi, who addressed her with the formal tone of duty as "Pharmacist-senpai," Juri's manner of address was far more casual, though it carried no hint of affection—if anything, there was a distinct undercurrent of mockery in her tone.
"If Danzō were still alive and saw you, I would certainly have fought you to the death." Yakushi Nonō looked at the approaching Juri and adjusted her glasses, a gentle smile appearing on her face, the kind one wore when meeting an old acquaintance. Whether the two could be called friends was debatable, but they were undoubtedly familiar with each other.
They had both been members of Root, and unquestionably among its elite. Knowing each other was only natural.
"Well, Danzō is already dead now, isn't he? I don't know much about the Fifth Hokage, but as for this Kakashi, I believe he isn't the kind of man who would lie."
"Your intuition is still as annoyingly sharp as ever."
Juri let out a short, a disdainful snort.
"Yakushi-senpai, whatever you and Juri need to discuss can wait. Right now, we should leave as soon as possible." Kakashi glanced at the valley below, nearly swallowed by darkness, and had no choice but to interrupt their exchange.
"You're right," Yakushi Nonō said with a smile and a nod. "Then I'll trouble you with it, Juri."
Juri shot Kakashi a glare but did not disobey her captain's order. Her brush moved swiftly across the scroll, and in moments, a great eagle emerged from the ink, soaring into the sky. The five of them mounted the summon and sped southward through the air.
By the time the sun had completely set, a group of Iwagakure shinobi from the south finally arrived, only to find the valley in ruins. Confused, they searched the area but failed to find any trace of Kakashi and his team.
In the end, they could only leave in disappointment.