"It looks like I still have enough chakra. Then let's try this move."
After tossing the hummingbirds high into the air, Didaze began molding another kind of clay bomb.
Kōdo used his body to shield Didaze completely, keeping anyone else from approaching him.
"What do we do, Kawahiro?"
The Konoha ninja all looked toward Nara Kawahiro, the strategist the Nara Clan had sent to the Iwagakure battlefield this time.
However, since everyone in the Nara Clan was intelligent, Nara Kawahiro did not stand out much.
But now that the situation had become critical, Nara Kawahiro had to make a decision.
"The Aburame Clan will work with the Hyuga Clan to hold off the Explosion Release Corps. Akimichi Rō, Akimichi Chōza, work with the Inuzuka Clan and the Yamanaka Clan to block the remaining ninja! Everyone else, surround and attack!"
After some thought, Nara Kawahiro made his decision.
The battlefield was divided into three fronts in total. Shimura Danzō, Orochimaru, Han, and Kitsuchi fought on the high-end front.
Didaze's side was the front for the secret technique clans, kekkei genkai, and jonin.
The lowest-level front was the third front, where the chunin and genin fought. There were occasionally one or two jonin, but they were held up by the other side's jonin as well.
"Uchiha Kaze, Uchiha Akira, interfere with Sharingan Genjutsu from the rear. The Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan will take the lead!"
Under Nara Kawahiro's orderly command, the Explosion Release Corps was held up.
Although the Explosion Release Corps could still kill the Hyuga Clan's ninja, interference from the Aburame Clan's kikaichū greatly reduced their efficiency.
They were completely tied down by these two clans.
But given enough time, the ninja of these two clans would still be defeated by the Explosion Release Corps in the end. Unfortunately, Nara Kawahiro was already leading the remaining ninja toward Didaze!
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
"Wind Release: Decapitating Airwaves!"
The Sarutobi Clan's ninja coordinated seamlessly. The two ninja's ninjutsu fused directly into an even more powerful ninjutsu that hurtled toward Didaze!
Kōdo stood directly in front of Didaze and blocked the attack with his own body!
He could actually have dodged it, but he did not, because dodging would slow down Didaze's production of clay bombs.
To let Didaze maintain his clay bomb production speed, Kōdo chose to take it head-on.
After all, the physical toughness granted by Steel Release was not something ordinary ninjutsu could break through. Ninjutsu like this could not even cause a minor injury.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"
Just as Kōdo stood in front, Nara Kawahiro sent a long shadow from the rear toward him!
"What!"
Unable to dodge in time, Kōdo was caught by the Shadow Possession Jutsu.
Although it lasted only a brief second, a ninja had already slipped past Kōdo!
"Die!"
The newcomer was a ninja from the Shimura Clan. He pulled out a kunai and slashed at Didaze's neck!
"Got him!"
The Shimura Clan ninja smiled.
"Really?"
The Shimura Clan ninja heard a faint voice.
Then Didaze, whose throat he had already slit, began to swell, taking on the appearance of a clay bomb!
"Clay Clone, explode!"
Didaze formed hand seals with both hands, and the clay clone exploded instantly, blasting the Shimura Clan jonin to pieces without leaving any remains!
"It was actually a clay bomb..."
Nara Kawahiro's mind began racing as he searched for a way out of this predicament.
At a glance, he saw at least five Didazes. He could not tell which one was the real Didaze at all.
Just then, all five Didazes formed hand seals at once!
The Clay Bomb: Hummingbirds that Didaze had thrown into the sky earlier plunged down at high speed, heading toward Nara Kawahiro!
This time, Didaze was not trying to kill or injure large numbers of people. Every Explosive Clay: Hummingbird headed toward Nara Kawahiro!
Once Nara Kawahiro died, the remaining Konoha ninja would undoubtedly be left leaderless and fall into chaos on their own.
Nara Kawahiro's mind had still been racing, but the instant he saw Didaze's hand gesture, he immediately sensed that something was terribly wrong!
Nara Kawahiro raised his head and saw the Explosive Clay: Hummingbirds diving toward him.
Nara Kawahiro had not sensed the hummingbirds' chakra at all. Perhaps it was because they were too small?
But there was no time left for Nara Kawahiro to think. All he could do was leave his last words as quickly as possible.
"Follow Shikaku Nara's command!"
After leaving those final words, Nara Kawahiro was killed outright by Didaze's Explosive Clay: Hummingbirds.
Even the Sarutobi Clan ninja protecting him nearby were caught in the blasts.
However, because the hummingbird bombs dealt too little damage, the casualties were not severe. Only a few people died, and a dozen or so were injured.
"Didaze, nicely done!"
Gari spoke after killing yet another Hyuga Clan ninja.
Seeing that Didaze had even killed the enemy strategist, the other members of the Explosion Release Corps also received a great boost in morale, driving the Hyuga Clan back again and again.
If not for the Aburame Clan interfering with their kikaichū from the rear, the Hyuga Clan would probably have been wiped out long ago.
But even so, the Hyuga Clan and the Aburame Clan could not hold out much longer.
"Uncle Kawahiro..."
Shikaku Nara, who had only just turned sixteen, saw that Nara Kawahiro had been killed without even leaving any remains. His gaze brimmed with hatred as he looked at Didaze.
"Uchiha Clan ninja, go hold off that Steel Release ninja. Control him with genjutsu. Don't fight him head-on!"
Although Shikaku Nara was deeply saddened, he still began taking over command.
After seeing Didaze protect himself with clay clones, Kōdo had also joined the fighting directly.
With an elite jonin-level Steel Release ninja joining the battle, no one had any way to deal with him.
Even when Fire Style struck Kōdo, he paid it no mind at all, charging straight through it to punch whoever had unleashed it.
With the physical enhancement of Steel Release, Kōdo could basically take down one person with each punch. Anyone he hit was almost invariably killed or injured.
And those injuries were so severe that they could not fight again at all.
Shikaku Nara had no choice but to have the Uchiha Clan hold him off with genjutsu.
"Explosive Clay: Flea!"
Hiding behind a rock, Didaze molded some fleas, then placed them on the ground.
That was right. All five Didazes outside were clones, without a single real body among them. Didaze's real body was hiding behind a rock in the distance.
Then Didaze controlled the five clones to form hand seals simultaneously, and the Explosive Clay: Fleas headed straight toward the Konoha ninja!
Unlike ordinary explosive clay, the fleas exploded with every jump, but sacrificed part of their size.
Dozens of fleas exploded with one boom after another as they rapidly leaped toward the Konoha ninja!
"Everyone, use Earth Style Wall!"
Shikaku Nara's expression changed drastically. If this many exploding fleas got into the Konoha ranks, Konoha would likely be routed outright!