The news of Orochimaru's raid on the Suna camp was impossible to suppress, even from Parashia and the elite Suna Jonin scattered across the Land of Rain in pursuit of Tsunade and Dan Kato.
As one might expect, the impact of the news hit these Jonin like a physical blow. It instantly fractured their resolve.
In truth, "fracture" was perhaps too generous a word. Aside from the commander, Parashia, every single Jonin had the same thought the moment they heard the report: Escape.
They needed to leave the Land of Rain immediately, fleeing before Konoha could close the net around them. Having lost the bulk of their mid-to-low-tier forces and their entire logistical supply line, every moment spent in this country was a gamble with their lives. This was especially true for the puppet masters; their style of combat demanded a level of maintenance and supply far beyond that of a standard Jonin.
Consequently, the fifteen surviving Suna Jonin reached a near-instant consensus to retreat. Only Parashia stood in fierce opposition.
The others could return to the village and shift the blame onto the commander's shoulders—the man who had initiated this high-stakes gamble. Parashia, however, had no such luxury. He had no path of retreat. Suna had suffered a catastrophic defeat, and the village would need a scapegoat for their collective rage and terror. There was no candidate more suitable than him.
Unless he could bring Tsunade—or at least her head—back to Suna to offset his failures, returning home would merely mean choosing a different location for his execution.
And so, after a brief but violent argument, the other fifteen Jonin turned and fled toward the Land of Rivers. Only Parashia remained. Like a gambler who had lost everything, his bloodshot eyes were fixed solely on Tsunade—the final chip that could let him win back his life.
"Give it up, Tsunade! You have no chance left. Orochimaru has already abandoned you to claim the glory of crushing Suna all for himself. If you don't want to watch Dan Kato die right in front of you, surrender now!"
Though Parashia was seeing red in his desperation to redeem himself, he hadn't entirely lost his mind. On the contrary, he felt a chilling, preternatural sense of calm.
Knowing that Tsunade's speed was severely hampered by the weight of Dan Kato on her back, he didn't lunge in immediately. Instead, he trailed her like a patient, lone wolf, using his words to gnaw at her morale. He used Dan Kato as a psychological wedge, trying to provoke her into a lapse of judgment—or better yet, to surrender for the sake of saving her lover's life.
"I'll admit, Orochimaru played a brilliant hand. He struck my vitals, and now countless Suna ninja have fallen into his hands as prisoners. But Tsunade, that is exactly why this is your best chance to save Dan Kato."
Parashia's voice was a persistent, oily rasp. "Your medical ninjutsu is legendary. I'm certain that if you stop now and focus entirely on Dan, you could still save him. So why keep running? Even if you fall into my hands, I'll simply use you and Dan to trade for the men Orochimaru captured. Trading their lives for his... it's a bargain, isn't it?"
He continued his relentless psychological assault, trying to wear her down. But even as he talked, he was coiled and ready. The moment Dan Kato breathed his last—the moment Tsunade lost her burden and either fled at full speed or turned back for a suicidal final stand—he would strike with everything he had to end her.
Tsunade ran with everything she had, squeezing every cell in her body for a final drop of chakra.
Since last night, nearly twenty-four hours had passed without a second of rest. She had fought through three breakout battles against a dozen elite Jonin while carrying a dying man. She had never been this physically depleted in her life.
Yet, compared to the exhaustion of her body, the agony in her heart was far worse.
Nawaki was still missing, his fate unknown. Of the three ninja who had left the camp with her, Kurama Sei had been slaughtered, and Gekko Kyofu had vanished after breaking out to seek help; he was likely dead as well. And now, Dan Kato—her last remaining companion—seemed to be dying on her very back.
She blamed herself for all of it.
If she hadn't agreed to let Nawaki leave the village for the Land of Rain... if she hadn't been so stubborn and desperate that she walked straight into Parashia's trap... none of this would have happened.
The only sliver of solace she found was that Orochimaru had seemingly turned her misfortune into an opportunity to strike the Suna camp, securing a victory that would finally end the war.
If that's the case, she thought, her brow smoothing out for the first time as a look of grim determination filled her eyes, then let me make one last contribution to the village.
She felt the breath on her neck—shallow, nearly imperceptible.
"Nee-san!"
Just as Tsunade prepared to skidding to a halt, to put Dan down and engage Parashia in a final, suicidal struggle to take him with her to the grave, a familiar voice reached her ears.
It seems this really is where I die, she thought with a bitter, internal smile. I'm already starting to hallucinate.
"Nee-san!"
The voice came again, more urgent this time, shattering the idea that it was a trick of her mind.
"Over here! I'm over here! Quick!"
Tsunade's heart hammered against her ribs. She followed the sound, and there, sheltered beneath the canopy of an Umbrella Tree, was the small, scrawny figure she had been agonizing over for days.
But before joy could even register on her face, it was instantly eclipsed by a wave of terror and panic.
"Hahaha!"
Behind her, Parashia's raucous, predatory laughter erupted.
"I never imagined! The last male of the Senju line, the one we couldn't find, was hiding right here! Tsunade, I really have to thank you for this! Hahahaha! I think I'll take both prizes!"
Seeing his luck take such a miraculous turn, Parashia stopped holding back. He accelerated, a blur of motion aimed directly at Nawaki.
He saw the situation with perfect clarity. Compared to Dan Kato, Nawaki was the ultimate leverage. If he captured the boy, Tsunade would have no choice but to surrender. With the last two members of the Senju clan in his custody, Suna wouldn't just avoid a humiliating peace treaty—they would hold the upper hand in the negotiations.
And as the man who captured them, he wouldn't just be redeemed—he would be legendary.
Greed blazed in Parashia's eyes. He reached out with both hands, lunging forward as if to seize the glorious future he saw shimmering before him.