[Fire Release Inferno Blast!]
[Wind Release Great Breakthrough!]
Facing the chaotic tide of snakes surging forward like waves, the participating ninjas all reacted at once, launching the Wind and Fire Combined Ninjutsu—their standard opening move and a specialty of Konoha's ninja forces.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
In an instant, deafening explosions and chain detonations engulfed everything. The leading ranks of ninja snakes were completely overwhelmed by the attacks. Their bodies shattered and blood splattered everywhere, leaving a scene of utter chaos and devastation.
Yet despite this, the vast numbers of ninja snakes continued to emerge relentlessly from the underground caverns, persistently charging toward the ninja army's positions.
It seemed as if these snakes, whose pupils shimmered with a sinister crimson glow, felt no fear at all. Even when faced with roaring flames and deadly wind blades swirling within the chakra storm, they still charged headlong into the inferno without hesitation.
Although these countless ninja snakes did possess certain advantages—such as their sheer numbers and a few rare individuals capable of resisting ninjutsu with their physical bodies—in the face of relentless bombardment, the first wave of attacking snakes was quickly wiped out.
However, there were just too many snakes!
Sakumo Hatake, stationed at the southern front, observed the battlefield for a moment before frowning deeply.
This time, since the various ninja forces had been called upon from different local ninja clans and Ninja Clan Capital Corporation garrisons, each of the four encircling directions differed in both composition and troop count.
The southern direction, commanded by Sakumo, was primarily composed of Konoha-trained troops. About two thousand strong, they formed the core of that front. The eastern front was led by Hizashi Hyuga with over one thousand soldiers. The northern front included a standard unit of one thousand regular army troops hastily mobilized from cities such as Hakone Prefecture.
That said, the real problem lay with it.
The western wing was a hodgepodge.
Though it also numbered around two thousand, it consisted not only of various clan-affiliated shinobi but also patrol squads dispatched directly from the company—individuals with vastly differing abilities who answered to different superiors. Consequently, during the snake assault, the western wing proved to be the slowest and most disorganized in response.
"Hiashi, please take a hundred-strong security squad and patrol force to reinforce the western flank immediately!"
To prevent the chaotic western wing from becoming an easy breakthrough point for the enemy, Sakumo issued urgent orders.
"Understood."
Hiashi Hyuga nodded expressionlessly in agreement.
While the first round of wide-range ninjutsu bombardment successfully eliminated some of Ryuchi Cave's monstrous snakes, their sheer quantity meant countless bizarre and grotesque creatures still surged outward in all directions.
Even torn apart midair by the barrage of ninjutsu, they still charged forward with reckless abandon.
Yet in Jiraiya's and Senior Fukasaku's eyes, this so-called brave advance simply gave them splitting headaches.
Such meat-shield tactics, in their experience, only gave seasoned ninjas easy prey.
"Quickly! Increase the pace!"
But Tamayu, the divine goddess, remained indifferent, continuing to shriek out sonic commands that drove the Ryuchi Cave Ninja Snakes into an even more frenzied state.
Under the stimulation of these sound waves, the Ninja Snakes threw themselves toward their deaths at an even faster pace.
And this was exactly what Tamayu wanted!
After all, those dead Ninja Snakes were one of the prerequisites for her to unleash Sage Arts!
[Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation!]
With a surge of Sage Chakra rising like crashing tides, countless stone dragons made of earth erupted from the ground before plunging underground again, slithering in all directions.
When these chakra-fueled earthen dragons passed through the blood-soaked battle zones littered with fallen Ninja Snakes, they immediately burst forth from the soil, scooping up the remains into their bodies. Then in unison, they raised their heads and let out silent roars.
AAAAA!!!
Although no sound was heard, the frontline ninja among the warring forces felt as if countless needles were piercing their eardrums, causing them to see stars and suffer splitting headaches.
One after another, ninjas unable to stand steadily fell to the ground, and even those who tried to rush forward to assist and regroup also collapsed consecutively.
"What kind of Ninjutsu is this?!"
The entire Ninja Force turned pale with shock!
Most commonly seen techniques in the Ninja World revolved around the Five Chakra Natures; even secret-style techniques never strayed from the foundation of Chakra itself.
So when faced with such strange sound attacks, the ninja couldn't think of any good counters right away.
Thus, they could only use methods like ropes to drag downed comrades outside the area affected by the sound waves.
However, since sound waves were intangible and limitless, when Tamayu intensified her attack, the sonic assault quickly spread even farther outward.
Though the ones farther back weren't hurt directly thanks to distance and better preparation, some still felt dizzy and nearly vomited.
"Counterattack! We must strike back immediately!"
After arriving at the western wing's formation, Hiashi Hyuga immediately shouted urgent orders, "Don't waste time on fallen comrades for now! Ninja unaffected physically should prepare their techniques right away!"
Under his command, the Ninja Force quickly regained composure.
"Fire Release ninjas, step forward!"
At Hiashi Hyuga's command, the Fire Release specialists swiftly moved into position.
"Wind Release ninja, get ready!"
"Roger!"
"Fire Release Barrage!"
With a wave of Hiashi's hand, the unleashed Fire Release jutsu instantly transformed into a raging sea of flames, devouring the approaching Ninja Snakes and turning them into charred remains!
Immediately afterward, enhancement techniques from the Wind Release ninja arrived, seamlessly merging with the blazing inferno and intensifying its unstoppable momentum!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Although combined techniques always struck fiercely, this time the presence of the Sage-induced earthen dragons intercepted part of the assault, shielding the Ninja Snakes.
As a result, amidst the endless sea of flames, some Ninja Snakes—despite their injuries—managed to break through the fiery obstruction, charging headlong toward the enemy formation.
"Ninja Tools Barrage!"
With a single command, countless kunai lashed with explosive tags shot toward the escaping snakes.
Amidst the explosions and flying debris from the tags, the ninja snakes that barely managed to break through were wiped out completely!
Though the scene was grotesque, it only seemed to make Tamayu, already on edge, even more worked up than before!
"Die! All of you die!"
Tamayu roared again.
In response, the ninja snakes surged wildly in all directions!
"This!"
Jiraiya felt his entire body go numb!
This wild, reckless attack didn't hurt the enemy at all—it only brought pointless deaths and losses. A total disaster.
He was completely baffled—why would Tamayu pick such a stupid move? It just didn't make sense.
"It should be using the flesh and resentment of Ryuchi Cave's ninja snakes to prepare its Secret Sage Art."
Fukasaku could only speculate as much.
"But still..."
Jiraiya swallowed hard, still finding it incredibly unbelievable.
To use one's comrades' flesh as material for casting a forbidden technique—who in the world could commit such a heinous, monstrous act!
Under Tamayu's urgent urging, the ninja snakes hidden deep within the Snake Lair appeared to have responded to some horrifying call. They burst from their dens with shocking speed. The number of these ninja snakes was staggering—they piled and squeezed atop each other in an incredibly short time, forming mountain after mountain of snakes towering into the sky.
These "snake mountains," like living nightmares, entwined and twisted together, forming massive, writhing balls of flesh. They rolled forward, hissing eerily with a sense of boundless fury and hunger. Where they passed, even plants withered under their terrifying aura, and the air grew heavy with a suffocating stench of blood and decay.
The scene resembled a painting straight out of hell, inspiring fear in people's hearts—as though facing some indescribable horror from a nightmare.
"Stay focused!"
"These monsters are nothing special! As long as we hit them with ninjutsu attacks, they'll end up dead without a whole body!"
The Jonin Officers of the Ninja Force had no choice but to shout loudly, trying to boost the morale of their soldiers.
Each wore a serious expression, their voices carrying determination and resolve, as if trying to dispel their own inner fears. Yet, despite putting on fearless appearances, even their scalps prickled with dread while their hearts churned with indescribable panic.
Facing those snake mountains resembling a hellish landscape, even experienced Jonin Officers found it difficult to remain calm. The terrifying power displayed by these creatures only intensified the unprecedented pressure they felt.
Yet, as Jonin Officers of the Ninja Force, they couldn't retreat or reveal their fear to their subordinates. Thus, they gritted their teeth, attempting to mask their inner chaos with sheer voice and presence, leading the ninja into this unknown battle.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Driven by fear, the ninja accelerated their assault, unleashing countless Ninjutsu attacks that savagely bombarded Snake Mountain!
Yet this time, the techniques failed to achieve much effect.
It was as if, after sacrificing wave after wave, these newly-arrived Ninja Snakes had gained some kind of resistance against Ninjutsu attacks.
"Prepare for close combat!"
The Jonin Officers from various squads immediately issued commands.
Meanwhile, Sakumo Hatake also drew his White Fang Tanto.
"Sssii!"
Accompanied by horrifying roars, those Ninja Snakes that had survived the Ninjutsu bombardment shot forward like arrows released from bows, violently launching themselves into the ranks of the ninja force. Instantly, blood rained across the battlefield and the sounds of battle never ceased, as though the entire world were being devoured by endless violence.
Although these Ninja Snakes possessed individual strength and reaction speeds far surpassing those of ordinary ninja, they remained, in the end, unintelligent creatures. When confronted with the refined tactics and teamwork of the ninja, they appeared helpless and unable to fully leverage their own advantages.
Moreover, their numerical superiority had been significantly diminished by the wide-range Ninjutsu bombardments. When ninja squadrons fought tightly together in coordinated formations, these Ninja Snakes could no longer create localized advantages within short periods or easily break through the defensive lines of the ninja.
However, Tamayu would not simply watch the battle unfold!
After sending forth all the Ninja Snakes, she floated directly upward into the sky, once again wildly circulating Sage Chakra within her body.
At this moment, even the most obtuse observer could tell she was preparing a powerful ultimate technique!
"Sealing specialists, get ready!"
Facing this unknown attack, Sakumo Hatake displayed extreme caution.
"We might be facing defeat."
Furthermore, an ominous premonition quietly stirred within Sakumo's heart.
[Sage Art: White Eruption Technique!]
Tamayu took a deep breath, her abdomen momentarily becoming paper-thin while containing tremendous power about to erupt. Then she forcefully exhaled, instantly releasing an unprecedented massive surge of energy.
In that instant, a red dragon emerged from her mouth, lifelike and vivid as if it were truly alive. Within the dragon's mouth rested a black orb, gleaming with an enigmatic glow as if concealing boundless mysteries and unfathomable power. The dragon's body coiled around this orb, then spiraled outward in all directions!
[Earth Style Mud Wall!]
Since the Sage Art attack moved too quickly, the surrounding ninja could only hastily employ Earth Release techniques for defense.
However, the mud walls constructed through Earth Release were utterly ineffective against the red dragon's passage, tearing apart like mere paper!
Additionally, as the crimson dragon twisted and spun, it emitted piercing screeches that covered surrounding ninja with shockwaves, sending them collapsing in pain on the ground, clutching their heads desperately!
After completing one full rotation, the red dragon gave a flick of its tail and directly returned inside the black orb!
A chill ran down Sakumo Hatake's spine.
"Withdraw immediately!"
Even without his explicit warning, the experienced ninjas keenly sensed that something was terribly wrong.
The bizarre and abrupt changes happening before their eyes could only be explained by the enemy secretly preparing some unprecedented, far more powerful secret jutsu.
They understood well—if their side already struggled to resist the enemy's attack during the early stages of the technique, then once this ultimate level technique fully manifested and released its power, its devastating force would naturally become completely unstoppable. Any slight delay in response would lead to unimaginable consequences!
"Retreat!"
Orders from the Jonin Officers rang out one after another.
The Ninja Force immediately launched all of their ninja tools to slightly hinder the still-frantically lunging ninja snakes, then systematically withdrew from the battlefield using Body Flicker techniques.
"Are they actually this alert?"
Tamayu, who was levitating midair while completing her final preparations for the Divine Sage Art, also showed some surprise.
"But I won't let any of you slip away that easily!"
A cruel smile curled at the corner of Tamayu's lips. She then clasped both hands together and roared loudly,
"Tch!"
Just like glass shattering, the black pearl-like sphere exploded and vanished into nothingness.
What emerged next was a blinding light and piercing sound waves covering the entire battlefield!
"Ahhhh!"
Ninjas who lagged slightly behind during the retreat immediately collapsed onto the ground.
That sudden burst of intense light instantly robbed them of their vision, plunging their world into absolute darkness. Immediately afterward, deafening sound waves struck like a raging storm, not only shattering their hearing but also throwing off their balance—as though they were adrift on turbulent seas, unable to steady themselves.
Under the synchronized onslaught of light and sound, they felt an indescribable agony. It was a deep itch and pain that seemed to originate from within their very bones—like countless fine needles simultaneously piercing their bodies, causing unbearable suffering and wails of pain.
This attack's sheer power defied comprehension! In an instant, more than a thousand ninjas fell lifeless, the battlefield swallowed by death itself—an atmosphere drowned in screams and endless despair.
Excited beyond measure, Tamayu couldn't help but let loose a triumphant roar to the heavens!
And the remaining ninja snakes became even more frenzied!
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