"Retreat!"
At Mei Terumi's command, all the Mist ninja began to pull back. Zabuza seized the opportunity to withdraw as well.
In the thick mist, the enemy was difficult to discern, and the Cloud Village had already suffered heavy casualties. The Raikage dared not give chase.
Gazing at the惨状 of his shinobi on the beach, the Raikage clenched his fist, grabbing a rock from the ground in frustration. He let out a furious roar.
"Die!"
He hurled the stone with all his might, sending it flying along the path of Mei's retreat.
The massive rock, carrying an immense force, shot into the dense fog in an instant.
The Mist ninja were all in the process of withdrawing. Zabuza, who happened to be behind Mei, saw the rock flying toward them. With no time to perform a jutsu, he instinctively shielded Mei with his own body.
A sickening crack echoed as splintering stone and shattering bone sounded at the same time. Several of Zabuza's ribs were broken on impact. He coughed up blood and fell backward.
Mei hadn't even registered the rock as it emerged from the mist. It was only when Zabuza took the blow for her that she realized she had just had a brush with death.
"Zabuza!" Mei cried out in alarm.
She and Juzo Biwa quickly knelt, supporting Zabuza on either side as they continued their retreat into the fog.
Fortunately, the Raikage's strength had been greatly diminished by the long-distance sprint and his previous heavy attacks. After throwing that rock, he couldn't find another suitable one nearby and had to give up.
Breathing heavily, he deactivated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, a wave of exhaustion washing over him.
"Everyone! Rest and treat the wounded!" the Raikage commanded.
"Yes, sir!" the Cloud shinobi responded in unison.
The Raikage was the strongest man in the Cloud Village, their greatest pillar of support. His arrival had brought them all a sense of security.
After a brief search, the Raikage finally found Killer B lying on a stretcher.
"Yo! Big Bro, you're here... Hiss..."
Killer B tried to start a rap, but the pain lancing through his body cut him short.
The Raikage looked at his normally eccentric adopted brother, now covered in wounds. He placed a large hand on Killer B's shoulder. "Just focus on healing. I'm here now, and I'll handle things."
Killer B raised his fist, and the Raikage met it with his own. The two fists bumped together.
…..
Meanwhile, the Mist ninja, having retreated a safe distance, finally breathed a sigh of relief. They carefully laid Zabuza down.
Zabuza was still conscious. He took a few shallow breaths, knowing his ribs were broken. Fortunately, such an injury wasn't life-threatening.
"Lady Mizukage, it's not safe here. We should head back. My injuries can wait," Zabuza said, not wanting to slow down the team.
Ao, who still had a considerable amount of chakra left, was monitoring the distance with his Byakugan. "Don't worry, Zabuza," he reassured him. "The Cloud ninja aren't following. Your injury needs immediate attention, or you risk damage to your internal organs."
The Mist contingent had brought two medical-nin with them. Having mostly stayed out of the fight, they rushed over to perform emergency treatment on Zabuza.
Back at the beach, the Cloud ninja began the task of cleaning up the battlefield. When Mei had unleashed her acid mist, everyone had scrambled for cover. Being hit by that acid meant a horrific end, so they had hidden wherever they could.
Those Cloud shinobi closest to the sea had simply dived into the water to save themselves. Not all of them had managed to resurface. Some had vanished beneath the waves, but in the chaos, no one yet knew their fate.
While Zabuza was being treated, Mei took a headcount. Though everyone was injured to some degree, the Mist's casualties were surprisingly light. The final tally showed only three losses; the rest had successfully withdrawn.
In contrast, the Cloud Village, lacking the Raikage at the start of the battle, had suffered at least fifty casualties. It was an impressive outcome for the Mist.
Yet, Mei couldn't bring herself to smile. The battle against the Raikage had shown her just how terrifyingly powerful he was. She had been completely helpless before him, his speed allowing him to break through her defenses in an instant.
If not for the combined efforts of her comrades, she would have died at the Raikage's hands today. If her personal guards, like Chojuro, had been here instead, they would have been killed instantly.
What's more, the Raikage had arrived by running across the ocean, a clear sign of a long and taxing journey. Even with his stamina depleted, he had utterly overwhelmed her. Mei understood the vast gap that separated her from the world's top-tier fighters.
At moments like this, her Kekkei Genkai were only useful for bullying weaker opponents. Against a high-speed enemy like the Raikage, she was powerless. Her other Kekkei Genkai, Boil Release, required a more enclosed environment to be truly effective. In a wide-open space like the coast, it was difficult to use to its full potential.
The Raikage was not only fast but also overwhelmingly strong; Mei couldn't have withstood a single one of his attacks. Even the rock he had thrown at the end would have grievously wounded her if Zabuza hadn't intervened.
Mei looked back toward the Cloud's position and sighed. She knew that today's missed opportunity meant the conflict between the Cloud and the Mist was about to enter a protracted stalemate.
The Mist Village's lack of a Jinchuriki weighed heavily on her mind. She had tasked Kisame with finding Utakata, and while Kisame had said the Akatsuki would accept the mission, there was no time now. They would have to wait for their leader to arrive and end this war first.
Mei had no idea how strong the Akatsuki's leader was, but even Kisame Hoshigaki spoke of him with reverence. In the current situation, she could only hope that he was as powerful as the rumors claimed.
On the ground, Zabuza's bones had been set by the medical-nin, stabilizing his condition for the time being. He approached Mei and made a suggestion. "Lady Mizukage, the Cloud will likely be regrouping. We should take this chance to destroy their base!"
Mei's eyes lit up. Destroying their forward base now would significantly slow down their recovery.
"Ao," Mei said, "did you manage to acquire any of their Secret Treasure Talismans when you were dismantling their traps?"
Ao understood immediately. "Ryosuke, Kaito," he commanded, "you two head to the Cloud's base. Use all the talismans we collected, then retreat immediately!"
The two Mist shinobi acknowledged the order and sped off toward the enemy encampment. The rest of the group, many of them injured, began their own withdrawal. A short while later, a massive explosion echoed from the direction of the Cloud base.
…..
Not every spy had detected the Mist's surprise attack, but once the battle began, many more became aware of the conflict.
Far in the distance, Ibiki's squad was observing the entire battle through binoculars. Ibiki had visited the Land of Water many times and was familiar with the terrain. This familiarity had allowed him to notice the Cloud's evacuation from their base earlier than other intelligence teams.
Though he hadn't known the Mist would attack tonight, he knew a clash was inevitable. He had positioned his team on a high vantage point, hoping to gather useful intelligence.
From the moment the fight broke out, Ibiki had watched every development. With the Cloud forces preoccupied with their numerous casualties, they hadn't sent out search parties, leaving Ibiki and his team relatively safe.
The Fifth Mizukage openly using her Kekkei Genkai was a crucial piece of information. Ibiki carefully recorded it, preparing to send the report to Konoha.
Then, the Raikage's arrival on the island, even ahead of his own reinforcements, had shocked him. It meant that the Cloud's two Jinchuriki were likely safe.
Ibiki hurriedly wrote down all the intelligence on a scroll. Using a summoning animal, he sent the vital information back to the Leaf Village.