Convergence

"What should we do? Should we go support Lord Han or continue pursuing the Konoha ninja?" an Iwagakure Ninja asked anxiously.

The leader of the Iwagakure Ninjas pondered for a moment before saying calmly, "Split into three teams. The Genin and some of the Chunin will go put out the fires and see if any supplies can be salvaged."

"Two Jonin will take ten Chunin to support Jonin Kamizuru; at the very least, bring him back alive."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the group, and continued, "The rest of you, send the signal and gather the Jonin to support Lord Han. Lord Han would not resort to his transformation unless he were in mortal danger."

"Understood." The Iwagakure Ninjas nodded one after another and quickly split up to carry out the plan.

"Don't even think about leaving. Secret Technique: Swarm."

The ninjas of the Kamizuru clan shouted in unison, and immediately, countless swarms of bees surged from their sides, blotting out the sky.

The sound of vibrating wings was as deafening as thunder. The swarm not only carried deadly poison but also interfered with the enemies' senses through sonic waves; it was incredibly insidious.

"It seems I cannot leave without defeating them. Water Style: Water Shockwave."

Maruboshi Kosuke quickly formed hand seals, unleashing a secret technique of the Second Hokage. In an instant, a massive water vortex erupted around him, sweeping the entire swarm into its depths.

The vortex acted like a ferocious beast, swallowing all the bees and rapidly surging toward the ninjas of the Kamizuru clan.

"What? To be able to use such powerful Water Style consecutively in a place without water?" Kamizuru Ninbee was shocked.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall."

A wall of earth rose from the ground, blocking the water flow on the other side.

"Are you alright?" the arriving Iwagakure Ninjas asked. All twelve of them had rushed over to provide support, arriving just in time to encounter Maruboshi Kosuke's Water Style attack.

"I'm fine. I must capture them." Kamizuru Ninbee had been blinded by hatred, though logically speaking, they were not without a chance of victory.

"I will deal with the ninjas of the Kamizuru clan," Aburame Shibi said. As a fellow insect user, he was the most suitable person to handle the Kamizuru clan.

"I will hold off those two Jonin," Gekko Nobuhiko said firmly. Although he was not skilled at group battles, stalling for time was not a problem.

"I will support you after I kill the remaining Chunin," Maruboshi Kosuke said. As a master of Water Style, he excelled in group combat, and he still had a trump card he hadn't used yet.

"Kikaichū: Devour."

Aburame Shibi took the initiative, and a massive torrent of Kikaichū surged forth like a black flood, rapidly covering the ninjas of the Kamizuru clan and splitting the battlefield apart.

"Konoha Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon Modified."

Unlike usual, Gekko Nobuhiko created three shadow clones, attacking the two Jonin in a two-on-one formation.

The two Iwagakure Jonin did not meet the attacks head-on; they dodged outward and countered simultaneously.

"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet." Two earthen dragon heads rose from the ground, spitting mud bullets from their mouths.

"Water Style: Water Formation Wall."

Maruboshi Kosuke spat out a massive torrent of water to block the mud bullets, simultaneously engulfing the remaining Chunin and washing them to the edge of the battlefield.

The two Iwagakure Jonin tried to stop Maruboshi Kosuke, but they were blocked by Gekko Nobuhiko and his shadow clones.

His swordsmanship was incredibly solid, preventing the opponents from breaking through in the short term.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique."

Maruboshi Kosuke unleashed the secret technique of the Third Hokage, throwing a giant shuriken forward.

The shuriken multiplied into tens of thousands, launching a continuous barrage.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall."

The opposing Chunin barely managed to organize a defense, but in the face of Maruboshi Kosuke's powerful attack, these defenses were like paper, easily shredded by the shuriken.

"Damn it!"

The Iwagakure Ninja blocked by Gekko Nobuhiko was furious. Ignoring the consumption of his chakra, he directly used an Iwagakure secret technique.

"Earth Style: Fist Rock Technique."

Rock covered their arms, greatly increasing their arm strength and defensive capabilities.

They no longer worried too much about Gekko Nobuhiko's slashes.

Gekko Nobuhiko struggled to parry, and his shadow clones were destroyed one after another.

His face turned pale in an instant. The pain from the destruction of his shadow clones piled onto his own body, making his movements stiffen.

"Go to hell, Konoha ninja!"

The two Iwagakure Jonin roared, their rock-covered arms slamming toward Gekko Nobuhiko.

Gekko Nobuhiko was unable to defend, and scenes flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.

It seems I am going to die. I wonder how Iori is doing; I hope he is alright.

Hayate's ninjutsu and swordsmanship are not yet up to standard. I wonder if anyone will be able to teach him after I am gone.

A wave of bitterness washed over his heart, the faces of his students and loved ones surfacing in his mind.

Aburame Shibi was still locked in a fierce struggle with the Kamizuru clan, both sides fighting so intensely that neither could spare a hand.

Maruboshi Kosuke exhaled a Water Wall, attempting to repel the Iwagakure Ninja, but it was already too late.

Whoosh!

A black, uniquely shaped arrow streaked in from the distance, piercing straight through the fists of two Iwagakure Ninja.

Immediately after, Maruboshi Kosuke's Water Wall arrived, pushing the pair back as the turbulent current swept them away from Gekko Nobuhiko.

Boom!

The arrow's form shattered, the power contained within triggering a massive explosion.

The point-blank blast was devastating; even though the two Iwagakure Jonin acted decisively to sever their own arms, they still could not escape the fate of being blown to pieces.

Uchiha Iori arrived on the scene shortly after, scanning his surroundings to find that only Aburame Shibi was still entangled with the enemy.

Without hesitation, he immediately cast Genjutsu: Sharingan upon Kamizuru Ninbee.

Although Iori's eyes were severely damaged, the ocular power of his Mangekyo far surpassed that of a Three Tomoe.

As a Jonin, Kamizuru Ninbee fell into the illusion without the slightest power to resist.

With their commander lost, Ninbee was instantly consumed by the Kikaichū.

The remaining few Chunin, having lost their leading Jonin, were devoured entirely before they could even let out a sound.

Iori let out a sigh of relief; he had hurried as fast as he could and finally made it in time.

He had seen Gekko Nobuhiko's Shadow Clone shattered earlier.

Foreseeing his teacher's danger, he had quickly projected the Noble Phantasm Hrunting.

Bracing the bow with one foot, he had struggled to fire Hrunting.

Once it struck the target, he used Broken Phantasm to detonate the Noble Phantasm and kill the enemies.

Almost without thinking, Iori had executed the entire sequence of actions.

Seeing that Gekko Nobuhiko was safe, he finally exhaled.

It was not that he didn't value his other teammates, but Gekko Nobuhiko was one of the most important people in his life.

"Was the mission a success?" Iori asked.

He hadn't passed by the Iwagakure camp on his way back, which had allowed him to avoid the Iwagakure reinforcements heading out.

"It's done. The Ninja Tool Depot, the Medical Supply Depot, and all the Explosive Tags have been destroyed," Gekko Nobuhiko replied.

"Good. I killed the Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han; the Iwagakure Ninja should be in chaos for a while yet," Iori said in a low voice.

"I'm quite heavily injured right now, so it would be best not to get tangled up with them any further."

"What? You killed the Five-Tails Jinchuriki?"

The three were stunned; that was a Jinchuriki, the top-tier combat power of a village.

A weapon of war distributed by the First Hokage to maintain the balance of the world.

And now, he had actually been slain.

"Yes. I've sealed his head in a scroll. Let's go; we'll talk more once we return to camp."

"My own condition isn't great, either."

Iori wanted to return to a safe place to carefully examine his eyes.

"Understood." The group raced toward the border together.

Hrunting

Hrunting originates from the poem Beowulf, as the sword lent to Beowulf by Unferth to slay the water witch. However, it proved useless in battle and was melted by the witch's blood, leaving only the golden hilt.

Emiya modified it to be used as an arrow. As long as the archer survives, it will continue to pursue its target no matter how many times it is knocked down. It is a Noble Phantasm that functions differently from a reversal of causality.

Broken Phantasm

The act of destroying a projected Noble Phantasm and detonating it to instantly amplify its power. It is a one-time burst of magical energy, utilizing the Noble Phantasm as the ultimate fantasy.