Chapter 258.3: Breaking Momentum, Toying With Hearts

“Cough, cough… I’m fine, you guys, get out of my way.” Sandaime Raikage stretched out his hands to push ‘A’ and Killer B away. He stood upright and took a deep breath. Staring at Uchiha Tonan, he loudly asked, “Why did you hold back in that attack? Obviously, we are enemies.”

Immediately after he spoke, the Leaf ninjas once again burst into hushed conversations. “What? Tonan actually held back!” “It’s so confusing. But that person is our enemy.”

“Yes, if we won the war, we can return home.” “Perhaps, Tonan has spent a lot of energy and his strength was not enough at the last moment.”

“It doesn’t seem like he has exhausted his energy. As I see it, he is too arrogant.” “Yes, this is the virtue of all the Uchiha clan members.”

“Forget it, lower your voice. If it weren’t for Tonan, we would have all been done for this time.”

“I was just complaining a little bit. I hope that Tonan can beat the Raikage next time.”

Including Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato, all the others also had puzzled expressions. But when they heard surrounding ninjas saying that all Uchiha clan members were like this, they could also agree with this sentiment from the bottom of their hearts.

When all was said and done, in their hearts, Tonan was always relatively kinder and more innocent. Since he made a mistake this time, they should just teach him and advise him properly later.

Tonan stood up straight with his hands crossed in front of his chest. Then, looking in the direction of the Kumo battlefront, he said with a look of pity, “You are a pretty good opponent. Without you, I’m afraid that I’ll be too lonely in the future.”

When he heard this explanation, a moving look appeared in Sandaime Raikage’s eyes. He muttered, “Is that what it is…” Tonan shouted back in reply, “Go back and rest. I’m looking forward to fighting with you again.”

After speaking, he turned around and glanced sideways. With the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, he said, “Next time, I won’t show any mercy.”

The Leaf ninjas looked at Tonan who was walking towards them in large strides with a complicated gaze. In their hearts, there was reverence, incomprehension, and even complaints…

Tonan was not surprised because these varying reactions from the Leaf ninjas were well within his expectations. But, so what? It was as simple as turning his hand to deal with the Leaf ninjas. If anyone asked what Tonan was best at, the answer most certainly would be the ability to toy with people’s hearts.

In a matter of seconds, he could eliminate their dissatisfaction and even make them feel grateful towards him.

Step, step, step, step, step… The sounds of footsteps were very steady. But in the next moment, a scene that greatly shocked the Leaf ninjas appeared. Tonan’s complexion suddenly became deathly pale and blood flowed out from his mouth. But he immediately raised his head a little and swallowed the blood.

His eyes also began to bleed. The blood flowed out from the corners of his eyes, down his face to chin to the throat to the abdomen, and onto his pants.

Minato instantly appeared beside him using the teleportation technique and extended his hand to support him. “Tonan, you…”

Tonan’s expression condensed and while lowering his voice, he also used Wind Communication to transmit his voice to the ears of the Leaf ninjas. “Don’t support me!”

“Is this the backlash recorded in the information? It’s so serious.” Minato’s outstretched hands paused slightly and he took advantage of this moment to give Tonan a thumbs up. From the perspective of the Cloud ninjas in the distance behind Tonan, Minato was expressing his approval of him.

Tonan frowned tightly but his footsteps were calm and steady. At that time, his mouth moved and his trembling, hoarse voice was heard in everyone’s ears. “Laugh, cheer, don’t let them see the flaws.”

A deep admiration instantly appeared in the eyes of all Leaf ninjas. In an instant, they believed that Tonan truly tried hard to win this battle but he was powerless to fight any longer. Therefore, he pretended to be strong and let Sandaime Raikage go. This was the best way to handle this because now the opponent would hesitate to attack a rat for fear of smashing the dishes.

Some kind-hearted Leaf ninjas even had tears glistening in their eyes as they raised their hands and shouted…

“Long live Tonan-kun!”

“Long live Tonan-kun!”

Ding! Gained Shimura Muru’s acknowledgment… Ding! Gained Aburame Mizuku’s acknowledgment… Ding! Gained Kurama Fusuke’s acknowledgment… Ding! Gained Shimura Todoku’s acknowledgment… Ding! Gained Hyuga Kiku’s acknowledgment…

In the distance, Sandaime Raikage looked at Tonan’s proud and straight back and sighed deeply. He said, “I had thought that Konoha will collapse after the setback of losing its sannin. But I never thought that…”

“It seems Konoha will rise again. Retreat. And just to be on the safe side, the army should withdraw from the Land of Hot Water and guard the border of the Land of Frost. After I have rested enough, I’ll fight that little fellow again.”

After hearing Sandaime Raikage’s order, ‘A’, who was standing beside him, said with some frustration in his heart, “Father…”

In ‘A’s heart, Sandaime Raikage had always been synonymous with invincibility. But today, that myth was shattered by a nameless Konoha brat. For a moment, all Cloud ninjas including ‘A’ felt incomparably disinclined and confused.

A warm expression appeared on Sandaime Raikage’s face. He stretched out his hands to embrace Killer B and ‘A’, and gently said, “Losing is losing. I, after all, am already old. The future of Kumo belongs to you all. You two have to work hard to reproduce the prestige of the combination of ‘A’ and B. That kid is much younger than you two, so work hard to overtake him.”

‘A’ and Killer B looked at each other on hearing Sandaime Raikage’s words, then nodded and solemnly replied to their father, “Yes…”