As soon as the ten-minute mark was reached, the intense battle came to a close. Tsunade decisively ordered a retreat. Neiki did not try to stop them, standing still and quietly watching them leave.
Tsunade was the last to board the ship. As she looked at Neiki, standing silently as if mocking them with his silent presence, she clenched her fist and shouted:
"Don't get too cocky, Neiki. The Flying Thunder God Technique is not invincible. We'll make you pay someday!!"
The Flying Thunder God Technique is indeed not invincible.
There is no strongest jutsu in the ninja world, only the strongest ninja.
Konoha's defeat by Neiki was due to their lack of information and preparation for both Neiki and the Flying Thunder God Technique. Once they return to Konoha and fend off the attack from Kumogakure, it will only be a matter of time before Konoha formulates tactical plans to counter Neiki based on the combat data gathered from this encounter.
"I look forward to it," Neiki replied calmly.
When the last person boarded the ship, Tsunade took a deep breath and, before climbing the gangplank, gave Neiki one last look, etching his image into her mind. She then said, "The fight isn't over. Konoha will survive this crisis. I hope you can last until the day we find you."
Neiki responded with a strange smile, answering meaningfully, "The battle is far from over…"
Tsunade didn't understand his smile's meaning, but it made her uneasy.As the ship set sail, the deck was crowded with people. Konoha had suffered heavy losses this time. Many felt deep resentment at not being able to kill Neiki before leaving. They thought ten minutes was too short and wished Neiki had come over to "see them off."
Unfortunately, Neiki just stayed on the island, quietly watching them.
"What is his real motive?" Tsunade frowned. As the ship sailed away, Neiki had already disappeared from the island.
The true reason behind Neiki's sudden intervention in the battle between Konoha and Kirigakure was still unclear. Besides testing his sword against Konoha and Kirigakure ninjas, Neiki hadn't shown any specific intentions while fighting and killing.
According to Neiki's analysis after the night of the rebellion, he disliked doing anything without a practical purpose. Greedy and goal-oriented were supposed to be Neiki's traits. But this time, things seemed off.
Apart from the killing, he didn't gain anything from this, yet he fully exposed his Flying Thunder God Technique to both Kirigakure and Konoha. This didn't align with his usual opportunistic behavior.
"Is it because his ‘profit' is already or soon to be realized elsewhere?"
Thinking this, Tsunade felt a pang of regret. Unfortunately, the clever Suzaku and Hayama were both… As she lamented, Shizune handed her a casualty report. The shocking numbers turned her sadness into a tangible reality.
Only a handful of the more than two hundred elite Konoha ninjas were returning…
"Try to treat as many of the wounded as possible… Well, let's cancel the next operational meeting for now. I'll go check on the wounded first."
There were too many injured, and the medical team was severely understaffed. Tsunade, not one to sit idly by, decided to help.
This time, there were about forty seriously injured Konoha ninjas. As the commander of Konoha's eastern battlefield, Tsunade set aside her usual impatience, patiently comforting and treating the wounded that the medical team couldn't attend to. ṛÂNO͍BËȘ
However, looking at the numerous ninjas with severed limbs gathered in one ward due to similar injuries, Tsunade's anger flared again at the sight of the clean cuts.
Without a doubt, these were the "work" of Neiki's black sword.
This was Tsunade's first direct experience of the lethal combination of Neiki's Flying Thunder God Technique and his black sword.
"Restoring severed limbs is difficult but not impossible," Tsunade could only offer such consolation.
Medical ninjutsu could bring people back from the brink of death. The challenge wasn't restoring limbs but having the medical resources to do so. With Kumogakure's impending attack, Konoha's limited medical resources couldn't realistically be allocated to reattaching limbs.
Many in the ward understood this. They waved it off, showing understanding smiles and even comforted Tsunade in return:
"It’s okay. Even with one arm, I can still help fight off those Kumogakure bastards. Tsunade-sama, look, I’ve already gotten pretty good with my left-hand sword!"
Tsunade forced a smile.
After leaving that ward, she approached another door and opened it.
Inside, Neji was peeling an apple for Miyamoto Yoru. Seeing Tsunade, he quickly stood up.
Tsunade looked at Neji for a moment, nodded subtly, indicating he could sit and not be nervous.
She then inquired about Miyamoto's condition, offering similar consolations and promises as she had in the previous ward. She assured him there was a chance to reattach his legs and that compensation would be given.
Miyamoto smiled and nodded, expressing his trust in Tsunade.
Tsunade then turned to Neji.
"Neji, you did well this time," Tsunade acknowledged his performance. Despite being sealed by Miyamoto under her orders after Neiki's appearance, Neji had contributed significantly in the battle against the Kirigakure ninjas.
"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I just did what I should," Neji shook his head.
"Don't be modest. We all saw your efforts. Miyamoto speaks highly of you. You’ve shown us all that you’re nothing like your brother. You understand the meaning of comradeship. You are a bearer of Konoha’s Will of Fire. You remind me of a young, renowned Konoha ninja I know. After this battle, I want to introduce you to him," Tsunade revealed her plan.
A young, renowned Konoha ninja? Neji hesitated, realizing Tsunade wanted him to apprentice under someone. But the word "young" made him wary. A young ninja might have great talent but perhaps not the high standing he hoped for.
He was about to speak when Miyamoto suddenly said:
"Tsunade-sama, Neji actually wants to be your apprentice."
"Is that so?" Tsunade glanced at Miyamoto, then at Neji, whose face was red with embarrassment. She smiled slightly, "After this battle, that might be possible."
After Tsunade left the room and closed the door, she didn't leave immediately. A minute later, cheers erupted from inside. The two young men achieved a great goal, making Tsunade think of her late brother, Nawaki. Her smile deepened.
She walked briskly to the third ward, where the medical ninja who had fainted during the battle with Neiki was staying. Remembering the ninja's embarrassing display, she composed herself, turned serious, and pushed the door open forcefully.
"Hanabira—" Her voice stopped abruptly.
Inside, Neiki was sitting on the bed, calmly eating an apple, while Hanabira was squeezed to the edge of the bed, her face as pale as a sheet.
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