Everyone unleashed Lightning Release like it cost nothing. The moment Didaze's Clay Spider descended, a barrage of Lightning Release surrounded it.
"It's over..."
Kōdo sighed as he watched the barrage of Lightning Release surround Didaze's giant clay spider.
"Explode!"
Didaze smiled slightly. Then the giant clay spider exploded, its thunderous blast resounding across the battlefield!
"Wh-what!"
Hatake Sakumo looked back in disbelief. He had clearly discovered the weakness of this Explosion Release, so why had Didaze...
Hatake Sakumo was baffled, but Didaze obviously would not tell him the truth. He was no idiot villain.
"Phew... It only killed fewer than ten?"
Didaze frowned as he looked at the dead.
His chakra was almost depleted, and from the look of things, the Konoha ninja still seemed to have the upper hand!
But Didaze had no better options. After all, for someone who relied on area attacks like him, the more elite the troops were, the harder they were to kill.
Didaze turned and guided his Giant Bird toward the rear. He needed to recover his chakra.
As for the front, Kitsuchi, Han, Kōdo, the Explosion Release Corps, and over a thousand Iwagakure ninja were there. Even if they were no match for Hatake Sakumo and the others, they could still hold them off for a long time.
"Didaze has gone to recover his chakra. We have to give him enough time to recover!"
Kitsuchi encouraged everyone, then worked even harder to hold back the Hyuga Clan!
Although the Iwagakure ninja outnumbered the Konoha ninja several to one, those who remained were all elites. They had barely achieved anything and had even lost quite a few men to counterattacks!
The two armies fought fiercely like this for nearly an hour.
"Lord Kitsuchi, let's retreat for now! Didaze killed a lot of them, but the ones left are all elites. It'll be hard for us to win if we insist on fighting... I suggest we transfer more men from the village before fighting again!"
After an hour of fierce fighting, no more than twenty Konoha ninja had died, but over three hundred Iwagakure ninja had been killed.
Although most of the Iwagakure dead were Genin and Chunin, the ten-to-one casualty ratio still pained Kōdo immensely.
These were all promising talents for Iwagakure's future!
"No. It's already been an hour. Didaze should be back soon. We must win this battle!"
Kitsuchi's eyes were filled with resolve.
Like his father, Ōnoki, he was stubborn. Since he had chosen to trust Didaze, he would fight with everything he had to hold this position!
Since Didaze had not told him to retreat, he had to hold this position!
Just as Kōdo sighed and prepared to continue the fierce battle, he suddenly saw a Giant Bird flying toward them!
"Didaze is here!"
Kōdo immediately called out to Kitsuchi.
"Wonderful!"
Kitsuchi beamed with joy. As he looked at the Giant Bird flying through the sky, he seemed to have found his pillar of support.
"That guy's back!"
Hatake Sakumo had been enjoying his killing spree, but the sudden sight of Didaze instantly soured his mood.
This guy had cost Konoha far too much, and even the weakness he had discovered was false. Didaze was truly giving him a headache now.
I'll use that move...
Hatake Sakumo prepared to use his ultimate move. Although it would also deplete his chakra, his swordsmanship alone would be enough afterward.
Hatake Sakumo abruptly gathered all his chakra into his blade, and fierce blade energy erupted from it!
Then a massive slash of chakra appeared, surging toward the Iwagakure ninja with powerful Lightning Release chakra!
"Aah!!!"
The Iwagakure ninja screamed in agony. Almost instantly, Hatake Sakumo's move killed or wounded nearly a hundred of them!
However, most were lower-level combatants. The stronger ones had all dodged it. Although they might have been injured, at least they had not lost their lives.
Seeing this, the heads of the various clans immediately unleashed their signature techniques alongside their clansmen.
Human Bullet Tank, Shadow Possession Jutsu, Fang Over Fang, and more.
Hatake Sakumo's slash had inflicted heavy casualties on the Iwagakure ninja at the very front. Before those at the rear could react, the clan heads' attacks were already upon them. Under their attacks, Iwagakure lost nearly another three hundred men!
Apart from a few Jonin who dodged this wave of attacks, almost all the Chunin and Genin were killed or wounded.
The two sides were now equal in numbers!
"Get on!"
Didaze remained unmoved by Hatake Sakumo's strike. Instead, he headed straight for the Explosion Release Corps!
Didaze pulled every member of the Explosion Release Corps onto his giant clay bird.
"Ze... Why did you bring us up here? We're all close-range fighters!"
Fuku could not help asking Didaze.
"I need your Explosion Release. Pour all your Explosion Release chakra into this right now!"
Didaze wasted no time with them and handed them a lump of clay.
They did not ask what exactly Didaze intended to do. He was their big brother, after all. They only needed to obey.
Soon, every member of the Explosion Release Corps had poured all their remaining Explosion Release chakra into it, and the lump of clay became extremely unstable.
If Didaze had not been there to balance it, this Clay Bomb would probably have exploded already!
"Good!"
Didaze smiled as he looked at the Clay Bomb.
He would use this Clay Bomb as the core to create another explosive arrow!
This explosive arrow would be nothing like the previous ones in power. With all the Explosion Release chakra of seven people poured into it, this move would be more powerful than ever!
As for Suna, he had already been seriously injured earlier and carried away for treatment, so he was not on the battlefield.
"Get some rest. Leave the rest to me!"
Didaze smiled coldly. Hatake Sakumo had killed so many on his side that there was no way he would let him leave!
He could let Shimura Danzō go, but Hatake Sakumo had to die!
Didaze shaped a clay bow, then molded the clay they had infused with Explosion Release into an arrow under the Explosion Release Corps' expectant gazes.
Even with Didaze's control, an arrow like this was extremely difficult to manage. The slightest mistake risked an explosion.
But enormous risks inevitably came with enormous rewards. This Explosion Release arrow was far more powerful than the arrows he made on his own!
Under everyone's expectant gazes, Didaze nocked the arrow and drew his bow, then fired toward the Nara Clan's position!
"Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!"
Everyone immediately raised Earth Style Walls to block it. Although there were only two hundred of them, the walls were almost as sturdy as when there had been a thousand.
After all, the stronger combatants were the main reason the Earth Style Walls were so sturdy.
"Explode!"
Didaze detonated the arrow, and the Earth Style Walls instantly collapsed!
The arrow erupted with a tremendous blast. Unlike the ordinary arrows Didaze had fired before, this arrow, which combined everyone's strength, could easily dismantle any defense!
"What!"
The Nara Clan Head's pupils dilated. He had not expected such a tiny arrow to instantly destroy the Earth Style Walls that two hundred of them had created together!
"Quick, get in among the Iwagakure ninja!"
The Nara Clan Head had no other choice but to resort to this desperate measure.
Although suddenly charging into Iwagakure's ranks might cause casualties, letting Didaze keep shooting at them from the sky would probably result in even heavier losses!