It was frighteningly quiet behind the rock wall.
Hashirama took a few ragged breaths and looked at Ryuto. "Can you walk?"
Ryuto nodded and stood up with Rena in his arms. His legs were a little weak, but they could hold him.
Madara said nothing. He picked up Izuna and followed them.
They left the recess in the rock wall and returned to the forest clearing on the western side of the canyon.
The scene outside had changed.
Moments ago, they had been fighting to the death. Now everything had stopped.
Senju, Uchiha, Uzumaki-everyone still alive stood where they were or crouched on the ground bandaging their companions. No one attacked. No one was even cursing.
The air reeked of blood, along with burnt wood and earth.
On the high ground in the distance, Hyūga Tenshu stood scanning the entire canyon with his Byakugan. Seven or eight Hyūga ninja remained beside him, all wounded.
Farther away, behind a jumble of rocks, the Kaguya Clan's crazed leader, covered in bone spikes, leaned halfway out, glanced in their direction, then ducked back.
"Elder, are we still fighting?" a Hyūga Jonin asked quietly.
Hyūga Tenshu did not answer right away.
His Byakugan remained fixed on Ryuto.
That golden energy just now, that overwhelming pressure... fifty times? Perhaps even more.
That kind of power was already beyond his comprehension.
Keep fighting?
With what?
Hyūga Tenshu was silent for a few seconds before speaking. "Retreat."
"What?"
"I said, retreat." Hyūga Tenshu turned around. "Immediately. Right now. Take everyone who can still move and go."
"But Ryuto..."
"He's beyond our ability to handle now." Hyūga Tenshu's voice was cold. "Report everything you saw today exactly as it happened. Especially... that golden form."
The Hyūga Jonin exchanged looks and said nothing more.
They quickly gathered their things,