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The humiliation and negotiations beneath Kikyō Mountain Castle would not be mentioned for now. For Sayo and the small squad he led, there was only one path ahead—to quickly evacuate their severely wounded comrades from this land of despair and return to the Land of Rivers main camp, where a sliver of familiarity still existed.
The process was far more difficult and oppressive than imagined. They were completely disarmed. Sayo's severely damaged but still precious "mirage," along with the puppets that the other Puppeteers regarded as their lives—whether intact or broken—were all collected by the Konoha Shinobi with expressionless faces and placed under centralized supervision. At this moment, they had truly become unarmed defeated soldiers, left only with the small amounts of medical kits and dry rations they carried.
A Konoha squad of about twenty people, led by a stern-faced Special Jonin, "escorted"—or rather, monitored—them the entire way. Although these Konoha Shinobi refrained from insult or attack as promised, their wary and distant gaze, coupled with their undisguised posture as victors, still pierced the heart of every Sunagakure Ninja like a needle.
Sayo, as the temporarily designated person in charge, bore the greatest pressure. Not only did he have to arrange manpower to carry the most severely wounded comrades on makeshift stretchers, but he also had to constantly monitor the team's condition and soothe those members whose spirits were on the verge of collapse due to defeat and the loss of their puppets. He himself was utterly exhausted; continuous battles and command had drained a large amount of his mental energy. Only the weak energy flow continuously transmitted from the "pocket body cultivation furnace" on his wrist, like a small stream, barely kept his body from collapsing.
The journey became extraordinarily long. The route that had been a raging path for the massive army on the way in was now filled with sorrow on the return. Along the way, the grim traces left by the previous battle were visible everywhere: broken Kunai, scorched clothing, and even bloodstains that hadn't been fully cleaned up, all reminding them of the disastrous defeat they had just suffered. The painful groans of the wounded on the stretchers added immeasurable weight to this journey home.
No one spoke. The team marched in silence, only the heavy sound of footsteps and the creaking of stretchers echoing on the empty road. The shadow of failure, the confusion about the future, and the humiliation of being prisoners of war weighed on everyone's hearts like heavy shackles. The eyes of the young Puppeteers were hollow, as if they had lost the most important things—not just their puppets, but their dignity and faith as Ninja.
Sayo watched all this, his heart equally heavy. But he knew he could not fall. He was the backbone of these remnants of a defeated army. He constantly moved back and forth, using his reasonably proficient Medical Ninjutsu to provide emergency treatment for members whose injuries were worsening, sharing his already scarce water and dry rations with the weaker individuals, and issuing simple instructions in the calmest possible tone.
Finally, after enduring several long and grueling days, the massive frontline main camp established by the Hidden Sand Village within the Land of Rivers appeared on the horizon.
However, the sight before them instantly shattered the faint comfort of "going home" that had just arisen.
The main camp still stood, but the fluttering flags had been changed! The pattern of the sandstorm had vanished, replaced by Konoha's Fire Crest! All the Ninja defending the camp perimeter had also changed to Ninja wearing Konoha vests!
The troops under Akimichi Torifu had already arrived ahead of time and completely taken over the location, according to the agreement (or rather, the victor's prerogative).
A Konoha patrol team approached and exchanged information with the Konoha squad that had escorted them. The Konoha Special Jonin coldly said to Sayo: "You may enter the camp's original medical area to settle the wounded. Unauthorized movement is forbidden, and all actions require our approval. All material warehouses within the camp have been taken over by us. We will provide basic living and medical supplies according to the agreement."
Sayo silently nodded, leaving no room for argument. Under the undisguised surveillance of the Konoha Shinobi, he quietly led the exhausted, utterly demoralized team into what had once been their own main camp.
The camp was much emptier; clearly, most of the remaining personnel had been controlled or relocated. The formerly bustling training ground was deserted, with only teams of Konoha Shinobi patrolling. A strange atmosphere of oppression permeated the air.
They painstakingly settled the severely wounded into the medical tent area, where some medicine and bandages distributed by Konoha were already present, but this was still a drop in the bucket compared to the huge number of casualties. Sayo led the remaining members who could still move, silently helping to treat the wounded and clean up the camp.
Like ghosts, they moved within what was once their own camp, yet they were restricted everywhere and constantly monitored. Their former ambitions, the dream of conquering the Land of Fire, had now dissolved into nothing, leaving only the bitterness of defeat and the helplessness of being prisoners.
Sayo leaned against the edge of a quiet tent, gazing at the distant Konoha banner. A continuous, faint warm current emanated from the "watch" on his wrist. His body was still exhausted, but amidst the humiliating silence, his eyes slowly began to gather a faint glimmer of light once more.
Failure was a foregone conclusion, but as long as they lived, there was a future. How to survive this desperate situation and accumulate strength would be the problem he had to face next. The Land of Rivers main camp was no longer a staging ground for attack; it had become a massive prisoner-of-war camp, and their fate would await the outcome of the negotiations within Kikyō Mountain Castle.
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