At the training ground at the end of the street, Zou Hyuga saw that an area of earth at least half the size of a soccer field had been torn up, forming two semicircular hills dozens of meters high.
Rumble...
As the earth trembled and groaned, the two hills slowly closed together, seemingly intent on sealing the Akatsuki member at their center away for good.
Zou Hyuga was not surprised by the sight, because the two combatants were Kitsuchi and Hiruko.
Kitsuchi was the son of a Kage. Although he lacked what it took to become Tsuchikage, his mastery of Earth Release ranked among the best in the shinobi world.
In the original timeline, he had used Earth Release to briefly restrain the Ten-Tails, buying the Allied Shinobi Forces enough time.
But while this ability worked against large summoning beasts, it was all but useless against agile ninja.
If Hiruko had been caught by it, perhaps he had simply been too arrogant. With the speed of Swift Release, very few people in the shinobi world could truly keep up with him.
As expected, Hiruko soon escaped through a gap and flickered straight into Kitsuchi's face.
The Earth-Style Wall shattered on impact, offering no protection at all.
At that moment, Kitsuchi raised his rock-coated right arm and smashed it viciously toward Hiruko.
Hiruko had no interest in defending himself. He simply raised his fist and met the blow head-on.
Bang!
Hiruko was driven into the ground like a nail. It did little damage, but the humiliation was immense.
Before he could pull himself free, the Iwagakure jonin who had rushed over surrounded him. Under layer upon layer of Earth Release, he seemed to have lost the ability to move.
Just then, Hiruko grinned at the Rock Ninja closing in around him,