Shunsui and Hiori reached their regrouping point where the rest of the platoon whose targets were the supply warehouses were already waiting.
They stood among the trees just outside the wall from which they had entered the city. Since they had taken out the Kumo forces that were stationed here, it was the easiest way to escape from the city.
Everyone became serious the moment they saw only Hiori and Shunsui coming back through the air on the cloud of insects.
The absence of Chizo, Shinto and the other Nara chunin who had gone with them made it clear, what might have happened to have.
Faces that had smiled due to the success of destroying the supplies of Kumo forces now turned dark with worry and understanding of the fate of their comrades.
Hiori landed carefully and set Shunsui on the ground before she spoke in an urgent voice. "We need to leave immediately. Toroi had reacted before we expected him to. Chizo and Shinto should be able to hold him back and buy us enough time to leave the city."
She gave no long explanation because every second mattered. The name of the S rank Magnet Release user was enough to tell the others how dangerous the situation had become.
Shinku listened and then spoke in a serious tone that showed he had already pieced the events together. "I knew it. He must have somehow found out about our involvement when there was no report from this side of the wall. And he must have chosen to go to the location that must be the most important for Kumo and he chose the hospital."
The lack of messages from the southern wall guards had clearly alerted the commander that something was wrong.
Shinku continued without pause. "That is why there was so much less security at the supply warehouses. Let's leave immediately. We have completed our objectives here."
The warehouses had been damaged or emptied and the hospital that held the wounded Cloud shinobi and their iryo-nin had been slaughtered.
The mission goals were finished even if the cost had been higher than planned. Everyone prepared to run from the same side of the wall they had used to enter the city earlier. Packs were tightened and weapons were checked one last time while the group formed into a tight running formation.
Guy asked the question that several others were thinking but had not yet voiced. "But should we not help them?"
His voice carried the honest desire to return and fight beside the teammates who had stayed behind.
Shinku smiled at him with a sad expression that showed both understanding and firm resolve. "Kid, you have a good heart and we might have gone to help them against the entire Kumo army inside the city but with Toroi there, it would be us getting slaughtered." He explained the reality without softening the words.
An S rank shinobi of Toroi's level could not be matched by numbers alone when the bloodline ability controlled every piece of metal on the field.
Shinku went on to make the situation even clearer. "The only one who would give him trouble would be Choza san but with Toroi's Magnet Release he will not be able to use his bō staff and he would have to even take off his body armour. He is a bad match up against him."
The Akimichi techniques relied heavily on physical power and tools that Magnet Release could turn against their owner.
Guy looked downtrodden and so did everyone else in the group as the truth settled over them.
Shinku then spoke, "Only a genuine S rank shinobi can match another S rank shinobi. They are in a league of their own. They might hold the same rank as me but Toroi and I are worlds apart in strength. So train hard and become an S rank shinobi on your own if you do not want to be in this situation again."
The challenge lit a clear fire inside Guy who nodded with new determination in his eyes.
"Besides, they have made their choices. They decided to let Shunsui escape so that the village would not lose the ability he carries. That decision was not easy for any of them and it cost them their lives."
The ones who stayed behind had placed the future of Konoha above their own lives and that sacrifice demanded respect rather than wasted effort.
"Do not waste the time they bought with their courage. If we turn back now their choice becomes empty and the mission they protected fails after all. The best way to honour them is to carry the results of this operation back to the village and to grow strong enough that one day no one else has to stay behind."
The words settled into the hearts of the listening shinobi and turned their sadness into steady resolve. They understood that running was not cowardice in this moment. It was the continuation of the plan their comrades had chosen to protect.
They started running at once through the trees that led away from Fujimihara. Shinku meanwhile communicated with a small summoning snake that had been waiting nearby.
"Orochimaru san will be here in half an hour. I have already communicated with him." The message had been sent the moment the hospital attack began so that the larger Konoha force would know the timing.
"Kumo scouts must have already seen his forces coming towards the city and Toroi would come to know of this. They would have to leave the city."
The approach of three full platoons led by one of the Sannin would force any sensible commander to abandon a supply base that had already been damaged.
Shunsui asked the question that still worried him as they ran. "What about the civilians?"
He thought that Kumo could just kill all the Fire citizens in the city as revenge.
Shinku answered without slowing his pace. "Do not worry about them. It is a written law by all Daimyo of the great nations to not involve normal civilians in our shinobi wars. If they massacre the city they would be hunted by their own daimyo and his samurai."
The old agreement between the countries still held enough power to protect the ordinary people living inside the walls.
---
Far behind them, Toroi looked at the faces of the dead Nara and Yamanaka Jonin who had managed to delay him for five minutes at most.
The ground around him was covered with the still forms of Konoha and Cloud shinobi alike.
The two jonin and their supporting chunin had fought with skill and determination yet they had never stood a true chance against an S rank bloodline user who could turn every metal object into a weapon.
Their bodies lay where they had fallen while trying to buy time for the others to escape.
Toroi turned his gaze towards the direction in which the Aburame and the dual sword boy had flown.
He began to move after them. But one of the Kumo shinobi ran up to him with an urgent report.
The man spoke in a respectful but hurried voice. "Sir, Orochimaru of the Sannin with three platoons is on their way here. They would be here soon. We need to abandon the city."
Toroi gave the information a short moment of thought before he answered with clear command. "Go and tell everyone to gather and follow behind me. We are going to catch that kid and kill these Konoha infiltrators before we leave the city."
His decision placed the elimination of the escaping team above an immediate full retreat. "If I am not wrong that kid is the one that Kiri leaked information about. The new Konoha genius and a holder of a new kekkei genkai. And I do not doubt the fact that he definitely had a big role in what Konoha did in the city. We will kill him before he could become a bigger threat."
Toroi lead the Kumo forces out of the city in pursuit of Shunsui and the rest of the Shadow Platoon.
-------Author Notes--------
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