Although he had already sent someone to warn Senba and the others, Isamu's inexplicable sense of crisis still hadn't disappeared.
"Zetsu, where the hell are you? Get out here right now!" Isamu shouted toward the empty air beside him.
"I'm here, I'm here. What's the matter, Isamu?" Hearing Isamu's call, White Zetsu popped out from the ground.
"I've been having a bad feeling. Go to the Land of Earth and investigate the enemy's movements!" Isamu said slowly.
"Sure, no problem. I'll go check it out right away!" After speaking, White Zetsu merged directly into the ground and disappeared from the room.
"Sigh… I hope my feeling is wrong. It's fine if I have to accept my own fate, but I can't let Senba get dragged into this!"
Isamu let out a heavy sigh.
Having gained the recognition of this world, he could vaguely sense his own destiny. Perhaps because he was an outsider, the world would occasionally give him hints about major events.
After quietly waiting an entire day, White Zetsu finally returned with intelligence the following morning.
"Isamu, this is bad! The Ninjas of the Land of Earth are launching a full-scale attack. There are probably more than ten thousand of them this time!" White Zetsu spoke with visible panic.
"What? Deploying ten thousand Ninjas? Has that old man Ōnoki gone insane? This is a complete declaration of war!" Isamu was also shocked by the news.
Originally, his fate should only have involved facing a group of powerful enemies, but he never expected the other side to mobilize tens of thousands of Ninjas.
"Don't be so shocked. Although they've deployed ten thousand Ninjas, the vanguard only consists of two thousand. The main force is still about a hundred kilometers behind them. However, this vanguard isn't simple. According to the information I gathered, it's led by five members of the Shadow Guard Squad, all with Quasi-Kage-level strength. Their power definitely can't be underestimated!" White Zetsu quickly explained everything he had learned.
"Five Quasi-Kages? That's terrible news. Roughly how long before the vanguard reaches our frontline troops?" Isamu frowned deeply after hearing the series of bad news.
"Hmm… let me think… probably around six hours!"
"Only six hours left? Konoha's intelligence personnel are truly useless. The enemy is already this close, yet they still haven't received any information. What a bunch of trash!" Hearing the time estimate, Isamu immediately cursed the Konoha intelligence division.
To be fair, the Anbu couldn't be blamed entirely. Their scouting range was usually only about three hours away from the border. Going deeper into enemy territory was simply too dangerous.
Isamu immediately pulled out a scroll and wrote down the intelligence report.
That's right—he was requesting reinforcements from Konoha Village. Even he couldn't hold back the attack of tens of thousands of Iwa Ninjas alone.
"Tanaka! Tanaka! Get your ass in here right now!" Isamu shouted loudly after finishing the report.
"Coming, coming! Lord Isamu, what are your orders?" Tanaka hurried into the room in a panic.
"Send this urgent intelligence back to Konoha Village immediately. Use the fastest hunting falcon available. Also, notify the entire camp to pack up and begin retreating at once!" Isamu handed the scroll to Tanaka as he spoke.
Tanaka accepted the scroll, but his face immediately filled with confusion.
"Lord Isamu, did something happen? Why are we suddenly retreating?"
"What else could it be? More than ten thousand Ninjas from the Land of Earth are marching this way. If we don't retreat now, are we supposed to stay here and wait to die?" Isamu rolled his eyes impatiently.
"Huh? Ten thousand Ninjas?! No way! How is that possible? Our intelligence unit hasn't reported anything!" Tanaka was completely shocked.
"By the time those useless idiots gather intelligence, we'll already be corpses. Tanaka, stop asking questions and get moving! This is an emergency!"
Tanaka didn't dare say anything further. He immediately ran outside, attached the intelligence scroll to a hunting falcon, and released it toward Konoha Village. At the same time, he began ordering the Ninjas in the camp to pack their belongings and prepare for evacuation.
When the Ninjas heard that the Land of Earth had dispatched tens of thousands of troops, the entire camp immediately fell into chaos. Everyone hurriedly packed up supplies and prepared to retreat.
In just one hour, everything was ready.
On the border, where life and death were constant companions, efficiency naturally became second nature. Something that normally required three hours was finished in one.
"Lord Isamu, everything has been packed. We can retreat at any moment!" Tanaka reported after returning.
"Good. Tanaka, lead the camp's Ninjas and retreat toward Konoha Village immediately. I've already requested reinforcements. Keep moving until you encounter the main Konoha force, then stop. Understood?" Isamu pointed toward the direction of Konoha Village.
"Yes, my lord!" Tanaka nodded, but just as he turned to leave, he suddenly froze.
"Lord Isamu… don't tell me you aren't coming with us?"
"No. If nobody stays behind to delay the Iwa Ninjas, none of you will escape. Tanaka, I'm entrusting the camp's Ninjas to you. Don't let me down." Isamu patted Tanaka's shoulder.
"My lord, how can we leave you here alone? If we stay, then we stay together! Konoha Ninjas are never afraid of death!" Tanaka's gaze became incredibly determined.
"That's right! Konoha Ninjas aren't afraid of death!"
"If we stay, we all stay together! As inheritors of the Will of Fire, we don't fear sacrifice!"
…
With Tanaka taking the lead, the other Ninjas also stepped forward one after another, insisting on remaining behind.
At that moment, every one of them wore determined expressions.
Isamu slowly raised his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.
Although he was genuinely moved, there was simply no need for them to stay and die with him.
"Tanaka, didn't you once tell me you wanted to get married and have children? Staying behind now isn't exactly the smartest decision if that's your dream. And the same goes for all of you. The enemy has sent tens of thousands of Ninjas—not hundreds, not thousands. Staying here would only be meaningless sacrifice. You still have a future ahead of you. There's no need to throw your lives away here."
"But my lord, there's no need for you to stay either! As long as we retreat quickly enough, the Land of Earth Ninjas might not catch us!" Tanaka still refused to give up.
Over the past half year, they had fought together through life-and-death battles. How could he abandon Isamu now?
"Listen to me, Tanaka. You're still young. Your road has only just begun. With your talent, becoming a Jonin is guaranteed. If you work harder, even becoming an Elite Jonin isn't impossible. But I'm already forty years old. Guiding you all is the only thing I can still do. This is my end—not yours. You still have an endless future ahead of you. A vast world is waiting for you to explore. Do you understand?"
"But my lord—"
Before Tanaka could continue, Isamu's expression suddenly darkened.
"Tanaka!!!"
"Yes, my lord!"
"I am the supreme commander here. My word is absolute. Are you planning to disobey orders? Now take everyone and get the hell out of here!"
Seeing Isamu's unwavering resolve, Tanaka finally lowered his head.
"Yes… my lord."
He stared carefully at Isamu, as if trying to engrave his appearance permanently into his memory. Then, without another word, Tanaka turned around and led the Ninjas away.
However, aside from Isamu himself, nobody noticed the tear that slid down Tanaka's face as he departed.
Watching Tanaka and the others leave, Isamu smiled faintly.
"The bonds of Ninjas, huh? What a troublesome thing. I, Uchiha Tensei, don't need anyone risking their lives for me…"
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