Poof!
While the three Mud Walls failed to completely halt the terrifying piercing power of the Powershot, they bought Fumikawa a few precious heartbeats of time. Even if it was less than a second, it was enough for a shinobi with hand seal speed exceeding a level 8 to weave a Substitution Jutsu. (Though such specific stat values tend to be ignored later in the story in favor of a more narrative flow).
"Phew..."
Fumikawa, having narrowly escaped death, and Kyu, who had just exhausted himself manifesting the Multi-Layer Mud Wall, both felt their hearts racing at the sheer, unbridled power of that unknown technique.
Even Choza and Minato—Hatani's own teammates and brother—were left breathless, their jaws nearly hitting the floor.
For a moment, the chaotic battlefield fell into an eerie, unnatural silence.
"Retreat!"
Ultimately, it was Kyu—the older, more experienced Jonin—who reacted first. He flickered to Fumikawa's side in a Body Flicker, hoisted the captain onto his back, and vanished toward the north at top speed.
His chakra had been almost entirely depleted by the Mud Walls; staying to fight was no longer an option. Without his cover, the one-legged Fumikawa would have been a sitting duck for a three-on-one assault.
Of course, deep in the most private corners of his soul, there was another reason for his flight—one he would never admit to.
He was terrified.
Even as a ninjutsu specialist who had roamed the shinobi world for over a decade, Kyu was certain he had never seen a Wind Style jutsu like the one Hatani just unleashed. The fact that the projectile still possessed enough lethal force to threaten a Jonin after piercing through three reinforced Mud Walls left a chill in his marrow.
Rather than staying to die, he convinced himself it was his "duty" to bring intelligence regarding this jutsu and its wielder back to Iwagakure.
I'm not running because I'm afraid to die. I'm simply ensuring this vital intelligence reaches the village safely.
As Kyu and Fumikawa vanished into the distance, Minato and Choza didn't dare drop their guard. The pressure exerted by two veteran Jonin was immense, and they feared this might be a ruse—a feint to lure them into a pursuit only to be counter-ambushed.
Beside them, Hatani was barely remaining upright through sheer force of will.
He, more than anyone, knew how desperate their situation was. In Minato and Choza's eyes, he was a powerful reinforcement who had just ended the battle with a god-tier jutsu. In reality, he was a scarecrow in a wheat field—all frame and no substance.
If the enemies hadn't been spooked, they would all be in grave danger.
The seconds ticked by. Hatani's body began to sway precariously, and spots danced before his eyes. Finally, when the wind whispered to him that Fumikawa and Kyu were truly gone, the last thread of his strength snapped. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed heavily into the mud.
Konoha, Hokage Residence.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was currently hosting a group of guests who were as unexpected as they were inevitable.
A delegation from the Land of Wind.
Following the joint decision of the Third Kazekage, Yasuto Sugiyama, and the two Great Elders, Chiyo and Ebizo, the Hidden Sand had finally swallowed the bitter pill of their total defeat. After consulting with the Wind Daimyo, they had dispatched a mission to negotiate for peace and a potential alliance.
However, even though both sides had prepared themselves and Hiruzen was eager to end the war, the atmosphere in the room was undeniably tense. Only days ago, they had been bitter enemies locked in a fight to the death; shifting gears into a diplomatic alliance was a 180-degree turn that many found hard to stomach.
And then there were those who, perhaps for their own agendas, had no intention of making it easy.
One such person was Danzo Shimura, who sat in on the meeting in his capacity as an advisor.
"Hmph! Suna has lost its elite Puppet Brigade and half its shinobi on the Land of Rain front. To come here and make such demands... aren't you being a bit delusional?"
Danzo stared at Ebizo, his single eye cold and full of contempt. He was ruthlessly rubbing salt into Suna's freshest wounds.
Considering those wounds had been inflicted by Konoha, it took every ounce of Ebizo's self-control—and that of his subordinates—to keep the negotiations from collapsing right then and there.
But Ebizo, chosen to represent the Kazekage's absolute authority, had come prepared for such barbs.
"The Land of Fire already occupies the most fertile lands in the shinobi world. Located at the very center of the Five Great Nations, it is the most prosperous of all," Ebizo said calmly. He directed his words to Hiruzen, pointedly ignoring Danzo's outburst. "Why insist on fighting over the meager, insignificant interests of our desert nation?"
His words sounded like flattery, but every Konoha ninja in the room was a veteran politician. They could hear the underlying threat clear as day.
Your Land of Fire is in the center, fertile and rich. Every other Great Nation is watching you with hungry eyes. You are the prize.
By addressing only Hiruzen and treating Danzo as if he were invisible, Ebizo was publicly slapping Danzo's face while simultaneously trying to drive a wedge between the two old friends.
"Hmph! If they have the courage to try, let them come!"
Unsurprisingly, Danzo's face turned as black as a scorched pot. If glares could kill, Ebizo would have been turned into inorganic matter by a metaphorical Dust Release on the spot.
"In any case, Konoha will never agree to such ridiculous terms from the Sand."
With that, Danzo slammed his hand on the table and stood up. He gave Ebizo a murderous look, threw down a final refusal, and stormed out of the room in a fit of rage.
This left Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting in silence, his expression becoming exceptionally grim. The other Konoha representatives looked awkward and embarrassed. Only the fellow advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, shared their old teammate's frustration, likely cursing Danzo's name in their heads.
"It seems," Hiruzen finally spoke, taking the pipe from his mouth after finishing a bowl. He looked coldly at the expressionless Ebizo while packing fresh tobacco. "That your Hidden Sand lacks the sincerity required for a real negotiation."
He lit his pipe and took a long, deep draw before standing up as well.
"Since that is the case, it seems there is no point in continuing this talk here."
Hiruzen's gaze was sharp, the weight of the "God of Shinobi" settling over the room. "We shall let our blades and our ninjutsu do the talking for us on the battlefield instead."
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