Magnet Release, the greatest legacy the Second Kazekage had left to Sunagakure, was perfectly inherited by the Third Kazekage. This unique ability was the reason he had once suppressed countless shinobi and risen to the rank of Kazekage.
As the second generation's so‑called 'Magnet Master,' he had never worried about lacking weapons. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was watching, he extended a sliver of his chakra toward the cage. Iron filings quietly detached and burrowed beneath the damp soil underneath the transport wheels.
It would be troublesome, but it was his only choice. When he was captured, all the Iron Sand concealed on his person had been confiscated.
Without Magnet Release, he was reduced to the strength of a solid elite Jonin. In his current constrained state, escape would have been impossible without something extraordinary.
Fortunately, he still had time.
With this thought, he focused more chakra, extracting Iron Sand from the cage itself and sending it into the earth. If he probed deep enough, he could find enough minerals, and typical soil often contained tiny traces of iron.
Soon, the Iron Sand beneath him responded faintly.
About two hundred meters underground there was enough iron for him to work with. The only limitation now was how much chakra he had left, barely at a Jonin's level.
This was far less than his peak condition, but after several days of starvation, that was all he could muster.
"Sss!"
Dabai, who had been hiding on Hayashi to escape the heat, crawled out at this moment and hissed twice.
"If battle breaks out soon, quickly take your team members away from the food transport area. Do not engage in the fight; regroup with Sakumo at the very rear of the convoy."
This message came from Orochimaru, who had instructed him to deliver it.
Was it time to act?
Hayashi looked toward the Third Kazekage, seeing nothing unusual at first.
About twenty minutes later, a low rumble erupted from the Kazekage's cage at the center of the convoy.
All the Konoha ninja turned toward the source in shock as Iron Sand surged upward like a massive serpent and violently struck the nearest ANBU squad.
"Retreat!"
Before anyone fully processed the attack, Hayashi had already begun issuing commands, falling back toward the end of the line.
With the information Orochimaru had passed beforehand and the explosion they had just witnessed, Hayashi had already guessed the essence of Orochimaru's plan.
Only… this was bold beyond imagination.
Since shinobi of the same village were prohibited from private combat or being ordered to kill one another by mission, Orochimaru was simply using the Third Kazekage's escape attempt as leverage.
Even if the plan failed, the responsibility for poor supervision would fall on those guarding him. After all, they had been handed the prisoner intact. Now that this had happened, who could deny responsibility?
And more importantly, why had there been no issues during all the previous days of guarding him?
"Prepare for battle. We cannot allow the Kazekage to escape."
At the explosion's sound, Orochimaru immediately issued orders to the Uchiha and Root captains beside him, acting in his role as field commander.
"Damn it. How could this happen?!" the captain leading the Uchiha forces shouted angrily.
Orochimaru did not even look at him.
The Root captain on the side waved his hand and said, "Understood, Orochimaru‑sama."
There was neither joy nor anger in his tone.
Although puzzled, he knew this was not the time to shift blame. To be blunt, if the Third Kazekage truly escaped, he would have to commit seppuku to atone.
Their top priority now was to take down the Third Kazekage cleanly and decisively. Only then might there still be a chance to recover from this mess. Otherwise, not even Danzo would protect him.
He refused to believe that the Third Kazekage, locked up for days on end, had any remaining combat power, especially surrounded by so many elite shinobi.
Bad luck did not exist.
Still, just to be cautious, he requested reinforcement.
"The Root and Uchiha alone are not enough. Orochimaru‑sama…"
"No problem. I will assemble the Jonin immediately. You secure the Kazekage's position," Orochimaru said plainly, turning and walking away without looking back.
He did not know how long it would take to gather them. With so many ninja spread throughout the convoy, even a summoned reinforcements might not arrive instantly. To ensure the safety of his subordinates, Orochimaru needed to gather them personally.
As for whether the Third Kazekage could truly escape, Jiraiya had surely set up perimeter Barrier Ninjutsu. If the so‑called cooked goose could still fly away under these circumstances, then there was no point in being a commander and he might as well go home and raise livestock.
In any case, let these fools wear themselves out.
Using the Kazekage's strength to cut down shinobi outside the Hokage's faction and then punishing the responsible parties — that was the battle strategy Orochimaru had established after multiple exchanges with the Third Hokage.
Insidious?
Orochimaru did not deny it. But in the end, it was because these people were too greedy. Had they not reached out their hands, none of this would have occurred.
Looking at the situation objectively, his teacher had always been more formidable.
Since the Third Hokage had conceded to Danzo and the Uchiha clan this time, the other side must have paid some price as well.
And the result was undeniable: after the Third Hokage took control of everything, he did not have to share military merit used in the negotiations. More importantly, he maintained his image of being just and strong.
Orochimaru had to admit, experience sharpened the mind. This world favored those with cunning…
Compared to such subtle scheming, Sakumo was straightforward. Seeing the Kazekage break free, as Konoha's highest direct combat force, he had every reason to engage.
At this moment, Hayashi, who had retreated to the rear, tugged Orochimaru's sleeve.
As White Fang looked on with confusion, Hayashi shook his head and said, "Now is not the time to act."
Orochimaru had used snake‑tribe summons to send information to Hayashi to prevent Sakumo from rushing out and slaying the Kazekage in a few swift strikes. If that happened, the entire strategic setup would collapse.
After all, Konoha did not have a tradition of treating prisoners of war with honor. The Kazekage had gone days without food, and Tsunade had been mixing what she called 'medicinal candies' into his water supply.
Sakumo already knew the Third Kazekage's combat style intimately. Coupled with the fact the Kazekage was weakened, if he broke through the Iron Sand defense, he might truly be beheaded in moments.
Then Jiraiya would wind up writing a novel titled Slaying the Kazekage While the Wine Was Warm… and Hayashi could already picture the ridicule.
To prevent that, Hayashi successfully persuaded Sakumo to stand down.
Meanwhile, without the suppression of several major combatants, the Third Kazekage surprised everyone with astonishing power as he fought off the siege of ANBU and Uchiha jonin.
His Iron Sand Shield was like a turtle shell. Whether attacked with ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, or weapons, no assault could easily penetrate it.
Though his chakra was at merely a Jonin's level now, he still maintained the upper hand in this chaotic siege.
Did they think that just because my strength had weakened, any random shinobi could harass me?
Not a chance.
If he were not focused on escaping, he would have already cut down countless ANBU and Uchiha ninjas. But now he had noticed something troublesome as soon as the battle began, and had to seek an opening to break the encirclement.
Every direction he looked, there were too many ninja — it made him uneasy.
The Third Kazekage sighed. Were he at his peak, he would have already loudly declared, "You are surrounded," while charging headlong into them.
With that thought, he locked eyes with the charging ninja, his glare sharp as if it could rip them apart by hand.
At that moment, a massive surge of Iron Sand burst from the ground behind him, forming chains that pinned several attackers in place.
The shockwave ripped through the ranks. Uchiha and Root captains shouted orders as the battlefield erupted with chaos.
Hayashi reflexively directed his squad, "Hold formation and pin him down. Focus on reducing his mobility, then we strike!"
The Uchiha jonin responded immediately, deploying fire jutsu to restrict the Kazekage's vision while Root ninja laid down suppressive techniques.
Despite his weakened chakra, the Kazekage's control over Iron Sand was astonishing. He was no longer a prisoner — he was a force of destruction.
Hayashi's heart thumped as he observed the battlefield. This was not merely an escape attempt, it was a full‑blown break‑out.
If this continued, casualties would rise rapidly.
Hayashi activated his Sharingan and focused, preparing for the next exchange.