Once the encirclement was complete, breaking through was hardly easy, especially when the combat strength on both sides was so uneven. The struggle of cornered beasts was nothing more than a prelude to death.
Even though Orochimaru, who prioritized the greater picture, had foreseen this situation long ago, he remained unmoved. Seizing that fleeting opening for victory, he forced the Stone ninja army into retreat step by step. Meanwhile, the remaining Konoha prodigies faced the most dangerous situation they had encountered since becoming ninja.
Not to mention Lujiu, who was still so immature—even the grown-up version of him would have been helpless in the face of such a desperate situation. Any wisdom would collapse into scattered fragments before an irresistible force.
Uchiha Hyō was confident in his taijutsu and wanted to lead his brother in breaking out first, but he had been gravely wounded in a single exchange, even dragging Uchiha Ashi down with him. If he had not fallen unconscious from his severe injuries, he would probably have been consumed by guilt. Uchiha Ashi's condition was not optimistic either. Though he had not lost consciousness, he had already lost the ability to fight and could probably only await death.
Among the survivors, Lujiu had almost no Chakra left, while Choza was still unconscious. Haiyi still had some Chakra to spare, but could accomplish little of value. Kushina and Minato were both in good condition, with plenty of Chakra remaining and no injuries. They were the two most likely to break through. As for everyone else, those who were injured were injured, and those who were crippled were crippled.
"Attack!"
After taking only a rough glance at Konoha's remnants, the Stone ninja decisively launched their fiercest assault.
In this situation, anyone who understood how to make a choice would not