With such a commotion, the other ninja on both sides naturally heard it too.
Tonight, both sides seemed to be staying alert while conserving their strength. In reality, one side was preparing a surprise attack, and the other was preparing to counter it-all the ninja were on full alert!
After Akaseki moved to intercept them, over a hundred Stone Ninja immediately rushed toward the battlefield-
Unfortunately, Roshi had warned them from the outset not to approach the area covered by the Underworld Gate.
Otherwise, although ninja on the surface could easily resist the corrosion and avoid sinking, the subsequent explosion would certainly have taken out many of them.
However, Roshi did not think the other Stone Ninja could help. He sent them straight to storm the Kannabi Bridge Outpost instead, so the final explosion did not hit them.
"Teacher!" Despite his severe injuries, Kitsuchi struggled to cry out.
"Damn it-" Roshi's fury surged.
Just moments earlier.
At the most critical instant, Roshi had tried to use the last of his strength to shelter Gajarin between his legs. After all, Gajarin had been beneath him, helping negate the damage from the Underworld Gate.
But-
The explosion had also come from below!
Roshi had not even managed to fully protect the two lower legs of his transformed body that had sunk into the earth, let alone Gajarin.
Now, everything below Gajarin's chest had been blown away-and that was with him using a defensive ninjutsu at the crucial moment, followed a fraction later by Roshi wrapping two of his Four-Tails body's tails around him.
Without either of those, Gajarin would have been blown to pieces completely.
Roshi lifted Gajarin in his tail. Looking at those injuries, there was clearly no saving him-
"Roshi-"
"Tell the village-"
"When facing Konoha's Akaseki-"
"Do not use