In the mission allocation quotas set by the daimyo and nobles, fleeing in battle was an even greater offense than mission failure.
What those above decree, those below must follow.
To prevent the daimyo and nobles from reducing their mission quotas, the ninja villages had extremely strict requirements for "obedience."
A ninja who fled during a mission would face extremely severe punishment, in some cases even death.
Even for a lighter sentence, their ninja careers would be over; they would never be able to accept another mission.
Therefore, most ninjas who fled during missions would not return to their villages, instead choosing to defect and become rogue ninjas, taking on jobs in the black market to survive.
At this moment, nearly a hundred ninjas had fled the battle with Li Anshi.
If so many ninjas became rogue, it would be a blow to the Cloud Village.
But if they remained in the Cloud Village, according to the rules, they would be sentenced to death at worst, or stripped of their ninja status at best, which would also bring considerable losses to the village.
"It matters not, Dodai."
The Third Raikage waved his hand, and then a powerful aura of lightning erupted from his body as he entered his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
"My fellow clansmen, I am the Third Raikage, A!"
Enhanced by the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the Third Raikage's voice covered the entire battlefield, allowing every ninja to hear him.
Instantly, all the ninjas on the battlefield, except for those still charging at Li Anshi within his hundred-meter range, turned their gazes to the Third Raikage on the hill.
Even the Cloud ninjas who had fled earlier stopped in their tracks, filled with shame.
To be scared into fleeing by the enemy was the most despised act among ninjas.
After all, ninjas were willing to give up their lives to complete a mission. If they didn't fear death, how could they fear the enemy? It made no sense.
If such a ninja were captured alive, could they withstand the enemy's torture without betraying the village's intelligence?
Of course, every village's interrogation department had its own special skills.
Genjutsu, spiritual secret techniques, medical ninjutsu…
There was always one to suit the situation.
In fact, for some ninjas who specialized in the soul, even if you were dead, they could extract parts of your memories from your brain to get the information they wanted.
"Because of the power of the Little Li Flying Dagger, even I am not confident I can survive his hand."
"Therefore, here, I must first announce an order."
"From now on, if a ninja of the Cloud Village encounters Konoha's Little Li Flying Dagger on the battlefield, you may abandon the mission. The mission will not be recorded as a failure in your files."
"Lord Raikage!"
Hearing the Third Raikage's words, the Cloud ninjas were in an uproar.
From the Warring States period to the era of ninja villages, the only rule had been to fight to the death to complete a mission. There was no precedent for "fleeing on orders."
But at this moment, the Third Raikage had declared that when encountering Li Anshi, they could abandon their mission and flee, and it would not be counted as a failure.
In particular, the ninjas who had fled earlier were now weeping, their faces streaked with tears and snot. They were both moved by the Third Raikage's magnanimity and ashamed of their own cowardice.
Without the Third Raikage's words, they could imagine their best future would be to become rogue ninjas, with bounties placed on their heads by their own village.
And their families and friends would have to live under the strange gazes of the other villagers.
Now, with Lord Raikage's words clearing their names, they wouldn't have to bear the title of "rogue ninja." They could continue to live openly in the village, and even continue to be ninjas. How could they not be grateful?
"To deal with the Little Li Flying Dagger, our ninjas have faced death without fear, advancing wave after wave, using their lives to let us see the dawn of victory."
The Third Raikage extended his left hand, his index finger pointing in Li Anshi's direction.
"Look—"
"Through the efforts of the Cloud ninjas who sacrificed themselves, the daggers in Konoha's Little Li Flying Dagger's sealing scroll have been completely destroyed by B."
"In other words, once the Little Li Flying Dagger runs out of the last of his daggers, the final victor will be our Cloud Village!"
"Everyone, if you wish to flee, if you wish to live, it will not be counted as a mission failure. You will not bear the consequences."
"However, I selfishly hope that you can bring victory, bring glory, for me, for the Cloud Village!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
As the Third Raikage's final word fell, the eyes of the Cloud ninjas turned bloodshot. Their morale erupted to an unprecedented level as they continued their charge toward Li Anshi.
Among them, the ninjas who had fled earlier were especially fervent.
Having come to their senses, they hoped to wash away the shame of their previous flight with their own lives.
In their minds, they were already dead men.
So, if one of them died, it would be another way of protecting a fellow Cloud ninja.
On the other side, Li Anshi hadn't expected that the Cloud ninjas, who had been on the verge of collapse, would have their fighting spirit restored by a few words from the Third Raikage, and would now be throwing their lives away with even more ferocity than before.
Encountering me, you may abandon the mission and flee, and it will not be counted as a failure!
Such an honor, in Li Anshi's memory, had only ever been granted to Sakumo Hatake, "Konoha's White Fang."
Now, Sakumo Hatake had not yet fully matured, and yet Li Anshi himself had received this recognition from the Cloud before him.
Unfortunately, the Third Raikage hadn't issued such an order because he truly wanted the Cloud ninjas to flee upon encountering him. He wanted to stir their sense of honor and shame, to spur them on to continue their attack.
He wanted to keep Li Anshi here!
Once he was killed here, the order issued by the Third Raikage would be nothing more than empty words.
The ninjas of other villages would praise the Third Raikage greatly.
In any case, by then Li Anshi would already be dead, and the Cloud ninjas would no longer encounter him on missions. The Third Raikage would lose nothing.
And if Li Anshi survived this battle, having slaughtered his way through the Cloud ranks, would they dare to remain when they saw him on missions in the future?
Rather than be killed by him, it would be better to preserve their useful lives and continue to serve the Cloud.
With this order, no matter the final outcome, it was all benefit and no harm to the Cloud Village.
Of course, for the current Li Anshi, pondering these things was useless.
What he needed to do was to slaughter his way through their formation, and then—
Strike the Third Raikage directly!