Unsolvable Dust Release
The sound of thunder echoed across the sky.
Continuous and endless.
And it kept rising higher with each attack from Katsuki!
A silvery-white forked lightning bolt appeared suddenly, accompanied by thunder, like a silver snake darting through the sea of clouds. The two merged together, almost indistinguishable.
Katsuki suddenly attacked, driving the Thunderclap Chariot backwards through the sky. He tightly gripped a thick bolt of Lightning Fork in his hand, unleashing immense power. The Thunder Fork reached its strongest level, making it difficult for his five fingers to close. He could not control the lightning in his hand at will, and could only barely control the landing point of the Lightning Fork.
The sea of clouds churned, and lightning flashed.
The Lightning Fork slashed down with the force to shatter the earth.
Ōnoki's flight speed was extremely fast, but he couldn't withstand the huge attack range of the Lightning Fork. The forked lightning attack points were scattered and disorderly, covering a large area.
It's impossible to avoid.
"Don't even think about it, kid!!"
The angry shouts were drowned out by the rolling thunder, and no one heard them except Ōnoki himself.
With his hands brought together, a bright white light was born from his palms, grew, and took shape in an instant.
A white, cylindrical barrier shot straight into the sky, silently extinguishing the oncoming lightning.
The thunder, which had been incredibly powerful, suddenly weakened considerably, like a duck with its neck caught in its throat, emitting a series of hoarse cries.
"Tsk!!"
With a soft sigh filled with regret, Katsuki steered the Thunderclap Chariot in reverse, swiftly avoiding the cylindrical white light.
Ōnoki's reaction speed was frighteningly fast, completely unlike his seemingly old and sluggish appearance. Moreover, his Dust Release technique required no Hand Seals; he instinctively withstood the Lightning Fork instead of flying away to dodge.
The best countermeasure easily thwarted Katsuki's attack.
"What should we do?"
Honestly, I have some worries about Katsuki.
Dust Release truly lives up to its reputation as a unique Kekkei Tōta in the Shinobi World. It is irresistible when attacking and watertight when defending. It is armed to the teeth, leaving Katsuki with no chance to strike.
"Is the only option to delay?"
The long sigh was blown away without a trace by the fierce wind in the sky.
The strategy of stalling is arguably the safest approach at present. While the Dust Release possesses unbreakable power, there is a hidden danger.
That's the consumption of Chakra!
There is a law in the Shinobi World: the more powerful the Ninjutsu, the more Chakra it requires. The destructive power of the Dust Release is incredibly amazing, but Katsuki can also sense Ōnoki's Chakra pouring down like a waterfall. Such an attack cannot be used too many times.
In terms of endurance, Katsuki considers herself second to none, and in the current Shinobi World, no one dares to claim the top spot.
If they can just drag it out, they can wear down the Third Tsuchikage, that old guy who's practically half-buried in the ground, until he dies.
Because this plan was time-consuming and rather boring, it was not to Katsuki's liking. However, it now seems that there is no other way but to use this method, as the Dust Release is even more unsolvable than expected.
Having made up his mind, Katsuki began to circle around in the Thunderclap Chariot.
He teased Ōnoki intermittently while remaining extremely vigilant. This stalling tactic was not foolproof; Ōnoki's Dust Release was far too powerful, and even a single hit would likely be fatal.
A defensive line built by Konoha was also a mountain range forcibly raised using Earth Release, which cut across the flat wilderness.
Thousands of Konoha Ninja, scattered throughout the mountains, formed an impregnable fortress under the command of their leaders who had experienced Second Shinobi War, ready to welcome the distinguished guests from the Land of Earth.
I'm really looking forward to seeing the Stone Ninja charge at me headfirst and knock out a mouthful of teeth.
However, the guests were taking a long time to arrive, which made the waiting Konoha Ninja increasingly bored.
"Why aren't they here yet? I've only ever heard that the Stone Ninja are tough, I never heard that they travel at such a snail's pace!"
Uchiha Otoha yawned boredly.
"It must be because of Lord Katsuki. With Lord Katsuki taking action, to be honest, I was worried that the Stone Ninja might come." Rokuro Kaguya toyed with a piece of bone in his hand. It was a bone produced in his body, as white as jade, and perfectly intact. When he flicked it with his finger, it made a clear, ringing sound, like metal.
Having witnessed the downfall of the Third Mizukage in the Land of Water, Rokuro Kaguya harbored an almost blind faith in Katsuki.
"It's unlikely... Stone Ninja aren't pushovers, they're not that easy to bully." Nawaki shook his head.
"That's not necessarily true. The Mist Ninja are not to be trifled with either. Didn't they suffer heavy losses at the hands of Lord Katsuki, even the Third Mizukage was killed?" Yuki Yoizuki retorted.
Nawaki's mouth twitched, but he didn't say a word.
Yuki Yoizuki and Rokuro Kaguya are both staunch supporters of Katsuki, and arguing with them on this matter is pointless; he doesn't want to waste his breath.
"Actually, if you ask me, it would be best to let Stone Ninja come over. We've already fought such a big battle, wouldn't it be a waste not to take this opportunity to train our new recruits properly?" Otoha said, shaking his head, making no attempt to hide the strong desire for battle in his words.
The Uchiha Clan has really invested heavily this time, sending most of the younger generation they could muster to the battlefield for rigorous training.
Such good opportunities are rare.
With Katsuki leading the army, the elders of the Uchiha Clan were very at ease and not worried at all about being defeated. Even if they were extremely unlucky and suffered a defeat, they believed that with Katsuki's abilities, he could lead his men to safety.
The Uchiha and Uzumaki clans have been getting closer in recent years, and thus they are quite familiar with Katsuki's strength. Even Uchiha Maki, who has always disliked him and is the father of Otoha and Otome, acknowledges Katsuki's abilities.
"By the way, when I left the village, I heard that the higher-ups were planning to invite the Sand Ninja to participate in the war. Did you guys hear about that?" Otoha changed the subject and asked.
"Invite the Sand Ninja to join the battle?"
Nawaki shook his head, quickly denying it.
"No, no, there's been no news from the clan. Why would they suddenly invite the Sand Ninja to join the war? Even if the Stone Ninja and Mist Ninja attack from the north and south simultaneously, Konoha shouldn't be afraid. Why should we let the Sand Ninja get involved?"
Rokuro Kaguya lowered her head in thought, Yuki Yoizuki closed her eyes; she had no interest in these matters.
Seeing that Nawaki was looking at her, Otoha rolled her eyes.
"Don't look at me like that. How would I know what the big shots up there are thinking? I just heard about it and wanted to share it with you."
Nawaki sighed. "Figure it out yourself!" The ambitions of the people in front of him were mostly above their respective clans, while his ambition was to become Hokage.
The Fifth Hokage!
His ambition was to succeed Hokage Position as Orochimaru and bring the Senju of the Forest back to the Shinobi World.
Driven by this ambition, he has always held himself to the highest standards, not only improving his personal skills but also diligently learning how to handle affairs. (To be continued)