"…Ugh…"
Rasa raised a trembling hand to his throat.
Cold air poured into his body through the slit across his neck, draining his strength with terrifying speed.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two black-robed puppets shot forward from opposite directions, crossing paths as they lunged at Minato.
These were Chiyo's final trump cards — the puppets crafted by her grandson, Sasori of the Red Sand.
"Father" and "Mother."
Minato flickered.
Gone.
The puppets cut through empty air.
But Chiyo's goal had never been to defeat him — only to force him back.
The puppets pivoted instantly, scooped up the collapsing Rasa, and retreated to her side.
Blood poured from Rasa's neck in violent streams. His face drained white. His pupils began to cloud.
"Guards! Defensive formation!"
Dozens of Sand shinobi rushed forward, forming a protective ring around them.
Chiyo wasted no time.
Green medical chakra flared from her palms as she pressed both hands against Rasa's wound.
Minato's strike had been terrifyingly precise.
If Rasa hadn't shifted back at the last instant, his head would have separated completely.
But that same precision now worked in their favor.
The wound was clean.
Minimal tissue destruction.
Perfect for cellular regeneration.
Palm Sage Technique activated at full power.
In under twenty seconds, the bleeding stopped.
In just over a minute, the flesh sealed completely.
But the blood loss was severe.
Rasa remained critically weak.
Chiyo made the decision.
There was no time for further treatment.
Under escort, they withdrew immediately.
Meanwhile—
Kushina dropped out of her six-tailed state and stormed up onto the ramparts of Kikyo Mountain Fortress.
She was furious.
"Why did you stop me?!" she snapped at Shikaku.
"We had them! Just a little longer and that old Sand hag and the Fourth Kazekage would've been finished!"
Shikaku did not react to her tone.
He simply asked:
"And then?"
Kushina blinked.
"And then what? We chase them down and wipe them out!"
Shikaku sighed softly.
"That's not how war works."
She frowned.
"Then how does it work?!"
Shikaku patiently explained:
"Right now, both armies are fully entangled. Our forces and theirs are interlocked in close combat."
"Large-scale annihilation techniques are no longer viable."
"If we killed Rasa and Chiyo right there, two outcomes were possible."
"First — the enemy loses morale and collapses."
"But they are already collapsing."
"That leaves the second possibility."
"They fight like cornered beasts."
"Desperate. No retreat. No fear."
"Rabbits bite when trapped. Shinobi do far worse."
He looked at her seriously.
"We currently have the advantage — yes."
"But we are still six thousand against ten thousand."
"If they decide to die where they stand… how many of ours are you willing to trade?"
"Four thousand?"
"Five?"
"Six?"
Kushina fell silent.
Shikaku continued:
"Their ten thousand are divided among three villages."
"Even if they lose three thousand each, they survive."
"But if Konoha sacrifices six thousand to destroy them…"
"Did we win?"
"…Or did we lose?"
The wind carried the sounds of retreating enemy forces.
Shikaku's gaze was calm.
"We must not drive them into despair."
"As long as they believe survival is possible, they will continue retreating."
"And as they run, we hunt."
"One piece at a time."
"This is the Land of Fire. We control the terrain."
"We have time."
Kushina didn't fully grasp every layer of the strategy.
But she understood enough.
She exhaled.
"…Fine. Maybe you're right."
Then she crossed her arms and huffed:
"But why does Minato get to keep fighting while I get called back?! I'm not weaker than him!"
Shikaku almost smiled.
"That's exactly why I brought you back."
She blinked.
"What?"
"I need the strongest shinobi guarding central command."
"Minato is chasing stragglers."
"You are our contingency."
"If something unexpected appears, you are the one who stops it."
Silence.
Then—
Kushina burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHA! Not bad, Nara boy! You've got good eyes! Of course I'm stronger than Minato!"
She grinned ear to ear.
"If those old fossils hadn't kept me off the battlefield all these years, my title would be louder than his!"
Shikaku rubbed his temple.
Half-truth.
The real reason was simpler.
The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki could not be risked recklessly in chaotic pursuit.
If Kushina lost control…
The battlefield would become something far worse than enemy invasion.
Shikaku turned to Inoichi.
"Inoichi."
"Yes."
"Tell all units: focus on eliminating enemy active forces."
"And notify Chōza."
"One-Mountain unit will withdraw gradually."
"Don't block their retreat."
"Inflict damage. Leave a corridor."
Let them run.
Let them believe escape is possible.
Because the most efficient victory—
Is not won in a single strike.
It is won
By never allowing the enemy to stop bleeding.
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