Chapter 151: Tu Tai's Retreat, the War Draws to a Close

"The time is about right; we can launch the all‑out attack, encircle them, and we must not let Tu Tai lead his army away intact."

At the rear of the eastern front, Sima Yi glanced at the time and said.

Although he had not yet received news that the western front had been breached, his calculations told him the timing was already ripe.

"As long as the western front achieves results, our pincer attack will not allow Tu Tai to retreat unscathed."

Zi Laiye let out a hearty laugh, feeling elated, then adjusted his stance and rushed to the battlefield.

Sima Yi's eyes flickered as he watched Zi Laiye's back, thinking: a great victory is possible, but not a total one; Tu Tai cannot leave easily, yet we cannot keep him either.

On the other side, facing Leaf's renewed assault, Tu Tai deftly redeployed troops, but his lingering worries could not be dispelled.

The western front was surrounded, reinforcements annihilated; they must withdraw quickly. After all, the first line of Leaf's defense remained in their hands, and as long as they preserve strength, this retreat is only a minor loss.

Provided Mu Ren is unharmed and makes the right decision, Tu Tai immediately ordered a strategic shift, preparing to launch a full‑scale assault to blunt Leaf's offensive before withdrawing in batches.

As the main forces moved, everything progressed smoothly. Though Zi Laiye was powerful, the front lines stretched far and intermingled, preventing him from employing large‑scale ninjutsu.

Yun Yin, leveraging his numerical advantage, after a burst quickly halted Leaf's assault, leaving both sides with heavy casualties.

Zi Laiye realized the opponent was preparing to withdraw; they might already know the situation on the western front.

That was unsurprising; given the battlefield's size, they could intercept a transmission while the enemy was unprepared, but once the opponent sensed the issue, they could swiftly reroute the message.

"We cannot let you leave so easily."

Zi Laiye dislikes war, but they are the invaded side; they must fight.

Leaf ninja's fighting spirit has never been lacking; if not for the higher‑ups' reckless actions last time, they wouldn't have been driven here so easily.

Zi Laiye raised his arm and waved, boosting Leaf's morale once more, and the battle grew ever more intense.

Tu Tai knew Zi Laiye was hard to handle, so he deployed many troops to block, then ordered some units to withdraw gradually.

After half an hour of fierce fighting, Yun Yin had withdrawn nearly half his forces. Zi Laiye realized they couldn't leave all the enemy behind, so he deliberately let some go, yet kept the elite troops surrounding him firmly in place.

"Lord Tu Tai, we have heard movement from the west; our scouts have located Leaf's army, and in about fifteen minutes they will swing around to our rear."

"It seems Te Luo Yi really got into trouble."

Tu Tai sighed; after the western front was surrounded, he had anticipated this, but not so quickly.

"Approximately how many?"

Half the army still remained on the battlefield, and he obviously could not abandon them all.

"At least a thousand."

Tu Tai's expression changed; over a thousand, that is almost the bulk of Leaf's western force.

"We have lost this battle; order those who can retreat to do so immediately, and have the rear‑guard units devote all effort to drawing Leaf's attention."

"Understood!"

Tu Tai let out a sigh; though reluctant, now that the western front is confirmed breached, he must abandon some troops—cutting them off lest chaos ensues.

Soon, some received orders to retreat, while others were left to hold the rear.

Ninja must obey orders.

Even if some were unwilling, after the Jonin of each division issued the command, they stubbornly defended the line with mixed feelings.

The battlefield situation shifted as some of Yun Yin's units withdrew, and Leaf's advantage grew ever larger.

"Tu Tai is leaving."

Beside Zi Laiye, members of the Hyuga clan kept their eyes on Tu Tai, and as soon as he moved, they promptly reminded him.

"Hahaha, after fighting so many days, how can you leave without a word? Come walk with me."

Others might be fine, but he could not let Tu Tai leave easily; otherwise they might not reclaim the front, and even if they did, the losses would be catastrophic.

After eliminating one person, Zi Laiye laughed and said, then led nearly a hundred men to easily breach the defenses and head straight for Tu Tai.

Tu Tai hurriedly left the camp with his army heading north, and soon received news that Zi Laiye was in pursuit.

"Do not entangle with him further; send forces to block them."

With the western front breached, a massive rout is inevitable, and the retreating troops are numerous; now he is Yun Yin's backbone and must rush to the rear to seize control of the situation.

"Yes."

Tu Tai commanded calmly; seeing this, Zi Laiye could only slow his pace and deal with that unit first.

But Tu Tai clearly overlooked one point: this rear maneuver was led by Hyuga Dongyin of the Hyuga clan.

Hyuga Dongyin quickly learned of Tu Tai's retreat, dispatched a branch of his clan to scout the enemy's withdrawal route, and then cut them off head‑on.

"Lord Tu Tai, the Leaf ninja squad coming from the western front has altered its route and run into our forces; we are now engaged."

"What?"

Tu Tai felt a sudden shock; he now had fewer than three thousand men nearby, while over a thousand enemy troops blocked the front. Though he held numerical superiority, they were a defeated force with low morale, unable to overcome the enemy in such a short time.

"Have Jonin Tian Zhong lead five hundred men to block them; we will continue the retreat."

Though unexpected, Tu Tai reacted swiftly.

"Lord, something's wrong—Mu Ren and Te Luo Yi, sir..."

Tu Tai had just issued the order when bad news came from the front again.

The messenger arrived with a panicked face; though his words were unfinished, Tu Tai could almost instantly guess the outcome.

"Mu Ren and Lord Te Luo Yi were killed; their bodies were hoisted high by the Hyuga clan, and our troops' morale collapsed, with some already deserting on their own."

"Lord, the rear‑guard reports that Leaf is proclaiming Mu Ren and Lord Te Luo Yi dead; our morale is low, we have already been routed, and Zi Laiye is leading a massive force toward us—we cannot stop them!"

On the battlefield, victory or defeat often hinges on a single instant.

The lingering anxiety finally died; Tu Tai felt darkness close over his eyes, nearly collapsing.

Supported by others, Tu Tai realized the situation was lost, his heart turned to ash.

"You all withdraw with your troops; I will cover the rear."

Raikage handed the army over to him, yet he ended up like this; how can he still have any face returning to the Village? With the jinchuriki and Te Luo Yi dead, the army surrounded, morale shattered, he is powerless to turn the tide, his resolve turning to death.

Tuta wants to die, but the people around him don't want him to die.

The crowd immediately urged, "You can't give up command! If you die here, who can keep the troops' morale, who can stop Konoha? Konoha will surely be rolled back, and the Village's comrades will die in vain!"

"Exactly, only a commander can steady morale now and bring more people back to the Village. Tuta, as commander, you must pull yourself together!"

"Yes, as long as we keep the ninja, we won't fear not returning! Lord Tuta, pull yourself together!"

Being pulled by the crowd, Tuta gradually calmed down, scanning their reactions. He realized that if he died, the army would lose command and Cloud Hidden's loss would be even greater; in any case, he must first bring the Village's ninja back.

At that thought, Tuta's eyes changed.

"Tell the senior ninja of each unit that Wood Person and Trojan are safe, waiting for us in the north; have them soothe their subordinates, then leave a portion of troops to block the pursuers."

Those senior ninja certainly can't be fooled, but they know the priorities and understand Tuta's meaning; after receiving the order they immediately soothe their subordinates, though morale dropping is inevitable.

The army now lacks fighting spirit; Tuta understands they must escape quickly, leave the rear guard, then head north again.

Hinata Dongyan wanted to block, but this time Cloud Hidden's rear guard included some Elite Forces; their desperate effort made it hard to break through, so they could only let Cloud Hidden's main force depart.

However, after Tuta left, Hinata Dongyan restrained his emotions, no longer rushed, and instead commanded the army to slowly encircle the rear Cloud Hidden troops, then rendezvoused with Jiraiya.

After the two armies met, the remaining Cloud Hidden ninja were completely surrounded here; knowing defeat was certain, they chose to surrender after a delay.

Jiraiya did not press for total annihilation; forcing the enemy would also cause many losses, and captives can provide intel and be sold. He knew Konoha's finances had been bleak for two years.

Up to now, they have captured over a thousand ninja in succession; post‑war counts will only rise, which will greatly ease Konoha's financial pressure. "Lord Jiraiya!"

Hinata Dongyan walked from afar; despite the Hinata family's strict upbringing, he couldn't hide his joy, his mouth curving upward.

This battle was a great victory; his Hinata clan contributed heavily, even encircling and killing Trojan; this will surely be sung in Konoha.

Jiraiya nodded, then said, "Leave some wounded to clear the battlefield, watch the captives; we continue the pursuit! We must not let Tuta escape."

"Yes!"

The main army kept pursuing, while Sima Yi calmly cleaned the battlefield at the rear; Cloud Hidden's army left in haste, many supplies couldn't be taken and were ordered by Sima Yi to be stored.

He then organized the camp, collected bodies; himself he led Uchiha people to tend to injured Leaf ninja, and sent the medicinal herbs seized from Cloud Hidden to the rear camp, personally urging the medical ninja not to skimp on medicine, then ordered hot food to be prepared and delivered.

The ration pills can stave hunger, but they cannot be eaten long‑term, and they taste far worse than hot food.

Sima Yi's action instantly moved the rear‑camp ninja, and rumors spread that the success of this great battle was all thanks to Sima Yi's strategy.

However, there were few people and the voice was too low to affect anything.

Meanwhile, Tuta led the army in a frantic retreat, sprinting a hundred li until they neared the northern defensive line, while Jiraiya and Hinata Dongyan still clung tightly behind.

He now also understood what it felt like for the Konoha army to crumble that night.

"The defensive line is just ahead; send someone ahead to inform them immediately. Once we arrive there, we'll be safe."

There stand fully built defensive works erected by Konoha, with terrain advantage; as long as they hold firm, any Konoha forced assault will be extremely costly.

"Yes!"

Receiving the order, the assistant immediately dispatched troops.

Yet soon he received news.

"A Konoha army of nearly a thousand has appeared ahead; they have also spotted us and are coming toward us."

Damn it!

Tuta was stunned, and the others were stunned as well.

"How is there still one ahead?"

Intercepted in front, pursued from behind; truly the heavens intend their ruin.

"Lord Tuta, we can't go there; send someone to block them, let's take a detour."

Tuta frowned; if they don't detour, they might be surrounded to death here.

If they detour, the previously captured defensive line must be surrendered.

"Lord Tuta, Jiraiya's pursuers are approaching; should we charge through or go around? Please decide quickly!"

The crowd grew anxious; as commander, hesitation is the worst. Hearing this, Tuta could only say, "We'll go around."

Chong is certainly unable to break through; he only hopes the enemy isn't too strong, otherwise the rear troops couldn't hold long, and Cloud Hidden would suffer losses.

Fortunately his prayer seemed answered; Konoha's Elite Forces were likely behind, and a mere three hundred managed to block nearly a thousand ninja.

At the same time, the group just stopped by Hui was somewhat confused.

"Their rear guard is small; we can split forces to pursue, definitely harass some, and wait for Lord Jiraiya's army to arrive and slaughter them; then Cloud Hidden loses its threat, and we will have won."

Hui, of course, knows that Cloud Hidden's threat can be reduced but not eliminated; that's what Sima Yi taught him.

"Don't let victory cloud your mind; don't forget we still have enemies behind us. If we block them, another great battle awaits; tonight we've already lost enough. Keep a long‑term view; our enemies are more than just Cloud Hidden."

"Just stop them, prevent them from linking up with those behind; the urgent task is still to retake the defensive line."

"Indeed."

The crowd was startled, then all nodded, and no longer hesitated, focusing on dealing with the present enemy.

After rendezvousing with Jiraiya, they immediately marched north to assault the defensive line.

However, when they arrived, Cloud Hidden had already withdrawn, likely due to an order sent by Tuta while taking a detour.

"What a pity, we couldn't keep Tuta."

Jiraiya sighed, but didn't blame Hui; after all, Hinata Dongyan's men were more numerous, and they also didn't stop Tuta; one can only say Tuta was decisive enough.

"Nevertheless, regardless, we won this battle!"

Jiraiya exhaled relief, then burst into laughter; the others, infected by his mood, also relaxed.

"Everyone, push a bit harder, tighten patrols, reinforce defenses; we must never give Cloud Hidden another opening."

"Yes!"

After the small meeting ended, Hui immediately led men toward the rear camp and found Sima Yi.

"Uncle Yi, this is the Second Tail."

Hui took out the scroll, patted the big gourd, and said excitedly.

"Put it away for now; don't act alone in the coming days."

Sima Yi smiled and nodded, but did not agree; this is not a place to study tailed beasts, and his strength is insufficient. With something so important, many would likely harbor evil thoughts, and they still have other business.

"Alright then."

Uchiha Hui put it away, his expression a bit odd, "We should deal with this as soon as possible; I feel those people's gazes are off."

Although sealing the Two‑Tails earned him great prestige, he also noticed some people's looks becoming increasingly strange.

If not for the many people beside him and the Uchiha clan's sufficient strength, someone would probably have been unable to hold back from acting.

Sima Yi nodded, "That is indeed a problem; find a chance to have Shisui take it back to the Village."

"That works."

After the two finished discussing the tailed beast, Uchiha Hui relayed the battle details to Sima Yi; they talked until late before finally resting.

Until early the next morning, the two went to Jiraiya's main camp for a council.

Jiraiya's assistant summarized yesterday's battle results.

"In this battle we killed over 1,200 Cloud Hidden ninja, captured more than 2,000, and seized countless supplies."

"We also lost 830, with 300 seriously wounded and almost everyone lightly injured. However, we killed Troy, commander of the Tian no Kuni defense line, and the Cloud Hidden Two‑Tails jinchuriki, a wooden person, and successfully sealed the Two‑Tails."

Sss~ The crowd inhaled sharply; despite the advantage, the casualties were still heavy, forcing acknowledgment that Cloud Hidden's strength was growing.

But that thought flashed only briefly before their attention was drawn to the Two‑Tails.

Although they had heard some rumors earlier, learning the information for real left them deeply moved.

Everyone's gaze kept falling on Uchiha Hui and Sima Yi.

The tailed beast landed in Uchiha Hui's hand. The crowd instantly recalled the Nine‑Tails, their expressions varying.

Jiraiya, however, had no other thoughts; he never believed the original incident was caused by the Uchiha, and it could not have been done by Fugaku's people.

Fugaku had a good relationship with Minato; if Naruto and Sasuke were opposite sexes, they'd already carry a marriage contract.

The Uchiha, because of the Fourth Hokage, gradually eased relations with the Leaf, and only the mad would do such a thing.

Nevertheless, the Two‑Tails matter still needs to be discussed with the Leaf side.

Earth Platform rushed; there are still many Cloud Hidden people in this area. Everyone be cautious, dispatch a squad to capture them; these people are bargaining chips for negotiations with Cloud Hidden.

"Yes!"

Just as the northern war ended, Leaf's internal power struggle had already reached a white‑hot stage.

(End of chapter)