So fast… he'd already caught up to them.
Kakashi swallowed hard, his gaze locked on the Fourth Raikage, every muscle tense. He was afraid the man would strike at any second and take a comrade's life.
And along with that fear came a crushing sense of helplessness — deeper than anything he'd felt before.
Old memories surged to the surface.
Obito's death.
Rin's death.
The sacrifice of his teacher, Namikaze Minato.
Almost every time, all Kakashi could do was stand there and watch as they died before his eyes.
It wasn't that he didn't value his comrades — he always had.
But he had never possessed the strength to protect them.
His eyes flicked toward Tenzo at his side, guilt gnawing at his heart.
From the beginning, Kakashi had never believed he could end this war by his own power. His only thought had been to buy time — to hold out until Senju Haruto could arrive.
But now… without Haruto, Konoha's overall strength was far below what it had been during the Third Great Ninja War.
And with Haruto tied up by the Hidden Mist, the village's vulnerabilities were laid bare.
Against the unstoppable advance of the Hidden Cloud forces, they could barely put up a fight.
Especially once Raikage A had joined the battle — from that moment, the tide had turned completely against them.
After some grim consideration, Kakashi had been forced to change plans, ordering Konoha's shinobi to fall back to the Valley of the End and hold there while sending a call for reinforcements.
He had stayed behind with a small group to cover the retreat… and somehow, without realizing it, the situation had become this dire.
At the very least… I have to make sure Tenzo survives.
Kakashi drew in a slow breath, making himself that silent promise.
Tenzo wasn't just his comrade — he was one of only two people in the village capable of using Wood Release.
His value to Konoha far surpassed Kakashi's own.
But just as Kakashi was preparing to create an opening for the others to escape, Tenzo stepped forward without hesitation, placing himself between Kakashi's group and the Raikage.
"Kakashi-senpai, please — take everyone and get out of here."
Tenzo's voice was low and steady, his gaze unshakably firm.
When he decided to stay behind, he had already accepted the worst possible outcome.
"Tenzo…" Kakashi froze for a heartbeat, staring at his back. The thought was hard to accept.
After Obito, after Rin, after Minato-sensei… was he going to have to watch Tenzo die, too?
Why?
Why did it always end this way?
Why did he never have the power to protect his comrades?
Damn it all!
"This is my decision, Kakashi-senpai."
Tenzo brought his hands together in a rapid seal. "You once told me that you never killed your comrades — you just didn't have the strength to protect them."
"I think… this situation is a lot like that time, isn't it?"
"But please forgive me, senpai — right now, the Allied Forces of Konoha need you more than they need me."
"No matter what, please… protect the Leaf!"
With a roar, Tenzo poured all his chakra into the jutsu, raising a massive wooden wall behind him, sealing Kakashi and the others off.
In Tenzo's mind, the ambushers they'd faced so far weren't even close to being a match for Kakashi-senpai.
As long as he could keep the Fourth Raikage occupied, the others would have a chance to withdraw.
You have to live, Kakashi-senpai!
Drawing in a deep breath, Tenzo roared again and charged the Raikage head-on, both arms extended, unleashing the full force of Wood Release: Violent Bullets.
"Wood Release again," A muttered as he saw Tenzo rushing in — and immediately, Haruto's image flickered in his mind.
He had nothing but contempt for this particular kekkei genkai.
Seeing Tenzo's reckless charge, A instantly entered his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, raising his hand into a chopping strike. He sliced through the wooden projectiles without the slightest effort.
Bang!
Clenching his fist, he followed up with devastating taijutsu, smashing it straight toward Tenzo's chest.
Even with quick reflexes and a hastily raised wooden shield, Tenzo couldn't stop the blow — the Raikage's iron fist slammed into his chest, driving the breath and a spray of blood from him, hurling him backward.
Thud!
His back struck his own wooden barrier before he crumpled to the ground.
Against the unstoppable Fourth Raikage, none of Tenzo's techniques could hold.
"Such weak Wood Release."
A's tone dripped with disdain. In both scale and quality, Tenzo couldn't hold a candle to Senju Haruto.
"A wall like this will never stop me!"
With a deep growl, A pushed the speed and destructive power of his taijutsu to the limit under Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
His elbow smashed into the wooden barrier, cracks spiderwebbing outward faster than the eye could follow.
In less than three breaths, the entire wall collapsed with a resounding crash.
"None of you are getting away!"
A blurred forward, fist lashing out toward the fallen Tenzo like a bolt of living lightning.
Even seeing it coming, Tenzo's body couldn't react in time.
The crushing impact drove more blood from his mouth; pain tore through him as if his organs had been shattered to pieces.
Forget standing up to slow the enemy — right now, he couldn't even lift himself off the ground.
"Tenzo!"
Kakashi's eyes widened at the sight, shock running through him.
Hyūga Nichika and Aburame Torigen rushed in, unleashing their clan techniques to strike at the Raikage.
"Kakashi, get out of here!" they shouted in unison.
To them, getting Kakashi to safety was the priority. The Konoha shinobi at the Valley of the End still needed his leadership.
But A had no intention of letting anyone leave.
Bang!
A single punch sent Nichika flying.
Even with the Byakugan's ability to read taijutsu, Nichika's body couldn't keep up with the Raikage's speed.
Torigen fared even worse.
His family's insect techniques were useless against the Raikage — the lightning cloak incinerated the kikaichū instantly.
With a burst of lightning, A seized Torigen by the throat and slammed him into the ground, raising his other hand for a chopping strike meant to finish him.
Kakashi couldn't bring himself to retreat.
He'd already watched Obito and Rin die in front of him — he couldn't let it happen again.
"No!"
He sprinted forward, lightning sparking in his right hand — Chidori. Even knowing it couldn't pierce the Raikage's lightning armor, he charged anyway.
Bang!
But before he could land the blow, a deafening crash split the air. His Sharingan caught the sight of the unshakable Fourth Raikage being blasted backward off Torigen's body.
"…Am I late?"
Who else could it be?
Senju Haruto had arrived.