The war between the Stone Shinobi and Konoha finally came to an end. After that brutally devastating final battle, the Stone Shinobi had no choice but to abandon every position they held within the Land of Fire and withdraw entirely.
By the time the five-thousand-strong Stone Shinobi force left the Land of Fire, barely more than a thousand remained.
A casualty rate of over seventy percent—the figure was staggering.
It was more than enough to shatter the convictions of most surviving Stone Shinobi.
Beyond the losses suffered by their forces, something even more serious had happened: under Tsuchikage Ōnoki's leadership, they had actually lost Han, the vital Five-Tails Jinchuriki!
That meant Iwagakure had lost one of its only two tailed beasts.
And as both Tsuchikage and commander of this campaign, Ōnoki would shoulder all responsibility.
"Damn that Orochimaru!"
Ōnoki's expression was utterly grim.
Kitsuchi stood before him, not daring even to breathe too loudly.
If Orochimaru and that damned Third Kazekage and his companions had not suddenly appeared to capture the Five-Tails, the battle would never have ended in such a crushing defeat!
Had they managed to hold out, given Konoha's current condition, victory would surely have belonged to the Land of Earth!
Unfortunately, there were no ifs in war.
A defeat was a defeat.
The more than three thousand dead Stone Shinobi did not lie, nor did the missing Five-Tails.
"Where's that brat Deidara? He still hasn't returned?"
Finally calming down from his fury, Ōnoki asked Kitsuchi.
Kitsuchi shook his head with a bitter expression. His father's prized student clearly possessed extraordinary talent that he envied, but that personality was simply...
At those words, Ōnoki smashed the desk before him to pieces.
"That little brat! When he comes back, I'll teach him a proper lesson!"
This time, Deidara had