Every place on the battlefield was enduring the baptism of war.
With a large number of Konoha ninjas joining the fray, Kumogakure's last vestige of strength was completely cut off.
Long before heading to the battlefield, Nara Shikaku had sent a reconnaissance team to assess the situation. When Nara Shikaku learned that Chao Yanqian had driven Kumogakure's frontline forces into desperation, and that more than half of the three thousand troops had been wounded or killed, the shock in his heart was beyond words.
However, after learning of this, Nara Shikaku quickly made a decision. He led the army to sever Kumogakure's retreat, encircling more than a thousand weakened Kumo-nin, and began a brutal slaughter in the heart of the battlefield.
Seeing Konoha's forces finally arrive to reinforce him, Chao Yanqian exited Sage Mode, standing quietly, kunai in hand, watching the Konoha shinobi butcher the Kumo-nin not far away, feeling a trace of smugness in his heart.
It felt as though a seasoned hunter was watching prey ensnared in his trap, making one last futile counterattack, exhausting itself completely, and finally being claimed with ease.
Of course, the Kumogakure shinobi understood their position. They had started this war. Konoha's ninja would not forgive them. Once they realized they were cornered, they began to fight back in a frenzy.
When they were only facing Chao Yanqian earlier, his overwhelming strength made them feel hopeless, but as long as the Kumogakure captain issued the retreat order, they could still withdraw and survive.
Under those circumstances, they certainly had no desire to battle Chao Yanqian.
It could be said that the Kumo-nin who survived up to now didn't do so because of great strength, but rather due to their instinctive fear of death and strong will to live.
Chao Yanqian had deliberately spared the Kumogakure commander, waiting for him to personally issue the order to retreat.
If the retreat order was given by the commander himself, it would symbolize Kumogakure's official surrender. That was a very different impact than if they were simply wiped out by Konoha's forces.
But for Konoha, the greatest benefit lay in eliminating every last Kumo-nin.
Because this victory belonged to Konoha, not to Chao Yanqian.
The Kumo-nin tried to preserve their final dignity and honor, preparing to resist Konoha's forces. But they sadly discovered that their stamina and chakra had been drained by more than half. Facing Konoha shinobi who had only just arrived and were still full of energy, they didn't even have the strength to put up a desperate last stand.
At first, the Kumo-nin suspected that Konoha had laid an ambush nearby.
But once Chao Yanqian revealed his overwhelming strength, their attention became completely fixed on him. Rather than thinking of how to escape or counter Chao Yanqian, they forgot entirely that this was a battle between Kumogakure and Konoha.
Gradually, the sounds of battle and screams faded. Under Konoha's full-scale assault, the Kumo-nin either died or fled. In the span of a short time, no enemy remained alive within the radius of a thousand meters.
"Chao Yanqian! You're far too stubborn!" Nara Shikaku walked up to Chao Yanqian with a group of jonin and scolded him angrily. "You completely disobeyed orders and acted on your own."
"Sensei Shikaku, didn't we win? And Konoha didn't suffer many losses. Isn't that the best outcome?" Chao Yanqian smiled.
Hearing that, Nara Shikaku's face grew even darker, but he couldn't find the words to refute him.
On the surface, Konoha had defeated Kumogakure's vanguard with minimal casualties. Over 3,000 Kumo shinobi were eliminated, and Konoha's losses were under 100.
But one must consider the deeper impact of this battle.
With the strength of a single person, Chao Yanqian had brought down three thousand shinobi from Kumogakure. His fame in the ninja world soared, and his prestige in Konoha skyrocketed becoming a powerful figure rivaling the Third Hokage.
Originally, as a medical ninja, Chao Yanqian had already earned great respect during the war. After this battle, he became a legendary figure even among the common shinobi, potentially standing on equal footing with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
With such prestige, along with overwhelming power, the background of being a war orphan, and his lineage as Tsunade's disciple, Chao Yanqian now had a legitimate claim to becoming the Fifth Hokage.
It was certain that upon his return to Konoha, regardless of how he managed his reputation, the voices calling for him to become the next Hokage would only grow louder.
And the Third Hokage had only recently reassumed the position after the death of the Fourth Hokage. Now, someone capable of rivaling his authority had suddenly emerged, and that would undoubtedly shake Hiruzen's grip over the village.
Moreover, certain shinobi clans who had long been dissatisfied with Hiruzen would definitely shift their support to Chao Yanqian.
Did Hyuga Hiashi leak information to Chao Yanqian? This had puzzled Nara Shikaku for a while. He glanced at Hyuga Hiashi and noticed his gaze resting on Chao Yiqian, occasionally flickering with a strange light.
Reflecting on recent events, Shikaku could easily guess that Chao Yanqian had made some form of contact with the Hyuga Clan.
"After today, Konoha may face turbulent undercurrents again..." Shikaku thought, sighing.
The Third Hokage, Shimura Danzo, and Chao Yanqian these three forces would now vie for the title of Hokage, and conflict was inevitable.
Whether this would ultimately be good or bad for Konoha, Shikaku couldn't say but one thing was certain: beneath Konoha's peaceful surface, the currents had begun to stir.
But Shikaku merely sighed. He said nothing further.
Whether it was Hiruzen, Danzo, or Chao Yanqian who rose to power, the influence of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio could not be ignored. The unique jutsu and traditions of the three clans made them indispensable support, though not threats themselves. Under such conditions, the Nara Clan's position in Konoha would remain stable.
"Yes! Although Chao Yanqian is a bit reckless, this is the best outcome. We took out Yunyin's frontline forces, and suffered fewer than a hundred casualties. Even the best ambush couldn't have accomplished so much!" said Hyuga Hiashi.
"Chao Yanqian, awesome work!" Hinata Xiangyun gave a thumbs-up to Chao Yanqian. Given her family status, she wasn't privy to the deeper secrets and had no idea about the alliance between Chao Yanqian and the Hyuga. She simply thought what he had done was incredibly cool.
"Shikaku-sensei, Yunyin Village will never accept this outcome. Knowing the Fourth Raikage, he'll likely launch a counterattack himself. He may even come to the front lines personally. We need to request reinforcements from the village!" Chao Yanqian said.
"...Alright." Nara Shikaku finally gave in.
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