Iwagakure's army marched toward Konoha in a mighty procession.
"The Hyuga Clan will replace the Akimichi Clan! All Hyuga Clan members, move to the front immediately!"
The Akimichi Clan members at the very front had been killed by Didaze's Expansion Bullet, so the Hyuga Clan temporarily took their place.
"Rotation!"
Facing the approaching Iwagakure army, the Hyuga Clan immediately unleashed their signature technique, Rotation.
"Earth Release: Fist Rock!"
Kitsuchi hardened his fist and punched straight at the Hyuga Clan!
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
Shimura Danzō intercepted Kitsuchi.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
Seeing Shimura Danzō's Vacuum Great Sphere coming toward him, Kitsuchi immediately formed hand seals and unleashed Earth Release: Earth Flow River to block it.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"
Shimura Danzō soon became locked in a fierce battle with Kitsuchi. Although he was older than Kitsuchi, he could not defeat him and could only hold a slight advantage.
Meanwhile, jets of steam began shooting from Han's entire body.
"Multiple Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Orochimaru used Multiple Hidden Shadow Snake Hands to harass Han.
"Boil Release: Unrivalled Strength!"
As Han's low voice rang out, he threw a punch, instantly reducing Orochimaru's Multiple Hidden Shadow Snake Hands to dead snakes strewn across the ground.
Steam poured endlessly from Han's body, its white clouds making him look even more terrifying.
"Summoning Technique: Manda!"
Orochimaru bit his finger and summoned a gigantic summoning beast.
"Orochimaru? Looks like there are quite a few sacrifices this time..."
Manda drooled at the sight of the corpses on the ground.
"Eat anyone on Iwagakure's side you like, but no eating anyone from Konoha."
Seeing Manda eyeing the corpses on Konoha's side hungrily, Orochimaru immediately spoke.
After all, Konoha's dead still had to be taken back for burial. If Manda ate them, that would be disastrous.
"Hmph... fine!"
Manda turned his gaze away with some regret.
Han, too, braced himself against a formidable enemy, the steam around his body growing thicker.
Didaze also flew down from the sky.
The strongest fighters on both sides had already engaged. Now it came down to their mid-level forces.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
Ninjutsu were unleashed one after another.
"Mimicry Ninja Art: Man-Beast Unity!"
"Kikaichū!"
"Shadow Imitation Technique!"
"Mind Body Switch Technique!"
"Sharingan, activate!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Clearly, Konoha's ninja were much fiercer.
"Explosion Release Corps, follow me immediately!"
Seeing this, Gari, the leader of the Explosion Release Corps, immediately prepared to attack, leading his members into action!
"Explosion Release: Landmine Fist!"
With the Explosion Release Corps joining in, the battlefield became a bitter deadlock.
Not a single member of the Explosion Release Corps was below Jonin, and their leader, Gari, was an elite Jonin.
With eight Jonin-level Explosion Release users unleashing Explosion Release at once, Konoha's forces were immediately beaten back again and again!
"Kikaichū!"
Seeing this, the Aburame Clan immediately controlled their Kikaichū, forcing them to swarm around the Explosion Release Corps and harass them, heedless of whether the insects lived or died.
Up front, the Hyuga Clan also used Rotation to block the Explosion Release Corps.
Meanwhile, the ninja in the rear kept unleashing Ninjutsu to harass them.
"Explosive Clay: Birds!"
Didaze did not join the ordinary battlefield, instead entering the battlefield of the Kekkei Genkai and secret technique clans.
If the ninja on the ordinary battlefield were caught in his explosions, they would most likely die, but the Explosion Release Corps here had some resistance from their years of using Explosion Release.
There was no better place to dish out damage.
"Explosive Clay: Centipede!"
Standing behind the Explosion Release Corps, Didaze molded a centipede, which scuttled rapidly across the ground toward the Konoha Ninja!
"Get out of the way! Don't go near it!!"
By now, the Konoha Ninja were utterly terrified of Didaze.
"Don't let them get away! Hold them here!"
Gari immediately gave the order, then lunged forward and threw another Landmine Fist!
The Hyuga Clan ninja had no choice but to use Rotation to defend again, but it did little good.
This time, Gari's Explosion Release Fist pierced straight through Rotation and knocked the Hyūga ninja inside out of it!
Then his fist erupted in a tremendous explosion, almost instantly blasting the Hyūga ninja into nothing!
Meanwhile, Didaze's hands did not stop either, molding large numbers of centipedes!
The centipedes raced across the ground toward the Konoha Ninja!
"Kikaichū!"
The Aburame Clan had no other option. They planned to sacrifice their insects to detonate the explosive clay early; otherwise, they would suffer even worse explosions once Didaze's centipedes reached them.
As for how to make Didaze's centipedes explode, the Aburame Clan planned to have their insects cling to the centipedes and absorb chakra. If Didaze did not detonate them, their chakra would soon be drained dry.
And if he chose to detonate them, he would only kill some insects.
That was the Aburame Clan's choice.
They acted at once, immediately sending their insects flying toward Didaze's centipedes!
"What are they trying to do?"
Didaze was puzzled, but he soon understood the Aburame Clan's intent.
"So you're trying to turn my explosive clay into duds?"
Didaze sneered, then detonated all the centipedes!
Almost all the Aburame Clan's insects were killed in the explosions, with only a few people still having insects in reserve.
"Sharingan: Genjutsu!"
While Didaze was controlling the explosions, a member of the Uchiha Clan with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan seized the chance to briefly control him with his Sharingan!
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
Seeing that he had Didaze under his control, the Uchiha Clan ninja immediately unleashed the Great Dragon Fire Technique at him.
A massive wave of fire surged toward Didaze, seeming ready to devour everything!
"Didaze, dodge!"
Seeing the Fire Style attack hurtling toward Didaze, the Explosion Release Corps members grew frantic and hurriedly shouted a warning.
But Didaze was already under the Sharingan's Genjutsu, and it could only be broken by Didaze himself or an outside force.
Didaze could certainly break it himself, but he probably could not do so before the Great Dragon Fire Technique reached him.
"Genjutsu: Release!"
"Steel Release!"
At the critical moment, Kōdo used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Didaze, first dispelling the Genjutsu on him, then unleashing Steel Release and placing himself in front of Didaze!
With Steel Release active, even Kōdo's muscles seemed different, his entire body giving off a sense of hardness.
The Great Dragon Fire Technique slammed into Kōdo, but did not do him much harm.
"Explosive Clay: Hummingbirds!"
Looking at Kōdo standing in front of him, Didaze felt a profound sense of security.
Then he immediately began making explosive clay.
Soon, tiny hummingbirds were created one after another, and Didaze tossed them into the sky.
The hummingbirds immediately flew up into the sky and vanished from sight.
The hummingbirds were not very powerful, so they could only catch the enemy off guard!
Thus, Didaze concealed the hummingbirds' chakra and tossed them high into the sky, where they remained on standby.