At 4 a. m. in late April, the border of the Land of Hot Water was once again "bombed" by the Kumogakure Ninja.
Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer B, continued to demonstrate his power. Although the scattered small Tailed Beast Bomb were less powerful, multiple balls fired simultaneously covered a larger area.
In the Konoha camp, watching as the Tailed Beast Bomb flew in and were successfully deflected by Shu Furukawa and Minato Namikaze, the Jonin began to give loud commands.
Above the massive earthen wall, just as Minato flew away with the Tailed Beast Bomb, runes appeared in front of Shu Furukawa. Due to the spatial distortion, the Tailed Beast Bomb disappeared again.
"Boom!"
Dozens of kilometers away, the Tailed Beast Bomb exploded, its light illuminating the sky for a moment. The exaggerated power caused many Konoha Ninja to show fear on their faces.
Is this why our predecessors sacrificed their lives?
" The Tailed Beast are terrifying. It's all thanks to the two of you, otherwise the casualties would have been even greater."
"Despicable Kumogakure, they only know how to use such vile tactics!"
Minato suddenly appeared on the huge earthen wall. He naturally heard his companions' shouts and curses, but he didn't have a good way to deal with this attack.
Everything changed after the Tailed Beast intervened in the war. The Iwagakure Ninja took the lead by using a strategy of relentless bombardment, forcing Minato into a protracted war.
Ultimately, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, withdrew ahead of time, and the Five-Tails Jinchuriki briefly lost control, causing Iwagakure to back down and admit defeat.
This tactic of turning Tailed Beast into "cannons" turned Minato into a "firefighter," but fortunately, he eventually outlasted the enemy, Iwagakure was unable to wage war for the next 10 years.
Unlike the Kumogakure and the Iwagakure Village, Killer B's "cannon" not only has no power limitations, but also moves at extremely high speed.
There are also differences among those who guard the "cannon." Ōnoki is too old and lacks stamina, while A is in his prime and possesses Chakra at the level of Tailed Beast, which is why Kumogakure was able to achieve victory.
"This is troublesome! They must have obtained information about the Flying Thunder God Technique."
"Compared to the last war, Iwagakure and Kumogakure are on guard, making it difficult for me to find an opportunity to leave a mark on the Jinchuriki."
Minato, with a serious expression, whispered his guess. He had sensed something was wrong when fighting the Iwagakure Ninja, and it was even more obvious on the Kumogakure side. The opponent's tactics were highly targeted.
In the end, it became a time to scramble for supplies again.
"That Kekkei Genkai ninja is a troublesome guy. He always manages to calmly protect his Jinchuriki, and he doesn't panic even when faced with a surprise attack."
Shu Furukawa spoke in a deep voice about Dodai, saying that since the latter arrived at the front lines, the Fourth Raikage's fighting style had changed drastically, and he had fully utilized the advantages of Jinchuriki.
Minato also knew of that Lava Release Kekkei Genkai ninja; Dodai had previously assisted the Third Raikage of Kumogakure: "As expected of Kumogakure who actively expands the army, his potential is astonishing once he is fully committed to the war."
"It's a pity that Kushina and I have only just figured out the Tailed Beast Chakra Mode, otherwise we wouldn't have been forced to defend ourselves so poorly when competing with this kind of power."
The two stopped talking and stood together on the earthen wall. The bombardment was not over yet. The Konoha Ninja roared in anger. They would not be intimidated by such power.
At this moment, roars also erupted from the Kumogakure camp in the distance. With the Eight-Tails providing cover, this powerful force gave everyone unparalleled confidence.
Killer B breathed a sigh of relief after ending his Tailed Beast Transformation. Frequently activating Tailed Beast Bomb had also exhausted a lot of his power.
"By the way, well done!"
"Maintain this distance. Sensory Division notifies you of any abnormal situation, evacuate immediately."
The Fourth Raikage A, gave a serious warning, then coughed lightly. Seeing the concerned looks on everyone's faces, a confident expression immediately appeared on his dark face. "Those alien Chakra species can't invade my body!"
"Don't worry! This is a body that's been tempered and refined countless times; it's not that fragile."
The Fourth Raikage was seriously injured a few years ago. Although it is unclear why Shu Furukawa no longer uses wind-style Chakra and that stronger power, it is always a good thing that he can hold the line.
"You idiot, big brother! Hachi doesn't want to hurt innocent lives."
"If this continues, the number of dead ninjas will only increase, and we've even destroyed the wild hot springs of the Land of Hot Water."
"Using too many Tailed Beast Bomb will easily deplete Hachi's Chakra, so we need to use them sparingly!"
Killer B's strange voice served as a reminder, while Dodai recorded the Tailed Beast ' temperaments. This was also the first time that Kumogakure had fully utilized Tailed Beast Weapon. Over the past two years, everything they had experienced had become invaluable lessons.
The Fourth Raikage A, donned his metal armbands again, this time wielding a lighter, sturdier weapon with better conduction of Lightning Release Chakra: "Bee will continue to cover everyone. After we successfully wear down the enemy, it'll be our turn."
"Reclaim the Land of Hot Water and drive the Konoha Ninja out of our territory!"
As soon as the Fourth Raikage finished speaking, the various teams rushed into the dense forest according to plan. The battle was about to begin, and the Kumogakure, with their morale high, launched a counterattack.
In the southwestern part of the Land of Hot Water, as soon as dawn broke, the battle erupted once again.
Hatred etched on everyone's faces. Many of their predecessors had perished here during the two years of fighting, and the group was consumed by a desire to kill their enemies and exact revenge.
In order to counter the Flying Thunder God, in addition to using the Tailed Beast Bomb to wear it down, the Kumogakure also prepared several ninja squads that mastered Earth Release, Water Release, and Wind Release to alter the terrain.
Some Kumogakure, blinded by hatred, even chose to launch suicidal attacks, shouting "Fire at me!" After receiving accurate intelligence support, the Kumogakure demonstrated the strength of a great ninja village.
The battle raged from day to night, and as the sun set, many were left behind on this land forever.
"We won! Waaah..."
"Damn Kumogakure, damn it..."
"These lunatics actually used their own comrades as bait!"
After the fierce battle, Konoha Ninja suffered many casualties, many of whom fell in suicide attacks. However, thanks to Minato Namikaze's efficient killing, Kumogakure were the first to collapse.
Minato returned to camp pale-faced. Even with Shu Furukawa's help in dealing with the Tailed Beast Bomb, today's battle had still taken a heavy toll on him.
"Fortunately, Madara Uchiha hasn't appeared on the battlefield for the past six months, otherwise I would have had a hard time dealing with his Dōjutsu."
" Kushina's improved perception technique worked, but it's difficult to target him effectively. The previous times he appeared in the Land of Grass, I could only watch him leave."
"Now that the village has been suddenly invaded, we need to be extra careful."
Upon entering the tent, Minato, with a serious expression, whispered reassurances them. The two had a clear division of labor, with one always on alert and ready to provide support at any time.
Minato, worried that Shu Furukawa might become agitated upon seeing the casualties, reminded him again that sacrifices on the battlefield are inevitable, and ninjas must be prepared for them.
"Don't worry about me. I just didn't expect there to be a hidden Hidden Kirigakure Ninja squad. It seems the news of chaos in the Land of Water is true."
Shu Furukawa was also pale-faced. The Medical Corps was short-handed, and he took on more treatment work after the war. Minato thought of those large-scale Water Release Ninjutsu and once again showed a thoughtful expression.
"The information about the Flying Thunder God Madara Uchiha as well."
"We need to solve the problem of the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. The opponent may have completely mastered the power of the Tailed Beast, and using the Tailed Beast Bomb so frequently doesn't seem to have put too much strain on them."
"The information left by our predecessors also mentioned this..."
As Minato spoke, he used Summoning Jutsu to summon a communication Toad, as he needed to confirm some information with Jiraiya.
As night fell, the morale in the Konoha camp remained high. Compared to their predecessors, their casualties were not significant, and the Tailed Beast Bomb would not endanger their lives.
"Master Xiu!"
"Would you like some hot soup, Master Xiu? It tastes pretty good."
"Thank you, Master Xiu! My arm is saved..."
The excited Konoha Ninja greeted him, saying that Lord Xiu hadn't slept for many days in order to protect them.
"Get some rest, the war will be over soon."
Shu Furukawa smiled and reassured them one by one. He approached the campfire, and a palm-sized Katsuyu silently crawled onto his shoulder. This clone was gentle and had an exceptionally soft voice. "Lord Osamu, the energy has been collected. I'll complete the resonance now!"
As the Katsuyu dissolved into liquid and disappeared, the spirit within the Strength of a Hundred Seal seemed to have broken through a limit in receiving [ Collection ] energy replenishment.
Shu Furukawa closed his eyes, absorbing the vast amount of Natural Energy and precisely mixing it with Ashura Chakra to create Senjutsu Chakra.
The spirit within the Strength of a Hundred Seal absorbs this power through a technique that permeates the meridians, causing changes to occur in the sealed space where the vast Senjutsu Chakra, dormant for many years, has also begun to change.
"Master Xiu, this is energy liquefaction!"
"Fortunately, there was higher quality Ashura Chakra; otherwise, even with my resonance, the spirit wouldn't have been able to complete this step so smoothly."
Katsuyu cheerfully shared its insights on energy liquefaction, Shu Furukawa gradually felt "hungry," took out a prepared secret medicine, and swallowed it, which alleviated the spiritual body's feedback.
The misty Senjutsu Chakra permeated the entire sealed space transformed into "raindrops" and fell, while the four enormous Gate of the Great God covered in runes merged together to form a red and black rune altar.
After landing, the spirit sat in the center of the altar, quickly reabsorbing the liquefied Senjutsu Chakra. After careful sensing, Shu Furukawa discovered that the Strength of a Hundred Seal had evolved again. "Not enough, the spirit seems to be able to continue absorbing energy..."
Even late into the night, many ninjas were still diligently patrolling the Kumogakure camp.
Although casualties have increased, the Konoha Ninja have also paid a price; with the Fourth Raikage present, their morale remains high.
Inside the tent, the Fourth Raikage A, dressed in a white uniform, stared at the data on the document with a thoughtful expression. He felt that something was amiss.
The Konoha Ninja seemed to be mindful of something, taking turns attacking throughout. What puzzled A even more was that this scene seemed strangely familiar.
A sudden thought struck him, Fourth Raikage A, retrieved previous casualty data. The more he looked, the deeper his brow furrowed, until he finally muttered to himself, "In six months, the casualties have been increasing every month?"
"The vanished wind-style Chakra?!"
The Fourth Raikage A, suddenly realized that Shu Furukawa might have done this intentionally, not using his full strength in the battle. His previous outstanding achievements had made him overlook this fact. "Damn it, what exactly is this evil guy trying to do?"
What benefit would this bring to the Konoha Ninja?
Clenching his fists in frustration, the Fourth Raikage A, felt humiliated. Upon reflection, it seemed that Shu Furukawa had been holding back and hadn't paid any attention to his attack.
Killer B was preparing to continue his attack on the Konoha Ninja at 3 AM, was startled by his older brother's expression as he entered the tent. Remembering the Eight-Tails ' words, A looked at his younger brother and whispered, "We might need to prepare for a retreat. The Konoha Ninja clearly have an evil plan!"
Seeing his older brother's dark complexion, which didn't seem like a joke, Killer B Bee scratched his head and said in a strange tone, "Hachi also suggested that! Big brother, that guy is definitely suspicious."
"Perhaps we can report back to Konoha..."
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