"Senior Sakumo, Asuma!"
The retreating Asuma and Hatake Sakumo both halted as Namikaze Minato approached them head-on.
However, Kakashi and the others were not with him. Instead, he was accompanied by an Ino-Shika-Cho squad.
"Brother Minato!"
"Three seniors!"
As the two sides met up, Asuma hurriedly greeted them.
Minato and the three members of the Ino-Shika-Cho squad all turned their eyes toward Asuma.
News of Asuma's earlier accomplishments had already spread.
Even Minato, who knew how powerful Asuma was, had been greatly shocked, let alone the other Konoha ninja who did not know him well.
"Most of the Sand Ninja have come up!"
"Chiyo is leading them. There are probably over a thousand of them!"
Asuma spoke.
This was the information relayed back when the first Shadow Clone he had left behind dispersed.
Everyone's expressions turned solemn upon hearing this, and they immediately set off.
Hatake Sakumo asked as they moved, "Minato, who is the Front Line Commander?"
Minato said, "It's Jiraiya-sensei!"
"He has already begun establishing a defensive line, but we only have five hundred people this time."
"Last night, almost simultaneously, Kusagakure sent people to the village requesting aid, while the Iwa Ninja moved even before the Sand Ninja did."
"Furthermore, both the Sand Ninja and Iwa Ninja have made moves in the Land of Rain."
Asuma was not surprised by this.
When it came to dealing with Konoha, the other four great ninja villages had absolute tacit understanding.
It was not just the Sand Ninja and Iwa Ninja. The Cloud Ninja and Mist Ninja were certainly waiting for an opportunity as well.
Therefore, Konoha could not simply send all its forces here.
Five hundred against more than a thousand—the gap in troop numbers was no small matter.
So it'll be four against one from here on out!