On the surface, the two sides seemed to have reached a stalemate. Neither could defeat the other in a short time.
But don't forget, this was the Land of Water, Kirigakure's territory.
Reinforcements from the Mist could arrive at any moment.
If the Raikage and the others were trapped here, it would undoubtedly be a huge disaster for Kumogakure.
Since Kumogakure had dared to send only a handful of people deep into enemy territory, they had naturally thought it through and already prepared a way to retreat.
Just then, while Kyokotsu and the Raikage had finally separated, one of the Kumogakure ninja behind the Raikage quickly pulled a round ball from his waist and threw it into the sky without hesitation.
The sphere traced an arc through the air before rising overhead.
A hint of caution flashed through Kyokotsu's eyes. He knew the ball couldn't be anything ordinary.
Not daring to be careless, he moved to shield Yagura Karatachi behind him.
Buzz!
A faint but highly piercing sound burst through the air.
Immediately afterward, something like a shockwave spread out at lightning speed.
Wherever the shockwave passed, the surrounding air seemed to twist, producing a hissing sound.
Kyokotsu felt an oppressive heaviness wash over his entire body, as if an invisible force had wrapped itself tightly around him, subjecting every inch of his skin to immense pressure.
His bones felt as though they were being hammered over and over until they loosened, and every movement brought piercing pain.
The tremendous impact produced by the concussion bomb swept over him like a raging tide, making it nearly impossible to keep his footing.
The Kumogakure side wasn't doing much better.
Aside from the Raikage and Killer B, everyone else showed obvious signs of discomfort.
Some clutched their heads, looking as though countless needles were stabbing into their brains.
Others staggered unsteadily, swaying as if they might collapse at any moment.
Some held their chests while gasping for breath, their faces pale as paper.
By now, Killer B's octopus tentacles had already regenerated.
His thick tentacles moved like flexible whips, swiftly wrapping around the other Kumogakure ninja with clean, efficient movements.
Then he escaped together with the Raikage.
They were as fast as lightning, disappearing from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye.
Fortunately, the concussion bomb's effects didn't last long, and Kyokotsu's group quickly recovered.
The lingering vibrations in the air gradually faded, and Kyokotsu felt the pressure on his body ease as well.
He stretched his aching body, took a deep breath, and pulled himself back together.
Yagura Karatachi turned to the Mirror Clone (Rengoku) beside him.
"Should we chase them?"
There was a trace of hesitation and confusion in his eyes. In truth, he hadn't expected the Raikage to show up. According to his plan, this operation should have gone smoothly with little resistance.
Even now, Yagura still had no idea how the Raikage had teleported here.
Rengoku shook his head, "I didn't store much vitality and blood in Kyokotsu. Relying on taijutsu alone, taking down the Raikage won't be easy."
Yagura was a little speechless. Curling his lips in dissatisfaction, he said, "If you really wanted to take him down, it'd be easy."
As far as he was concerned, Rengoku was like an arsenal full of hidden trump cards. There were still plenty of abilities he hadn't used.
Besides, Byaku hadn't even appeared yet and was still hiding in the nearby shadows.
Stopping the pursuit now really felt like a waste.
Rengoku laughed it off, "That's true, but it wouldn't help move my plan forward."
He had to admit, the pure hand-to-hand fight had gotten him pretty fired up.
The longer he stalled things here, the more Sand Village could accomplish over there.
"That bomb they threw at the end was pretty interesting."
Rengoku was genuinely curious. The concussion bomb was probably something Kumogakure had developed over the past few years.
And it was obviously designed specifically for escaping.
Even the Raikage and Killer B were affected by it.
The difference was that they'd experienced this kind of thing before and had undergone adaptation training in advance, allowing them to take everyone and get away.
"Let's rest for a bit and eat something. Go find me a cheer squad."
Rengoku's eyes rolled, and a new idea came to him.
"A cheer squad?", Yagura Karatachi looked confused by Rengoku's abrupt change of topic.
Rengoku explained, "Find some fast elite ninja in the village."
"Have them make it look like they're surrounding and hunting the Raikage. I'll use them to sense the Raikage's location."
"Then keep chasing them, but never quite catch up."
"Our people can rotate and rest. As long as we make sure they're constantly on the run."
Yagura narrowed his eyes slightly, understanding what Rengoku had in mind.
"You're planning to wear them down?"
"They came all the way here. We should give them a proper welcome."
Rengoku seemed to be in a good mood. So what if those Kumogakure ninja were fast? It wasn't like he couldn't find them.
———
[Royal City of the Land of Snow]
[Inside an Inn Room]
"Phew..."
Rengoku's true body let out a tired breath.
He had been continuously transferring vitality and blood to Kyokotsu through his dojutsu, and it had exhausted him.
After all, the strength of a dojutsu clone depended on how much of himself he split off.
A secret technique like the Eight Gates placed far too great a demand on vitality and blood.
Like shadow clones, dojutsu clones could only consume chakra and vitality, they couldn't produce either.
If his true body had opened the Eight Gates instead, he wouldn't have been this exhausted.
Just then, a pair of slender hands rested on the pressure points atop Rengoku's head and slowly began to massage them.
Sitting there, Rengoku leaned back, resting his head against a pair of soft mounds.
His whole mind relaxed.
Karin had been learning massage for quite a long time now, and her technique had become quite skilled.
"Shishou, is the situation in the Land of Water urgent?"
Rengoku smiled with his eyes closed, "It's not urgent. I just got a little too carried away."
"Don't worry. As long as we keep the initiative in our hands, those Kumogakure people won't be able to stir up much trouble."
"We'll see what's going on here after Sasuke and the others get back."
The Ice Wall they wanted was just behind the royal city of the Land of Snow, not very far away.
Since fighting might break out in the Land of Water, Rengoku and the others had decided to stay in the royal city and rest for the time being.
They did have snow vehicles, but they weren't very comfortable to sleep in.
Even though it was the royal city of the Land of Snow, there weren't many people coming and going.
A few merchants from trading companies would come to purchase Snow Ironwood, but they were only a small minority.
After all, it was simply too cold here. The average outdoor temperature stayed below -20°C, so naturally most people didn't want to come.
The place was also somewhat underdeveloped. Although it had electric lights, there was no air conditioning. People relied on fireplaces for heat.
There was a fully enclosed fireplace in the room, and with it burning, the temperature inside was over twenty degrees Celsius.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Shishou, we're back."
Sasuke's voice came from outside the door.