After countless jutsu clashed and thundered across the battlefield, the Third Raikage and Senju Hideki were both charred black from head to toe.
Three seconds later, Senju Hideki finally collapsed.
The Third Raikage, however, still stood tall.
"A Senju ninja always has backbone. He didn't disgrace the name of the Senju clan."
The Third Raikage withdrew the hand that had pierced through Senju Hideki's abdomen.
"Hideki has fallen. Now it's your turn."
From another battlefield, Nara Shikaku and his two companions charged over. Seeing Senju Hideki collapse, the three of them had no time to grieve.
Because they knew—they would be next.
"Chōza, we'll be counting on you soon. Inoichi, we need to risk everything to buy even the slightest opening for Chōza."
"Got it."
"I won't let you down."
Akimichi Chōza clenched a red pill in his hand, ready to swallow it at any moment.
"Super Push Palm."
A massive hand slammed into them, sending the trio flying.
The Ino–Shika–Chō clan heads arrived a step too late after finishing off Yotsuki Ei.
"You youngsters really have no manners these days. Trying to die so early—are you planning to make us old men work a few more years?"
The Nara clan head panted heavily, clearly having just exerted himself.
"Exactly. Fighting your own fathers over who gets to rest forever first—how rude."
The Yamanaka clan head joked.
"Mm."
The Akimichi clan head nodded in agreement.
At last, the Third Raikage grew serious.
"Ino–Shika–Chō, huh? Looks like Ei fell to you."
"You mean that black guy? Well, all of you Cloud Village folks look the same—no distinguishing features. We've killed plenty like him. Not sure which one you're talking about."
"Hmph. Empty words."
"Let's hope so. Third Raikage, don't you dare leave on your own."
Hearing this, the Akimichi clan head immediately swallowed a chili pill.
Let my Will of Fire fully bloom today.
"Akimichi Secret Technique: Butterfly Mode."
...
On Dodai's side—
He urged his sensory ninja anxiously.
"Quick! Hurry! Have you found where Hatake Sakumo is?"
"Dodai-sama, we can't find him! The battlefield is in chaos. Many of our sensory ninja have already been killed—we can't monitor the entire field!"
"The battlefield… the battlefield… Hatake Sakumo isn't here. What is he doing? Surrounding us? Ambush? Targeting the leader… targeting the leader? Quickly—check if Hatake Sakumo is near the Raikage!"
"Dodai-sama, the area around the Third Raikage has the highest concentration of sensory ninja. There's still no sign of Hatake Sakumo."
"Then what is he doing…? No… contact the ninja back in the village!"
"We can't, Dodai-sama! We've lost contact!"
"Targeting the leader… but the 'leader' isn't the Third Raikage—it's the Cloud Village itself."
Dodai suddenly realized the truth.
Those Konoha lunatics…
They never planned to return alive.
Hatake Sakumo must be the same.
All they wanted was to drag the Cloud Village down with them.
The Cloud ninja had already suffered more than half their losses. Add to that a Kage-level fighter in the village who doesn't care about life or death, wreaking havoc—
Whether Konoha falls or not is uncertain.
But the Cloud Village is doomed.
"Send the order immediately! Full retreat! This battle can't continue—Konoha is trying to take us down with them!"
Three green signal flares shot into the sky.
The Cloud Village's retreat signal.
"Retreat!"
"Damn it! How can we retreat now? We have the Third Raikage—we're about to win!"
"Damn it, are the commanders idiots?!"
"Watch your mouth. Follow orders."
The Cloud ninja began a large-scale retreat.
The Konoha ninja clung to them relentlessly, determined to leave more enemies behind.
Boom—
A bolt of lightning split the air.
The Third Raikage stood at the front line.
"You withdraw. I'll cover the rear."
After cutting down a group of pursuing Konoha ninja, the Konoha forces finally gave up the chase.
Once most of the Cloud ninja had withdrawn, the Third Raikage also turned and left the battlefield.
When the battle ended, the Konoha ninja collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted.
"The war… is finally over."
Nara Shikaku looked at his father—his chest pierced with a gaping hole—and tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.
"Why… why… the one who should have died was me. I made the plan…"
Yamanaka Inoichi held his own father tightly.
Akimichi Chōza cradled his emaciated father while vigilantly scanning the surroundings, afraid someone might ambush Shikaku and Inoichi.
"Hideki! Hideki! How are you?!"
Shinku, Mitarashi Shishō, and Kurama Gan frantically examined Senju Hideki's body.
Though they had been the ones to strike the hardest, they were also the ones who most wanted him to live.
"Haa… haa…"
The faint sound of breathing now seemed thunderously loud.
"Hideki… he's not dead!"
"Quick—find a medical ninja! Where's the medic?!"
"Where's the medic?! Where the hell did they go?!"
"Here! I'm here!"
A bespectacled female ninja rushed over.
"Mystical Palm Technique."
Green light enveloped Senju Hideki's abdomen, stimulating rapid cell regeneration.
"Huh? Why is the Mystical Palm working so quickly on him?"
She had no time to dwell on the question and continued pouring all her chakra into the technique.
Fifteen minutes later, her chakra was completely depleted.
Senju Hideki's breathing gradually stabilized.
Nara Shikakaku pressed a hand against the severed stump of his right arm.
"Shikaku… what now? You're the commander. Save your grief for after we return to the village."
"…Yes, Shikakaku-san."
Nara Shikaku forced himself to recover.
"All forces, clean up the battlefield. Gather the bodies of our fallen comrades. After that, we'll station ourselves at the border of the Land of Fire."
"This time, the Cloud Village has seen our resolve to fight to the death. With Sakumo-sensei remaining in the Land of Lightning, ready to strike the Cloud Village at any moment… the Third Raikage is a good man. He loves his people and his village."
"This will lock their sharpest spear inside the Cloud Village."
"If he truly ignores everything, then we'll drag them down with us. The Third Raikage might survive—but he'll be the only one who does."
...
On the Cloud Village side—
"Raikage-sama, you must return to the village immediately! Hatake Sakumo may have already arrived there. Konoha's goal is mutual destruction!"
"If you eliminate all the Konoha forces here, Hatake Sakumo will also fight to the death in the Cloud Village. The destruction caused by a Kage-level fighter who doesn't fear death is unimaginable!"
"Even if Konoha is destroyed, we will become the next Konoha. Ōnoki of the Stone Village will never let a weakened Cloud Village off the hook!"
Dodai urgently laid out his full analysis.