Jiraiya ultimately decided against engaging in an open-field battle outside the city.
Even with the barrier broken, they still held a geographical advantage, with various other defensive structures and traps to rely on. This was far better than going out with nothing.
If they could repel the enemy, they could repair the seal and continue to drag out the conflict.
"So they've held back and aren't coming out to fight us in the open? They're quite composed."
Qingshui stood with one hand behind his back, his eyes subtly shifting as he observed the sealing barrier holding firm under the ceaseless bombardment in the distance.
Then let the bombing continue, he thought. We have plenty of shells anyway.
Once the barrier was breached, it would mark the first large-scale engagement since the war began, with the combined forces of both sides exceeding ten thousand!
And what Qingshui wanted to do was leverage an absolute advantage in strength to turn this battle into the decisive confrontation in the Land of Rivers, pushing all the way into the Land of Fire!
Orochimaru and Jiraiya were indeed exceptional individuals, and Konoha's ninja force was certainly high in both quantity and quality. For any other major ninja village, such a lineup would be as solid as a rock.
But…
Times had changed!
"Inform the Puppet Force: don't worry about transmitter overload, go to full power output immediately! Activate the Explosive Tag Rockets. I want Konoha's barrier breached within an hour. Once it's breached, I want you to keep bombing! Plow this entire city of Hyakukawa for me!"
"Pakura, Rasa, in one hour, be ready to lead the assault troops and spearhead the advance."
Qingshui issued another command.
A complete carpet bombing by cannon fodder, followed by a second wave of powerful attacking forces, and then the main army would roll through.
Simple and effective.
Ten-odd seconds later.
Twice the previous number of shells launched from the Sand Hidden positions, interspersed with Rockets of slightly different designs.
Many of these devices were things Qingshui had his Avatars from other worlds research—relatively classic artillery and ammunition that Sand Village's current industrial capacity could produce at low cost and in large quantities.
The more advanced ones, naturally, combined industrial and Chakra systems, designed by referencing the production methods of ninja tools like Explosive Tags.
These ones had greater destructive power.
"These new ninja tools from Sand Hidden…"
In another hidden corner of the battlefield.
Orochimaru, who had led a small group of sensory ninja out for advance reconnaissance, narrowed his slitted eyes as he watched the shells bombard the barrier like an endless meteor shower.
As expected, Sand Village could now mass-produce these items.
This meant that in any future battles with Sand Hidden, the enemy could directly bombard their positions with a large volume of artillery from outside the range of conventional Ninjutsu, especially in frontal assaults like this one.
If the enemy had to defend their positions, they could simply pinpoint the location and then blanket it with bombardment.
For decades, the sealing barrier had played a huge role and accumulated countless merits for Konoha in two Great Ninja Wars. Now, it could only serve as a defensive shell.
In just a few short years, Sand Village had suddenly become so much harder to deal with compared to the last Great Ninja War.
How many more new things did they have?
Orochimaru felt even more fortunate now that he had made the right choice earlier.
Sand Village had changed too much, and their strength must have increased significantly since then.
If they were to foolishly rush into a head-on confrontation based on their experiences from the past two Great Ninja Wars, they would surely be caught off guard, lose their advantage early on, surrender large swathes of land, and be forced into a passive, defensive position.
It was better to continue focusing on harassment and defense, probe Sand Hidden's remaining capabilities, and only once they understood and developed corresponding countermeasures and solutions, would it be Konoha's turn to exert its full power!
At that point, relying on Konoha's deep reserves and the abundant resources and funds provided by the Land of Fire's Daimyo, they would, like in the previous two Great Ninja Wars, outlast the enemy with their sufficiently long "health bar" until victory was achieved!
This was indeed the most correct approach.
Provided, of course, that they could withstand Sand Hidden's initial burst. Otherwise, the outcome would still not be much better.
The bombardment lasted for an hour.
In fact, the rock-solid sealing barrier had already been destroyed about ten minutes prior.
But that didn't stop the continued bombardment.
This served both to strike the enemy and to initially destroy any remaining defensive structures.
Of course, for these ninja, their defensive and evasive abilities against such attacks were certainly strong. It was hard to say how much damage could actually be inflicted.
However, Qingshui hadn't expected to cripple Konoha's forces with just these.
More so, these bombardments were primarily for cover.
At this very moment, Sand Hidden's troops had begun engaging Konoha's ninja.
It was still the usual combined Ninjutsu seen in large-scale ninja army battles.
Rows of Wind Release ninja, led by Qingshui, jointly performed Wind Release: Net.
Endless wind blades stacked together, densely slicing everything in front of them into fragments.
On Konoha's side, Jiraiya led a large number of Konoha ninja in jointly performing Earth Release, constructing a massive Earth Style: Earth Wall to block it. They also initiated the first Ninjutsu clash with Sand Hidden's follow-up Earth Release squad.
In this regard, Konoha and Sand Hidden already had much combat experience and mature countermeasures.
As the war finally seemed to settle into a rhythm he recognized, Jiraiya let out a slight sigh of relief.
At this moment, two toads were perched on his shoulders, and his face had taken on a somewhat frog-like appearance, with a few bumps appearing.
This battle would undoubtedly require his full effort.
So, even before the fight began, Jiraiya had summoned Fukasaku and Shima, the two toads, and entered Sage Mode, a technique he had only recently learned.
"*Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!*"
"*Water Release: Wild Water Wave!*"
"*Water Release: Falling Water Slash!*"
Under Jiraiya's direction, Konoha ninja leaped out one after another, unleashing Water Release Ninjutsu towards the Sand Hidden forces.
The inherent power of Water Release, combined with the advantage of attacking from a higher position, was enough to overwhelm any army.
However, in the next moment, the battlefield once again became unfamiliar to Jiraiya.
Under the control of the Puppet Masters, standardized Puppets opened launch ports in their arms, firing Ice Bombs one after another.
In an instant, cold air spread wildly, and the crisp sound of freezing echoed. The combined Water Release carefully prepared by the Konoha ninja was now frozen solid, along with a portion of the ninja at the front of the formation.
"This is... the Mist Hidden's Snow Clan's Ice Release? No, it's special ninja tools without Chakra!"
Jiraiya, who was at the very front, reacted quickly, grabbing the two Konoha ninja beside him and rapidly leaping back to evade.
It was only then that the Sand Hidden ninja, charging forward on paths made of solidified ice, finally met their opponents in this war.
"*Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!*"
Dozens of massive fireballs danced through the air under Pakura's control, bombing the most densely packed positions of the Konoha ninja.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Rasa stood with his arms crossed over his chest, riding on a cloud of gold dust, his expression stern. Golden waves surged around him, mercilessly eliminating every enemy.
"Magnet Release Rasa, Scorch Release Pakura, what in the world has happened to Sand Village these past few years? Kekkei Genkai users are popping up one after another."
Jiraiya cursed, then clapped his hands as he watched the Scorch Release fireballs heading his way.
Smoke billowed, and a giant, orange-red toad appeared.
"*Water Release: Toad Oil Bullet!*"
Several massive water balls shot from Gamabunta's mouth, colliding with Pakura's Scorch Release fireballs. They then exploded with a roar, turning into steam, which quickly cooled down in the low temperatures created by the earlier Ice Bombs.
"Jiraiya! Are you trying to murder me?! If I hadn't reacted in time, I'd have been killed the moment I appeared!"
Watching the Scorch Release fireballs re-emerge around Pakura in the mist, Gamabunta, who had a pipe in his mouth, couldn't help but yell.
Jiraiya, however, had no time to respond.
"*Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!*"
The two toads spat fire, and Jiraiya expelled oil, transformed from Water Release, creating a vast sea of scorching flames that enveloped Rasa's gold dust.
The purity of gold in gold dust usually ranged from fifty to eighty percent, but after initial purification, it could reach ninety-five percent.
However, gold itself wasn't suitable as a weapon due to its unimpressive hardness and melting point compared to other metals. This was why Rasa chose to mix other substances into the metal to form gold dust, enhancing the power of his Kekkei Genkai.
Yet, under the high temperatures generated by Jiraiya's Ninjutsu, a significant amount of gold dust still melted into liquid gold.
Rasa's expression remained impassive. He simply manipulated more gold dust, with some forming shields around him, and another portion condensing into countless golden cones that shot towards Jiraiya.
So, Jiraiya had already mastered Sage Mode at this time...
From a distance on the battlefield, Qingshui watched the commotion of the fight, feeling quite surprised, then somewhat relieved.
In the original timeline, Minato Namikaze had already displayed Sage Mode during the Nine-Tails Rampage, which occurred a year after the Third Great Ninja War, a few years from now. Jiraiya would most likely have learned it even earlier.
Because the current Jiraiya, who was over thirty, had reached the peak of his physical prowess and Chakra reserves as a ninja. If he couldn't learn it now, it was unlikely he would ever learn it later.
He should have already approached his limit; he just lacked a bit in foundation, experience, and proficiency with Sage Mode. Even if he hadn't reached Kage-level peak, the difference wouldn't be significant.
Rasa and Pakura were formidable, but the former was currently at the mid-to-lower Kage-level, and Pakura had just entered that tier.
If they were to face Jiraiya individually, it would be a tough fight, probably just a struggle to delay and they would definitely be suppressed.
But if they teamed up, Qingshui estimated they could certainly suppress a regular Kage-level strongman, and might even win, though killing him would be difficult.
However, Jiraiya's strength was slightly beyond expectations. Rasa and Pakura weren't gaining the upper hand. Instead, Jiraiya, relying on Sage Mode and his three Summoning Beasts, was fighting them to a standstill.
Though a bit regrettable, at least Jiraiya was tied up.
Without Jiraiya, this top-tier combatant, it would be difficult for the remaining Konoha forces to stop Sand Village's next moves.
"Puppet Force, deploy the automated Puppet army."
After receiving Qingshui's instructions, Sasori quickly led the Puppet Force into action.
Uniform footsteps echoed as an iron-forged, standardized Puppet army formed a torrent, charging towards Konoha's positions.
The first thing released was Fear Toxin.
As long as there were enough materials, Fear Toxin could be mass-produced. Scarecrow had once spread Fear Toxin throughout Gotham.
Green toxic gas obscured the sky, spreading through the crowd.
Every Sand Hidden ninja had been injected with an Antidote Pill beforehand and would not be affected by the toxin.
But it was a different story for the Konoha ninja.
Even though these individuals possessed Chakra and could use its spiritual energy to resist or even suppress this illusion-like toxin, among the average ninja, very few could truly withstand it.
Many of the weaker Chunin/Genin, after being infected by the Fear Toxin, fell into a frenzy, screaming and indiscriminately attacking everyone around them; they even turned on their comrades.
Konoha's battle formation was thrown into disarray.
"Damn it, what new poison has Sand Hidden developed now?! Even Lady Tsunade's Antidote Pill is far less effective against this type of poison than against others."
A Konoha Jonin gritted his teeth, enduring the terrifying illusions that flickered in and out of his mind and vision, as he unleashed an Earth Style: Earth Wall in front of him to protect himself.
"This is a neurotoxin. Its effect is very similar to the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique, making people see their greatest fears. Don't use conventional antidote methods. Treat it like a Genjutsu. Whenever an illusion appears, disrupt your own Chakra to create a shock to your nervous system. While it won't completely eliminate the effect, it can at least subjectively dispel the illusions, preventing you from losing your fighting ability."
A Konoha Jonin with red pupils calmly stated, as he swung his sword, shattering a Puppet that was attacking him.
Not far away, a ninja from the Yamanaka Clan heard this and followed the instructions. Then, under the red-eyed ninja's cover, he performed the Mind Body Communication Array Technique, relaying the information to the commanders on the battlefield.
This red-eyed ninja was Yūhi Shinkō.
He was a veteran Elite Jonin, from the same generation as the Sannin, and even older than them, similar to the deceased Konoha's White Fang. He had a considerable reputation and, without a Kekkei Genkai like the Sharingan, became a recognized Genjutsu master.
Perhaps some Uchiha, relying on their three-tomoe Sharingan, could cast Genjutsu stronger than his, but that was only due to the Kekkei Genkai's augmentation.
When it came to mastery of Genjutsu and knowledge of its principles, those individuals could certainly not compare to Yūhi Shinkō.
Specialization has its benefits. In terms of understanding Genjutsu, there was truly no one in the Ninja World who could surpass him.
His method was certainly far from completely breaking the Fear Toxin, but it could at least prevent the Konoha ninja from collapsing at the slightest touch under the toxin's influence, allowing them to retain some fighting power for a counterattack.
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