Senju Yasuhei stared at Reto's bloodshot eyes, his throat tightening. The wind whipped sand against his face, stinging him. His nails dug deep into his palms, the blood seeping from under them quickly absorbed by the sand. The Kazekage's rage was palpable; the casualties of hundreds of thousands of soldiers were indeed a heavy blood debt. The Uchiha Clan had certainly been ruthless, but in terms of the war, they were not at fault. However, to save Akira Senju, they had no choice but to compromise with the Sand shinobi.
He roared inwardly, but outwardly suppressed all his emotions and forced out a relatively calm tone. " Kazekage, the grievances have their source and the debtors their culprits. Akira Senju cannot die. He did not plot against you. The Uchiha Clan was beyond his control on the battlefield."
The Reto made Senju Yasuhei's eardrums ache. The devastating defeat of the Land of Wind seemed to materialize, weighing heavily on his shoulders. He gritted his teeth, his mind racing as he calculated the Land of Fire's bottom line and his own resources. " Konoha has always valued peace, but it's not a pushover." He tried to keep his voice steady and firm. "Release Akira Senju, and your Sand shinobi will retreat to the Land of Wind. My Senju Clan is willing to pay 100 million ryo; this is our greatest sincerity."
Reto roared, "10 billion taels, not less, or I'll chop them all up!"
Reto's tough response made Senju Yasuhei's heart sink, and the negotiations reached a stalemate. Faced with Reto's exorbitant demand of 10 billion ryo, he was furious but also had to calmly analyze the room for maneuver. He began to bargain, his heart pounding, worried that the price would not be agreed upon, and even more concerned about Akira Senju's safety.
When the deal was finally struck at 6.2 billion ryo, Senju Yasuhei breathed a sigh of relief, unaware that an even greater crisis was approaching. Just as a flicker of relief crossed his mind as he watched Reto put away the money, the terrifying shockwave of Magnet Release suddenly struck. Senju Yasuhei's pupils constricted, and the Iron Sand Drizzle slashed through the sky like the Death God's scythe. The terrified expressions on Akira Senju's and Sasuke Sarutobi magnified infinitely in his eyes. In that instant, all considerations of pros and cons, all negotiation strategies, were cast aside; only one thought remained in his mind—he absolutely could not let Akira Senju die here!
His legs moved almost instinctively, Chakra surging wildly in his feet, his speed leaving afterimages. The moment the hidden weapon left his hand, he was already in front of the two. The Iron Sand struck him like hot irons, piercing his skin, the excruciating pain almost making him lose consciousness. But he gritted his teeth, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, staining his clothes red, yet he still desperately protected the two behind him.
The massive iron cone of Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Method hurtled towards him, and Senju Yasuhei felt his internal organs tremble. The cone pierced his body, the excruciating pain causing his vision to blur, yet his hands held it firmly, preventing it from advancing even an inch further. The cone's tip on his back was only a hair's breadth from Akira Senju's brow; he could feel Akira Senju's trembling body and hear his tearful gasps. A surge of tragic Senju Yasuhei; he knew he couldn't fall, even if it meant death, he had to fight for Akira Senju's life.
Seeing this scene from afar, the six of them, Dō Senju, felt their hearts leap into their throats. Dō Senju's face instantly turned deathly pale, her steps quickened involuntarily, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Father!" Her voice trembled with sobs, her heart filled with fear and worry.
Gi Senju clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, her Chakra surging wildly around her, wishing she could fly over and help immediately. Kaidō Senju bit her lip, her eyes filled with anxiety, constantly urging her companion to speed up.
Nanshin Senju, Ame Senju, and In Senju were equally anxious. The six of them formed a tacit formation, their Chakra intertwining to create a solid barrier. Their eyes were filled with determination; even if there were mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, they would protect their father and clan.
When they finally arrived, Dō Senju, her hands trembling, fed the Nine Revolutions Life-Saving Pill to Senju Yasuhei, tears falling onto her father's blood-stained face. "Father, you must hold on," she choked out, her voice full of pleading. Gi Senju, meanwhile, carefully pulled out the iron awl, each pull feeling like cutting her own flesh, her eyes red with heartache. The six of them formed a solid fortress, repelling the attacks one by one.
Faced with wave after wave of attacks from the Sand shinobi, their pressure grew increasingly immense. Dō Senju, seeing her father's weakened state, was filled with self-reproach and guilt. If only she had been faster, would her father have avoided such severe injuries? Gi Senju gritted her teeth, her Chakra rapidly depleting, her clothes soaked with sweat, yet she still tenaciously held her ground. The others also wore solemn expressions, their eyes filled with worry and determination. No matter what, they could not allow their father and Akira Senju to suffer any further harm.
Akira Senju stood frozen in place, trembling, his eyes filled with terror and disbelief. The sight of Senju Yasuhei covered in blood pierced his eyes; warm blood splattered on his face, carrying a pungent, metallic smell. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out; tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.
He had never imagined that Senju Yasuhei would pay such a terrible price to save him. The image of Senju Yasuhei standing in front of him kept replaying in his mind, that moment of resoluteness and unwavering courage making his heart feel as if it were being tightly gripped by a giant hand. He hated his own weakness, hated himself for being in such a desperate situation.
On the battlefield, the two armies clashed. Senju Yasuhei, supported by his body, watched the horrific scene, his heart burning with rage. Reto's treachery had completely enraged him. "How can Kazekage so faithless be called a Kage!" he roared with all his might, his voice filled with fury and resentment. Even severely wounded, his eyes remained as resolute as an eagle's, fixed on Reto. "Are you forcing the Land of Fire to wage a war of annihilation against the Land of Wind?"
Reto offered no explanation, Senju Yasuhei, seeing the hesitation flickering in his eyes, already guessed what he was thinking. When Reto waved his hand to order the attack, a wave of sorrow washed over Senju Yasuhei. Supported by Dō Senju and Gi Senju, he watched the Land of Fire army charge forward, his heart filled with guilt. If it weren't for saving Akira Senju, perhaps this war could have been avoided. But now, severely wounded, he could do nothing.
Under the relentless bombardment of various Sand shinobi Ninjutsu, the shield formation formed by Dō Senju and his six companions teetered on the brink of collapse. The shockwaves of " Ninjutsu: Sand Burial " relentlessly pounded against the shield, leaving the six pale-faced and their Chakra nearly depleted. Dō Senju gritted his teeth, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, his mind focused on only one thought: to protect his father no matter what. Gi Senju's hands trembled violently, yet he still stubbornly maintained the formation. The others also persevered, their eyes filled with unwavering determination.
The two armies fought fiercely to the very end, suffering heavy losses on both sides. When the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire finally retreated, the battlefield was littered with corpses, and the yellow sand was stained red with blood. Before falling unconscious, Senju Yasuhei secretly vowed that if he did not die today, he would avenge this grudge.
After confirming there was no movement outside, Dō Senju and the others, buried under the sand, struggled to emerge from the ground. Looking at the unconscious Senju Yasuhei, tears welled up in their eyes again. Dō Senju carefully picked up his father and, together with his companions, headed Earth Flow the Land of Fire. The journey was filled with hardship and sorrow, but their eyes remained filled with unwavering faith: as long as their father was alive, the Senju Clan still had hope.