"What kind of Ninjutsu was that? It actually swallowed my Tailed-Beast Bomb..."
Tazbi, in his Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, narrowed his eyes in shock.
He had considered that Yayoi might dodge or use other Ninjutsu to block the impact, but he never expected that his strongest technique would be suppressed in this way.
Before he could even figure out what kind of Ninjutsu Yayoi was using, a figure flashed in front of him.
It was a beautifully pale face, so perfectly made it almost inhuman, with dark pupils devoid of emotion, as cold as ice. It was Yaya.
Taking advantage of Tazbi's momentary lapse in concentration, she rushed in front of him and punched him squarely in the face.
Tazbi a painful howl as his body flew out of the island's boundaries and rolled along the sea surface for dozens of meters before finally managing to stop.
Yaya didn't miss this opportunity and charged straight towards Tazbi.
" Tazbi!"
Yugito wanted to go and help, but just as he was about to act, countless ice-made weapons bombarded down, instantly drowning out his shouts in the ice explosion.
Ice-based weapons continuously blasted across the land and sea, creating silvery-white explosive waves that expanded the reach of the cold air currents, creating an extremely cold, frozen world.
"Your opponent is me."
Kicho chuckled and intercepted the Hidden Cloud Village was fighting using Lightning Release Chakra Mode, blocking his path to support the others.
" Byakugan, huh? In that case, let's stake the name 'A' on the power of the Hyuga Clan!"
The young man from the Hidden Cloud Village said firmly.
The Chakra within his body surged outwards even more violently, and even his sharp eyes were covered in lightning, ready for battle.
"Ai?" Kicho was taken aback, then realized, "I see, you're the next 'Ai' from Hidden Cloud Village. It seems Hidden Cloud Village needs to pre-select the next Raikage."
Despite saying this, Kicho was not careless at all.
She took a deep breath, releasing her Chakra, which slowly enveloped her slender yet resilient body.
But that wasn't the end of it. The blue Chakra that enveloped her body began to slowly spread from head to toe, turning into a pure white color.
In less than a few breaths, she was draped in a pure white Chakra Cloak, like a soft, flowing stream of water that had come alive, burning quietly in the air and trailing wisps of white flames.
Both her clothes and her jet-black hair were silently imbued with white flames that flowed like water.
"This is..."
Ai stared in astonishment at the scene.
The Kicho's pure white coat, resembling a burning flame, evoked a strange sense of déjà vu.
It shares a similar effect with his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, or even the Jinchūriki Tailed Beast Cloak form of a Jinchūriki.
"Hehe, this is the first time I've used this technique in actual combat since I learned it and successfully integrated it into the Byakugan. Don't die, kid."
Kicho smiled, pursing her lips.
This is the Byakugan Chakra Mode, Nintaijutsu she developed after learning Yayoi's Chakra Armament Mode.
The core of this technique lies not only in the externalized physical Chakra, but more importantly, in its connection with the Byakugan, allowing the Gentle Fist of the Hyuga to unleash even greater power.
"I should be the one saying that!"
'A's' face darkened, feeling that he had been looked down upon. After all, he was a ninja who had inherited the name 'A' and was the designated next Raikage.
Kicho's barbed tone not only wounded his dignity but also showed disdain for the power of the Raikage's name.
"I'll make sure you never laugh again!"
After saying this, Ai suddenly curled up his right thumb, and in the midst of lightning and thunder, his figure disappeared from the spot and arrived in front of Kicho in an instant, his four fingers stabbing towards Kicho's body.
Kicho didn't dodge, but she also didn't recklessly rush forward to defend herself. With her Byakugan, she could clearly see that Ai's physique was extraordinary.
Especially the amount of Chakra that is erupting at this moment, its terrifying level is close to that of Tailed Beasts.
Although the four protruding fingers did not cause much damage, they concentrated their power on the thrust, greatly increasing their speed and attack capabilities.
Without hesitation, Kicho drew the Spirit Blade: Kumokiri from her waist, its bright blade flashing in a beautiful and stunning arc in mid-air.
The moment he gripped the sword, Kumokiri was also enveloped in white Chakra 'flames', meeting 'A's' Lightning Release Thrust head-on.
boom!
It was less a contest of blades and Lightning Release, and more a battle of Chakra.
The Setsuna the blade touched the fingers, the white storm represented by the Kicho collided with the blue Lightning Release storm represented by 'Ai', instantly shattering the surrounding earth.
The surrounding sea was also affected by the impact of this powerful collision, with ripples spreading continuously and waves surging one after another into the distance.
"Damn it, how is this possible... this power..."
Ai clenched her teeth slightly, unable to believe that a woman had so easily blocked her frontal attack.
Pfft!
Just as 'A' was about to unleash even more powerful Chakra to overwhelm them, the sound of a blade slicing through flesh rang out.
He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his fingertip, and saw that his middle finger, which had been in direct contact with the blade, had been cut open.
Not only did he feel pain, but he also felt that his middle finger suddenly lost the power to mobilize Chakra, and the power of the lightning wrapped around his four fingers was visibly reduced.
No time for 'Ai' to react--
boom!
The pure white storm materialized into cannons, instantly Kumokiri and striking 'Ai's' body. 'Ai's' body flew out like a cannonball, crashing heavily onto the sea dozens of meters away, creating huge waves.
Sizzle--
Ai stood steadily on the sea surface, and with a casual wave of his left hand, lightning burst forth, easily calming the surging waves around him.
The four fingers of his right hand, which were extended out, had an electric current that flickered in and out of sight, as if there was a poor connection.
Ai could easily sense that his right middle finger, which had been cut open, was no longer able to gather Chakra. Moreover, it wasn't just his middle finger; the effect of gathering Chakra along his entire right arm seemed to have been greatly reduced.
Sensing the strangeness of Kicho's ability, Ai's already serious expression became even more solemn.
Although he wasn't hit by the Gentle Fist, the blade only cut a minor wound on his right middle finger, which resulted in injury to his entire arm, making it impossible for him to control his Chakra as he wished.
'I never imagined my Chakra would be sealed by something like Gentle Fist, and this woman even fused the power of Gentle Fist into her Swordsmanship...'
For the first time, Ai felt the power of the Hyuga Clan, and it was so formidable.
On the other side--
The Tsuchigumo relentlessly hunted down Yotsuki Kōmon.
Eight thick, powerful legs either ravage the earth or trample the waves, transforming into a hurricane as they charge toward the direction the Kōmon is moving.
The Hidden Cloud Village who tried to provide support along the way were swept away by the tsunami whipped up by the gale-force winds before they could even get close.
These self-proclaimed elite Hidden Cloud Village are now struggling to even get close, let alone stand firm on the nearby sea.
When the Tsuchigumo is still, it's alright, but once it starts moving rapidly, it becomes a calamity, just like the Tailed Beasts.
"Roar! You guys from the Land of Lightning, is that all you've got? What other hidden powers do you have? Show them all, or you won't be able to keep up with my speed and strength!"
The Tsuchigumo opened its enormous jaws, emitting deafening roars of madness. With each charge in a different direction, a storm followed like a shadow.
Without any specific targeting, the Hidden Cloud Village that surround it will be blown about by the storm it generates, making it difficult to exert effective suppression.
The important defensive line that the Hidden Cloud Village had painstakingly built here lost its purpose of obstruction in the face of its massive body.
The Kōmon being chased was also sweating profusely, focused only on dodging and escaping.
It wasn't that they didn't want to stop Tsuchigumo's reckless actions, but they weren't 100% certain that any mistake he made could result in his death here.
The reason lies with Yayoi, who is standing on the head of the Tsuchigumo; she is acting in concert with the Tsuchigumo.
If he were alone, he would be confident that he could fight back and not be at a disadvantage, but if the two were together, it would be a fatal danger.
Therefore, he can only keep dodging and keeping his distance from the Tsuchigumo, and he absolutely cannot engage in direct combat.
'That golden ball could seal the Tailed-Beast Bomb; it's most likely Sealing Jutsu. If it touched me, even I might be finished...'
Kōmon frowned, knowing that things couldn't continue like this.
There was no way for him to break the deadlock; he could only barely escape with the combined efforts of Yayoi and Tsuchigumo.
Even the slightest mistake could be life-threatening.
To break this deadlock, the only option is to rely on the Hidden Cloud Village on other battlefields to gain an advantage.
but...
He glanced at the rest of the battlefield out of the corner of his eye.
Yugito, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, was bombarded from the sky by enemies using Infinite Ice Weapons, leaving him unable to lift his head.
He could only keep searching for cover on the island, hiding here and there, just to catch his breath.
Forget about providing support; if the enemy continues to maintain such high firepower, Yugito will likely be killed.
The situation for Tazbi, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, was no better. Despite entering Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, he was constantly being forced to dodge and hide by the enemy's Taijutsu.
His Partial Tailed Beast Transformation form was so painful that he even coughed up bitter saliva, and his cries of agony could be clearly heard even from his side.
The situation on Ai's side is slightly better, but only slightly better; they are still the ones being suppressed.
As for the other Hidden Cloud Village... the biggest help they can give is simply not coming to cause trouble.
In a battlefield of this scale, the only assistance they can provide is to divert some of the enemy's attention from the flanks.
Kōmon seeing this, Kongmen's face grew extremely grave, and the last trace of hesitation in his heart vanished. He quickly pulled out a delicate iron pipe from his ninja tool pouch.
Whoosh~
Bang!
A blue meteor shot out from the iron pipe with a loud whistling sound, then exploded in the sky as a dazzling cloud of fireworks, standing out vividly in the tense and anxious battlefield.
Upon seeing this signal, many Hidden Cloud Village breathed a sigh of relief.
Although some were unwilling to give up and wanted to stay and continue fighting, most of the Hidden Cloud Village had already followed the instructions given by the signal flares and quickly retreated towards the Land of Lightning.
"A retreat signal?"
Yayoi glanced at the sky, then at the Hidden Cloud Village who were frantically rushing towards the Land of Lightning. She knew that the Hidden Cloud Village ninjas' fighting spirit had been broken, and retreating now was undoubtedly the wisest choice to minimize losses.
Kōmon looked up and gave Yayoi a deep look, as if he wanted to remember him. Then, while covering for him, he turned and retreated towards the Land of Lightning.
As the supreme commander here, he must be responsible for all the Hidden Cloud Village. Continuing to fight would not only fail to defeat the enemy but also cause meaningless casualties, so a decisive retreat is necessary.
Upon seeing the retreat signal, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Tazbi, and 'A' also sprinted away, following behind Kōmon to cover the others' retreat from the battlefield.
Yugito and Tazbi both covered in wounds, only Ai was in slightly better condition, but blood was still flowing from the corner of her mouth, clearly having suffered a lot at Kicho.
His prized Lightning Release Armor couldn't completely prevent the Kicho ' penetrating attacks, and he even felt a slight pain in his internal organs, causing him to frown.
In other words, his physique and Chakra were so powerful that any other ninja would have had their heart shattered and died on the spot.
"Come on up."
Yayoi greeted the three of them, including Kicho, and simultaneously opened up her Sensory.
A dozen kilometers to the west, on the sea, a force of over a thousand men was rapidly approaching. This was the Land of Night's aid force that had accompanied him on this mission.
Kicho, Yaya, Irori jumped back onto the Tsuchigumo's head and looked at the chaotic battlefield around them.
Irori's Ice Release, in particular, caused the most astonishing destruction, with some small islands sinking directly into the sea and disappearing forever.
Fortunately, many large islands have been preserved relatively intact, which is a blessing in disguise.
As for the supplies that were originally loaded onto thirty large ships at the edge of the archipelago, ten of those ships either broke in two or capsized and slowly sank to the bottom of the sea due to the impact of the battle.
Fortunately, most of the supplies were still intact; these were spoils of war belonging to the Land of Night.
"My lord, shall we continue the pursuit?"
Kicho turned her head and asked a question, her eyes gleaming with eagerness.
She still has plenty of Chakra, and with the Tsuchigumo for transportation, she doesn't need to waste her stamina and Chakra. Therefore, she can easily engage in several more high-intensity battles.
"That's right, leave this to the rear forces. Our mission is to open up the western part of the Land of Lightning as soon as possible, and we absolutely cannot give the Hidden Cloud Village too much time and space to counterattack!"
Yayoi calmly analyzed the situation and did not let the initial victory go to her head.
Although he won the first battle very well and successfully crushed the fighting spirit of the Hidden Cloud Village Vanguard, it does not mean that he can rest easy from now on.
The real test has only just begun.
Just as the Hidden Cloud Village wanted to open a battlefield in the Land of Night, Yayoi had the same idea: to open a battlefield on the Land of Land of Lightning and plunder their resources.
Having lived through the Warring States Era, he has always held a very firm and clear fighting belief: when facing enemies, one must be more civilized, more barbaric, and more ruthless than them!