Shiraishi was able to locate the Kazekage's position so quickly, largely because Hoshino Mai and the others, who had trained extensively in psychic power, maintained a faint resonance with Shiraishi's own psychic techniques. That connection allowed him to confirm their location almost immediately.
Although Sunagakure's reinforcements were not large in number, they consisted entirely of elite forces stationed within the Enlightenment Mountain Range. Faced with a pincer attack from both sides, Iwagakure chose not to continue fighting and instead withdrew decisively.
"So you're Black Mist Shiraishi after all!"
Before retreating, Kitsuchi finally recalled Shiraishi's identity. His words were filled with provocation.
"Next time we meet on the battlefield, you and your students won't be so lucky."
Shiraishi ignored him completely, moving instead to check on his students. For several who were gravely injured, he personally took out his treasured medicinal concoctions, administering them while performing the most basic medical ninjutsu.
"Where's the medical unit?" Shiraishi asked.
"There wasn't one," Morimoto Ryōji replied bitterly. "During this Chūnin Exam, the Kazekage didn't bring a medical team at all."
Those words caused Shiraishi's gaze to darken. As he accelerated his medical treatment, his eyes drifted—deep and unreadable—toward the Kazekage.
Soon after, large numbers of Sunagakure ninja arrived, including medical units stationed within the Enlightenment Mountains, who immediately began assisting with treatment.
Rasa himself was in poor condition. His injuries were serious, yet as Kazekage, he forced himself to remain standing and lead the group back to Sunagakure.
When his eyes met Shiraishi's, the two of them almost simultaneously looked away.
Shiraishi did not want the Kazekage to read his gaze.
Rasa, meanwhile, felt a trace of regret over having reassigned the medical teams. The decision had been ugly—far from dignified—and only made his own narrow-mindedness more apparent.
Throughout the return journey, Shiraishi's squad and his students had almost no interaction with the Kazekage. Each side carried their own thoughts as they hurried back to the village.
Upon returning to Sunagakure, Rasa immediately summoned Ebizō and Chiyo to discuss the situation at the Enlightenment Mountain defensive line.
Shiraishi had no intention of attending, but Ebizō stopped him and brought him along into the Kazekage's office.
"Iwagakure's provocation means the alliance has collapsed," Rasa said, clutching his wounds, exhaustion evident in his voice. "The western front is about to erupt."
Ebizō and Chiyo fully understood the gravity of the situation. Iwagakure had clearly committed to war.
"What is your plan, Kazekage-sama?" Ebizō asked.
"Granny Chiyo," Rasa said slowly, "this time, you and I will jointly hold the Enlightenment Mountains."
He chose Chiyo because she was both a puppet master and an accomplished pharmacologist—her overall combat capability was exceptional. With her overseeing the battlefield, the defense would be far more stable.
As for Ōnoki's Dust Release, someone needed to restrain it—and Rasa, with Magnet Release, was the only suitable candidate.
"As for the Konoha front," Rasa continued, "we'll need Ebizō-senpai there."
The final offensive and defensive struggle at Kikyo Pass was approaching. Konoha was deploying terrifying strength: Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Namikaze Minato, and other elites.
Compared to that lineup, Sunagakure was at a severe disadvantage. Even with Pakura and Ebizō, their high-end combat power was insufficient.
Sunagakure was not yet the elite-focused small village it would become decades later. Once fully mobilized, however, it could still gather over ten thousand ninja for the Kikyo Pass battlefield—more than twenty thousand in total—intending to overwhelm Konoha's force of under ten thousand through sheer numbers.
Ebizō would head to Kikyo Pass to support Pakura. Chiyo would remain at the Enlightenment Mountains to monitor Iwagakure.
Rasa even hoped to deploy Shiraishi and those genin to Kikyo Pass as well.
Shiraishi, Maki, and Shikasa would once again form a squad, leading the public academy's genin to the front lines.
The Yamaji and Arakawa clans would send their main forces to the Enlightenment Mountains to confront Iwagakure. With Arakawa Akita's Sand Control—on par with Rasa's own—the Kazekage's burden would be eased considerably.
After the full mobilization order was issued, silence fell over the Kazekage's office.
Too much had happened during Rasa's absence, leaving relationships strained and delicate.
"I hope that in the future," Rasa said at last, assuming the posture of a Kazekage as he looked at the distracted Shiraishi,
"You will remain calm in all matters. A strong man's blade should never be used to slaughter his own comrades."
"I have never slaughtered comrades," Shiraishi replied evenly.
"That accusation—and that definition—I cannot accept. Please take it back, Kazekage-sama."
Rasa's words were insidious. If such a statement spread, Shiraishi would be branded as someone who casually murdered his own people—an image that would only worsen with time as the truth faded.
This direct rebuttal made Rasa's face flush with anger. His eyes sharpened, pressure radiating outward—but Shiraishi did not yield an inch.
During the Chūnin Exam, the medical teams had been reassigned, leading to the deaths of fifteen of Shiraishi's students at Iwagakure's hands.
That decision alone spoke volumes about Rasa's so-called magnanimity.
Ignoring the Kazekage's fury, Shiraishi turned and walked out.
"Unity is not achieved this way, Kazekage-sama," Ebizō said quietly, before leaving with Chiyo.
"Teacher! We heard everything—you were incredible!"
Shiraishi's conflict with the Yamaji clan had already spread throughout Sunagakure. The moment Hoshino Mai and the others returned, they were flooded with shocking rumors, deepening their admiration for Shiraishi.
Morimoto Ryōji, in particular, revered him even more—his own father had been driven to death by the Yamaji clan.
"Now that we've all become chūnin," Mai said sweetly, leaning in,
"What reward are you giving us, Teacher?"
Shiraishi was silent for a moment before handing them a scroll.
"This contains my training insights on the Spiral Wind Blade. Take it."
Among all his techniques, Spiral Wind Blade was especially lethal, fast, fierce, and decisive. The scroll even included foundational methods for Multiple Spiral Wind Blades.
It was proof of how much he valued these students.
Out of the ninety participants, fifteen died during the Chūnin Exam. Another twenty perished during the Iwagakure ambush.
Only fifty-five remained.
Including other graduating classes, a total of two hundred and fifty-five genin would be heading toward Kikyo Pass.
With more than ten days remaining before deployment, Shiraishi knew he had to intensify their training—improving their survival odds on the battlefield.
Shikasa and Maki would join him as instructors.
At the same time—
Within Shiraishi's glasses system, the special egg finally completed its incubation.
A strange blood mist spread across the interface.
The second summoned beast officially entered its generation phase, data unfolding before Shiraishi's eyes.
"…Hm?"
Wasn't it the Dream-Eating Bat?
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