The Humiliating Journey Home

The heavy armistice agreement beneath Kikyō Mountain City, filled with humiliating terms, was like a final verdict, drawing a blood-red end to Sunagakure's all-out eastern campaign. What followed was the long, agonizing withdrawal mandated by the agreement.

The entire retreat remained under the close "escort" and supervision of Konoha's ninja. Every step required permission from Konoha's command headquarters, like a slow execution.

The first to depart were Shaye and his unit, who had long been waiting in the Land of Rivers camp like prisoners. They received clear orders: immediately escort every wounded man capable of moving back to Sunagakure in the Land of Wind as the first group.

There were no cheers, no anticipation—only numb, deathly silence. Shaye silently organized the men, helping those with lighter injuries to their feet while carrying the severely wounded on crude stretchers. All their ninja tools and puppets had been confiscated. They were truly empty-handed now, left with only tattered shinobi attire and wounds carved deep into their hearts.

Under the cold gaze of a squad of Konoha ninja, this group composed entirely of wounded soldiers silently left the Land of Rivers camp, now under Konoha's control, and set out on the long road back to the Land of Wind. The journey remained difficult, but compared to the oppressive surveillance they had endured on the way there, it now carried an even greater desolation, like that of people without a home. Shaye walked at the head of the column. His back remained straight, yet it bore an unspeakable weight. The Pocket Body Refining Furnace on his wrist continued to emit faint energy, sustaining him and reminding him that strength was the only voice that mattered.

After the first group of wounded was sent away, the true main event began—the withdrawal of the several thousand