Naruto: Tenseigan Eye

According to the original plan, once the reinforcements from Konoha arrived, Koharu Utatane and Mitokado Hamura would retreat from the Bear Country under their cover and return to the village. 

However, upon receiving a message from the Third Hokage stating that Shinki's mission had been completed perfectly, Koharu suddenly had a change of heart. 

She refused to return to the village in such a humiliating manner. Instead, she proposed joining the reinforcements to delay the Third Kazekage and the Sand Village forces in the Bear Country. 

If the revenge mission couldn't be a resounding success, she thought, then at least she could claim some credit elsewhere. 

The idea of slinking back to Konoha in disgrace, while Shinki gloated over his own success, was unbearable. She imagined his smug face and her frustration boiled over. 

---

When Koharu suggested her plan, Mitokado Hamura was left dumbfounded. He could only stare at her, wondering if she'd lost her mind. 

*What part of her reasoning makes sense?* he thought bitterly. He wanted to pry open her head and examine what wires had been crossed for her to come up with such a ridiculous idea. 

In the end, Koharu's determination won out, and Hamura reluctantly agreed to her plan. 

---

Their decision led to a fierce battle with the Third Kazekage. It ended disastrously. Koharu suffered a devastating injury to her left hand during the fight, nearly losing her arm entirely to the Kazekage's black iron sand. 

Thanks to a timely rescue by their comrades, her arm was saved, but her left hand was left permanently crippled. 

As a medical ninja, Koharu's ability to treat herself was severely limited in the remote Bear Country. Now, her only option was to retreat to the village for proper care—a scenario she had desperately wanted to avoid. 

Her deathly glare fell on Hamura as she sat, pale and haggard. 

"Why did we stay to fight the Third Kazekage? What good did it do us?" Hamura said, exasperation clear in his voice. "You and I combined can't even touch him!" 

Hamura's frustration was warranted. Among the disciples of the Second Hokage, the strongest were the Third Hokage and Uchiha Kagami. Below them were Akimichi Tofu with his clan's secret techniques and Shimura Danzo with his calculated cunning. 

At the bottom were Koharu and Hamura—support ninjas, neither known for their combat prowess. 

For Koharu to pull Hamura into a direct confrontation with the Third Kazekage, the strongest Kazekage in history, was sheer madness. 

The result? Koharu was severely injured, and both of them were left battered, humiliated, and on the run. 

---

"Why do we have to defeat the Third Kazekage?" Koharu snapped, her voice sharp. "We don't need to beat him. We just need to hold him here. As long as we stay in the Bear Country, he'll follow us. Once the reinforcements arrive, we'll overwhelm him with superior numbers." 

Hamura sighed, shaking his head. There was no point arguing further. All he could do now was hope the reinforcements arrived soon. 

---

Elsewhere in the Bear Country, in a temporary Sand Village camp, the Third Kazekage stood frowning, his mood sour. 

Chiyo had rejected his request for reinforcements. While she had sent fewer than 200 ninjas to support his efforts, she had also sent a clear message explaining her decision. 

The Third Kazekage understood her reasoning. The Sand Village's situation was dire. The war in the Rain Country had cost them heavily in both manpower and resources, and the new conflict in the River Country only exacerbated their struggles. 

However, understanding didn't mean acceptance. 

As Kazekage, he believed Chiyo should have obeyed his orders without question. Her refusal to send adequate reinforcements felt like a challenge to his authority. 

"Lord Kazekage," a member of his guard approached, bowing slightly. "Star Ninja Village has sent a formal complaint, demanding that we withdraw from the Bear Country immediately." 

The Third Kazekage snorted dismissively. 

"Star Ninja Village? Who do they think they are?" he muttered. "Ignore them." 

Star Ninja Village's complaints were irrelevant. They had chosen isolationism, and the Third Kazekage saw no reason to give them any respect now. 

---

The guard continued, "Konoha's forces are hiding. The terrain here makes it difficult for our troops to track them effectively." 

The Third Kazekage grimaced. Konoha's mastery of forest warfare was well known, and the terrain of the Bear Country worked in their favor. Though the rainforest was different from the forests of the Land of Fire, Konoha's ninjas adapted far better than Sand's. 

The complex terrain, combined with traps and ambushes, had turned the pursuit into a nightmare for Sand's forces. 

"They're choosing their battlegrounds well," the Kazekage muttered, his eyes narrowing. "But we'll keep pressing them. Send out more scouts, gather all available information, and pinpoint their exact location." 

The Kazekage's patience was wearing thin. Every time they thought they had cornered the Konoha ninjas, it turned out to be a ruse. The two old Konoha elders, Koharu and Hamura, were proving to be wily opponents, constantly evading capture and creating distractions. 

"The last time we nearly caught them..." the Kazekage murmured to himself. 

If not for the desperate intervention of a few Konoha ninjas who sacrificed themselves to save Koharu, she would have lost far more than her hand. 

---

Two days passed. 

The reinforcements Chiyo had sent finally arrived in the Bear Country, but they were few in number. Meanwhile, Koharu's irritation grew. 

"Two days ago, you told me the reinforcements would be here in two days," Koharu snapped, glaring at Hamura. "Where are they?" 

Hamura winced under her gaze but had no answer. For the first time, doubt crept into his mind. Could the Third Hokage's plan have gone awry? 

>>>>>

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