dognovel Chapter 552 Retreat
Chapter 552 Retreat
On the other side stood Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, a man of short stature but with an imposing presence. His face was ashen, his eyes filled with barely suppressed rage and exhaustion. Beside him were the remaining Iwagakure troops, equally wounded and demoralized.
The two faced each other from a distance, their gazes meeting in the air. No words were spoken, yet their eyes spoke volumes. Their gazes contained anger, hatred, resentment, and resolve.
"Retreat." Onoki's voice was low and hoarse, tinged with reluctance. Iwagakure was no longer able to fight; continuing the entanglement would only result in greater losses.
"Withdraw!" Sakumo also gave the order at the same time, his voice equally heavy. Although Konoha was the victor, it had paid a heavy price and needed time to recuperate.
Following the orders of their leaders, the remaining ninjas retreated like a receding tide. However, the battle did not end peacefully. Iwagakure's lands were invaded, the Tsuchikage's office was destroyed, and the Jinchuriki had defected. While the Konoha ninjas had avenged themselves, they had also forged an irreconcilable feud with Iwagakure. The ninja world was destined to descend into even greater chaos once more.
As Iwagakure retreated, Huang Tu, anxious and distraught, disregarded rest and, following his impulsive decision, led a few elite ninja he had selected towards the border of Kumogakure. He wanted to personally confront the Raikage and demand to know why he had launched such a despicable attack on Iwagakure!
Upon arriving at the border of Kumogakure, Huang Tu immediately identified himself and requested an audience with the Raikage. Soon, the Raikage appeared before Huang Tu with several Kumogakure Jonin.
Suppressing his anger, Huang Tu questioned in a deep voice, "Raikage! Our Iwagakure and your Kumogakure have always kept to ourselves and never interfered with each other. Why did you send people to attack my Iwagakure, destroy the hill at the entrance of my village, and burn down my Tsuchikage's office? Are you trying to start a full-scale war?!"
A defiant smile crept across Lei Ying's rugged face. He crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping contemptuously over the yellow earth, his tone arrogant and direct: "Oh? Attacked you? You mean Zhang Hai? Yes, he's the one I sent out!"
He actually admitted it outright! Huang Tu's pupils constricted sharply; he could hardly believe his ears. He had expected Lei Ying to deny it, to make excuses, to offer various justifications. But Lei Ying had admitted it so readily and decisively.
"You!" Huang Tu trembled with rage, pointing at Lei Ying and roaring, "You're declaring war! Aren't you afraid of getting burned?!"
"So what if you declare war?" Raikage scoffed disdainfully, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "With the state of Iwagakure in your village now, do you think you're worthy of declaring war on Kumogakure? Go back and tell that old man Onoki that if he dares to make any rash moves, I, A, will personally raze Iwagakure to the ground!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Raikage's aura suddenly erupted, terrifying lightning chakra surging within him, filling the air with a sense of oppression. Huang Tu and his squad were instantly intimidated by the Raikage's powerful aura, involuntarily taking a few steps back.
"Detain them!" Raikage waved his hand, and several Cloud Village Jonin immediately stepped forward and surrounded Huang Tu and his squad.
"How dare you?! Raikage, you're breaking the alliance!" Huang Tu roared angrily, but faced with the absolute difference in strength, he was powerless to resist.
The Raikage snorted coldly: "Not only do I dare, but I will also make that old man Onoki understand the consequences of offending my Hidden Cloud Village!"
Thus, Huang Tu and his squad were detained by Kumogakure. This incident ignited the flames of war between Kumogakure and Iwagakure. What began as a small-scale skirmish escalated into a full-blown standoff. Frequent close-quarters combat ensued along the border, with swords flashing and blood flowing like rivers, plunging the entire ninja world into further turmoil.
As relations between Iwagakure and Kumogakure deteriorated rapidly, Sakumo led the remaining Konoha ninja back to the village. The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive throughout the journey.
Back in the Hokage's office, Sakumo reported the details of the battle to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. When he mentioned the casualties in the pursuit, even the Hokage, who was used to seeing life and death, couldn't help but frown and sigh heavily.
"A Pyrrhic victory." Sakumo finally gave his assessment, his voice tinged with weariness and helplessness. "Although we repelled Iwagakure, the price we paid was too high. It seems the ninja world is about to descend into turmoil again."
The Third Hokage looked at the various battlefronts marked on the map, took a deep drag on his pipe, and exhaled a wisp of smoke. He knew that an even larger war might be inevitable.
On the other side of Konoha Village, Kushina was anxiously pacing outside the ninja hospital. When she saw Minato approaching from a distance, she immediately went to meet him.
"Minato! Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Kushina carefully examined Minato, her eyes filled with worry.
Although exhausted, Minato wore a reassuring smile: "I'm fine, Kushina, don't worry. It's just..." He glanced at the wounded being carried into the hospital behind him and the corpses covered in white sheets. His smile faded, replaced by deep sorrow.
"This time, too many comrades have been sacrificed..." Minato's voice was low and tinged with pain. He looked at those familiar faces, those who had fought alongside him, now reduced to cold corpses, and his heart ached as if it were being torn apart. He was a kind man, and he couldn't remain indifferent to such mass death.
Just then, Zhang Hai walked over from the other side. He saw the sadness on Minato's face and the worried look in Kushina's eyes.
"Minato, don't be too sad." Zhang Hai walked to Minato's side, patted his shoulder, and said with a calm tone, "That's how war is, sacrifices are inevitable. As a ninja, and more importantly, as the hope for the future, you must learn to face these things. If you can't strengthen yourself, you can't end this chaotic world, and you can't protect the people you want to protect."
His words, though direct, struck a chord deep within. Minato looked up at Zhang Hai, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes. He knew Zhang Hai was right, but he still couldn't easily shake off the pain in his heart.
Kushina pursed her lips upon hearing Zhang Hai's words; she still harbored resentment towards him. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she abruptly grabbed Minato's hand and began to complain.
"Minato! You don't know! This guy with the wicked face even wanted to... even wanted to bite me! He asked me if I could help him store blood!" Kushina's tone was tinged with grievance and anger, and she was also a little embarrassed, after all, the story was a bit absurd.
Minato, who was immersed in grief, was stunned when he heard Kushina's words. He looked at the innocent-looking Zhang Hai, then at the indignant Kushina, and a wry smile appeared on his face.