'Retreat' wasn't quite the right term; 'strategic redeployment' was more accurate.
To put it plainly, this wasn't a genuine rout.
Well... it was kind of a rout. After all, if the fight continued, Sunagakure would definitely lose.
But at this moment, both sides were still locked in a stalemate, with Konoha merely holding the upper hand.
Ryuji's order to retreat wasn't to flee, but to move the battlefield to the Sunagakure's delegation's compound in the suburbs.
While called a residence or manor, its sheer size made it more like a small, self-contained district.
It had high walls for cover, defensive installations built by Ryuji and the fifty puppeteers, and was located in the suburbs with open, flat land and sparse woods all around, allowing early detection of enemy movements.
If they fortified this position, they could hold out for over half a month against an enemy that didn't receive reinforcements and wasn't willing to pay a steep price.
The half-month limit was because the food and water stored there could only last that long for this many people.
But Ryuji didn't need to hold for half a month. He only needed to hold until tomorrow.
Before coming to Konoha, he had anticipated this day and had constantly pondered how to safely return everyone to Sunagakure.
With so few people, fighting Konoha without support was pure delusion.
But hoping to negotiate a peaceful withdrawal was an equally naive and laughable idea.
No matter how benevolent the Third Hokage might be personally, in the game of power between factions, he wouldn't easily let go of any advantage, and the village he represented wouldn't allow it.
As time passed and the Shinobi World's situation shifted, Ryuji had prepared a comprehensive plan. He intended to wait until the final day of the Sunagakure's students' exchange, then formally bid farewell and depart... All his preparations were set for tomorrow.
It was just that Konoha had acted a day early, disrupting the schedule.
Or rather, if Karura hadn't caused such a huge commotion, he could have used negotiations to stall until tomorrow.
But Karura, for reasons unknown, had directly engaged Konoha's forces in a major battle, creating a massive disturbance. That forced Konoha's hand, making negotiations impossible.
So, they had to rely on strength to hold out until tomorrow.
The reason they fought here for so long was twofold: first, to demonstrate their power, making Konoha hesitant to pursue too aggressively; second, to wait for Kana and Gin to return.
But the situation was now turning against them. If they didn't retreat soon, it would become very difficult.
"Wait, Master!" Hearing Ryuji's command, Aka split her focus, fighting the Third Hokage while communicating through the mental network. "A little longer, just a little longer. I will definitely kill this old man."
"I believe you can. But by the time you kill the Third Hokage, our people will be mostly dead."
Aka and the Third Hokage were evenly matched in strength. But strength was one thing, victory another. The stronger side doesn't always win, nor does the weaker always lose. Even with equal strength, in the end, Aka would undoubtedly win.
Why?
Because Aka had no weaknesses, while the Third Hokage did.
Stamina.
Aka possessed vitality comparable to the Sage Body and the immense mental energy of the Uchiha. Her Chakra Reserve surpassed even Naruto's at fifteen.
The Third Hokage... though only forty-nine and not yet at the point where a single shadow clone was considered suicidal, his stamina absolutely couldn't match Aka's youthful, Sage Body-like vitality.
In a prolonged battle, the Third Hokage would tire first, making the initial mistake.
Even without mistakes, if the fight dragged on, he would be the first to exhaust himself, forced to reveal an opening and lose.
There was no other possible outcome.
In fact, without Enma's assistance, the Third Hokage would have lost already.
Though their strength was comparable, each had their own advantages.
The Third Hokage had superior skill in various skills and richer combat experience. Aka had far greater Chakra and possessed seven Kekkei Genkai.
But the Third Hokage's edge in skill and experience couldn't compensate for the Chakra and Kekkei Genkai gap. Moreover, Aka had a brain with computational power akin to a supercomputer.
Every moment of the fight, she absorbed his techniques, corrected her own shortcomings. If not for the Third Hokage's vast repertoire, this gap would have closed already.
And the advantages from Aka's Chakra Reserve and seven Kekkei Genkai were things the Third Hokage couldn't match.
Facing Aka's relentless assault, the Third Hokage could only rely on the Adamantine Staff to counter.
Without it, he'd have to meet Ninjutsu with Ninjutsu, accelerating his stamina and Chakra Consumption, leading to defeat.
However, summoned beasts were part of a Shinobi's strength. Assessing someone's power couldn't separate them from their summons.
"...Understood, Master."
After a moment's silence, Aka obeyed the command.
"Use Magnet Release to clear a path for everyone."
"Yes."
Severing the link, Aka focused entirely on the Third Hokage.
He was bringing his staff down in a mighty overhead strike.
Aka sneered, Chakra erupting at her wrists. The violent force repelled the Third Hokage.
"Old man, stay alive. One day, I will personally take your life!"
With that, she stomped the ground. The earth within a hundred-meter radius cracked, shattered, and turned to sand. It split into several streams that snaked across the battlefield, instantly separating the Sunagakure and Konoha's forces.
"Trying to run?"
The Third Hokage's eyes sharpened. Together with his four shadow clones, he formed hand seals. "Ninja Art: Five Elements Unrivaled Combination!"
Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, Lightning… the five basic Chakra Natures were unleashed simultaneously, creating a spectacle of Ninjutsu so grand it would stun the other Kage.
Yet, facing this overwhelming onslaught, Aka's sneer widened.
"Lost your mind?"
She snorted, spreading her hands. The Dark Release on her palms activated, generating tremendous suction that drew all five elemental attacks into her hands, then returned them as pure, unshaped Chakra.
The target: other Konoha's Shinobi.
Seeing the fallen, screaming Shinobi and corpses nearby, the Third Hokage's face showed regret.
He hadn't truly forgotten about her Dark Release; he was setting a trap.
He wanted Aka to absorb his Ninjutsu and use the Chakra to counterattack, then use the Chakra screen as cover for a sneak attack.
Sounds stupid, right?
But if you know that Chakra can cancel out Chakra, it makes sense.
Whether Chakra with Nature Transformation or pure Chakra, if the quantities are similar, they can neutralize each other.
In the original work, Kakashi used Chidori to cancel Kakuzu's Lightning Release; the Third Hokage used the Five Elements Combination to cancel a White Zetsu's combined elemental attack; Jinchuriki used Chakra Cloaks to nullify enemy Ninjutsu... All these prove the point.
The Chakra of the Five Elements Combination was vast, but it wasn't a concentrated point attack.
By coating his body with a corresponding layer of Chakra, he could have charged through the returned Chakra unharmed for a surprise attack.
But Aka saw through his plan instantly, redirecting the chakra counterattack toward other Konoha's Shinobi.
"Chase us if you dare!"
Aka threw down the taunt and turned to leave.
The Konoha's Shinobi looked at each other, then at the Third Hokage.
After surveying the battlefield corpses, the Third Hokage ordered, "Pursue, but maintain distance. Notify the frontline forces to send units to intercept at the Land of Fire's borders. We will rendezvous with reinforcements there and surround them."
"Yes!"
Thus, the great battle temporarily concluded.
But everyone knew this was merely the calm before the storm. An even fiercer battle would erupt later.
To Konoha's surprise, the Sunagakure's delegation didn't flee the village. They retreated to their temporary compound in the suburbs.
...
The Hokage's Office was packed with all higher-ups and available Jonin.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Hiruzen pointed at the map of Konoha, indicating the location of the compound in the southwestern suburbs, and looked at the others.
While the suburban compound offered a wide field of view, allowing early detection of enemy movements, had high walls for cover, and with war machines, could hold against forces several times their size...
This was still inside Konoha.
With only a hundred people, isolated and unsupported, hoping to hold this place against Konoha's assault was sheer fantasy.
For the enemy to abandon a chance to escape Konoha and hole up there instead... This move was baffling.
If their opponent weren't Ryuji, they'd think the leader was an utter imbecile and charge in without a second thought.
But precisely because it was Ryuji, they suspected a trap. After cautiously posting watchers around the compound, they convened this Jonin strategy meeting.
"Is Senki Ryuji planning to force Sunagakure to mobilize troops, then pressure us into negotiations?"
A Nara Clan's Jonin offered his theory. "He likely guessed we'd have frontline units intercept their escape route. He knows even if they leave Konoha, they can't escape the Land of Fire. So, he's using this method to increase their survival chances."
Hearing this, the others looked at each other, then nodded in agreement.
They couldn't think of any other reason.
An ordinary Jonin angrily said, "Those bastards wrecked our village, killed so many of our people, and now they want to talk peace? Screw that!"
This sentiment resonated with everyone. Curses and shouts filled the room.
Even those who didn't speak waved their fists, faces filled with righteous anger.
Seeing this, the Third Hokage opened his mouth but said nothing.
If things developed that way, accepting negotiations would be the most beneficial outcome. But now, the entire village, from top to bottom, hated this Sunagakure's delegation to the bone. Accepting talks would likely cause immense discontent among the populace.
…
(A/N: Regarding the Third Hokage's strength, there's no need to get too hung up on it. Everyone interprets the anime differently; having different opinions is natural. If you don't agree, just treat it as this fanfic's alternate setting. In this fanfic, for this arc, the Third Hokage in his prime is the final boss.)