Hagoromo's display of precision and raw power was undeniable—he had effectively pulverized a national-level strategic weapon right in front of the enemy's faces. While the scene of him "beating down" a Tailed Beast looked incredibly impressive, the truth was that more than half the credit belonged to Kushina.
Restrained by her Adamantine Sealing Chains, the Shukaku had been trapped in a state where it could not move, dodge, defend, or recover. Hagoromo had simply taken advantage of the ultimate "sitting duck." Had the Shukaku been free to launch a Tailed Beast Bomb, Hagoromo would likely be the one being shoveled off the battlefield.
However, the reality remained: the Sand's trump card was out of commission, and they were in danger of losing the Shukaku entirely. If a sealing expert like Kushina were given a moment to breathe, she could potentially seal the beast away for good.
This was why the veteran Lady Chiyo had reacted instantly with two orders: Recover the Shukaku and Destroy the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
With Konoha's mobile reserves pouring back into the camp, the numbers were finally evening out. The sight of a child blowing apart a Tailed Beast had acted as a massive morale boost for Konoha, effectively stalling the Sand's momentum.
Chiyo realized that their original primary goal—killing Tsunade and dismantling the command structure—was no longer feasible. She pivoted. The strategic value of killing the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was now equal to, if not greater than, destroying the HQ itself.
The Stalemate of the Titans
Across a sea of clashing puppets, Tsunade looked at Chiyo with a face of pale mockery. Her pallor wasn't just from the exhaustion of battle; she was fighting a desperate internal war against her own hemophobia (fear of blood).
"Don't you Sand ninjas have a clear set of goals?" Tsunade spat, struggling to maintain her composure.
Despite the heavy casualties among non-combatants, the return of the front-line ninjas ensured the command structure would survive. The crucial player in this salvage operation was undeniably Hagoromo. In the span of a minute, he had shifted from being a student to a pillar of the battlefield.
"Your youth are impressive," Chiyo replied, her fingers dancing as she manipulated the Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu. "But the battlefield is fluid. Destroying the HQ is difficult now, but solving the Nine-Tails problem? That is a strategic victory we can still achieve."
Chiyo had originally opposed deploying the Shukaku, but the Fourth Kazekage had insisted on this all-or-nothing gamble. Now, seeing the beast reduced to a pile of sand, her fears were confirmed. Yet, Konoha had made its own mistake: putting their most precious asset—Kushina—right under the enemy's nose.
To Chiyo, Hagoromo was a reminder of Sakumo Hatake. Such a dangerous threat could not be allowed to grow. He and the Jinchūriki would fall tonight.
The Final Gamble
The Sand ninjas were now like gamblers who had lost half their chips. Instead of folding and retreating with what they had left, they saw a path to a massive jackpot—the Nine-Tails—and pushed all their remaining "chips" into the center.
The tactical situation had inverted:
The Center: Hagoromo, Kushina, and a small circle of defenders.
The Middle Ring: A swarm of Sand ninjas attacking inward, leaving their backs completely exposed.
The Outer Ring: Konoha's reinforcements, easily cutting down the Sand ninjas from behind.
"You're going to fail," Tsunade stated firmly. Yet, she knew she couldn't break through Chiyo's puppets quickly enough to help Kushina personally.
Seeing the opportunity created by Hagoromo's barrage, Tsunade barked a five-word command that echoed across the field:
"Sealing Team! Target the Shukaku!"
Tactical Situation: The Race for the Beast
The battlefield is now a race. If Konoha seals the Shukaku first, the Sand loses their ultimate weapon forever. If the Sand kills Kushina first, the Land of Fire loses its deterrent.