Fire Release vs. Magnet Release

Rasa looked around and confirmed that all the Konoha Ninja were dead. Only then did he finally turn around.

With a casual wave of his hand, the ground trembled. The edge of the gorge suddenly split open, and a torrent of sand burst out like a flood, surging toward the opposite bank.

Under the sunlight, the grains shimmered with a golden luster.

Or rather, the torrent was made of Gold Sand.

The Gold Sand surged forward, and under Rasa's control, eventually formed a bridge across the gorge.

The Sand Ninja on the opposite bank quickly stepped onto the bridge and crossed in orderly fashion.

One Sand Ninja who had reached the other side glanced at the battlefield and said with a laugh, "As expected of Lord Kazekage. You finished the fight so easily."

He looked again at the long bridge formed from Gold Sand and exclaimed in admiration, "So this is Magnet Release. What an enviable power."

Just now, Lord Kazekage had controlled the Gold Sand to suddenly cross the gorge and launch a swift attack. The Konoha Ninja hadn't had time to react before they were easily dealt with.

As expected of Lord Kazekage!

Rasa folded his arms, showing no response to his subordinate's praise. Instead, he urged them on. "Move faster. Don't let the Konoha Ninja notice us."

A Sand Ninja who had just arrived heard him and said dismissively, "They won't. Konoha's attention should all be focused on the main battlefield. There's no way they'll discover us."

After a pause, he continued, "Besides, they'd never expect us to launch a Surprise Attack from here."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of rushing water rang out.

A massive wave surged out of the nearby forest and rushed toward the Sand Ninja.

"Enemy attack!"

Rasa reacted instantly. As he called out a warning, he thrust out his other hand, sending chakra into the earth.

Boom!

The ground was crushed, and Gold Sand shot skyward. Under Rasa's control, it quickly formed a sturdy wall.

The waves surged forward and crashed heavily against the Gold Sand wall, sending water splashing everywhere.

Blocked in their path, the flood quickly split and flowed around both sides of the wall, eventually pouring into the gorge.

"That was close. Thank goodness Lord Kazekage was here." The Sand Ninja looked shaken.

They hadn't expected Konoha to discover them, much less send reinforcements so quickly.

A Water Style technique with such range and power, launched as a surprise attack—without Lord Kazekage, they would probably all have been wiped out here.

"Hmph!" Rasa smiled smugly, but his eyes narrowed the next moment.

On both sides of the Gold Sand wall, two Water Dragons suddenly burst out of the waves, which had been settling down. They raised their heads, twisting their bodies as they charged toward the Gold Sand bridge spanning the gorge.

"So this was the real target."

Rasa's expression didn't change. He gently curled his five fingers, and streams of Gold Sand shot out, completely covering the bridge like a domed roof.

Boom!

The two Water Dragons crashed heavily into it, sending up great sprays of water, but the Gold Sand bridge remained firm.

"Get across, quickly!" Rasa shouted to his comrades on the bridge, then glanced at the Sand Ninja beside him.

The Sand Ninja understood. They drew their weapons and charged toward the Gold Sand wall ahead.

Rasa kept the bridge in place with his right hand and casually waved his left downward. The Gold Sand wall collapsed with a roar, spreading rapidly forward like a wave.

At last, the two opposing forces caught sight of each other.

In an instant, Rasa locked onto the largest chakra signature among them.

Their eyes met, and Rasa froze for a moment.

A child?!

"So it failed. What a shame." Though Sen Chisato said this, there was no trace of disappointment on his face.

Looking at the Sand Ninja charging toward them, then at the advancing tide of Gold Sand, Sen Chisato calmly ordered, "Fall back!"

The Konoha Ninja who had been about to charge into battle hesitated, but their bodies were already obeying out of habit.

Rasa frowned at the sight. "Was that deliberate, or just a coincidence?"

The Gold Sand he had just sent forward didn't look particularly threatening, yet the Konoha shinobi had retreated at once, leaving him no chance to make contact.

"But you can see attacks coming from above ground. Can you dodge one coming from underground?" Rasa abandoned the thought almost immediately.

To his surprise, the Konoha Ninja kept retreating, showing no sign of stopping.

And at this distance...

"Fall back. Further!" Sen Chisato continued to give orders, then looked up at Rasa.

The moment their eyes met, the corner of his mouth curled up.

He had kept his Perception Technique active the entire time. How could he have missed the movements underground?

If the Gold Sand beneath the earth advanced even a little farther, he'd make sure the Konoha Surprise Attack Squad didn't stop!

"Trying to launch a sneak attack? Naive!" Sen Chisato mouthed silently.

"That brat!" Rasa's expression darkened. He had read Sen Chisato's lips.

He looked at the distance between them and thought it over, then stopped controlling the Gold Sand underground. "Forget it."

He glanced behind him. His subordinates were almost all across the gorge.

But this was exactly the opportunity Sen Chisato had been waiting for.

"Now!"

Sen Chisato immediately waved for the Surprise Attack Squad to stop, then ordered, "Everyone, use Fire Release!"

As he spoke, he quickly created more than ten Shadow Clones.

Every shinobi in the Surprise Attack Squad was a veteran, and Konoha's training methods were relatively superior to those of the other hidden villages. Even those present without an affinity for Fire Release had each been equipped with a Fire Release technique.

At the order, the Surprise Attack Squad lined up at once and performed their Fire Release techniques in unison.

Boom!

More than twenty streams of fire joined together, surging forward like a blanket.

Sen Chisato and his Shadow Clones swiftly formed Hand Seals, then opened their mouths and exhaled balls of wind. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

As they poured out as much chakra as possible, a fierce gale swept across the battlefield.

The wind fanned the flames, and the sea of fire roared to life!

The earth was peeled away layer by layer, and the dirt and rocks turned to dust in the blaze. The Gold Sand beneath was exposed too, nearly melting under the heat.

The dozen or so Sand Ninja charging forward were stunned, frozen in place.

The Fire Release covered such a vast area, and with Wind Release to support it, the flames moved far too quickly. They couldn't escape to the left, right, or behind.

They could try to counter it with ninjutsu... Earth Release wouldn't hold, Wind Release would be suicide, and Water Release... they didn't know any!

And there were only a dozen or so of them. How could they possibly stop it?

Just then, Rasa shouted, "Retreat!"

The Sand Ninja snapped out of it and hurriedly fell back.

The next moment, Gold Sand surged up from underground and formed a massive wall in front of the sea of fire.

Boom!

The flames collided with the Gold Sand wall. Terrifying heat rolled outward in waves, and tongues of flame kept licking out from behind the wall.

Seeing this, the dozen or so Sand Ninja couldn't help but say with relief, "Thank goodness Lord Kazekage..."

Before they could finish, they all froze. Even Rasa's expression changed.

Crack!

The massive Gold Sand wall continued to split apart, and it even showed signs of melting.

But that wasn't the most dangerous part!

The worst of it was that Rasa had lost control of this portion of the Gold Sand!

Boom!

The sea of fire surged, finally tearing the Gold Sand wall apart and swallowing the dozen or so Sand Ninja in an instant.