Iwagakure crumbled!

At that critical instant, a deep, thunderous shout exploded across the battlefield!

"Secret technique: Super Multi-Size Technique!"

Torifu Akimichi's body suddenly grew at a frenzied pace, his bones crackling as his burly frame rose from the ground. In an instant, he became a giant over ten meters tall. His arms swelled, muscles bulging, and chakra coiled around his enormous palms.

Without a moment's hesitation, he charged forward and leaped, jamming his two fan-sized palms between the enormous hemispherical mountains as they closed together!

BOOM—!!

An earthshaking crash rang out!

The tremendous impact traveled through his arms and into his entire body. The ground beneath Torifu Akimichi shattered, spiderweb cracks spreading wildly outward. The two mountainous masses of rock crushed against his palms, rubble constantly breaking loose from the walls with sharp cracks. The immense pressure nearly ground his bones to pieces.

The rock formations continued closing inward, their speed undiminished.

"Stop—right there!!"

Torifu Akimichi's eyes turned bloodshot, veins bulging along his thick neck. He unleashed every last bit of his chakra, his arm muscles swelling again as he thrust both enormous arms outward!

Creak, creak—!!

The teeth-grating sound of straining rock thundered through the air!

The two enormous mountains, moments from sealing shut, abruptly stalled!

"OPEN!!"

Torifu Akimichi roared and forced his arms apart with all his strength!

RUMBLE!!

He pried a wide opening between the two hemispherical mountains!

Trapped in the gap, Jiraiya seized his chance. He immediately formed hand seals to release his Summoning Technique, then swiftly leaped clear of the Mountain Earth Technique's range.

Across the chaotic battlefield, everyone saw that towering, burly figure confronting the Mountain Earth Technique with his body alone.

"Uncle Torifu..." Tsunade stopped in mid-dash and murmured.

"Don't just stand there, Tsunade!" Relief washed through Orochimaru, but he immediately called out to her.

With a heavy rumble, one half of the mountain, unable to withstand the opposing forces, shattered. Countless boulders tumbled down, dust billowing into the sky. The Mountain Earth Technique had collapsed.

Torifu Akimichi's enormous body slowly shrank. He panted heavily, his bleeding arms trembling slightly, but his gaze remained sharp as a blade. Staring at Jianyan across from him, he said in a low voice:

"You old bastard. You thought you could kill Konoha's young shoots right in front of me?"

Before his words had faded, Jianyan's figure abruptly vanished from the high ground opposite him!

Looking at the wounded Torifu Akimichi, Jianyan said coldly, "Hmph. If I can't kill your geniuses, killing their commander will do!"

The rock beneath his feet exploded. Amid the surging dust, Jianyan swiftly completed his hand seals, yellow-brown chakra pouring into his right fist.

"Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique!"

Humm—!

Rock rapidly formed and grew across the back of his hand. Angular chunks of gray-brown stone piled atop one another, covering his entire fist in an instant to form an enormous, rough-hewn rock fist.

With a fierce shout, he lunged forward. His rock-clad fist descended with the force of a mountain, smashing viciously into Torifu Akimichi's arm, which had already expanded to the size of a massive pillar!

BOOM——!!!

A deep, heavy crash exploded through the air!

The instant the rock fist struck the enormous arm, the terrifying weight of its dense stone erupted.

Torifu Akimichi's massive right arm sank sharply, bending violently. His body plunged downward against his will, and with a crack, his knee slammed into the muddy earth. The ground collapsed into a huge crater.

Agony shot through his bones as they approached their breaking point.

Teacher, just as you stayed behind to cover our retreat, just as Kagami said—wherever leaves dance, the fire burns on.

I will protect the village's future, even at the cost of my life!

His back remained straight. He did not retreat an inch.

Torifu Akimichi's eyes widened, his teeth clenched tightly as chakra surged wildly throughout his body. He fought desperately to push upward. Thick veins bulged all over him, his swollen muscles trembling without pause.

Jianyan's eyes were cold and fierce. He pressed his left hand against his right arm and unleashed another burst of chakra. The rock around his fist continued thickening and compacting, its weight increasing layer by layer.

"Get on your knees!"

At the very instant the Added-Weight Rock Technique's terrifying force pinned Torifu Akimichi to his knees, splitting the flesh of his arms and bringing his body to the brink of collapse!

A pure white afterimage pierced the smoke and chaotic ranks, flashing across the distance to arrive at the heart of the battlefield!

No one could follow his movement. They felt only a chilling surge of killing intent abruptly lock onto Jianyan!

It was Hatake Sakumo!

He held the White Fang Short Sword in a reverse grip with one hand. No flashy chakra swirled around him; only extremely condensed Lightning Release chakra, terrifyingly pure, wrapped around the blade. Tiny blue-violet sparks crackled across it.

As Kagami Uchiha's personal disciple, Sakumo already held a clear edge over the young Sannin. He stood at the pinnacle of combat strength among Konoha's younger Jonin, his offensive power unmatched. His blade was supremely swift, supremely sharp, supremely lethal!

Jianyan was pouring all his strength into crushing Torifu Akimichi, absorbed in his overwhelming assault. He had no attention to spare for what lay behind him!

"It's over."

Sakumo's voice was cold and indifferent, without a ripple of emotion.

Lightning Release chakra erupted, flooding the entire White Fang Short Sword!

Lightning Release: Body Flicker Slash!

White light streaked through the air, faster than the eye could follow!

Jianyan's pupils abruptly contracted, his scalp prickling as an overwhelming sense of imminent death seized him! He had no time to turn and defend himself. Instinctively, he threw his heavily armored, weighted rock fist backward to block!

Slash—!!

The shrill sound of tearing lightning and shattering rock erupted together!

The layers of hardened, densely packed stone covering Jianyan's fist proved as helpless as thin paper before Sakumo's razor-sharp, lightning-infused White Fang blade!

The lightning-wreathed edge instantly pierced, tore apart, and pulverized the hard rock shell!

Layer upon layer of heavy stone exploded, rubble and powder flying through the air amid scattered Earth Release chakra!

The Added-Weight Rock Technique, empowered with tremendous crushing force, was utterly broken in an instant!

Agony tore through Jianyan's entire arm. Lightning severed his chakra pathways, and the force of the blade ripped through his muscles and fascia. Blood gushed out!

The mountain-like weight vanished instantly.

The pressure on Torifu Akimichi abruptly lifted. His enormous body straightened as he gasped for breath, staring at the white-clad figure who had reversed the battle before his eyes.

Jianyan staggered backward several steps, his face filled with horror as he stared at Hatake Sakumo in disbelief!

His prized high-level Earth Release secret technique had been broken with a single slash!

This Konoha ninja's offensive power was terrifying beyond reason!

Sakumo stood amid the smoke, sword in one hand, lightning gleaming along its edge. His white clothes remained untouched by blood or dust. His cold gaze fixed on Iwagakure's shaken commander, and his voice carried across the battlefield:

"The renowned Iwagakure veteran Jianyan amounts to nothing more than this!"

"It seems your Tsuchikage can't be much stronger, either."

"Today, I'll take your head as Iwagakure's commander and add to the renown of Hatake Sakumo!"

Jianyan stared fixedly at Hatake Sakumo standing amid the dust. His eyes turned bloodshot, fury boiling in his chest until he lost himself completely to rage!

"Hatake Sakumo!!"

His roar shook the canyon, hoarse and vicious, brimming with humiliation and defiance.

"A mere Konoha brat dares humiliate me like this!"

"I'll kill you!"

"Oh? Then what would you call your sneak attack on the wounded Torifu?"

The instant those words fell, the entire battlefield briefly faltered.

Jianyan's pupils contracted. The malice on his face suddenly froze, and he whipped his head around to stare toward the rear of the canyon!

At the far edge of the dust, a lean figure clad in blue-black slowly emerged through the smoke, his steps steady and his presence dark and oppressive.

Shimura Danzō!

He wore the standard fitted uniform of the Anbu beneath a hanging black robe, his face stern and imposing.

Behind him, a full three hundred reserve ninja of the Second Legion advanced in formation!

The battle had reached a fever pitch, but with the sudden arrival of these fresh troops, the balance shifted completely.

"Danzo! You're finally here!" Torifu Akimichi let out a long breath of relief, his voice relaxing.

"Torifu, thank you for your efforts. I saw every bit of your valor."

"You truly are our teacher's disciple!"

Danzo's expression softened as he spoke warmly.

"Shimura Danzō? How could you be here?" Jianyan asked in disbelief.

"Heh. Why couldn't I be here?" Danzo approached slowly, his cold gaze sweeping over Jianyan's livid face. His voice remained calm, but every word cut deep. "I thought that even if Ōnoki didn't come, we'd at least get a jinchūriki. Instead, they sent an old good-for-nothing like you."

"You keep accusing Sakumo of launching a sneak attack?"

"Didn't you also attack the wounded Torifu? If he hadn't been injured, do you think you could have hurt him this badly?"

Then his tone shifted. He surveyed the Iwagakure ninja present and sneered, "Still, you're not completely useless. You knew to leave some men guarding the Blackstone Fortress. Otherwise, every last one of you from Iwagakure would die in the Land of Grass this time!"

"Oh, right. Don't expect those men to come reinforce you. Our village's Jonin Iwami is keeping watch over them with five hundred Konoha ninja."

"Today, the Blackstone Fortress might not fall, but you, Jianyan, will die here!"

As his words fell, an overwhelming aura burst from Danzo, the pressure of a Kage-level fighter sweeping over the entire battlefield!

Looking at the vicious Danzo and Sakumo waiting like a predator beside him, Jianyan's heart sank.

It looks like I really will die here today...

Lord Tsuchikage! I can no longer follow you on your path...

Within a few breaths, he raised his head and looked firmly around him, shouting, "All Iwagakure ninja! I hereby issue my final command!"

"Everyone, retreat! I'll cover you!"

"Earth Release: Rock Shelter Collapse!" Jianyan swiftly formed hand seals, then slammed both hands onto the ground.

The surrounding mountains suddenly collapsed. Vast quantities of boulders and rubble rolled down from above, crashing toward the battlefield. Huge chunks of stone rained indiscriminately onto everyone across a wide area.

Danzo's expression turned cold at the sight. He immediately shouted, "Everyone, evade! Scatter!"

Then he slowly stepped forward. His chest rose slightly as he drew in a lungful of air, wind-nature chakra compressing and swirling fiercely deep within his throat.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!!

A string of high-speed compressed air bullets shot from his mouth!

The condensed wind projectiles were invisible, marked only by piercing shrieks as they tore through the air. Like a dense hail of gunfire, they covered a broad swath of the battlefield and hurtled straight toward the falling rocks.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!!

The air bullets struck the rubble in rapid succession! Hard stone exploded under the high-speed wind projectiles, fragments scattering everywhere.

"I'll clear the rubble. Sakumo, go kill Jianyan. Everyone else, eliminate Iwagakure's remaining fighters at once!"

Beside him, Hatake Sakumo gripped his lightning-wreathed short sword and once again became a white, electric afterimage, charging toward Jianyan.

The other Konoha ninja surged forward to attack the surrounding Iwagakure forces.