The Real Battlefield

Susanoo's massive body did not even need to struggle free deliberately. At a slight movement of Uchiha Lan's will, Susanoo simply drove forward with a bull-headed ram.

The enclosing prison of stone pillars cracked apart inch by inch like rotten wood and collapsed!

Huge chunks of rock crashed to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

The Wind Release ninjutsu, sharp enough to slice through iron like mud, collided with the blade. After an ear-piercing bang, they were violently knocked away, shattered, and dissipated into chaotic currents of air!

Other than creating some noise and insignificant ripples of energy, they had no effect whatsoever!

"H-how could this be?!"

"Our ninjutsu... is completely useless?!"

"What the hell is that thing?!"

The Sand ninja were utterly dumbfounded, their faces filled with disbelief.

Scarface had witnessed it all firsthand. His face was as pale as paper, his lips trembling so badly that he could not even shout an order.

The experience and tactics he had always prided himself on looked so pitiful and laughable before such an absolute difference in power.

He understood now. The power this Uchiha had unleashed was simply beyond the level of understanding available to people like them! It was an existence on another level entirely!

It was like when the Allied Shinobi Forces had watched Susanoo clash head-on with the Wood Release: Wooden Golem during the Fourth Shinobi World War.

Even though he was already in his thirties, he could not muster the slightest fighting spirit.

"Looks like you've used up all your tricks."

Uchiha Lan's icy voice came from within Susanoo, carrying undisguised mockery.

His scarlet Mangekyo Sharingan swept over the Sand ninja below, who stood frozen and utterly devoid of fighting spirit, as though he were looking at a flock of lambs awaiting slaughter.

As chakra flowed into it, the red Susanoo grew even taller and slowly raised the skeletal giant fist that had just smashed out a massive crater.

A destructive surge of energy twisted and made the surrounding air tremble!

"Now, I'll give you two choices. One, kneel and surrender. Two, I'll give you a one-way ticket to the Pure Land."

The Mangekyo pattern in Uchiha Lan's eyes spun rapidly as he coldly locked onto the most densely packed area of Sand ninja, as well as Scarface, the Jonin who was still roaring as he tried to organize a counterattack.

The words "In your dreams" lodged in Scarface's throat as though an invisible hand had seized it.

He could only watch as the sky-blocking crimson giant fist slowly rose, gathering destructive energy so terrifying that it froze his very soul.

He wanted to raise his hand. He wanted to order them to scatter or defend. But his arm weighed a thousand pounds, and all his throat could produce were meaningless choking noises.

"N-no...!"

A young Sand ninja broke down. His kunai fell to the ground, and he dropped to his knees with a thud, pressing his forehead tightly against the scorching sand as his body shook like a sieve.

"I surrender! Don't kill me! Please!"

His cries were like opening the floodgates.

"Thud!" "Thud!"

Like wheat cut down in the fields, one Sand ninja after another lost all will to resist, threw down their weapons, and slammed both knees into the sand.

The Sand ninja formation instantly fell apart. Only a few who had been frightened senseless remained rigidly standing in place, along with the ten surviving Jonin.

Scarface, for example!

He was a Jonin, the commander of this unit, an elite of Sand Village!

He could die. He could be crushed to pieces. But he absolutely could not die on his knees like a coward! This was the last, insignificant shred of dignity he had left.

"Foolish pride."

The instant the words fell, the enormous skeletal fist hovering in midair came crashing down with a terrifying shriek that tore through the air!

Elsewhere, outside the canyon, Uchiha Tetsuka was grumbling and cursing.

"Inasui, are you done yet? Is this barrier really that hard to break? Didn't you say you interned with the Barrier Team? Is this what your internship amounted to?!"

"Are you ever going to shut up? If you're so capable, do it yourself!"

"This sealing barrier formula may be simple, not even comparable to the Four Violet Flames Formation, but it's my first time seeing it. Of course I need time!"

"Give you more time? Can't you hear the explosions going off inside?!"

"Wait any longer, and who knows whether Captain Lan can hold out until we get there!"

"Who would've thought the Sand ninja's primary target was our captain? He just happened to go in. If I'd known, I should've gone instead."

"That's a good thing. Activity inside means things are fine. If there were no movement, that's when we'd really need to worry."

Time seemed to stretch infinitely at that moment, yet also compress to its limit.

"Got it!"

Uchiha Daosui abruptly slapped the ground. The barrier runes before him, which glimmered with faint light, seemed to have their source cut off. They instantly dimmed, broke apart, and finally dissipated completely into wisps of green smoke.

"Quick, move the rubble! Captain Lan might not be able to hold on!"

"Like you needed to tell me that! Stop dawdling!"

Uchiha Tetsuka had long since been waiting in a state of burning anxiety. He was the first to rush before the mountain of massive rubble, forming hand seals at high speed as chakra flooded into his arms.

Earth Release: Rock-Stealing Staff!

He growled, trying to pry loose the rocks' foundation, but it did not do much.

"Don't act recklessly. The boulders blocking the way weigh at least hundreds of tons. Use Earth Release: Opening Earth Rising Excavation together!"

The Chunin captain, an experienced leader, immediately stopped Tetsuka's rash attempt.

"Everyone who knows this Earth Release technique! On my command! Form seals!"

"Yes!"

Three Chunin answered in unison and swiftly spread out. Four pairs of hands slammed heavily onto the ground at the same time, chakra pouring endlessly into the earth.

"One! Two! Three!"

Earth Release: Opening Earth Rising Excavation!

"Rise—!!!"

Rumble rumble rumble—!!!

The Earth Release ninjutsu performed jointly by the four Chunin was not overwhelmingly powerful, but it was enough.

The gigantic pile of rubble blocking the canyon entrance, formed by explosions and Wind Release, began to shake violently with a muffled groan.

The ground rolled and swelled like an awakening beast, forcibly lifting the boulders weighing several tons, shoving them aside, and sending them rolling away!

The grinding and collisions of stone produced deafening roars, while the billowing dust swept outward like a sandstorm.

An irregular gap, barely wide enough for several people to pass abreast, was forcibly torn open amid the thick grayish-yellow dust!

"Captain Lan, hold on!"

Uchiha Tetsuka was frantic with worry. Without waiting for the dust to settle, he was the first to lower his body and charge through the gap!

Inasui and the other Chunin followed close behind, each with a grave expression, kunai clenched tightly in hand and chakra ready to erupt, prepared for the brutal battle and rescue they expected to find.

However, when they rushed into the canyon, the thick stench of blood and gunpowder mixed with a scorched odor that nearly choked them senseless.

The sight before them struck everyone like lightning. They froze in place, their minds utterly blank!

Because the moment they entered, they saw corpses scattered across half the canyon.

The inside of the canyon had already become an Asura slaughterhouse!