The team led by Uzumaki Kuming moved at a very fast pace. Although Fugaku and the others had all sustained a few injuries, they weren't serious enough to slow them down. Once Uzumaki Kuming had recovered with Fugaku's help, the team picked up the pace even more.
Without Houtu's bird-shaped clay creatures to support them, the Stone Ninja chasing from behind couldn't close the distance quickly. By the time Houtu's Chakra had recovered and he had made some new clay birds, Jiuming and the others had already escaped the range of the Stone Ninja's Sensory Ninjutsu. They could no longer pinpoint the team's location.
"Old Man, we've lost them!"
Night fell in the Land of Rain.
Rain poured down from the sky, washing away the tracks Uzumaki Kuming and the others had left as they traveled. Houtu crouched on the ground, unable to find any traces to follow. He went to Kitsuchi and spoke toward the wooden box.
"Thunk."
The wooden box opened, and Ōnoki slowly floated out. The rain quickly soaked his clothes. After listening to the report, Ōnoki pondered for a long while, then let out a quiet, reluctant sigh.
"Did we fail in the end? Uzumaki Kuming poses too great a threat to us."
"We made all those preparations, and still failed."
Ōnoki gazed into the darkness beneath the rain and fell silent.
"Teacher, what do we do now?" Kitsuchi turned and asked in a low voice.
"Retreat!"
"It's been nearly six hours since we made our move."
"Even if Konoha's border forces are slow to react, that's more than enough time for them to assemble troops and send reinforcements. While Konoha's main force is still slow to respond, we'll hurry back through the Land of Birds."
"Houtu, do you have enough clay? We'll have to fly