"Report! Konoha's pursuers have caught up!"
"They're only one kilometer away from us!"
Kitsuchi's expression instantly turned grim.
One kilometer.
That was practically face-to-face.
He abruptly stopped, looked back, and roared, "Halt!"
"Everyone, form ranks!"
"Prepare to engage the enemy!"
Upon receiving the order, the Iwa shinobi stopped.
But exhaustion was written all over their faces.
Tired, hungry, and still forced to fight.
How were they supposed to win this battle?
Soon after, Konoha's pursuers appeared in sight, steadily closing in.
Leading them was Minato.
"Iwagakure shinobi, listen up!"
Minato's voice, amplified with chakra, rang out loudly. "Lay down your weapons and surrender!"
"As Hokage, I guarantee the Land of Fire will not make things difficult for you!"
Kitsuchi sneered. "Surrender?"
"Dream on!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Thick earthen walls rose from the ground, shielding the Iwa forces.
"In that case..." Minato sighed. "Don't blame me."
"All forces, listen to my command!"
"Attack!"
Three thousand Konoha shinobi surged forward like a tide.
In an instant, countless jutsu howled through the air.
Many shinobi specialized in Fire Release. Hundreds of Fire Release techniques rained down on Iwa like a downpour of flames from the heavens.
Boom, boom, boom!
Explosions merged into a deafening roar.
The newly erected earth walls cracked like spiderwebs after the first wave of attacks. Shattered rocks flew everywhere.
"Hold on! Repair the walls!"
The Iwa Earth Release shinobi roared, frantically channeling chakra.
But Konoha's offense was too fierce.
No sooner were the walls repaired than they were blown apart again.
"Damn it!" Kitsuchi's eyes were bloodshot.
If they kept defending like this, they wouldn't last long.
They had to break through.
"Listen to my command!"
He roared, "First Squad, Second Squad, break through with me!"
"Everyone else, buy us time!"
"Yes!"
Kitsuchi led the charge with over a thousand shinobi who still had strength, bursting through a gap in the earth wall.
They would fight to the death and carve out a bloody path.
But Konoha was already prepared.
"Form ranks!"
Minato commanded.
The Konoha shinobi quickly formed formations.
They completely surrounded the Iwa breakthrough force.
"Kill!"
Close combat erupted.
A brutal slaughter unfolded instantly.
Flesh and blood flew.
Screams rang out continuously.
The Iwa shinobi charged forward desperately, using their lives to break the encirclement, someone falling with each step forward.
But Konoha's formation was too tight.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
At that moment, a massive fireball locked onto Kitsuchi. He had just repelled an attacker and had no time to dodge.
Boom!
A scorching wave of heat sent him flying. A sharp pain shot through his left arm, now charred black.
"Ah!"
He screamed and fell to one knee.
"Lord Kitsuchi!"
Several Iwa shinobi rushed over, trying to protect him.
But Konoha's forces had already surrounded them.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
A sharp earth spear pierced through the chest of an Iwa shinobi.
Blood sprayed.
"No!"
Kitsuchi's eyes were bloodshot. Enduring the searing pain in his ruined arm, he suddenly stood up. His remaining right fist was instantly covered in thick rock.
"Earth Release: Rock Fist Jutsu!"
"Die!"
He punched the nearest Konoha shinobi. The overwhelming force smashed the Konoha shinobi into a bloody pulp, armor and all.
But in the next second, more Konoha shinobi rushed in.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Multiple fireballs attacked from all directions.
Kitsuchi had nowhere to hide and could only take the hit.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
An earth wall rose, blocking most of the flames.
But one still struck him in the back.
"Ah!"
He screamed. His body trembled and nearly fell.
"Lord Kitsuchi!"
The surrounding Iwa shinobi's eyes turned red.
They gave up trying to break through, eyes bloodshot, and charged toward Konoha like moths to a flame, only wanting to save their commander.
But this was exactly what Konoha had been waiting for.
Fire Release. Lightning Release. Wind Release. Countless jutsu rained down on the impulsive Iwa shinobi.
"Ah!"
A leading captain was pierced by Lightning Release. His body charred black, he fell stiffly to the ground.
One after another.
"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Kitsuchi roared. "Don't worry about me!"
"Retreat quickly!"
"No!"
The Iwa shinobi refused.
"We won't abandon you!" a captain roared.
He led over a dozen shinobi, rushing toward Kitsuchi, trying to rescue him.
But Konoha's attacks intensified.
Fire Release. Earth Release. Lightning Release.
Various jutsu covered the sky and earth.
That captain was hit by a wind blade, his body split in two, falling to the ground.
The rest of the shinobi also fell one by one under the rain of ninjutsu.
"No..."
Kitsuchi watched it all in despair.
His comrades. His brothers-in-arms.
One after another, they fell before his eyes.
All because of him.
"Bastard!"
He roared in fury and forced himself to stand up.
"Earth Release: Earth Pillar Spear!"
Countless sharp stone pillars shot out from the ground.
Several Konoha shinobi were impaled on the spot, opening up a gap in the encirclement.
"Everyone! Follow me!" he roared.
The surviving Iwa shinobi desperately fled outward.
Konoha shinobi pursued closely behind, using long-range ninjutsu to harvest lives one by one.
Along the way.
Iwa shinobi kept falling.
Some were burned to death by Fire Release.
Some were electrocuted by Lightning Release.
Some were pierced through the heart by kunai.
Screams, wails, desperate shouts.
All intertwined.
This was a road home paved with corpses.
Two days later.
The surviving Iwa shinobi finally returned to the village.
Of the 2,500 who set out, fewer than 1,000 made it back.
The losses exceeded half.
Kitsuchi was carried into the village, covered in wounds and barely alive.
"Father..." he said weakly. "I'm sorry..."
"I... I couldn't protect everyone..."
Ōnoki looked at his son, whose entire body was wounded. His heart ached.
The Western Corps he led had also suffered heavy losses.
"It's not your fault."
He held Kitsuchi's hand. "You did your best."
Kitsuchi closed his eyes. Tears streamed from the corners.
This retreat.
The price was too high.
Far too high...
Iwagakure, Medical Ward.
Wounded were everywhere.
Screams and groans filled the entire medical ward.
Medical-nin were working non-stop.
But the number of wounded was overwhelming.
Many could only lie on the ground and wait.
Some with injuries too severe died before receiving treatment.
Ōnoki stood outside the medical ward.
Watching the scene.
His heart was heavy with mixed emotions.
The Western Corps had lost a third.
The Southern Front lost over half.
Now, only the Kumo front remained.
"How are things... on the Kumo front?"
He asked in a low voice.
Ishikawa, beside him, shook his head.
"No news yet."
"But according to intelligence, the retreat on the Kumo front went relatively smoothly."
"Kirigakure and Sunagakure didn't pursue in force."
Ōnoki let out a long sigh.
"That's good..."
"At least... at least one unit can return intact..."
His voice was filled with exhaustion and bitterness.
This war...
Iwagakure had lost too much.
(To be continued.)