He swept his gaze over the Hidden Sand ninja sprawled across the ground, and the lazy calmness on his face finally vanished.
"Hmm, this haul was pretty good. One jonin captive alone is worth tens of thousands of ryo in rewards. Add these guys, and buying a few dozen Explosive Tags won't be a problem."
He muttered to himself, his voice carrying a trace of excitement.
He deftly took specially made sealing needles and ropes from his ninja tool pouch, then efficiently bound the unconscious captives one by one. His movements were exceptionally professional and practiced.
He was preparing to package them up and send them to the Konoha camp.
It was not because he had some saintly compassion and insisted on taking them alive. Captives were simply worth more, and the mission rewards were higher too.
He needed money as well.
Of course, the main reason was that Uchiha Ran's Mangekyō Sharingan possessed a soul-suppressing effect.
Whenever someone was killed by him, his Mangekyō Sharingan would instinctively try to suppress their soul and prevent it from returning to the Pure Land.
It was somewhat similar to the Soul Binding Technique developed by the Second Hokage.
He was still unfamiliar with this power, which was why an active skill had somehow become a passive one.
"Ah, I still need time to learn how to control it. Should I find some lucky guy to test my new ability on?"
"Forget it. I'll wait for another chance, or what if I go blind? I still need my eyes to slowly take in this beautiful world!"
After finishing everything, he dusted off his hands and glanced in the general direction of Konoha's encirclement force.
"Time to head back. Hopefully, today's captives have some valuable intelligence. I still want to experience the local customs of the Land of Rivers."
He muttered as his figure flickered several times before vanishing into the shadows of the forest.
He continued his journey of working for a living and making money.
While Uchiha Ran led his squad onward, thriving as they farmed enemies for gold.
The battlefield at Mount Kikyo was gradually evolving into something resembling the Verdun meat grinder.
In order to establish his position as the Fourth Kazekage as quickly as possible, Rasa hastily launched the Second Kikyo Mountain Battle.
Rasa stood atop a sand dune, golden dust whirling wildly around him. A thousand assembled Hidden Sand elites pushed large siege weapons and Fuma Shuriken launchers, waiting only for Rasa's command.
"This time, I'll lead the charge!"
"Magnet Release Secret Technique: Gold Dust Burial!"
Following Rasa's deep, imposing shout, he slapped both hands against the ground. The endless yellow sand beneath his feet instantly took on a dazzling golden gleam, transforming into a towering Gold Dust Torrent.
Carrying unmatched weight and razor-sharp force, it crashed wave after wave toward Konoha's position.
"Amazing! Lord Rasa is mighty!"
"Haha! Who could possibly stop a gold dust explosion like this?!"
Shouts erupted among the Hidden Sand ninja.
As rocks were pulverized and fortifications collapsed, several Konoha ninja who failed to retreat in time were instantly swallowed, crushed, and torn apart by the golden sea of death. They did not even have time to scream.
Mount Kikyo's already fragile third line of defense rapidly collapsed like a brittle sandcastle beneath Rasa's full-force gold dust secret technique.
The Explosive Tag shuriken traps meticulously arranged by the Konoha ninja detonated one after another.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Earth Style squad! Hurry! Combine your Earth Style ninjutsu!"
A Konoha jonin with a deep scar across his face roared himself hoarse.
"Yes!"
Dozens of prepared Konoha Earth Style ninja formed hand seals and slammed their palms onto the ground.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
"Earth Style: Multiple Earth-Style Walls!"
"Earth Style: Earth Rampart!"
Rumble—!
The earth shook violently as one thick earthen wall after another rose from the ground, standing between the golden tide and Konoha's position.
Some walls were tall and steep, while others were broad and solid. Layer upon layer, they formed an indestructible dam against the gold dust's assault.
However, Rasa's Gold Dust Burial was no ordinary ninjutsu. It was not loose sand, but gold dust infused with Magnet Release chakra—immensely heavy and sharp as blades!
Boom—crack!
The first and second Earth-Style Walls shattered the instant they came into contact with the golden wave. Like cookies struck by a giant hammer, they could not hold for even a moment before exploding into dirt and rubble amid deafening crashes.
The Gold Dust Torrent barely slowed as it continued advancing with devastating force.
"Hold the line! Reinforce it!"
The scarred jonin's eyes were bloodshot as he roared again. At the same time, he formed hand seals, chakra surging wildly from his body.
"Earth Style: Earth Shore Return!"
A massive slab, even larger than an ordinary Earth-Style Wall and gleaming with a rocky luster, was forcibly raised from the ground and placed at the very front.
The other Earth Style ninja fought desperately as well. Some formed seals again and raised new earth walls to fill the gaps, while others used the Hardening Technique.
"Earth Style: Hardening Technique!"
The surfaces of the newly raised earth walls instantly became as hard as stone.
Other ninja attempted to alter the terrain.
"Earth Style: Earth Cutting!"
They tried to create a massive ravine ahead to bleed off the Gold Dust Torrent's impact.
Rumble rumble rumble—bang! Bang! Bang!
The Gold Dust Torrent crashed viciously against the second and third waves of defenses hastily constructed by the Konoha ninja.
This time, the earth walls did not collapse immediately.
The heavy gold dust battered the hardened earth walls, producing deep thunderous booms.
The walls trembled violently, spiderweb-like cracks spreading across their surfaces. Huge chunks of soil were crushed loose and stripped away, but the walls ultimately were not completely breached.
However, the price was enormous.
The gold dust seeped into every opening, its immense pressure passing through the walls and turning the faces of the ninja maintaining the Earth Style techniques deathly pale. Their chakra poured out like floodwaters through an opened dam.
"Ah—!"
"Don't lose focus! Hold it! Create an opening for Lord Shinku's squad!"
The scarred jonin bit hard enough to draw blood. Veins bulged across his arms from the strain, and even the ground beneath his feet was sinking.
As long as Shinku Yuhi could seize the opportunity to hit Rasa with another round of genjutsu, perhaps the enemy would retreat again.
Even if they did not retreat, the traps arranged across the mountain and the terrain advantage would be enough to block the Hidden Sand ninja's advance.
"Fire Style squad! Interfere with the gold dust! Don't let it fully gather!"
"Fire Style: Dancing Flame Serpents!"
"Fire Style: Great Flame Bullet!"
Several streams of fire shot out from behind the earth walls and slammed into the surging Gold Dust Torrent.
Fire Style indeed had a certain disruptive effect on Magnet Release. The struck sections of gold dust momentarily slowed and became chaotic.
The metallic gleam on its surface also dimmed, greatly reducing the pressure on the earth walls ahead.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the surviving ninja desperately retreated toward the more solid fourth line of defense.
Across Mount Kikyo's third line of defense, dirt flew through the air, golden light raged, and flames flickered.
Although Rasa's Gold Dust Burial had been painstakingly delayed and weakened by layers of Earth Style techniques, preventing it from instantly sweeping through the entire position.
It had nevertheless completely torn apart Konoha's meticulously established third line of defense, reducing it to a complete mess.
From atop the sand dune, Rasa watched the Konoha ninja's Earth Style defenses, desperately constructed below, sway precariously beneath the Gold Dust Torrent.
Though he had failed to destroy them completely in one push, he had still achieved the intended result.
Before you continue