Yi, already suffering from internal injuries, forced himself to flee despite the risk of reopening his wounds—all because of the enemy's flawless coordination.
Without a word or even a glance exchanged between them, they executed such a perfect combined attack that Yi couldn't help but feel uncertain.
In one-on-one combat, had it not been necessary to end the fight quickly, he believed he could wear down any one of them—Jiraiya, Orochimaru, or Tsunade—solely through speed.
Even in a one-versus-two scenario, he was confident he could swiftly eliminate one opponent while enduring injuries before finishing off the second.
But facing all three together now, his confidence clearly wasn't enough.
Once Yi reached the foot of the mountain, he would soon come to deeply regret doubting himself today.
After seeing him truly choose to run, the three atop the peak exchanged glances.
"My wound isn't deep. I can still fight after treatment."
"Good," Jiraiya and Orochimaru both said at once.
Not saying a word, Jiraiya and Orochimaru turned and vanished in opposite directions.
Tsunade gathered chakra in her palm.
Shortly afterward, after healing the internal injuries, she ignored the surface wounds and immediately leapt down the mountain.
With Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade's arrival, both Konoha and Yugakure shinobi forces found their morale greatly boosted.
The Kumogakure ninja, who were retreating in good order after spotting the white light in the sky, continued putting up fierce resistance.
When most of them reached the foot of the mountain, they were caught off guard by three incoming reinforcement units from the southwest, east, and another direction.
The Konoha-Yugakure alliance pressed forward relentlessly in pursuit, finally halting at the tall southern mountain as the sun dipped toward the horizon.
Well past midnight, after finishing the tally of the dead and wounded, the trio arrived at Tsunade's makeshift medical tent.
Seeing her furrowed brows, Jiraiya shook his head and moved on to heal another severely injured Yugakure ninja, his throat unconsciously tightening.
Yet he didn't say a word.
Orochimaru and Sakumo remained just as silent and restrained.
Half an hour later, when Tsunade dissipated the chakra in her palms and turned to face the three men, the silence broke.
"Orochimaru's cold voice shattered the quiet within the makeshift clinic.
Including those here, Konoha has lost 370 people, Yugakure 426, and we haven't yet counted the number of critical injuries." Kabuto's cold voice shattered the quiet within the makeshift clinic.
Tsunade tightly gripped her thigh, her head bowed and eyes distant, lost in thought.
As Jiraiya stepped forward intending to comfort her, he felt pressure on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Sakumo shaking his head—so he retracted his leaning body and lowered his head once more.
The four lapsed into silence again.
It wasn't until just before dawn when Tsunade finally lifted her head: "It's my fault. I let them down."
Jiraiya stepped forward again.
This time not stopped, he crouched down: "No, it's my fault. I should've..."
His tone grew increasingly anxious. "I should have noticed earlier that something was wrong with those fighters."
"No, it's my fault!" Sakumo, who had stayed silent for so long, suddenly burst out emotionally. "Back then, I should've suggested dividing our forces!"
"Whatever we say now won't make a difference anymore."
"Orochimaru paused, then turned sideways before continuing, 'Given the current situation, we either stay here or return to the Hot Water Country. Those are our only two choices.'"
"'Think it over carefully. Personally, I support withdrawing.'" After saying this, he turned his back to the three of them.
Jiraiya grabbed Orochimaru's arm before he could take another step, staring into those cold eyes. "So we're just going to leave like this? They're all our comrades!"
"Unless you'd prefer attending another funeral on the same scale?"
Sakumo, Tsunade, and Jiraiya fell silent, heads lowered.
What Orochimaru said was extremely harsh, yet it was reality - the terrifying reality that within more than two months, they had suffered more than fifty percent casualties.
Early morning, two days later.
At Konoha's west gate: Scientific Combat Division, plus fifty Jonin and one hundred and fifty Chunin; nearly three hundred ninja total in this small unit were all waiting here.
They were waiting for one person - the commander who would lead this joint operation with Wind and Grass into the Land of Grass.
At the Hyūga clan compound, the gleaming black Indra's Ship made a perfect sharp turn and came to a stop outside the clan leader's residence.
Shen Uchiha, who had moved through Konoha practically without any restriction, walked straight toward his target room after stepping out of the vehicle.
"Huh? Shen? What are you doing here? I thought you were leaving for the Land of Grass today!" Hiashi, who had stayed up all night watching TV shows, looked confused.
"I'm here to pick up my deputy commander."
Hiashi became even more puzzled. His younger sister had assured him just two days ago she wouldn't go, so why did she suddenly change her mind after only one day?
"Wait, Shen Uchiha."
Shen glanced toward the side as he stood before the door, facing the current Hyūga clan head - also the biological father of his mission objective.
Meide approached him, eyes cast downward as he looked at Shen. "Nayou belongs to the main house. Do you grasp the gravity of taking a main house member into battle?"
"I know. It's just the Caged Bird seal." Shen raised his eyes to meet the stern white gaze. "She's my deputy commander. If the main house has any objections, feel free to challenge me anytime."
"Hmph." Meide sneered slightly, bending forward slightly to face him directly. "I know you've always been bold since childhood, but can you truly withstand the burdens of Hyūga clan traditions?"
"Let's find out." Instantly activating his Three-tomoe Sharingan, Shen replied defiantly. "Whether I truly deserve this position."
Seeing such strong resolve from Shen, Meide felt an unexpected admiration rising inside.
Yet his responsibility as clan leader wouldn't allow him to simply hand over his daughter without question: "And what if I say you aren't qualified?"
"Then today I'll personally crush your Hyūga main house."
In an instant, Meide's Byakugan vision of Shen was completely obscured by an unfamiliar chakra pattern he couldn't penetrate.
White pupils gradually darkening as black patterns spread outward - everything defied his previous understanding.
"Hahahaha!" Suddenly standing upright, Meide burst into unrestrained laughter. "Thousands of years of Hyūga tradition cannot be changed by individual power alone."
Shen in Sage Mode stepped forward, locking his gaze steadily onto Meide. "I, Shen Uchiha, guarantee that Nayou will return unharmed to the Hyūga household."
Meide's lips curled slightly upward, his growing respect now clearly visible in his eyes.
From a father's perspective, he felt relieved that his daughter had a friend brave enough to challenge the Hyūga Clan.
But as the clan leader, there was no way he could agree to this arrangement.
Just as Meide was about to refuse yet again, Shen offered another assurance: "I've already resolved the Nine-Tails issue. The Caged Bird? A trivial matter — I'll deal with that easily enough. I, Shen Uchiha, will definitely find a better solution to prevent the Byakugan from falling into the wrong hands."
The Hyūga Clan's Caged Bird seal was indeed originally intended to protect the Byakugan.
However, after thousands of years, perhaps some had forgotten the true meaning behind this deadly mark.
Shaken once again, Meide's body began to tremble slightly.
Hardly anyone in Konoha even knew the Nine-Tails' seal had been changed.
And those few who did know couldn't identify who had actually altered it.
Meide had originally assumed it was the Uzumaki Clan who had developed a new sealing technique, making the Nine-Tails' seal more secure.
Yet the sheer intensity of the Sharingan alone was enough to make him trust Shen.
"I've never been here," Meide said before turning away.
As a father making this decision, he walked down the hallway with a lonely, desolate figure.
He knew his daughter better than anyone — once she made up her mind, there was no stopping her. She must have promised not to go to the battlefield two days ago simply because she trusted her only friend — Shen.
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