Taiichi's fight didn't go unnoticed. The moment Ice Release flared across the battlefield, every Mist ninja who saw it froze like they'd seen a ghost. Mizunotsuki Hiyori's eyes went wide. He nearly forgot Uchiha Fugaku was right in front of him. The lapse cost him—Fugaku's blade opened a deep gash across his left arm.
Even bleeding, Hiyori couldn't stop staring. How the hell did Matsushita Taiichi have Ice Release? And it was stronger than his own. Was the kid some lost Mizunotsuki bastard? The thought died fast when Taiichi finished Ghost Lantern Hoshizuki in a few brutal moves. The balance of power on that part of the field shifted in an instant.
Water Moon Hiyori didn't waste time. He fired the retreat flare straight into the sky. The pale light cut through the rain like a blade. Every Mist ninja who could still move saw it. Those with any sense broke contact and ran. The ones who were already losing fought even harder to escape, taking wounds they couldn't afford just to get clear.
The unlucky ones—those pinned down and surrounded—had no chance. More Leaf forces closed in. They died where they stood.
Hiyori didn't look back. The second the flare left his hand, he was gone, vanishing into the rain.
That left Kaguya Kuma in a bad spot. He'd been dominating Hyuga Hiashi, bone blade flashing, sure he was about to finish the man. Then Taiichi killed Hoshizuki and the retreat flare went up. Kuma tried to disengage, but Hiashi stuck to him like glue. By the time he broke free, Taiichi and Fugaku had already flanked him.
Kaguya Kuma spun, bone blade raised, glaring at the three men boxing him in. "Three on one? Leaf cowards."
Taiichi didn't even blink. "This isn't a duel. It's a war. You lose, you die. Can't handle that?"
He moved before the words finished. Short blade chopping down, left fist wrapped in monstrous strength, he hammered Kuma's chest. Bone cracked loud enough to hear over the rain. Kuma spat blood and staggered.
The three of them pressed hard. Kaguya's eyes went wild. Chakra exploded around him. Bone erupted from his limbs, chest, and back in a storm of spikes. The technique was meant to take everyone with him.
"Fall back!" Fugaku shouted. "That technique covers too much ground!"
Too many Leaf ninja were still close. Taiichi didn't hesitate. He slammed a palm to the ground, Yin Seal flaring across his body as raw chakra poured out.
Water Style: Water Formation Wall.
A spinning dome of water rose around Kaguya, ten meters wide. Then he layered Ice Release on top, flash-freezing the wall from the bottom up until it became a thick shell of ice.
Kaguya's bone spikes slammed into it. The screech of bone grinding against ice was deafening. The ice cracked and reformed as Taiichi kept feeding chakra into it. The delay gave the surrounding Leaf forces time to pull back.
When the pressure became too much, Taiichi dropped the technique and teleported clear with Flying Thunder God. The ice shell shattered. Bone spikes kept growing for another eight meters before they finally stopped, turning the area into a massive, pale sea-urchin of death.
Taiichi's blue soul-flames faded. He walked back toward the others. "He's dead. Soul's gone."
Fugaku and Hiashi both exhaled. That final technique could have wiped out half the Leaf forces nearby if it had gone off unchecked.
Leaf ninja started gathering, offering quiet thanks. Taiichi had saved a lot of lives in those last seconds. The way he'd contained that suicide technique with water and ice left a strong impression. Respect showed in every look they gave him.
The three leaders moved closer to the bone forest. Even knowing what it was, the sight made their skin crawl. Kaguya's final act had been ugly.
The rest of the battlefield was winding down. The rain and darkness made pursuit difficult, but any Leaf squad with a Hyuga was allowed to chase the retreating Mist forces—within reason. No one was stupid enough to follow them onto open water.
Fugaku looked at the other two. "We pushing their camp?"
Hiashi shook his head, wincing as pain flared in his side. "No point. The survivors will warn them. Alerted Mist won't fall to a force this size."
Taiichi nodded. "We had the element of surprise and they still nearly turned it around. Straight fight would cost us too much."
Fugaku accepted it. "Then we clean the field and head back."
---
Leaf forward camp. Main command tent.
Fugaku gave the after-action report. "Two hundred thirty-one Mist confirmed dead, including Ghost Lantern Hoshizuki and Kaguya Kuma. We lost seventy-three, another hundred sixty-four wounded."
The numbers landed heavy. A decisive win. Killing two clan heads would send shockwaves through Mist's leadership. Tsunade listened without interrupting, face unreadable.
She finally spoke. "You did the right thing pulling back. But we're not letting them rest. Tomorrow we move the camp forward—one kilometer from the coastline. We start preparing for a full push."
Everyone stood and answered in unison. "Yes, Lady Tsunade."
The mood shifted. For weeks Leaf had been reacting. Now the initiative was theirs.
On the Mist side, the survivors limped back to their island camp under Hiyori's lead. The moment the ragged column appeared, the camp erupted into confused shouting. Too many missing. Too many bloodied. People started asking where their clan heads were.
Yagura stepped out of the command tent, took one look at the returning force, and his face went cold. He pulled Hiyori inside before the man could speak.
Inside the tent, Hiyori didn't sugarcoat it. "We got ambushed. Hoshizuki's dead. Kuma probably too. Byakugan spotted us. They set up a perfect kill zone."
Yagura's jaw tightened. "They weren't waiting for you. They were coming for our camp. You just got in their way first."
Hiyori swore under his breath. "So what now? Move the camp?"
Yagura shook his head. "No. If they found us once, moving won't help. We tighten defenses and watch the Kaguya and Ghost Lantern survivors. The last thing we need is either clan going rogue when they hear their leaders are dead."
As if on cue, angry shouting erupted outside—Ghost Lantern and Kaguya ninja demanding answers.
Yagura and Hiyori exchanged a grim look. The real fight was just beginning.