Iwagakure had temporarily retreated.
Minato had also withdrawn.
The main reason for his retreat was that, without Danzo restraining Ōnoki, the latter's relentless assault had pushed Minato's chakra reserves dangerously low.
At the very last moment, just before he was about to be hit by Ōnoki's Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique, he used his final bit of chakra to teleport back to a marked location within the Konoha camp.
Even so, his pursuit had yielded incredible results—
41 enemy ninja killed, including one Jōnin and three Special Jōnin.
To be honest, only the Jōnin had put up any real resistance.
The Special Jōnin?
Against Minato, they were no different from ordinary ninja—slaughtered effortlessly.
And the best part?
Minato got away completely unharmed.
Now tell me—isn't that infuriating?
This was precisely what Ōnoki feared most about Konoha.
Minato's lethal efficiency combined with his near-invulnerability was completely broken.
After this devastating hit-and-run, not only had Ōnoki failed to catch Minato, but he now had to gather his entire army for a full security check—
Just to ensure Minato hadn't secretly placed Flying Thunder God marks on them.
Absolutely miserable.
This was a huge morale blow to Iwagakure's forces, but there was nothing Ōnoki could do…
Honestly?
He blamed that damn Second Hokage and the Yellow Flash himself.
One created Flying Thunder God, a technique that completely disregarded the rules of fair combat.
The other mastered it to perfection.
Unbelievable.
But it was precisely because of this that Ōnoki became even more determined to ally with Kumogakure.
If he didn't act now, in another few decades, he couldn't imagine anyone in Iwagakure standing a chance against the Yellow Flash.
Forget defeating him—
Even stalling him would be next to impossible…
Which is why he had to strike while he still could—
To cripple Konoha's rise before it was too late!
—
If Danzo knew what Ōnoki was thinking, he would probably scoff and chuckle.
Why?
Because Ōnoki didn't need to worry about stopping Konoha's rise.
If history was left to repeat itself, Konoha was about to self-destruct anyway.
The "Yellow Flash," Minato Namikaze, would be murdered by his own student.
The legendary Three Sannin?
Orochimaru would betray the village.
The other two would become disillusioned and leave.
And the Uchiha Clan?
Three pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan—two users killed, one defected.
Leaving Konoha to fall into a long period of decline.
It would get so bad that just Orochimaru and a few Suna Jōnin could launch a "Destroy Konoha" Plan—
And actually succeed in assassinating the Hokage inside the village.
Just pathetic.
But fortunately—
Danzo was here now.
And as long as he was here, history would not repeat itself.
—
"Never thought I'd see the day where you'd save me."
Jiraiya sat cross-legged on the ground, silently dressing his wounds, his tone filled with mixed emotions.
To be honest—
As the most cheerful and carefree of the Sannin, he had never really liked Danzo.
Danzo was just too shady, too dark.
Ironically, it was Orochimaru—the creepiest of the three—who later grew close to him.
"Hmph, rebellious as you are, you're still Sarutobi's student. I can't just watch you die."
Danzo spoke in the calm, authoritative tone of an elder.
Surprisingly, Jiraiya didn't argue.
First, because Danzo wasn't wrong.
Second, because without Danzo, escaping today would've been much harder.
So, like it or not, he was grateful.
And then—
A notification sounded in Danzo's mind.
> [Detected Jiraiya's gratitude. Skill Point +1.]
[Extracting Skill Package…]
[Congratulations! Obtained: Sage Chakra.]
At first—
Danzo was ecstatic.
Had he just finessed Jiraiya into giving him Sage Mode?!
One step and he already mastered Senjutsu?!
But then—
He paused.
Because he quickly realized something.
The so-called "Sage Chakra" he received was just… a clump of chakra.
…What the hell?!
Not True Sage Mode—Just an Experience Card
This did not mean that Danzo could enter Sage Mode at will, freely absorb natural energy, and control Sage Chakra…
Tch.
He had gotten excited for nothing.
No wonder there was no golden glow—turns out it was just a small bonus.
The fleeting joy on Danzo's face vanished before anyone noticed.
Silently, he focused on the special energy now residing within him.
Unlike Jiraiya, who could absorb natural energy himself and use Sage Mode freely—
The Sage Chakra in Danzo's body was similar to the chakra of the Nine-Tails or Three-Tails sealed within him.
A finite reserve.
Once used up—it was gone.
So basically—a Sage Mode experience card?
Yeah, that was about right.
Danzo was a little disappointed, but not too much.
After all, having some Sage Chakra was better than having none.
Who knew?
Maybe it would come in handy in an upcoming battle.
—
His thoughts were soon interrupted by Minato's report.
"Lord Danzo, the Iwagakure forces have retreated to a mountainous area 14 kilometers from our camp."
Minato also handed over the battle casualty report.
Iwagakure: 107 casualties.
Konoha: 91 casualties.
On paper, Konoha seemed to have the advantage.
But in reality—most of Iwagakure's losses were Minato's doing.
Of course, this wasn't Konoha's fault.
Iwagakure's lineup for this assault was ridiculously stacked.
Not only did the Tsuchikage himself lead the attack, but they also had:
The Explosive Corps.
The Ninjutsu Division.
A Tailed Beast Jinchūriki.
On Konoha's side?
They only had Jiraiya as a high-level fighter.
Losing was expected.
In addition, the camp's barriers and walls had sustained heavy damage and required urgent repairs.
However, these were minor problems compared to what came next—
A Root ninja arrived with urgent intel.
"Lord Danzo! Orochimaru's border defense forces suffered a crushing defeat under the lightning assault of the Third Raikage and the AB Combo!"
"Kumogakure's forces have successfully broken through the border and are advancing into the Fire Nation's interior!"
Danzo's expression darkened instantly.
He had anticipated Kumogakure's speed, but he hadn't expected them to breach Orochimaru's defenses this quickly.
Still—
Considering the monstrous physical abilities and breakthrough power of the Third Raikage and Fourth Raikage, this result was not surprising.
What truly caught him off guard—
Was that Kumogakure didn't even hesitate.
No probing attacks.
No testing Konoha's defenses.
They went all-in immediately.
Heh—typical of Kumogakure. Reckless and aggressive as ever.
Jiraiya finished reading the intel and immediately asked, "What about Orochimaru? Is he alive?"
Danzo shot him a sideways glance, his tone cold.
"War is unpredictable, Jiraiya. Anything can happen. Calm yourself."
Jiraiya took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax.
Here—his student was already superior to him.
Minato, though surprised by the news, remained completely composed—
Already calculating their next move.
Now that was the mindset of a true commander.
Danzo added:
"Knowing Orochimaru, even if you die, he won't."
His words were harsh but effective.
At least for Jiraiya—who visibly sighed in relief.
With that reassurance given, Danzo finally turned to Minato.
"If you were the commander right now, how would you respond?"
Minato frowned in thought, then quickly analyzed the situation:
"Both the Third Raikage and the Raikage candidate (A) have extremely fast breakthrough speeds.
Therefore, we need someone just as fast to intercept and restrain them.
Otherwise, our logistics and supply lines will suffer immense pressure."
His gaze became resolute.
"Lord Danzo, let me go! My speed is enough to contain them."
Minato's tone was full of confidence.
And rightly so—
Because he had every reason to be confident.
After all, in the current ninja world, if anyone could match or surpass the father-son duo in speed—
It could only be the Yellow Flash.
"Then what about this place?"
Danzo asked again, his tone carrying a hint of testing.
Minato hesitated for a long time.
He glanced at his teacher, then clenched his teeth and sighed helplessly:
"We can only retreat."
He shook his head, then reaffirmed with even greater conviction:
"No—we must retreat!"
"With both Iwagakure and Kumogakure launching full-scale offensives, the pressure on us is overwhelming. If we continue to hold this camp, Konoha will inevitably be defeated."
Minato's eyes shone with unwavering determination.
"Right now, Konoha must trade space for time. We need to regroup with our main forces and then formulate an appropriate strategy—otherwise, we risk being taken down piece by piece."
—
Danzo did not immediately agree.
Instead, he pressed further:
"This is the camp your teacher fought so hard to hold. And you want to abandon it just like that?"
Hearing this, Jiraiya's expression turned slightly stiff.
If they retreated now, there was no doubt it would be seen as a defeat for Konoha.
The people in the village, and even the ninjas on the frontlines, wouldn't care about strategic planning or long-term tactics.
They would only see one thing—
You abandoned your position. You retreated.
And that meant—failure.
Whoever made that decision would bear immense pressure.
Yet Minato stepped forward without hesitation.
"Lord Danzo, I am willing to take responsibility for this decision."
The rising star of Konoha stood firmly behind his words.
Danzo narrowed his eyes.
Once again, he confirmed:
"If we proceed under your name, all the prestige you've built in this war might be completely destroyed. Are you certain?"
Jiraiya finally couldn't stay silent anymore.
"Lord Danzo, let me take responsibility!"
Seeing his teacher step forward, Minato immediately stopped him.
"Sensei, this is my decision. I should be the one to bear it!"
Jiraiya shook his head and urged:
"Minato, you have far greater responsibilities ahead of you. As for me? I never wanted to be the Hokage anyway. My reputation doesn't matter."
"But—"
Minato was still struggling, but Jiraiya firmly held him back.
"Lord Danzo, issue the retreat order under my name."
Danzo couldn't help but find the scene a bit amusing.
Jiraiya—
Though idealistic and naïve, truly cared deeply for those around him.
Whether it was Nagato, Minato, or even Naruto in the future—
Jiraiya had always given his all as a teacher.
He had a genuine willingness to sacrifice for Konoha.
That being said—
Danzo still thought his philosophy on peace and his obsession with finding the "Child of Prophecy" were utterly nonsensical.
As he watched the touching mentor-student moment unfold before him, Danzo tapped his cane lightly against the ground.
"Enough. I won't have some younglings taking responsibility for me."
"Besides—my reputation can't get much worse than it already is."
Danzo opened his eyes, his tone turning ice-cold.
"Pass down my orders—orderly retreat."
"Command the reinforcement units to set up defensive positions at key locations, rally the scattered eastern forces, and prepare for our regrouping."
Minato immediately acknowledged the order and swiftly relayed it across the battlefield.
Many shinobi were confused.
After all—this was Danzo's order.
Perhaps he had some hidden plan?
Of course, not everyone was so understanding.
Some voiced dissatisfaction with the decision.
But regardless—
Orders were orders.
And if anyone dared to disobey?
Danzo's military discipline showed no mercy.
__
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