Konoha's shinobi had come quickly and retreated even faster. The ambush had already failed; if they continued to fight, they would only be swallowed by the enemy's sea of troops.
In this battle, Konoha lost twenty high-level fighters, nearly all of them around Elite Jonin level. Many of the remaining higher-ups were injured as well.
Since the Second Shinobi World War, Konoha had never suffered such grave losses.
Likewise, Sunagakure's losses were no less than Konoha's—perhaps even several times greater. Setting aside the lower- and middle-ranking shinobi, even one-third of their upper ranks had died. Had the newly inaugurated Third Kazekage not demonstrated such formidable strength, the casualties would likely have been even worse.
It was also this battle that initially stabilized the Third Kazekage's position.
What followed was an all-out war between Konoha and Sunagakure. After this clash, both sides understood that the matter could not be peacefully resolved, and swiftly mobilized shinobi toward the border.
For the first time since the Second Shinobi World War, two major shinobi villages had openly shown signs of conflict. The entire shinobi world quickly turned its gaze toward the border of the Land of Rivers.
As a small nation situated between the two great countries of the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire, the Land of Rivers had always served as a buffer zone. For many years, it had possessed no significant military strength, not even a shinobi village.
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not want to see the situation reach this point, but he had no choice. Sunagakure had to be fought. Whether it was the matter of the Uzumaki Clan or the earlier ambush, an explanation had to be given—not only for the Senju Clan, but for all of Konoha.
Fortunately, after years of recuperation and growth, Konoha's strength had