As time slowly passed.
The pitch-black night seemed to gradually recede, as if a fierce demon had temporarily hidden its cruel claws.
A faint streak of dawn appeared on the horizon. The moon, which had hung high in the night sky, had also become a barely visible crescent.
Yet down on the ground, this unprecedented invasion had only now truly bared its fangs to the world.
The large force of Rock Ninja and Sand Ninja that had been lying in wait in Konoha Forest finally stopped hiding. They emerged from the darkness and openly confronted the Konoha shinobi.
As a result, the entire battle intensified in an instant, and casualties on both sides rose sharply.
Beneath the first light of dawn, a thin mist shrouded the forest. Blood-red stains stood out everywhere.
On branches, across the ground, and upon green leaves, scattered and sprawling crimson patches seemed to tell of the living souls who had once been here.
Just then!
"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"...
Suddenly, hurried rustling came from the dense forest, growing closer and closer.
"Crash!"
A blood-soaked shinobi suddenly leaped out from the edge of the towering forest!
The moment he landed, he didn't even look back. He kept running, his face taut with determination.
But after he had taken only a few steps, a deep voice came from the forest behind him.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Hiding Technique!"
"Crack... crack..."
As the muffled words fell, a straight trench several meters wide suddenly tore through the ground. Soil churned outward as it raced directly toward the fleeing shinobi.
Hearing the commotion behind him, the blood-soaked shinobi glanced back. His eyes contracted, and he couldn't help exclaiming in alarm.
"What!?"
"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"...
The straight trench extending toward him suddenly erupted with a deafening roar. Amid the billowing dust, several