CHAPTER 79
Sunagakure retreated in defeat.
Rasa fled.
Orochimaru immediately issued the next order.
"Those with minor injuries who can still move, follow me and pursue them!"
"Those with serious injuries, remain behind and secure the battlefield!"
Standing atop Manda's head, Orochimaru directly led the pursuit himself.
The Konoha Ninja, who had long been suppressed and filled with frustration throughout the battle, instantly had their morale soar to the peak.
Some picked up Kunai from the ground.
Others tore strips from their sleeves to wrap around their wounds.
Ignoring pain.
Ignoring exhaustion.
They let out thunderous battle cries and charged after the fleeing Sunagakure army!
However, one figure rushed out even faster than the others.
Sarutobi Sosuke!
At some point, he had already somehow squeezed himself to the very front of the pursuit force.
The wound where his arm had been severed was still bleeding continuously.
His face was pale from excessive blood loss.
The brand-new Jonin flak jacket he had worn earlier was now torn and tattered, covered in dirt and dried blood.
He looked utterly miserable.
Yet at this moment, he was wildly waving his remaining arm while shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Kill them!"
"Don't let those Sunagakure bastards escape!"
"Everyone, follow me and pursue them!!!"
He had already lost an arm.
His entire body was covered in wounds.
Yet he still charged at the very front of the pursuit so "fearlessly."
This miserable yet seemingly brave appearance was witnessed by many of the newly arrived Konoha reinforcement Ninja.
One person quietly asked the comrade beside him.
"Who is that?"
The other glanced toward Sarutobi Sosuke before lowering his voice.
"The Commander of Mount Kikyo, Sarutobi Sosuke."
"From the Sarutobi Clan?"
"Yeah."
"Even after losing an arm, he's still charging at the front..."
The speaker paused before genuine admiration appeared in his eyes.
"He's ruthless."
The other person nodded as well.
He truly lived up to being the Commander of Mount Kikyo.
A member of the Sarutobi Clan who held the line until the very end.
Sarutobi Sosuke was desperately trying to salvage his reputation in this manner.
However, the surviving Ninja of Mount Kikyo looked at him with nothing but contempt.
During the fiercest parts of the battle, he had hidden at the very rear.
Now that victory was already secured, he suddenly jumped out to act heroic.
The contrast between the two groups' gazes was incredibly obvious.
Within the ruins of the camp.
The moment Guy saw Orochimaru appear in the distance and issue the pursuit order, the tension that had weighed on his heart for over sixty days finally loosened completely.
He knew it.
He had always known Orochimaru would definitely come.
Although he did not understand why Orochimaru appeared at this exact time and place.
Nor did he understand why the rescue had arrived with such perfect timing.
But the core fact had not changed.
"The Battle of Mount Kikyo was ultimately reversed because of Orochimaru's appearance."
That fact remained exactly the same.
The nerves Guy had kept taut for so long finally relaxed completely.
The accumulated injuries throughout his body instantly erupted all at once.
His vision darkened.
He could no longer hold on.
His body swayed weakly before collapsing forward.
"Might Guy!"
Ebisu and Genma had been standing right beside him.
The two reacted immediately and hurriedly caught him before he hit the ground.
The two of them were also heavily injured.
Ebisu's left leg could barely move properly anymore.
The blood on Genma's forehead had not yet dried.
Their bodysuits and combat gear were already soaked through with sweat and blood.
The two stared at the unconscious Guy.
Then they looked toward the main force ahead that was chasing down the fleeing enemy and earning military merit.
The two exchanged a glance.
Without even the slightest hesitation.
Pursuit?
Military merit?
None of it mattered.
At this moment.
Only Might Guy mattered!
Ebisu and Genma struggled together as they dragged Guy toward a relatively flat spot beside the camp ruins.
They let him lean against a piece of charred timber.
The two of them were also exhausted to the limit, so they simply remained by Guy's side while vigilantly watching the still chaotic battlefield around them.
Besides them.
There was one more person who did not join the pursuit.
Akimichi Choza.
Dragging his exhausted body after continuously using the Multi-Size Technique, he slowly walked over toward the three children.
He first looked at the unconscious Guy.
Then he looked toward Ebisu and Genma, who despite their injuries still firmly guarded their comrade's side.
Only then did the tension in Choza's eyes finally loosen slightly.
These three children from Team 9...
They were all still alive.
None of them had died in this hell-like battlefield.
But immediately afterward.
Choza's gaze swept across the battlefield around them.
The scorched earth was covered everywhere with corpses.
Most of them wore the attire of Sunagakure.
But among them.
There were also many wearing the green flak jackets of Konoha.
Some corpses lay face down.
Some faced the sky.
Others had been crushed beneath rubble and burned wood, leaving only a hand or foot exposed outside.
At a rough estimate.
There were likely no fewer than seven hundred Konoha corpses scattered across the battlefield.
Choza fell silent.
He stood amidst the smell of blood and burning smoke for a very long time.
Then he slowly took a deep breath before turning toward Ebisu and Genma.
In a hoarse yet steady voice, he said:
"Watch over Might Guy."
"Don't move around. Wait for the Medical Corps to arrive."
After giving those instructions, Choza turned away.
Using his still thunderous voice, he began directing the surviving Ninja who were too injured or exhausted to join the pursuit.
"Those who can still move, stop standing around and clear the battlefield!"
"Find our people first! Anyone still breathing gets carried to the open area over there!"
"Watch out for wounded Sunagakure Ninja! Disarm them first and keep them restrained!"
"Move!"
The survivors immediately began moving.
Some bent down to turn over corpses, checking the faces beneath them to see if they recognized anyone.
Some crouched beside wounded comrades, frantically tearing bandages and applying medicine.
Some ripped Kunai from the hands of injured Sunagakure Ninja before throwing the weapons aside and tying up the prisoners with ropes.
No one spoke.
Only footsteps echoed across the battlefield.
The sounds of carrying bodies.
The sounds of moving debris.
And occasional muffled groans of pain.
Along with Choza's rough commands that continued to echo across the desolate battlefield.
Guy knew none of this.
The long night quietly passed amidst the survivors' silent searching, carrying, and treatment of the wounded.
Without anyone realizing it.
The distant horizon slowly began to brighten with dawn.
{🥳 Loving the story so far? Craving more chapters? 🥰
Support me on Patreon and unlock 45+ advance chapters right now, plus 3 fresh chapters every two days to keep you hooked! 🎉
✨ Subscribe or grab lifetime access with a one-time purchase...your choice, no pressure!
👉 /mythborne}