One-Tails Shukaku

Hanzō and the Third Hokage led the way, with Orochimaru and Jiraiya slightly behind them, followed by Shikun Mitarashi, Yūhi Shinku, and the other jōnin.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya had not asked for those positions. The other ninja had arranged themselves that way on their own.

It was a mark of respect for ninja who stood at the pinnacle of the shinobi world.

Raindrops the size of soybeans pelted the barrier around Sunagakure's encampment at an angle.

The Amegakure ninja Hanzō had brought approached from the rear flank, while the Konoha ninja formed the main force, attacking from the front.

Besides, Hanzō's deadly poison had both tremendous lethality and an enormous range. Only Amegakure's ninja had specially made masks.

With Tsunade absent, no one in Konohagakure could counter Hanzo of the Salamander's poison.

At Hiruzen Sarutobi's command, the Sealing Squad's ninja advanced under cover from the others and began dismantling the barrier's seal.

The barriers used around ordinary wartime camps were reasonably strong, but they were difficult to sustain. Like the Four Violet Flames Formation, they could not last long.

The only truly powerful barrier comparable to the mountain-protecting formations in cultivation novels was the defensive barrier Mito Uzumaki had established around Konohagakure. Other barriers could barely be maintained for long even if no one attacked them.

As a result, barriers rarely appeared in direct clashes between ninja, except when used to trap someone, as Orochimaru had done when killing the Third Hokage in the original timeline.

First, their usefulness was limited. Second, learning even the basics of Sealing Jutsu was extremely difficult.

Even Konohagakure's Sealing Squad, the strongest of them all, consisted of only two or three teams.

Sunagakure's sealing barrier was certain to be dismantled, so why not simply drop it and fight?

In fact, Sunagakure was buying time. They were bound to have laid numerous traps inside, and they still needed to distribute their remaining Explosive Tags, kunai, and other war supplies. The Third Kazekage had issued the order as soon as they detected the enemy mobilizing.

After all, this was the final battle. If they won, nothing would go to waste. If they lost, they would not leave the enemy any spoils.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, but he was also highly accomplished in Sealing Jutsu. Orochimaru and Jiraiya had received instruction from him as well.

However, Tsunade was the most skilled at Sealing Jutsu among them, surpassing even Hiruzen Sarutobi.

She had often received instruction from Mito Uzumaki when she was young, and few people in the entire history of the shinobi world could match Mito Uzumaki's mastery of Sealing Jutsu.

The barrier was soon opened. The Third Kazekage was responsible for this defensive line, while Chiyo had gone to face Hanzo of the Salamander.

Chiyo and Hanzō had fought several times before. Chiyo had successfully analyzed Ibuse's poison and developed an antidote.

Chiyo had even worked out that Salamander Ibuse needed a five-minute interval between sprays of poison mist. Their nicknames for each other-"puppet hag" and "old man with the breathing tube"-also stemmed from their past encounters.

The Third Kazekage could hold off the Third Hokage alone without much trouble. Even against two Kage-level opponents, he could protect himself, just as the Third Hokage had previously done against Hanzō and Kakuzu.

But Konohagakure had three Kage-level fighters here.

Still, the Third Kazekage had not come unprepared. Beside him stood a bald monk with a long white beard.

He was Bunpuku, the One-Tail Jinchuriki.

Only Kage-level fighters had any chance of suppressing a tailed beast. A jinchuriki, even one who was not a perfect jinchuriki, would be stronger than a tailed beast alone as long as he could suppress the beast within him.

On the battlefield, a tailed beast's enormous body and immensely powerful Tailed Beast Balls could devastate a wider area than most Kage-level fighters.

At the highest level, the confrontation was three against four: three on Sunagakure's side and four on Konohagakure's.

Chiyo and Hanzō had fought many times, so each had a fair idea of what the other could do.

Amegakure had only a handful of fighters left. With Konohagakure serving as the main force this time, Hanzō would most likely go through the motions without committing his full strength. By tying down Chiyo and some of Sunagakure's ninja, he would already have fulfilled his duty as an ally.

The true outcome of this battle would still depend on Konohagakure's side.

During the earlier delaying battle in the valley, Chiyo had kept a number of ninja behind. She had also saved many of those who returned with Medical Ninjutsu, leaving her with over a thousand ninja.

Together with the more than two thousand ninja the Third Kazekage had transferred from their homeland, their combined force numbered close to four thousand.

Hiruzen Sarutobi planned to hold off the Third Kazekage himself while Orochimaru and Jiraiya quickly dealt with the One-Tail.

Once the One-Tail was dealt with, two Kage-level fighters would immediately be freed up. Whichever part of the battlefield they reinforced would gain a considerable advantage.

Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals, kings against kings.

When a vast cloud of purple poison mist rose on the other side, the Konoha ninja clashed with the Sand ninja as well.

"Magnet Release: Sand Iron World Law!" The Third Kazekage struck first.

Hiruzen Sarutobi dodged in a flash.

No one dared approach this area except the five Kage-level fighters.

On a battlefield, no one would recklessly enter a clash between powerful ninja unless they were strong enough themselves.

Genin did their best to avoid places where jōnin were fighting, and even jōnin did not dare carelessly approach a battle between Kage-level fighters.

"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"

The Third Hokage formed hand seals and slapped the ground. An earthen dragon's head taller than a person emerged, opening its mouth to unleash a torrent of earth at the Third Kazekage.

"Roar!" An enormous sandy-yellow tanuki covered in purple Cursed Seal markings appeared. One-Tails Shukaku's arrival brought raging winds and sand.

"Summoning: Manda!"

"Orochimaru! This time, I want a hundred sacri-" Manda had barely appeared and started shouting before Shukaku slapped him across the face.

"Summoning Technique: Demolition of the House!"

Jiraiya's voice came from overhead, accompanied by an enormous purplish-red toad carrying an iron pot on his back and wielding a fork. He crashed down onto Shukaku. This was Gamabunta's brother, Gamaken.

"Jiraiya, my big brother's family just had a baby, so he sent me to help you. I'm clumsy, but I'll give it everything I've got," Gamaken said earnestly.

Gamaken always spoke the most timid words and fought the fiercest battles.

Compared with the swaggering Gamabunta, Gamaken was not as agile, but he was very polite.

Orochimaru had summoned the enormous Manda to draw Shukaku's attention. He knew Manda would start yelling the moment he appeared, making him a very useful snake for creating a distraction.

"Orochimaru! A hundred sacrifices won't be enough this time! I want two-no, three hundred!"

As Manda shouted, he coiled his body around Shukaku.

But neither summoning beast noticed that the windblown sand accompanying Shukaku's arrival had begun to swirl, spinning faster and faster.

By the time they noticed, clumps of sand had already condensed into Sand Bullets, whirling through the air like ammunition.

Heavy Sand Bullets battered Manda and Gamaken, while the dense sand within the whirlwind made it impossible to keep their eyes open.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

Orochimaru unleashed Wind Release Ninjutsu, temporarily blowing the swirling sand away and revealing the three enormous beasts, now separated.

Jiraiya seized the opportunity to use Lion Combo, lengthening his hair and shaping it into a lion's head in an attempt to bind the One-Tail.

Orochimaru followed immediately, summoning several pythons with the same intention as Jiraiya.

The One-Tail was formidable, and killing him would be no easy task. The best way to deal with a tailed beast was to restrain him, then use Sealing Jutsu to seal him away.

One-Tails Shukaku opened his mouth and spat out a barrage of Wind Bullets, shredding Jiraiya's extended hair and the pythons.

Sand iron mingled with the windblown sand. Ninja on both sides shouted and fought as rainwater mixed with blood and flowed across the ground.

The Third Kazekage flew through the sky on a mass of sand iron, evading Hiruzen Sarutobi's relentless ninjutsu. Whenever he could not dodge, he condensed the sand iron into an enormous block to defend himself.

"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

The Third Hokage spat out a dragon-shaped burst of flame, shattering the iron block shielding the Third Kazekage. Molten iron streamed down.

"Magnetic Release: Sand Iron Shower!"

The Third Kazekage condensed the sand iron scattered through the air into countless fine needles and fired them at high speed, blanketing everyone below.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya did not dodge.

If they moved aside and allowed the great mass of branching sand iron to keep spreading, countless Konoha ninja would be impaled.

The three swiftly formed hand seals and slapped the ground, working in perfect unison to unleash a combined ninjutsu-Earth Release: Myriad Earth Dragon Wall! A towering wall like the Great Wall rose from the ground, blocking the Third Kazekage's attack.

"This is bad. That chakra is... a Tailed Beast Ball!"

Behind the wall, the Third Hokage issued the warning with a grave expression.

While the three were casting their defensive ninjutsu, the One-Tail was gathering a purple sphere of chakra.

Before the chakra sphere could fully form, however, Gamaken struck Shukaku over the head with his shield, interrupting him.

"I may be clumsy, but I'll still fight with everything I've got."

Gamaken's earnest voice rang out once more.

Seeing an opening, Manda did not dare move in and coil around Shukaku again, but he raised his tail and slammed it heavily into Shukaku's body.

The blow sent Shukaku's head snapping upward as he opened his mouth and howled. The energy gathered for the Tailed Beast Ball shot into the sky.

The Third Hokage seized the opening, extending Enma to several dozen meters and bringing it crashing down toward Shukaku.

Clang! A huge, piercing metallic impact rang out. The Third Kazekage had formed a sand iron shield to block Hiruzen Sarutobi's attack.