With One Man's Strength, Defeating Half of Sunagakure (1)

As dawn broke, the Konoha camp was already buzzing with mobilization.

Konoha ninja hurried to pack their supplies in the dim firelight, preparing for the march.

Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Uchiha Iori stood upon a makeshift platform, overlooking the ninja gathered below.

Orochimaru's expression was cold and stern, while Tsunade's brows were tightly locked; both were worried for Iori, yet Iori remained composed, soothing the emotions of those around him.

Seeing that the personnel were mostly assembled, Orochimaru began his pre-battle speech.

"This battle shall likely be the decisive clash between us and Sunagakure."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over every ninja before continuing:

"Should we fail, the Sunagakure forces will drive straight through, and our Land of Fire will be left completely undefended."

"They will wreak havoc and pillage our homeland at will, and the flames of war may even reach the interior of our village."

Orochimaru calmly laid out the cost of failure.

The Konoha ninja listening below clenched their fists, their eyes igniting with a fierce fighting spirit.

"Our families and friends lie behind this defensive line; we have no retreat, only the resolve to fight with all our might."

Tsunade stepped forward, speaking with passionate fervor: "The Senju clan has always been at the vanguard. I will fulfill the duty of the Senju and fight until the very last moment."

Iori was the last to speak. Looking into his scarlet eyes, which carried an ominous chakra, the crowd felt a strange sense of security.

"Do not worry, do not be lost. Fight with everything you have. Trust in me—before us, there is no enemy that can stand."

He reached out his hand, making a promise to the Konoha ninja.

"Ooh!" The Konoha ninja responded in unison, their morale soaring as they followed their commanders toward their respective battlefields.

Orochimaru led his troops out, with Shisui and the others following closely behind, quickly vanishing into the dense forest.

Tsunade walked toward Iori with Shizune, the strength on her face gradually replaced by tenderness.

She stepped forward and hugged Iori tightly, whispering: "You brat, you must come back alive. Remember, do not leave me behind."

Thinking of the past, her hands trembled slightly, yet she uttered no words of dissuasion, choosing only to trust him.

Iori gently patted her back, his tone soft: "I will certainly return. Do not worry; I will not die in a place like this."

He could not explain to others just how strong he had become, so he could only offer her words of comfort.

After parting, Iori headed straight for the camp of the Kazekage, Rasa, without the slightest attempt at concealment, as if he were not heading to a battlefield, but joining a celebration.

"Konoha has actually split into two paths to attack both camps? Does that mean our side has been left wide open?"

In the Sunagakure camp, Rasa frowned, his tone laced with a hint of doubt and unease.

"How should we respond? Should we support Bunpuku or Advisor Chiyo?"

He turned to look at Ebizo, hoping he could offer some advice.

Ebizo lifted his eyes toward the messenger ninja, his brows knitting together: "Is no one attacking us?"

The Sunagakure Anbu thought carefully: "Only one man is running toward us. Judging by his eyes and attire, he should be a ninja of the Uchiha clan."

Rasa's intuition began to sound the alarm. Something was wrong—very wrong. He asked Ebizo: "Could there be a problem with that Uchiha ninja?"

Ebizo pondered for a moment and shook his head. He did not understand Konoha's objective either, so he could only say: "We must be cautious. The Uchiha clan has never been an opponent to be taken lightly."

Rasa's brows remained tightly furrowed, but he had no path of retreat now; he would simply have to meet the incoming force head-on.

He turned and ordered the Sunagakure Anbu: "Go. Assemble the troops. Once we defeat the enemy, we will go to support the One-Tail Jinchuriki."

The Sunagakure Anbu promptly acknowledged the order: "Understood, I will relay this to the Jonin." With that, he departed quickly.

Rasa took a deep breath, his tone firm: "No matter who he is or what his plan may be, I swear in the name of the Kazekage: I will absolutely not lose."

In the camp, the Sunagakure ninja gathered rapidly, filing out in a stream and heading straight toward the direction of Uchiha Iori.

Iori stood on a nearby hilltop, watching the swarming army of Sunagakure ninja. He narrowed his eyes slightly, a look of contempt appearing on his face.

"Small fry, do not stand in my way and be an eyesore. Get lost; this is my final mercy."

Iori spoke calmly. For some reason, though his voice was not loud, it clearly reached the ears of every single person present.

"What kind of joke is this? You're the one who's surrounded!"

A Sunagakure ninja roared in anger, gripping the kunai in his hand.

"Damn Konoha ninja, daring to block us all by yourself! Go to hell!"

More Sunagakure ninja shouted, their emotions running high.

"Don't even dream of escaping from here alive!"

The Sunagakure ninja were stirred into a frenzy, fueled by both hatred for Konoha and the rage of being looked down upon.

Rasa stared coldly at the enemy before him, his voice as frigid as ice: "Since you came alone to stop our troops, you must have already prepared yourself for death."

He paused, a hint of respect in his gaze: "State your name. After you die, I will remember you."

"Uchiha Iori. Remember that name. From today on, this name shall become the nightmare of Sunagakure."

Iori lifted his head with a touch of arrogance, his words filled with disdain and provocation: "Now then, let us start with a greeting."

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame."

Following the hand seals, Uchiha Iori suddenly opened his mouth, and a raging inferno surged forth like a violent tidal wave, rushing straight toward the enemy.

The firelight turned the sky crimson, and the heatwave hit their faces, the scorching air making it nearly impossible to breathe.

"Is this really Fire Style? It's terrifying!" a Sunagakure Ninja shouted in a panic.

"Damn it, how are we supposed to defend against this?" another Sunagakure Ninja was at a loss, his eyes filled with fear.

Rasa's expression shifted, and he reacted quickly: "Magnet Release: Gold Sand Raging Waves!"

He waved both hands, and the gold sand on the ground rapidly converged, forming a massive barrier of gold sand that met the incoming sea of flames.

The fire and the gold sand collided with a screeching sound; the heat melted a portion of the gold sand, yet it still stubbornly blocked the onslaught of the flames.

"All ninjas below the rank of Jonin, fall back. Advisor Ebizo, take all the Chunin and go support Bunpuku. I will deal with him alongside the other Jonin."

Rasa looked at Uchiha Iori, his expression grave.

Ebizo nodded and quickly signaled the Chunin to assemble; this was no longer a battlefield where they could participate.

Iori stood on high ground, a breeze brushing against his face, his red trench coat snapping in the wind.

He snapped his fingers, and golden ripples appeared above his head.

Several weapons shot toward Ebizo's body, obstructing his movement.

Iori swept a cold gaze over the gathered Sunagakure ninjas.

"I can't be bothered to chase down Chunin, but as for you Jonin, don't even dream of leaving this battlefield."

"Just obediently die here!"