To Repay My Debts, I'll Become Hokage!

As enemies, Sunagakure was naturally well aware of the prestige of Hatake Sakumo, a man whose strength could rival that of a Kage.

For these remnants of a defeated force to attempt to kill Hatake Sakumo was nothing short of a pipe dream.

What was more...

Karura looked back, her face etched with anxiety.

The Konoha ninja were catching up.

Karura gritted her teeth, her eyes reddening as tears spilled forth, uncontrollable.

Sunagakure had suffered heavy losses today; their vitality had been severely wounded.

Rasa, a Jonin and a high-ranking disciple of the Third Kazekage, was dead.

The Akasuna Couple—the son and daughter-in-law of Elder Chiyo, elite Jonin of the village, and the captains leading their Sunagakure unit—were dead.

Losing three such heavyweight figures at once was a burden Sunagakure simply could not bear.

"Go! Do not fight, we must leave quickly!"

Yashamaru shouted, and the Sunagakure ninja around him relayed the orders from Karura and Yashamaru.

Rasa was dead. The Akasuna Couple was dead.

Karura and Yashamaru were not the highest-ranking ninja among them, but their status was high enough that their words carried significant weight.

The Sunagakure forces listened to their words, yet the fury rising in their hearts overwhelmed their reason.

They were determined to avenge Captain Akasuna!

"Damn it!"

Seeing this, Yashamaru struck the tree beside him in hatred.

He watched as Hatake Sakumo wove through the Sunagakure ranks like lightning, unleashing a peerless slaughter.

His Sunagakure comrades were being harvested like chives, row after row.

Yashamaru's hands and feet went cold, a sense of powerlessness gripping his heart.

That man, Hatake Sakumo, was simply too strong; his speed was so fast that Yashamaru couldn't even track his movements.

If he couldn't even see him, how could he hope to fight him?

"Sister, let's go."

Yashamaru and Karura ignored the enraged Sunagakure ninja; if they wanted to stay, let them stay.

Cruel as it was, their deaths could buy time for the others to retreat.

Karura and Yashamaru departed with desolate expressions, the sounds of their comrades' screams and agony echoing behind them...

"Captain-General!"

"Sakumo-senpai!"

Uchiha Chonhua and the others caught up, seeing Hatake Sakumo standing there with his White Fang short blade, surrounded by a field of corpses.

The Konoha ninja exchanged glances, all of them somewhat surprised.

Why would the Captain-General be here?

Makoto Yamagami and others among them vaguely guessed the truth, and they all turned to look at Uchiha Chonhua in unison.

The secret mission Lord Chonhua was executing must have been related to Lord Sakumo!

To be able to work alongside the legendary Hatake Sakumo.

Makoto Yamagami and the others looked on with admiration; as expected of Lord Chonhua!

Hatake Sakumo shook the blood from the White Fang and sheathed his blade.

He turned back, the murderous aura from moments ago replaced by a gentle smile.

"Greetings, everyone."

Orochimaru stepped forward, his snake-like eyes peering into the depths of the dense forest.

"Shall we pursue them, Sakumo-senpai?"

Hatake Sakumo shook his head and smiled. "This time, one might say it is best not to pursue a desperate foe."

"If we press them too hard, Sunagakure might truly throw caution to the wind and fight to the death. That would be troublesome, and I do not wish for anyone from Konoha to suffer further losses."

Hatake Sakumo walked over to the bodies of the Akasuna Couple and said, "Our objective has been achieved; the leaders have been eliminated. Let us give Sunagakure some time to reflect."

Having lost their backbone, the remaining Sunagakure ninja were nothing but scattered sand, destined to collapse at the first sign of pressure.

By giving Sunagakure time for their anxiety to fester, Konoha would be able to launch an all-out assault later. With the strong facing the weak, the enemy would be far more inclined to retreat and flee.

And once they retreated, they would be driven out of the Land of Fire entirely!

Hatake Sakumo issued his order: "Clear the battlefield and rest for the day! The day after tomorrow, we launch our all-out assault. We will drive Sunagakure out of the Land of Fire, leaving not a single one behind!"

Hearing this, the Konoha ninja were filled with high spirits and responded with a loud shout.

"Yes!"

Just as Hatake Sakumo had said.

The Sunagakure ninja returned to their camp, but once the immediate life-or-death crisis had passed, their inner anxiety and unease began to spread uncontrollably.

Every Sunagakure ninja felt their own life was in jeopardy.

Lord Rasa was dead, the Akasuna Couple was dead, and a vast number of their comrades were dead.

Why were they still staying here?

Immediately, some Sunagakure ninja requested a retreat, demanding to leave the Land of Fire.

A Sunagakure Jonin, seeing such a request, flew into a rage and slapped the man across the face.

"You bastard! How could our Sunagakure have a coward like you!"

His gaze, filled with fury, swept across the surroundings, causing the Sunagakure ninja to lower their heads in shame one after another.

Chapter 72: Sunagakure Retreat

"This is a place we occupied with such great difficulty; if we just retreat and give it up like this, I will be the first to refuse!"

Yashamaru wore a look of melancholy, his brows furrowing tightly as he heard the Sunagakure Jonin's words.

"Jonin Midori, our Sunagakure has suffered heavy casualties this time, and Captain Rasa and the Akasuna Couple..."

Yashamaru sighed, his voice low. "We lack the strength now; we simply cannot contend with Konoha."

"Jonin Midori, let me remind you: you know the strength of Hatake Sakumo. We have no chance of winning."

The Jonin named Midori certainly understood that the disparity in power between the two sides was vast.

He said hatefully, "We only need to hold out for a while longer, waiting for the reinforcements from Elder Chiyo to arrive."

"Elder Chiyo will certainly not sit idly by regarding the deaths of the two captains; she will surely come to this battlefield in person."

"As long as Elder Chiyo arrives, things will definitely turn around for us!"

Another Sunagakure Jonin who did not want to retreat nodded in agreement.

"That's right! Once reinforcements arrive, we will win!"

Jonin Midori's words gained the approval of the other Sunagakure ninja, and even those who had been scared out of their wits and were desperate to retreat began to hesitate.

--Perhaps, they could hold on a little longer?

As long as Elder Chiyo led reinforcements to arrive with all speed, they would still have the conviction to continue fighting!

Karura saw that the people in the area were somewhat moved, and she sighed softly. "The problem now is, will Konoha give us the time to hold on?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the noisy environment suddenly turned solemn, falling into a dead silence.

"Jonin Midori, it would be better not to harbor unrealistic fantasies."

Karura said quietly, "You must think of Sunagakure, you must think of everyone here. Jonin Midori, please reconsider."

Yashamaru chimed in with a huff, "You think too highly of Konoha. We are so weak now that it is impossible for Konoha not to want to kick us while we're down and annihilate us in one fell swoop."

"You think standing firm will bring reinforcements?"

Yashamaru shook his head, his gaze mocking.

Escaping is shameful, but for the current Sunagakure, it is very useful!

This look made Jonin Midori feel stifled; he wanted to say something in rebuttal, but could only spit out empty words.

"As... as long as we hold the position, there will surely be a way..."

His voice grew lower and lower. Jonin Midori knew clearly that if they stayed here any longer, the entire Sunagakure force would inevitably be wiped out.

But... but!

Jonin Midori clenched his fists, his face full of unwillingness.

They had marched into the Land of Fire with high spirits and had occupied a piece of fertile land that Sunagakure had dreamed of for ages.

Could it be that they were just going to slink away in defeat and spit out this fertile land?

There must be a way!

Jonin Midori pursed his lips, thinking constantly, but in the end, he could not come up with any effective solution.

The scene suddenly became silent, and the sound of everyone's breathing became clear.

Whether it was sorrow, hatred, or melancholy...

Karura rubbed her eyes; she had cried so much that they were swollen.

Rasa...

Karura felt sorrow in her heart. Thinking of the bits and pieces of their time together, the experiences she had shared with Rasa now echoed in her mind, becoming increasingly profound and unforgettable.

So... I was in love with Rasa.

Only at this moment did Karura truly recognize the thoughts in her heart, yet this realization only deepened her sorrow.

Rasa... he was already dead!

Some feelings can only be recalled in hindsight, but even then, one is already lost in bewilderment.

Karura covered her face helplessly; the memories of Rasa in her mind were fading, leaving behind only that pair of eerie, scarlet Sharingan.

Uchiha Chonhua!

It was a hatred carved into her very bones. Karura bit her lip so hard she did not even notice it splitting and bleeding.

[I will... I will definitely kill you and avenge Rasa!]

Swish!

At that moment, the sound of the tent flap being lifted jolted everyone in the command tent from their thoughts.

They all turned to look at the newcomer.

The Sunagakure ninja was panting heavily, unable to even catch his breath as he hurriedly reported: "The intelligence unit has received word that Konoha intends to rest for one day, and they will launch an all-out attack against us the day after tomorrow!"

"An all-out attack!?"

The expressions of the Sunagakure members turned grim; an all-out attack from Konoha was the last thing they wanted to hear right now.

Yashamaru observed their pale faces and stood up with a heavy expression.

"Everyone, our illusions are shattered. Konoha will not give us the chance to hold out; in such a short time, we cannot possibly wait for reinforcements."

Yashamaru looked at the Sunagakure ninja who had delivered the report.

"Is the information absolutely certain?"

The Sunagakure ninja took a deep breath and nodded solemnly: "Absolutely certain. Hatake Sakumo issued the order on the spot, and everyone in Konoha knows it."

Yashamaru tilted his head back and let out a long sigh.

"Let us retreat."