When Utakata encountered Sunagakure's central army, he knew his plan had succeeded. Using the threat of exploding bubbles, he had stirred the last remnants of fighting spirit in the routed Mist Ninja, allowing them to blast a path to survival through Sunagakure's encirclement. It was, in a sense, a different kind of survival born from desperate circumstances.
However, he knew full well that his mission was far from over. He had to hold back the Sand Ninja's main force for a while longer. Otherwise, Kirigakure's Shinobi Army would soon be caught again, and the rout would repeat itself.
After the last batch of Mist Ninja escaped, Utakata controlled the bubbles around him and surrounded Sunagakure's central army, sealing off every route of escape. After entering a partial Tailed Beast Transformation, his chakra reserves far surpassed those of an ordinary Kage-level shinobi. He had also accumulated a vast number of bubbles along the way; if used properly, they were enough to lock down the battlefield.
Utakata's bubble techniques were best suited for large-scale attacks. Transparent bubbles were the lightest kind of bomb: they could float through the air to seal off space, and in certain environments, they could silently approach their targets, making them impossible to guard against. Though their explosive power could not compare to Deidara's clay bombs, their range far exceeded them. Each had its own strengths and weaknesses.
Sunagakure's central army had been relentlessly pursuing the fleeing Mist Ninja from the rear. They had long since slaughtered to the point of madness, and unlike the left and right armies under Pakura, they had never witnessed the power of the bubbles. Although they found the sudden appearance of so many bubbles on the battlefield strange, they still charged straight in without a care, intending to break through the blockade