Overwhelming Terror

The echoes of the warning still lingered when blood splattered high like a fountain, staining the hair and beard of another Stone Ninja not far away.

With blood splattering on his face, the Stone Ninja seemed stunned, forgetting to dodge. He just stared blankly as his comrade, who had just fought alongside him, waved his hands aimlessly, trying to choke the hole in his throat. Then his arms quickly stiffened, and his tall body crashed heavily to the ground, soaking in the mud.

"Bastard!!!"

With a hoarse, desperate cry of grief, Otto's eyes reddened. In just a few seconds, three Jonin had been killed. Anger and fear intertwined, twisting Otto's face in agony.

"Sizzle!"

A faint hum of electricity was heard.

"Ha, got you!"

The Jonin, who had mastered Sensory Ninjutsu, grinned Jonin, his left arm held horizontally in front of his throat, allowing the white blade to pierce deep into his forearm. He endured the excruciating pain of having his bone scraped, using his left arm to block Sakumo's blade.

"Your speed is indeed fast, but your movements are too monotonous. The wound on your throat is almost exactly the same, which means your technique is fixed and your force is very light. Even if you can't see it, as long as you prepare in advance, you can still stop it." As Stone Ninja spoke, his right hand formed a palm blade, stained with a blackish-gray iron color, and he stabbed it fiercely towards Sakumo's heart.

"Well done, Hidakō."

"Take that bastard's heart out."

The Stone Ninja cheered. The Jonin named Hidakō had indeed made a brilliant move. To be willing to sacrifice one's own arm required a very strong resolve.

However, amidst the cheers, Hidakō's dark gray right hand paused at Sakumo's chest, making no further advance.

A chill swept through the group of Stone Ninja.

A jet of blood, more than a meter long, gushed from the back of Hidakō's neck.

His neck was stabbed straight through; he was dead. Anyone with eyes could tell that.

"What kind of confidence makes you think my sword strike is light? And that my technique is fixed? That's because it's unnecessary. Achieving the greatest results with the least cost is what a good ninja should do." Sakumo pulled out the short sword that had pierced the corpse's left arm and throat, and pushed the corpse into the mud.

"By the way, if you possess extraordinary talent like my disciple, and have Chakra to squander at will, you can naturally choose the methods you deem appropriate. However... it seems you don't have any particularly outstanding talent."

Like a final prayer before a spirit, Sakumo spoke softly to the corpse, his indifferent expression sending chills down one's spine.

"Your turn is next."

The blood-dripping dagger was raised and swept over the remaining ten people. Four of them had already become corpses. Sakumo's indifferent eyes seemed to see not humans, but lambs to the slaughter. He was a meticulous butcher.

"No matter how many times, it's still terrifying."

"Fellow Jonin... How terrifying!"

Behind them, the Konoha watching whispered Jonin themselves. The scene of Sakumo slaughtering Jonin like chickens was shocking no matter how many times they watched it, especially the young Jonin, whose hearts were pounding uncontrollably. A monster called fear was growing uncontrollably, but thankfully the shackles of reason kept them calm.

Senior Sakumo is one of us! Senior Sakumo is one of us! Sakumo is one of us!

Different words conveying the same meaning were repeatedly recited in the hearts of Jonin to calm their fear, while the older ninjas squinted, watching Sakumo's every move as if admiring a masterpiece.

"A three-by-three formation, a swastika formation."

The Otto roared in fury.

The remaining nine Stone Ninja were immediately enlightened. The three closest to each other stood back to back, which was the best formation to deal with a sneak attack. Originally, they needed to cover all possible attacks from 360 degrees, but the swastika formation reduced each person's vigilance range to 120 degrees, or one-third, which allowed them to concentrate their attention more effectively.

However, this swastika formation is usually used by Genin in dangerous situations. Since becoming Jonin, the nine people present have not experienced this sense of panic for a long time.

Today, the sense of powerlessness they once felt due to their past weakness has once again overwhelmed them.

This is bad, really bad!

Otto is not an arrogant fool. Beneath his rock-like, rugged, and stubborn expression lies the cunning heart of a fox. The fact that the Third Tsuchikage and the upper echelons of Iwagakure can entrust Otto with the command of troops and that he can recruit a group of young, ambitious, and unruly geniuses to his cause proves that he is not a good-for-nothing.

His only miscalculation was White Fang's combat strength. Sakumo's strength exceeded previous expectations. Not only did the team suffer a severe blow, but more importantly, the morale of the survivors was very low. Young and ambitious geniuses may have the fearlessness of newborn calves, but being too rigid can lead to breakage. Once they encounter a major setback, they may become despondent.

This is the current situation. Even after forming a swastika formation, the nine Jonin still couldn't hide their fear. Sakumo had frightened them.

He had to think of a way. Otto's heart was burning with anxiety. He bit his lip so hard that it bled, and his mouth was filled with the metallic taste of blood. However, a solution didn't just appear out of thin air. He not only had to worry about the lives of the nine Jonin here, but also about the outcome of the great battle. The lives of thousands of Stone Ninja were in his hands.

"Oh--not bad reaction!" Sakumo twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a chilling smile.

"Unfortunately, such a little trick won't work."

White Lightning Strike--

The short knife, wrapped with a high-density electric current, failed to pierce its target this time.

"Earth Release, Earth Spear."

His muscles bulged out in distinct blocks, as solid as granite, and a layer of dark brown sheen coated his skin, giving him an even more indestructible appearance. Otto assumed a steady stance, his left arm, like that of the fallen Hidakō, held horizontally in front of him. The tip of the short sword pierced his skin, but failed to completely penetrate his arm.

"Whoosh--"

The fist, as hard as an iron bowl, missed its mark. Sakumo, having failed in his attack, immediately fled, much faster than Otto's counterattack.

Even someone as strong as Sakumo is not invincible. There are not many strong ninjas in the Shinobi World, but there are quite a few as well. Just in the Land of Fire, there are several powerful ninjas that he knows are not easy to deal with, such as the demigod of Rain Ninja and Chiyo of the Sand. These are all powerful ninjas who have been famous for many years. In addition, there are other newly rising powerful ninjas, such as his disciples.

There's never been a shortage of oddballs in the Shinobi World!

Therefore, before each attempt, he would have already considered what to do if he failed.

"Konoha's White Fang —Hmph, I admit underestimating you was my biggest mistake, but you won't get any more benefits from now on." Otto gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "Taniguchi, you all maintain the swastika formation and go find Roshi immediately. He will be in charge of command from now on, as long as he hasn't been swallowed up by the power of the Tailed Beast."

"Clear."

Even though their fighting spirit was low, the Stone Ninja's obedience to orders was already ingrained in their very bones.