Kirigakure has officially launched a large-scale invasion!
And this time, the invasion was accompanied by a despair-inducing, overwhelmingly oppressive force—the Six-Tails, Saiken!
That massive, terrifying tailed beast, resembling an enormous slug, made landfall directly along the coastline.
Facing power on this level, genin and chunin were rendered completely meaningless; only jonin-level shinobi were even qualified to contend with it.
Its violently corrosive acidic spray and horrifying physical strength instantly tore open a massive breach in Konoha's carefully constructed main defensive line.
This—this was what could truly be called a tailed beast, a weapon of war so terrifying that even Hashirama Senju once believed balancing such monsters could bring about peace.
BOOM!
Kiyohara emerged from his tent just in time to see a gigantic crimson sphere slam into the distant mountain range.
Immediately afterward came a deafening roar of wind and mist, the enormous explosion shredding all the fog in the area to pieces.
The mist had already lost all meaning.
Under the power of a tailed beast, the Mist shinobi abandoned subtlety altogether and chose a direct, head-on assault!
And at the front, a colossal purple serpent appeared.
The mist coiling around it dispersed, revealing an enormous, winding snake body whose sheer size was in no way inferior to the Six-Tails.
A figure stood atop the serpent.
The surging wind whipped the man's long black hair aside, revealing magatama-shaped earrings swaying by his ears.
Orochimaru!
Even from afar, Kiyohara could see several shattered gate structures in the distance, their surfaces carved with reliefs of ferocious demons and asura.
They were unmistakably Rashōmon gates!
Kiyohara immediately understood—Orochimaru must have used Summoning Technique: Triple Rashōmon the moment the battle began, barely managing to deflect the trajectory of the Six-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball.
The current Six-Tails jinchūriki was probably still just a child, unable to withstand excessive amounts of tailed beast chakra.
Staring at the roaring Six-Tails in the distance, Kiyohara guessed that its jinchūriki at present was likely Utakata.
Utakata was three or four years younger than Kakashi, meaning his body was still quite immature.
Could Kiri truly drive a tailed beast like this?
Or was this all Madara's handiwork?
Kiyohara fixed his gaze forward, then saw Orochimaru summon dense swarms of venomous snakes, sending them surging forward to tear and bite at the Six-Tails.
Around them, tongues of flame lashed out, thunder roared, torrents of water surged—one dazzling ninjutsu after another filled the battlefield.
But—
The damage dealt to the Six-Tails was extremely limited.
Not to mention, Kirigakure possessed two tailed beasts.
Had the Three-Tails' jinchūriki also joined the battle?
This—this was a true battle of the strong.
Even with Magnet Release and Steel Release, in the face of tailed beasts and full-scale warfare of this magnitude, individual strength still seemed pitifully small.
He needed to become stronger, much stronger and fast.
As long as he was given enough time, he would eventually grow to this level.
The team he was assigned to was only guarding a secondary defensive line on the flank, so the pressure here was far lighter than at the main front.
Kiyohara could hear Nara Shikatan shouting loudly, doing his utmost to relay orders to as many shinobi as possible.
"Abandon the current positions! Execute an emergency withdrawal to the second inland defensive line! Gather as many scattered troops as possible along the way, secure important intelligence, and retreat!"
"So it really has come to abandoning the line…"
Kiyohara looked at his comrades around him, their expressions panicked as they retreated in disarray.
But even retreating wasn't done in a blind rush.
A portion of the shinobi had to be left behind, fighting while withdrawing, buying time for those further back.
Only by retreating in an orderly manner to the second inland defensive line could casualties be minimized.
The entire shinobi war had already entered the stage of conserving manpower.
In other words, every shinobi lost was one fewer left—every nation was doing its best to preserve its remaining strength.
The reason the Land of Fire was in such dire straits was because it was being attacked from multiple directions at once; in a straight one-on-one war between major powers, it would not be inferior to any village.
Just as Kiyohara was observing the battlefield, sharp sounds of rushing air and clashing metal suddenly erupted from the forest on the flank.
"Kiyohara, watch your side!"
Kurenai's panicked shout rang out first, followed immediately by several senbon needles flung by Genma, knocking two Mist kunai out of the air.
Three Mist shinobi burst through a gap in the collapsing battle line, clearly intending to harass the retreating forces from the flank.
The leader wore a Hidden Mist ANBU mask, moving in complete silence, while the other two, dressed as standard chunin, advanced in perfect coordination in a triangular formation.
"Genjutsu: Tree Binding Death!"
Kurenai reacted instantly, forming seals.
The leading Mist chunin stumbled, confusion appearing in his eyes, as if his body had been bound by trees growing out of thin air.
In the next instant, Genma flashed behind him, driving a senbon straight into the enemy's throat.
The moment the other two were distracted by their comrade's sudden death, Kiyohara moved.
Repulsive force generated by Magnet Release chakra erupted beneath his feet, the ground trembling as his speed skyrocketed, his body skimming the earth like a black arrow.
When the Mist ANBU slashed at him, Kiyohara neither dodged nor retreated, drawing his blade to block.
Clang!
The ANBU's sword was violently knocked aside, his hand going numb.
Shock flashed through his eyes—but there was no time to recover.
Kiyohara plunged his blade straight into the man's abdomen.
"Kuh—!"
The ANBU shinobi was sent flying, smashing into a small tree before collapsing limply to the ground.
Seeing this, the final Mist chunin panicked, trying to retreat while throwing a smoke bomb—but Kiyohara appeared directly in his escape path first.
With a light tap of his finger on the enemy's wrist, Magnet Release pulled at the metal tools on his body, distorting his movements, and Kiyohara followed with a single stroke that severed the man's head.
Kurenai let out a breath and hurried over to Kiyohara, her beautiful face only relaxing once she confirmed he was unharmed.
"These Mist shinobi actually managed to infiltrate all the way here—"
Genma sheathed his short blade and wiped the sweat from his brow. "The breach in the defensive line is getting bigger. Kiyohara, we need to regroup with the retreating forces quickly."
Kiyohara swiftly crouched down, skillfully checking the equipment and scrolls on the three Mist shinobi, stuffing anything potentially useful into his pack.
"I know."
Kiyohara nodded.
It really was time to withdraw.
But he wanted to squeeze out one last gain.
"You go ahead. I'll handle the mission here. There are still many comrades fighting desperately—I can't leave so quickly."
At the very least, he needed to rack up more battle merit and fill his sealing scrolls.
He added that last part silently in his mind.
He needed merit.
He needed to make greater contributions, to exchange those merits for more ninjutsu.
Only then could he legitimize the techniques he possessed.
As time went on, the number of techniques Kiyohara could inherit and record from different futures would only increase.
It was impossible for all of them to have been looted from enemy shinobi, after all.
A small number could be explained that way, but too many would just be an insult to everyone's intelligence.
So battle merit was essential.
Merit generally came in two forms: killing enemy shinobi, or being evaluated and awarded based on overall combat performance and results.
Because shinobi were different from ordinary soldiers, simply cutting off ears, heads, or taking forehead protectors proved nothing.
A shinobi's strength wasn't tied to such things.
The head of a genin and the head of a jonin were no different in that regard.
That was why Kiyohara had always stripped enemy flak jackets.
Not only could they be sold for money, they also served as a form of merit calculation, representing the enemy's identity.
Genin weren't even qualified to wear flak jackets—at most, they might have a few extra layers of chainmail under their clothes.
"Don't worry. If I want to leave, no one here can stop me."
Kiyohara added calmly.
The reason was simple—unless the Six-Tails carpet-bombed the area with continuous Tailed Beast Balls, ordinary shinobi simply couldn't catch him.
With Magnet Release acceleration, Kiyohara's speed was terrifyingly fast.
He could already be considered the fastest user of the Body Flicker Technique in this entire outpost.
According to Kiyohara's own testing, if he combined the Leaf Body Flicker Technique with repulsion-based acceleration, his speed could explosively surge to an entirely new level.
The more chakra he consumed, the faster he could go.
With chakra reserves triple that of an average jonin, Kiyohara could use the Body Flicker many times over.
Of course, if his speed increased too much, control would become an issue.
Evaluating a shinobi's combat ability wasn't just about chakra—it also involved motor control, neural reflexes, and situational judgment.
At extreme speeds, even Kiyohara's neural response, nerve conduction, and dynamic vision would start to lag behind.
Though his reaction speed, after multiple layers of enhancement, already surpassed that of many ordinary shinobi, it still wasn't enough.
The more he thought about it, the more Kiyohara sighed inwardly.
No wonder only Minato could truly master the Flying Thunder God Technique, even Tobirama admitted his own speed wasn't as fast.
The reason lay in Minato's absurd neural reaction capability.
Behind them, Genma, who had caught up, listened to Kiyohara's righteous words and couldn't help raising a thumb.
Damn—this was the true inheritor of the Will of Fire!
Even at a moment like this, he was still thinking about his comrades.
After all, the shinobi rules stated that a shinobi must complete the mission even at the cost of their life.
They never said a shinobi must save comrades even at the cost of their life!
"But— but—"
Kurenai hadn't expected Kiyohara to say this.
"I've learned really powerful genjutsu too!"
She clenched her small fists, making sure Kiyohara didn't underestimate her.
"My speed is way faster than yours. You staying here would just get in my way."
Kiyohara said frankly.
With his speed, he could very well load up completely and still catch up to Kurenai and Genma after retreating—possibly even faster than them.
If the two stayed, they would only interfere with his fighting.
"…No."
Kurenai looked at Kiyohara and still shook her head.
Bickering was one thing, but she didn't want anything to actually happen to him.
"If something happens to you, who's going to give me such sweet lollipops to eat?"
She said awkwardly, her voice trailing off.
A curled strand of black hair fell against her flawless, delicate face.
"Got it."
Kiyohara nodded.
"I know you're worried about me—but still, retreat quickly."
He turned to look at Kurenai.
Wearing her shinobi outfit and chunin flak jacket, with black chainmail underneath, Kurenai's slender, graceful figure was faintly outlined, already showing the beginnings of a mature silhouette.
"I—I'm just caring about a comrade, what's wrong with that?!"
Kurenai's face flushed slightly as she hurriedly denied it.
"Why are you becoming like Asuma? Did he teach you those greasy lines?"
In her impression, Asuma was still an unmotivated, rebellious son of the Hokage.
Though they were comrades and fellow soldiers, she still felt he was a bit overly self-assured.
If not for Kiyohara as a comparison, she might not have thought much of it.
But after getting used to Kiyohara's handsome face, looking at Asuma felt like trading a luxury feast for plain soup.
"I just say what I think. Then why don't you worry about Genma too?"
Kiyohara's gaze abruptly shifted to Genma.
At the moment, Genma had no interest in chatting, constantly scanning the surroundings for enemies.
Then he noticed Kiyohara's gaze—and Kurenai's as well—and felt confused.
Wait, why am I involved now?
"He doesn't have as high an awareness as you."
Kurenai answered without hesitation.
Genma wanted to retort, but after thinking about it carefully… she wasn't wrong.
Staying behind alone to cover the retreat, helping comrades, and then withdrawing afterward.
That level of ideological elevation was as impressive as Kiyohara's flirting skills.
If Kurenai hadn't been present, Genma would've already given Kiyohara a thumbs-up.
A true role model!
"Heh heh, Kiyohara-kun is right. Him staying here alone may actually give him a higher survival chance than acting together with you."
A figure stepped out from behind Kiyohara.
The three of them recognized the newcomer immediately.
Orochimaru.
He narrowed his eyes, watching the distant battlefield where blood and fire roared together.
Even the air seemed filled with the cries of battle.
"Orochimaru-sama."
For a moment, Kiyohara couldn't tell whether this was Orochimaru's real body or a shadow clone.
Or perhaps both the Orochimaru here and the one standing atop the summoned Manda were shadow clones?
"Are you wondering whether I'm a shadow clone or the real body?"
Orochimaru licked the corner of his lips.
After all, shadow clones were notoriously hard to distinguish, often causing confusion even among veterans.
Without waiting for Kiyohara to answer, Orochimaru continued, "This is just a shadow clone. My real body is still fighting the enemy. This time, we'll likely lose more shinobi than we did at the battle at the former Land of Whirlpools."
A heavy note crept into his voice.
Life was such a fragile thing.
From the moment Orochimaru watched Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki, die in front of him, blown apart by explosive tags, he had deeply understood that truth.
Once you died—there was nothing left.
"Lord Orochimaru"
Kurenai and Genma glanced at him.
Given their status, they couldn't refute anything he said.
"You two, leave."
Orochimaru waved his hand dismissively.
The collapse of this defensive line was only a matter of time.
Fortunately, Jiraiya was already on his way to reinforce them—the real main force of Kiri was being held back by people like him.
The remaining Mist shinobi would naturally scatter to other areas.
Seeing the determination in Kiyohara's eyes, Kurenai opened her mouth, but in the end swallowed her words of protest.
She understood that Kiyohara was right—during such a chaotic retreat, differences in speed could indeed drag each other down.
"Then—promise me you'll come back alive."
She bit her lower lip, pulled a small signal flare from her shinobi pouch, and pressed it into Kiyohara's hand.
"If you encounter danger you can't handle, fire it. I—we'll rush over as fast as we can."
"Don't worry."
Kiyohara clenched the signal flare and gave her a reassuring smile.
"You know my Body Flicker Technique, right? After I finish loot, cough—I mean, after I finish helping my comrades, I'll catch up to you right away."
Genma patted Kiyohara on the shoulder and said solemnly, "Take care. We'll follow Captain Shikatan's orders, gather scattered troops along the way, and wait for you at the second defensive line."
The two of them didn't hesitate any longer, turning and merging into the orderly retreating ranks.
"Heh heh, Kiyohara-kun, this is a small gift from me to you."
After the two left, Orochimaru suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a square box.
Click—inside was a vial filled with a white solution.
Despite the surrounding noise—the screams of battle, the chaos of war—Kiyohara's heart skipped a beat.
Seeing that vial, he vaguely guessed what it was.
Aside from the Orochimaru-style Body Replacement Technique, which allowed him to recover by shedding his skin even after severe injuries, Orochimaru himself possessed rapid healing and fast chakra recovery.
The white snake symbolized fortune and rebirth—a rare species.
In the chakra-filled shinobi world, white snakes weren't just symbolic; they truly possessed the power of rapid regeneration.
Back when Orochimaru was young, after witnessing a white snake shed its skin for the first time in front of Hiruzen, he began researching them.
In the end, driven by his obsession with immortality, he extracted this power from white snake cells and genes.
In the future—or perhaps even now—his true body had already become something akin to a "White Snake Immortal."
Even when using the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique to take over new bodies, what emerged was still a bizarre white snake burrowing into its host.
That was why no matter whose body Orochimaru inhabited, he could quickly recover his original strength.
In short, this was a high-grade consumable that restored both health and chakra!
Orochimaru tossed the vial to Kiyohara, who caught it.
The vial was extremely cold to the touch.
Kiyohara looked down at the white liquid, thinking it was as white as snow.
Then Orochimaru's next words confirmed his guess.
"This is a portion of power I extracted from white snake cells and genes. It's still being refined, but at critical moments, it should be enough to provide Kiyohara-kun with some assistance."
Orochimaru said calmly, his mouth slowly closing.
(End of Chapter)