Wood Release's appearance completely disrupted Iwa's rhythm.
Kitsuchi stood between Han and Shuji. His mind had already decided.
They must retreat.
Not only did Rōshi and Han lack experience responding to Wood Release, Iwagakure's tactical contingencies also had no effective countermeasures.
Continuing to fight stubbornly, both their jinchūriki might end up defeted here.
The Iwa commander's fists covered in hard rock launched fierce attacks on Shuji, buying space for the Five-Tails jinchūriki to break contact.
On the other side, Rōshi saw Han escape. Tailed beast chakra around his body boiled further. Four massive tails danced wildly.
He opened his mouth. Yin and Yang chakra gathered, compressed, and rotated at shocking speed. A black energy sphere radiating an ominous aura rapidly took form.
"Not good!" Jiraiya's expression changed.
Gamabunta again spewed a Water Bullet, attempting to interrupt.
But the further transformed Rōshi moved shockingly fast, dodging aside.
Just as the Tailed Beast Ball was about to reach critical point, several vines suddenly shot from beneath Rōshi's feet, coiling around his limbs and torso.
The Tailed Beast Ball's condensation showed momentary instability. Rōshi forcibly suppressed the uncomfortable feeling and swallowed the energy projectile.
Shuji yanked backward with one hand.
Vines coiled around Rōshi exerted force, forcibly pulling the Four-Tails jinchūriki's body off balance.
Boom—!
A pitch-black energy torrent shot from Rōshi's open mouth. But because of this pull, its trajectory changed, charging straight into the sky.
Even though the tailed beast cannon's main body shot skyward, scattered impact still spread. Jiraiya immediately crossed both arms before him, yet was still pushed sliding back dozens of meters by the shockwave.
Now!
Kitsuchi spat several rock guns from his mouth, severing the vines controlling Rōshi's hands and feet.
The freed Four-Tails jinchūriki seized the chance to stomp the ground hard, borrowing force to leap backward, landing heavily beside Kitsuchi.
Now both jinchūriki had finally opened distance from enemies.
Kitsuchi formed hand seals and struck the ground.
"Earth Release: Mountain Earth Technique!"
The earth groaned under unbearable weight, violently trembling.
At the battlefield center, two massive hemispheres comparable to small mountains rumbled up from both sides, closing toward Shuji and Jiraiya in the middle.
Rōshi, just steadying himself, coordinated simultaneously. He took a deep breath and spewed out wide-range lava flow, further compressing the enemies' evasion space.
"Bunta, release the summoning."
Bunta's massive size made dodging such attacks difficult. Jiraiya unhesitatingly let his companion leave.
"The rest is up to you Jiraiya !"
Massive white smoke exploded. Bunta's figure instantly vanished, returning to Mount Myōboku.
Shuji and Jiraiya simultaneously pulled back at extreme speed from these two shinobi.
Using this precious time gained, Kitsuchi grabbed both Han and Rōshi, each weakened briefly and moving slightly slower. His feet exerted force. His burly body burst into speed incongruous with his build, rapidly retreating toward Iwa positions.
Just reaching relatively safe territory, Kitsuchi immediately roared lowly at messenger shinobi beside him. "Signal! Entire army alternating cover, retreat!"
Special low-frequency vibrations spread throughout the entire Iwa frontline through Earth Release secret techniques.
Iwa shinobi receiving retreat signals immediately understood. Forward forces swiftly withdrew, exchanging positions with rear comrades. The entire line began retreating orderly like a tide.
As commander, Kitsuchi did not leave first. He stood at a relatively forward position on the line, gaze sharply sweeping the battlefield while forming hand seals again.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
"Earth Release: Rock Gun Technique!"
He personally led several squads of elite Iwa shinobi, constantly changing battlefield terrain, raising earth walls and pits to obstruct pursuers while continuously firing rock guns covering Konoha's pursuit path, buying time for troop withdrawal.
At rear command, Nara Shikaku immediately perceived enemy changes.
"Iwa has begun orderly retreat." He swiftly issued orders. "Pass word: all units in squad formation, maintain formation, pursue orderly."
"Primary objective: capture stragglers, clear the national border! Absolutely cannot let these Iwa shinobi scatter into Fire Country territory causing destruction and panic!"
"Notify Anbu special tactics squad: do not advance recklessly alone. Advance with main force!"
Under Nara Shikaku's coordination, Konoha pursued with exceptional caution.
Forces did not charge blindly from victory. They just steadily followed behind retreating Iwa forces, continuously applying pressure and seizing opportunities to capture Iwa shinobi who fell behind from injuries or separated from units.
This cautious pursuit continued all the way to Kannabi Bridge.
Iwa's main forces were rapidly passing through the safe zone beyond the bridge. However, just as Konoha's vanguard reached the bridge head preparing to continue forward—
A diminutive figure silently floated in midair on the opposite shore, as if he had always been there.
The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki.
He made no attack posture, only quietly watching Konoha forces on the opposite shore.
Jiraiya raised his hand, decisively ordering. "Halt!"
Konoha's surging offensive came to an abrupt stop before this small figure.
"Camp on site, establish defensive works!" Orders swiftly transmitted.
Digging trenches, arranging warning barriers, setting up posts. Konoha shinobi moved swiftly and silently.
At both ends of Kannabi Bridge, Konoha and Iwa forces again formed clearly delineated confrontation lines. Only this time, initiative seemed to have quietly shifted.
Arranging frontline warning posts, Jiraiya brought the Anbu squad back to rear command center.
"Ōnoki came personally." Jiraiya said. "The battle line can only stop here."
Shikaku nodded. "As the village's supreme leader, he cannot personally risk entering Fire Country."
Too dangerous. This war's visible benefits were not yet great enough to be worth that.
"But his appearance itself has clearly conveyed Iwa's bottom line. At least at this stage, the battle line they can accept is here."
Konoha now faced pressure on two fronts. They really could not spare more elite forces to assault a defensive line personally held by a Kage determined to hold firm.
Unless...
Shikaku looked at the masked Shuji, now codenamed Mori.
Unless Sunagakure was willing to truly fulfill the alliance and launch attacks on Iwa from the western line.
They would never be willing. Shuji had self-awareness. His talk-no-jutsu had not reached Uzumaki Naruto's level.
Current Suna leadership was not Gaara either.
Theoretically speaking, this battlefield actually still had another force. Grass Country had a ninja village after all. That was Kusagakure.
Only with Ōnoki personally present and two jinchūriki in Grass Country, there was no hoping they would show any presence.
The face Hanzō the Salamander got was unique tier in the shinobi world.
What Konoha could do now was only wait. Wait for results from the eastern line.
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild