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15 Advanced Chapters @ patreon.com/aizenDuchiha0
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East Flank
Choza slammed both fists down, the shockwave knocking B backward. Inoichi's chakra thread caught him for a moment, freezing his left arm mid-swing.
"Now!" Inoichi barked.
Choza's giant palm came down but at the last second, one of Gyūki's tails whipped up, bracing against the ground. The impact shattered dirt, but B slipped free, rolling clear. He was breathing hard now, sweat soaking his brow.
"Yo… you're tough, fat stuff," B panted, grinning weakly. "But the rhyme's still mine… and I'll stand the test of time."
"Save your breath," Inoichi snapped, already weaving signs to try and snare him again.
Both sides were bleeding chakra fast.
--
A tremor rolled across the battlefield. Konoha shinobi paused, sensing the surge of chakra signatures rushing closer.
And then they arrived, 150 Kumo shinobi, from the second front they have set up previously from the north, their banners snapping in the wind. Supplies slung across their backs, fresh weapons glinting, food pills in hand.
A howl of triumph rose from the exhausted Kumo fighters already on the field. The tide shifted instantly.
The newcomers rushed into formation, handing out supplies and chakra restoratives as they surged forward. Spent shinobi gulped pills, wrapped bandages, and leapt back into the fray with renewed vigor.
Suddenly, Konoha's advance stalled. Where before their exhausted foes had faltered, now they were striking with fresh strength. And their morale was struck.
A squad of Konoha genin was cut down in seconds by reinvigorated Kumo jonin. Paper bombs were countered with lightning bursts. Traps were dismantled with sheer force.
The battlefield's rhythm changed and Dan Kato felt it in his bones.
Then the commanders of both sides realize the shift.
Dan parried Ay's strike with the flat of his blade, both of them nearly collapsing from fatigue. But then he saw it: the fresh Kumo banners piercing the battlefield haze, their shinobi roaring as they cut down his men.
His stomach turned to stone.
"No…" he whispered.
Across the field, Inoichi's eyes widened too. "Choza! Reinforcements..they're here already!"
Choza grimaced, still holding B at bay. "We can't… hold this line."
B laughed breathlessly, pointing at the arriving comrades. "Yo! The gang's all here—your end is near!"
Dan's face twisted with frustration. He'd gambled everything on breaking Kumo before their reinforcements could arrive. And he had lost that gamble.
"Damn it," he muttered. His mind raced. Retreat was the only option but to turn their backs now would mean slaughter.
The Final Clash Before Retreat
Kumo's rejuvenated shinobi surged forward. The exhausted Konoha Shinobi struggled to keep up, their formation crumbling under the pressure.
Dan shouted above the chaos: "Retreat! Fighting withdrawal, spread formation... don't give them our backs! Buy each other time!"
His Spirit Transformation lashed out one more time, not to strike Ay but to harass the nearest Kumo squad, slowing their advance.
Inoichi and Choza redoubled their efforts, pulling back while keeping B pinned just long enough for their comrades to retreat. Choza took a slash across the ribs but didn't flinch, swatting B away with a massive palm before shrinking down to carry two wounded chunin on his back.
Kumo pressed hard, their morale surging. But Konoha didn't break. Even in retreat, they fought tooth and nail, hurling kunai, weaving barriers, detonating traps as they pulled back step by step.
The field became chaos Konoha desperately trying to disengage, Kumo desperately trying to finish them.
And in the center of it all, Dan Kato locked eyes with Ay one last time.
"You win today, Kumo," Dan said, voice raw. "But the war isn't over."
Ay, chest heaving, said nothing. His Lightning Armor flickered weakly, but his fists were still raised.
--
Aftermath of the Day
By the time night fell, the battlefield belonged to Kumo. Konoha had retreated in bloodied fragments, leaving behind corpses and broken weapons. The ruined base was once again firmly in Kumo's hands.
Ay slumped against a boulder - tired. Bee collapsed beside him, muttering tired rhymes even as Gyūki scolded him in the back of his mind.
The Kumo shinobi roared in victory, but the commanders knew better. They had won the battle. Ay and Bee were spent, their chakra reserves dangerously low. The front was secure for now, but Konoha would not stop here.
And far away, in Konoha's council chambers, Dan Kato's report would ignite furious debate about whether to double down or withdraw entirely.
The brothers had to be ready for anything. Yet Konoha didn't attack for over a month. After suffering such a major loss, they couldn't risk another battle they were likely to lose. Instead, they focused on preparing for the clash to come.
After strengthening the base, Ay and Bee left to the head quarters and the chakra mining continued.
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[1st battle: Konoha loses 850 shinobi, kumo loses none]
[2nd battle: Konoha loses 150 shinobi, kumo loses 75]
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