As Ryuji subdued Anya, the battles on other fronts also concluded.
The result of the battle was utterly unsurprising, a decisive victory for Sunagakure.
Despite the fierce and flashy moves displayed by the group from the Western Continent, under overwhelming numerical and strength superiority, it was all just flamboyant showmanship.
The red-haired woman who entered Sage Mode and grew flamingo wings to fly away ended up the most miserable.
Because besides Aka, no one on the Sunagakure's side could fly, so she, being the strongest among them, had to give chase.
She solidified a spear of rock and shot Delores down with a single throw.
As for Smith, he died under Kana's lethal poison.
Whether in nerve reaction, physical constitution, or chakra capacity, Kana couldn't compare to this guy.
Adding to that was the protective barrier capable of defending against attacks below B-Rank Ninjutsu... If he had chosen to attack with weapons, Kana would undoubtedly have lost.
But this guy transformed into a leopard, using fangs and claws as weapons to kill.
In the end, Kana merely stood in his path. As he charged, she pretended to be unable to dodge in time, letting his claws graze her arm.
Then, Smith died.
And Gareth died the most gruesomely.
He not only possessed superb Taijutsu skills and a fairly impressive physical constitution and Chakra Reserve, but also wielded a set of weaponry and equipment left behind by the ancient empire. Even against a Kage-level opponent, his chances of winning were not small.
Against Pakura, it was a fair match.
Under normal circumstances, their battle would have been evenly matched, dragging on for a long time before a winner emerged.
But surrounded by a large number of enemies, Gareth's sole thought was escape.
Facing Pakura blocking his path, he didn't test or strategize. Instead, he unleashed his full power from the get-go, aiming to sweep away the obstacle in one strike.
This suited Pakura perfectly.
She had been on this mission for nearly half a year. The enemy, leveraging their intelligence advantage, had been playing hide-and-seek with them, making her suffer setbacks everywhere, her strength useless, her inner anger like a volcano about to erupt.
Seeing the enemy leader come at her with full force for a direct clash, she had not the slightest intention of backing down. She met him head-on with all her might.
Scorch Release has few merits, but its power is immense.
When Pakura condensed an orange fireball two meters in diameter, the entire forest was steamed by the intense heat.
Gareth's full-powered high-speed water blade evaporated instantly, and then everything within a hundred-meter radius was devoured in a violent explosion.
…
"Here, this is for you. Notify me once you find the city left behind by the ancient empire." Ryuji handed a scarab puppet and a scroll to Narita.
Narita was a man with a gaunt face but a burly physique. His head was wrapped in bandages, and he had deep dark circles under his eyes. If he silently appeared behind someone at night, he'd definitely be mistaken for a ghost and scare them half to death.
Yet he was one of Sunagakure's rare Sensor-Type Shinobi and the Jonin responsible for continuing the search for the massive city left by the ancient empire.
The scroll was part of the spoils obtained from the six-person group from the Western Continent. It contained many records regarding the ancient empire.
Among them were records of the massive city.
Although due to the immense passage of time and resulting continental plate shifts, the recorded location of the massive city was now lost, many other clues remained.
If they searched based on these clues, combined with the information from the script mentioning its location in the Great Rift Valley, the probability of finding it greatly increased.
"Once I have a lead, I will notify you immediately," Narita took the items, promising earnestly.
Ryuji nodded slightly, then turned to Pakura. "My trip to Konoha likely won't be peaceful. You'd better return to the village and wait for me."
Pakura opened her mouth, hesitating, with words left unspoken.
She really wanted to go along, but she could distinguish the importance of matters.
She knew how renowned the name 'Senki Ryuji' was in the Shinobi World and how many people wanted his head.
Even as allies, Konoha wouldn't pass up any opportunity to kill him.
The Floating Continent was simply too terrifying.
Even though it hadn't displayed any capabilities yet, the higher-ups of the major powers could imagine its potential power.
It was similar to Land of Sky during the Second Shinobi World War.
Though merely a small village, by leveraging flight equipment, it possessed the power to challenge the Five Great Nations.
If Ryuji were going to some other dragon's den or tiger's lair, she could still go along to help.
But Konoha had too many powerful Shinobi.
If she, who had a close relationship with Ryuji, followed him, then once conflict erupted, Konoha would definitely target her as a weak point.
Even though she wasn't weak, there was a high probability she'd become a liability.
Moreover, she understood Ryuji's character.
She knew he disliked women vying for his attention. Once or twice might be fine, but if it happened too often, there would be no future for them.
"Then be careful."
Finally, Pakura gently kissed Ryuji's forehead, offering her blessing.
"Mm."
Ryuji nodded lightly, then left with Kana and Aka.
…
Arriving in Konoha once again, walking on streets with a completely different atmosphere, Ryuji felt somewhat emotional.
Last time he came, it was the height of summer. Now, cold winds hung everywhere. The streets no longer bustled with the usual hustle and bustle; only occasionally would one or two preoccupied pedestrians pass by.
"It's related to the war as well," Kana said from the side. "Even if the war hasn't reached here, the outcome of the war concerns the village's future. Everyone is worried about it, plus the relatives and friends of those sacrificed... Naturally, there can't be a thriving, prosperous atmosphere."
"You understand quite a bit, huh!"
Ryuji glanced at her in surprise, teasingly remarking.
"Don't treat me like a child who knows nothing," Kana puffed her cheeks in annoyance. "Although I've only been a Shinobi for two years, I've been experiencing war ever since leaving the deep mountains. I can't compare to those old veterans who've lived through wars from the start, but I'm not some naive newbie either."
"Yes, yes, you're not some naive newbie, you're..."
Catching sight of Anbu rapidly approaching from across the street, Ryuji set aside his playful expression and calmly waited for them to arrive.
Moments later, the Anbu stood before them, speaking respectfully, "Ryuji-sama, our Danzo-sama has a matter he wishes to discuss with you. He hopes to meet with you privately."
"Privately?"
Aka scrutinized the Anbu before them with suspicion.
Kana was even more blunt in her sarcasm, "You people sent assassins after Ryuji-sama just a few days ago, and now you want a private meeting? What scheme are you plotting now?"
"Konoha absolutely has not done anything to damage the friendship between Sunagakure and Konoha. That was definitely a misunderstanding."
The Anbu replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, neither offending nor appearing weak, which further angered Kana.
'They clearly did such a thing but dare not admit it...' She despised people like that the most.
'And you say you're not a naive newbie.'
Ryuji casually glanced at her, muttering internally, then looked back at the Anbu shinobi before him. "I've just arrived in Konoha. I need to return to the delegation first and brief the other members of the delegation on some matters."
"Then when will Ryuji-sama be available?"
"...Three days from now."
Ryuji thought for a moment before giving his answer.
"I shall report this to Danzo-sama then," the Anbu shinobi added finally, "Regarding Danzo-sama's private meeting with Ryuji-sama, please do not inform anyone else."
"This kind of thing, of course..."
Ryuji raised his hand to stop Kana from continuing, then asked, "By 'anyone else', does that include your Hokage as well?"
"That is correct. This meeting is a private arrangement between Danzo-sama and Ryuji-sama."
"And the meeting location?"
"Someone will deliver it three days from now."
"I understand. I have matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."
"Farewell."
…
After parting with the Konoha's Anbu, Ryuji and his group continued towards the Sunagakure's delegation's residence.
On the way, Kana felt somewhat indignant.
"I don't understand. Since this is clearly a plot targeting you, Master, why not refuse?"
"You're a naive newbie, of course you don't understand."
Kana widened her eyes, feeling very unconvinced.
Then she heard Ryuji continue, "Who in their right mind would openly tell you, 'I'm going to scheme against you'?"
"This, this..."
Kana's small red lips opened and closed, but she couldn't refute it.
Finally, in a fit of defiance, she argued unreasonably, "What if they're precisely exploiting that mindset of yours and deliberately doing this?"
"Do you think everyone is like you?" Ryuji said with a hint of amusement, teasingly. "Those who hold high positions, even if not exceptionally clever, wouldn't fail to make preparations under such openly dangerous circumstances. You don't actually think I wouldn't tell the other delegation's members about this, do you?"
"This, this... Fine!"
Kana was ultimately left speechless.
"One last thing..."
"Hmm?"
"In the future, when I'm discussing serious matters with others, do not interrupt."
Seeing Ryuji's suddenly serious expression, Kana thought of this man's methods and couldn't help but swallow hard, quickly nodding in agreement. "Y-yes, understood."
"Then let's continue on our way. By this time, Karura and the others should have returned as well."
…
Sunagakure's Delegation Residence.
Meeting Room.
Ryuji briefly scanned the attendees, finally resting his gaze on the gently smiling Karura, and asked, "So, Yashamaru and the others haven't returned yet, right?"
"That can't be helped," Karura replied with a slight smile. "As the war has progressed, more and more wounded are being transported back daily. Konoha's medical personnel are insufficient, so those of us here for study and practical training have been conscripted."
"...That's actually a good thing," Ryuji mused. "It's a rare opportunity to have so many cases for them to practice on. They should make the most of it."
"But didn't you have something important to announce?"
"Although it is important, even if I don't say it, they are already well aware..."
Here, Ryuji glanced around at everyone. Seeing their attention focused on him, he continued, "According to the agreement, our Sunagakure's delegation will study in Konoha for half a year. Now, less than a month remains of that half-year."
"Is there a problem with that?"
A Genin responsible for miscellaneous tasks asked.
"A big problem," Ryuji chuckled coldly. "Have you forgotten? Back then, Konoha was willing to offer substantial funds rather than agree to our condition of studying here. Do you think they'll simply let us return without issue?"