The two sides stood at a standoff, and the atmosphere became heavy to the extreme.
Even their breathing could be heard clearly.
Uchiha Makoto watched with great interest. According to the plot of certain novels, this was usually when an overwhelmingly powerful villain would walk out of the woods while applauding.
Eh?
Uchiha Makoto blinked and looked at the trees beside him, instantly falling silent.
Why did that sound more and more like himself?
Never mind. He would watch the show first.
The atmosphere on the field remained tense, but both sides had tacitly turned their attention to their own elite jonin leaders.
Their decisions were the key.
"Retreat!"
After noticing the gazes on the battlefield, the female Mist Ninja took the initiative and decisively turned to withdraw.
Konoha was fighting on its home turf. Reinforcements could arrive at any moment.
After that brutal battle, they had barely any chakra left and could not afford any accidents!
Besides, this was merely a mission assigned by the village. There was no need for her to gamble with her life over it.
After exchanging so many moves with Sanjie, she had already done right by all the past Mizukage.
"Stop them!"
"Don't let them get away!"
"..."
As the Mist Ninja began withdrawing, voices rang out one after another from the Konoha shinobi.
Some even threw several shuriken from afar in an attempt to stop the Mist Ninja from leaving, yet not a single person rose to pursue them.
Clearly, they were all seasoned battlefield veterans.
They understood the rules of war well.
Sanjie did not make any move either.
He was not confident that he could keep the enemy here, and Uchiha Fugaku favored caution and did not want them to invite further complications.
Still, since the Mist Ninja had chosen