Several days later, in the Land of Rivers.
At the Hidden Sand Village's frontline headquarters, its forces had begun a full withdrawal.
Except for scouts on the front lines, all combat units had pulled back to their camps within the Land of Rivers.
The small units that had once scattered through the forests to harass the Leaf Village's supply lines now vanished like an ebbing tide.
The Land of Rivers, a small country wedged between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, had now become the Hidden Sand Village's main base.
Tents stretched on and on, and supplies were piled like mountains. Much of those supplies had been requisitioned locally.
Food, medicine, even conscripted laborers-the people of this weak nation seethed but dared not speak out.
They could only bow their heads and toil under the blades of the Hidden Sand Village's ninja.
Inside the command tent, the atmosphere was grim.
Chiyo sat at the head, with Ebizo beside her. Rasa and Pakura sat on either side, with several senior Hidden Sand Village officials behind them.
A scout knelt on one knee, delivering his report:
"...The Leaf Village's main force reached the border a few days ago. They are currently encamped roughly fifty li from our position.
Their commanders have been confirmed as Hatake Sakumo, Tsunade, and Hyuga Tianyi."
Crack-
A sharp sound rang out.
Rasa crushed the teacup in his hand, spilling scalding tea and porcelain shards across the floor.
His eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and a fierce killing intent erupted from him, almost tangible.
The temperature throughout the tent seemed to drop several degrees.
Hyuga Tianyi!
That name plunged into his heart like a knife.
His arm, his legs, every agony he had endured over the years, every sleepless night spent tossing and turning-all of it