After two days and a night of travel, Konoha's main force finally reached the border.
"First squad, establish a security perimeter. Second squad, scout the terrain and set up headquarters. Third squad, lay traps. Fourth squad, prepare food. Everyone else, build the camp. Move!"
They had finally reached their designated encampment on the Land of Fire's border, which also marked the front line. Orochimaru immediately directed the main force to begin building the new camp.
"Yes, sir!"
The Jonin captains nearby accepted their assignments and returned to distribute the work among the ninja under their command.
"Enemy ninja are coming!"
At that moment, a ninja on reconnaissance duty suddenly detected a vast mass of chakra approaching from the distance and cried out in alarm.
"Engage the enemy!"
Hearing the scout's warning, Orochimaru immediately shouted the order without a moment's hesitation.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Just then, torrents of shuriken appeared in the distant sky, hurtling toward the panicked Konoha Army. Alas, Konoha had gone far too long without experiencing war.
"Use Earth Release! Hurry, use Earth Release!"
Seeing the Konoha ninja lose their composure, Orochimaru shouted urgently.
"Earth Release! Earth-Style Wall!"
"Earth Release! Earth-Style Wall!"
"Earth Release! Earth-Style Wall!..."
Wall after wall of earth rose from the ground, joining into one continuous barrier. The sight was spectacular.
"Did we stop them?"
Seeing earthen walls fill their field of vision, some felt the relief of having survived a brush with death. Someone wiped the sweat from their forehead and could not help murmuring those words.
"Idiots, what are you thinking? Medical ninja, fall back! Everyone else, engage the enemy!"
Orochimaru interrupted them and shouted the order to engage again. The ninja formed battle-ready groups of three to five, creating an impressive sight.
Suddenly, a gigantic fist smashed straight through the center of the earthen wall ahead. As the fragments fell, they revealed the ninja behind it.
He wore a red ninja cap, a tight red combat outfit, and a brown Jonin vest. His right hand had transformed into an enormous stone fist. That gigantic fist had shattered the Earth Release defenses erected by so many Konoha ninja.
"He actually smashed through it."
"Who is that ninja?"
At the sight before them, the Konoha ninja could not help crying out in shock.
"Iwagakure! Kitsuchi!"
Watching from nearby, Orochimaru could not help sighing. Konoha really had gone too long without experiencing war! He also named the ninja: Kitsuchi, son of Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage renowned throughout the Shinobi World, and a Kage Level fighter known as Iron Arm!
"Orochimaru, is it? Do you like the welcome ceremony I brought you?"
Just as Orochimaru recognized Kitsuchi, Kitsuchi naturally recognized Orochimaru, one of the Konoha Sannin!
After breaking through Konoha's Earth Release defenses, Kitsuchi immediately used Earth Release to encase himself as the shuriken behind him came flying through. Everything that had just happened seemed to have taken a long time, but only a few breaths had actually passed.
"Quick, fight back!"
"Block their shuriken!"
"Dodge, quickly!"
More than two thousand Konoha ninja frantically fought back and dodged. Yet against the oncoming downpour of shuriken, some were inevitably wounded or even killed.
"Charge! Crush them!"
After the storm of shuriken passed, Kitsuchi directed the Iwa Shinobi behind him to charge the Konoha ninja.
"Engage the enemy!"
Orochimaru shouted the order and took the lead himself, rushing straight at Kitsuchi. If no one kept a Kage Level fighter in check, Kitsuchi alone would be enough to rout these two thousand Chunin and Genin.
Elsewhere, the Konoha Jonin, led by Jonin Moonlight, began their counterattack, slaughtering the Iwa Shinobi. The gap between Jonin and ordinary ninja was simply too great.
Slaughter! More slaughter! The enemy Jonin were slaughtering Konoha ninja as well. Just then, Wenya, a Jonin from Iwagakure, spotted someone who was likewise cutting down Iwa Shinobi. Judging by his build, he was still a child. Wielding three long blades, he relentlessly slaughtered Iwa Shinobi in the crowd. Even Chunin were killed in a single exchange. That figure was none other than Chihane!
"Earth Release: Explosive Missile!"
Wenya, an Iwa Shinobi Jonin, timed it for the moment Chihane swung his blade, leaving him no time to turn, and unleashed his signature ninjutsu, Earth Release: Explosive Missile! An enormous missile shot toward Chihane.
As he slaughtered the Iwa Shinobi, Chihane's keen Observation Haki clearly sensed the danger behind him. He had barely turned his head when the ninja he had just slashed seized him in a tight embrace. That Iwa Shinobi Chunin knew he would not survive. Seeing Wenya's ninjutsu, he immediately resolved to take Chihane down with him.
Perhaps it was a final burst of vitality, or perhaps the pain had forced out the Iwa Shinobi's hidden potential. For a moment, Chihane actually found himself unable to break free.
Boom!!!
An enormous blast rang out, and the rising smoke obscured the surrounding ninja's vision. No one could see whether Chihane was still alive behind it. Even Wenya began to think that Chihane must have died after taking a direct hit. He then prepared to continue slaughtering the other Konoha ninja.
"Hey! Are you trying to run away?"
Chihane's voice rang out from within the smoke. Blue chakra enveloped his body, with tiny arcs of lightning flickering across it. He looked like a thunder god descended from the heavens. In his fury, Chihane had unleashed his strongest state: the Eight Gates of Death combined with Lightning Release Chakra Mode! He had also activated Armament Haki.
"You really almost killed me."
Looking at the ninja opposite him in his Jonin vest, Chihane could not contain his anger. He then charged straight at him.
With his fully mastered Lightning Release Chakra Mode running at full power, Chihane moved as fast as a bolt of lightning.
"What a fast blade!"
Stunned by Chihane's appearance, Wenya, an Iwa Shinobi Jonin, froze for only an instant. All he saw was a silvery flash, and he could not help exclaiming in awe! Then his large head flew into the air.
At full power, Chihane had killed Wenya, an Iwa Shinobi Jonin, in an instant!
"How is that possible?"
"He actually killed Jonin Wenya!"
The Iwa Shinobi around Chihane immediately panicked and scrambled to get away from him. But the Konoha ninja would not let that opportunity slip by. They seized the moment to strike lethal blows at the panicked Iwa Shinobi before them.
For a moment, Chihane had actually shifted the course of battle in a small area.
But Chihane did not hesitate. Instead, he sprinted toward the next Iwa Shinobi Jonin in the distance who was still slaughtering Konoha ninja.
"Damn it! Konoha actually has a brat like that!"
A large clearing lay in the center of the battlefield, where Orochimaru and Kitsuchi were locked in fierce combat. The other ninja had clearly left an open space around them. It was both respect for the strong and reverence for life.
Chihane stood out so much on the battlefield that even Kitsuchi noticed him while fighting Orochimaru.
Clearly, although Chihane's current strength still fell short of his own, Chihane was far too powerful for ordinary Jonin.
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