CHAPTER 146
Inoichi Yamanaka's expression was filled with horror as he hurried over to Akimichi Torifu and leaned close to whisper several words into his ear in an extremely low voice.
The moment Torifu heard those words, his originally solemn expression changed dramatically.
His eyes widened.
His pupils contracted sharply.
"What?!"
"Is what you're saying true?!"
The shock in his heart caused his voice to rise slightly before he immediately suppressed it.
Even so...
That unmistakable astonishment had already been noticed by those nearby with sharp senses.
Inoichi Yamanaka's face was deathly pale.
Cold sweat continuously dripped from his forehead.
His eyes, however, remained incomparably serious as he nodded heavily.
"It's absolutely true."
"From the remaining memory fragments... I saw it."
Akimichi Torifu's expression instantly became incomparably ugly.
For the first time...
A distinct emotion appeared on his face.
Regret.
Obvious...
Unconcealed regret.
Just as Kitsuchi had declared before withdrawing...
He regretted it.
He regretted refusing to return Roshi's corpse.
However...
The regret lasted only an instant.
The matter had already happened.
There was no turning back.
That fleeting regret was immediately replaced by an even stronger determination.
"Transmit this intelligence back to Konoha immediately!"
"Report directly to Lord Third Hokage!"
"There cannot be the slightest delay!"
Torifu's tone was decisive.
Inoichi Yamanaka nodded without the slightest hesitation.
He immediately summoned two accompanying members of the Yamanaka Clan.
The three quickly formed a triangular formation.
Their hands moved through a series of seals simultaneously.
Their chakra rapidly connected into a single network.
"Mind Transmission Technique!"
The three worked together to perform the Yamanaka Clan's secret technique used for transmitting urgent intelligence across extremely long distances.
The information first had to be compressed and encrypted.
Only then could it be sent directly through the clan's mental network to designated recipients within Konohagakure.
The burden was enormous.
Within moments...
The faces of all three became as pale as paper.
Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
Veins bulged across their foreheads.
Sweat poured down like streams.
After the transmission was finally completed...
Thud!
Thud!
The two accompanying Yamanaka shinobi suddenly collapsed to the ground.
Their complexions were ashen.
Their breathing had become extremely weak.
Their chakra and mental energy had been completely exhausted.
Inoichi Yamanaka himself fared little better.
His face was deathly pale.
His lips had completely lost their color.
With great difficulty, he raised his head and gave Akimichi Torifu a slight nod, indicating that the intelligence had successfully reached Konoha.
Immediately afterward...
His vision darkened.
He also collapsed unconscious.
The surrounding Konoha shinobi who witnessed the scene were all stunned.
Their hearts became tense.
What kind of intelligence was so important...
That Inoichi Yamanaka, the deputy commander of the Land of Rice Fields front...
Had exhausted every last drop of chakra and mental energy without hesitation?
He had even required two fellow clan members to assist him...
Driving all three of them beyond their limits...
Simply to transmit the information back to Konoha as quickly as possible...
Immediately after the battle had ended.
Orochimaru quietly watched from the side.
His golden vertical pupils narrowed slightly.
He had also heard the words Inoichi whispered to Akimichi Torifu moments earlier.
His expression darkened briefly.
A faint crease appeared between his brows.
However...
That unpleasant expression disappeared almost immediately.
His attention soon returned to Roshi's corpse.
Compared with everything else...
The excitement of obtaining such a perfect research specimen...
Quickly overwhelmed every other thought.
Akimichi Torifu glanced deeply at Orochimaru.
His gaze was somewhat complicated.
But he said nothing.
He did not believe Orochimaru had been wrong to stop Kitsuchi from reclaiming Roshi's corpse.
In fact...
Even if Orochimaru had remained silent...
Torifu himself would never have agreed to return the corpse.
However...
Kitsuchi's warning...
Combined with the intelligence Inoichi had just extracted...
Made him fully realize that the consequences brought about by Roshi's death were likely far beyond anyone's expectations.
Torifu looked once more at Roshi's corpse.
A trace of determination flashed through his eyes.
"Listen carefully!"
His powerful voice echoed throughout the battlefield.
"Everyone!"
"Evacuate Outpost No. 8 immediately!"
"Abandon this camp!"
"Return to the main headquarters at maximum speed!"
The sudden order shocked nearly everyone present.
Outpost No. 8 had just survived a desperate battle.
Although the casualties were considerable...
They had successfully defended the outpost.
They had even slain the enemy's Four Tails Jinchuriki.
Morale should have been at its peak.
Yet they were now abandoning the outpost without hesitation.
Why?
However...
After seeing the unprecedented seriousness on Akimichi Torifu's face...
And the three unconscious Yamanaka shinobi lying nearby...
Everyone immediately realized that the true situation was far more severe than they had imagined.
No one questioned the order.
Everyone immediately sprang into action.
Several Konoha shinobi hurried forward.
They carefully carried the unconscious Inoichi Yamanaka and the other two Yamanaka clan members onto their backs.
Nearby...
Guy stepped forward to support Ebisu and Shiranui Genma.
The two of them remained extremely weak after exhausting nearly all of their chakra.
Just as Guy prepared to move...
Two Uchiha clan members quickly approached.
Without saying much...
They each supported one of them.
Taking Ebisu and Genma from Guy.
Ebisu and Genma were briefly startled.
But after seeing the genuine concern in the Uchiha shinobi's eyes...
The two accepted their assistance without refusing.
Their chakra had yet to recover.
Attempting to keep up with a full-speed retreat on their own would have been extremely difficult.
Witnessing the scene...
Akimichi Torifu's eyes briefly revealed a trace of surprise.
He had not expected these three young shinobi...
To have earned the trust of the proud Uchiha Clan in such a short time.
To the point where the Uchiha had voluntarily stepped forward to help them.
However...
The situation remained far too urgent.
There was no time to dwell on such matters.
Torifu raised his hand decisively.
"Move out!"
Under Akimichi Torifu's command...
The entire force abandoned Outpost No. 8.
At their maximum speed...
They rushed toward Konoha's main headquarters.