When the flames filled the entire valley, none of the Sand ninja dared to think about counterattacking or escaping anymore.
Because those who had tried were already gone.
Their bodies had been reduced to charred remains, quickly turning into ash within the raging fire.
The surviving Sand ninja either used ninjutsu or dug into the ground, relying on the earth for protection.
They hid in pits of different sizes, staring up at the crimson-lit sky above. Their faces were pale, reflecting the firelight with a faint red glow.
Faced with a technique that felt like a natural disaster, all of them were shaken.
Could it be that Konoha's Third Hokage had personally arrived in the Land of Rivers?
Fire Release was one of the most common ninjutsu in the ninja world.
The Uchiha clan and the Sarutobi clan were especially skilled at it.
But precisely because it was so common, its upper limit depended heavily on the user's chakra and control.
In other words, its power came from the individual.
Yet a Fire Release capable of covering an entire valley—
None of them had ever seen anything like it.
They were certain of one thing.
Whoever used it had to be at Kage level.
But no one could identify who it was.
The most likely candidates were two figures—
Uchiha Fugaku and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
However, the oldest among them, Fusha, quickly ruled them out.
Fugaku was famous for his Sharingan, not overwhelming Fire Release.
And even Hiruzen, despite his reputation, had never been recorded using something this extreme.
After going through every known Kage-level ninja, Fusha came to a shocking conclusion—
There was no one like this.
On the other side, Yoru himself was just as surprised.
Even in his imagination, he had never expected his full-powered attack to be this destructive.
The entire valley had been engulfed in flames, and several enemies had been eliminated instantly.
There was even a faint resemblance to the legendary fire techniques of the strongest Uchiha.
Yoru was breathing heavily.
That single move had consumed a significant portion of his chakra and natural energy. The violent surge left him slightly unsteady.
But he quickly realized—
He had misjudged his own strength.
After reassessing, his chances of victory were far higher than he had expected.
If he had known this earlier, he would have approached more carefully and struck from closer range.
Then, the result might have been total elimination.
Instead, some enemies had managed to survive, though all were injured.
Yoru dispersed his senjutsu chakra.
His internal balance had reached its limit. He could no longer maintain such large-scale techniques.
However, his confidence had already risen.
"Even without senjutsu," he said calmly, "I can still handle this."
The next moment—
He moved.
Like a gust of wind, Yoru dashed forward, using the Body Flicker Technique repeatedly.
In just a few seconds, he caught up to his first target.
Suppressing his presence completely, he appeared behind a Sand special jōnin.
His blade slid out silently.
The enemy sensed danger and reacted immediately, throwing a spread of shuriken.
But when he turned—
There was nothing there.
The attack missed.
Forcing himself to stay calm, he quickly formed hand seals.
Wind Release: Sand Rotation!
A spiral of wind and sand expanded outward, forming a defensive barrier.
It was a smart choice.
But it wasn't enough.
Before the technique could fully protect him—
Yoru had already repositioned.
His blade struck cleanly.
The jōnin stiffened for a brief moment before collapsing.
Everything had happened too fast.
Yoru withdrew his sword without pause.
A special jōnin had been defeated in an instant.
For a brief second, he glanced at the blade—
Then moved again, faster than before.
At the same time, Miwa Masayo was even quicker.
When Yoru's flames swept across the valley, she realized something important—
There was no need to retreat.
They could win.
Senjutsu: Flame Leap!
Senjutsu: Pure White Claws!
Her target was a Sand jōnin who had just emerged from cover.
The small flame nearby suddenly flared up under her control.
Startled, the jōnin instinctively moved—
And in that moment—
She struck.
Miwa Masayo leapt out from the flames.
Her claws, wrapped in pure white fire, moved like flowing ribbons.
Before the jōnin could react—
She landed her attack.
His movement stopped instantly.
The result was decided in a single exchange.
He fell without even having the chance to counter.
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