The four thousand Iwagakure shinobi gathering in the desert kicked up clouds of dust that filled the sky.
Some scouts out in the desert soon noticed the unusual activity in that direction.
They converged on the outskirts of the battlefield.
Although they had no idea what had happened inside, the sight of so many Iwagakure shinobi moving through the desert piqued everyone's curiosity.
They belonged to different factions, all sent to observe the war between the two sides.
Their job was to gather intelligence and assess whether the conflict would escalate.
Among them were Konoha's Morino Ibiki, Cee and Darui from Hidden Cloud, Kakuzu from the Akatsuki, and the black market scout Itozu.
Some watched through binoculars from atop the dunes, others rode eagle summons in the sky, and still others hid underground.
Every gaze focused on the negotiation site at the center.
At the center.
Seeing no hope of escape, Pakura looked utterly despondent on Zhengye's shoulder. She bit her lower lip and pushed him:
"Put me down! Don't let me hold you back!"
Zhengye said nothing, and his grip did not loosen in the slightest.
Although Pakura was the Kazekage, capturing her was hardly a concern. After all, the Hidden Sand Village was dirt-poor, so there was no need to fear its retaliation.
But Uchiha Zhengye was another matter.
He had the Shinobi World's strongest clan behind him. Besides its many elite shinobi with three-tomoe Sharingan, it also had several wielders of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
They might have plenty of men here, but no one knew how many Iwagakure shinobi Zhengye would take down in a desperate last stand.
Iwagakure might not be able to withstand the Uchiha's retaliation afterward, either.
It was possible that the Iwagakure shinobi meant what they said about letting Zhengye go.
But