Edge of the Battlefield – Opposite Side of the Jungle
Konoha's four-man squad moved silently through the undergrowth, keeping their presence hidden as they closed in on Tsunade's position.
At the front, Hiashi Hyūga activated his Byakugan to its fullest, narrowing his focus to a ten-meter radius. Every movement was calculated to avoid detection.
Kakashi held his breath, his single visible eye locked on Tsunade's shifting location. His body was tense, muscles coiled like a spring ready to snap. The air around him felt charged, as if lightning itself was caged within him, waiting to strike.
They had already arrived on the battlefield—just moments behind the Cloud team. If Hiashi hadn't detected the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki in time, Kakashi would've already used his breath-based acceleration technique to pull Tsunade to safety.
But if they intervened now, both the bounty hunters and the Cloud shinobi—having lost their target—would likely turn on them together. Given the enemy's strength, that would be suicide.
Kakashi understood his own limits. His burst speed was incredible but brief, and only effective in a straight line. He could dodge a tree, sure—but steering mid-move was another matter.
For now, Konoha's team waited, hoping to delay their move until dusk. Buying time for Orochimaru's arrival was their top priority. If both enemy groups could wear each other down, all the better.
But reality seldom cooperated.
Kakuzu, despite his age… Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki… and Sasori, hidden inside his crimson puppet… none of them showed signs of slowing down. Their attack power might not be overwhelming, but their defense, stamina, and tenacity far exceeded expectations. The longer the battle dragged on, the stronger they seemed to grow.
Kakashi and his squad wanted to wait it out, swoop in like predators at the perfect moment. But that plan was beginning to look like a fantasy.
Worse, a Cloud ninja had just died at the hands of Sasori's human puppet—raising the stakes even further. Tsunade was now surrounded on all sides.
Puppet strikes kept slipping through and targeting her directly. If not for her immunity to most poisons and remarkable healing ability, Sasori would've claimed her head by now.
"We have to move," Kakashi muttered.
He glanced at his team, then to the small box Orochimaru had given him. Inside it lay their only gamble.
Alone, they couldn't break through the enemy siege. But if they could help Tsunade regain her strength, she might be able to escape—or even turn the tide.
Their plan quickly formed. Kakashi would stay in place, while Hiashi and the others circled wide to flank the battlefield from the opposite side.
Now, the battlefield formed a rough line: Kakashi, Tsunade, and Konoha's backup team.
Kakashi waited for the right moment.
Then, under his breath, he whispered:
"Flash."
He exhaled deeply, crouched low, and slammed both feet into the ground.
In an instant, he shot forward like a bolt of blue lightning.
A deafening thunderclap rang out.
When the dust settled, Tsunade had vanished from the center of the battlefield.
The Cloud ninja shouted in alarm, "Who was that?!"
But no one was more furious than Sasori, hidden within his crimson shell. He had laid everything out—trap after trap—and had been just seconds away from taking Tsunade's head.
The entire battlefield froze for a breath, all eyes following the streak of lightning that had snatched their prize.
Then—
"Eight Trigrams Palm: Rotation!"
From the jungle came a sudden burst of chakra.
A spinning blue shield flared into existence, repelling a volley of shuriken that clattered harmlessly away into the trees.
As the shuriken flew, vines and shrubs were also torn aside—exposing Konoha's four-person team to full view.
"Konoha shinobi?"
The moment one of the Cloud ninja recognized their forehead protectors, fury surged within him. He broke off from attacking Sasori's human puppets and charged straight at them.
On the other side, Kakuzu and Killer Bee also ceased their attacks, positioning themselves on opposite flanks. Veterans of countless battles, they knew better than to keep fighting while others might steal the prize. No one here wanted to do the work only for another to claim the reward.
The battlefield shifted.
Now, both the Cloud shinobi and the bounty hunters redirected their focus toward Konoha's squad, tightening their encirclement—determined not to let Tsunade escape.
Kakashi and his team didn't try to run. Hiashi Hyūga and the two accompanying jōnin immediately formed a defensive perimeter, holding the line just long enough for Kakashi to act.
From within his vest, Kakashi pulled out a small black box and passed it to Tsunade.
"Orochimaru-sama told me to give you this," he said quickly. "Put it over your eyes—immediately."
Tsunade didn't catch every word, but when she opened the box and saw the pair of emerald green lenses inside, she understood.
"That damn Orochimaru… so he even thought of this."
She muttered under her breath, but her hands moved without hesitation. With practiced precision, she pressed the lenses against her eyes.
At first, there was discomfort—then everything shifted.
The world around her was now tinted green. Tree trunks, Kakashi's pale hair—everything had a faint glow. Her senses sharpened. But—
She turned her gaze toward the advancing Cloud ninja, her heart caught between fear and hope.
That hope died quickly.
Even if her vision was tricked, her other senses were not. Her ears, her nose, her nerves—once razor-sharp—now betrayed her. The nightmare she'd been living refused to let go.
She didn't say a word, but Kakashi read everything on her face. His heart sank.
They had overestimated the lenses.
And underestimated the weight of Tsunade's trauma.
Two of the legendary Three Sannin had now failed to meet the moment, and the odds of completing this mission had plunged toward hopelessness.
What now?
Kakashi thought quickly. Then, an idea came to him—sudden, clear, dangerous.
While Hiashi and the others continued to hold the line against the enemies' wrath, Kakashi shared his plan in a hushed breath:
They would hold the enemy at bay, and he would use his speed to carry Tsunade out of the encirclement.
His acceleration could create enough distance in seconds. And with no immediate threat of blood, Tsunade might regain her composure and escape on her own.
It was a simple plan.
Almost too simple.
So much so, everyone felt a strange discomfort that no one had thought of it earlier.
Tsunade understood the implications immediately—and shook her head.
"No. I don't agree to this."
This wasn't about intelligence. They hadn't missed the idea because they were stupid.
They had ignored it because it required a sacrifice.
To create an opening, someone had to stay behind and die.
Tsunade could never accept that. If she were the type to abandon others to survive, she would've left Shizune behind long ago.
She wouldn't be trapped here now.
She wouldn't have enemies like Kakuzu and Sasori on her trail.
She had never been one to take the easier path if it meant leaving someone behind.
But Kakashi said nothing.
He simply pulled out a kunai, sliced across his forearm, and let the blood flow.
Tsunade's eyes widened.
He's using my trauma against me.
Panic and fury flared inside her—but before she could react, the coppery smell of fresh blood hit her.
Her legs buckled. Her strength drained away.
Kakashi caught her before she collapsed, lifting her effortlessly. Then he turned to Hiashi and the others, meeting each of their eyes just briefly.
His gaze was ice.
The enemy was closing in fast. There was no time for speeches. No time for guilt.
Every second lost was another heartbeat sacrificed.
There is no such thing as a perfect outcome.
Only the lesser of two evils.
And Kakashi had made his choice—
Again.