After the battlefield had been cleared, only a little over six hundred combat-capable people remained in the camp. After this battle, nearly half had been killed or wounded again.
Though they had won, those numbers constantly reminded everyone that Konoha had reached the end of the road. The Cloud Ninja had suffered even more deaths, but they still had several thousand troops. If they attacked once more, Konoha would have no way to hold them off.
Shikaku racked his brains but could not think of any way to handle what came next. The only thing they could do was fight to the death.
Then a ninja suddenly came to report that people from the village had arrived.
Shikaku considered it. Very few ninja had remained behind in the village; even if they were all sent here, they would be but a drop in the bucket. Or perhaps the Hokage had issued new orders.
He walked out of the room and found that several hundred ninja had seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the camp. The one leading them was Kushina.
"Ku... Kushina!"
Shikaku was utterly shocked and hurried over.
Jiraiya and the others gathered around as well.
"Why are you here?" Jiraiya could not help asking.
Kushina smiled. "Of course I came to fight and protect the village."
"You..." Jiraiya did not know what to say. Kushina was the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. If she lost control on the battlefield, she would harm both enemies and allies. Besides Minato, no one might be able to subdue the Nine-Tails right now.
Was this Orochimaru's idea...?
Shikaku shifted his gaze to the several hundred ninja.
"These people..."
He recognized most of their faces and knew many of them personally, but he remembered that they were supposed to be severely wounded patients recovering in the