As dawn gradually broke, the situation in this massive surprise assault against Konoha also began to clear up.
At the outset, Konoha had been caught off guard and surrounded by the enemy. But as time passed, the battle gradually reached a stalemate.
The key reason was that the Kirigakure Ninja under Suikazan Fuguki had not appeared where they were supposed to according to the original plan.
In other words, the disappearance of those several hundred ninja had made the original strategy impossible to sustain, affecting the forces attempting to storm the shore from the front.
Even so, Kirigakure could at most be considered to have suffered a minor defeat. But when Uchiha Chen suddenly entered the battlefield wielding Samehada, the scales of war began to tilt toward Konoha.
In particular, he alone held back Terumi Sora and several other top-tier fighters while still having the strength to kill other Mist Ninja. It left the Konoha Ninja utterly dumbfounded.
They finally understood why this eighteen-year-old Uchiha Ninja had become a frontline commander and received special allowances from the Konoha Elder Council while they remained ordinary ninja.
"Retreat!" As the sun rose, Terumi Sora finally forced out that single word through his bleeding mouth.
His voice suddenly rang across the battlefield. The remaining four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—Juzo Biwa, Kushimaru Kuriarare, Jinpachi Munashi, and Hozuki Oboro—immediately withdrew from the fighting and darted toward the sea without hesitation.
After piercing Jinin Akebino's heart, Nawaki turned his gaze, preparing to choose his next target.
However, he had used Slug earlier, then fought Jinin Akebino for a long time before barely managing to kill him. Though his Chakra had not yet run dry, his physical strength could no longer hold out.
Still, he forced himself to keep fighting. With the enemy retreating, this was