As the first light of dawn illuminated the horizon, the chaotic night finally drew to a close.
After both the Konoha and Sunagakure squads withdrew, they left the harbor town in utter shambles.
The remaining Kirigakure Jonin gathered together, cursing the shamelessness of both Konoha and Suna while hurriedly dispatching messengers to call back a portion of their frontline forces for reinforcement.
They had never imagined Konoha and Suna could penetrate so deeply into their territory, directly threatening their maritime supply line.
The breach filled them with frustration and a profound sense of crisis.
What they didn’t know was that the very same feelings of frustration and crisis hung heavy over the heads of the Konoha and Suna squads as well.
Having retreated into the nearby woods, Pakura of Sunagakure slammed her fist furiously into the ground once they were out of immediate danger.
“Damn it!
Damn it!
I’m sorry, everyone…
this is all my fault!
All my fault!” Beside her, the puppeteer tried several times to step forward and comfort her, but every time he opened his mouth, he found himself at a loss for words.
They had risked disobeying the Kazekage’s orders to follow Pakura here, never expecting such an outcome.
What words could possibly soothe the pain of their wasted ordeal now?
At the same time, Inaba Hyuga’s group returned to the gentle slope where they had camped the previous night, bringing along their captive Sunagakure kunoichi.
In the end, they had dragged the woman out of the dungeon after all.
No grand reason—simply a feeling of, *well, since we’re already here…* But such a meager haul was far from enough to compensate for the overwhelming sting of mission failure.
When all six members who had pulled out of the town regrouped, every single one of them was bruised and bloodied, looking thoroughly battered.
Yet despite paying such a steep price, the mission had failed.
“I’m sorry, everyone.
I…” Back in safety, Inaba attempted to apologize as well, but Captain Tomoe cut him off immediately.
“Don’t blame yourself, Inaba.
Encountering Suna was completely unexpected—no one could have foreseen it.
You did exceptionally well.
That was Scorch Style Pakura, one of Suna’s most renowned elite Jonin.
Surviving against her and successfully seizing a target is already a remarkable achievement.” Though he hadn’t witnessed it firsthand, Captain Tomoe had already learned the details from the others.
The seemingly haggard middle-aged man didn’t try to shift the blame; instead, he warmly comforted Inaba.
Even Rinfu Gekko, usually the quietest of the bunch, spoke up more than usual.
“Indeed.
You did very well.
Back in the day, Pakura was a Suna powerhouse recognized by Lord White Fang himself.” Even the hot-headed Kou Uchiha didn’t scold him.
“It’s a shame the mission failed, but you performed admirably.
Even within our Uchiha Clan, very few could best that Pakura.” Beside him, Shisui Uchiha glanced at his senior, privately thinking that Kou was embellishing the clan’s prestige quite a bit…
Only little Anko looked surprised off to the side.
“Is this Pakura really that famous?” She was the only one present too young to know who Pakura was…
Their comforting words made Inaba feel slightly better, yet he could hardly conceal his fatigue and disappointment.
If the mission failed, he was destined to lose Orochimaru’s trust and favor upon returning.
That umbrella of protection was about to slip away, and the charge of mission failure would make it all too easy for Hiruzen Sarutobi to frame and retaliate against him.
As for his clan, relying on them was out of the question; they would undoubtedly sell him out decisively and hand him over without hesitation.
Inaba could already see the bleak, dark future awaiting him once he returned to the village.
What should he do?
What could he do?
Just then, Captain Tomoe sighed deeply.
Forcing himself to regain composure, he took the initiative to speak up: “Let’s not dwell on what’s already done.
Everyone, take this time to rest.
The journey back won’t be easy.
After the battle at dawn, Kirigakure will definitely recall frontline units to hunt us down.
We have at most two hours of safety left.” As Tomoe spoke, he forced himself not to look back down at the harbor.
He was deeply pained by the mission’s failure, but as captain, he bore the responsibility of bringing his team back to the village alive.
Yet while the speaker intended no deeper meaning, the listener caught a spark.
This casual reminder to rest unexpectedly struck a chord in Inaba.
He jerked his head up, his eyes suddenly blazing with brilliant intensity!
“Captain, did you just say we still have two to three hours?” Captain Tomoe looked at him.
“According to the intelligence from Lord Orochimaru, the nearest Kirigakure unit will indeed take about two hours to march back.
Inaba, I know you’re reluctant to accept this, but don’t be reckless.
Kiri is on high alert now.
It’s impossible for just the few of us to complete the mission.” But Inaba did not sink into despair.
His gaze grew brighter and brighter.
“Just us isn’t enough, but what if we include Suna?
That’s Scorch Style Pakura!” Kou Uchiha let out a scoff.
“Ha!
Why on earth would Suna help us?
We literally just fought them!” “No!
It’s possible!” Inaba spoke with mounting confidence.
“In the Ninja World, there are no eternal enemies and no eternal friends—only eternal interests!
We hold the very person they want most in our hands.
Isn’t that the ultimate bridge of mutual benefit?” *There are no eternal enemies and no eternal friends—only eternal interests!* The phrase struck Shisui Uchiha like a bolt of lightning, causing his eyes to widen in sheer excitement as a shiver ran through his body.
It felt as if a beam of light had pierced the darkness of his mind, illuminating a path forward to resolve the conflict between his clan and the village!
*That was so brilliantly said!
Why did I never think of this before?* However, time was pressing.
Before Shisui could linger on the thought, Inaba had already pulled up the dying Sunagakure kunoichi and begun administering medical jutsu to treat her.
“She isn’t our primary objective anyway, so trading her back to Suna costs us nothing.
If we can use her to secure Pakura’s cooperation, we might still have a shot at completing our mission within these last two hours!” He looked at Rinfu Gekko first.
“Completing the mission is a shinobi’s duty!” Then he turned to Shisui Uchiha.
“Everything we do is for the village, for Konoha!” Next, he swung toward young Anko.
“And for Lord Orochimaru!” Finally, he locked eyes with Captain Tomoe.
“This time, let us restore the glory of Senju!” Everyone present was deeply moved by his words!
At that moment, looking at the seventeen-year-old youth standing before him, Captain Tomoe had a sudden, dawning premonition— *This boy…
might just change the entire Ninja World in the future!* He understood the human heart far too well!