They… are different.
Ye Zi slowly broke free from Kushina's embrace and said calmly, "Let's head back to the base as quickly as possible."
"Mm." Kushina looked at his figure, her voice slightly subdued. She turned and walked towards Minato and the others, beginning to organize the formation, helping those who were unconscious or unable to move.
This was their first time participating in a war, and their first experience witnessing such brutal combat. They hadn't expected that even the strongest jōnin would be reduced to just Kato Dan, while the lower-ranked shinobi managed to survive.
If the hidden battles were this intense, how brutal must the open battles be?
No one spoke as they supported each other, quickly making their way back to the base.
Ye Zi, with the least injuries, took the lead in scouting the path, leaving the task of helping the wounded to Minato and the others.
After they left, a seemingly inconspicuous tree, which had been empty, suddenly revealed a woman with a grim expression, watching their departing direction. If Ye Zi had been there, he would have recognized her immediately as Mibara, the Iwa ninja who had protected the Iwa Country Daimyo during their mission in the Land of Iron.
"I must send the information back. Konoha's White Fang must be eliminated as soon as possible." Mibara's eyes were filled with deep fear. It hadn't been long since their last encounter in the Land of Iron, and she hadn't expected Ye Zi to have grown to such a terrifying extent. If this continued, it wouldn't be long before Konoha would truly have another White Fang.
She glanced at the ground covered with severed limbs and her face turned grim. As she turned to leave, she felt her feet suddenly bound by something. Looking down, she saw her legs covered in a white, unknown substance. She struggled to free herself, but it was futile. Her expression changed drastically as she quickly began forming hand seals.
"This won't do."
Before she could complete her hand seals, her arms were covered by the white substance seeping from her body. The viscous white material slowly formed a man with only an upper body, silently watching her.
"Who are you?!"
Mibara stared in terror at the pale man who was now very close, her face showing fear of the unknown.
The man spoke in a deep, calm voice, "That's not important. What matters is that you're about to die."
"No!" Mibara let out a horrified scream, which abruptly stopped a second later as the white substance enveloped her completely, forming a cocoon-like shape. The white cocoon then slowly merged into the tree trunk, as if she had never been there.
As they approached the base, a figure rapidly approached them.
Ye Zi's expression shifted slightly. He stopped on a large tree, his Raikiri suddenly unsheathed, with electrical currents appearing on his body.
He quickly recognized the newcomer. Slightly surprised, he slowly sheathed his Raikiri and withdrew his chakra, allowing the crackling electricity to dissipate.
The newcomer was none other than Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin.
From a distance, Tsunade saw Ye Zi and her eyes lit up. Then she noticed Kato Dan, who was bloodied and wounded, following behind Ye Zi. Her expression tightened, and she hurried to Kato Dan's side.
"Let me see."
Ignoring Kato Dan's reaction, Tsunade took him from Minato and began examining his injuries with a panicked demeanor, losing the composure expected of one of the Sannin.
Kato Dan looked at Tsunade's anxious and frantic expression with a hint of warmth, feeling a sense of affection towards her.
The Konoha shinobi watching this were seeing this side of Tsunade for the first time, and it was a shocking revelation to them.
Seeing Tsunade so focused on treating Kato Dan suggested they wouldn't be heading back to the base immediately.
Indeed, after Tsunade finished examining Kato Dan's injuries, she let out a sigh of relief and began treating him on the spot.
Kato Dan, understanding Tsunade's concern, did not stop her but cast an apologetic look at the others.
Ye Zi leaned against a tree, staring off into the distance. With Tsunade's arrival, it meant there was no more danger. The first engagement of the war was over, but he wasn't sure which side had gained the advantage.
The surviving Konoha shinobi felt relieved with Tsunade's presence, knowing they were finally safe.
Soon after, another figure approached rapidly—it was Orochimaru, the commander of the war.
Orochimaru leaped through the forest, spotting Ye Zi from afar. His tense expression relaxed slightly as he arrived next to Ye Zi, his face expressionless. He looked at the remaining Konoha shinobi and silently sighed in relief.
Although he didn't know what had happened, the survival of the new generation pillars—Ino-Shika-Cho, the Uchiha siblings, Kushina, Minato, and Ye Zi—was the best outcome. Orochimaru was curious and eager to see the post-battle report. Perhaps he and Shikaku had misjudged the situation.
Regardless, Konoha had won the first encounter decisively. As long as they maintained their advantage, securing victory in this war shouldn't be difficult.
Orochimaru pondered silently. Even if they won the war, it would likely only push the battlefield slightly forward, taking down the Land of Iron but not being able to invade Iwa Village, which was too well-defended. Moreover, Konoha's focus in this war was primarily on defense.
"Return."
Orochimaru lightly patted Ye Zi's shoulder and left first. He had rushed to the rear after the first battle of the war, aiming to provide assistance and assess the situation. However, Tsunade had arrived faster, and the Ino-Shika-Cho parents were also on their way.
Ye Zi watched Orochimaru's departing figure, then turned to glance at Kushina, who was supporting Uchiha Kōri. He pushed off the ground and followed Orochimaru towards the base.
When Kushina noticed Ye Zi looking at her, she sensed his gaze and looked back. But by the time she did, Ye Zi had already left.
In the end, everyone safely returned to the base and received treatment.
The battle report was carefully compiled by Kato Dan and presented to Orochimaru.
As Orochimaru reviewed the report, his expression grew serious. He wasn't particularly concerned about Ye Zi's method of eating enemy flesh to recover, but from his perspective, it was inconsequential. However, for others, especially ordinary villagers in the village, it was a different matter.
After returning to the base, Shimura Nanako immediately came to treat Ye Zi's injuries, though they were not severe.
Ye Zi looked at Nanako treating his wounds and said calmly "I thought you, as part of the corpse retrieval team, would be following me in secret."
Nanako, her head bowed as she treated his wounds, didn't respond.
Ye Zi found the situation a bit amusing and fell silent.
This mission, though dangerous, had yielded some results. At least, he had found a way to fight a prolonged battle.
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