Chiyo and Rasa received Ebizo's intelligence at the frontline command post and only then learned that Iwagakure had launched a surprise attack, causing devastating losses. Chiyo spat out a mouthful of blood!
"Ōnoki!" Chiyo said through gritted teeth.
Rasa fell silent for a moment before saying, "Elder Chiyo, we can't keep fighting Konoha. This time it was Sunagakure; next time, it might be Kumogakure! I suggest we pull back our lines, retreat to the Land of Wind, and end this war!"
"No! If we retreat just like that, how can we face those who died?" Chiyo rejected the suggestion outright.
"Elder Chiyo, Konoha is the strongest of the Five Great Ninja Villages, and it borders us. Kirigakure is far overseas, so we can disregard them for now. Kumogakure is second only to Konoha. Why don't we cooperate with Kumogakure?" Rasa said.
"How would we cooperate?" Chiyo asked.
"As far as I know, the Third Raikage has always harbored ambitions of challenging Konoha's position as the number one great nation. His personal strength is exceptional, and Kumogakure has the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails jinchūriki. Their strength is no weaker than Konoha's. The Raikage may already be sharpening his blade and waiting for an opportunity!"
Rasa paused, thought briefly, then continued, "After retreating to the Land of Wind, we can concentrate our forces along the border of the Land of Rivers. With the advantage of terrain, our logistics will be far superior to Konoha's ninja forces after their long march. We'll have no problem dragging them down."
"As long as we can hold Konoha in check, Ōnoki and the Third Raikage will naturally pounce like jackals that have caught the scent of meat!"
"With Konoha under attack from three sides, no matter how strong it is, facing three great nations at once, its