Northern Land of Hot Water.
In the courtyard, Dodai stood with his back to a corner, spewing an endless stream of rubber from his mouth to defend against the enemy's attacks.
By now, he had not only lost an eye but also had an arm severed. Countless wounds of varying sizes covered his body where blades had slashed him.
The Lightning Release that Snake Shadow, otherwise known as Hatake Sakumo, specialized in could not effectively damage the rubber either.
Shikun Mitarashi and Snake Shadow could only use Lightning Release to stimulate and activate their own cells, trying to wound their enemy with swordsmanship.
"Lord Shikun! Enemy reinforcements are coming!"
A Konoha ninja shouted the warning. Inoichi Yamanaka knew there were things he was not meant to see, so he had notified another nearby Konoha ninja rather than rashly connecting to Shikun Mitarashi's mind.
Although he had already sensed an additional chakra presence in the courtyard, he was a smart man who knew what he should not mention.
Shikun Mitarashi turned to Snake Shadow, seeking his opinion.
"Let's go. Our comrades matter more than the mission anyway. Besides, their command has already come under attack. That means we could take out their leadership at any moment. The Third Raikage will come back to defend it."
Shikun Mitarashi nodded.
"Retreat!"
The ninja connected to Inoichi Yamanaka heard the order, and naturally, Inoichi heard it too and relayed it.
Within moments, the Konoha ninja had made their escape.
The battlefield at Hot Spring City.
Jiraiya slumped weakly against a wall, letting Ayaka Kimura treat him.
The fighting that day had been exceptionally fierce. If the Third Raikage had been allowed to act unchecked, Konohagakure might well have suffered a defeat.
Jiraiya had been forced to intervene again, but he could no longer