The relentless killing of enemies had left Hiruzen feeling depleted, almost in a state of mental haze.
But there were too many enemies, they seemed endless no matter how many he killed.
He continued swinging his Adamantine Staff, continuously performing jutsu, yet still, Iwa ninjas came at him in endless waves.
Once more, he struck down the Iwa ninja before him and couldn't help but look back. All he saw were enemies, not a single Konoha ninja in sight.
The green battle uniforms of Konoha could only be seen on the corpses strewn across the ground.
'Are they all dead? Have they all died already?'
Hiruzen's heart, which had grown cold and numb, began to tremble uncontrollably.
He swung his staff wildly like a madman, trying to slaughter all the surrounding enemies, but these reckless attacks were full of openings. His apparent death wish only attracted more Iwa ninjas.
At this critical moment, several dark shadows flew in from somewhere, pouncing on these Iwa ninjas.
Hiruzen glimpsed that they were pythons.
"Are you charging toward your death already, Sarutobi Sensei?"
A familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind, causing Hiruzen to freeze in place.
He turned to look, and there stood a figure more familiar than any other, watching him with a faint smile from not far away.
Countless Suna ninjas flooded into the battlefield, instantly scattering the formation of the Iwa ninjas who had grown weary from the prolonged battle.
The ground beneath their feet inexplicably transformed into sand, causing anyone who stepped on it to sink deep. Countless snakes emerged from various parts of the forest, waiting for opportunities to tear at nearby enemies.
"Where did these Suna ninjas come from?! Where did they come from?!"
Onoki's anger reached a breaking point, driving him somewhat mad. He waved his hands, sending countless rocks hurtling toward all surrounding enemies under his control.
But these massive boulders mysteriously crumbled into fine sand in midair, pulled together by some mysterious force.
A young man appeared before Onoki, with the sand floating beside him. He stood with his arms folded across his chest, calmly watching.
"This ends now, Lord Tsuchikage."
The arrival of reinforcements greatly lifted the spirits of the Konoha ninjas.
Each of them saw hope in this desperate situation and fought back fiercely alongside the Suna ninjas.
The Iwa forces suddenly found themselves unable to withstand the assault and began to retreat.
"Father!" Kitsuchi flew to Onoki's side.
"The Suna forces are too ferocious, while our own are exhausted. We should retreat first!"
Onoki's eyes were filled with hatred and unwillingness.
He was so close! Just a little more and he would have succeeded! He was about to destroy Konoha and achieve greatness for Iwagakure!
"Father!" Kitsuchi's voice was extremely urgent.
"Father, look at our comrades around us!"
These words shook Onoki to his core.
He gritted his teeth, suddenly forming hand signs, his chakra penetrating through the yellow sand into the deeper layers of the earth.
"Earth Style: Golem Technique!"
With his roar, the earth and yellow sand began to tremble, and one stone giant after another rose from beneath the sand.
"Retreat! Get out of the forest!"
"Retreat! Retreat!"
Hearing their Tsuchikage's voice, the Iwa ninjas scattered instantly, turning toward the direction they had come from.
The Suna and Konoha ninjas tried to pursue but were blocked by these stone giants.
The giants were impervious to weapons, and for a moment, they couldn't be destroyed.
Fortunately, there weren't many giants, and more Suna and Konoha ninjas seized the opportunity to pursue and kill enemies during the chaos. The situation had reversed completely, a defeated army collapsed like a landslide.
The forest was vast.
The Iwa ninjas hadn't felt it when they first entered, but now as they tried to escape, the path ahead seemed endlessly long.
"Don't pursue too deeply! Don't pursue too deeply!" Shikaku called repeatedly from the rear.
Every life in Konoha was now precious beyond measure; none could be easily lost.
After about half an hour, the Iwa ninjas had completely scattered and fled the area.
The new Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, looked at the remaining Konoha forces before him, his eyes slightly moved.
The countless bodies piled on the ground left nowhere to step, vividly illustrating how brutal the previous battle had been.
Everyone cheered for this rare victory.
Some Konoha ninjas danced with joy, while others picked up bodies from the ground, crying and laughing simultaneously.
A gentle breeze blew into the forest, rustling everyone's clothes.
Minato finally couldn't help but find a spot to rest, leaning against a tree trunk.
Kakashi approached from somewhere and sat beside him.
"Kakashi, so you're still alive," Minato said slowly.
During the previous battle, he had no chance to check on his student.
"Many people are still alive," Kakashi replied.
Minato tilted his head back, looking at the light filtering through the dense leaves.
Branches swayed, shadows crisscrossed, more people had died, but thankfully, many still lived.
After the battle, the Suna ninjas kindly helped Konoha clear the battlefield.
Looking at the rows of Konoha ninja corpses, over two thousand in total, Rasa couldn't help but feel shocked.
Hiruzen came to speak with Rasa in person, mainly to express gratitude for Suna's support, saying that Konoha would forever remember this kindness.
Rasa replied that it was Orochimaru's sincerity that moved him, and that since Suna and Konoha's interests were aligned, they should share both fortunes and misfortunes.
Hiruzen didn't speak empty pleasantries, he was genuinely thankful that Suna had sent troops at this critical moment.
Rasa also said that continued war would only bring disaster to the ninja world, that everyone needed peace now, and that Iwagakure's actions were against the natural order, all nations in the ninja world should unite against them.
As for the Iwa ninjas, the Suna forces didn't pursue them too deeply. Once they left the forest, there were no more pursuers.
Onoki gathered his remaining forces and discovered that his side had also suffered heavy casualties.
Though filled with intense hatred and grief, he clearly understood that he couldn't mount another offensive against Konoha right now and needed time to recover...
But just as Onoki was contemplating his next strategy, a messenger ninja rushed over, claiming that the eastern border of the Land of Earth had been attacked by Kumogakure.
"What did you say?!" Kitsuchi beside him exclaimed in shock, grabbing the messenger's collar.
Onoki's heart instantly sank, yet he became calmer, without the impulsive anger he'd shown on the battlefield earlier.
He looked at the several thousand troops beside him.
They had come with nearly ten thousand Iwa ninjas and had lost more than half. Onoki took a deep breath.
"Withdraw. Let's go home."
The Iwa ninjas were demoralized.
They had initially thought they could easily crush Konoha, but instead faced desperate resistance that inflicted heavy casualties and resulted in defeat.
Onoki cast one final glance at the forest.
He would never forget this place.
But after this battle, how long would Iwagakure need to recover its strength? Would he ever have another chance to set foot on this land?
Setting aside these thoughts, Onoki began to consider his options after returning to the village.
At such times, military deterrence was more necessary than ever.
The new mercenary organization in the Land of Rain could be hired to help them expand their armaments.
What Onoki hadn't anticipated was that on their journey home, when they tried to rest in the Land of Grass, they were driven away by Kusagakure.
This enraged Onoki once again.
Those ants he could have crushed easily now dared to humiliate them.
But all he could do was swallow his anger and continue leading the Iwa ninjas back to the Land of Earth through the night.
In truth, although Kusagakure had outwardly agreed to Orochimaru's terms, they didn't dare act against the Iwa ninjas.
Even a lean camel is larger than a horse, and this camel wasn't dead yet.
After the battle ended, Konoha immediately sent news back to both the village and the Daimyo's residence.
Soon after, numerous supplies wagons were transported from nearby towns, allowing the Konoha ninjas to temporarily recover.
The Suna ninjas were also very proper, doing nothing suspicious.
After helping Konoha clear the battlefield, they withdrew on their own, not taking even a single kunai with them.
Hiruzen had feared that Iwa might counterattack, but after Rasa told him about Kumogakure, Kusagakure, and Amegakure's actions, the Hokage was finally at ease.
The Daimyo acted quickly, that night, a vast procession arrived, bringing carts, food, and many medical supplies.
The next morning, after loading the bodies of several thousand comrades onto carts, the Konoha ninjas carried this brutal victory back toward home.
Along the way, some wept inconsolably, while others lay beside the bodies of their comrades, seeming to have lost their souls.
Hiruzen, Minato, and the others were all heavy-hearted. Despite winning, they felt no joy.
"Long live Lord Orochimaru!" someone suddenly shouted.
They believed it was Orochimaru's reinforcements that had saved them and saved the village.
Others began to follow suit, shouting "Long live Lord Orochimaru" one after another.
Orochimaru sat at the front of the convoy, listening to the cheers with an unchanged expression.
Behind him on the carts were countless bodies of their comrades, yet his eyes revealed a hint of satisfaction.