The pursuit began.
With the enemy forces utterly demoralized by Hui's overwhelming display, Konoha's ninja found the slaughter almost effortless.
Though Konoha had only a little over two thousand troops, they easily overwhelmed the enemy's ambush unit of the same size, now in full retreat with no one daring to turn and resist. It was a one-sided massacre.
Hui joined in, soaring into the sky to snipe down any ninja who had managed to flee further, ensuring no one escaped.
Despite this, with so many to kill, it took considerable time for the carnage to conclude.
"Lord Hui, shall we resume our previous route?" a ninja asked, approaching him. Their initial course had shifted due to the pursuit of the ambush unit.
Hui considered this for a moment. From the memories he had extracted from the captured ninja, he knew of the Iwa-Suna Alliance's ambush plan and the route of the other ambush unit.
Going after the second unit would take too long, and if he resumed his original route, he still wouldn't reach Konoha's camp in time to intercept the attack.
Instead, he gave an alternative order: "Use a summoning beast to inform the Second Hokage of the ambush plan and the route of the remaining enemy unit. Tell them to draw the Iwa-Suna forces toward…" Hui pointed to a location on the map marked as Land of Lightning.
In the Land of Rain, thunderstorms were common, but the Land of Lightning was unique—it was struck by lightning almost 260 days a year.
Hui possessed a technique that allowed him to harness natural lightning as a weapon, so he had noted this location early on.
However, its distance from both Konoha's and the Alliance's camps had prevented any previous battles from taking place there.
But this time, circumstances were different. With Konoha's camp about to be assaulted, a strategic "retreat" toward the Land of Lightning would be a plausible response to the attack, especially under the surprise ambush of the Iwa-Suna forces.
And, given the success of the ambush, the Alliance would likely let its guard down. This meant he could use the location to deliver a devastating lightning strike to the enemy.
The ninja caught on quickly, his eyes lighting up as he thought of the lightning Hui had unleashed at Moonfall Mountain. "Understood!"
…
Back at Konoha's camp in the Land of Rain, another familiar pigeon arrived with a note. Tobirama Senju read it and narrowed his eyes in thought.
After Mu and Shamon's probing attack the other day, Tobirama had anticipated that the Iwa-Suna Alliance might have a large-scale strategy in mind. However, Konoha scouts had reported no noticeable decrease in enemy numbers.
Instead, it appeared the Alliance was merely trying to stretch Konoha's defensive lines, forcing Tobirama to spread his Edo Tensei troops thin across the front, where Konoha could gradually be worn down.
Now, however, he saw the true plan—a feint to disguise the movement of two ambush units. The Alliance's ambush forces had taken a cautious, extremely roundabout route, extending what could have been an hour's journey into over two days. But their tactic had paid off; the ambush unit was now dangerously close to Konoha's camp and poised to strike.
Tobirama shuddered at the thought of how close they had come to disaster.
If Hui hadn't arrived in the Land of Rain when he did, or if he hadn't detected the ambush with his extraordinary sensory ability, Konoha's camp might have been wiped out in a surprise attack.
"You underestimated me, Mu, Shamon," Tobirama muttered grimly, calling his elite ninja to prepare for the next steps.
Once they learned of the ambush plan, the gathered ninja were horrified.
"Thank goodness Lord Hui discovered the ambush in time! We'd be done for otherwise," one ninja said, wiping the sweat from his brow.
The others nodded, feeling an immense sense of relief.
"Now that we know the Alliance's plan, we'll follow Hui's instructions and lure them into the Land of Lightning," Tobirama announced. His tone had cool, but the anger remained; Mu and Shamon had almost blindsided him.
"The Land of Lightning …" someone said with excitement, recalling the infamous lightning jutsu Hui had used to kill the Second Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuuriki at Moonfall Mountain.
Known as the "Divine Judgement," this technique was legendary, whispered about as a divine power that every ninja dreamed of witnessing.
Even Tobirama was interested. While he and Hui had sparred often, neither had unleashed their most powerful techniques against each other, so Tobirama himself had yet to see Hui's famous jutsu.
"We'll feign a retreat in response to the ambush," Tobirama continued, "but we'll keep our forces intact. We can't afford an actual rout, or else it may turn into a true defeat."
"Yes, it's best if a few of us remain behind to cover the retreat, creating the appearance of a last stand. That way, our retreat will look genuine," an elite ninja added, refining the plan.
"Which means it's going to be a brutal fight for those of us who stay," Tobirama nodded.
The remaining few would indeed have to hold the line, risking their lives as they confronted the bulk of the Alliance's ambush forces. For many, this would be their last stand.
A solemn air settled over the group as they realized the gravity of their roles.
"I've been prepared to die since the start of this war," one ninja said calmly. "Death is part of the job and there's nothing to fear."
His words struck a chord with everyone. Facing the combined might of the four great ninja villages, each of them had accepted the risk of death from the beginning.
"Yes, death is just part of the battle."
"Let's get ready to 'discover' the ambush unit, then," Tobirama ordered, aware that time was running short. The Alliance's second ambush unit was already drawing close.
"Understood!"
join my patreon for 85+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/HyppoTL