Each Their Own Battle

Kumogakure's surprise attack was like a violent storm—swift and deadly. Coming from the southeastern coastline, an area where Sunagakure's defenses had always been relatively weak, no one had expected the powerful Kumogakure to take the long way around, cross the sea, and commit its most elite forces here.

The initial clash was almost entirely a one-sided slaughter.

The coastal patrols and the first small reinforcement units to arrive were utterly powerless against Kumogakure's elite, spearheaded by the A-B Duo. Violent Lightning Release ninjutsu tore apart the makeshift fortifications, while Kumogakure ninja used their trademark formidable taijutsu and blistering speed to rip gap after gap through Sunagakure's hastily formed lines. Screams, explosions, thunderclaps, and the desert wind blended together, playing the brutal overture of war. Sunagakure's ninja were forced back again and again, casualties rose sharply, and the front line was steadily driven toward the village.

Panic spread through the Sunagakure forces arriving afterward like a plague. Their confusion at having lost the Kazekage, the shock of being ambushed by a powerful enemy, and the fear of witnessing their comrades' gruesome fates nearly crushed their will.

Just as the defensive line was on the verge of total collapse, several powerful chakra presences suddenly appeared across the battlefield like pillars holding back the sea, forcibly halting the rout!

"Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!"

A cold shout cut through the chaotic battlefield. A slender figure darted swiftly among several Kumogakure ninja who had broken through the line. With a light touch of her hands, several seemingly warm, radiant orange orbs floated out and precisely enveloped the enemy.

The savage Kumogakure ninja did not even have time to scream before their bodies rapidly shriveled and carbonized at a visible rate. In the end, they turned into blackened, desiccated mummies and collapsed helplessly to the