Whether it was Strategy of diversion or feinting east while striking west, Tsunade's strategy was actually very simple—
Divide Sunagakure's attention and their axes of attack.
She could not allow all Sand shinobi to converge on Kushina. Even if Kushina no longer needed to restrain a tailed beast, being swarmed under those conditions would still put her life at risk.
Tsunade was never truly planning to seize Shukaku.
Compared to the benefits of killing the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, Sunagakure simply could not afford the consequences of losing Shukaku.
Killing the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki would weaken Konoha's fighting strength.
But losing Shukaku would mean losing Sunagakure's greatest deterrent.
They knew perfectly well which was more serious.
"Big sister—Konoha's sealing unit is advancing!"
Ebizo suddenly appeared behind Chiyo and reported urgently. Sunagakure immediately realized Konoha's true intention.
At this moment, Konoha had also been pushed into a frenzy. They were effectively abandoning direct protection of the command post and some non-combat personnel, instead prioritizing control over Shukaku.
A tailed beast was a cornerstone of the balance of power among villages. Whether in war or peace, no village could afford to lose one.
In terms of top-tier combatants:
Sunagakure had Shukaku (previously unstable, now temporarily incapacitated), Granny Chiyo, and Ebizo.
Konoha had Tsunade and Kushina.
On paper, this balance was uneven.
Tsunade could keep Chiyo occupied.
Kushina could suppress Shukaku.
That would free Ebizo to enter the battlefield.
But he couldn't.
As mentioned before, Shukaku was never fully controllable, and Ebizo's responsibility was to monitor, restrain, and—if necessary—recover Shukaku at all costs.
That alone kept him fully occupied.
The Kazekage wasn't foolish enough to deploy Shukaku without insurance—and that insurance was Ebizo. His sole mission was Shukaku; nothing else mattered.
At this moment:
Kushina was Konoha's protected asset.
Shukaku was Sunagakure's protected asset.
Kushina still retained combat capability.
Shukaku, meanwhile, had been reduced to a pile of sand.
The Sand shinobi threw themselves recklessly toward Kushina.
At the same time, Konoha's sealing unit charged straight for Shukaku.
That was why Ebizo had immediately warned Chiyo.
"I'll handle Tsunade," Chiyo ordered decisively. "Ebizo—recover Shukaku immediately. Once that's done, disengage at once and retreat back to the village. Do not involve yourself further. Above all else, ensure Shukaku's safety."
Recovering Shukaku before Konoha's sealing unit arrived was now the highest priority.
Ebizo wasted no words. He nodded once and immediately led a squad toward Shukaku.
Moving with a speed utterly unfitting for his age, Ebizo reached Shukaku's remains and slammed both hands onto the ground.
Summoning jutsu!
A massive sand gourd appeared beside him.
Ebizo began directing his subordinates—some intercepted Konoha's sealing unit, while others rapidly laid out sealing formulas. Their plan was clear: seal Shukaku back into the gourd, then escort it out of the battlefield at once.
This was perhaps the only advantage of Shukaku's current state—
Recovering it now faced almost no resistance.
Twelve Sand shinobi took up positions around Shukaku. Once the formulas were complete, they formed seals simultaneously.
Shukaku's scattered sand body flowed like water, surging into the gourd beside Ebizo.
Ebizo snapped the lid shut, affixed the final specialized sealing tag, and completed the last hand seal.
The paper talisman vanished into the gourd.
The withered old man hoisted the massive gourd onto his back—
And withdrew from the battlefield at full speed.
Before leaving, he glanced back once.
Chiyo was still locked in fierce combat with Tsunade.
No matter what, Sunagakure's costly, all-in offensive had already failed. In truth, deploying an uncontrollable weapon like Shukaku on a frontal battlefield had never been a wise decision.
Ebizo's actions did not go unnoticed by Konoha.
Dozens of Konoha shinobi immediately gave chase. If they could reclaim Shukaku, it would be a devastating blow to Sunagakure.
But realistically—
That was nearly impossible.
Even setting aside his escort, Ebizo alone was more than capable of dealing with the pursuit.
Meanwhile, back on Hagoromo and Kushina's side—
With Shukaku gone, the Sand shinobi became even more unrestrained. Their assault could only be described as madness.
"Kushina-sensei—Shukaku's gone," Hagoromo said, dispatching another enemy as he spoke.
"Yes," Kushina replied grimly. "Which is why they're going completely berserk. They're all coming this way now."
The Nine-Tails' chakra cloak around her had manifested six tails—the absolute limit she could still control comfortably. Pushing further would be dangerous.
"I think we should get out of here," Hagoromo suggested.
With Shukaku gone, Kushina's presence here no longer served a strategic purpose. For her safety, withdrawing from the battlefield was the best option.
It wasn't that they were out of fighting strength. In truth, they could still hold on for a while.
But doing so was meaningless.
The Sand shinobi were endless. Kill one wave, and another would rush in.
More importantly, Kushina's presence forced Konoha's shinobi to fight with restraint. Hagoromo's proposal served two purposes:
Ensure Kushina's safety
Allow Konoha's forces to fight without being shackled by protection duties
"Get out?" Kushina glanced at the encircling enemies, helplessness creeping into her voice. "You make it sound easy—but how?"
To the Sand shinobi, Kushina's dark red chakra cloak drew far more hatred than Hagoromo's brilliant lightning ever could.
Yes, shinobi existed who could face fifty enemies and wipe them out.
But those weren't Hagoromo.
And they weren't Kushina.
There were even shinobi who could fight ten thousand enemies alone—
But none who could win against ten thousand.
In fact, that particular legend had been beaten for three days and three nights before dying a tragic death—earning him a place among the most heartbreaking figures of the Third Shinobi World War.
Different fighting styles led to different outcomes.
In this kind of massively uneven battle, no matter how strong they were, Hagoromo and Kushina could not achieve such feats.
They could continue fighting—
But neither of them liked where that would end.
Unless—
Kushina completely lost control.
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