"Faster! Move faster!"
Rasa had abandoned his usual calm and composure, repeatedly urging his subordinates to pick up the pace.
At his words, his subordinates gritted their teeth and sped up again. But that only lasted a little over ten minutes before their pace slowed once more, even falling below what it had been before.
They were exhausted.
They had just fought a grueling battle that had drained them both physically and mentally, and before they could rest, they had to travel through the night. Shinobi were only human, after all. How could they not be affected?
"Brother-in-law, let's rest for a bit. At this rate, even if we reach Kikyo Castle, we won't have any strength left."
Yashamaru leaped over to Rasa's side and urged him to stop.
Rasa turned his head. His bloodshot eyes reflected the exhausted faces around him. Some people were swaying on their feet. He fell silent for a moment, then said in a hoarse voice, "Rest here for ten minutes."
The people behind him secretly breathed a sigh of relief. They hurriedly leaned against the trees and pulled out soldier pills, chewing them in great mouthfuls. They didn't dare sit down, afraid they wouldn't have the strength to get back up.
Yashamaru walked over to Rasa and said softly, "Don't worry. Kikyo Castle has plenty of troops and strong defenses. Hoshino Maki won't be able to take it."
Rasa swallowed the soldier pill in his mouth. "There's no such thing as an impregnable fortress in this world. Besides, Hoshino Maki definitely won't try to take it by force."
Though the thought was a little dark, he still hoped Konoha could hold out a little longer—at least until he arrived.
"Move out!"
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Shikaku Nara and Danzo were also rushing toward Kikyo Castle