Including Haseo, thirteen Konoha ninja had originally arrived on this island. However, only six were left who could make it back to the Front-line Camp after the battle.
After the retreat of the Third Mizukage, the continuous explosions of Steam-Fueled Detonation ceased as well, but Haseo wasn't about to risk going over there himself or sending someone else—because he knew too well that duds could be deadly. Who knew if that steam explosion had really cleared out or was just waiting to ambush someone? Haseo couldn't afford any more losses.
In addition to the six ninja who died in the initial surprise attack, another Konoha ninja was killed in the ensuing battle. But honestly speaking, the current outcome for the Konoha squad wasn't all that terrible. From the start, they'd been completely outmaneuvered by Mist's plans. So even if they'd been wiped out completely, it wouldn't have been surprising.
And the reason they managed to limit their casualties to this extent actually had little to do with Haseo himself, who had needed to keep his focus fully on the Third Mizukage… Instead, most of the credit goes to Might Duy, who showed up unexpectedly and played a role no one saw coming during the fight.
Ninjas who specialized in Taijutsu—mastering hand-to-hand combat and relying solely on raw punches—were often the toughest, most unstoppable opponents.
"Although it might not feel like proper revenge or payback, our enemies have paid a corresponding price, haven't they?" said Haseo.
From the beach, he returned to the battlefield and lightly placed one foot atop a severed arm, grinding and rolling it around with his sole before kicking it aside.
He spoke these words to the Byakugan-wielding ninja.
The Hyuga ninja had lost his arm in the initial clash, and now the Third Mizukage had also "paid him back" during Haseo's final assault. Although such injuries couldn't be physically restored, at least psychologically, Haseo could help ease his subordinates' sense of imbalance.
One Kage's arm for an ordinary ninja's? That's a good deal.
"The cleanup of the battlefield and retrieval of our fallen comrades can wait. Right now we must return as soon as possible," Haseo continued. He glanced over what used to be the Uzumaki Ninja Village, now lying in ruins. Unfortunately, time was tight, and the situation hadn't stabilized enough for them to calmly organize the battlefield.
Still, even if Haseo urged haste, the remaining members of the squad were already moving slowly. After such intense conflict, everyone bore injuries—even without having received distant medical treatment, Haseo himself would've been badly hurt too.
Losing arms, blood loss, varying levels of chakra depletion—all these issues significantly impeded the team's mobility. Even Might Duy, who had been so fierce moments ago, had now collapsed from exhaustion due to the side effects of the Eight Gates, enduring pain while leaning heavily on a teammate.
To avoid a second ambush targeting their weakened state, even though he worried about the camp, Haseo still insisted on staying and moving with the group. At present, he was the one in the best condition, and also the only one capable of providing protection.
The squad swiftly crossed the sea surface and hurried back to Konoha's eastern front camp.
Not long after returning to the Land of Fire, Haseo discovered signs of battle… It was only natural. The Mizukage's move amounted to an effective declaration of war against Konoha. His surprise attack demanded a strategic objective—to completely crush Konoha's weak frontline forces in one fell swoop.
Only after these stumbling blocks were removed could Hidden Mist proceed with its next steps—whatever plans it had in store. More importantly, it could seize the initiative in this conflict… After all, eliminating Konoha's reconnaissance units blinded the Hidden Leaf, even temporarily.
Just a momentary blindness of those eyes would allow Hidden Mist to make preparations in the shadows. And strategic advantages accumulated bit by bit like this… Ultimately, neither ninja village could destroy the other outright.
Hidden Mist had already made up its mind and launched a thunderous strike without hesitation. Yet Konoha, from the very beginning, misjudged Mist's intentions, leading to the current situation—although Haseo was the highest-ranking officer at the eastern front, ultimately it was difficult to place blame for the losses suffered on his shoulders.
They had barely arrived at the front two days ago. Even if Haseo had been an incompetent commander, he hadn't yet issued any orders that would spell total destruction for his unit.
Yet was Konoha's upper echelon truly unforgivable for their miscalculation? They simply dealt with Mist using conventional logic carried over from the previous great war. Who could have predicted that suddenly Mist would bare its fangs toward Konoha?
Signs of combat appeared first, and as Haseo and others moved forward, the sounds of battle reached their ears.
What else could be done? Keep fighting. Taking a deep breath, Haseo formed hand seals once more.
[Ninjutsu: Summoning Jutsu.]
Katsuyu's massive body instantly appeared atop the forest canopy. Standing atop Katsuyu now, Haseo could overlook the battlefield below.
At the same time, both allies and enemies immediately noticed Haseo's return.
"That's Lord Haseo's summoned beast."
"Lord Haseo is back!"
Such words erupted simultaneously from different corners of the battlefield—his return as the pillar of strength caused the morale of Konoha's outnumbered and retreating ninja to surge dramatically.
Haseo was usually pretty laid-back—sometimes sarcastic, sometimes hard to read. But now wasn't the time for that. He knew everyone was counting on him.
Underneath his bloodstained clothes, the sealing formula on his shoulder slowly retracted while another small slug nestled itself again into his robe.
Haseo flicked his wrist and formed another hand seal:
[Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!]
An orange-red fire dragon, accompanied by rolling waves of heat, poured down from atop Katsuyu—but it did not target any specific enemy; rather, it rained upon the distant forest.
This Fire Release jutsu might have originated from the Sarutobi clan or the Uchiha clan, but the source didn't really matter. Without a doubt, under the enhancement of the Nine-Tails' chakra, Haseo was now performing this technique on an unimaginable scale.
It was just like the Earth Release he had used earlier.
Katsuyu slowly rotated its massive body. As it did, Haseo's Fire Release began to swirl as well. The entire battlefield erupted in flames, spreading even wider.
Until the flames spread and met at both ends of the forest.
A ring-shaped wall of fire surrounded the Konoha front-line camp.
Fiery clouds began to glow above the battlefield.
Haseo made one thing clear—since the outpost's position had already been compromised, why not turn it into a grand spectacle for all to witness?
But there was just one rule… No enemy trapped within this fiery circle would be getting out anytime soon.
In fact, none of them were ever leaving.
Haseo vanished from atop Katsuyu.
By protocol, the first move was to shut the gate. Then… time to eliminate the enemy.
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