After the meeting ended, Sunagakure immediately entered a Level One combat readiness state.
All shinobi still in the village were placed on full standby.
The civilians were gathered in the center of the village as a precaution.
"Do you think…" a young shinobi whispered, "can we really hold them back?"
"It will be difficult." The older shinobi beside him shook his head. "Konoha has four thousand people."
"We only have a little over six hundred."
"Then are we…" The young shinobi's face turned pale. "Are we going to die?"
"Maybe." The older shinobi sighed, looking at him with a trace of pity. "But this is the fate of a shinobi."
"To fight for the village. To die for the village."
"I understand." The young shinobi clenched the kunai in his hand and nodded heavily. "Even if I die, I will take a few Konoha shinobi down with me."
The older shinobi laughed softly. "Heh, that is the spirit."
"We Sunagakure shinobi are never afraid of death."
The shinobi remaining in Sunagakure had completed their preparations. All that remained was to wait for the enemy to arrive.
Suddenly, a scout shinobi rushed back from the distance.
"They are here. They are here."
"Konoha's forces have been spotted. They are thirty kilometers from the village."
Ebizo was temporarily placed in command, with his elder sister Chiyo by his side. The siblings were always together.
Hearing the report, Ebizo's aged face tightened.
"Weren't they supposed to arrive tomorrow? Why are they already here?"
"I do not know," the scout shinobi replied, panting heavily. "But they are definitely approaching."
"And they are moving very fast."
The elders who rushed over after hearing the news felt their hearts sink.
"Konoha wants to strike while we are unprepared."
"Damn it."
"Pass down the order."
"Everyone, enter combat status immediately. Konoha is coming."
"Yes."
The entire Sunagakure instantly erupted into motion.
Every shinobi gripped their weapons tightly.
Preparing to face this battle of life and death.
In the desert.
Rasa led the remaining six hundred Sunagakure shinobi as they advanced at full speed.
They had already received the news. Konoha had betrayed them, and the escort unit had been completely wiped out.
Konoha's main force was marching toward Sunagakure.
"Damn it."
Rasa clenched his teeth and roared in fury.
"Damn Konoha. Damn Orochimaru."
"Speed up. We must return to the village immediately."
"Yes."
All the Sunagakure shinobi ran desperately.
They knew Sunagakure was facing a crisis of survival.
If they did not make it back in time, Sunagakure would be finished.
"Rasa-sama," a subordinate said between gasps. "We are already at our limit."
"If we go any faster, we may not have the strength left to fight once we reach the village."
"I do not care," Rasa said through gritted teeth. "Even if we have to crawl, we will crawl back to Sunagakure."
"That is our home. Our roots."
"I will never allow Konoha to destroy it."
"Yes."
The subordinate steeled himself, said nothing more, and continued running alongside Rasa.
Scenes from recent days replayed endlessly in Rasa's mind.
Konoha's apparent weakness. Their request for an escort.
Making him believe Konoha was caught in internal strife, never suspecting it was all a trap.
"Orochimaru…"
Rasa ground his teeth.
"You bastard. You were plotting against us from the very beginning."
He finally understood everything.
The Land of Earth had never been Konoha's true target. The real target was the Land of Wind.
The Land of Earth was nothing more than a tool used to weaken Sunagakure. They had all been played by the Land of Fire.
"Damn it."
The more Rasa thought about it, the angrier he became.
"Why did I not notice it sooner?"
"Konoha clearly held back during the fighting in the Land of Earth."
"I should have been on guard then."
"I was too careless. I thought Konoha was an ally. I never imagined they would…"
"I was too foolish."
The subordinate glanced at Rasa, his heart heavy.
There was no point in regret now.
The only thing they could do was rush back to Sunagakure as fast as possible and then fight to the death.
Outside Sunagakure.
Four thousand Konoha shinobi had completely surrounded the village.
Minato, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Uchiha Fugaku stood together.
Orochimaru looked down at the isolated village below, a mocking smile on his face.
"So this is it. We have finally reached this point."
Uchiha Fugaku observed the disorder within the village.
"The chakra fluctuations inside are chaotic. They are panicking."
Orochimaru extended his tongue and licked his dry lips.
"As expected. Four thousand against six hundred."
"With such a difference in numbers, who would not panic?"
Uchiha Fugaku did not reply. The gap in strength was simply too great.
"Do not rush," Minato said. "Go and make an announcement."
"Give them a chance to surrender."
"Ask them whether they want to live or die."
A moment later, a Konoha shinobi with an exceptionally loud voice stepped forward to the edge of the attack range and shouted at the top of his lungs.
Chakra amplified his voice, sending it crashing like thunder against the earthen walls of Sunagakure.
"Listen carefully, Sunagakure."
"Open your eyes and look."
"Our Konoha army of four thousand has arrived. Your handful of people could be drowned by a single spit from each of us."
"Hokage-sama is merciful."
"Lay down your weapons, open the gates, and surrender."
"We will spare your lives. Otherwise, once the village falls, not even a chicken or dog will be left alive."
The voice echoed across the desert.
On the walls of Sunagakure, the atmosphere was stifling.
Several elderly elders leaned against the battlements, their bodies trembling.
"Surrender…" one elder muttered weakly. "That is five thousand people. How can we possibly fight them?"
"Rasa has not returned yet," another elder said, his face ashen. "What do we have to stop them?"
"We are doing this to preserve the village."
"As long as people survive, Sunagakure is not truly destroyed."
"Surrendering is the only choice."
A heavy silence fell.
No one refuted him.
Fear spread through the crowd. Facing such an overwhelming disparity, no one wanted to die.
Clang.
A sharp sound rang out as a kunai slammed into the stone beside the speaking elder, sparks flying.
"Nonsense."
A young Sunagakure shinobi rushed forward, his face flushed red, veins bulging on his neck.
He pointed at the dark mass of Konoha forces below the wall.
"Surrender?"
"Their blades are already at our throats, and you are talking about surrender?"
"Sunagakure only has spirits that die standing, not dogs that live on their knees."
The elder was stunned, pointing at him as he stammered, "You… what do you know? This is for the sake of…"
"For the sake of your own miserable life."
The young chūnin tore off his forehead protector, wrapped it tightly around his hand, and gripped his kunai.
"As long as I am still breathing, those Konoha scum will not take a single step into this village."
He spun around and roared at his pale faced comrades.
"What about you?"
"Do you want to live as slaves of a conquered land, trampled under their feet, or do you want to fight with me."
"Kill one to break even. Kill two to earn one."
The roar jolted everyone awake.
The crowd stirred.
The dullness in their eyes ignited, replaced by the madness of those driven into a corner.
"He is right."
Someone drew a blade, the sound ringing sharply.
"We fight them to the end."
Others pulled out their puppets, chakra surging.
"This is our home."
"To hell with Konoha."
"Sunagakure will never surrender."
The shouts merged into a single wave, drowning out the sound of wind and sand.
Even those who had wavered clenched their teeth and drew their weapons.
The elder who had argued for surrender opened his mouth, then finally let out a long sigh and silently took out a scroll.
On the village walls, over six hundred Sunagakure shinobi roared as one.
"We will never surrender."
"If you want war, then come."
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
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