.....
"Hey, Kakuzu, that guy said we should retreat quickly. Should we do as he says?"
"Hmph, do we even need to ask? We just follow orders."
Hearing his partner's words, Kakuzu withdrew his gaze from the Chibaku Tensei and Blue Wheel Reincarnation Explosion, replying coldly.
"Of course, if you want to stay and keep fighting, that's fine too. We're not sticking around anyway."
"Forget it then. I'm actually not that interested in fighting."
Facing Kakuzu's sarcasm, Shinnō did not mind at all. He was no muscle-headed fool. Combining the shocking scene in the distance with Zetsu's retreat notification, he had already guessed the general situation.
If they kept fighting, the monster battling the leader might appear in the next second. Although he was very confident in his current strength, he would not take risks without certainty.
Moreover, even setting aside the distant threats, the opponent right in front of him was no pushover. With the leader already retreating, continuing to fight desperately here was not a rational choice.
"Hey, Hiruko!"
When Hiruko—who was still engaged with Jiraiya in the distance—heard the call and looked over, Shinnō did not choose to speak further. Instead, he signaled to him with a gesture, then turned to exchange a glance with Kakuzu.
After their silent exchange, the two withdrew toward the outskirts almost simultaneously. While retreating, Kakuzu did not forget to use Earth Grudge Fear to drag the excitedly fighting Hidan along as well.
Under the cover of Kakuzu's mask beasts and Shinnō's Zero-Tails, their retreat went very smoothly. As for the remaining Hiruko, with his mastery of Swift Release and no intention to linger in battle, most people would not be able to stop him.
And he did exactly that. After seeing Shinnō's retreat signal, he no longer entangled with Jiraiya and fled at a speed far faster than Kakuzu and Shinnō, who had left first.
.....
"Hey hey, is this a joke? Big brother Sasori, I wonder how shocking the art would be if that thing could explode, hmm."
In the sky,
On a gigantic clay dragon, Deidara had his full attention drawn by the distant Chibaku Tensei and Blue Wheel Reincarnation Explosion. His constant shouting quickly left the red-haired boy beside him somewhat speechless.
"If you really like it that much, then go closer and take a better look. That blue light pillar piercing through the clouds should be the girl we met and fought last time."
"Big brother Sasori, are you serious? That guy looks like even the leader might not be able to beat her right now. You're telling me to go over there? That's no joke."
The red-haired boy bantering with Deidara was naturally his partner, Sasori. In the previous battle, his Hiruko puppet had been destroyed, leaving him no choice but to fight personally.
At this moment, near the clay flying dragon, many red-robed puppets were floating around. However, the most eye-catching was the Third Kazekage, surrounded by countless Iron Sand.
Normally, Sasori would not use Performance of a Hundred Puppets and the Third Kazekage at the same time. However, both Kakashi and Might Guy's strength had exceeded his expectations. From the start of the battle, they had been at a disadvantage.
In the end, it was Deidara who used the clay dragon to gain air superiority and gradually turn the tide. Even so, this was only possible because Sasori controlled the Third Kazekage for cover. Otherwise, facing the taijutsu specialist Guy, the flying dragon would have been little more than a sitting target.