Did None of You Consider That I Was the One Who Did It?
On the battlefield, three Kage Level powerhouses were locked in combat. Ōnoki and Eiichiro were not of one mind, and whenever they seized an opening, they would not hesitate to launch a sneak attack on the Raikage.
In his mind, the Third Mizukage was old and posed no great threat. On the contrary, the Third Raikage A, who was in his prime, was the biggest threat to Iwagakure. If the main force of Iwagakure hadn't been absent, he would have arranged a massive attack on A.
The Third Mizukage was secretly pleased with this turn of events. If the two on the other side were truly joining forces, he alone would not be able to withstand the attack of two Kage Level before the Kirigakure reinforcements arrived.
For a time, the three were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle. Wherever the three clashed, the other ninjas kept their distance.
The aftershocks of the battle between three Kage Level powerhouses alone were far beyond what ordinary Chunin and Genin could withstand; even ordinary Jonin would have to stay far away from the battle.
Take the Third Raikage for example. With his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, anyone who gets hit by it is either dead or seriously injured. In addition, he occasionally unleashes a large-scale area-of-effect attack like Black Lightning. This guy is practically a monster, a complete battlefield killing machine.
Therefore, in the midst of the chaotic battle, the ninjas from the three Ninja Village each had their own concerns: the people from Iwagakure and Kirigakure were afraid of being accidentally injured and killed by the aftershocks of Kage Level attack; while the Kumogakure were afraid of being caught in the crossfire of their own leader's attack.
The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, would unleash a wide-range Earth Release Ninjutsu with a wave of his hand. Ninjas caught in the aftershocks of the Ninjutsu were either crushed to death by boulders or buried by the dust.
Not to mention that he would occasionally unleash a few Dust Release, which would instantly obliterate any ninjas caught in the blast, leaving no trace of their bodies.
Only the Third Mizukage's Water Release was somewhat better; at least when he drowned, he could leave behind a complete corpse. Because he was near the sea, the Third Mizukage's Water Release power was greatly enhanced, allowing him to unleash many times the damage he usually did. As a result, the Kirigakure present seemed to be inspired by the Third Mizukage's heroic spirit of fighting two against one, and they all fought desperately, each taking on multiple opponents.
For a time, the entire battlefield was enveloped by the Hidden Mist Technique of the Kirigakure Mist Village, especially when combined with their specialized Silent Killing Technique. The ninjas of the Kumogakure and the Iwagakure suffered heavy losses.
Just as the battle raged on, a cool breeze blew across the vast sea shrouded in night, carrying a faint, pale purple Poison Mist that slowly drifted toward the battlefield.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique"
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique"
One after another, ferocious water dragons, carrying surging torrents and mixed with the purple-tinged seawater, slammed towards the ninjas of Iwagakure and Kumogakure.
Faced with the overwhelming onslaught of Water Release, the ninjas from each village hurriedly activated their defensive Ninjutsu.
"Earth Release, Earth Flow Wall."
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet Technique"
Several thick, high rock walls suddenly rose from the ground, resisting the surging waves; behind the walls, several earthen dragons carrying gravel and mud rushed upwards against the current.
Hmph, what's so great about relying on location?
These scum from the Kirigakure Sect have really been given a piece of their minds today...
The ninjas from each village all wore grim expressions, gritting their teeth inwardly.
The raging seawater crashed against the earthen wall, was forcefully stopped, and scattered to the open spaces on both sides.
After losing the Chakra boost, the power of the seawater dissipated, and it returned to normal water flow.
For ninjas, Water Walking is a basic skill. Everyone gathered Chakra under their feet, stood firmly on the water's surface, and began to fight again.
As the fighting continued, suddenly, one after another, ninjas collapsed on the water's surface. These ninjas bled from all seven orifices, their faces turned purple, they clutched their necks, convulsed, and plunged headfirst into the water, where they died instantly.
"Damn it! You scum from Kirigakure, have you no shame?"
"Taking advantage of the terrain, they still resorted to poisoning?"
"How despicable, you beast!"
Seeing their comrades die one by one in agony, the remaining ninjas from the other Ninja Village were filled with resentment.
In contrast, the Kirigakure ninjas, concealed by the thick fog, silently executed their Silent Killing Technique, swiftly reaping the lives of their enemies.
"Unnamed, you damned old bastard, how can you Kirigakure play such dirty tricks?" the Third Raikage roared angrily.
"Hmph! We, the Kirigakure, would never do such a despicable thing."
"Don't try to smear me, you damned black man!" The Third Mizukage said expressionlessly, his tone icy.
"Hmph, if it's not Kirigakure, then who else could it be but Iwagakure? Old man?" Ōnoki, suspended in mid-air, sneered.
Upon hearing this, the Third Mizukage did not respond, but instead raised his hand repeatedly, unleashing the Water Gun Technique one after another, firing high-pressure water bullets wildly at Ōnoki.
Just then, a bizarre scene unfolded.
The Kirigakure Ninja, who were originally reaping the lives of their enemies, also began to foam at the mouth, bleed from their seven orifices, convulse, and collapsed into the water one after another.
"Something's wrong. Why are our Kirigakure ninjas also poisoned?" The Third Mizukage could no longer maintain his composure and hurriedly spoke up.
In mid-air, Ōnoki stared intently at the Third Mizukage, lost in thought.
Could it really not be the poison released by the Kirigakure? Then what could be the reason?
His gaze swept across the distant sea, then fell upon the water beneath his feet. He saw that the entire sea, including the water beneath the ninja's feet, was faintly emanating a pale purple poisonous gas.
"Oh no! Everyone, cover your mouths and noses immediately! Someone has poisoned us!" Ōnoki shouted sharply, his voice echoing across the entire battlefield.
The Third Raikage immediately followed up with the order, "Kumogakure ninja, evacuate from here immediately."
Before he could finish speaking, Raikage suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood, clutched his chest, and collapsed to one knee, his voice weak:
"Damn it, I didn't expect even I would fall victim to it."
Not only him, but the usually calm Third Mizukage also turned pale and looked terrible, clearly having been poisoned as well.
"It seems only I escaped the trap. Could it be because I was in the air?" Ōnoki asked, puzzled and full of doubt.
For a moment, he was filled with mixed feelings, thankful that he had not been poisoned, but also heartbroken by the heavy casualties suffered by his Iwagakure Ninja.
"Someone must be hiding in the shadows. Could it be Konoha?"
The thought of Konoha filled Ōnoki with hatred. If it really was Konoha's doing, he wouldn't be surprised; that kid Kagami Uchiha was by no means an upright person.
Just then, a deep, hoarse voice boomed in everyone's ears.
"Didn't you ever consider that it was I who did it?"
As the words fell, a figure slowly rose from the seabed. The person wore a special gas mask, held a knife in his left hand and a sickle in his right, with a huge Ibuse Summoning Beast lying at his feet.
The back of the Ibuse was densely packed with Amegakure ninjas, all wearing gas masks.
"Amegakure?"
"Hanzo of the Salamander? Is that you, you damned bastard?"
Upon seeing the newcomer, everyone present gasped in unison.