After departing the main camp under Tsunade's lead, the newly formed Team Tsunade tore across the landscape like a lightning bolt, their momentum utterly unstoppable.
The Hidden Stone had dared to ambush her younger brother, Nawaki; they had used cowardly tactics to kill Dan Kato; and then, to top it all off, they had the gall to pin the blame on Konoha. These provocations had stoked a towering inferno of rage within the already volatile Tsunade.
This was precisely why she had volunteered the moment she heard Hiruzen Sarutobi's plan to clear out the "rats" surrounding the army. She had personally assembled this four-man squad to carry out the mission herself.
After intercepting and neutralizing three Iwa scouting parties in quick succession, Tsunade realized the enemy would soon catch on and flee. Following a brief "consultation" with Minato, Hatani, and Choza, she made a snap decision: they would stop the meticulous search for stragglers. Instead, they would push forward at maximum speed, pivoting from a pursuit to an interception maneuver.
Hatani found this rapid penetration tactic strangely familiar. As a former armchair military buff, he had seen enough tactical maps and videos to recognize the classic "pincer" movement.
However, the realization that only the four of them were executing this deep push—without a main force following behind to complete the encirclement—made his stomach churn. A spearhead without a shaft was just a stray blade; it was far too easy for them to end up as cornered beasts—or dead ones.
Hatani's fears soon became a reality.
While the other Konoha squads strictly followed Hiruzen's orders—clearing the area in disciplined, concentric waves like ripples expanding from the main army—this eccentric team had transformed into a lone boat drifting deep into the Iwa tide.
As the Iwa scouting parties received orders to retreat, the density of enemy ninjas around them began to skyrocket. At this point, even Tsunade realized she might have overplayed her hand. Again.
Having learned a bitter lesson from her previous encounter when she was surrounded by Sand Jonin, Tsunade showed a rare flash of growth. While the surrounding Iwa teams were still focused on their own retreat and hadn't yet coordinated an assault on them, she ordered Hatani—the fastest among them—to break off and head back.
His mission: deliver intelligence to the following squads and urge them to accelerate their sweep to provide support.
Since they had only just arrived in the Land of Grass, Tsunade hadn't had the chance to place space-time markers at the main camp. Without a way to use her summoning-based spatial techniques to send a message via Katsuyu, a manual messenger was the best option.
Even so, this was the only compromise Tsunade was willing to make. Despite the risks, she refused to tuck tail and retreat.
She had her reasons. First, although the situation looked similar to her previous ordeal, there was a key difference: back then, the Sand Jonin knew her route and had set an ambush. This time, her team was the one in the shadows. She could play a deadly game of hide-and-seek with Minato and Choza across this vast terrain.
Second, compared to the elite Sand forces she had faced, the bulk of these Iwa ninjas were Genin. Chunin only made up about a third of their ranks—roughly two hundred men—and Jonin were few and far enough between that she estimated there were no more than ten in the immediate vicinity. It was a standard vanguard distribution.
Because their overall strength was so "average," the Iwa scouts had crumbled so quickly under the pressure of Konoha's elite cleanup squads, fleeing before they could even mount a proper defense.
Finally, and most importantly, Tsunade wanted to seize this opportunity to cull as many of these six hundred ninjas as possible. She wanted to deal Iwagakure a heavy blow and shatter their morale before their main army even arrived.
In a clash between two great powers, especially one involving tens of thousands of shinobi, strength provided the floor, but morale determined the ceiling. Konoha and Iwa were evenly matched in raw power; if they could crush Iwa's spirit before the first major battle, Konoha's chances of victory would soar.
Tsunade was fiery, yes, but she wasn't mindless—even if she looked more "brainless" than ninety-nine percent of the female shinobi in the world.
However, despite her careful considerations, Tsunade forgot one thing: accidents always arrive before tomorrow does.
It was time to pull out.
Fumikawa, the Iwa Jonin in charge of the delay operation, looked at the reports with a grimace. In just three or four hours, a quarter of his squads had been wiped out by Konoha's fierce sweep.
He knew that with the arrival of the Konoha main force—bolstered by fresh reinforcements—his remaining hundred-odd squads no longer had the capital to resist. Staying would no longer delay Konoha; it would simply turn his remaining six hundred ninjas into sacrifices.
The Tsuchikage was already on his way with the main army. There was no longer a need for them to trade their lives for time.
Even so, the cost had been staggering. Of the thousand border troops they had started with less than half a month ago, nearly half were gone. The casualty rate was horrifying.
Fumikawa, relying on his own high-level skills, had just completed one last close-range reconnaissance of the Konoha camp. He had successfully shaken off his pursuers and reached a safe zone on the periphery. He was about to issue the order for all remaining forces to retreat dozens of kilometers back to Kannabi Bridge—to secure the vital supply line for the Tsuchikage's army—when a familiar face appeared in his line of sight.
"You didn't run? You're actually coming right at me to die?"
Looking at Namikaze Hatani, who flickered in and out of view as the wind whipped through the tall grass, Fumikawa's eyes flashed with a mix of cruelty, rage, and mockery.
Hatani, hearing that particular line, couldn't help but roll his eyes. He finally couldn't resist letting the inner monologue leak out.
"Who do you think you are, DIO?"
"Hmph. There's no one else to save you this time. I won't let you escape again."
Naturally, Fumikawa didn't catch the reference. He assumed Hatani was trying to distract him to find an opening to flee. He let out a cold snort, his gaze locking onto the brat who had ruined his plans before, forced him into a humiliating retreat, and made him a scapegoat back at the village.
"Heh. Funnily enough, I was going to say the same thing to you."
Looking at the enemy who, not long ago, had pressured him so much that he'd needed teamwork and bluffs just to survive, Hatani felt zero fear.
On the contrary, he was itching for the fight.
Having successfully mastered the second hero's talent—the essence of the Phantom Lancer—he was desperate for a worthy opponent to test it out.
And now that he was alone, he didn't have to hold back. He could finally let his talent run wild.