Chapter 146: Mission Accomplished

"What kind of monsters are these?" The leader of the Iwa Ninjas exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief. Two such powerful summoned beasts had appeared at once.

What kind of luck is this? Is there any way to survive?

"My lord, what should we do?" one of the Iwa Ninjas asked anxiously. At this point, some of them were already contemplating retreat. This Konoha team was overwhelmingly strong. Apart from the two brats, the Uchiha and Hyūga Clans were also here—Konoha's two most renowned families with Kekkei Genkai.

"What do you mean, 'What should we do?'" the leader snapped. "What do you want to do? I want to die here!"

His voice carried a resolute determination. From the beginning, he had never entertained the thought of retreat. He understood the critical importance of the supplies and could not imagine the consequences of returning empty-handed. If he lost the supplies, it would not just be a personal failure—it could jeopardize the Land of Earth's entire strategic deployment.

If he died in battle, he could at least be a martyr. But if he carried this crime, there would be no meaning to his life.

"Yes," the subordinate ninja replied, lowering his head and gritting his teeth. Reluctantly, he followed the leader's lead and launched an assault.

"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"

Fugaku rushed toward the Iwa Ninjas, stopping a short distance away. Forming a hand seal, he channeled his chakra to the back of his throat and unleashed a massive wave of flames. The fiery blaze surged forward like a sea of fire, consuming dozens of Iwa Ninjas in its path.

Though its range and power were far inferior to Madara's, the technique was still awe-inspiring, demonstrating Fugaku's rapidly improving strength.

Meanwhile, the Hyūga Clan's Gentle Fist close-quarters combat proved devastating to the Iwa Ninjas. With their Tenketsu points sealed, they were rendered as helpless as ordinary people, left at the mercy of their attackers.

Under the leadership of Minato and his team, the Iwa Ninjas were quickly routed.

The leader of the Iwa Ninjas, however, proved to be a formidable fighter. He managed to evade Kuroda's attacks and Lady Katsuyu's Acid Slime technique. Yet, as he faced the two colossal beasts charging at him, he resigned himself to his fate.

"Earth Release: Tearing Earth Turning Palm!"

He formed a hand seal, gathering chakra into his palms, and roared as he slammed his hands into the ground with all his strength.

"Crack!"

The ground trembled violently. A massive fissure began to spread from where he stood, racing toward Lady Katsuyu and Kuroda at an alarming speed.

If they weren't careful, even these mighty beings could fall into the chasm. Their sheer size was both an advantage and a risk—any smaller, and they might be crushed under the falling debris, just as Obito had once been in the past.

"Retreat quickly!"

Minato exclaimed in alarm. He had not anticipated the technique's wide range, and even the Konoha Ninja behind him were affected. Without hesitation, he leapt from Lady Katsuyu's head and charged toward the Iwa Ninjas' leader, brandishing his sharp blade.

"Water Release: Water Blade Technique!"

Nawaki arrived right after him, having used the Light-Weight Rock Technique, and was actually slightly faster than Minato. His blade, wrapped in water, slashed downward toward the Iwa Ninjas' leader.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

The Iwa Ninjas' leader had no time to dodge, and a tall, thick wall of earth rose before him.

Boom!

Nawaki's blade struck the earth wall, and the water waves exploded upon impact. The wall instantly shattered—attribute restraint meant little when overwhelmed by absolute strength. However, with no follow-through, Nawaki landed not far from the Iwa Ninjas' leader.

In the next instant, Minato arrived. With a flash of cold light, his blade pierced the leader's chest. The Iwa Ninjas' leader stared in terror, his wide-open eyes reflecting his disbelief. Slowly, he collapsed backward, unable to comprehend how his Earth Release had been shattered by Water Release.

"Not a bad move on my part, was it?" Nawaki said, clearly pleased with himself, proud that his Water Release had bested Earth Release.

"Awesome, awesome," Minato replied, his tone cooperative but slightly perfunctory.

The two of them didn't pause, pressing forward to continue cutting through the remaining Iwa Ninjas.

"Our leader is dead! Let's escape!"

The sight of their fallen leader shattered the Iwa Ninjas' morale. Fear overtook them, and they began to flee in panic. What followed was a one-sided massacre.

The entire battle concluded in less than ten minutes. All the supplies were destroyed in flames, and not a single Iwa Ninja was left alive.

As Minato and the others retreated, they left behind the aftermath of the battle—scattered bodies and bloodstains marking the ground. This was a decisive victory, and as long as they returned safely to camp, the mission would be considered a complete success.

Without resting, Minato led the group as they charged directly toward the Land of Grass.

After completing the mission, they didn't bother with stealth anymore. Speed was now more critical. It took them less than half the time it had taken to get there to return, and the group quickly entered the Land of Grass.

At the same time, Ōnoki received the devastating news about the destroyed supplies in the Land of Rain.

"What? Everyone is dead? What are you all doing?! Are you sleeping while watching the Konoha camp?!"

In a hidden underground cave, Ōnoki was furious. He had never imagined that Konoha's ninja would dare to bypass the Iwa Ninjas and infiltrate the Land of Earth.

Although there were no witnesses, he was certain the perpetrators were Konoha ninjas. The presence of Konoha-made weapons on the battlefield confirmed his suspicions.

"Lord Third, there's no point in talking about this now," the head of intelligence interjected, speaking up despite the beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. "Our supplies are running out quickly, and we can't last for more than a few days. With the civil unrest in the Land of Rain, we can't even loot anything."

Ōnoki, still recovering from the injury he had sustained in his fight with Kawakaze a few days earlier, was in a foul mood.

"Then withdraw. What's the point of fighting anymore?" he said, suppressing his anger.

Ōnoki wasn't one to let rage cloud his judgment. Continuing to clash with Konoha without adequate supplies would be foolish. He decided to pull back to the Land of Earth to regroup and await the next batch of supplies.

This time, he resolved to send heavily-armed troops to guard the transport. Rōshi had also nearly recovered.

"So, shall we recall the troops?"

The head of the Intelligence Division hesitated, unsure if Ōnoki's words were spoken out of anger.

"Go ahead and leave me alone," Ōnoki replied, his tone calmer now as he regained his composure. He waved his subordinate away.

The plan to nibble away at the enemy had been progressing smoothly, but now unforeseen variables threatened to unravel everything. At this moment, Ōnoki wanted nothing more than to be left in solitude.

As the Iwa Ninjas began their withdrawal, the Suna Ninjas sensed that something was amiss. The number of Konoha troops they faced was increasing, and the frequency of attacks was intensifying. Casualties were rising sharply, and it became clear that something had gone wrong with the Iwa Ninjas.

"You mean the Iwa Ninjas may have retreated?" Pakura asked, conferring with the head of Intelligence at the Land of Wind Konoha camp. She looked skeptical, finding the possibility hard to believe.

Things had been progressing well, but the strain on Bunpuku had been significant. Every few days, he had to face battle and endure brutal beatings, with Shukaku bearing more punishment than it ever had in its lifetime.

"Yes. Although no specific information has been reported, no traces of the Iwa Ninjas have been found in the Land of Rain."

"That's bad."

Pakura immediately grasped the gravity of the situation, placing her right hand on her temple as her mind raced.

"Let's withdraw too and prepare for an attack by Konoha. If we stop now, Konoha will need time to regroup, and during that time, they'll suffer the greatest losses," she reasoned aloud.

The intelligence officer nodded, clearly analyzing the situation.

"There's no other way. Go and make the arrangements," Pakura ordered with a sigh. She worried deeply about Sunagakure's future.

If her death could somehow bring an end to the war, she would willingly sacrifice herself without hesitation.