How Could It Last So Long?

"Hiss--A boy that even the Tsuchikage-sama finds troublesome?"

Soon, the news spread like wildfire among Ōnoki's Vanguard Army.

"Hey, buddy up ahead, that's the legendary red-haired boy, Akashi! The Tsuchikage-sama is currently figuring out how to deal with him."

"The Tsuchikage-sama and the Akatsuki Leader seem to think they can't beat that Akari! They're thinking about it!"

"The Tsuchikage-sama and the Akatsuki Leader are intimidated by that one man, Akane, and dare not make a move! They are currently debating whether they should retreat!"

"Holy crap, I'm telling you, the guy in front just said the Tsuchikage-sama is preparing to retreat!"

"Huh? Why?"

"Did you see that tall boy? Because of him! Akane! He scared the Tsuchikage so much that he didn't dare to make a move!"

"What?! Tsuchikage-sama has been defeated by Akane and is preparing to retreat?!"

The message was passed from front to back, and it became more and more outrageous, until it finally became the Tsuchikage was being defeated by Akira alone and wanted to retreat!

Finally, the word was passed around and eventually reached the ears of the Kitsuchi.

Father is retreating?!

Kitsuchi was startled and quickly stepped forward, coming up behind Ōnoki: "Father..."

Ōnoki's face immediately darkened. "Why are you calling me father again? How many times have I told you! Use your job title when you're at work!"

"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama," Kitsuchi quickly straightened up, "Is Tsuchikage-sama preparing to retreat?"

"But the Ninja from Cloud Village have already arrived. Are we just going to retreat like this?"

Ōnoki:???

"What are you saying! Disrupting morale, you deserve to be executed!"

"Ah?"

Kitsuchi asked in confusion, lowering his voice, "Didn't you say you couldn't defeat Chi in front of you and were going to retreat?"

"When the hell did I say such a thing? And I haven't even laid a hand on him yet, how can I be outmatched?!"

Ōnoki was so angry that he started swearing.

He hadn't intended to, but what Kitsuchi said really angered him.

What does it mean to retreat when you can't win a fight?

Doesn't that mean he's going to run away?

"It wasn't me who said it, it was something that came from within the Ninja ranks..."

Kitsuchi scratched his head, looking aggrieved.

Pain's Deva Path glanced at him lightly. "As expected of the Tsuchikage-sama, he's actually handling family matters on the battlefield."

He wasn't in a hurry at all; Nagato and Konan were still searching for the highest vantage point.

This will allow for better WiFi signal coverage, enabling a closer connection between Nagato and Pain's Deva Path, achieving zero latency!

"You mean..."

Just as Ōnoki was about to retort to Pain's Deva Path, the earth suddenly trembled. Although he was floating in the air, he could still distinguish the movements around him.

"What happened? An earthquake?"

Pain's Deva Path also immediately flew at a low altitude, hovering himself in the air.

As for the other Ninja, they could only concentrate their Chakra in their feet, sticking themselves firmly to the shaking ground.

"What's going on?!"

"Big earthquake?!"

"Of all times?!"

The expressions of the many Ninja changed drastically; natural disasters are the most difficult to resist by human effort.

However, that wasn't the case. It was because Kanami saw that Ōnoki and Nagato were about to argue again that he silently used Wood Release Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.

As the earth trembled, thick trees burst forth, some piercing through the Ninja, others crushing and grinding parts of Ninja.

Because of their densely packed positions, the Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence was basically a free-for-all.

"Oh no! It's Ninjutsu!"

"Holy crap, such a wide-range Ninjutsu?!"

"I understand. The Konoha Ninja haven't shown themselves because they've been working together to unleash this large-scale Ninjutsu, preparing to annihilate us in one fell swoop!"

"Everyone, stop using Chakra absorption! It'll make you a sitting duck!"

The Ninja reacted quickly, dodging the attacks from the trees while shouting warnings.

"Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"

Ōnoki floated in the air, using Dust Release to cut through the sweeping trees.

Shinra Tensei!

Pain's Deva Path raised his hand and unleashed a wide-ranging arc-shaped knockback, sending all the surrounding trees flying!

He then slowly rose into the sky, his gaze fixed on Kanami before him.

"Banshō Ten'in!"

A powerful suction force aimed at Kanami, trying to pull him towards Pain's Deva Path.

However, Kanami remained calm and showed no fear.

Um?

Why didn't he use the Flying Thunder God Technique to dodge? Was it because this wide-range Ninjutsu prevented him from moving?

No, he wasn't Hand Seals; his hands were casually clasped together, so he didn't look restricted at all...

Why exactly...?

Just as Pain sensed something was amiss, a powerful force instantly neutralized his Banshō Ten'in.

"Huh? What?"

The energy that counteracted his power was very similar to his own!

His brows furrowed immediately; he had never seen his Banshō Ten'in be countered by the same force before.

"Are you alright, Kanami? Why didn't you move aside...?"

At that moment, a black-haired girl appeared beside Kanami.

"It's nothing, I just sensed you were about to make a move."

Kanami smiled and looked at Hinata Hyuga.

"So you could have dodged it... you did it on purpose..."

"I can't help it, I want to experience what it feels like to be protected by my wife."

Pain's Deva Path frowned slightly, staring at Hinata Hyuga had suddenly appeared.

His eyes widened slightly. "What kind of eyes are these?"

He noticed that Hinata Hyuga's eyes were quite different; they looked very beautiful, and at the same time, he could sense a powerful Eye Power within them.

Who is she?

He looked at Kanami and asked.

Kanami glanced at him. "My wife, what's wrong?"

While Kanami was having a casual conversation, the Vanguard Army brought by Ōnoki was still being swept away by the wide-range Ninjutsu of the Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.

This left Ōnoki in a state of utter frustration as he helped the other use Dust Release to escape.

"Zzz--"

One after another, thick trees were sliced apart by his Dust Release.

His repeated use of Ninjutsu was fine; although his Chakra wasn't particularly excessive, it wasn't going to run out so easily.

However, his constant movement puts a lot of strain on his body, especially since he has had a chronic problem with his lower back. After repeatedly dodging and shifting around, it is now aching slightly, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

"Damn it, my back is killing me..."

But he couldn't just watch his Vanguard Army be wiped out by a single Ninjutsu. If they were destroyed before even reaching the Village Entrance, what good would it do to invade the market?

He was so proud of his village being the strongest in the Shinobi World. If word got out that the Village Entrance had been wiped out before he even got inside, he might as well die on the spot.

"Damn it, when will this Ninjutsu ever end?!"

"Shouldn't such a wide-range and powerful Ninjutsu consume Chakra like crazy? How come it lasts so long!"

"Tsuchikage-sama! Help!"

A variety of chaotic sounds emanated from the room.

The Tsuchikage raised his hand and used Dust Release to peel away people and trees into atomic form.

"How could I not save you?! Damn it, my back is ruined!"