Before he knew it, it was already well past midnight.
Yet Kirigakure had still failed to breach any of the three defense lines.
This infuriated the Jonin commanding Kirigakure's forces.
By the coast.
Aboard a Kirigakure warship.
The Kirigakure commander's expression shifted repeatedly as he read the battle report in his hands.
When he finished, he slammed the report onto the table in fury and cursed under his breath.
"Useless. Every last one of them is useless."
A report had just arrived from the front: Konoha had retaken the territory they had previously captured on the eastern battlefield.
And judging by Konoha's movements, they intended to keep advancing.
The situation on the other two defensive fronts was much the same. Konoha was gradually taking the initiative.
Kirigakure was now at a disadvantage on all three fronts.
And all of this was because of one man.
They had never imagined that Uchiha Ye Chen alone could tie down most of their elite fighters, let alone kill several Jonin.
Even now, killing Yechen was out of the question for Mei Terumi and the others. Whether they could even survive against him remained uncertain.
Forcing down his anger, the Kirigakure commander spoke to someone beside him.
"How long until Konoha's reinforcements arrive?"
A Kirigakure Anbu ninja wearing a black cloak and a mask answered.
"The Flying Fish Squad just sent word. Konoha's reinforcements have reached the coral reef. They'll arrive here in two hours at the earliest."
"Two hours?"
The Kirigakure commander murmured and fell into thought. His fingers tapped lightly against the table, producing a steady clicking sound. After a while, he sighed softly and gave his order.
"Relay my orders. We've lost this surprise attack. Begin preparations to withdraw immediately."
After saying those words, he seemed drained of all strength and