Not long after Shimizu made the decision to split their forces and set out again…
"Shimizu-senpai, wait!"
His deputy commander, the jōnin Kawamoto Kou, came rushing after him at top speed, slightly out of breath as he delivered the report. "Iwagakure has suddenly withdrawn. They're heading north."
So… they were no longer being chased.
Hah, there goes our little three-person road trip.
"Hah… talk about perfect timing," Amane let out a long breath, though his tone carried a trace of regret. "I'd already braced myself to spend the next month eating dirt…"
If you're that eager, there's plenty right under your feet.
Shimizu, however, wasn't amused. Something didn't add up.
Iwagakure had been acting as if they were determined to wipe them out entirely… and now, just like that, they pulled back without hesitation.
What exactly were they trying to accomplish?
"Iwagakure… did they leave in a hurry?" Shimizu asked.
Kawamoto Kou nodded. "It looks that way. Their retreat was rushed—they didn't even bother to erase their tracks. It's like they didn't care if we noticed."
That kind of behavior only pointed to one possibility.
Something big must have happened on their side.
Only that could explain such a drastic shift.
Unfortunately, intelligence from Konoha hadn't come through yet. At the earliest, they would have to wait until nightfall to learn what was really going on.
"…Senpai, could this be a trap?" Satomi asked cautiously.
It was a valid concern.
Shimizu thought for a moment before giving his orders. "Send people to keep following them. We'll maintain a safe distance and trail behind—just in case they're trying to lure us in."
If they got too close and walked into an ambush, it would be the same as delivering themselves straight into the enemy's hands.
"Yes!" Kawamoto Kou acknowledged and immediately set off to carry out the command.
That very night, the answer arrived—and it was nothing short of explosive.
Kumogakure had officially declared war on Iwagakure.
Their forces had moved with astonishing speed, crossing the Land of Waterfall and launching a blitz invasion straight into the Land of Earth. Faced with this sudden assault, Iwagakure had no choice but to immediately contract the battle lines they had spread out against Konoha.
Which meant that the Iwagakure they had been dealing with…
…was now undoubtedly racing back to defend their homeland.
Fighting two of the strongest hidden villages at once—Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, must be under immense pressure.
Realizing this, Shimizu made a swift decision.
They would make things even harder for Iwagakure.
This force of four hundred Konoha shinobi would harass—perhaps even intercept—that retreating Iwagakure army.
And if an opportunity presented itself…
They might even be able to do more.
"Go find Minato," Shimizu ordered. "Have him bring reinforcements. We'll figure out a way to swallow this Iwagakure force whole."
—
At that moment, inside the temporary command tent of Iwagakure's army, more than a dozen shinobi were gathered, urgently discussing their next route of movement. The cramped space was heavy with tension.
Among them were several familiar faces from the previous mission in Takigakure: Kitsuchi, Kuroishi, Sora… and even Han.
"Everyone," the man at the center spoke, his voice firm but strained, "we must return to the Land of Earth as quickly as possible. Kumogakure's advance is far too fast. At this rate, they could reach Iwagakure Village in less than three days."
He was the supreme commander of this force—an elite jōnin of Iwagakure, and the son of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki: Kitsuchi.
"But if we retrace our original route," one of the division commanders said with a frown, "it'll take at least four days."
"The fastest path would be to cut straight through the Land of Rain, then cross the battlefield where Konoha is engaged. If we do that… we can make it in two days."
This was the greatest dilemma they now faced—the choice of retreat route.
The Land of Rain was currently a closed, isolationist nation that maintained strict neutrality. There was no way they would willingly allow a foreign army to pass through.
On top of that, although Iwagakure had initially gained the upper hand in its war against Konoha, they had already begun pulling forces back for reinforcement. As a result, the situation on the main battlefield had shifted, and Iwa no longer held a clear advantage.
If they attempted to cross that war zone recklessly, they might encounter their own scattered forces—or worse, stumble straight into Konoha's defensive lines.
At that point, combat would be unavoidable.
And once delayed by battle, their mission to reinforce the homeland would suffer.
Kitsuchi rejected the suggestion outright. "The risk is too high."
"Then we take a bolder approach," Kuroishi said, his voice firm. He had fully recovered from his previous battle with Shimizu. "We cut straight through the Land of Rain. Even if that 'demigod' takes issue with it, he won't be able to pursue us in our current situation."
"And what if that sparks a diplomatic crisis?" someone challenged.
"Our village is facing a crisis right now," Kuroishi insisted, refusing to back down.
"Kuroishi, go on," Kitsuchi said, signaling his approval for him to continue.
"Once we reach the border of the Land of Grass, we head north. As long as we cross Kannabi Bridge, we'll be back in the Land of Earth."
"Kannabi Bridge?" Sora frowned. "I've never heard of it."
Kuroishi pointed to a location on the map. "It's here. A newly constructed bridge—completed just before the war. It was originally built to facilitate supply transport. Taking this route will significantly shorten our return."
"How do you know about this?" another division commander, the jōnin Nishitani Kenichirō, asked skeptically.
This bridge wasn't even within their operational theater. Even Kitsuchi, the Tsuchikage's own son, hadn't known of it. So where had Kuroishi gotten his information?
Kuroishi frowned slightly but explained, "My younger brother, Daishi, is assigned to guard that bridge. So I know a bit about it."
Nishitani nodded slowly, then added, "If I recall correctly, that area is surrounded by cliffs. So the bridge connects two cliff faces—a critical passage?"
"That's right."
"Which means… Konoha doesn't know about this bridge yet?"
"Most likely not."
After all, even within Iwagakure, very few people were aware of its existence.
The bridge held immense strategic value—it could drastically reduce supply times for Iwa forces. To prevent leaks, its existence had been kept strictly confidential.
"Then don't forget," Nishitani continued, his gaze sharpening, "Shunshin Shimizu is still trailing us."
"If we march straight back like this, we'll be leading him right to our doorstep."
"And once that happens, Konoha will do everything in its power to destroy that bridge."
"Do you really think we can defend it?"
This guy... targeting me again...
Kuroishi clenched his fists tightly, a flicker of anger flashing through his eyes.
But this wasn't the time for personal grudges. Iwagakure needed unity now more than ever.
He took a deep breath, slowly loosening his grip.
"Nishitani-senpai," he said, his tone steady, "are you still holding a grudge because I opposed your plan to pursue Shunshin Shimizu earlier? Is that why you keep targeting me?"
"If I offended you because of that, then I apologize."
His gaze hardened slightly.
"No one wants Shunshin Shimizu dead more than I do."
"But your proposal was far too extreme. I couldn't agree with it."