Chapter 203 – Evacuation, Pursuit
"Alright, chase them! They must have a huge haul. Once we catch up, we'll take everything for ourselves!"
Excitement flashed in Yagura Karatachi's eyes.
"Yes, sir!"
The Jonin beside him answered with enthusiasm, their eyes filled with hope.
If they could seize that wealth, the Hidden Mist Village would be able to continue developing. After all, who would choose to abandon their home and wander outside if they could stay and prosper within the village?
Now that the Fourth Mizukage had returned to normal, with such resources in hand, the Mist could truly get back on track under his leadership.
The Mist Jonin were like wolves and tigers, their blood burning with excitement. Green light seemed to flash in their eyes as they imagined tearing down the fleeing Iwagakure forces and seizing all their gains.
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"Kitsuchi-san! We can't shake them off! It's like they can sense our every move—they've been chasing us the whole way!"
The sensory ninja's voice trembled in panic.
The Fourth Mizukage himself was leading the pursuit. That alone was terrifying.
If the Third Tsuchikage had been here, they wouldn't have needed to flee—but there was no if.
This operation had only aimed to occupy the northern region of the Land of Lightning, so the Tsuchikage hadn't come personally.
Who could have predicted that Konoha Village would be so magnanimous as to abandon the captured territories of the Land of Lightning entirely?
Those lands alone were filled with resources—and Konoha just left them untouched.
Even more unexpected was the participation of the distant Hidden Mist Village, coming all the way across the sea to join the war.
These two factors had completely thrown Iwagakure's plans into chaos.
"Damn it… that Byakugan is such a pain."
Kitsuchi's face darkened.
Without the Byakugan, they might have shaken off the Mist forces long ago and reached their designated retreat point.
But now, their pursuers clung to them like leeches—every feint, every diversion was exposed in an instant.
At this moment, the Byakugan's terrifying power was on full display—it was as if the enemy could see straight through their very souls.
"Everyone, push harder! Increase your speed!" Kitsuchi roared.
His voice echoed across the fleeing formation, but loud orders couldn't overcome exhaustion.
After a full day and night of retreat, the Jonin could still endure, but the Chunin in the group were beginning to lag behind.
Kitsuchi saw it—and it filled him with anxiety. But what could he do?
He couldn't possibly have the Jonin fall back to cover the retreat for the Chunin.
If he gave that order, none of them might make it out alive.
There was no such rule as Jonin dying to protect Chunin.
Grinding his teeth, Kitsuchi hardened his heart and ignored the stragglers.
Still, the despair on those Chunin's faces pierced deep into his chest like a blade.
"Faster! Don't stop! Once we reach the coast, we'll be safe!" he shouted again, more to encourage himself than the others.
Before their retreat, he had already sent a message to the village. He could only hope his father—the Third Tsuchikage—would arrive in time to provide support.
His father could fly, yes, but flying from the village to the Land of Lightning within a single day was nearly impossible.
Would they truly be safe once they reached the coast?
Kitsuchi wasn't sure.
After all, the Tailed Beast within the Fourth Mizukage was a giant turtle—it might move even faster on water than on land.
Still, all he could do was grit his teeth and keep running northward.
Their ships were docked there, and that was also the rendezvous point his father had been informed of.
He could only pray the Tsuchikage would arrive in time.
At least they didn't need to worry about supplies—their loot was all sealed in storage scrolls.
If things got worse, they could split up and scatter; if the Mist pursued one group, the others might survive.
And when his father arrived, they would counterattack.
They still had the advantage in numbers—what they lacked was a top-tier combatant.
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"Kitsuchi-san! Look behind you!"
A terrified voice snapped Kitsuchi out of his thoughts.
A dreadful premonition filled his heart. He turned—and froze.
Charging toward them was a monstrous figure, its body shrouded in dark red chakra. Three enormous tails swayed behind it as it closed the distance with terrifying speed.
Kitsuchi's pupils shrank sharply.
He recognized that form instantly—Partial Tailed Beast Transformation!
The red cloak surrounding the body was condensed Tailed Beast Chakra.
He had seen something like this before.
Iwagakure once had a Jinchuriki who could fully transform—Roshi, the Four-Tails' host!
Roshi was a powerhouse, a man whose strength once rivaled that of Kitsuchi's father, the Third Tsuchikage.
But because of his conflict with the Tsuchikage, Roshi had long left the village and vanished.
When Kitsuchi was a child, he had witnessed Roshi perform a Partial Transformation just like this one.
Now, the Fourth Mizukage was doing the same—only with one more tail.
Watching the rapidly approaching figure, Kitsuchi realized there was no escaping. They'd be caught within moments.
"Everyone, prepare for battle!" he barked, turning with the Jonin at his side.
There was no other choice—if they didn't hold the Mizukage here, their formation would be torn apart instantly, and the entire unit would be wiped out.
Out of all the scattered Iwagakure teams across the Land of Lightning, he had only 10 Jonin and 90 Chunin under his command.
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Yagura Karatachi, wrapped in the glowing red cloak of the Three-Tails' chakra, quickly caught up to the fleeing Iwagakure troops.
When he saw them stop, a faint smile formed on his lips.
After chasing them for a full day and night, he'd finally cornered his prey.
He should have unleashed the Tailed Beast's power much earlier.
With the Three-Tails' incredible defense, he knew these opponents couldn't possibly harm him.
He could have simply waited for his men to catch up.
Besides—he alone was more than enough to handle this group.
Ao had already used the Byakugan to confirm that the enemy force consisted of only 11 Jonin; the rest were all Chunin.
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"Mizukage-sama, long time no see."
Kitsuchi's expression was calm but his eyes flickered with unease.
Yagura studied him for a few seconds, then frowned slightly. "And you are?"
"I'm Kitsuchi. Years ago, I accompanied my father to the Five Kage Summit—you might remember me."
Yagura blinked, then his memory clicked. "Ah, you're that chubby kid from back then?"
Kitsuchi's face darkened instantly. He wasn't fat—he was solidly built.
But given the situation, he swallowed his pride and nodded stiffly. "Yes, that's me."
"Mizukage-sama," he continued, forcing a polite tone, "we're simply trying to return home. I don't know why you've been chasing us so persistently. Are we just heading in the same direction by coincidence?"
Kitsuchi feigned ignorance, though his heart pounded like thunder.
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