Hundreds of Kirigakure Ninja darted through the water and fog, fighting their way forward!
With no earthen walls to block the water, no fixed formations, and no head-on exchanges of ninjutsu,
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they raced across ground submerged like a lake, surrounded by fog so thick they couldn't see their own hands. In this environment, the Kirigakure forces were like birds soaring through the sky and fish swimming in the sea.
The sea was wide enough for fish to leap, and the sky high enough for birds to fly!
The fog spread everywhere as all kinds of ninjutsu clashed with the waves. Shouts of battle rang out around them, and weapons clashed without pause. Ninjutsu streaked through the air from time to time, followed by screams.
In an instant, all of Tsunan Town had become a living hell. Everywhere the eye could see, death mingled with blood.
Suddenly, a figure flipped through the air, his entire body radiating a chakra presence that sent chills down the spine.
"Suiton: Great Waterfall Technique!"
A boundless torrent of water crashed down like a waterfall from the heavens. Uchiha Shisui, who was locked in a fierce fight with a Kirigakure Ninja and had only one eye left, narrowed his pupil. He put all his strength into his Ninja Blade, forced his opponent back, and formed Hand Seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
A huge wave of flames burst from his mouth, rushing to meet the waterfall pouring down from above.
Fire and water clashed, hissing without end. Clouds of steam billowed upward, making the already-thick fog even denser.
Suddenly, a pair of gleaming double blades reflected a cold light as they slashed toward Uchiha Shisui.
Shisui's single Sharingan, its Three-Tomoe spinning, met the attack with his Ninja Blade. Their blades clashed, and a tremendous force struck his hand, making him stagger back a step.
"This is..."
Taking in the unusual shape of the blade before him, Shisui's pupil contracted. "Twin Swords: Hiramekarei. A new member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?"
Mangetsu gripped the twin blades, his eyes fixed on his target. He brought the swords together, forming a massive blade.
"The Uchiha Clan's prodigy, Body Flicker Shisui."
"You'll be the first prey for my Hiramekarei!"
"Prey?"
Uchiha Shisui snorted and tightened his grip on his Ninja Blade. His Sharingan spun, and several identical figures appeared around him, charging at Mangetsu all at once!
"We'll see who ends up as whose prey!"
"Body Flicker Technique!"
"Hiramekarei Release!"
The two prodigies of Kirigakure and Konoha collided in a fierce clash.
"Dance of the Larch!"
Bones, white as jade and hard as iron, burst through a Jonin of the Kaguya Clan's uniform and thrust in every direction. A Konoha Jonin was pierced through by the bone spikes on the spot.
"Don't get too cocky, Kirigakure scum!"
"Mind Transfer Technique!"
An elite of the Yamanaka Clan pointed both hands at the Kaguya Clan Jonin, forcibly taking control of his body away from him.
"Multi-Size Technique: Giant Fist!"
A terrifying giant fist came crashing down, smashing the Kaguya Clan Jonin into the ground. Blood spilled from his mouth, and his insides felt as if they had been knocked out of place.
There was no doubt about the power of the Ino-Shika-Cho combination technique.
But before the Yamanaka and Akimichi Clan members could switch to another target, faint glimmers of light suddenly refracted through the fog around them. Crystals of ice gathered, forming several Ice Mirrors!
"Hyoton?! Miki, watch out!"
"Multi-Size Technique!"
The Akimichi Clan ninja's body instantly swelled, shielding Yamanaka Miki behind him.
The next moment, countless ice crystals burst apart, sending a dense storm of icy spikes toward the Akimichi Clan ninja...
The battlefield grew ever more brutal.
Everyone was seeing red. Limbs flew as blood sprayed through the air. In a battle like this, any one person was insignificant. Even a Jonin couldn't be sure they would outlive a Genin. All you could do was swing your weapon through the fog and cut down every enemy you could see!
"Using Boil Release to corrode the earthen walls, then shattering them with explosive ninjutsu to seize the geographical advantage..."
Nara Enshui stared fixedly at the chaotic battlefield before him.
In just a short while, countless Konoha Ninja had fallen to Kirigakure blades.
By contrast, Kirigakure's losses were remarkably low.
In the previous battles, Konoha had relied on Sarutobi Shinnosuke and the Earth Release users' powerful techniques to create sturdy barriers. They had also prevented Kirigakure from using Water Release Ninjutsu to create a battlefield suited to their strategy.
The Land of Fire was low and flat, so the water would quickly drain away. And since Earth Release Ninjutsu had raised the ground around Tsunan Town, Water Release couldn't break through.
But relying on past experience could be fatal!
They already knew Kirigakure's main force had arrived.
They had already obtained a wealth of information about Kirigakure from Suikazan Fuguki's memories.
If only they had stayed alert, they could have completely thwarted this less-than-brilliant surprise attack.
But...
They hadn't.
"Maybe I really am no match for the Clan Head or Senior Suzaku..."
"Don't lose your focus, Enshui! What do we do now?!"
Jiraiya punched a Kirigakure Ninja who had tried to sneak up on Nara Enshui to death, then asked in a grave voice.
"Lord Jiraiya!"
Nara Enshui snapped back to his senses and answered at once. "First, disperse the fog and restore our visibility. Then I need to know how long it'll take our reinforcements to arrive."
"Reinforcements..."
Jiraiya's expression turned solemn as he calculated. "They should be here soon."
"If the reinforcements arrive within an hour, we won't have to retreat."
Nara Enshui recalled the information Jiraiya had given them about the reinforcements and steadied himself. In a grave voice, he said, "Water Release Ninjutsu is too powerful in a lake-like environment. Have Lord Shinnosuke lead the Earth Release users in an attempt to reshape the terrain. Once we're back to fighting on normal ground, we'll be able to hold out even if the enemy has far more people than we do!"
In a battle that had already begun, with both sides locked in close combat, there wasn't much room for any so-called strategy.
The fight came down to their reserves and the strength of their ninja!
The problem was, Kirigakure had the advantage of time, terrain, and numbers, while Konoha had none of those.
But Nara Enshui believed that as long as they held out until the reinforcements arrived, they could still win!
"Oh?"
A light voice suddenly sounded beside them. "Sounds like I've just heard something I shouldn't have."
"Pfft!"
With a sharp whoosh, White Lightning flashed. The sound of flesh being pierced followed.
Nara Enshui's eyes widened. He fell to the ground, unwilling to accept his fate. A tiny wound marked the center of his forehead, giving off the faint stench of scorched flesh.
"Enshui!!"
Jiraiya's face twisted with rage. As he stared at Yoru, who was slowly appearing before him, his murderous intent erupted in full force!
"Yuki Yoru! You're asking to die!"
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