While the Sunagakure was still bewildered by the changing situation, the Sunagakure Konoha Ninja showed no mercy because of their confusion.
They had been harboring resentment for the Sunagakure's pursuit for a long time, and now that the time for retaliation had come, they naturally wouldn't hold back, launching a fierce attack on the helpless Sunagakure.
After being subjected to a barrage of attacks from the Konoha Ninja, the Sunagakure Village's previously high morale collapsed like an avalanche, plunging them into despair.
After that, they couldn't even mount a proper counterattack; all they knew was to flee in panic.
At this moment, even Rasa, as the commander-in-chief, made a mistake. Instead of immediately speaking up to stop the Sunagakure's escape, he fell into self-doubt.
How is that possible? How could Konoha have a reinforcement force of a thousand men, and their intelligence units haven't received any information about it yet?
Rasa's mind was in complete disarray; he never imagined that Konoha would be hiding a thousand-strong force.
" Rasa- kun, are you satisfied with this gift? I prepared it with great care for your Sunagakure. I hope you enjoy it."
Orochimaru's hoarse voice jolted Rasa out of her shock.
He realized he had no time to daydream; his immediate priority was to lead the defeated Sunagakure in a counterattack while simultaneously retreating.
He controlled the Gold Dust to rise into the air, then shouted to the Sunagakure below, " Sunagakure on the battlefield, do not panic! Follow the orders of your captains! And captains of each unit, follow my command and immediately organize your units to counterattack while retreating. Panic will only hasten our deaths."
"Please believe me, everyone. In my name Rasa, as long as I am here, I will absolutely not let anything happen to you."
The situation is now quite clear: Sunagakure has once again been defeated by Konoha.
But even if they lose, they must minimize their losses. To restore the morale of the defeated Sunagakure, it is time for Rasa to step forward.
" Magnet Release: Gold Dust Protection "
A surge of intense Chakra erupted from Rasa's body, and his hands rapidly Hand Seals.
Under his control, the Gold Dust coalesced on the battlefield into low walls, blocking the retreating Sunagakure. These low but incredibly strong walls successfully withstood the attacks of the Konoha Ninja.
Those Sunagakure, whose minds were in chaos and who only knew how to run away, regained their courage after seeing the Gold Dust wall that suddenly rose behind them and clearly feeling Rasa's will.
At this moment, their trust in Rasa reached its peak. They stopped their panicked escape and obeyed Rasa's orders to begin an orderly retreat while simultaneously launching a counterattack.
This very action actually stabilized the crumbling situation for a time.
Seeing that the defeat of Sunagakure on the battlefield had eased somewhat, Rasa finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, he still dared not release the Gold Dust Protection Technique. Although the Sunagakure's morale had rebounded somewhat, they were still at a disadvantage against the Konoha Ninja, whose momentum was overwhelming.
Therefore, in order to reduce casualties in Sunagakure, he had to maintain this technique to give Sunagakure an advantage in the battle against Konoha.
While this technique effectively reduced the losses of Sunagakure, it was a significant burden for Rasa personally.
This technique requires him to pay full attention to the battlefield situation in real time for control, which is extremely mentally taxing.
Moreover, this would make it difficult for him to withstand the enemy's attack.
Fortunately, he had considered this situation from the beginning and had already placed himself in a completely safe position.
" Rasa- kun seems to think he's in a very safe position, daring to use such a technique that ignores me right in front of me. He really underestimates me."
Rasa, who was maintaining his protective technique in the sky, felt a strange sense of danger after hearing Orochimaru's words on the ground. His body twisted subconsciously, and before he could understand what Orochimaru meant, he felt a chill in his abdomen.
He looked down and saw that the sword that Orochimaru had been holding was now on his body, piercing straight into his flesh.
Fortunately, his instinctive twist prevented the sword from piercing his vital organs.
The next second, a sharp pain shot straight to his brain, and even the Gold Dust Protection Technique he had been maintaining was dispelled due to the sudden attack.
"Damn it, when?"
Rasa had blood at the corner of his mouth and his face was pale.
He was puzzled by Orochimaru's sudden attack. Although he had focused most of his attention on manipulating the Gold Dust, he was still keeping an eye on Orochimaru.
After all, the only person on this battlefield who could pose a threat to him was Orochimaru.
The problem is that he had no idea when Orochimaru had attacked him.
" Lord Rasa!!!"
The Sunagakure on the ground also noticed that Rasa was seriously injured in the sky. They, who already held Rasa in high esteem, became even more enraged. Their morale, which was already somewhat restored, became even stronger, and they completely withstood the attack of the Konoha Ninja.
This scene brought a sliver of comfort to Rasa; he knew his sacrifice had served some purpose. He then continued speaking to the Sunagakure below, "You all leave quickly; I'll cover you."
These words further excited the Sunagakure below, who wished they could rush to Orochimaru immediately to protect Rasa.
Fortunately, they are now clear-headed, aware of their own limitations, and understand that only their safe departure can allow Rasa to escape with peace of mind.
Therefore, without hesitation, they accelerated their evacuation.
Rasa, who had been observing Sunagakure's actions, smiled with relief. He was genuinely worried that some hot-blooded individuals might disrupt Sunagakure's retreat plan by trying to help him.
While such behavior was touching, it only gave him more headaches.
Seeing the Sunagakure retreating in an orderly fashion, Rasa, enduring the pain in his abdomen, pulled out the sword from his abdomen. Just as he was about to put the sword away, he discovered that it had vanished from his hand with a "bang" and then reappeared in Orochimaru's hand.
This situation made Rasa even angrier, but he no longer had time to think about this material possession.
The Sunagakure below still needs his intervention.
" Magnet Release: Gold Dust Waterfall Flow "
Under his control, endless Konoha Gold Dust surged towards the Konoha troops pursuing Sunagakure.
Faced with this colossal wave of Gold Dust that blotted out Gold Dust sky, the Konoha ninjas used various methods to block its attack.
However, their strength was far too insignificant compared to the giant wave of Gold Dust. Just when they were in despair, a huge, horned venomous snake with purple and black stripes appeared in front of them and shattered the giant wave of Gold Dust in front of them with a flick of its tail.
" Orochimaru, this time you need 200 sacrifices to summon me."
"No problem, as long as you can catch up with those fleeing Sunagakure Sunagakure, they can all be your sacrifices."
The one who saved the Konoha troops was none other than Orochimaru, who was fighting against Rasa.
At this point, Orochimaru was already standing atop Manda, leading Konoha's pursuit of Sunagakure.
He had no objection to Manda's demands; as long as it could catch up, it could do whatever it wanted.
However, Orochimaru believed that Manda's plan would only fail, since Rasa was still around.