An Elite Jonin Takes the Field

The massive number of Shadow Clone, comparable to an entire legion, were instantly annihilated.

Looking into the distance, the enormous iron fan seemed to suck one's eyes in. The burly man standing with the fan in his hand exuded a murderous aura. Even from hundreds of meters away, one could clearly feel the ferocious and ruthless killing intent emanating from him as he headed towards Katsuki and the others.

"Run!!! Run fast!!!"

A strange howl escaped from its throat, and Katsuki trembled, sweat pouring down her back.

His exceptional perception gave him a keen sense of danger; the moment his Shadow Clone was destroyed, he felt a sense of unease, as if he were being watched from behind.

I feel like I'm being watched by an extremely dangerous wild beast!

Otome reacted quickly. The instant the Shadow Clone guarding her disappeared, just as Katsuki let out a strange howl, she turned and dashed back like an arrow.

"Damn it! You shameless bastard!!"

Nawaki clasped his hands together, uttered a curse, and then burrowed into the ground.

"Call!"

The howling wind, like a dragon's roar, pierced through the clouds and shattered rocks. A devastating storm followed closely behind, a tempest of wind blades hurtling forward at breakneck speed, leaving devastation in its wake. The earth, as fragile as Utakata, was easily torn apart, leaving deep wounds etched into its wake...

The Sand Ninja wielding the fan clearly didn't intend to let Katsuki and the others escape so easily.

"Ahhhhhhh! Earth Release, Earth Style Wall."

Seeing the earth being torn apart layer by layer ahead, Katsuki abandoned his idea of escaping underground. Moreover, if he retreated, Otome and Nawaki would obviously not be able to escape either, and they would likely all be buried here together.

We have no choice but to give it our all!

He unleashed as much Chakra as possible, causing the ground beneath his feet to tremble. A rock wall rapidly grew forth, towering before Katsuki...

"Boom!"

Less than half a second after it was erected, the seemingly indestructible rock wall collapsed and rolled down like a brittle biscuit in the blink of an eye.

The sharp wind blades sliced through the tumbling rocks in mid-air, then cleaved straight down towards the Katsuki below.

"Earth Release, Earth Style Wall."

The same Ninjutsu, yet worlds apart. The rock wall rose from the ground with incredible speed, ascending just before the wind blades fell, shielding Katsuki. Moreover, the wall was remarkably sturdy; the wind blades only managed to leave cuts a dozen centimeters deep at most.

"Hey kid, not scared yet?"

A pitch-black shadow descended from the sky, crashing heavily to the ground with a loud thud. Only then could one see that it was a huge red-skinned Toad, with a chimney-like pipe dangling from its mouth and a short knife tucked into its thigh. Its sleazy appearance made it look like no good at all.

More importantly, the white-haired youth standing atop the Toad's head struck an extremely flamboyant pose. Although he spoke with concern, it was anything but cheerful; his appearance was truly an eyesore.

"Fine."

"You look quite energetic. Hmm... if I remember correctly, Katsuki 're Mizuki, right? You did a very good job just now."

Jiraiya gave Katsuki a thumbs-up with a bright smile.

You flatter me.

Katsuki tried his best to maintain a calm Jiraiya's flamboyant entrance. He greatly admired Jiraiya, a great man who, as the mentor of the future chosen one, influenced the entire Shinobi World, and was also someone who didn't hide his true nature yet was able to control it.

Jiraiya possessed an extremely distinctive personal charm. Even a reclusive guy like Orochimaru didn't mind Jiraiya's approach. The Tsunade of the Sannin wasn't the exceptionally talented Orochimaru, nor the noble-born Tsunade, but rather the womanizing and loyal Jiraiya.

It was precisely because of Jiraiya's presence that Tsunade and Orochimaru, two people with very different personalities, were able to get along peacefully. Without Jiraiya, Orochimaru would probably have betrayed Konoha much sooner.

"Tch, are you a clam? You're just like Orochimaru, can't you say a few more words?"

The extremely brief answer made Jiraiya purse his lips in dissatisfaction.

"Oh, Jiraiya, so I look a lot like a clam shell!"

A chilling aura inadvertently permeated the surroundings. Orochimaru silently emerged from underground and stood beneath the rock wall. His Earth Release Stealth Technique was clearly at its peak. Katsuki only noticed Orochimaru's presence the instant he spoke.

Cold sweat slid down my vest, mixing with the rainwater, leaving a sticky, icy mess.

That's terrifying!

If Orochimaru were to strike him from behind, he might not even understand how he died.

"Haha! Orochimaru, you're a bit slow. The Sand Ninja on the other side have already gotten close."

Jiraiya tried to get away with it with a hearty laugh.

"·····"

Orochimaru glanced coldly at Jiraiya, ignoring his Jiraiya ignorance, and leaped onto the rock wall, standing atop it.

Just as Jiraiya said, the Sand Ninja wielding the fan had already overtaken the retreating Sand Ninja army and arrived, and he was accompanied by other comrades.

"... The power to stir up the winds and clouds, the methods to alter the landscape—I really don't understand how they managed to kill that Jonin from the Cloud Ninja back then. Looking back now, we were practically betting against a tiger."

Otoha stood on the hilltop, Sharingan did not have the wide field of vision of the Byakugan, its eyesight was still superior to that of an ordinary person.

The desolate plain before them was no longer what it used to be. Piles of rubble, deep, dark fissures, and mournful howls of the wind Jonin were like phantoms, moving freely across the strangely shaped land that had become like a hellish inferno.

Each encounter distorts and alters the surrounding terrain, creating a new landscape. Raindrops falling from the sky are often swept away in all directions by the howling wind before they even reach the ground.

"No wonder the Jonin don't fight each other in the middle of a melee. Chunin and Genin get involved, they'll almost certainly die. It's terrifying."

Katsuki watched the fierce battle on the field with fascination, his Enhanced Vision to the limit. Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and two Sand Ninja were locked in a four-on-one fight.

While Orochimaru and Jiraiya were undoubtedly powerful, the Sand Village, which dared to claim itself as the second strongest ninja village, was certainly aware of its own strength. The Sand Village had many powerful ninjas who adhered to an elite force policy, and the two who fought Orochimaru Jiraiya were among the best of the Jonin.

In short, a very troublesome enemy.

The fight had been going on for over three minutes, and Jiraiya and Orochimaru were now at a disadvantage, let alone defeating the two Sand Ninja.

Having witnessed such a thrilling battle, it's no wonder that Otoha was impressed by the Jonin. Indeed, looking back on the battle when they rescued Kushina, Katsuki could only say that it was a stroke of luck.