Chapter 263: Artistic Star
The Sand ninjas no longer resorted to tentative harassment but launched a full-scale revenge attack. In front of their formation, dozens of puppets of various shapes emerged, forming a mobile barrier, their arms and torsos covered with a wide range of new explosive tags.
"Unleash!", with excitement and murderous intent, the puppeteers released strands of chakra, manipulating the firing mechanisms and launching the tags at Konoha's defenses.
Boom, boom, boom!
A series of deafening explosions erupted. Flames soared into the sky, and the sturdy fortifications were immediately blown open. The Konoha ninjas, caught off guard, were annihilated by the violent blast wave.
"Great! Well done!", a Suna jōnin roared excitedly. "These talismans are of the highest quality!"
"Konoha's turtle shells, let's see how long they last!", another one shouted, and the confidence of the Suna ninjas skyrocketed.
"Hey, kid!", the old chūnin grabbed the genin next to him. "Don't be impulsive! Use it sparingly. This kind of thing can be a lifesaver at a critical moment. Throwing it away now is a waste."
The startled genin carefully put away his talisman as if it were a treasure. A smug smile appeared on the old chūnin's face.
On the podium, Ebizō watched, and finally a genuine smile appeared on his face for the first time since the war began. The combination of explosive talismans and puppets was the perfect match. It was no wonder the White-Haired Demon cherished this tactic so much.
"Charge!", he roared, brandishing his sword once more. Driven by success, Sunagakure's morale reached an unprecedented high. Countless ninjas swarmed the breach, defying Konoha's counterattacks. Victory seemed imminent.
However, just as their momentum soared, "Art is an explosion!", Sasuke said, forming the Tiger Seal with icy words.
On the other side of the formation, the unused explosive tags attached to the puppets, the lifesaver amulets carefully stored by the common ninjas, and all the distributed high-quality tags inexplicably and automatically detonated.
Boom! Boom!
They weren't sporadic explosions, but like a silent volcano, suddenly erupting in the densest part of the crowd.
"What's going on?"
"Ah! My explosive tags! No..."
Screams of terror and despair replaced the frantic shouts of death. The tags they depended on became a deadly key. The old chūnin, who had been so smug, didn't even have time to abandon the smile on his face before being engulfed by the explosion in his arms. He and the three lovable genin next to him were transformed into a cloud of blood.
The ninjas on Konoha's defensive line, including Chōza, were stunned by the hellish scene.
"What happened? Did the Suna guys self-destruct?"
"Isn't this the Dust Style: Unlimited Multiple Explosion Formation, Killing Arrow Zero?", whispered those from Sasuke's unit, who had already witnessed the technique.
"How is this possible?!", Ebizō's smile froze, refusing to believe what he saw. Once again, he watched helplessly as the legion in which he had placed so much hope was annihilated.
"Sunataki!", a shrill, almost heart-wrenching roar burst from his throat, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the elite jōnin next to him who had previously tried to dissuade him. "It's you! You must have betrayed Sunagakure! Traitor, die!"
Full of rage, he gave the other no chance to explain. He controlled the puppet and stabbed him with all his might, piercing his heart.
After the massive explosion, all of Suna's main force was annihilated in an instant. Only one in ten survived, and all were injured and terrified.
"Konoha ninjas, attack! Destroy all remaining enemies, leaving no one alive!", Sasuke's voice resonated like a bell across the battlefield.
"Kill!", the Konoha ninjas, recovering from the shock, rushed out of their fortifications like unleashed tigers.
Ebizō watched, and a wave of unprecedented pain and despair washed over him. "White-Haired Demon! It must be you again!", he finally regained his composure. He gave one last bitter look, turned sharply, and fled to save his life.
"It's better to pursue the enemy with the courage you have left than to seek fame by imitating the tyrant." Naturally, Sasuke would not waste this opportunity. The remnants of the Sand Village, although elite, were no match for the overwhelming numerical advantage. Konoha's army broke through their defenses and pursued them for thousands of kilometers, from the lush borders of the Land of the River to the desolate Gobi Desert.
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