Leaving aside the gains of the Four Village Allied Forces, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others were carried back to camp by Flying Ninja Beasts. What they found, however, was complete chaos. The entire camp had been destroyed, and not a single person—or even a corpse—could be seen.
The sight caused their expressions to shift. After Mitarashi Shiyo, who possessed sensory abilities, confirmed that there was no one in or around the camp, they descended to search and investigate.
"There aren't any corpses left, not even bloodstains. It doesn't look like the Four Village Allied Forces did this."
The group searched for a while but found nothing. Something was very wrong.
Even if the Four Village Allied Forces had sent people to launch a surprise attack, they couldn't have done it so cleanly that not even a trace of blood remained. This looked more like an attempt to destroy all evidence.
"Who's there?"
Mitarashi Shiyo, who had been resting and keeping watch outside the camp, suddenly looked toward the woods ahead after hearing some movement.
"Lord Mitarashi Shiyo, it's us."
Three figures leaped out of the woods. They were Shikaku Nara and the other two.
"You followed them to the battlefield?"
After confirming their identities, Mitarashi Shiyo made a guess.
"We only watched from a distance. We didn't get close."
Shikaku Nara replied, his gaze falling on the camp.
Earlier, he had wanted to obtain more information on the Four Village Allied Forces, so he had persuaded his two teammates to follow and observe from afar. The brutality of that battle had shocked them as well.
But what had happened to the camp?
There had been more than a hundred wounded people stationed there. How had the camp ended up like this?
Could the Four Village Allied Forces still have had