Chapter 407 – The Gravely Wounded Third Hokage
"Have the numbers been finalized?"
Seated inside Konoha's main command tent, Fugaku asked in a tired voice.
He still hadn't fully recovered from yesterday's battle.
The chakra expenditure had been overwhelming—far beyond what he had anticipated.
His eyes still throbbed painfully, and his reserves had barely replenished.
Fortunately, his defense had been in a league of its own.
His body hadn't suffered serious physical injury.
The Fourth Raikage, however, had not been so fortunate.
Still—
The truth was the same for both of them.
Neither could meaningfully return to battle at the moment.
Even if Fugaku's condition was slightly better, their effective combat capability was essentially gone.
Nara Kyōhei approached, carrying a report. The data had been compiled yesterday.
The way he looked at Fugaku had changed.
He had known the Uchiha clan head was powerful.
But what he witnessed yesterday—
Was on another level entirely.
Having such a monster guarding the frontline was an immense reassurance.
More importantly—
Fugaku understood himself.
He knew where his strengths lay.
He knew his weaknesses.
He didn't overstep into areas he wasn't suited for. Instead, he delegated appropriately.
Kyōhei couldn't help but think of Uchiha Kei.
That young minister seemed strangely similar in leadership style—
Though he didn't appear to fully answer to Fugaku's command.
"Everything has been calculated, Commander Fugaku," Kyōhei reported.
"We suffered 342 confirmed deaths, 1,250 wounded, and 30 missing. As for Kumogakure…"
He hesitated slightly.
"Their losses appear comparable to ours. However, we have no precise data. They withdrew too quickly."
The Cloud forces had retreated swiftly—and deliberately.
They had taken most of their fallen with them.
A standard wartime procedure.
Whether for proper burial or for intelligence protection, no army would leave their dead behind if they could help it.
Because if bodies fell into enemy hands—
They would either be burned without ceremony…
Or dissected for information.
War had no room for mercy.
And the defeated had even less.
Lose—and you lost everything.
This battle could not be called a clear victory for Cloud.
But it wasn't a clean defeat either.
Fugaku and the Raikage's duel had effectively split the battlefield, forcing both sides to disengage.
In a twisted way—
It had saved countless lives.
Though it had also rendered the rest of the army strategically irrelevant.
"No report from their side?" Fugaku asked, rubbing his chin.
Kyōhei shook his head.
"Very well. Submit our report as is."
"Yes, Commander."
Kyōhei allowed himself a faint smile.
"Honestly… keeping losses to this level is already fortunate. If not for you, Commander, our casualties would have been far worse. They outnumbered us by over a thousand."
"Perhaps."
Fugaku exhaled slowly, then suddenly recalled something.
"What about the Third Hokage? Any word from his unit?"
That troubled him.
Cloud had dispatched two assault forces.
Yet after a signal flare appeared in the sky, the second force had never joined the battle.
Had Sarutobi Hiruzen lured them away?
If so, he might have prevented the frontline from collapsing.
But Hiruzen's movements had been covert.
There had been no reliable communication channel.
And so far—
No news had arrived.
Kyōhei shook his head again.
"Nothing."
Fugaku closed his eyes briefly.
"I see… Continue monitoring Kumogakure. Analyze every detail. I want to know what they're planning."
"Yes, Commander."
"And the formal report—handle it. I need to focus entirely on recovery."
"…Understood."
---
"Cough—! What?!"
The Fourth Raikage roared hoarsely, eyes bloodshot, as he stared at Killer B kneeling before him.
The shout nearly tore his body apart.
Pain exploded through him, forcing him back against the bed.
His condition was dreadful.
Fractures throughout his skeleton.
Severe muscle tears.
Extensive internal strain.
His entire body was wrapped in bandages, medical shinobi rotating constantly at his side.
He had collapsed the moment he returned yesterday.
Only now had he regained consciousness.
And upon waking—
He received yet another infuriating report.
The support force he had assigned to flank Konoha—
Had been wiped out.
By the Third Hokage.
Using the dam behind their rear lines.
The flood had crushed them.
Heavy casualties.
And worst of all—
Hiruzen had survived.
Because Killer B had been forced to stand down.
The reason?
Konoha had taken several hundred surviving Cloud shinobi hostage.
B had hesitated.
The Raikage felt blood rising in his throat.
In that moment—
He wanted to curse.
To curse his brother for being foolish.
At that stage, with losses already catastrophic—
Why hesitate over a few hundred?
Why not annihilate the hidden Leaf force?
Why not bring back the Third Hokage's corpse?
Cold?
Perhaps.
But this was war.
War demanded sacrifice.
If heavy losses were already inevitable—
Then at least secure decisive gains.
Yet—
He could not say that aloud.
Not here.
Not in front of everyone.
A leader must understand the weight of appearances.
He might despise such political nuance—
But he knew it was necessary.
In private, he could be ruthless.
But before his subordinates—
He must appear steadfast.
Compassionate.
Unwavering.
Only then would they follow him willingly into death.
He exhaled bitterly.
His chest ached.
He hated Hiruzen's cunning.
He resented his brother's hesitation.
But the past could not be undone.
"Did the flood impact our camp?" he asked through clenched teeth.
A Cloud shinobi stepped forward immediately.
"Lord Raikage, we detected changes in the water flow early. Earth and Water Release users redirected much of it. Additionally, the camp's distance reduced the impact significantly."
The Raikage closed his eyes briefly in relief.
If the camp had been destroyed—
If they had been forced to relocate—
They would have lost strategic control of the region entirely.
And that—
Would have been a true disaster.
Relocating the camp would not be simple.
Supply routes would need to be redesigned.
Logistics would have to be recalculated.
And that would inevitably create opportunities for the hidden Konoha forces lurking behind them.
That—
Was something the Fourth Raikage absolutely could not accept.
They had already suffered heavy losses.
If things worsened further, would they have no choice but to withdraw entirely?
If they had lost in a straightforward clash on the main battlefield—
He would have accepted it.
If one's skills were inferior, who could be blamed?
Only oneself.
But to lose because of schemes…
Or hesitation born from misplaced mercy—
That was something the Raikage refused to accept.
"Compile the casualty reports. Ours—and Konoha's," he said at last with a sigh. "And inform the elders to release the compensation funds immediately."
"Yes, Lord Raikage."
The Cloud shinobi bowed and left swiftly.
After a long silence, the Raikage spoke again.
"Report on the Third Hokage. And stand up. Stop kneeling. You made your decision—I won't condemn you for it. It wasn't entirely wrong."
"Brother…" Killer B's voice lacked its usual confidence. He did not rise. "It was my mistake. I shouldn't have pursued so deeply. I—"
"Enough."
The Raikage cut him off sharply.
"Answer me. What is the Third Hokage's condition? Can he still fight?"
"I… don't think so. I didn't hold back. Even if he survives… he shouldn't be capable of continuing."
The Raikage closed his eyes.
"That complicates things."
---
"This is really troublesome…"
Nara Kyōhei stood by the bed where the Third Hokage lay unconscious, surrounded by several medical shinobi working desperately to stabilize him.
Yesterday's battle had been terrifying.
And yet—
It had ended almost anticlimactically.
The intelligence Uchiha Kei had provided before departure had proven decisive.
Kyōhei still had no idea how his superior had obtained such information—
But its accuracy had saved them.
Without it—
They would likely have been annihilated.
A Perfect Jinchūriki.
A being capable of wielding a tailed beast's full power while retaining a ninja's clarity, tactics, and judgment.
If he hadn't known that Killer B remained rational—
If he hadn't been forced into gambling on that knowledge—
He would never have dared to threaten him with captured Cloud shinobi.
If Killer B had been a cold, calculating commander—
They would all be dead.
"Fortunately… he's a capable warrior, but not a ruthless strategist."
Kyōhei sighed internally.
Yet no matter how he tried to reassure himself—
The sight before him drained all comfort away.
The Eight-Tails had been monstrous.
Even with full resistance, the Third Hokage had lasted less than ten minutes.
Though they had managed to pull him back from the brink—
His condition now was dire.
Kyōhei understood one thing clearly:
The old Hokage could no longer command this battlefield.
Survival alone would be a blessing.
"Captain Kyōhei."
A Sarutobi shinobi approached.
Kyōhei recognized him immediately—Sarutobi Masao, one of the Third Hokage's closest confidants.
A rare elite jōnin within the Sarutobi clan.
Ordinarily, Kyōhei—a mere chūnin—would be under his command.
But circumstances had shifted.
Kyōhei's decisions had saved both the Hokage and the unit.
And Masao's tone now carried unmistakable respect.
"Jōnin Masao," Kyōhei bowed properly.
"The Third Hokage likely cannot endure further strain," Masao said bluntly. "Before losing consciousness, he instructed that command be entrusted to you. However… I have one request."
"You wish to escort Lord Third back to Konoha?" Kyōhei replied immediately.
He had already anticipated it.
The Hokage's condition was too severe.
Remaining here was dangerous.
But if Hiruzen returned—
And with his final words effectively naming Kyōhei as field commander—
Then Kyōhei would be responsible for the entire rear division.
He believed he could manage it.
But it was still a heavy burden.
He glanced once more at the unconscious Hokage.
After a moment's thought, he made his decision.
"Very well," Kyōhei nodded. "The medical conditions here are limited. Back in Konoha, the Medical Corps has far greater resources. He will have a better chance of recovery there."
Masao visibly relaxed.
"Thank you. When do we depart?"
"I need to complete a formal report first," Kyōhei replied calmly. "You will carry it back personally. Select three squads to accompany you for escort duty."
He paused briefly before finishing:
"The Third Hokage… is entrusted to you."
---