"This match... I've won!"
Minato's heart finally eased, and the physical strain he had been holding back violently surged forth.
Every muscle in his body convulsed. To onlookers, Minato trembled violently, yet despite this, a smile remained on his face.
At this moment, behind Minato, the Suna ninja who had stopped fighting upon hearing Chiyo's order also noticed the abnormal state of the young killer god before them.
To them, Minato now appeared utterly vulnerable.
Slowly, he raised his weapon...
Swish!
Just then, a figure darted from the hesitant crowd, landing in front of Minato. She swung her blade horizontally, blocking the Sand ninja who had tried to kill Minato at that critical moment.
"Senior Junko..."
Seeing Junko arrive, Minato gave a faint smile. Though his entire body was trembling, he hadn't failed to sense the movement of the Sand ninja behind him.
Even if Junko Watanabe hadn't arrived, the attacker still wouldn't have succeeded in finishing him off.
At this time, Chiyo seemed to glance toward Minato's direction. Seeing Minato suddenly appear so weakened, her eyes revealed undisguised murderous intent.
She pressed her lips tightly together, as though hesitating over something.
Minato knew exactly what she was thinking—seeing his combat ability seemingly vanish, she was reconsidering her earlier decision.
After all, even if they couldn't defeat the Konoha forces all at once, at least they could eliminate this child who had ruined her plans twice.
Understanding her thoughts, Minato looked directly at her as well. Their gazes locked.
Then, he gave her a slight smile.
That smile was different from Minato's usual one. Even Junko beside him was momentarily stunned.
He wore a smile, but those piercing blue eyes held something sharp—something dangerous.
With that look alone, Minato made one thing crystal clear to Chiyo—if she dared break her word, he'd make sure she lived to regret it.
The sight of that smile sent a sudden chill through Chiyo, who had roamed the Ninja World for over a decade.
As Chiyo felt startled, she questioned herself in disbelief.
Had she actually become afraid of a mere Konoha brat barely ten years old?
Yet after facing Minato like this, the hesitation she'd felt moments ago completely vanished.
Seeing Chiyo still hesitating, the Hidden Sand elites Kouhi and Nagare both ceased fighting. On the Konoha side, Sakumo Hatake and Hiashi Hyuga also withdrew from the battlefield.
Tsunade and Orochimaru followed Chiyo's gaze and saw the visibly weakened Minato standing there.
They didn't fully understand what had just happened, but one thing was certain—this turn of events worked in Konoha's favor.
"Retreat!"
Tsunade shouted, her eyes still locked on Chiyo, burning with anger.
If this were a one-on-one fight, she wouldn't back down—not even if she knew she couldn't win. But now, she bore the lives of over a thousand fellow ninjas on her shoulders. She couldn't afford recklessness.
The scattered Konoha ninja began gathering toward one direction. As they passed by the Sand ninja, their eyes and postures brimmed with wariness.
At the same time, there was resentment.
Each of them carried a sense of personal pride. If this were merely a matter of their own lives, they would fight to the death.
But now, each one of them was an essential component of Konoha's forces; if they fell in battle, the consequences would extend far beyond themselves.
"Let's go too!" Junko Watanabe said to Minato from within the Konoha ranks.
Minato gave a slight nod, then forced himself to take steps forward. Every step sent waves of pain rippling through his body.
But he knew he couldn't collapse yet—if he did, Chiyo would certainly pursue him relentlessly.
Thus, he secretly signaled with his hand to stop Junko and several other Konoha comrades who wanted to help support him.
Enduring the excruciating pain, Minato stood tall among the Konoha ninja as the unit slowly completed its formation.
"Retreat!"
Tsunade commanded, leading the retreating Konoha forces away from the battlefield.
Minato had originally intended to walk on his own for a while longer, but the pain had already exceeded physiological limits. His body suddenly weakened and started to collapse downward.
Just then, Yan Uchiha and Nawaki stepped in, supporting his arms over their shoulders on either side.
Minato, whose eyelids felt unbearably heavy, felt his heart tighten instantly.
He feared Chiyo might still change her mind at this moment.
However, it seemed his worry was unnecessary. About a hundred meters away, where the Sand ninja had also completed their formation, Chiyo stood frowning deeply but made no move.
Then, Chiyo simply watched as the Konoha forces withdrew.
...
After the Konoha group had left, Kouhi frowned and finally asked, "Lady Chiyo, why did we abandon our advantage and allow the Konoha ninja to leave?"
Though mother and son, here on the battlefield, they addressed each other formally by title.
Chiyo, however, remained silent for quite some time.
As Kouhi received no answer, his doubts grew until he was about to ask again—but just then, Liufei grabbed his arm and shook her head.
Seeing this, Kouhi snorted coldly, though his eyes still showed dissatisfaction.
It wasn't just him; most of the Sand ninja felt the same way. In previous battles against Konoha, they had always been at a disadvantage, so accepting defeat or even fleeing had seemed acceptable.
Yet today, they clearly held the upper hand. Why let the tiger return to the mountains unchallenged?
But out of fear of Chiyo's authority, no one dared to speak out against her decision.
A long while later, when the Konoha forces disappeared from view, Chiyo's tense expression finally eased slightly.
"Now, proceed with the plan," she ordered. "Be thorough and precise—no mistakes."
Hearing this, both Kouhi and Liufei answered simultaneously: "Yes!"
Chiyo nodded, turned around, and added, "I will personally compile the report on this battle and send it back to the village."
"Damn it!" Tsunade cursed from the front of the formation, her face dark with fury. Standing beside her, Sakumo Hatake and the others wore equally grim expressions.
"Cough cough."
At the very rear of the formation, Minato—supported by Nawaki and Yan Uchiha—suddenly began coughing violently. His facial muscles twitched uncontrollably, and the brilliant blue in his eyes faded completely.
Darkness swallowed his vision and he crumpled into unconsciousness.
This sudden change alarmed Nawaki terribly. He shouted anxiously, "Onee-san! Come quick, look at Minato!"
Hearing Nawaki's cry amidst her rage, Tsunade abruptly turned around to see Minato already passed out.
Her body froze, and the rest of the Konoha ninja halted their advance as well. Around Minato quickly gathered over a dozen people.
Among them were Shurou, Mikoto, Hiashi Hyuga, and his younger brother Hizashi.
[Swish!]
Tsunade landed swiftly. The surrounding ninjas turned to her like she was their last hope and quickly made way.
She approached Minato and placed her hand on his left chest. She held it there for about ten seconds.
Then, she carefully examined his pupils and breathing before finally reaching a conclusion.
"Minato's gone and drained himself completely!" Tsunade said disapprovingly. "Does he even care if he dies?!"
Chakra is a ninja's lifeblood; push it too far, and it will drain you beyond recovery.
When Nawaki heard that, his expression grew even grimmer. Minato was not only his good friend but had also once saved his life.
Seeing his reaction, Tsunade hurriedly explained, "But right now he isn't in any danger. It's just extreme fatigue from chakra depletion. However, multiple muscles throughout his body have torn. He'll need some time resting before recovering fully."
Only after hearing her words did those present gradually calm down somewhat.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>