The Suna-nin had ultimately withdrawn.
Under Hanzo's orders, the Rain Ninja had been the first to leave the battlefield, leaving only the Suna-nin to confront the Konoha Ninja.
The enemy reinforcements' arrival, coupled with their own allies' withdrawal, dealt a severe blow to the Suna-nin's morale.
No matter how unwilling Chiyo was, she could only retreat.
This was no longer the best time to fight Konoha to the bitter end.
But in terms of results, it was enough.
Konoha had suffered a devastating blow, and the Suna-nin had already set an example for the Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin.
What came next would be Konoha's most difficult period.
Main command tent.
The captains of the various Konoha Ninja squads, all looking disheveled, were gathered in the tent along with Tsunade, Danzo, Qifeng—the captain of the Corpse Collection Squad—and his little follower, the unusually placed Shizune.
However, none of the big shots looked very pleased, so Qifeng had completely turned himself into an invisible man.
Even Shizune, the little girl he had gradually led astray, obediently kept quiet in this atmosphere.
Tsunade's face had remained dark the entire time.
She knew that, regardless of the reasons, as the overall commander, she had to bear some responsibility for Konoha's losses this time.
Even if no one would blame her.
Oh, no. There was one person.
Thud!
Danzo slammed his wooden cane against the ground, and the dull sound shattered the strange silence in the tent.
"The alliance between the Suna-nin and the Rain Ninja was something we did not anticipate. But I did not perform poorly. I successfully defended the Land of Fire's border, though we paid a heavy price."
Having spent so long with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo had picked up more or less some of his pleasing rhetoric.
"This is my responsibility. I