"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The alarm echoed through Konoha's camp, rousing every ninja from their rest.
"Hurry! Everyone, evacuate!"
The command to retreat soon followed, filling the air with urgency. Konoha's ninja quickly understood the gravity of the situation.
Grabbing whatever they could carry, they joined the others and began a rapid withdrawal, following the orders without question.
As they fled, word spread about what had happened: Konoha's camp was encircled by enemy forces.
The news sent shock through the ranks. None of them had anticipated that such a scenario could occur.
Meanwhile, at the Iwa-Suna Alliance's camp, a scout burst into the tent.
"Urgent report! Lords Mu and Shamon, the Konoha forces have started to abandon their camp!"
Mu and Shamon immediately stood, exchanging serious looks before rushing outside. Mu, eager for a better view, took to the sky, scanning the direction of Konoha's camp.
Unfortunately, the gloomy weather in the Land of Rain, with its ever-present dark clouds, limited visibility.
"Why would they retreat so suddenly?" Shamon asked, confused by Konoha's unexpected move.
"They must have discovered our ambush units," Mu said, landing beside him. This was the only explanation that made sense.
"In that case, let's not let them get away! Launch the attack now!" Shamon replied, quickly realizing that Konoha must have spotted the ambush units and was attempting to evacuate before the attack could strike.
"Give the order—attack!" Mu commanded without hesitation. The ambush having been discovered, there was no reason to hold back.
The Iwa-Suna Alliance forces, already prepared, surged forward toward Konoha's camp.
As they approached a certain point, however, they stopped, seeing figures standing in their path.
At the front of this group stood the Second Hokage himself, Tobirama Senju, flanked by Edo Tensei-revived ninja, each a formidable warrior from the past. The alliance recognized some as renowned shinobi from Iwagakure and Sunagakure.
Mu and Shamon approached, sizing up the defenders before them. They knew that, while the ambush plan had not fully succeeded, it had come close enough that Konoha's Second Hokage himself had been forced to stay behind and cover the retreat. It meant the ambush units must have gotten very close to Konoha's camp.
"Tobirama Senju, it seems you're prepared to sacrifice yourself for Konoha," Shamon said, summoning several puppets to his side.
"Even the Second Hokage himself is here to hold us off. That must mean our ambush force is right on their heels," Mu added with a satisfied smirk.
He had spent countless battles locked in conflict with Tobirama, and this was one of the few times he felt, he had the upper hand.
"Hmph, just a bunch of ragtag ninja," Tobirama sneered coldly. He couldn't afford to show any weakness now and projected confidence with every word.
"Oh, still so arrogant even now? Let's see how you plan to hold off our entire force of ten thousand!" Shamon said, wasting no time as he sent his puppets charging forward.
Time was of the essence; he had no intention of letting Tobirama delay them further.
Mu, too, launched his own attack, and as the two engaged Tobirama, the Alliance forces split into two groups.
Some clashed with Tobirama's Edo Tensei soldiers, while others attempted to bypass them entirely, pushing straight toward Konoha's retreating forces in the Land of Rain.
Their true objective was not Tobirama but the Konoha reinforcements he was covering.
But as the main Alliance forces pressed forward, they met resistance from Konoha's elite ninja, who fought while retreating, using various jutsu to stall and slow the enemy's advance.
Unlike Tobirama, who could rely on his Flying Thunder God technique to escape from any direction at a moment's notice, these elite ninja knew that direct engagement was a risk.
They focused on long-range attacks to delay the advancing Alliance troops.
Even so, casualties began to mount among Konoha's elite. With the sheer number of Iwa-Suna forces bearing down on them, it was impossible to hold every line.
"Everyone, speed up! Don't let the Konoha forces escape!" The Alliance troops grew more energized as they closed in on the retreating Konoha forces.
Finally, after so long at a stalemate, they had the advantage, a chance to pursue and crush the enemy.
Meanwhile, the second ambush unit from the Alliance drew closer to the fleeing Konoha forces, moving with open confidence now that they had been "discovered." Their presence added even more pressure to Konoha's retreat.
"Charge! Catch up to the Konoha forces and wipe them out!" A shout went up as they sprinted across the rain-soaked terrain, refusing to let Konoha escape.
In the Konoha ranks, the ninja pushed themselves to the limit, following the lead of the elite shinobi at the head of the retreat.
Falling behind was a death sentence; those unable to keep up would be torn apart by the Alliance forces closing in from behind.
Among the stragglers were injured shinobi who, despite their efforts, began to falter and fall back, only to be swiftly overtaken and killed.
Boom!
Thunder echoed from the distance, momentarily brightening the sky. Konoha's ninja pressed on, running together rather than scattering.
Behind them, the Alliance forces charged with exhilaration, attacking any Konoha ninja who lagged behind.
The pursuit felt like wolves chasing down a flock of sheep, or hunters driving their prey. For the Alliance, it was an exhilarating thrill.
"Run, keep running! When you can't run anymore, you're doomed!" one Alliance elite jeered, driving his blade into yet another fallen Konoha ninja.
This one was a young boy, barely a teenager, already injured from previous battles and unable to keep up.
Among the fallen were many of Konoha's wounded—shinobi who had bled for their village. But the harsh realities of war spared no one. In the eyes of some, sacrifices were necessary.
If Hui knew that Konoha's leaders had left injured ninja behind to make the retreat appear more genuine, he would likely be furious. But… the blame could not entirely fall on the leadership.
By the time Hui's message had reached Konoha's camp, the Alliance's ambush units were already dangerously close.
Organizing an evacuation, even in that moment, had been nearly impossible, and bringing all the injured along would have meant slowing everyone down, putting the whole group at risk.
Leaving one wounded ninja behind could mean the difference between life and death for three others.
An evacuation slowed by even a few injured could spell disaster for everyone. To remain in the camp and hold their ground would have only resulted in greater losses.
It was a decision between pragmatism and sentiment—a dilemma where Konoha's leadership chose the pragmatic path, sacrificing a few to save many.
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