An explosion suddenly came from the northwest, illuminating half the sky.
Chen Shenji knelt on the ground, his chest heaving violently. The rune array around him was still burning, its intricate patterns etched into his skin, emitting wisps of smoke. The corpses of three ghost generals lay at his feet, while not far away, the ghost commander bound by rune chains roared in fury.
" Old Chen! Don't do anything foolish!" Kyōgoku Saburō's voice came from the side. His sword was broken in half, and the wound on his shoulder was so deep that the bone was visible.
Chen Shenji raised his head, revealing a face covered in blood, and grinned. " Saburō, do you remember the day we entered the Kage Academy after we retired? You said you wanted to be the fastest sword in Konoha."
"Why bring this up now!" Kyōgoku Saburō swung his sword, cleaving through a Oni Clan, but was thrown back by the demon general's shockwave, crashing into a rock wall and spitting out blood. "We still have a chance..."
"No chance left." Chen Shenji watched the approaching tide of ghosts and slowly stood up. The runes on his body began to flash wildly, and even his eyes were filled with golden patterns. "This forbidden technique was originally saved to deal with the Tailed Beast. Now it seems it wasn't a waste."
He spread his arms, and the rune array behind him burst forth with a sun-like light. Ghost General sensed danger and roared as he charged, only to be pinned to the spot by the light. " Saburō! Watch closely! This is... the true light!"
Forbidden Technique: Blood Burning!
With an aged roar, Chen Shenji's muscles visibly withered, yet the force he unleashed sent several ghost generals staggering backward. The violent shockwave ripped away the surrounding ghosts and instantly turned the high ground into a sea of fire.
"Old Master Chen Shenji--!"
The intense light from the divine dragon engulfed everything, including Chen Shenji's figure. Kyōgoku Saburō covered his eyes, and when the light dissipated, he saw only a huge crater blasted into the area, with the remains of several demon generals and a large number of demon warriors scattered everywhere. He wiped the blood from his face, picked up the broken sword on the ground, and suddenly laughed.
"That old man... stole my thunder!"
Suddenly, Kyōgoku Saburō's body glowed white, and he transformed into a streak of light, rushing into the camp of another demon general faster than sound. Blade flashed continuously, leaving dozens of deep, bone-revealing wounds on the demon general's body. When the demon general's claws pierced his chest, he only coughed up a mouthful of blood, using his last strength to send the broken sword into the soul fire of the opponent's head.
Let's... hit the road together.
Another explosion illuminated the battlefield, but this time the light was exceptionally brief, like a shooting star streaking across the dim sky.
Tachibana Sano felt like his arm was about to break.
His armor had long since been reduced to shreds in several rounds of attacks, his left arm hung limply at his sides, and he could only support himself by gripping his long sword with his right hand. The five ghost generals around him were all grinning maliciously. They were all more or less wounded, but showed no signs of fatigue. On the contrary, they were even more excited by the smell of blood.
"Ninjas all have to die... Is that all you've got?" The leading demon licked the blood from his claws.
Tachibana Sano no Satoshi didn't speak, but suddenly stomped his foot on the ground, his long sword drawing a swift arc of light. The foremost demon general was caught off guard and had one arm severed, but the other four immediately pounced on him. Claws tore open his back, and bone blades pierced his abdomen, the excruciating pain overwhelming his consciousness like a tidal wave.
But his knife was still moving.
Before his consciousness completely faded, Tachibana Sano instinctively turned around, his long sword piercing through the eye socket of a demon general, piercing the soul fire in the entire skull. He looked at the demon generals surrounding him and suddenly laughed, his laughter hoarse like a broken bellows.
"At least... take one down with you..."
In the instant the chaotic blades fell, he seemed to see the Hokage Rock of Konoha and the smiling faces of his comrades.
The same despair was playing out in every corner of the battlefield.
Kubo Rōshichi's summoning beast—the giant wolf that had followed him for many years—let out a mournful howl and was torn to pieces by the three demon generals. He charged forward with bloodshot eyes, only to have his knee crushed by a demon general's foot, and watched helplessly as his Ninja Blade was broken.
"Tora!" Tora Inuzuka's voice abruptly stopped as his beloved dog was set ablaze by the Oni-sho's ghostly flames, while his own throat was pierced by sharp claws.
Zeya Hyuga's Byakugan suddenly lost its luster, and darkness swallowed his vision like ink. He was still in the Hand Seals posture, but his forehead had already been dented by the Oni General's fist.
The swarm of insects belonging to Kyūgen Aburame crackled and burned in the will-o'-the-wisps, turning the Kikaichū that had followed him for years to ashes. When the last insect lunged at the Ghost General, his head was casually crushed by the latter.
Mokubon Kurama's Genjutsu space was violently shaking. The Ghost King's giant fist slammed against the spatial barrier again and again, making a sound like shattering glass. His eyes were bloodshot, and blood kept spilling from the corners of his mouth. When the space completely collapsed, his body fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, his eyes already unfocused.
Eijō Yuhi stood in the center of the ruins, his hand Hand Seals growing slower and slower. The Ghost General was closing in on him, the Genjutsu runes on his body rapidly fading. "Just... just a little longer..." His mental strength was exhausted, and his vision began to darken. When the Ghost General's claws tore open his chest, he didn't even feel the pain, only murmuring, "I'm sorry... I couldn't hold you..."
Uchiha Ryuka's Great Fireball Technique exploded among the demon generals, but only ignited three Oni Clan. More shadowy figures pounced on him; his Sharingan was still spinning, but his body had already been pierced by several sharp claws.
Kotobuki Kujo's Lightning Release suddenly dissipated upon contact with the Oni-sho's demonic energy. His expression of astonishment froze on his face, and the next second, the Oni-sho crushed his skull.
Suzukaze Jōsu's Wind Release Ninjutsu sliced through the throats of several Oni Clan, but he was ambushed from behind and pierced through the heart by a demon general with a bone spear. As he fell, he was still thinking of his wife and children waiting for his return home.
Fukuda Kari's Taijutsu stirred up a bloody storm among the demons. His fists smashed the heads of dozens of demon generals, but he eventually succumbed to exhaustion and was hacked to pieces by the demon generals.
Just as Vincent Mitarashi's Sealing Jutsu left a mark on the demon general, another demon general bit off his arm. He watched as his seal was corroded and dissipated by demonic energy, and the last glimmer of light in his eyes went out.
Masuda Hiromoto's Earth Release a technique used to create illusions or illusions) wall was shattered by the Ghost General's punch, and the flying debris buried him underneath, leaving only a hand that was still trembling slightly exposed.
Tai Chiba's Water Release evaporated into white mist amidst the will-o'-the-wisps, and his body was pinned to the rock wall by the demon general's bone spikes, with blood slowly flowing down the cracks in the rock.
Nannen Uchiha's Susanoo was groaning under the strain.
This colossal war god, made of Chakra, was riddled with cracks, and each of the Demon King's heavy blows caused blood to spill from Nannen's mouth. His Mangekyō Sharingan spun wildly, attempting to ignite the opponent with Amaterasu, but Teuchi.
"Break!" The Demon King roared, his giant fist, imbued with black demonic energy, slammed heavily into Susanoo's chest.
The armor made of Chakra shattered like glass, and Nannen felt as if his internal organs had shifted. He watched Susanoo completely collapsed, and the Demon King's claws were already upon him. He could only use his last strength to Kunai.
" Uchiha... will never give in!"
Tōya Hyuga's Rotation is rapidly weakening.
His Eight Trigrams Palm had already missed its final Isshiki. The Ghost King's fist broke through the spinning Chakra barrier and slammed heavily into his lower abdomen. The sound of his internal organs shattering was clearly audible. He flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing into the rock wall and sliding to the ground.
" Rotation... it's unbelievable..." He looked at the blood gushing from the corner of his mouth, his vision beginning to blur.
Masataka Hatake's White Fang dagger finally broke.
The broken blade bounced off, slicing his cheek. He watched as his younger brother, Emperor Hidemune's, corpse lay before him, devoured by several demon generals, and suddenly let out a beast-like roar. He charged into the horde of demons bare-handed, his fingernails digging into the Oni Clan eyes, his teeth crushing their throats, until more claws tore his body apart.
"Long live Konoha..."
Mokubon Kurama's Genjutsu true form was completely crushed by the Ghost King's immense power. His spiritual world shattered like a mirror, blood flowed from all seven orifices, and his body slumped to the ground.
Zeya Hyuga's Byakugan completely lost its luster, and darkness swallowed his last vestige of vision.
The green lights, lightning, Kakkō on the battlefield... are gradually being extinguished.
The ninjas of Konoha fell like weeds blown by a gale. The demon tide, however, did not weaken at all; on the contrary, it became even more ferocious as it devoured too many lives. The broken defense line was like a bleeding wound, constantly being torn apart and widened by the Oni Clan.
Masataka collapsed to the ground, his consciousness fading. The last thing he saw was more and more Oni Clan crossing the defensive line and rushing towards the civilian warrior area behind. The civilian warriors, armed with long swords and iron swords, were scattering and fleeing, but the Oni Clan caught up with them as easily as catching rabbits.
"No..." He tried to reach out, but he didn't even have the strength to lift a finger.
Just before darkness completely enveloped him, he seemed to hear a new alarm. The sound was distant, yet carried a resolute tone, as if some... final measure had been activated.
At the end of the defensive line, something was lighting up. It wasn't the golden light of runes, nor the colorful light of Ninjutsu, but a... cold, dark red light carrying an aura of destruction.
The howls of the Oni Clan suddenly paused, as if they had sensed some great terror.
Before Masataka's consciousness completely sank into darkness, only one thought remained:
What is that?
Konoha suffered heavy losses in the war against the Oni Clan Konoha, Konoha leadership finally made a decision that could change the course of the war—to use the forbidden weapon created by the Third Hokage Tsubasa, Ten-Yi. When that nuclear weapon, carrying destructive power, was launched by a special Ninjutsu over the densest army of the Oni Clan, the world seemed to be frozen in time.
The next second, a blinding white light suddenly erupted, instantly engulfing everything within a radius of dozens of miles. Even the clouds in the sky were torn apart and vaporized by this force. Immediately afterwards, a terrifying shockwave, like an invisible giant hand, swept wildly outward from the point of explosion. Wherever it passed, whether it was hard rock or the tough bodies of the Oni Clan, everything was torn apart and crushed into dust as if it were made of paper. A huge mushroom cloud slowly rose, blotting out the sun, carrying destructive heat waves and radiation, turning this land into a complete inferno.
The power of this nuclear explosion far exceeded expectations, inflicting unprecedented devastation on the Oni Clan. Post-war estimates indicate that three powerful Oni Kings were wiped out in the blast, and over thirty Oni Generals, who commanded the legions, were lost. The death toll among the mid-level Oni Generals reached over 3,700. As for the Oni Warriors, the foundation of the fighting force, the death toll surpassed ten million. The Oni Clan army, which had once densely covered the land, was almost completely wiped out within the blast radius, leaving only severed limbs, remains, and scorched earth.
Since the Oni Clan descended upon the Shinobi World, they had swept through the land with unstoppable force, relying on their endless numbers and bizarre abilities, never once retreating. But this time, the devastating impact of the nuclear explosion completely shattered their morale. The remaining Oni Clan looked at the death zone still billowing black smoke and exuding a deadly aura, feeling the fear permeating the air, and their previously fervent fighting spirit instantly dissipated.
Under the hasty orders of the surviving Ghost King, the Oni Clan army began a chaotic but resolute retreat. They no longer charged forward with the same fearlessness as before, but instead raced away from the area that terrified them, their retreat even exceeding their previous offensive speed.
This was the first large-scale retreat since the emergence of the Oni Clan, marking Tenpei in the war, thanks to the intervention of forbidden weapons. The Konoha ninja watched the retreating Oni Clan, their faces a mixture of exhaustion, shock, and a barely perceptible glimmer of hope.