Chapter 38

After the Third Hokage issued the decisive order to pursue the retreating Sand Shinobi, Konoha's entire intelligence network sprang into action. For days, the Hidden Leaf had closely monitored the enemy's every move, tracking their formations and gathering intelligence with a level of precision only possible through the cooperation of elite sensory teams and infiltration units.

Initially, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The Sand Shinobi launched a series of small feints, inconsequential skirmishes meant to test Konoha's patience and attentiveness. These weak provocations gave the impression that Sunagakure had lost the will to fight and was slowly withdrawing from the war. Konoha's commanders, however, remained cautious, suspecting that these maneuvers masked deeper intentions.

Then came a change.

Konoha's sensory ninjas detected a flurry of activity behind the enemy's lines. A unit of Sand Shinobi was dispatched to harass a forward Konoha camp, stirring chaos and drawing attention. The attack was loud, frantic, and desperate — or so it appeared. A significant number of Konoha forces responded swiftly, but upon arrival, they discovered it was nothing more than another elaborate feint. The enemy had already withdrawn.

It was then that Orochimaru, commander of Konoha's forces on the Wind Country front, gave a cold, calculating smile. He understood.

The Sand Shinobi were attempting a full retreat under the cover of these distractions.

But Konoha had anticipated this. Orochimaru had kept the entire force in a state of readiness. With a single command, his army surged forward, transforming from passive observers to aggressive pursuers. The pursuit had begun.

Caught off guard by the speed of Konoha's mobilization, the Sand Shinobi faltered. Disarray spread through their ranks like wildfire. Low- and mid-ranking soldiers stumbled, many abandoning their positions or collapsing under the weight of their burdens. The momentum was firmly in Konoha's favor.

The pursuing Leaf ninjas surged forward with increasing fervor. Their morale was high, spirits bolstered by what felt like an inevitable victory. Meanwhile, the Sand Shinobi, battered and weary, seemed to be falling apart, leaving behind elite resistance units to cover their retreat. These units fought defensively, buying time but never truly engaging. As soon as the main force gained enough ground, even these units melted away, leaving no true opposition in Konoha's path.

Among Konoha's ranks was a young ninja named Akira. He had distinguished himself in earlier missions with remarkable sensory ability and an unshakable resolve. However, unlike the seasoned veterans around him, Akira had never participated in a major engagement involving such a large force. The scale of the pursuit, the rhythmic thrum of hundreds of feet, the air heavy with the tension of impending victory — it overwhelmed his senses.

Yet even in this momentum, something gnawed at him.

Akira's instincts, sharpened through near-death experiences and countless missions, whispered unease. He had been using his sensory jutsu constantly throughout the advance, extending his chakra to feel the flow of enemy movement. Though they chased what appeared to be a broken force, Akira began detecting flickers — brief but powerful chakra signatures just at the edge of his range.

And then there was the destination: Kikyo Mountain.

Akira's breath caught. He remembered this name clearly from the original events of the ninja world — it was the site of a decisive battle between Konoha and the Sand. However, the details were vague, lost in the mists of altered history. Akira's very presence had caused shifts in the timeline. The poison attacks that should have devastated Konoha had failed, thanks to his early intervention. The war had evolved differently.

But the name Kikyo Mountain carried weight.

The further they advanced, the stronger Akira's sense of foreboding grew. He looked to his left and saw Might Guy, the ever-energetic taijutsu master, his presence a beacon of unwavering enthusiasm. Yet even Guy, for all his bravado, wore a rare look of focus. The battlefield was shifting.

"Something isn't right," Akira muttered to himself. He could feel it. The Sand Shinobi, for all their losses, still retained most of their high-level combatants. Were they truly this disorganized? Or was this retreat a performance?

Too late for second guesses now.

Konoha surged toward Kikyo Mountain. The Sand forces, appearing fragmented and exhausted, retreated up the slopes like broken prey. Victory seemed within reach. Konoha's morale surged, and the final charge began.

But just as they began the final ascent, the ground trembled.

The vibrations came suddenly, rumbling beneath their feet like a beast waking from slumber. Konoha shinobi halted instinctively, looking around with suspicion. Dust floated in the air. A heavy silence settled.

Then, a voice tore through the stillness.

"Magnet Release: Sand Gold Grand Funeral!"

The air erupted with raw chakra as torrents of golden sand burst from the earth. It roared like a tidal wave, glimmering in the sun, surging past the scattered Sand forces and directly toward the heart of the Konoha army.

Panic swept through the Leaf ranks.

"Retreat! Retreat! It's the Fourth Kazekage's jutsu!" someone screamed.

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa — a master of the Magnet Release bloodline limit, manipulating metallic gold sand with lethal precision. His sudden appearance confirmed Akira's fears. This had been a trap.

Ninjas scattered, trying to flee, but the sand wave was faster. Those caught in its path screamed as the sand engulfed them, crushing and suffocating with merciless force.

But Akira stood firm.

He had already sensed the presence of Rasa and other powerful chakra users lying in ambush. He knew the time had come. As the sand neared, a voice rang out behind him.

"Earth Release: Multiple Earth Wall Technique!"

Huge stone walls erupted from the ground before Konoha's forces, forming a massive shield against the incoming tide. The sand crashed against them, thunderous and overwhelming, but the walls stood strong.

Wave after wave of gold sand slammed into the barrier, but it held. As the dust began to clear and the attack waned, a figure stood atop the central wall.

The Third Hokage — Hiruzen Sarutobi.

A master of all five chakra natures, the Professor himself, calm and unshaken. His sharp eyes locked onto the figure of the Fourth Kazekage, now revealed at the opposite ridge, held aloft by a floating platform of gold sand.

Their eyes met. A cold smile passed between them.

The Sand had orchestrated the entire retreat. Rasa had hidden himself until the perfect moment, planning to strike at the peak of Konoha's momentum. Had the Third Hokage not intervened, the ambush would have devastated Konoha's forces.

But Hiruzen had seen through the deception.

Despite being a Hokage — a living symbol of power and stability — he had secretly accompanied the pursuit force, ready to intervene should the worst occur. His decision had paid off.

Rasa scowled.

"I did not expect the great Hokage to lower himself to chasing an enemy into foreign lands. How… unsightly."

His tone was mocking, his smile venomous.

Hiruzen responded calmly, "I am but a humble Konoha ninja. It would be rude not to greet a Kazekage who goes to such great lengths to welcome us."

The sarcasm in both their voices was sharp enough to cut steel.

Might Guy landed beside Akira, cracking his knuckles. "Akira! This is getting exciting!"

Akira gave a small nod, his eyes focused not on the Kazekage, but on the battlefield around them. The real fight had just begun.

And he knew — this was no longer a pursuit.

It was the start of a battle that would shake the foundation of the Wind Country itself.