"The last group of shinobi has withdrawn, Captain. We should leave, too."
"Right. Notify everyone—we're heading back to the village."
He gazed across the canyon. Not a soul remained over there. The Sand Shinobi had withdrawn to the Land of Wind. Unless they had completely lost their minds, they wouldn't attack Konoha again.
Orochimaru's original plan had been to follow the example of the Land of Lightning and strike straight at Sunagakure. But trouble kept breaking out along Konoha's other fronts, so to prevent anything from going wrong, Konoha had decided to give up its advantageous position, return to the village to regroup, and then reinforce the other fronts.
Goodbye, Pakura, he said to himself. He couldn't shake the strange feelings he had for the woman whose every inch he had seen. It was the feeling of first love.
I hope you'll listen to me this time. If you find yourself in danger, do what I told you. With a shinobi's Chakra stimulating the Flying Thunder God Formula, he would be able to sense her from a great distance.
The Sand Shinobi camp...
Pakura stood atop a raised sand dune, gazing silently at the endless desert. That man's image kept appearing in her mind. The harder she tried to forget him, the more deeply she remembered him. The streak of crimson blood as he left made her heart tremble.
She had been somewhat distracted these past few days, wondering, I hope his injuries aren't serious. I heard Konoha's medical care is excellent.
She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "Sigh... there I go again."
"Teacher Pakura, we're heading back to the village," a cute little girl called up to her from below the dune.
"Coming." Pakura took one last look toward Konoha's front line, though she couldn't see