The Third Kazekage spoke with confidence, but his movements were anything but slow. With a single motion of his hand, the Iron Sand blocks suspended in the sky scattered under the intensified magnetic force, reshaping into countless cone-shaped spikes that filled the air.
The spikes rained down relentlessly, drilling into the earth and forming an unbroken wall of Iron Sand.
Every grain carried poison. Even the slightest contact could prove fatal. Dodging the first wave offered no safety, as the terrain itself became a trap, cutting off escape routes and making the next strike nearly unavoidable. It was a wide-range Ninjutsu designed not to kill directly, but to trap and restrict movement.
The Third Kazekage had no intention of defeating his opponents outright. He only needed to delay them.
But the three shinobi below were not enemies he could casually suppress.
During the Second Great Ninja War, he had managed to face both Hanzō and the Third Hokage, but only because all sides were locked in mutual restraint. Now, he stood alone against three.
"Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique!"
Hayashi and the Third Hokage formed hand seals at the same time. Their bodies sank into the ground instantly, bypassing the Iron Sand barrier as they pursued the fleeing Sunagakure forces from below.
The Third Kazekage hovered in the air, the wind brushing past him as the situation slipped from his control. His opponents had no interest in fighting him directly. Instead, they aimed to wipe out Sunagakure's forces.
Underground movement was slower than the Body Flicker Technique, but it completely avoided his Magnet Release range. From the sky, there was nothing he could do to stop them.
He could descend, but he did not dare.
The memory of his capture during the war still lingered. If he was seized again, there would be no recovering his reputation. Worse, he had no desire to relive those days of confinement in Konoha.
Hanzō, left behind, found himself in an awkward position.
The Third Hokage and Hayashi had already moved ahead without hesitation, leaving him alone. His usual advantage, coordination with his Salamander summon, was gone. Without it, both pursuit and escape became far more difficult. His Earth Release was nowhere near their level.
For a brief moment, he considered retreating to the Land of Rain. But abandoning the battlefield without orders was not something he could risk.
Fear had settled into him as well.
The image of Hayashi's towering blue chakra figure lingered in his mind. That kind of power did not seem like something a normal shinobi should possess.
Seeing the Third Kazekage begin to move again, Hanzō quickly followed. No matter what, he could not allow the enemy to leave unchallenged.
The battlefield soon descended into chaos.
Sunagakure shinobi scattered in all directions, desperately trying to escape. From beneath the ground, the Third Hokage and Hayashi hunted them down one by one. Above, the Third Kazekage attempted to slow them with relentless Iron Sand attacks, while Hanzō trailed behind, striking whenever he found an opening.
By the time the sun stood high in the sky, the pursuit finally came to an end.
There was no clear victor in the chase itself. Too many enemies had scattered, and with only two primary pursuers, even Shadow Clones could not cover that much ground. The presence of the Third Kazekage further limited their ability to press forward.
Even so, most of Sunagakure's forces had already been eliminated earlier, crushed under the force of Susanoo and overwhelming Water Release techniques.
The ambush ended in a decisive victory for Konoha.
---
The first person to learn of this outcome was neither Ōnoki nor Danzō, but Orochimaru, stationed at the Land of Wind encampment.
He stepped out of his underground laboratory, his clothes still marked with dust and travel, and headed straight for the medical ward without changing.
"When will Tsunade be finished?" Orochimaru asked, his voice low and hoarse as he looked at the medical shinobi on duty.
Startled at first, she quickly recognized him and answered nervously, "Lady Tsunade has been inside for about twenty minutes. Given the patient's condition, it may take some time."
Orochimaru gave a slight nod.
The cold presence surrounding him made it difficult for the medic to even breathe steadily. Though respected as a war hero, the aura he carried had grown increasingly unsettling, causing even his own forces to keep their distance.
After a short silence, he spoke again.
"Tell her to come to the main tent immediately after she finishes."
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama," she replied quickly.
Without another word, he turned and left.
---
Half an hour later, Tsunade entered the main tent, fatigue evident in her expression.
"What's going on?" she asked, frowning as she took a seat across from him. "I heard you were mobilizing forces. Are we preparing for a large-scale operation?"
Orochimaru, now dressed in a dark green jonin vest, nodded.
"An hour ago, I received intelligence from Hayashi. Sunagakure has suffered a crushing defeat. Out of two thousand shinobi, only a few hundred remain."
Tsunade's eyes widened.
"They lost that quickly?"
She had known about the interception led by the Third Hokage, but she had expected a prolonged battle.
"And the Third Kazekage appeared on the battlefield," Orochimaru added.
That unexpected development only strengthened his resolve.
"I've already gathered all available forces in the encampment," he continued. "Those on missions have been recalled. Once everyone is assembled, we move for Kikyō Castle."
Tsunade hesitated. "Isn't that too sudden?"
Orochimaru shook his head.
"This is the perfect moment. Sunagakure has already lost two thousand shinobi. Even if Kikyō Castle still has defenders, the Third Kazekage cannot return in time. And even if he does, his strength will be reduced."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"There won't be a better opportunity than this."