As their enemies, the Sand Shinobi knew Hatake Sakumo's fearsome reputation. His strength rivaled that of a Kage.
For these defeated stragglers to kill Hatake Sakumo was nothing but a pipe dream.
Besides...
Karura looked anxiously over her shoulder.
The Konoha Ninja were catching up.
Karura gritted her teeth. Her eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her face despite her efforts to hold them back.
The Sand had suffered devastating losses that day, taking a heavy blow.
Rasa, a favored student of the Third Kazekage and an elite jonin, was dead.
Elder Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law—the village's elite jonin and the captains leading the Sand forces—Akasuna Couple, were dead.
Losing three major figures at once was a blow the Sand could not afford.
"Go! Don't fight. Move!"
Yashamaru shouted. The Sand Shinobi around him passed Karura and Yashamaru's orders along.
Rasa was dead. Akasuna Couple were dead.
Karura and Yashamaru weren't the highest-ranking among the Sand Shinobi, but they held important positions, and their words carried weight.
The Sand Shinobi heard them, but fury surged in their hearts, drowning out reason.
They were determined to avenge Captain Akasuna!
"Damn it!"
Seeing what was happening, Yashamaru angrily punched the tree beside him.
Hatake Sakumo swept through the Sand Shinobi like lightning, cutting down one foe after another.
His Sand comrades were being reaped in wave after wave, like fields of chives.
Yashamaru's hands and feet turned cold. Despair filled his heart.
That man, Hatake Sakumo, was far too strong. He moved so quickly that Yashamaru could barely follow him.
If he couldn't even see him, how could he hope to fight him?
"Elder sister, let's go."
Yashamaru and Karura paid no heed to the Sand Shinobi blinded by rage. If they chose to stay, so be it.
Cruelly enough, their sacrifice could buy them time to escape.
Karura and Yashamaru left with grief-stricken faces. Behind them came the pained screams of their comrades...
"Commander!"
"Senior Sakumo!"
Uchiha Chonhua and the others caught up. At once, they saw Hatake Sakumo standing there with the White Fang Short Blade in his hand, surrounded by corpses.
The Konoha Ninja exchanged glances, surprised.
Why was the commander-in-chief here?
Makoto Yamagami and the others had a vague idea. In unison, they looked toward Uchiha Chonhua.
The secret mission Lord Chonhua had carried out must have had something to do with Lord Sakumo!
To have worked alongside the legendary Hatake Sakumo...
Makoto Yamagami and the others looked at him with admiration. As expected of Lord Chonhua!
Hatake Sakumo flicked the blood from the White Fang, then sheathed the blade.
He turned around. The murderous look was gone, replaced by a warm smile.
"Good to see you all."
Orochimaru walked up and peered into the depths of the forest with his snake-like eyes.
"Should we pursue them, Senior Sakumo?"
Hatake Sakumo shook his head with a smile. "This is a case of letting a cornered enemy escape."
"If we press them too hard, the Sand might stake everything on a fight to the death. That would be trouble. I don't want any more of our people getting hurt."
Hatake Sakumo went over to the bodies of Akasuna Couple. "We've already achieved our goal. Their leaders are dead. Let the Sand have some time to think."
Without a leader, the remaining Sand Shinobi were little more than a scattered mob. They would fall apart in no time.
Give them time to grow anxious, and when Konoha launched its full-scale assault, they would be outmatched and more inclined to retreat.
And that retreat would take them out of the Land of Fire!
Hatake Sakumo gave the order. "Clear the battlefield and rest for a day! The day after tomorrow, Konoha will launch a full-scale attack and drive every last Sand Shinobi out of the Land of Fire!"
The Konoha Ninja cheered and answered loudly.
"Yes!"
Just as Hatake Sakumo had said,
once the Sand Shinobi returned to camp and escaped the immediate threat of death, their anxiety and unease began to spread.
Every Sand Shinobi feared for their life.
Lord Rasa was dead. Akasuna Couple were dead. Countless comrades had died.
Why were they still here?
Some Sand Shinobi immediately called for a retreat, urging everyone to leave the Land of Fire.
An elite Sand jonin heard them and angrily slapped the speaker.
"You fool! How could our Sand Village have someone as cowardly as you?"
His furious gaze swept across the crowd. The Sand Shinobi lowered their heads in shame.
Chapter 72: The Sand Shinobi Withdraw
"This place was hard-won. I'll be the first to say no to giving it up just like that!"
Yashamaru looked troubled. At the elite Sand jonin's words, his brows knitted together.
"Elite Jonin Midori, our Sand suffered heavy casualties this time. Rasa and Captain Akasuna..."
Yashamaru sighed, his voice low. "We don't have the strength to fight Konoha anymore."
"Elite Jonin Midori, let me remind you: you know how powerful Hatake Sakumo is. We have no chance of winning."
The elite jonin named Midori knew full well how great the disparity between their forces was.
He said bitterly, "If we can just hold on a little longer, Elder Chiyo's reinforcements will arrive."
"Elder Chiyo won't stand by while the two captains' deaths go unanswered. She'll surely come to this battlefield herself."
"Once Elder Chiyo arrives, things will turn around!"
Another Sand elite jonin who opposed retreat nodded in agreement.
"That's right. Once the reinforcements arrive, we'll win!"
Midori's words found support among the other Sand Shinobi. Even those who had been frightened out of their wits and wanted nothing but to retreat hesitated.
Maybe they could hold out a little longer?
As long as Elder Chiyo arrived with reinforcements, they would still have a reason to keep fighting!
Karura saw that the others were wavering and sighed. "The question is, will Konoha give us time to hold out?"
The moment she said this, the noisy room fell silent.
"Elite Jonin Midori, you'd best give up on unrealistic hopes."
Karura spoke softly. "Think of the Sand. Think of everyone here. Elite Jonin Midori, please consider this carefully."
Yashamaru chimed in, exasperated. "You think too highly of Konoha. We're in such a weak position now. Konoha won't pass up the chance to take advantage and wipe us out."
"You think we can hold our ground and wait for reinforcements?"
Yashamaru shook his head, his gaze full of derision.
Running away was shameful, but for the Sand right now, it was the sensible choice!
Midori felt stifled by that look. He wanted to argue, but all he could manage was an empty protest.
"If... if we just hold our position, there's bound to be a way..."
His voice grew fainter with every word. Midori knew that if they stayed here, the Sand would surely be wiped out.
But... but!
Midori clenched his fists, his face full of unwillingness.
They had invaded the Land of Fire and advanced triumphantly, occupying a stretch of fertile land that the Sand had long coveted.
Were they really going to retreat in disgrace and give up that fertile land?
There had to be a way!
Midori pressed his lips together and kept thinking, but he couldn't come up with anything useful.
The room fell silent. Everyone's breathing grew audible.
Some were grieving, some were furious, others were troubled...
Karura rubbed her eyes. She had cried so much that they were swollen.
[Rasa...]
Grief filled Karura's heart. Memories of the time she had spent with Rasa echoed in her mind, growing sharper and harder to forget.
[So... I did love Rasa.]
Only now did Karura recognize her true feelings, and the realization made her grief all the worse.
Rasa... He was already dead!
One could cherish the past only in memory, yet at the time, the truth had been unclear.
Karura covered her face helplessly. The memories of Rasa faded, leaving only those strange, crimson Sharingan.
Uchiha Chonhua!
The hatred cut deep. Karura bit her lip so hard that it split and bled, but she didn't even notice.
[I'll... I'll kill you and avenge Rasa!]
Whoosh!
Just then, the sound of the tent flap lifting snapped everyone out of their thoughts.
They all looked toward the newcomer.
The Sand Shinobi was panting. Without even catching his breath, he hurriedly reported, "The intelligence unit has news. Konoha plans to rest for a day, then launch a full-scale attack on us the day after tomorrow!"
"A full-scale attack!?"
The Sand Shinobi's faces fell. The last thing they wanted to hear was that Konoha would attack in full force.
Yashamaru studied their pale faces and rose with a solemn expression.
"Everyone, our hopes are shattered. Konoha won't give us a chance to hold out. There's no way reinforcements will arrive in time."
Yashamaru looked at the Sand Shinobi who had delivered the report.
"Are you absolutely sure?"
The Sand Shinobi took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "Absolutely. Hatake Sakumo gave the order in person. Everyone in Konoha knows."
Yashamaru tilted his head back and sighed.
"We're retreating."
Before you continue