The thunderous crack of shattering stone was followed by an enormous cloud of dust.
The deep, deafening crash made Hatake Sakumo instinctively cover his ears. His plan had worked, and relief washed over him.
Was the enemy... dead?
He clutched his chest and spat out blood. Breathing was difficult; several of his ribs were broken.
He staggered to his feet, casually wiped the corner of his mouth, and tightened his grip on White Fang, watching the dust-shrouded area nervously.
Unfortunately, the rule that smoke meant no damage applied to most situations in Naruto.
Crack, crack, crack...
Several enormous fissures had appeared in the massive rock after it fell and struck the ground, but those fissures kept widening. The faint sounds of cracking echoed in his ears.
An enormous figure, blood-red from head to toe, with horns on his head and four tails behind him, emerged through the cracks. He shook his head groggily and extended his claws.
Although Hatake Sakumo did not recognize this as the Second Raikage's Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, his heart still lurched and sank. A bitter look crossed his face as his mind instantly began sorting through his preferred urn designs.
Everyone has to die someday, but I'd still rather die of old age than get punched into a rock face so hard they couldn't even pry me out.
He brushed the dust off his clothes, tore a strip from his hem, and quickly bound his chest to brace his displaced ribs, giving his injuries some rudimentary treatment.
My fighting strength has dropped badly, but maybe I can still buy some time for Konoha's main force...
With that thought, he tightened his grip on his short blade, White Fang, once more.
*The fighting was so frantic that I've already strayed far from my scouting route. Will