The next day.
Early morning.
When Yechen's combat unit saw more than a hundred Rock Ninja blocking the road ahead, their faces darkened.
They were just about to escape the Rock Ninja's pursuit and enter the area secured around Willow Town, only to have a group suddenly bar their way. No one would have been happy about that.
If it had been an ordinary unit, that would have been one thing. After all, they had plenty of people on their side, too.
Throughout the retreat, Yechen's squad had kept gathering scattered teams, all so they could break through the defensive line in one final push.
They had been confident at first, but the sight of this Rock Ninja unit told them a hard battle was coming.
The unit before them was no ordinary force. Not only did it lack even a single Genin, but its vigor and bearing were also beyond those of ordinary ninja.
Without a doubt, this was an elite unit.
And the man at its head confirmed it: Hunt, the Explosion Corps member who had met Yechen not long ago.
The moment Yechen saw him, he knew getting through today would not be easy. He himself would be fine, but the Konoha unit around him would likely have to pay a price.
At the sight of Yechen, Hunt could not hide his wariness.
Yechen's name had long since spread throughout Iwagakure. He had rescued the Third Raikage from an army of ten thousand, walked away unscathed after facing the Third Tsuchikage, and even possessed the overwhelming strength to kill the Five-Tails Jinchuriki.
Over the past day, Hunt had also been observing Yechen.
He had been nothing short of a madman. The losses he alone had inflicted on the Rock Ninja nearly accounted for a third of their